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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:16:48 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:16:48 -0700 |
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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/1274-0.txt b/1274-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5c2fbac --- /dev/null +++ b/1274-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7022 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 1274 *** + +MARTIN HYDE + +THE DUKE'S MESSENGER + +by John Masefield + + + +CONTENTS + + I. I LEAVE HOME + II. I LEAVE HOME AGAIN + III. I LEAVE HOME A THIRD TIME + IV. I LEAVE HOME FOR THE LAST TIME + V. I GO TO SEA + VI. THE SEA! THE SEA! + VII. LAND RATS AND WATER RATS + VIII. I MEET MY FRIEND + IX. I SEE MORE OF MY FRIEND + X. SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT + XI. AURELIA + XII. BRAVE CAPTAIN BARLOW + XIII. IT BREEZES UP + XIV. A DRINK OF SHERBET + XV. THE ROAD TO LYME + XVI. THE LANDING + XVII. A VOICE AT DAWN + XVIII. I SPEAK WITH AURELIA + XIX. I MEET THE CLUB MEN + XX. THE SQUIRE'S HOUSE + XXI. MY FRIEND AURELIA AND HER UNCLE + XXII. THE PRIEST'S HOLE + XXIII. FREE + XXIV THE END + + + + +MARTIN HYDE + +THE DUKE'S MESSENGER + +by + +John Masefield + + + +CHAPTER I. I LEAVE HOME + +I was born at Oulton, in Suffolk, in the year 1672. I know not the +day of my birth, but it was in March, a day or two after the Dutch war +began. I know this, because my father, who was the clergyman at Oulton, +once told me that in the night of my birth a horseman called upon him, +at the rectory, to ask the way to Lowestoft. He was riding from London +with letters for the Admiral, he said; but had missed his way somewhere +beyond Beccles. He was mud from head to foot (it had been a wet March) +but he would not stay to dry himself. He reined in at the door, just as +I was born, as though he were some ghost, bringing my life in his saddle +bags. Then he shook up his horse, through the mud, towards Lowestoft, so +that the splashing of the horse's hoofs must have been the first sound +heard by me. The Admiral was gone when he reached Lowestoft, poor man, +so all his trouble was wasted. War wastes more energy, I suppose, than +any other form of folly. I know that on the East Coast, during all the +years of my childhood, this Dutch war wasted the energies of thousands. +The villages had to drill men, each village according to its size, to +make an army in case the Dutch should land. Long after the war was over, +they drilled thus. I remember them on the field outside the church, +drilling after Sunday service, firing at a stump of a tree. Once some +wag rang the alarm-bell at night, to fetch them out of their beds. Then +there were the smugglers; they, too, were caused by the war. After the +fighting there was a bitter feeling against the Dutch. Dutch goods were +taxed heavily (spice, I remember, was made very dear thus) to pay for +the war. The smugglers began then to land their goods secretly, all +along the coast, so that they might avoid the payment of the duty. The +farmers were their friends; for they liked to have their gin cheap. +Indeed, they used to say that in an agueish place like the fens, gin was +a necessity, if one would avoid fever. Often, at night, in the winter, +when I was walking home from Lowestoft school, I would see the farmers +riding to the rendezvous in the dark, with their horses' hoofs all +wrapped up in sacks, to make no noise. + +I lived for twelve years at Oulton. I learned how to handle a boat +there, how to swim, how to skate, how to find the eggs of the many wild +fowl in the reeds. In those days the Broad country was a very wild land, +half of it swamp. My father gave me a coracle on my tenth birthday. In +this little boat I used to explore the country for many miles, pushing +up creeks among the reeds, then watching, in the pools (far out of the +world it seemed) for ruffs or wild duck. I was a hardy boy, much older +than my years, like so many only children. I used to go away, sometimes, +for two or three days together, with my friend John Halmer, Captain +Halmer's son, taking some bread, with a blanket or two, as my ship's +stores. We used to paddle far up the Waveney to an island hidden in +reeds. We were the only persons who knew of that island. We were like +little kings there. We built a rough sort of tent-hut there every +summer. Then we would pass the time there deliciously, now bathing, now +fishing, but always living on what we caught. John, who was a wild lad, +much older than I, used to go among the gipsies in their great winter +camp at Oulton. He learned many strange tricks from them. He was a good +camp-companion. I think that the last two years of my life at Oulton +were the happiest years of my life. I have never cared for dry or hilly +countries since. Wherever I have been in the world, I have always longed +for the Broads, where the rivers wander among reeds for miles, losing +themselves in thickets of reeds. I have always thought tenderly of the +flat land, where windmills or churches are the only landmarks, standing +up above the mist, in the loneliness of the fens. But when I was nearly +thirteen years old (just after the death of Charles the Second) my +father died, leaving me an orphan. My uncle, Gabriel Hyde, a man about +town, was my only relative. The vicar of Lowestoft wrote to him, on my +behalf. A fortnight later (the ways were always very foul in the winter) +my uncle's man came to fetch me to London. There was a sale of my +father's furniture. His books were sent off to his college at Cambridge +by the Lowestoft carrier. Then the valet took me by wherry to Norwich, +where we caught a weekly coach to town. That was the last time I ever +sailed on the Waveney as a boy, that journey to Norwich. When I next saw +the Broads, I was a man of thirty-five. I remember how strangely small +the country seemed to me when I saw it after my wanderings. But this is +away from my tale. All that I remember of the coach-ride was my arrival +late at night at the London inn, a dark house full of smells, from which +the valet led me to my uncle's house. + +I lay awake, that first night, much puzzled by the noise, fearing that +London would be all streets, a dismal place. When I fell asleep, I was +waked continually by chiming bells. In the morning, early, I was roused +by the musical calling made by milkmen on their rounds, with that +morning's milk for sale. At breakfast my uncle told me not to go into +the street without Ephraim, his man; for without a guide, he said, I +should get lost. He warned me that there were people in London who made +a living by seizing children (“kidnapping” or “trepanning” them, as it +was called) to sell to merchant-captains bound for the plantations. “So +be very careful, Martin,” he said. “Do not talk to strangers.” He went +for his morning walk after this, telling me that I might run out to play +in the garden. + +I went out of doors feeling that London must be a very terrible place, +if the folk there went about counting all who met them as possible +enemies. I was homesick for the Broads, where everybody, even bad men, +like the worst of the smugglers, was friendly to me. I hated all this +noisy city, so full of dirty jumbled houses. I longed to be in my +coracle on the Waveney, paddling along among the reeds, chucking pebbles +at the water-rats. But when I went out into the garden I found that even +London held something for me, not so good as the Broads, perhaps, but +pleasant in its way. + +Now before I go further, I must tell you that my uncle's house was one +of the old houses in Billingsgate. It stood in a narrow, crowded lane, +at the western end of Thames Street, close to the river. Few of the +houses thereabouts were old; for the fire of London had nearly destroyed +that part of the city, but my uncle's house, with a few more in the +same lane, being built of brick, had escaped. The bricks of some of the +houses were scorched black. I remember, also, at the corner house, three +doors from my uncle's house, the melted end of a water pipe, hanging +from the roof like a long leaden icicle, just as it had run from the +heat eighteen years before. I used to long for that icicle: it would +have made such fine bullets for my sling. I have said that Fish Lane, +where my uncle lived, was narrow. It was very narrow. The upper stories +of the houses opposite could be touched from my bed-room window with an +eight-foot fishing rod. If one leaned well out, one could see right into +their upper rooms. You could even hear the people talking in them. + +At the back of the house there was a garden of potherbs. It sloped down +to the river-bank, where there were stairs to the water. The stairs +were covered in, so as to form a boat-house, in which (as I learned +afterwards) my uncle's skiffs were kept. You may be sure that I lost +no time in getting down to the water, after I had breakfasted with my +uncle, on the morning after my arrival. + +A low stone parapet, topped by iron rails, shut off the garden from the +beach. Just beyond the parapet, within slingshot, as I soon proved, was +the famous Pool of London, full of ships of all sorts, some with flags +flying. The mild spring sun (it was early in April) made the sight +glorious. There must have been a hundred ships there, all marshalled in +ranks, at double-moorings, head to flood. Boats full of merchandise were +pulling to the wharves by the Custom House. Men were working aloft on +the yards, bending or unbending sails. In some ships the sails hung +loose, drying in the sun. In others, the men were singing out as they +walked round the capstan, hoisting goods from the hold. One of the ships +close to me was a beautiful little Spanish schooner, with her name La +Reina in big gold letters on her transom. She was evidently one of those +very fast fruit boats, from the Canary Islands, of which I had heard the +seamen at Oulton speak. She was discharging oranges into a lighter, when +I first saw her. The sweet, heavy smell of the bruised peels scented the +river for many yards. + +I was looking at this schooner, wishing that I could pass an hour in her +hold, among those delicious boxes, when a bearded man came on deck from +her cabin. He looked at the shore, straight at myself as I thought, +raising his hand swiftly as though to beckon me to him. A boat pushed +out instantly, in answer to the hand, from the garden next to the one +in which I stood. The waterman, pulling to the schooner, talked with the +man for a moment, evidently settling the amount of his fare. After the +haggling, my gentleman climbed into the boat by a little rope-ladder at +the stern. Then the boatman pulled away upstream, going on the last of +the flood, within twenty yards of where I stood. + +I had watched them idly, attracted, in the beginning, by that sudden +raising of the hand. But as they passed me, there came a sudden puff +of wind, strong enough to flurry the water into wrinkles. It lifted the +gentleman's hat, so that he saved it only by a violent snatch which +made the boat rock. As he jammed the hat down he broke or displaced some +string or clip near his ears. At any rate his beard came adrift on the +side nearest to me. The man was wearing a false beard. He remedied the +matter at once, very cleverly, so that I may have been the only witness; +but I saw that the boatman was in the man's secret, whatever it was. He +pulled hard on his starboard oar, bringing the boat partly across the +current, thus screening him from everybody except the workers in the +ships. It must have seemed to all who saw him that he was merely pulling +to another arch of London Bridge. + +I was not sure of the man's face. It seemed handsome; that was all that +I could say of it. But I was fascinated by the mystery. I wondered +why he was wearing a false beard. I wondered what he was doing in the +schooner. I imagined all sorts of romantic plots in which he was taking +part. I watched his boat go through the Bridge with the feeling that +I was sharing in all sorts of adventures already. There was a fall of +water at the Bridge which made the river dangerous there even on a flood +tide. I could see that the waves there would be quite enough for such a +boat without the most tender handling. I watched to see how they would +pass through. Both men stood up, facing forwards, each taking an oar. +They worked her through, out of sight, in a very clever fashion; which +set me wondering again what this handsome gentleman might be, who worked +a boat so well. + +I hung about at the end of the garden until dinner time, hoping that +they would return. I watched every boat which came downstream, finding +a great pleasure in the watermen's skill, for indeed the water at the +Bridge was frightful; only a strong nerve could venture on it. But the +boat did not come back, though one or two other boats brought people, or +goods, to the stairs of the garden beside me. I could not see into the +garden; that party wall was too high. + +I did not go indoors again till Ephraim came to fetch me, saying that it +was time I washed my hands for dinner. I went to my room; but instead +of washing my hands, I leaned out of the window to watch a dancing bear +which was sidling about in the lane, just below, while his keeper made +a noise on the panpipes. A little crowd of idlers was gathered round the +bear. Some of them were laughing at the bear, some at his keeper. I saw +two boys sneaking about among the company; they were evil-looking +little ruffians, with that hard look in the eyes which always marks the +thoroughly wicked. As I watched, one of them slipped his hand into +a man's pocket, then withdrew it, passing something swiftly to his +companion, who walked unconcernedly away. I ran out of doors at once, to +the man who had been robbed. + +“Sir,” I said, when he had drawn away from the little crowd. “Have you +not been robbed of something?” + +He turned to look down on me, searching his pockets with both hands. It +gave me a start to see him, for he was the bearded man who had passed +me in the boat that morning. You may be sure that I took a good note of +him. He was a handsome, melancholy-looking man, with a beard designed to +make him look fairer than he really was. + +“Robbed of something?” he repeated in a quiet voice. “Yes, I have been +robbed of something.” It seemed to me that he turned pale, when he found +that he had been robbed. “Did you see it?” he asked. “Don't point. Just +describe him to me. No. Don't look round, boy. Tell me without looking +round.” + +“Sir,” I said, “do you see two little boys moving about among the people +there?” + +“Yes,” he said. + +“It's the boy with the bit of broken pipe in his hat who has the, +whatever it was, sir, I'm sure. I saw it all.” + +“I see,” he said. “That's the coveter. Let this be a warning to you, +boy, never to stop in a crowd to watch these street-performers. Where +were you, when you saw it?” + +“Up above there, sir. In that house.” + +“In Mr. Hyde's house. Do you live there?” + +“Yes, sir.” + +“Since when? Not for long, surely?” + +“No, sir. Only since yesterday. I'm Mr. Hyde's nephew.” + +“Ah! Indeed. And that is your room up there?” + +“Yes, sir.” + +“Where do you come from then? You've not been in town before. What is +your father?” + +“My father's dead, sir. I come from Oulton. My father was rector there.” + +“Ah,” he said quietly. “Now give this penny to the bear-ward.” + +While I was giving the penny to the keeper, the strange man edged among +the lookers-on, apparently watching the bear's antics, till he was just +behind the pickpocket's accomplice. Watching his time, he seized the boy +from behind by both wrists. + +“This boy's a pickpocket,” he cried aloud. “Stop that other boy. He's an +accomplice.” The other boy, who had just taken a purse, started to +run, letting the booty drop. A boatman who was going towards the river, +tripped him up with an oar so that he fell heavily. He lay still where +he had fallen (all the wind was knocked out of him) so that he was +easily secured. The boy who had been seized by the bearded man made no +attempt to get away. He was too firmly held. Both boys were then marched +off to the nearest constable where (after a strict search), they were +locked into a cellar till the morrow. The crowd deserted the bear-ward +when the cry of pickpockets was raised. They followed my mysterious +friend to the constable's house, hoping, no doubt, that they would be +able to crowd in to hear the constable bully the boys as he searched +them. One or two, who pretended to have missed things, managed to get +in. The bearded man told me to come in, as he said that I should be +needed as a witness. The others were driven out into the street, where, +I suppose, their monkey-minds soon found other game, a horse fallen +down, or a drunken woman in the gutter, to divert their idleness. Such +sights seem to attract a London crowd at once. + +The boys were strictly searched by the constable. The booty from their +pockets was turned out upon the table. + +“Now, sir,” said the constable to the bearded man, after he had made a +note of my story. “What is it they 'ad of you, sir?” + +“A shagreen leather pocket-book,” said the man. “There it is.” + +“This one?” said the constable. + +“Yes.” + +“Oh,” said the constable, opening the clasps, so that he could examine +the writing on the leaves. “What's inside?” + +“A lot of figures,” said the man. “Sums. Problems in arithmetic.” + +“Right,” said the constable, handing over the book. + +“Here you are, sir. What name, sir?” + +“Edward Jermyn.” + +“Edward German,” the constable repeated. + +“Where d' you live, sir?” + +“At Mr. Scott's in Fish Lane.” + +“Right, sir,” said the constable, writing down the address, “You must +appear tomorrow at ten before Mr. Garry, the magistrate. You, too, young +master, to give your evidence.” + +At this the boys burst out crying, begging us not to appear, using all +those deceptive arts which the London thieves practise from childhood. +I, who was new to the world's deceits, was touched to the marrow by +their seeming misery. The constable roughly silenced them. “I know you,” + he said. “I had my eye on you two ever since Christmas. Now you'll go +abroad to do a bit of honest work, instead of nickin' pockets. Stow your +blubbering now, or I'll give you Mogador Jack.” He produced “Mogador +Jack,” a supple shark's backbone, from behind the door. The tears +stopped on the instant. + +After this, the bearded man showed me the way back to Fish Lane, where +Ephraim, who was at the door, looking out for me, gave me a shrewd +scolding, for venturing out without a guide. + +Mr. Jermyn silenced him by giving him a shilling. The next