Flashman and the Angel of the Lord by George MacDonald Fraser

Author:George MacDonald Fraser [Fraser, George MacDonald]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: United States, General, Historical, Fiction
ISBN: 9780007217205
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2006-03-09T00:00:00+00:00

Now before I go any further, you should look at my map, which is done as best I can remember, for many of the old landmarks are gone now, so I can’t be dead sure where everything was.49 I’ve told you how the town lay, and you can see for yourselves, but I must impress on you just how small was the space in which our little drama was to be played out. Coming out of the right fork of the Poto?mac bridge, you were looking at the Wager House hotel, a large gabled building with two storeys and a basement; it was part of the station and hard by the railroad where it branched right from the covered bridge. To your left, beyond the other railroad track and part-screened by trees, were the Shenandoah bridge and Galt’s saloon. Directly ahead of you was the arsenal building, and to the right the gates and railings of the armoury enclosure. Beyond the arsenal and armoury were houses and shops and the town proper. All these places lay within an area not much bigger than a foot-ball field, perhaps eighty yards by a hundred, and from the upper floor of the Wager House you could see pretty well all of it, unless there happened to be a tree or a freight car in the way. The space between the hotel and the armoury gates was fairly open, as I remember, and I think part of it was cobbled; there were trees here and there, and I dare say some buildings I’ve forgotten, but nothing to signify.

“Joe, get the crowbar from the wagon! Aaron, take the sledge! Follow me!” I was legging it for the armoury gates, and J.B. jumped down from the wagon and kept pace with me, the others following. The rain was lighter now, but it was still pretty dark, save where a pool of light was cast by the lamps on the armoury gate-posts. A figure emerged from the shadows, staring towards us, and J.B. lengthened his stride, whipping out his pistol, calling to him to stand. There was a confused babble of who the hell are you, and give me the key this instant, and I’ll be damned if I do, and then we were at the big double gates of iron railing, and Joe was snapping the retaining chain with one mighty heave on the crowbar, the gates were thrust back, and Stevens led the rush of half a dozen of our fellows into the yard. There were shouts ahead as two watchmen came running from the nearest buildings, but they stopped short at the sight of the weapons and were surrounded neat as wink.

I whistled up the wagon, now driven by one of the blacks, and ordered it into the yard. I looked round for J.B., expecting to see him making for the arsenal across the street, but he had his piece to the breast of the first watchman, and was haranguing him in fine style.

“I

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