day, Mr. +Jermyn took me to the magistrate's house, where the two thieves were +formally committed for trial. Mr. Jermyn told me that they would +probably be transported for seven years, on conviction at the +Assizes; but that, as they were young, the honest work abroad, in the +plantations, might be the saving of them. “So do not be so sad, Mr. +Martin,” he said. “You do not know how good a thing you did when you +looked out of the window yesterday. Do you know, by the way, how much my +book is worth?” + +“No, sir,” I said. + +“Well. It's worth more than the King's crown,” he said. + +“But I thought it was only sums, sir.” + +“Yes,” he said, with a strange smile. “But some sums have to do with a +great deal of money. Now I want you to think tonight of something to the +value of twenty pounds or so. I want to give you something as a reward +for your smartness. Don't decide at once. Think it over. Here we are at +our homes, you see. We live just opposite to each other.” + +We were standing at this moment in the narrow lane at my uncle's door. +As he spoke, he raised his hand in a farewell salute with that dignity +of gesture which was in all his movements. On the instant, to my +surprise, the door of the house opposite opened slowly, till it was +about half open. No one opened it, as I could see; it swung back of +itself. After my friend had stepped across the threshold it swung to +with a click in the same mysterious way. It was as though it had a +knowledge of Mr. Jermyn's mind, as though the raised hand had had a +magical power over it. When I went indoors to my uncle's house I was +excited. I felt that I was in the presence of something romantic, +something mysterious. I liked Mr. Jermyn. He had been very kind. But +I kept wondering why he wore a false beard, why his door opened so +mysteriously, why he valued a book of sums above the worth of a King's +crown. As for his offer of a present, I did not like it, though he had +not given me time to say as much. I remembered how indignant the Oulton +wherrymen had been when a gentleman offered them money for saving his +daughter's life. I had seen the man robbed, what else could I have done? +I could have done no less than tell him. I resolved that I would refuse +the gift when next I saw him. + +At dinner that day, I was full of Mr. Jermyn, much to my uncle's +annoyance. + +“Who is this Mr. Jermyn, Martin?” he asked. “I don't know him. Is he a +gentleman?” + +“Yes, uncle.” + +“Do you know him, Ephraim?” + +“No, sir. I know him by sight, sir. Gentleman who lives over the way, +Mr. Hyde.” + +“That's Mr. Scott's, though.” + +“No, sir. Mr. Jermyn's been there ever since February.” + +“But the house is empty.” + +“The lower floor is furnished, sir.” + +“Do you know anything of him? Do you know his man?” + +“They say he's in the fruit way, sir. In the Spanish trade. His men are +Spaniards. They do say he's not quite to be trusted.” + +“Who says this?” my uncle asked. + +“I don't like to mention names, sir,” Ephraim said. + +“Quite right. Quite right. But what do they say?” + +“Very queer things goes on in that 'ouse,” said Ephraim. “I don't 'ardly +like to say. But they think 'e raises the devil, sir. Awful noises goes +on there. I seen some things myself there, as I don't like to talk of. +Well. I saw a black bird as big as a man stand flapping in the window. +Then I seen eyes glaring out at the door. They give the 'ouse a bad +name, sir; everyone.” + +“H'm,” said my uncle. “What's he like, Martin, this Mr. Jermyn?” + +“A tall man, with a beard,” I answered. I thought it wrong to mention +that I knew the beard to be false. “He's always stroking the bridge of +his nose with his hand.” + +“Ha,” my uncle said, as though recognizing the trait. “But with a beard, +you tell me?” + +“Yes, sir. With a beard.” + +“H'm,” he answered, musing, “I must have a look at this Mr. Jermyn. +Remember, Martin, you're to have nothing more to do with him, till I +know a little more of what he is. You understand?” + +“Yes, uncle.” + +“One cannot be too careful in this town. I won't allow you in the +streets, Martin. No matter who has his pockets picked. I told you that +before.” + +“Please, uncle, may I go on the river, then, if I'm not to go into the +street? I'm used to boats.” + +“Yes. You may do that. But you're not to go on board the ships, mind.” + +“Beg pardon, sir,” Ephraim put in. “The fall at the Bridge is very +risky, sir.” + +“It is?” said my uncle, testily. “Then of course you can't go in a boat, +Martin. You must play in the garden, or read.” + + + +CHAPTER II. I LEAVE HOME AGAIN + +I thought Ephraim a pig for putting in that word about the fall. Though +I had only known Ephraim for a few days I disliked him perhaps as much +as he disliked me. He was angry (I could feel it) at having a boy in the +house, after many years of quiet alone with my uncle. I know that when +he had occasion to speak to me, he always went away muttering about my +being a charity brat who ought to be in the poor-house. Still, like most +servants, he vented most of his malice indirectly, as in this hint of +his about the river. I rose up from the dinner-table full of rebellion. +I would go on the river, I said to myself, fall or no fall. I would see +more of Mr. Jermyn, too. I would find out what went on in that house. I +would find out everything. In all this, of course, I was very wrong, +but having made sure that I was being treated unjustly I felt that I was +only doing right in rebelling. So after waiting till Ephraim was in the +pantry, washing up the dinner-things with the housemaid, I slipped down +the garden to the boat-house. The door was padlocked, as I had feared; +but with an old hammer-head I managed to pry off the staple. I felt like +a burglar when the lock came off in my hand. I felt that I was acting +deceitfully. Then the thought of Ephraim came over me, making me +rebellious to my finger-tips. I would go on the river, I said to myself, +I would go aboard all the ships in the Pool. I would show them all that +I could handle a boat anywhere. So in a moment my good angel was beaten. +I was in the boat-house, prying at the staple of the outer door, like +the young rogue that I was. Well, I paid a heavy price for that day of +disobedience. It was the most dearly bought day's row I ever heard of. + +It took me a few moments to open the outer door. Then, with a thrill of +pleasure, such as only those who love the water can fed, I thrust out +into the river, on to the last of the ebb, then fast ebbing. The fall +under the bridge at that state of the tide was truly terrifying. It +roared so loudly that I could hear nothing else. It boiled about the +bridge piers so fiercely that I was scared to see it. I had seen the sea +in storm; but then one does not put to sea in a storm. This waterfall +tumbled daily, even in a calm. I shuddered to think of small boats, +caught in the current above it, being drawn down, slowly at first, then +with a whirl, till all was whelmed in the tumble below the arches. I saw +how hatefully the back wash seemed to saunter back to the fall along the +banks. I thought that if I was not careful I might be caught in the back +wash, drawn slowly along it by the undertow, till the cataract sank +me. As I watched the fall, fascinated, yet scared by it, there came +a shooting rush, with shouts of triumph. A four-oared wherry with two +passengers shot through the arch over the worst of the water into the +quiet of the midstream. They waved to me, evidently very pleased with +their exploit. That set me wondering whether the water were really as +bad as it looked. My first feat was to back up cautiously almost to the +fall, till my boat was dancing so vigorously that I was spattered all +over. Standing up in the boat there, I could see the oily water, like a +great arched snake's back, swirl past the arch towards me, bubbleless, +almost without a ripple, till it showed all its teeth at once in +breaking down. The piers of the arches jutted far out below the fall, +like pointed islands. I was about to try to climb on the top of one +from the boat, a piece of madness which would probably have ended in my +death, but some boys in one of the houses on the bridge began to pelt +me with pebbles, so that I had to sheer off. I pulled down among the +shipping, examining every vessel in the Pool. Then I pulled down the +stream, with the ebb, as far as Wapping, where I was much shocked by +the sight of the pirates' gallows, with seven dead men hung in chains +together there, for taking the ship Delight, so a waterman told me, on +the Guinea Coast, the year before. I left my boat at Wapping Stairs, +while I went into a pastry-cook's shop to buy cake; for I was now +hungry. The pastry-cook was also a vintner. His tables were pretty well +crowded with men, mostly seafaring men, who were drinking wine together, +talking of politics. I knew nothing whatever about politics, but hearing +the Duke of Monmouth named I pricked up my ears to listen. My father had +told me, in his last illness, when the news of the death of Charles the +Second reached us, that trouble would come to England through this Duke, +because, he said, “he will never agree with King James.” Many people +(the Duke himself being one of them) believed that this James Scott, +Duke of Monmouth, was the son of a very beautiful woman by Charles the +Second, who (so the tale went) had married her in his wanderings abroad, +while Cromwell ruled in England here. I myself shall ever believe this +story. I am quite sure, now, in my own mind, that Monmouth was our +rightful King. I have heard accounts of this marriage of Charles the +Second from people who were with him in his wanderings. When Charles the +Second died (being poisoned, some said, by his brother James, who wished +to seize the throne while Monmouth was abroad, unable to claim his +rights) James succeeded to the crown. At the time of which I write he +had been King for about two months. I did not know anything about his +merits as a King; but hearing the name of Monmouth I felt sure, from the +first, that I should hear more of what my father had told me. + +One of the seamen, a sour-looking, pale-faced man, was saying that +Holland was full of talk that the Duke was coming over, to try for the +Kingdom. Another said that it wasn't the Duke of Monmouth but the Duke +of Argyle that was coming, to try, not for England, but for Scotland. A +third said that all this was talk, for how could a single man, without +twenty friends in the world, get through a cruising fleet? “How could he +do anything, even if he did land?” + +“Ah,” said another man. “They say that the West is ready to rally around +him. That's what they say.” + +“Well,” said the first, raising his cup. “Here's to King James, I say. +England's had enough of civil troubles.” The other men drank the toast +with applause. It is curious to remember how cautious people were in +those troublous days. One could never be sure of your friend's true +opinion. It was a time when there were so many spies abroad that +everybody was suspicious of his neighbour. I am sure that a good half +of that company was disloyal; yet they drank that toast, stamping their +feet, as though they would have shed their blood for King James with all +the pleasure in life. “Are you for King James, young waterman?” said one +of the men to me. “Yes,” I said, “I am for the rightful King.” At this +they all laughed. One of the men said that if there were many like me +the Duke of Monmouth might spare himself the trouble of coming over. + +I finished my cake quietly, after that. Then, as the tide was not yet +making, to help me back up the river, I wandered into Wapping fields, +where a gang of beggars camped. They were a dirtier, more troublesome +company than the worst of the Oulton gipsies. They crowded round me, +whining about their miseries, with the fawning smiles of professional +beggars. There were children among them who lied about their wants as +glibly as their parents lied. The Oulton beggars had taught me to refuse +such people, as being, nearly always, knaves; so I said that I had +nothing for them. I felt the hands of these thieves lightly feeling the +outsides of my pockets for something worth taking. One of them with +a sudden thrust upon me snatched my handkerchief. He tossed it to a +friend. As he started to run from me, a young man with an evil, weak +face pushed me backwards with a violent shove. I staggered back, from +the push, to fall over a boy who had crouched behind me there, ready to +upset me. When I got up, rather shaken from my fall, the dirty gang +was scattering to its burrow; for they lived, like beasts, in holes +scratched in the ground, thatched over with sacks or old clothes. +I hurried back toward Wapping in the hope of finding a constable to +recover my handkerchief for me. The constable (when I found him) refused +to stir until I made it worth his while. Sixpence was his fee, he said, +but he was sure that a handsome young gentleman like myself would not +grudge a sixpence to recover a handkerchief. On searching for my purse +(in which I had about two shillings) I found that that had gone, too, +“nicked” by these thieves. I told the Constable that my purse had been +stolen. + +“Oh,” he said. “How much was in it?” I told him. + +“Could you describe the man who took it?” + +“No.” I said. “I did not see the man take it.” + +“Then how do you know that anybody took it?” + +Of course I did not know that anybody had taken it but thought it highly +probable. “That won't do here,” he said, settling down in his chair to +his tobacco. “I'll look into it. If I hear of it, why, next time you +come here, you shall have it.” + +“But my handkerchief,” I said. + +“Sixpence is my fee,” the brute answered. “Do you want to rob a poor man +of his earnings? Why, what a rogue you must be, young master.” I tried +to move him to recover my handkerchief, but without success. At last, +growing weary of the sound of my pipe, as he said, he rounded on me. + +“If you don't run away 'ome,” he said, “I'll commit you for a nuisance. +Think I'm goin' to be bothered by yer. Be off, now.” + +At that, I set off down to the river. There I found two dirty little +boys in my uncle's boat, busy with the dipper, trying to fill her with +water. I boxed the ears of one of them, when the other, coming behind +me, hit me over the head with the stretcher. I turned sharply, giving +him a punch which made his nose bleed. The other, seeing his chance +(my back being turned) promptly soused me with the dipper. I saw that I +would have to settle one of them at a time, so, paying no attention +to the dipper, I followed up my blow on the nose with one or two more, +which drove the stretcher-boy out of the boat. The other was a harder +lad; who would, perhaps, have beaten me, had not a waterman on the +stairs taken my part. He took my enemy by the ear. “Get out of that,” he +said, giving him a kick. “If I catch you messing boats again, I'll give +you Mogador Jack.” I pushed off from the stairs then, glad to get away +with both oars. My enemies, running along the banks, flung stones at +me as long as I was in range. If I had had my sling with me, would have +warmed their legs for them. When was out of range of their shot, I laid +in my oars, so that I could bail. The boys had poured about six inches +of water into the boat. If the plug had been less tightly hammered in, +they would no doubt have sunk her at her painter by pulling it out. Then +should have been indeed in difficulty. It took me about twenty minutes +to bail the boat clear. As I bailed her, I thought that Londoners must +be the most unpleasant people in the world, since, already, in two days, +I had met so many knaves. It did not occur to me at the time that I was +a young knave, too, to be out in a stolen boat, against orders. I never +once thought how well I had been served for my disobedience. + +I had an uncomfortable journey upstream, for I was very wet from my +sousing. I loitered at the Tower to watch the garrison drilling with the +big guns. Then I loitered about among the ships, reading their names, or +even climbing their gangways to look at their decks. I lingered a long +time at the schooner La Reina, partly because she was much the prettiest +ship in the Pool, but partly because I was beginning to dread Ephraim. +I wondered whether Mr. Jermyn was on board of her. I was half tempted to +climb aboard to find out. I clambered partly up her gangway, so that I +could peer over the rail. To my surprise, I found that her hatches were +battened down as in ships ready for the sea. Her cargo of oranges, that +had smelt so sweetly, must have been a blind, for no ship, discharging +cargo the day before, could be loaded, ready for sea, within twenty-four +hours. Indeed, she was in excellent trim. She was not too light to put +to sea. No doubt, I said to myself, she has taken in ballast to equal +the weight of oranges sent ashore. But I knew just enough of ships to +know that there was some mystery in the business. The schooner could not +be the plain fruit-trader for which men took her. As I looked over her +rail, noting this, I said to myself that “here is another mystery with +which Mr. Jermyn has to do.” I felt a thrill of excitement go through +me. I was touching mysterious adventure at half a dozen different +points. I felt inclined to creep to the hatchway of the little cabin, to +listen there if any plots were being hatched. It was getting duskish by +this time, it must have been nearly seven o'clock. Two men came up the +cabin hatch together. One of them was Mr. Jermyn, the other a shorter +fellow, to whom Mr. Jermyn seemed extremely respectful. I wished not to +be seen, so I ducked down nimbly into my boat, drawing her forward by +a guess-warp, till I could row without being heard by them. I heard Mr. +Jermyn calling to a waterman; so very swiftly I paddled behind other +ships in the tier, without being observed. Then I paddled back to my +uncle's boat-house, the door of which, to my horror, was firmly fastened +against me. + + + +CHAPTER III. I LEAVE HOME A THIRD TIME + +I must have made some little noise at the door, trying to get in. At any +rate, Ephraim, who was waiting for such a signal, came forward with a +churlish glee to rate me. + +“So you're come back, Mr. Martin,” he said. “These are nice carryings-on +for a young gentleman.” I thought that I might as well be hanged for a +sheep as for a lamb. Ephraim's tone jarred me, so I told him to shut up, +as I didn't want any of his jaw. This rather staggered him, so I told +him further to open the boat-house, instead of standing like a stock, +as I wanted to moor the boat. He opened the door for me, glowering at me +moodily. “Mr. Hyde shall know of this,” he said when all was secured. He +caught me by the arm to drag me out of the boat-house; so I, expecting +this, rapped him shrewdly with the stretcher on the elbow. I thought for +a moment that he would beat me. I could see his face very fierce in the +dusk. I heard his teeth gritting. Then fear of my uncle restrained him. +All that he said was, “If I 'ad my way I'd 'ave it out of you for this. +A good sound whippin's what you want.” + +“Is it?” I asked contemptuously. “Lock the door.” + +Ephraim left me in the sitting-room while he made his report to my +uncle. It was not a long report. He returned in a few minutes to say +that I was to be locked into my room without supper. “Mr. 'Ide is in a +fine taking,” he said. “Per'aps 'e'll knock some of your pride out +of you.” I made no answer, but let him march me to my room, to the +execution of the sentence. “There,” he said, through the door, as he +turned the key on me. “Per'aps that'll bring you to your senses.” + +“Ephraim the stiff-neck!” I answered loudly; “Old Ephraim Stiff-neck! +Stiff-neck!” + +“Ah,” he answered, clumping down the corridor. He was thinking how small +I should sing when, in the morning, he gave me the option of apologizing +to him, or going without breakfast. + +It was pretty dark by this time. Fish Lane was as quiet as a country +road. No one was stirring there. I thought that, as my uncle would +shortly go to supper, I might soon venture out by the window, high up +as it was, to buy myself some food in the town. I liked the notion; but +when I came to look down from the window it seemed a giddy height from +the pavement. Going down would be easy; but getting back would be quite +another matter. Thinking it over, I remembered that I had seen a short +gardener's ladder hooked to the garden wall. If I could make a rope, by +which to let myself down, I could, I thought, make use of this ladder +to get back by, for it would cover nearly half the height to my window +sill, a full thirty feet from the ground. If, by standing on the upper +rungs, could reach within five yards of the window, I knew that I should +be able to scramble up so far by a rope. There was no difficulty about a +rope. I had a good eighteen yards of choice stout rope there in the room +with me, the lashings of my two trunks. I was about to pay this out into +the lane, when I thought that would be far more effective if I fashioned +a ladder for myself, using the two trunk lashings as the uprights. This +was a glorious thought. I tied the lashings together behind the wooden +bed-post which was to be my support in midair. Then I rummaged out a +hank of sailor's spunyarn, a kind of very strong tarred string, with +which to make my steps, or rungs, did not do this very well, for I was +working in the dark, but you may be sure that I made those steps with +all my strength, since my bones were to depend upon them. I ran short of +spunyarn before I had finished, so my last three steps were made of the +fire-irons. They made a good finish to the whole; for, being heavy, they +kept the ladder steady. At least thought that they would keep the ladder +steady, in the innocence of my heart. + +I was so excited, when I finished the tying of the tongs, that I almost +forgot to take some money from the little store which I kept locked up +in my trunk. A shilling would be ample, I thought; but I took rather +more than that, so as to be on the safe side. I took the precaution, +before leaving, of bolting my door from the inside, lest Ephraim should +visit me in my absence. + +Then, having tested all my knots, I paid out my ladder from the window. +No one was within sight along the lane. Downstairs they were at supper, +for I heard the dining-room bell ring. Very cautiously I swung myself +over the window ledge on my adventure. Now a rope ladder is an unsteady +thing at the best of times; but when I swung myself on to this one it +jumped about like a wild colt, banging the fire-irons against the wall, +making noise enough to raise the town. I had to climb down it on the +inner side, or I should have had Ephraim out to see what the matter was. +Even so, my heart was in my mouth, with fright, as I stepped on to the +pavement. After making sure that no one saw, I hooked up the lower ends +of my ladder as far as I could reach, so that a passer-by might run less +chance of seeing them. Then I scuttled off to the delights of Eastcheap, +thinking what glorious sport I could have with this ladder in time to +come. I thought of the moonlight adventures on the river, skulking along +in my boat, like a pirate on a night attack. I thought how, perhaps, I +should overhear gangs of highwaymen making their plans, or robbers in +their dens, carousing after a victory. It seemed to me that London might +be a wonderful place, to one with such a means of getting out at night. + +I ate a good supper at a cook-shop, sauntered about the streets for +awhile, then sauntered slowly home, after buying a tinder box, with +which to light my candies. I found my ladder dangling unnoticed, so I +nimbly climbed to my room, pulling it up after me, like the savages in +Polynesia. I lit my candles, intending to read; but I found that I was +far too well inclined to mischief to pay much heed to my book. Casting +about for something to do, I thought that I would open a little locked +door which led to some (apparently disused) room beyond my own. I had +some difficulty in breaking the lock of this door; but a naughty boy is +generally very patient. I opened it at last, with some misgivings as to +what my uncle might say on the morrow, though with the feeling that I +was a sort of conspirator, or, shall we say, a man haunting a house, +playing ghost, coming at night to his secret chamber. I was disappointed +with the room. Like my own room, it was nothing more than a long, bare +attic. It had a false floor, like many houses of the time, but there was +no thought of concealment here. Half a dozen of the long flooring planks +were stored in a stack against the wall, so that anyone could see what +lay in the hollow below. There was nothing romantic there. A long array +of docketed, ticketed bundles of receipts filled more than half the +space. I suppose that nearly every bill which my uncle had ever paid lay +there, gathering dust. The rest of the space was filled with Ephraim's +dirty old account books, jumbled higgledy-piggledy with collections of +printed, unbound sermons, such as used to be sold forty years before, in +the great Puritan time. I examined a few of the sermons, hoping to find +some lighter fare among them. I examined also a few of the old account +books, in the same hope. Other rubbish lay scattered in the corners +of the room; old mouse-eaten saddle-bags mostly. There were one or two +empty baskets, which had once been lined with silk. In one of them, I +can't think why, there was an old empty, dusty powder-horn, the only +thing in that room at all to my taste. I stuck it into my belt with a +scrap of spunyarn, feeling that it made me a wonderful piratical figure. +If I had had a lantern I should have been a very king there. + +As I sat among the rubbish there, with my pistol (a sailmaker's fid) in +my belt, it occurred to me that I would sit up till everyone had gone +to bed. Then, at eleven or twelve o'clock, I would, I thought, creep +downstairs, to explore all over the house, down even to the cellars. It +shocked me when I remembered that I was locked in. I dared not pick the +lock of that door. My scheme (after all) would have to wait for another +night, when the difficulties would be less. That scheme of mine has +waited until the present time. Though I never thought it, that was the +last hour I was to spend in my uncle's house. I walked past it, only the +other day, thinking how strange my life has been, feeling sad, too, that +I should never know to what room a door at the end of the upper passage +led. Well, I never shall know, now. I was a wild, disobedient young +rogue. Read on. + +When I decided not to pick the lock of my door I thought of the +mysterious Mr. Jermyn as an alternative excitement. I crept to my window +to look out at the house, watching it with a sort of terrified pleasure, +half expecting to see a ghost flapping his wings, outside the window. + +I was surprised to see that the window of the upper floor (which I knew +to be uninhabited) was open. I watched it, (it was just opposite) hoping +that something would happen. Presently two men came quickly up the lane +from the river. As they neared the house they seemed to me to shuffle in +their walk rather more than vas necessary. It must have been a signal, +for, as they came opposite the door, I saw it swing back upon its +hinges, as it had swung that morning, with Mr. Jermyn. Both men entered +the house swiftly, just as the city churches, one after the other, +chimed half-past nine o'clock. Almost directly afterwards I got the +start of my life. I was looking into the dark upper room across the +lane, expecting nothing, when suddenly, out of the darkness, so terribly +that I was scared beyond screaming, two large red eyes glowed, over +a mouth that trembled in fire. I started back in my seat, sick with +fright, but I could not take my eyes away. I watched that horrid thing, +with my hair stiffening on my head. Then in the room below it, the +luminous figure of an owl gleamed out. That was not the worst, either. I +heard that savage, “chacking” noise which brown owls make when they are +perched. This great gleaming owl, five times greater than any earthly +owl, was making that chacking noise, as though it would soon spread its +wings, to swoop on some such wretched mouse as myself. I could see its +eyes roll. I thought I saw the feathers stiffen on its breast. Then, +as the sweat rolled down my face, both the horrible things vanished as +suddenly as they had appeared. They were gone for more than a minute, +then they appeared again, only to disappear a second time. They were +exactly alike at each appearance. Soon my horror left me, for I saw that +the things disappeared at regular intervals. I found that I could time +each reappearance by counting ninety slowly from the instant the things +vanished. That calmed me. “I believe they're only clock-work,” I said to +myself. A moment later I saw Mr. Jermyn's head in sharp outline against +the brightness of the owl. He seemed to be fixing something with his +hand. It made me burst into a cackle of laughter, to find how easily +I had been scared. “Why, it's only clock-work,” I said aloud. “They're +carved turnips with candles inside them, fixed to a revolving pole, like +those we used to play with at Oulton, on the 5th of November.” My fear +was gone in an instant. I thought to myself how fine it would be if I +could get into that house, to stop the works, in revenge for the scare +they had given me. I wondered how I could do that. + + + +CHAPTER IV. I LEAVE HOME FOR THE LAST TIME + +I was thoroughly ripe for mischief of any kind; my scare had driven away +all desire for sleep. I looked at the window, wondering if it would be +best to go down my ladder again, to get the ladder in the garden. I +was about to do thus, when I remembered the planks in the box-room. How +splendid it would be, I thought, if I could get a couple of those long +planks across the lane as a sort of bridge. They were strong, thick +planks not likely to sag in the middle if I could only get them across. +Getting them across was the difficulty; for though I was strong for my +age, I found the first plank very contrary. After blowing out my candles +I fixed one end of the board under my heavy four-post bed, pointing the +other end out through the window, slanting upwards. Straddling across +it, I very gingerly edged it out, a hand's breadth at a time, till I had +some ten feet wagging about in the air over the lane. It was as much as +I could do unaided, to aim the thing. It seemed to have a wild, contrary +kind of life in it. Once or twice I came near to dropping it into the +lane, which would have been the end of everything. When I got it across, +the end caught on the window ledge for about ten perilous minutes. + +I was quite tired out before I got it properly across with two feet of +the end in the other house. I did not at all look forward to the job +of getting it back again after my trip. One plank was hardly safe, I +thought; so I slid a second over it, without much trouble. It seemed +firm enough then for anybody, no matter how heavy. So carefully I +straddled across it, hopping forward a little at a time, as though I +were playing leap-frog. When once I had started, I was much too nervous +to go back. My head was strong enough. I was well used to being high up +in trees. But the danger of this adventure made me dizzy. At every hop +the two planks clacked together. I could feel the upper plank shaking +out behind me a little to one side of the other. Then a tired waterman +shambled slowly up from the river, carrying his oars. He passed +underneath me, while I was in mid-air. It was lucky for me, I thought, +that few people when walking look above their own heads. He passed on +without seeing me. I waited up aloft till he had gone, feeling my head +grow dizzier at each second. I was, I trust, truly thankful when I was +able to dive down over the window-sill into the strange house. When I +had rested for a moment, I felt that it was not so difficult after all. +“Going back,” I said to myself, “will be much less ticklish.” Turning +my head, I saw the eyes of the devil-face glaring at me. They smelt very +strongly of kitchen tallow. + +I was not in the least frightened. I crept cautiously along the floor, +on tip-toe, to examine the contrivance. A hollow shaft of light wood, +a sort of big wooden pipe, led down through the floor, probably to the +ground-floor or basement, much as a mast goes down through a ship's +decks into the hold. It was slowly revolving, being worked by some +simple, not very strong mill-contrivance downstairs. A shelf had been +fixed up inside the pipe. On the shelf (as I could see by looking in) +was a tallow candle in a sconce. Two oval bits of red glass, let into +the wood, made the eyes of this lantern-devil. The mouth was a smear of +some gleaming stuff, evidently some chemical. This was all the monster +which had frightened me. The clacking noise was made by the machine +which moved it round. As for the owl, that was probably painted with the +same chemical. People were more superstitious then than now. I have no +doubt that an ignorant person like Ephraim, who had lived all his life +in London, had been scared out of his wits by this machine. Like most +ignorant people, he probably reckoned the thing as devilish, merely +because he did not understand it. One or two neighbours, a housemaid +or so, perhaps, had seen it, too. On the strength of their reports the +house had gotten a bad name. The two unoccupied floors had failed to +get tenants, while Mr. Jermyn, the contriver of the whole, had been left +alone, as no doubt he had planned. I thought that Londoners must be a +very foolish people to be so easily misled. Now that I am older, I see +that Londoners often live in very narrow grooves. They are apt to be +frightened at anything to which they have not been accustomed; unless, +of course, it is a war, when they can scream about themselves so loudly +that they forget that they are screaming. + +I examined the machine critically, by its own candle, which I removed +for the purpose. I meant to fix up one very like it in Ephraim's +bed-room as soon as I found an opportunity. Then I looked about the +room for some other toy, feeling in a fine state of excitement with +the success of my adventure. The room was quite bare. But for this +ghost-machine, there was nothing which could interest me, except a +curious drawing, done with a burnt stick on the plaster of the wall, +of a man-of-war under sail. After examining this drawing, I listened +carefully at the door lest my faint footsteps should have roused someone +below. I could hear no one stirring; the house was silent. “I must be +careful,” I said to myself. “They all may have gone to bed.” Understand, +I did not know then what I was doing. I was merely a wrong-headed boy, +up to a prank, begun in a moment of rebellion. When I paused in the +landing, outside the ghost-room, shading the candle with my hand, I was +not aware that I was doing wrong. I was only thinking how fine it would +be to find out about Mr. Jermyn, before crawling back, over the plank, +to my bed. I wanted to steal about these deserted floors, like a +conspirator; then, having, perhaps, found out about the mystery, to go +back home. It did not enter my head that I might be shot as a burglar. +My original intention, you must remember, had only been to stop the +works of the ghost. It was later on that my intention became criminal, +instead of merely boyish, or, in other words, crack-brained. As to +stopping the ghost, I could not stop the revolving pipe. I could do no +more than take away the light from the ghost-face. As for the owl on the +lower floor, when I came to it, could not do so much, for it was a great +big picture on board, done in some shining paint. I had nothing with +which I could smear it over, nor could I reach the head. As for stopping +the machine, that I dared not attempt to do, lest I should bring someone +up to me, from the works, wherever they were. Standing by the ghost of +the owl, hearing the chack-chack of the machine at intervals below me, +I became aware of voices in the room downstairs. When the chack-chack +stopped, I could hear men talking. I could hear what they said, for they +were talking in the ordinary tone of conversation. There was an open +space as it happened, all around the great pipe, where it passed through +the floor. I could peep through this into the room below, getting a +good sight of what was going on. It was very wicked of me, for there is +nothing quite so contemptible as an eavesdropper, but I could not resist +the temptation to look down. When once I had looked down I am ashamed to +say that I listened to what the men were saying. But first of all, I put +out my candle, lest anyone looking up should see the light through the +open space. + +At the head of the table, there was a very handsome man, dressed all in +black, as though in mourning. His beauty was so great that afterwards +it passed into a proverb. Later in the year, when I saw this gentleman +nearly every day, I noticed that people (even those who did not know who +he was) would look after him when he passed them. I will say only this +about his handsomeness. It was a bodily kind of beauty, of colour +rather than of form; there was not much character in it. Had he lived, +I daresay he would have become ugly like the rest of his family, none of +whom, except his great-great-grandmother, was accounted much for looks. + +Next to this handsome man, on the right, sat Mr. Jermyn, looking fifteen +years younger without his false beard. Then came a very black-looking +man, with a face all eyebrows. Then a soldier in uniform. Then a little, +wiry man, who jumped about as though excited--I could only see him when +he jumped: he had an unpleasant, saturnine face, which frightened me. +That, as far as I could see, was the whole company. When I first began +to listen, the man in uniform was speaking to the handsome man at the +head of the table. I knew at once, when he said Your Majesty, that he +was talking to James, the Duke of Monmouth, of whom I had heard that +afternoon. + +“No, your Majesty,” he said. “No, your Majesty,” he repeated, “I can't +answer for the army. If things had been different in February” (he +meant, “if you had been in England when Charles II died”) “there would +have been another King in England. As it is, I'm against a rising.” + +“Don't you think his Majesty could succeed by raising an army in the +West?” said Mr. Jermyn. “The present usurper (he meant James II) is a +great coward. The West is ripe to rebel. Any strong demonstration +there would paralyse him. Besides, the army wouldn't fire on their own +countrymen. We'd enough of that in the Civil War. What do you think of a +Western rising?” + +The soldier smiled. “Ah no,” he said. “No, your Majesty. Whatever you +do, Sire, don't do it with untrained men. A rising in the West would +only put you at the head of a mob. A regiment of steady trained men in +good discipline can destroy any mob in twenty minutes. No, your Majesty. +No. Don't try. it, Sire.” + +“Then what do you advise, Lane?” said the Duke. + +“I would say wait, your Majesty. Wait till the usurper, the poisoner, +commits himself with the Papists. When he's made himself thoroughly +unpopular throughout the country, then sound a few regiments. It's only +a matter of a year or two. If you'll wait for a year or two you'll see +yourself invited over. Besides, a sudden rising in the West must fail, +sir. Your Majesty would be in between two great garrisons, Bristol and +Portsmouth. We can't be sure that either would be true to us.” + +“Yes,” the Duke answered. “Yes, Lane. But as I plan it, the army will +be tempted north. Argyle will make a strong feint in Scotland, with the +great clans, just when the Western gentry declare for us.” + +“I take it,” Lane answered, “that Argyle has sounded the clans. He +knows, I suppose, what force of drilled men will rally to him. You know +nothing, sir, about the West. You know that many men are for you; but +you know not how many nor how good. You will need mounted men, sir, +if you are to dash down upon London with any speed. You cannot raise +cavalry in a week. All that you will get in the West will be squireens, +or dashing young farmers, both kinds unaccustomed to being ordered; both +kinds totally unfitted for war.” + +“Yes,” said the saturnine little man. “But a rising in the West would +have this natural effect. Argyle will draw troops to the north, as his +Majesty has explained. Very well, then. Let Devon declare for the King, +the business will be done. The usurper will not dare to send the few +troops left to him out of the capital, lest the town should rise on +him.” + +“Very true. True. A good point,” said the man with the eyebrows. + +“I think that disposes of your argument, Lane,” said the Duke, with a +smile. + +“It's a supposition, sir, against a certainty. I've told you of a +military danger. Falk, there, only tells you of a bare, military +possibility.” + +“But it's as certain as anything can be,” said the man with the +eyebrows. “You can see. That's just what must happen.” + +“It is what may happen if you wait for a year or two, your Majesty,” + Lane replied. “But a newly crowned King is always popular. I doubt if +you will find public opinion so much on your side, your Majesty. No for +a year or two, till he's made himself disliked. They've settled down +now to this usurper. They'll resent an interruption. The trades-men will +resent an interruption.” + +“I think you over-rate the difficulties, Lane,” said Mr. Jermyn. + +“Yes,” said the Duke, “I'm a great believer in putting a matter to the +test. Much must necessarily be left to chance. If we wait, we may not +find public opinion turning against our enemies. We may even lose the +good opinion of the West by waiting. Besides, by waiting, Lane, we +should lose the extraordinary: help of Argyle's diversion in the north.” + +“Yes,” the others said in chorus. “We mustn't lose that. A rising this +early summer, when the roads are good. A rising as soon as Argyle is +ready.” + +“Well, your Majesty,” said Lane, shaking his head. “I see you're +resolved. You shall not find me backward when the time comes, for all my +doubts at this meeting. To your Majesty's happy success.” They all drank +the toast; but I noticed that Mr. Lane looked melancholy, as though he +foresaw something of what actually happened in that terrible June. + +“Very good,” said the Duke, “I thank you, gentlemen. Now, Jermyn. We +two shall have to be off to the Low Countries in another half hour. How +about messengers to the West? You, Lane, are tied here to your regiment. +Falk, how about you, Falk?” + +“No, your Majesty,” said Falk. “There's danger in sending me. I'm +suspected. I'm known to be in your interests.” + +“You, then, Candlish,” said the Duke to the man with the eyebrows. + +“Not me, Sire,” said Candlish. “I can't disguise myself. I'm stamped by +nature for the paths of virtue.” + +“It would be a good thing,” said Falk, “if we could get some Western +carrier.” + +“The Western carriers are all watched,” Lane replied. “They are +followed, wherever they go, as on as they arrive at their inns here.” + +“Haven't you found some more gipsies, Falk?” Candlish asked. “The last +gipsy we had was very good.” + +“He was caught by a press-gang,” said Falk, “Gipsies aren't to be +trusted, though. They would sell us at once if they had the chance. +Ramon was an exception.” + +Mr. Jermyn had risen at the Duke's last speech as though to put on +his coat, ready to leave the house.. The Duke was listening to the +conversation, making 'idle sketches, as he listened, on the paper before +him, I think I hardly realised, as I craned over the open space, that +I had been listening to a conversation which would have condemned all +present to death for treason. I repeated to myself, in a dazed sort of +way, that the West was ready to rise. “King James is an usurper,” I said +softly. “These men are going to rebel against him. There's going to be +a civil war in England about it.” I had hardly repeated this to myself, +when it came over me with a shock that I was in terrible personal +danger. The men were just leaving the house. They would probably look +up, on leaving, to see what sort of a night it was. They would see my +wonderful bridge. It would be all over with me then. I was so I could +hardly stand up. I took a few cautious steps towards the door, saying +to myself that I would never again be disobedient if I might escape this +once. I was at the door, just about to open it, when I heard a step upon +the landing just outside, coming towards me. I gave up hope then; but I +had just sense enough to step to my left, so that, when the door should +open (if the stranger entered) it might, possibly, screen me from him. +Then I heard the Duke's voice from down below calling to Mr. Jermyn. + +“Jermyn,” he called. “Bring down my books, will you. They're on my bed. +What are you doing up there?” + +“Just seeing to the ghosts, your Majesty. I won't keep you waiting.” + +“I'll come, too,” he answered. “I'd like to see your ghosts again.” Then +I heard Mr. Jermyn loitering at the stair-head while the Duke left the +council-room. My hair was rising on my scalp; there was cold sweat on my +forehead; it was as much as I could do to keep my teeth from chattering. +I heard the Duke's feet upon the stairs; there were eleven stairs, +I counted them. Presently I heard him say, “Now, Jermyn.” Then came +Jermyn's answer of “This way, your Majesty.” He flung the door wide +open, so that the Duke might enter. The two men passed into the room to +examine the horrible owl. The Duke chuckled as the machine moved round +to him. “How bright he keeps,” he said. “Yes,” Jermyn answered. “He +won't need painting for a long while yet.” “No,” the Duke answered, “I +hear, Jermyn, he's given you a most uncanny reputation.” “Yes,” said +Jermyn, “the house has a bad name. What in the world is this?” + In walking round the owl his foot had struck upon the unlucky tin +candle-sconce which I had brought from the room above. “Sounds like +a tin candle-stick,” said the Duke. “Yes,” said Mr. Jermyn, groping. +“That's what it is. Now how in the world did it get here? It's the +candle-stick from the dragon's head in the room above.” “Are you sure, +Jermyn?” the Duke asked, in a voice which showed that he was agitated. +“Yes, sir. Quite sure. But no one's been up there.” “There must be +a spy,” said the Duke. The two voices spoke together for a moment in +whispers. I could not hear what they said; but a moment later I heard +the rasping, clinking noise of two swords being drawn. “Come out of +that,” said Mr. Jermyn's voice. I felt that I was discovered; but I +dared not stir from my covert. I heard the two men walking swiftly to +the door. A hand plucked it from in front of me. I shrank back into the +wall, covering my eyes with my hands, so that I should not see the two +long sword-blades pointing at my throat. “Make no sound. Make no sound, +now,” said the Duke, pressing his sword-point on my chest, so that I +could feel it thrust hard upon me, as though it needed very little force +to send it through. I made no sound. + +“Who are you?” said Mr. Jermyn, backing to the opening in the floor. +“Kill him if he moves, sir. Candlish, Candlish. Bring a light. Bring a +light. We've caught a moth.” + +I tried to swallow, but my throat seemed choked with dust. I heard the +people downstairs bustling out of the room with candles. I tried to +speak; but I could not. I was too much scared. I stood pressed hard +against the wall, with the Duke's sword-point still in place. + +“Bring it in here, Candlish,” said Mr. Jermyn. There came a clattering +noise from the window. Mr. Jermyn had released some heavy rolled up +curtain-blinds, which covered the whole window. There was no chance, +now, of being seen from the street, or from my uncle's house. Candlish +entered carrying a candle. + +The others followed at his heels. + +“A boy. Eh?” he said. + +“What do you do here?” the Duke asked, staring hard at me. + +“He's frightened out of his wits, sir,” said Lane. “We aren't going to +hurt you, boy, if you'll only tell the truth.” + +“Why,” said Mr. Jermyn. “It's Martin Hyde, nephew to old Hyde across the +way.” + +“But he's overheard us,” put in Falk. “He's overheard us.” + +“Come on downstairs. Bring him with you,” said the Duke. Lane took me by +one arm. Mr. Jermyn took me by the other. They marched me downstairs to +the council-room. + +“Here, boy,” said Candlish, not unkindly. “Drink this wine.” He made +me swallow a glass of Burgundy, which certainly did me a great deal of +good. I was able to speak after drinking it. + +“Now, Mr. Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn. “How do you come to be in this house?” + +“Take your time, boy,” said Lane. + +“He's not a London boy?” said the Duke to Mr. Jermyn. + +“No, sir,” he answered in a whisper. “Just come here from the country.” + +“Please, your Majesty,” I began. + +“So you're a young rebel,” said the Duke. “That shows he overheard us,” + said Falk. + +“Let him alone, Falk,” the Duke said. + +“He'll tell the truth. No use in frightening him.” + +“Please, your Majesty,” I said again, “I was locked up in my room for +taking my uncle's boat this afternoon.” One of two of them smiled when I +said this: it gave me confidence. + +“But how did you get into this house?” Mr. Jermyn asked. + +“Please, sir,” I answered, “I saw your upper window open. So I laid a +couple of planks across the lane from my window. Then I just straddled +across, sir.” + +“Are you used to burglary, may I ask?” said the Duke. + +“No, your Majesty. But I saw the ghosts. I wanted to see how they were +made.” + +“Well. That's one for you, Jermyn,” said Lane. “Your ghosts haven't +frightened this one.” + +“Sir,” I answered. “They frightened me horribly. I wanted to be revenged +for that. But after a bit I was sure they were only clockwork. I wanted +to stop them. I did stop the devil upstairs, sir.” + +“So you stopped the devil upstairs,” the Duke said. “What did you do +then?” + +“I came down to this room, sir. I looked at the owl. But I couldn't +see how to stop the owl, sir. I saw you all sitting round the room. I'm +afraid I listened, sir.” + +“That was not a gentlemanly thing to do,” said Lane. “Was it now?” + +“No, sir.” + +“You understood all that was said. Eh, boy?” said Candlish. + +“Yes, sir. I understood it all.” + +“Well, young man,” said Falk. “You'll be sorry you did.” + +“Be quiet, Falk,” said the Duke. “No one shall bully the boy. What's +your name, boy?” + +“Martin Hyde, sir.” + +“A very smart lad too, sir,” said Jermyn. “He saved my book of cipher +correspondence yesterday. We should have been in trouble if that had got +into the wrong hands.” + +“You understand,” said the Duke, “that what you have heard might get us +all, perhaps many more besides ourselves, into very terrible danger if +repeated?” + +“Yes, your Majesty, I understand,” I answered. “Lock him into the +pantry, Jermyn,” said the Duke, “while we decide what to do with him. Go +with Mr. Jermyn, boy. We sha'n't hurt you. Don't be frightened. Give him +some oranges, Jermyn.” + + + +CHAPTER V. I GO TO SEA + +Mr. Jermyn led me to the pantry (a little room on the ground floor), +where he placed a plate of oranges before me. + +“See how many you can eat,” he said. “But don't try to burgle yourself +free. This is a strong room.” He locked the heavy door, leaving me alone +with a well-filled pantry, which seemed to be without a window. A little +iron grating near the ceiling served as a ventilator. There was no +chance of getting out through that. The door was plated with iron. The +floor was of concrete. I was a prisoner now in good earnest. I was +no longer frightened; but I had had such scares that night that I had +little stomach for the fruit. I was only anxious to be allowed to go +back to my bed. I heard a dull noise in the upper part of the house, +followed by the falling of a plank. “There goes my bridge,” I thought. +“Are they going to be so mean as to call my uncle out of bed, to show +him what I've been doing?” I thought that perhaps they would do this, as +my uncle (for all that I knew) might be in their plot. “Well,” I said to +myself, “I shall get a good thrashing. Perhaps that brute Ephraim will +be told to thrash me. But thrashing or no, I've had enough of going out +at night. I'll ask my uncle not to thrash me, but to put me into the +Navy. I should love that. I know that I shall never get on in London.” + This sudden plan of the Navy, about which I had never before thought, +seemed to me to be a good way of getting out of my deserts. I felt sure +that my uncle would be charmed to be rid of me; while I knew very well +that boys of that generation often entered the Navy, in the care of +the captains, as naval cadets (or, as they were then called, “captain's +servants”) at the ages of eight or nine. I wondered why the debate +lasted so long. Naturally, in that gloomy little prison, lit by a single +tallow candle, with all my anxieties heavy on my mind, the time passed +slowly. But they were so long in making up their minds that it seemed +as though they had forgotten me. I began to remember horrible tales of +people shut up in secret rooms until they starved to death, or till the +rats ate them. I remembered the tale of the nun being walled up in a +vault of her convent, brick by brick, till the last brick shut off the +last glimmer of the bricklayer's lantern, till the last layer of mortar +made for her the last sound she would hear, the patting clink of the +trowel on the brick, before it was all horrible dark silence for ever. +I wondered how many people had been silenced in that way. I wondered how +long I should live, if that was what these men decided. + +My fears were ended by the opening of the door. “Come on,” said Mr. +Lane. “This way,” He led me back to the council-room, where all the +conspirators sat at their places by the table. I noticed that Mr. Jermyn +(cloaked now, as for travel) was wearing his false beard again. + +“Mr. Hyde,” the Duke said. “I understand that you are well disposed to +my cause.” + +“Yes, your Majesty,” I answered; though indeed I only followed what my +father had told me. I had no real knowledge about it, one way or the +other. I knew only what others had told me. Still, in this instance, as +far as I have been able to judge by what I learned long afterwards, +I was right. The Duke had truly a claim to the throne; he was also a +better man than that disgraceful king who took his place. + +“Very well, Mr. Hyde,” the Duke answered. “Have you any objections to +entering my service?” + +I was not very sure of what he meant; it came rather suddenly upon me, +so I stammered, without replying. + +“His Majesty means, would you like to join our party?” said Mr. Lane. +“To be one of us. To serve him abroad.” + +I was flushed with pleasure at the thought of going abroad, among a +company of conspirators. I had no knowledge of what the consequences +might be, except that I should escape a sound whipping from my uncle or +from Ephraim. I did not like the thought of living on in London, with +the prospect of entering a merchant's office at the end of my boyhood. +I thought that in the Duke's service I should soon become a general, so +that I might return to my uncle, very splendidly dressed, to show him +how well I had managed my own life for myself. I thought that life was +always like that to the adventurous man. Besides I hoped that I should +escape school, the very thought of which I hated. Looking at the matter +in that secret council-room, it seemed so very attractive. It seemed to +give me a pathway of escape, whichever way I looked at it, from all that +I most disliked. + +“Yes, your Majesty,” I said, “I should very much like to enter your +service.” + +“You understand, Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn, “that we are engaged in a very +dangerous work. It is so dangerous that we should not be justified in +allowing you to go free after what you have heard tonight. But its very +danger makes it necessary that we should tell you something of what your +work under his Majesty will be, before you decide finally to throw in +your lot with us. It is one thing to be a prisoner among us, Hyde; +but quite another to be what is called a rebel, engaged in treasonable +practices against a ruling King.” + +“Still,” said Lane, “don't think that your imprisonment with us would be +unpleasant. If you would rather not join us, you have only to say so. +We shall then send you over to Holland, where you will, no doubt, +find plenty of boats with which to amuse yourself. You will be kept in +Holland till a certain much-wished event takes place, about the middle +of June. After that you will be brought back here to your uncle who, by +that time, will have forgiven you.” + +“That's a very pretty ladder you made,” said the Duke. “You've evidently +lived among sailors.” + +“Among fishermen mostly, your Majesty,” I said “My father was rector in +the Broads country.” I knew from his remark that someone had been across +to my uncle's house to remove all traces of my bridge. My ladder, I +knew, would now be dangling from my window, to show by which way I had +escaped. + +“We want you, Hyde,” Mr. Jermyn said. “That is--we shall want you in +the event of your joining us, to be our messenger to the West. You will +travel continually from Holland to the West of England, generally to the +country near Taunton, but sometimes to Exeter, sometimes still further +to the West. You will carry letters sewn into the flap of your leather +travelling satchel. You will travel alone by your own name, giving out, +in case any one should ask you, that you are going to one of certain +people, whose names will be given to you. There will be no danger to +yourself; for the persons to whom you will be sent are not suspected; +indeed one of them is a clergyman. We think that a boy will have less +difficulty in getting about the country in its present state than any +man, provided, of course, that you travel by different routes on each +journey. If, however, by some extraordinary chance, you should be caught +with these letters in your wallet, we shall take steps to bring you off; +for we have a good deal of power, in one way or another, by which we +get things done. Still, it may well fall out, Hyde, in spite of all +our care, that you will come into the hands of men with whom we have no +influence. If you should, (remember, it is quite possible) you will be +transported to serve in one of the Virginian or West Indian plantations. +That will be the end of you as far as we are concerned. We shan't +be able to help you then. If you think the cause is right, join us, +provided that you do not think the risks too great.” + +“If all goes well,” said the Duke, “if the summer should prove +prosperous, I may be able to reward a faithful servant, even if he is +only a boy.” + +“I will serve your Majesty gladly,” I answered. “I should like to join +your service.” + +“Very well then, Jermyn,” he said, rising swiftly on his way to the +door; “bring him on board at once.” + +“We're off to Holland tonight, in the schooner there,” said Mr. Jermyn. +“So put these biscuits in your pocket. Give him another glass of wine, +Falk. Now, then. Good-bye, Lane. Good-bye everybody.” + +“Good-bye,” they said. “Good-bye, boy.” In another minute we were in +the narrow road, within earshot of the tumbling water, going down to the +stairs at the lane end, to take boat. The last that I saw of my uncle's +house was the white of my ladder ropes, swinging about against the +darkness of the bricks. + +“Remember, Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn in a low voice, “that his Majesty is +always plain Mr. Scott. Remember that. Remember, too, that you are never +to speak to him unless he speaks to you. But you won't have much to do +with him. Were you ever at sea, before?” + +“No, sir. Only about the Broads in a coracle.” + +“You'll find it very interesting, then. If you're not seasick. Here we +are at the boat. Now, jump in. Get into the bows.” + +“Mr. Scott” was already snug under a boat-cloak in the sternsheets. As +soon as we had stepped in, the boatman shoved off. The boat rippled the +water into a gleaming track as she gathered way. We were off. I was on +my way to Holland. I was a conspirator, travelling with a King. There +ahead of me was the fine hull of the schooner La Reina, waiting to carry +us to all sorts of adventure, none of them (as I planned them then) so +strange, or so terrible, as those which happened to me. As we drew up +alongside her, I heard the clack-clack of the sailors heaving at the +windlass. They were getting up the anchor, so that we might sail from +this horrible city to all the wonderful romance which awaited me, as I +thought, beyond, in the great world. Five minutes after I had stepped +upon her deck we were gliding down on the ebb, bound for Holland. + +“Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn, as we drew past the battery on the Tower +platform, “do you see the high ground, beyond the towers there?” + +“Yes, sir,” I said. + +“Do you know what that is?” + +“No, sir.” + +“That's Tower Hill,” he answered, “where traitors, I mean conspirators +like you or me, are beheaded. Do you know what that means?” + +“Yes, sir,” I replied. “To have your head cut off.” + +“Yes,” he said. “With all that hill black with people. The scaffold hung +with black making a sort of platform in the middle. Then soldiers, with +drums, all round. You put your head over a block, so that your neck +rests on the wood. Then the executioner comes at you with an axe. Then +your head is shown to the people. 'This is the head of a traitor.' We +may all end in that way, on that little hill there. You must be very +careful how you carry the letters, Hyde.” + +After this hint, he showed me a hammock in the schooner's 'tweendecks, +telling me that I should soon be accustomed to that kind of bed. “It is +a little awkward at first,” he said, “especially the getting in part; +but, when once snugly in, it is the most comfortable kind of bed in the +world.” After undressing by the light of a huge ship's lantern, which +Mr. Jermyn called a battle-lantern, I turned into my hammock, rather +glad to be alone. Now that I was pledged to this conspiracy business, +with some knowledge of what it might lead to, I half wished myself well +out of it. The 'tweendecks was much less comfortable than the bedroom +which I had left so gaily such a very little time before. I had +exchanged a good prison for a bad one. The smell of oranges, so near to +the hold in which they were stored, was overpowering, mixed, as it was, +with the horrible ship-smell of decaying water (known as bilge-water) +which flopped about at each roll a few feet below me. My hammock was +slung in a draught from the main hatchway. People came down the hatchway +during the night to fetch coils of rope or tackles. Tired as I was, I +slept very badly that first night on board ship. The schooner seemed to +be full of queer, unrelated movements. The noise of the water slipping +past was like somebody talking. The striking of the bells kept me from +sleeping. I did not get to sleep till well into the middle watch (about +two in the morning) after which I slept brokenly until a rough voice +bawled in my ear to get up out of that, as it was time to wash down. + +I put my clothes on hurriedly, wondering where I should find a basin +in which to wash myself. I could see none in the 'tweendecks; but I +supposed that there would be some in the cabins, which opened off the +'tweendecks on each side. Now a 'tweendecks (I may as well tell you +here) is nothing more than a deck of a ship below the upper deck. If +some of my readers have never been in a ship, let them try to imagine +themselves descending from the upper deck--where all the masts stand--by +a ladder fixed in a square opening known as a hatchway. About six feet +down this ladder is the 'tweendecks, a long narrow room, with a ceiling +so low that unless you bend, you bump your head against the beams. + +If you will imagine a long narrow room, only six feet high, you will +know what a 'tweendecks is like. Only in a real 'tween-decks it is +always rather dark, for the windows (if you care to call them so) are +thick glass bull's-eyes which let in very little light. A glare of light +comes down the hatchways. Away from the hatchways a few battle-lanterns +are hung, to keep up some pretence of light in the darkest corners. At +one end of this long narrow room in La Reina a wooden partition, running +right across from side to side, made a biggish chamber called “the +cabin,” where the officers took their meals. A little further along the +room, one on each side of it, were two tiny partitioned cabins, about +seven feet square, in which the officers slept, two in each cabin one +above the other, in shelf-beds, or bunks. My hammock had been slung +between these cabins, a little forward of them. When I turned out, I +saw that the rest of the 'tweendecks was piled with stores of all kinds, +lashed down firmly to ringbolts. Right forward, in the darkness of the +ship's bows, I saw other hammocks where the sailors slept. + +I was wondering what I was to do about washing, when the rough man who +had called me a few minutes before came down to ask me why I was not up +on deck. I said that I was wondering where I could wash myself. + +“Wash yourself,” he said. “You haven't made yourself dirty yet. You +don't wash at sea till your work's done for the day. Why, haven't you +lashed your hammock yet?” + +“Please, sir,” I said, “I don't know how.” + +“Well, for once,” he said, “I'll show you how. Tomorrow you'll do it for +yourself.” + +“There,” he said, when he had lashed up the hammock, by what seemed to +me to be art-magic, “don't you say you don't know how to lash a 'ammick. +I've showed you once. Now shove it in the rack there. Up on deck with +you.” + +I ran up the ladder to the deck, thinking that this was not at all the +kind of service which I had expected. When I got to the deck I felt +happier; for it was a lovely bright morning. The schooner was under all +sail, tearing along at what seemed to me to be great speed. We were +out at sea now. England lay behind us, some miles away. I could see the +windows gleaming in a little town on the shore. Ships were in sight, +with rollers of foam whitening under them. Gulls dipped after fish. The +clouds drove past. A fishing boat piled with fish was labouring up to +London, her sails dark with spray. On the deck of the schooner some +barefooted sailors were filling the wash-deck tubs at a hand-pump. One +man was at work high aloft on the topsail yard, sitting across the yard +with his legs dangling down, keeping his seat (as I thought) by balance. +I found the scene so delightful that I gazed at it like a boy in a +trance, was still staring, when the surly boor who had called me (he was +the schooner's mate it seemed) came up behind me. + +“Well,” he said, in the rough, bullying speech of a sailor, “do ye see +it?” + +“See what, sir?” + +“What you're looking at.” + +“Yes, sir,” I answered. + +“Then you got no butter in your eyes, then. Why ain't you at work?” + +“What am I to do, sir?” + +“Do,” he said. “Ain't you Mr. Scott's servant?” + +“Yes, sir.” + +“Then get a bucket of fresh water out of the cask there. Take this +scrubber. You'll find some soap in the locker there. Now scrub out the +cabin as quick as you know how.” + +He showed me down to the cabin. It was a dingy, dirty little room about +twelve feet square over all, but made, in reality, much smaller by the +lockers which ran along each side. + +It was lighted by two large wooden ports, known as “chase ports,” + through which the chase guns or “stern-chasers pointed. Only one gun (a +long three pounder on a swivel) was mounted; for guns take up a lot of +room. With two guns in that little cabin there would not have been room +enough to swing a cat. You need six feet for the proper swinging of a +cat, so a man-of-war boatswain told me. The cat meant is the cat of nine +tails with which they used to flog seamen. To flog properly one needs a +good swing, so my friend said. + +“There you are,” said the mate of the schooner. “Now down on your knees. +Scrub the floor here. See you get it mucho blanco.” + +He left me feeling much ashamed at having to work like a common ship's +boy, instead of like a prince's page, which is what I had thought +myself. Like many middle-class English boys I had been brought up to +look on manual work as degrading. I was filled with shame at having +to scrub this dirty deck. I, who, only yesterday, had lorded it over +Ephraim, as though I were a superior being. You boys who go to good +schools try to learn a little humbleness. You may think your parents +very fine gentlefolk; but in the world, outside a narrow class, the +having gentle parents will not help one much. It may be that you, for +all your birth, have neither the instincts nor the intellect to preserve +the gentility your parents made for you. You are no gentleman till +you have proved it. Your right level may be the level of the betting +publican, or of the sneak-thief, or of things even lower than these. It +is nothing to be proud of that your parents are rich enough to keep your +hands clean of joyless, killing toil, at an age when many better men +are old in slavery. Try to be thankful for it; not proud. Leisure is +the most sacred thing life has. A wise man would give his left hand for +leisure. You that have it given to you by the mercy of gentle birth, +regard it as a trust; make noble use of it. Many great men waste half +their energies in the struggle for that which you regard, poor fools, as +your right, as something to brag of. + +I had never scrubbed a floor in my life; but I had seen it done, without +taking much account of the art in it. I set to work, feeling more +degraded each moment, as the hardness of the deck began to make my knees +sore. When I had done about half of the cabin (in a lazy, neglectful +way, leaving patches unscrubbed, only just wetted over, so as to seem +clean to a chance observer) I thought that I would do no more; but wait +till Mr. Jermyn came to me. I would tell him that I wished to go home, +that I was not going to be a common sailor, but a trusted messenger, +with a lot more to the same tune, meaning, really, that I hated this job +of washing decks like poison. I dare say, if the truth were known, the +sudden change in my fortunes had made me a little homesick. But even so, +I was skulking work which had been given to me. What was worse, I was +being dishonest. For I was pretending to do the work, even when I took +least trouble with it. At last I took it into my head to wet the whole +floor with water, meaning to do no more to it. While I was doing this +the mate came into the cabin. + +“Look here,” he said. “I've been watching you. You ain't working. You're +skulking. You ain't trying to wash that deck. You're making believe, +thinking I won't know any different. Don't answer me. I know what you're +doing. Now then. You go over every bit of that deck which you've just +slopped at. Do it over. I'm going to stand here till it's done.” + +It was in my mind to be rebellious; but this man did not look like a +good man to rebel from. He was a big grim sailor with a length of rope +in his hand. He called it his “manrope.” “You see my manrope,” he said. +“His name's Mogador Jack. He likes little skulks like you.” Afterwards +I learned that a manrope is the rope rail at a ship's gangway, or +(sometimes) a length of rope in the gangway-side for boatmen to catch as +they came alongside the ship. I did not like the look of Mogador Jack, +so I went at my scrubbing with all my strength, keeping my thoughts +to myself. My knees felt very sore. My back ached with the continual +bending down. I had had no food that morning, either, that was another +thing. “Spell, oh,” said the man at last. “Straighten your back a bit. +Empty your bucket over the side. No. Not through the sternport. Carry +in on deck. Empty it there. Then fill it again. Lively, too. It'll be +breakfast time before you've done. You've got to have this cabin ready +by eight bells.” + +I will not tell you how I finished the deck. I will say only this, that +at the end I began to take a sort of pride or pleasure in making the +planks white. Afterwards, I always found that there is this pleasure in +manual work. There is always pleasure of a sort in doing anything +that is not very easy. “There,” the mate said. “Now lay the table for +breakfast. You'll find the things in them lockers. Lay for three places. +Don't break the ship's crockery while you're doing it.” + + + +CHAPTER VI. THE SEA! THE SEA! + +He left me, then, as he had to watch the men on deck. I felt, when he +went on deck, that the morning had been a nightmare; but now I was to be +flunkey well as slave, a new humiliation. I did not think how many times +I had humiliated others by letting them do such things for me. I had +done so all my life without a thought. Now, forsooth, I was at the point +of tears at having to do it for others, even though one of the others +was my rightful King. Grubbing about among the lockers, I found a canvas +table-cloth, which had once been part of a sail. I spread this cloth +with the breakfast gear, imitating the arrangements made at home at +Oulton. The mate came down some minutes after I had finished. He caught +me sitting down on the top of the lockers, looking out at the ships +through the open port. + +“Here,” he said roughly. “You've got to learn manners, or I'll have to +teach you. Remember this once for all, my son. No one sits in the cabin +except a captain or a passenger. You'll take your cap off to the cabin +door before I've done with you. Nor you don't sit down till your work's +done. That's another thing. Why ain't you at work?” + +“Please, sir,” I said, “I've laid the table. What else am I to do?” + +“Do,” he said. “Give the windows a rub. Then clean your hands, ready to +wait at table. No. Hold on. Have you called Mr. Scott yet?” + +“No, sir. I didn't know I had to.” + +“My,” he answered. “Have you any sense at all? Go call them. No. Get +their hot water first at the galley.” + +I suppose I stared at him; for I did not know that this would be a +duty of mine. “Here. Don't look at me like that,” he said. “You make +me forget myself.” He went to the locker, in which he rummaged till he +produced a big copper kettle. “Here's the hot water can,” he said. “Nip +with it to the galley, before the cook puts his fire out. On deck, boy. +Don't you know where the galley is?” + +I did not know where the galley was in this particular ship. I thought +that it would probably be below decks, round a space of brick floor to +prevent fire. But as the mate said “on deck” I ran on deck at once. I +ran on deck, up the hatch, so vigorously, that I charged into a seaman +who was carrying a can of slush, or melted salt fat used in the greasing +of ropes. I butted into him, spattering the slush all over him, besides +making a filthy mess of grease on the deck, then newly cleansed. The +seaman, who was the boatswain or second mate, boxed my ears with a +couple of cuffs which made my head sing. “You young hound,” he said, +“Cubbadar when your chief passes.” I went forward to the galley, crying +as if my heart would break, not only at the pain of the blows, which +stung me horribly, but at the misery of my life in this new service, +that had seemed so grand only seven or eight hours before. At the galley +door was the cook, a morose little Londoner with earrings in his ears. +“Miaow, Miaow,” he said, pretending to mimic my sobs. “Why haven't you +come for this 'ot water before? 'Ere 'ave I been keepin' my fire lit +while you been enjoyin' a stuffin' loaf down in that there cabin.” I was +too miserable to answer him. I just held out my kettle, thinking that +he would fill it for me. “Wot are you 'oldin' out the kettle for?” + he asked. “Think I'm goin' to do yer dirty work? Fill it at the 'ob +yourself.” I filled it as he bade me, choking down my tears. When I had +filled it, I hurried back to the 'tweendecks, hoping to hide my misery +down in the semi-darkness there. I did not pass the second mate on my +way back; but I passed some of the seamen, to whom a boy in tears was +fair game. One asked me what I meant by coming aft all salt, like a head +sea, making the deck wet after he'd squeegeed it down. Another told me +to wait till the second mate caught me. “I'd be sorry then,” he said, +“that ever I spilt the slush;” with other sea-jests, all of them pretty +brutal. It is said that if a strange rook comes to a rookery the other +rooks peck it to death, or at any rate drive it away. I know not if this +be true of rooks (I know that sparrows will attack owls or canaries, +whenever they have a chance), but it is true enough of human beings. We +all hate the new-comer, we are all suspicious of him, as of a possible +enemy. The seamen did to me what school-boys do to the new boy. I did +not know then that there is no mercy for one sensitive enough to take +such “jests” to heart. At sea, the rough, ready tom-fool boy is the +boy to thrive. Such an one might have spilt all the slush in the ship, +without getting so much as a cuff. I was a merry boy enough, but I was +sad when I made my first appearance. The sailors saw me crying. If I +had only had the wit to dodge the bosun's blows, the matter of the slush +would have been turned off with a laugh, since he only struck me in the +irritation of the moment. He would have enjoyed chasing me round the +deck. If I had only come up merrily that is what would have happened. As +it was I came up sad, with the result that I got my ears boxed, which, +of course, made me too wretched to put the cook in a good temper; a +cause of much woe to me later. The seamen who saw me crying at once put +me down as a cry-baby, which I really was not; so that, for the rest of +my time in the ship I was cruelly misjudged. I hope that my readers will +remember how little a thing may make a great difference in a person's +life. I hope that they will also remember how easy it is to misjudge +a person. It will be well for them if, as I trust, they may never +experience how terrible it feels to be misjudged. + +After I had called the two gentlemen, I gave the glass bull's-eyes in +the swing ports a rub with a cloth. I was at work in this way when the +two gentlemen entered. Mr. Jermyn smiled to see me with my coat off, +rubbing at the glass. He also wished me good morning, which Mr. Scott +failed to do. Mr. Scott took no notice of me one way or the other; +but sat down at the locker, asking when breakfast would be ready. “Get +breakfast, boy,” Mr. Jermyn said. At that I put my glass-rag into the +locker. I hurried off to the galley to bring the breakfast, not knowing +rightly whether it would be there or in another place. The cook, surly +brute, made a lot of offensive remarks to me, to which I made no answer. +He was glad to have someone to bully, for he had the common man's love +of power, with all his hatred of anything more polished than himself. +I took the breakfast aft to the cabin, where, by this time, the ship's +captain was seated. I placed the dish before Mr. Jermyn. + +“Why haven't you washed your hands, boy?” he asked, looking at my hands. + +“Please, sir, I haven't had time.” + +“Wash them now, then. Don't come to wait at table with hands like that +again. I didn't think you were a dirty boy.” + +I was not a dirty boy; but, having been at work since before six that +morning, I had had no chance of washing myself. I could not answer; +but the injustice of Mr. Jermyn's words gave me some of the most bitter +misery which I have known. For brutal, thoughtless injustice, it is +difficult to beat the merchant ship. I stole away to wash myself, very +glad of the chance to get away from the cabin. When I was ready, it was +time to clear the breakfast things to the galley, to wash them with the +cook. Luckily, I had overheard Mr. Jermyn say “how well this cook can +devil kidneys.” I repeated this to the cook, who was pleased to hear it. +It made him rather more kind in his manner to me. He did not know who +Mr. Scott really was. He asked me a lot of questions about what I knew +of Mr. Scott. I replied that I'd heard that he was a Spanish merchant, a +friend of Mr. Jermyn's. As for Mr. Jermyn, he knew' an uncle of mine. I +had helped him to recover his pocket-book; that was all that I knew of +him; that was why he had given me my present post as servant. More I +dared not say; for I remembered the Duke's sharp sword on my chest. We +talked thus, as we washed the dishes; the cook in a sweeter mood (having +had his morning dram of brandy); I, myself, trying hard to win him to a +good opinion of me. I asked him if I might clean his copper for him; +it was in a sad state of dirt. “You'll have work enough 'ere, boy,” he +said, tartly, “without you running round for more. You mind your own +business.” After this little snap at my head (no thought of thanks +occurred to him) he prepared breakfast for us, out of the remains of the +cabin breakfast. I was much cheered by the prospect of food, for nearly +three hours of hard work had given me an appetite. At a word from the +cook, I brought out two little stools from under the bunk. Then I placed +the “bread-barge,” or wooden bowl of ship's biscuits, ready for our +meal, beside our two plates. + +Breakfast was just about to begin, when my enemy, the boatswain, +appeared at the galley door. “Here, cook,” he said, “where's that +limb of a boy? Oh, you're there, are you? Feeding your face. Get a +three-cornered scraper right now. You'll scrape up that slush you +spilled, before you eat so much as a reefer's nut.” I had to go on deck +again for another hour, while I scraped up the slush, which was, surely, +spilled as much by himself as by me, since he was not looking where he +was going any more than I was. I got no breakfast. For after the grease +was cleaned I was sent to black the gentlemen's boots; then to make up +their beds; then to scrub their cabin clean. After all this, being faint +with hunger, I took a ship's biscuit from the locker in the cabin to eat +as I worked. I did not know it; but this biscuit was what is known as +“captain's bread,” a whiter (but less pleasant) kind of ship's biscuit, +baked for officers. As I was eating it (I was polishing the cabin +door-knobs at the time) the captain came down for a dram of brandy. He +saw what I was eating. At once he read me a lecture, calling me a greedy +young thief. Let me not eat another cabin biscuit, he said, or he'd do +to me what they always did to thieves:--drag them under the ship from +one side to another, so that the barnacles would cut them (as he said) +into Spanish sennet-work. When I answered him, he lost his temper, in +sailor fashion, saying that if I said another word he'd make me sick +that ever I learned to speak. + +I will not go into the details of the rest of that first day's misery. +I was kept hard at work for the whole time of daylight, often at work +beyond my strength, always at work quite strange to me. Nobody in the +ship, except perhaps the mate, troubled to show me how to do these +strange tasks; but all swore at me for not doing them rightly. What +I felt most keenly was the injustice of their verdicts upon me. I was +being condemned by them as a dirty, snivelling, lying, thieving young +hound. They took a savage pleasure in telling me how I should come to +dance on air at Cuckold's Haven, or, in other words, to the gallows, if +I went on as I had begun. Whereas (but for my dishonest moment in the +morning) I had worked like a slave since dawn under every possible +disadvantage which hasty men could place in my way. After serving the +cabin supper that night I was free to go to my hammock. There was not +much to be glad for, except the rest after so much work. I went with +a glad heart, for I was tired out. The wind had drawn to the east, +freshening as it came ahead, so that there was no chance of our reaching +our destination for some days. I had the prospect of similar daily +slavery in the schooner at least till our arrival. My nights would be my +only pleasant hours till then. The noise of the waves breaking on board +the schooner kept me awake during the night, tired as I was. It is a +dreadful noise, when heard for the first time. I did not then know what +a mass of water can come aboard a ship without doing much harm. So, when +the head of a wave, rushing across the deck, came with a swish down the +hatch to wash the 'tweendecks I started up in my hammock, pretty well +startled. I soon learned that all was well, for I heard the sailors +laughing in their rough, swearing fashion as they piled a tarpaulin over +the open hatch-mouth. A moment later, eight bells were struck. Some of +the sailors having finished their watch, came down into the 'tweendecks +to rest. Two of them stepped very quietly to the chest below my +hammock, where they sat down to play cards, by the light of the nearest +battle-lantern. If they had made a noise I should probably have fallen +asleep again in a few minutes; for what would one rough noise have been +among all the noise on deck? But they kept very quiet, talking in +low voices as they called the cards, rapping gently on the chest-lid, +opening the lantern gently to get lights for their pipes. Their +quietness was like the stealthy approach of an enemy, it kept a restless +man awake, just as the snapping of twigs in a forest will keep an Indian +awake, while he will sleep soundly when trees are falling. I kept awake, +too, in spite of myself (or half awake), wishing that the men would go, +but fearing to speak to them. At last, fearing that I should never get +to sleep at all, I looked over the edge of the hammock intending to +ask them to go. I saw then that one of them was my enemy the boatswain, +while the other was the ship's carpenter, who had eaten supper in the +galley with me, at the cook's invitation. As these were, in a sense, +officers, I dared not open my mouth to them, so I lay down again, hoping +that either they would go soon, or that they would let me get to sleep +before the morning. As I lay there, I overheard their talk. I could not +help it. I could hear every word spoken by them. I did not want their +talk, goodness knows, but as I could not help it, I listened. + +“Heigho,” said the boatswain, yawning. “I sha'n't have much to spend on +Hollands when I get there. Them rubbers at bowls in London have pretty +near cleaned my purse out.” + +“Ah, come off,” said the carpenter. “You can always get rid of a coil of +rope to someone, on the sly, you boatswains can. A coil of rope comes to +a few guilders. Eh, mynheer?” + +“I sold too many coils off this hooker,” said the boatswain. “I run the +ship short.” + +“Who sleeps in the hammock there?” the carpenter asked. + +“The loblolly boy for the cabin,” the boatswain answered. “Young clumsy +hound. I clumped his fat chops for him this morning.” + +“Mr. Jermyn's boy?” said the carpenter, sinking his voice. “There's +something queer about that Mr. Jermyn. 'E wears a false beard. That Mr. +Scott isn't all what he pretends neither.” + +“I don't see how that can be,” the boatswain said, “I wish I'd a drink +of something. I'm as dry as foul block.” + +“There'd be more'n a dram to us two, if Mr. Scott was what I think,” + said the carpenter. “I'm going to keep my eye on that gang.” + +“Keep your eye on the moon,” said the boatswain. + +“I tell you what'd raise drinks pretty quick.” + +“What would?” + +“That loblolly boy would.” + +“Eh?” said the carpenter. “Go easy, Joe. He may be awake.” + +“Not he,” said the boatswain, carelessly glancing into my hammock, where +I lay like all the Seven Sleepers condensed. “Not he. Snoring young +hound. Do him good to raise drinks for the crowd.” + +“Eh,” said the carpenter, a quieter, more cautious scoundrel than the +other (therefore much more dangerous). “How would a boy like that?” He +left his sentence unfinished. + +“Sell him to one of these Dutch East India merchants,” said the +boatswain. “There's always one or two of them in the Canal, bound for +Java. A likely young lad like that would fetch twenty pounds from a +Dutch skipper. A white boy would sell for forty in the East. Even if we +only got ten, there'd be pretty drinking while it lasted.” + +This evidently made an impression on the carpenter, for he did not +answer at once. “Yes,” he said presently. “But a lad like that's got +good friends. He don't talk like you or I, Joe.” + +“Friends in your eye,” said the other. “What's a lad with good friends +doing as loblolly boy?” + +“Run away,” the carpenter said. “Besides, Mr. Jermyn isn't likely to let +the lad loose in Haarlem.” + +“He might. We could keep a watch,” the boatswain answered. “If he goes +ashore, we could tip off Longshore Jack to keep an eye on him. Jack gets +good chances, working the town.” + +“Yes,” said the other. “I mean to put Longshore Jack on to this Mr. +Jermyn. If I aren't foul of the buoy there's money in Mr. Jermyn. More +than in East Indian slaves.” + +“Oh,” the boatswain answered, carelessly, “I don't bother about my +betters, myself. What d'ye think to get from Mr. Jermyn?” + +The carpenter made no answer; but lighted his pipe at the lantern, +evidently turning over some scheme in his mind. After that, the talk +ran on other topics, some of which I could not understand. It was mostly +about the Gold Coast, about a place called Whydah, where there was +good trading for negroes, so the boatswain said. He had been there in +a Bristol brig, under Captain Travers, collecting trade, i.e. negro +slaves. At Whydah they had made King Jellybags so drunk with “Samboe” + (whatever Samboe was) that they had carried him off to sea, with his +whole court. “The blacks was mad after,” he said, “the next ship's crew +that put in there was all set on the beach. I seed their bones after. +All picked clean. But old King Jellybags fetched thirty pound in Port +Royal, duty free.” He seemed to think that this story was something +laugh at. + +I strained my ears to hear more of what they said. I could catch nothing +more relating to myself. Nothing more was said about me. They told each +other stories about the African shore, where the schooners anchored in +the creeks, among the swamp-smells, in search of slaves or gold dust. +They told tales of Tortuga, where the pirates lived together in a town, +whenever they were at home after a cruise. “Rum is cheaper than water +there,” the bo'sun said. “A sloop comes off once a month with stores +from Port Royal. Its happy days, being in Tortuga.” Presently the two +men crept aft to the empty cabin to steal the captain's brandy. Soon +afterwards they passed forward to their hammocks. + +When they had gone, I lay awake, wondering I was to avoid this terrible +danger of being sold to the Dutch East India merchants. I wondered +who Longshore Jack might be. I feared that the carpenter suspected our +party. I kept repeating his words, “There's money in Mr. Jermyn,” till +at last, through sheer weariness, I fell asleep. In the morning, as +cleared away breakfast, from the cabin-table, I told Mr. Jermyn all +that I had heard. The Duke seemed agitated. He kept referring to an +astronomical book which told him how his ruling planets stood. “Yes,” + he kept saying, “I've no very favourable stars till July. I don't like +this, Jermyn.” Mr. Jermyn smoked a pipe of tobacco (a practise rare +among gentlemen at that time) while he thought of what could be done. At +last he spoke. + +“I know what we'll do, sir. We'll sell this man as carpenter to the +Dutch East India man. We'll give the two of them a sleeping draught in +their drink. We'll get rid of them both together.” + +“It sounds very cruel,” said the Duke. + +“Yes,” said Mr. Jermyn, “it is cruel. But who knows what the sly man +may not pick up? We're playing akes, we two. We've got many enemies. One +word of what this man suspects may bring a whole pack of spies upon us. +Besides, if the spies get hold of this boy we shall have some trouble.” + +“The boy's done very well,” said the Duke. + +“He's got a talent for overhearing,” Mr. Jermyn answered. “Well, Martin +Hyde. How do you like your work?” + +“Sir,” I answered, “I don't like it at all.” + +“Well,” he said, “we shall be in the Canal to-night, now the wind has +changed. Hold out till then, think, sir,” he said, turning to the Duke, +“the boy has done really very creditably. The work is not at all the +work for one of his condition.” + +The Duke rewarded me with his languid beautiful smile. + +“Who lives will see,” he said. “A King never forgets a faithful +servant.” + +The phrase seemed queer on the lips of that man's father's son; but I +bowed very low, for I felt that I was already a captain of a man-of-war, +with a big blazing decoration on my heart. Well, who lives, sees. I +lived to see a lot of strange things in that King's service. + + + +CHAPTER VII. LAND RATS AND WATER RATS + +I will say no more about our passage except that we were three days at +sea. Then, when I woke one morning, I found that we were fast moored to +a gay little wharf, paved with clean white cobbles, on the north side of +the canal. Strange, outlandish figures, in immense blue baggy trousers, +clattered past in wooden shoes. A few Dutch galliots lay moored ahead of +us, with long scarlet pennons on their mastheads. On the other side of +the canal was a huge East Indiaman, with her lower yards cockbilled, +loading all three hatches at once. It was a beautiful morning. The sun +was so bright that all the scene had thrice its natural beauty. The +clean neat trimness of the town, the water slapping past in the canal, +the ships with their flags, the Sunday trim of the schooner, all filled +me with delight, lit up, as they were, by the April sun. I looked about +me at my ease, for the deck was deserted. Even the never-sleeping mate +was resting, now that we were in port. While I looked, a man sidled +along the wharf from a warehouse towards me. He looked at the schooner +in a way which convinced me that he was not a sailor. Then, sheltering +behind a bollard, he lighted his pipe. + +He was a short, active, wiry man, with a sharp, thin face, disfigured by +a green patch over his right eye. He looked to me to have a horsey look, +as though were a groom or coachman. After lighting his pipe, he advanced +to a point abreast of the schooner's gang-way, from which he could look +down upon her, as she lay with her deck a foot or two below the level of +the wharf. + +“Chips aboard?” he asked, meaning, “Is the carpenter on board?” + +“Yes,” I said. “Will you come aboard?” + +He did not answer, but looked about the ship, as though making notes of +everything. Presently he turned to me. + +“You're new,” he said. “Are you Mr. Jermyn's boy?” I told him that I +was. + +“How is Mr. Jermyn keeping?” he asked. “Is that cough of his better?” + This made me feel that probably the man knew Mr. Jermyn. “Yes,” I said. +“He's got no cough, now.” “He'd a bad one last time he was here,” the +man answered. For a while he kept silent. He seemed to me to be puzzling +out the relative heights of our masts. Suddenly he turned to me, with +a very natural air. “How's Mr. Scott's business going?” he asked. “You +know, eh? You know what I mean?” I was taken off my guard. I'm afraid +I hesitated, though I knew that the man's sharp eyes noted every little +change on my face. Then, in the most natural way, the man reassured me. +“You know,” he said. “What demand for oranges in London?” I was thankful +that he had not meant the other business. I said with a good deal too +much of eagerness that there was, I believed, a big demand for oranges. +“Yes,” he said, “I suppose so many young boys makes a brisk demand.” I +was uneasy at the man's manner. He seemed to be pumping me, but he had +such a natural easy way, under the pale mask of his face, that I could +not be sure if he were in the secret or not. I was on my guard now, +ready for any question, as I thought, but eager for an excuse to get +away from this man before I betrayed any trust. “Nice ship,” he said +easily. “Did you join her in Spain?” “No,” I answered. “In London.” “In +London?” he said. “I thought you'd something of a Spanish look.” “No,” I +said. “I'm English. Did you want the carpenter, sir?” + +“Yes,” he answered. “I do. But no hurry. No hurry, lad.” Here he pulled +out a watch, which he wound up, staring vacantly about the decks as he +did so. “Tell me, boy,” he said gently. “Is Lane come over with you?” To +tell the truth, it flashed across my mind, when he pulled out his watch, +that he was making me unready for a difficult question. I was not a very +bright boy; but I had this sudden prompting or instinct, which set me on +my guard. No one is more difficult to pump than a boy who is ready for +his questioner, so I stared at him. “Lane?” I said, “Lane? Do you mean +the bo'sun?” + +“No,” he said. “The Colonel. You know? Eh?” + +“No.” I said. “I don't know.” + +“Oh well,” he answered. “It's all one. I suppose he's not come over.” At +this moment the mate came on deck with the carpenter, carrying a model +ship which they had been making together in their spare time. They +nodded to the stranger, who gave them a curt “How do?” as though they +had parted from him only the night before. The mate growled at me for +wasting time on deck when I should be at work. He sent me down to my +usual job of getting the cabin ready for the breakfast of the gentlemen. +As I passed down the hatchway, I heard the carpenter say to the +stranger, “Well. So what's the news with Jack?” It flashed into my mind +that this man might be his friend, the “Longshore Jack” who was to keep +an eye upon me as well as upon Mr. Jermyn. It gave me a most horrid +qualm to think this. The man was so sly, so calm, so guarded, that the +thought of him being on the look-out for me, to sell me to the Dutch +captains, almost scared me out of my wits. The mate brought him to the +cabin as I was laying the table. “This is the cabin,” he was saying, +“where the gentlemen messes. That's our stern-chaser, the gun there.” + +“Oh,” said the stranger, looking about him like one who has never seen +a ship before. “But where do they sleep? Do they sleep on the sofa (he +meant the lockers), there?” + +“Why, no,” said the mate. “They sleep in the little cabins yonder. But +we musn't stay down here now. I'm not supposed to use this cabin. I +mustn't let the captain see me.” So they went on deck again, leaving me +alone. When the gentlemen came in to breakfast, I had to go on deck for +the dishes. As I passed to the galley, I noticed the stranger talking to +the carpenter by the main-rigging. They gave me a meaning look, which +I did not at all relish. Then, as I stood in the galley, while the cook +dished up, I noticed that the stranger raised his hand to a tall, lanky, +ill-favoured man who was loafing about on the wharf, carrying a large +black package. This man came right up to the edge of the wharf, directly +he saw the stranger's signal. It made me uneasy somehow. I was in a +thoroughly anxious mood, longing to confide in some one, even in the +crusty cook, yet fearing to open my mouth to any one, even to Mr. +Jermyn, to whom I dared not speak with the captain present in the room. +Well, I had my work to do, so I kept my thoughts to myself. I took the +dishes down below to the cabin, where, after removing the covers, I +waited on the gentlemen. + +“Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn. “This skylight over our heads makes rather a +draught. We can't have it open in the morning for breakfast. + +“Did you open it?” the captain asked. “What made you open it?” + +“Please, sir, I didn't open it.” + +“Then shut it,” said the captain. “Go on deck. The catch is fast +outside.” + +I ran very nimbly on deck to shut the skylight, but the catch was very +stiff; it took me some few moments to undo. I noticed, as I worked at +it, that the deck was empty, except for the lanky man with the package, +who was now forward, apparently undoing his package on the forehatch. I +thought that he was a sort of pedlar or bumboatman, come to sell onions, +soft bread, or cheap jewellery to the sailors. The carpenter's head +showed for an instant at the galley-door, He was looking forward at the +pedlar. The hands were all down below in the forecastle, eating their +breakfast. The other stranger seemed to have gone. I could not see him +about the deck. At last the skylight came down with a clatter, leaving +me free to go below again. As I went down the hatchway, into the +'tweendecks gloom, I saw a figure apparently at work among the ship's +stores lashed to the deck there. I could not see who it was; it was +too dark for that but the thing seemed strange to me. I guessed that +it might be my enemy the boatswain, so I passed aft to the cabin on the +other side. + +Soon after that, it might be ten minutes after, while the gentlemen were +talking lazily about going ashore, we heard loud shouts on deck. + +“What's that?” said the captain, starting up from his chair. + +“Sounds like fire,” said Mr. Jermyn. + +“Fire forward,” said the captain, turning very white. “There's five tons +of powder forward.” + +“What?” cried the Duke. + +At that instant we heard the boatswain roaring to the men to come on +deck. “Aft for the hose there, Bill,” we heard. Feet rushed aft along +the deck, helter-skelter. Some one shoved the skylight open with a +violent heave. Looking up, we saw the carpenter's head. He looked as +scared as a man can be. + +“On deck,” he cried. “We're all in a blaze forward. The lamp in the +bo'sun's locker. Quick.” + +“Just over the powder,” the captain said, rushing out. + +“Quick, sir,” said Jermyn to the Duke. “We may blow up at any moment.” + +“No,” said the Duke, rising leisurely. “Not with these stars. +Impossible.” + +All the same, the two men followed the captain in pretty quick time. Mr. +Jermyn rushed the Duke out by the arm. I was rushing out, too, when I +saw the Duke's hat lying on the lockers. I darted at it, for I knew +that he would want it, with the result that my heel slipped on a copper +nail-head, which had been worn down even with the deck till it was +smooth as glass. Down I came, bang, with a jolt which shook me almost +sick. I rose up, stupid with the shock, so wretched with the present +pain that the fire seemed a little matter to me. Indeed, I did not +understand the risk. I did not know how a fire so far forward could +affect the cabin. + +A couple of minutes must have passed before I picked up the hat from +where it lay. As I hurried through the 'tweendecks some slight noise +or movement made me turn my head. Looking to my right. I saw the horsey +man, the stranger, rummaging quickly in the lockers of the Duke's cabin, +As I looked, I saw him snatch up something like a pocketbook or pocket +case, with a hasty “Ah” of approval. At the same moment, he saw me +watching him. + +“Where's Mr. Scott?” he cried, darting out on me. “We may all blow up in +another moment.” + +“He's on deck,” I said. “Hasn't he gone on deck?” + +“On deck?” said the man. “Then on deck with you, too.” He pushed me +up the hatch before him. “Quick,” he cried. “Quick. There's Mr. Scott +forward. Get him on to the wharf. + +He gave me a hasty shove forward, to where the whole company was working +in a cloud of smoke, passing buckets from hand to hand. A crowd of +Dutchmen had gathered on the wharf. Everybody was shouting. The scene +was confused like a bad dream. I caught sight of the pedlar man at the +gangway as the stranger thrust me forward. In the twinkling of an eye +the stranger passed something to him with the quick thrust known as the +thieves' pass. I saw it, for all my confusion. I knew in an instant that +he had stolen something. The pedlar person was an accomplice. As likely +as not the fire was a diversion. I rushed at the gangway. The pedlar was +moving quickly away with his hands in his pockets. It all happened in +a moment. As I rushed at the gangway, with some wild notion of stopping +the pedlar, the horsey man caught me by the collar. + +“What,” he said, in a loud voice. “Trying to desert, are you? You come +forward where the danger is.” He ran me forward. He was as strong as a +bull. + +“Mr. Jermyn,” I cried. “Mr. Jermyn. This man's a thief.” + +The man twisted my collar on to my throat till I choked. “Quiet, you,” + he hissed. + +Then Mr. Jermyn dropped his bucket to attend to me. + +“A thief,” I gasped. “A thief.” Mr. Jermyn sprang aft, with his eyes on +the man's eyes. The stranger flung me into Mr. Jermyn's way, with all +the sweep of his arm. As I went staggering into the fore-bitts (for +Mr. Jermyn dodged me) the man took a quick side step up the rail to the +wharf. I steadied myself. Mr. Jermyn, failing to catch the man before +he was off the ship, rushed below to see what was lost. The crowd +of workers seemed to dissolve suddenly. The men surged all about me, +swearing. The fire was out. Remember, all this happened in thirty +seconds, from the passing of the stolen goods to the stranger's letting +go my throat. The very instant that I found my feet against the bitts, I +jumped off the ship on to the wharf. There was the stranger running down +the wharf to the right, full tilt. There was the lanky pedlar slouching +quickly away as though he were going on an errand, with his black box +full of groceries. + +“That's the man, Mr. Scott,” I cried. “He's got it.” + +The captain (who, I believe, was a naval officer in the Duke's secret) +was up on the wharf in an instant. I followed him, though the carpenter +clutched at me as I scrambled up. I kicked out behind like a donkey. I +didn't kick him, but some one thrust the carpenter aside in the hurry +so that I was free. In another seconds I was past the captain, running +after the pedlar, who started to run at a good speed, dropping his box +with a clatter. Half a dozen joined in the pursuit. The captain had his +sword out. They raised such a noise behind me that I thought the whole +crew was at my heels. The pedlar kept glancing behind; he knew very +little about running. He doubled from street to street, like a man at +his wits' ends. I could see that he was blown. When he entered into that +conspiracy, he had counted on the horsey man diverting suspicion from +him. Suddenly, after twisting round a corner, he darted through a swing +door into a stone-paved court, surrounded by brick walls. I was at his +heels at the moment or I should have lost him there. I darted through +the swing door after him. I went full sprawl over his body on the other +side. He had, quite used up, collapsed there. + + + +CHAPTER VIII. I MEET MY FRIEND + +“Give it me,” I said. “Give it me, Longshore Jack. Before they catch +us.” To my horror, I saw that the creature was a woman in a man's +clothes. She took me for one of her gang. She was too much frightened to +think things out. “I thought you were one of the other lot,” she gasped, +as she handed me a pocketbook. + +“Didn't he get the letters, too?” I asked at a venture. “No,” she said, +sitting up, now, panting, to take a good look at me. I stared at her for +a moment. I, myself, was out of breath. + +“They're going,” I said, hearing the noise of the pursuit passing away +in the check. “I'll just spy out the land.” I opened the door till it +was an inch or two ajar, so that I could see what was going on outside. +“They're gone,” I said again, still keeping up the pretence of being on +her side. As I said it, I glanced back to fix her features on my memory. +She had a pale, resolute face with fierce eyes, which seemed fierce from +pain, not from any cruelty of nature. It was a pleasant face, as far as +one could judge of a face made up to resemble a dirty pedlar's face. + +Seeing my look, she seemed to watch me curiously, raising herself up, +till she stood unsteadily by the wall. “When did you come in?” she said, +meaning, I suppose, when did I join the gang. + +“Last week,” I answered, swinging the door a little further open. +Footsteps were coming rapidly along the road. I heard excited voices, I +made sure that it was the search party going back to the schooner. + +“Digame, muchacho,” she said in Spanish. It must have been some sort of +pass-word among them. Seeing by my face that I did not understand she +repeated the words softly. Then at that very instant she was on me like +a tigress with a knife. I slipped to one side instinctively. I suppose +I half saw her as the knife went home. She grabbed at the pocket-book, +which I swung away from her hand. The knife went deep into the door, +with a drive which must have jarred her to the shoulder. “Give it me,” + she gasped, snatching at me like a fury. I dodged to one side, up the +court, horribly scared. She followed, raving like a mad thing, quite +ghastly white under her paint, wholly forgetful that she was acting a +man's part. When once we were dodging I grew calmer. I led her to the +end of the court, then ducked. She charged in, blindly, against the +wall, while I raced to the door, very pleased with my success. I did not +hear her follow me, so, when I got to the door, I looked back. Just at +that instant, there came a smart report. The creature had fired at me +with a pistol; the bullet sent a dozen chips of brick into my face. I +went through the door just as the shot from the second barrel thudded +into the lintel. Going through hurriedly I ran into Mr. Jermyn, as he +came round the corner with the captain. “I've got it,” I said. “Look +out. She's in there.” + +“Who?” they said. “The thief? A woman?” They did not stay, but thrust +through the door. + +Mr. Jermyn dragged me through with them. “You say you've got it, +Martin?” + +“Yes,” I answered, handing him the book. “Here it is.” + +“That's a mercy,” he said. “Now then, where's the thief?” + +I had been out of the court, I suppose thirty seconds; it cannot have +been more. Yet, when I went back with those two men, the woman had gone, +as though she had never been there. “She's over the wall,” cried the +captain, running up the court. But when we looked over the wall there +was no trace of her, except some slight scratches upon the brick, where +her toes had rested. On the other side of the wall was a tulip bed full +of rows of late flowering tulips, not yet out. There was no footmark on +the earth. Plainly she had not jumped down on the other side. “Check,” + said captain. “Is she in one of the houses?” + +But the houses on the left side of the court (on the other side the +court had no houses, only brick walls seven feet high) were all old, +barred in, deserted mansions, with padlocks on the doors. She could not +possibly have entered one of those. + +“They're old plague-houses,” said Mr. Jermyn. + +“They've been deserted twenty years now, since the great sickness.” + +“Yes?” said the captain, carelessly. “But where can she have got to?” + +“Well. It beats me,” Mr. Jermyn replied. “But perhaps she ran along the +wall to the end, then jumped down into the lane. That's the only thing +she could have done. By the way, boy, you were shot at. Were you hit?” + +“No,” I answered. “But I got jolly near it. The bullet went just by me.” + +“Ah,” he said. “Take this. You'll have to be armed in future.” + +He handed me a beautiful little double-barrelled pocket pistol. “Be +careful,” he said. “It's loaded. Put it in your pocket. You musn't be +seen carrying arms here. That would never do.” + +“Boy,” said the captain. “D'ye think you could shin up that water-spout, +so as to look over the parapet there, on to the leads of the houses?” + +“Yes,” I said. “I think I could, from the top of the wall.” + +“Why,” Mr. Jermyn said. “She couldn't have got up there.” + +“An active woman might,” the captain said. “You see, the water-spout is +only six feet long from the wall to the eaves. There's good footing on +the brackets. It's three quick steps. Then one vigorous heave over the +parapet. There you are, snug as a purser's billet, out of sight.” + +“No woman could have done it,” Mr. Jermyn said. “Besides, look here. We +can't go further in the matter. We've recovered the book. We must get +back to the ship.” + +So the scheme of climbing up the water pipe came to nothing. We walked +off together wondering where the woman had got to. Long afterwards I +learned that she heard all that we said by the wall there. While we +talked, she was busy reloading her pistol, waiting. At the door of the +court we paused to pull out her knife from where it stuck. It was a not +very large dagger-knife, with a small woman's grip, inlaid with silver, +but bound at the guard with gold clasps. The end of the handle was also +bound with gold. The edge of the broad, cutting blade curved to a long +sharp point. The back was straight. On the blade was an inscription in +Spanish, “Veneer o Morir” (“To conquer or die”), with the maker's name, +Luis Socartes, Toledo, surrounded by a little twirligig. I have it in +my hand as I write. I value it more than anything in my possession. It +serves to remind me of a very remarkable woman. + +“There, Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn. “There's a curiosity for you. Get one +of the seamen to make a sheath for it. Then you can wear it at your back +on your belt like a sailor.” + +As we walked back to the ship, I told Mr. Jermyn all that I had seen of +the morning's adventure. He said that the whole, as far as he could make +it out, had been a carefully laid plot of some of James the Second's +spies. He treated me as an equal now. He seemed to think that I had +saved the Duke from a very dreadful danger. The horsey man, he said, was +evidently a trusted secret agent, who must have made friends with the +carpenter on some earlier visit of the schooner. He had planned his raid +on the Duke's papers very cleverly. He had arrived on board when no one +was about. He had bribed the carpenter (so we conjectured, piecing the +evidence together) to shout fire, when we were busy at breakfast. Then, +when all was ready, this woman, whoever she was, had gone forward to +the bo'sun's locker, where she had set fire to half a dozen of those +fumigating chemical candles which she had brought in her box. The +candles at once sputtered out immense volumes of evil smelling smoke. +The carpenter, watching his time, raised the alarm of fire, while the +horsey man, hidden below, waited till all were on deck to force the +spring-locks on the Duke's cabin-door. When once he had got inside the +cabin, he had worked with feverish speed, emptying all the drawers, +ripping up the mattress, even upsetting the books from the bookshelf, +all in about two minutes. Luckily the Duke kept nearly all his secret +papers about his person. The pocket-book was the only important +exception. This, a very secret list of all the Western gentry ready to +rise, was locked in a casket in a locked drawer. + +“It shows you,” said Mr. Jermyn, “how well worked, that he did all this +in so little time. If you hadn't fallen on the nail, Martin, our friends +in the West would have fared badly. It was very clever of you to bring +us out of the danger.” When we got back aboard the schooner, we found, +as we had expected, that the men in league with the horsey man had +deserted. Neither carpenter nor boatswain was to be found. Both had +bolted off in pursuit of the horsey man at the moment of alarm, leaving +their chests behind them. I suppose they thought that the plot had +succeeded. I dare say, too, that the horsey man, who was evidently well +known to them both, had given them orders to desert in the confusion, +so that he might suck their brains at leisure elsewhere. Altogether, +the morning's work from breakfast time till ten was as full of moving +incident as a quiet person's life. I have never had a more exciting two +hours. When I sat down to my own breakfast (which I ate in the cabin +among the gentlemen) I seemed to have grown five years older. All three +men made much of me. They brought out all sorts of sweetmeats for me, +saying I had saved them from disaster. The Duke was especially kind. +“Why, Jermyn,” he said, “we thought we'd found a clever messenger; but +we've found a guardian angel.” He gave me a belt made of green Spanish +leather, with a wonderfully wrought steel clasp. “Here,” he said. “Wear +this, Martin. Here's a holster on it for your pistol. These pouches +hold cartridges. Then this sheath at the back will hold your dagger, the +spoils of war.” + +“There,” said the captain. “Now I'll give you something else to fit you +out. I'll give you a pocket flask. What's more, I'll teach you how to +make cartridges. We'll make a stock this morning.” + +While he was speaking, the mate came down to tell us how sorry he was +that it was through him that the horsey man was shown over the ship. “He +told me he'd important letters for Mr. Scott,” he said, “so I thought it +was only right to show him about, while you was dressing. The carpenter +came to me. 'This gentleman's got letters for Mr. Scott,' he said. So +I was just taken in. He was such a smooth spoken chap. After I got to +know, I could 'a' bit my head off.” They spoke kindly to the man, who +was evidently distressed at his mistake. They told him to give orders +for a watchman to walk the gangway all day long in future, which to me +sounded like locking the stable door too late. After that, I learned how +to make pistol cartridges until the company prepared to go ashore. +The chests of the deserters were locked up in the lazaret, or store +cupboard, so that if the men came aboard again they might not take away +their things. + +“Before we start,” the Duke said, “I must just say this. We know, from +this morning's work, that the spies of the English court know much more +than we supposed. We may count it as certain that this ship is being +watched at this moment. Now, we must put them off the scent, because I +must see Argyle without their knowledge. It is not much good putting to +sea again, as a blind, for they can't help knowing that we are here +to see Argyle. They have only to watch Argyle's house to see us enter, +sooner or later. I suggest this as a blind. We ought to ride far out +into the country to Zaandam, say, by way of Amsterdam. That's about +twenty miles. Meanwhile Argyle shall come aboard here. The schooner +shall take him up to Egmont; he'll get there this afternoon. He must +come aboard disguised though. At Zaandam, we three will separate, Jermyn +will personate me, remaining in Zaandam. The boy shall carry letters in +a hurry to Hoorn; dummy letters, of course. While I shall creep off to +meet Argyle--somewhere else. If we start in a hurry they won't have +time to organize a pursuit. There are probably only a few secret agents +waiting for us here. What do you say?” + +“Yes,” said Mr. Jermyn. “I myself should say this. Send the boy on at +once to Egmont with a note to Stendhal the merchant there. They won't +suspect the boy. They won't bother to follow him, probably. Tell +Stendhal to send Out a galliot to take Argyle off the schooner while +at sea. The galliot can land Argyle somewhere on the coast. That would +puzzle them rarely. She can then ply to England, or elsewhere, so that +her men won't have a chance of talking. As for the schooner, she can +proceed north to anchor at the Texel till further orders. At the same +time, we could ride south to Noordwyk; find a barge there going north. +Hide in her cabin till she arrives, say, at Alkmaar. Meet Argyle +somewhere near there. Then remain hidden till it is time to move. We can +set all the balls moving, by sticking up a few bills in the towns.” + I did not know what he meant by this. Afterwards I learned that the +conspirators took their instructions from advertisements for servants, +or of things lost, which were stuck up in public places. To the +initiated, these bills, seemingly innocent, gave warning of the Duke's +plan. Very few people in Holland (not more than thirty I believe) +were in the secret of his expedition. Most of these thirty knew other +loyalists, to whom, when the time came, they gave the word. When the +time came we were only about eighty men all told. That is not a large +force, is it, for the invasion of a populous kingdom? + +They talked it out for a little while, making improvements on Mr. +Jermyn's plan. They had a map by them during some of the time. Before +they made their decision, they turned me out of the cabin, so that I +know not to this day what the Duke did during the next few days. I know +only this, that he disappeared from his enemies, so completely that the +spies were baffled. Not only James's spies, that is nothing: but the +spies of William of Orange were baffled. They knew no more of his +whereabouts than I knew. They had to write home that he had gone, they +could not guess where; but possibly to Scotland to sound the clans. All +that I know of his doings during the next week is this. After about half +an hour of debate, the captain went ashore to one of the famous inns in +the town. From this inn, he despatched, one by one, at brief intervals, +three horses, each to a different inn along the Egmont highway. He gave +instructions to the ostlers who rode them to wait outside the inns named +till the gentlemen called for them. He got the third horse off, in this +quiet way, at the end of about an hour. I believe that he then sent +a printed book (with certain words in it underlined, so as to form a +message) by the hand of a little girl, to the Duke of Argyle's lodging. +I have heard that it was a book on the training of horses to do tricks. +There was probably some cipher message in it, as well as the underlined +message. Whatever it was, it gave the Duke his instructions. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. I SEE MORE OF MY FRIEND + +After waiting for about an hour in the schooner, I was sent ashore with +a bottle-basket, with very precise instructions in what I was to do. I +was to follow the road towards Haarlem, till I came to the inn near the +turning of the Egmont highway. There I was to leave my bottle-basket, +asking (or, rather, handing over a written request) for it to be filled +with bottles of the very best gin. After paying for this, I was to +direct it to be sent aboard the schooner by the ostler (who was waiting +at the door with a horse) the last of those ordered by the captain. I +was then to walk the horse along the Egmont road, till I saw or heard +an open carriage coming behind. Then I was to trot, keeping ahead of the +carriage, but not far from it, till I was past the third tavern. After +that, if I was not recalled by those in the carriage, I was free to +quicken up my pace. I was then to ride straight ahead, till I got to +Egmont, a twenty mile ride to the north. There I was to deliver up my +horse at the Zwolle-Haus inn, before enquiring for M. Stendhal, the +East India merchant. To him I was to give a letter, which for safety was +rolled into a blank cartridge in my little pistol cartridge box. After +that, I was to stay at M. Stendhal's house, keeping out of harm's way, +till I received further orders from my masters. + +You may be sure that I thought myself a fine figure of gallantry as I +stepped out with my bottle-basket. I was a King's secret agent. I had +a King's letter hidden about my person. I was armed with fine weapons, +which I longed to be using. I had been under fire for my King's sake. +I was also still tingling with my King's praise. It was a warm, sunny +April day; that was another thing to fill me with gladness. Soon I +should be mounted on a nag, riding out in a strange land, on a secret +mission, with a pocket full of special service money. Whatever I had +felt in the few days of the sea-passage was all forgotten now. I did +not even worry about not knowing the language. It would keep me from +loitering to chatter. My schoolboy French would probably be enough for +all purposes if I vent astray. I was “to avoid chance acquaintances, +particularly if they spoke English.” That was my last order. Repeating +it to myself I walked on briskly. + +I had not gone more than three hundred yards upon my way, when a lady, +very richly dressed, cantered slowly past me on a fine bay mare. She was +followed by a gentleman in scarlet, riding on a little black Arab. They +had not gone a hundred yards past me when the Arab picked up a stone. +The man dismounted to pick it out, while the lady rode back to hold the +horse, which was a ticklish job, since he was as fresh as a colt. He +went squirming about like an eel. The man had no hook to pick the stone +with; nor could he get it out by his fingers. I could hear him growling +under his breath in some strange language, while the horse sidled about +as wicked as he could be. + +As I approached, the horse grew so troublesome that the man decided to +take him back to the town, to have the stone pulled there. He was just +starting to lead him back when I came up with them. He asked me some +question in a tongue which I did not know. He probably asked me if I had +a hook. I shook my head. The lady said something to him in French, which +made him laugh. Then he began to lead back the horse towards the town. +The lady, after waving her hand to him, started to ride slowly forward +in front of me. Like most ladies at that time she wore a little black +velvet domino mask over her eyes. All people could ride in those days; +but I remember it occurred to me that this lady rode beautifully. So +many women look like meal-sacks in the saddle. This one rode as though +she were a part of the horse. + +She kept about twenty yards ahead of me till I sighted the inn, where an +ostler was walking the little nag which I was to ride. She halted at the +inn-door, looking back towards the town for her companion. Then, without +calling to anybody, she dismounted, flinging her mare's reins over a +hook in the wall. She went into the inn boldly, drawing her whip through +her left hand. When I entered the inn-door a moment later, she was +talking in Dutch to the landlord, who was bowing to her as though she +were a great lady. + +I handed over my bottle-basket, with the letter, to a woman who served +the customers at the drinking bar. Then, as I was going out to take my +horse, the lady spoke to me in broken English. + +“Walk my horse, so he not take cold,” she said. It was in the twilight +of the passage from the door, so that I could not see her very clearly, +but the voice was certainly like the voice of the woman who had fired +at me in the courtyard. Or was I right? That voice was on my nerves. It +seemed to be the voice of all the strangers in the town. I looked up at +her quickly. She was masked; yet the grey eyes seemed to gleam beyond +the velvet, much as that woman's eyes had gleamed. Her mouth; her chin; +the general poise of her body, all convinced me. She was the woman who +had carried away the book from Longshore Jack. I was quite sure of it. +I pretended not to understand her. I dropped my eyes, without stopping; +she flicked me lightly with her whip to draw my attention. + +“Walk my horse,” she said again, with a little petulance in her voice. I +saw no way out of it. If I refused, she would guess (if she did not +know already) that I was not there only for bottles of gin. “Oui, +mademoiselle,” I said. “Oui. Merci.” So out I went to where the mare +stood. She followed me to the door to see me take the mare. There was no +escape; she was going to delay me at the door till the man returned. I +patted the lovely creature's neck. I was very well used to horses, for +in the Broad Country a man must ride almost as much as he must row. But +I was not so taken up with this mare that I did not take good stock of +the lady, who, for her part, watched me pretty narrowly, as though she +meant never to forget me. I began to walk the beast in the road in +front of the inn, wondering how in the world I was to get out of the +difficulty before the Duke's carriage arrived. There was the woman +watching me, with a satirical smile. She was evidently enjoying the +sight of my crestfallen face. + +Now in my misery a wild thought occurred to me. I began to time my +walking of the mare so that I was walking towards Sandfoort, while the +other horse-boy was walking with my nag towards Egmont on the other side +of the inn. I had read that in desperate cases the desperate remedy is +the only measure to be tried. While I was walking away from the inn I +drew the dagger, the spoils of war. I drew it very gently as though I +were merely buttoning my waistcoat. Then with one swift cut I drew it +nine-tenths through the girth. I did nothing more for that turn, though +I only bided my time. After a turn or two more, the other horse-boy was +called up to the inn by the lady to receive a drink of beer. No doubt +she was going to question him (as he drank) about the reason for his +being there. He walked up leisurely, full of smiles at the beer, leaving +his nag fast to a hook in the wall some dozen yards from the door. +This was a better chance than I had hoped for; so drawing my dagger, +I resolved to put things to the test. I ripped the reins off the mare +close to the bit. Then with a loud shout followed by a whack in the +flank, I frightened that lovely mare right into them, almost into the +inn-door. Before they knew what had happened I was at my own horse's +head swiftly casting off the reins from the hook. Before they had turned +to pursue me, I was in the saddle, going at a quick trot towards Egmont, +while the mare was charging down the road behind me, with her saddle +under her belly, giving her the fright of her life. + +An awful thought came to me. “Supposing the lady is not the English spy, +what an awful thing I have done. Even if she be, what right have I to +cut her horse's harness? They may put me in prison for it. Besides, what +an ass I have been. If she is what I think, she will know now that I +am her enemy, engaged on very special service.” Looking back at the +inn-door, I saw a party of people gesticulating in the road. A man was +shouting to me. Others seemed to be laughing. Then, to my great joy, +round the turn of the road came an open carriage with two horses, going +at a good pace. There came my masters. All was well. I chuckled to +myself as I thought of the lady's face, when these two passed her, +leaving her without means of following them. When we were well out of +sight of the inn, I rode back to the carriage to report, wondering how +they would receive my news. They received it with displeasure, saying +that I had disobeyed my orders, not only in acting as I had done; but in +coming back to tell them. They bade me ride on at once to Egmont, before +I was arrested for cutting the lady's harness. As for their own plans, +whatever they were, my action altered them. I do not know what they did. +I know that I turned away with a flea in my ear from the Duke's reproof. +I remember not very much of my ride to Egmont, except that I seemed to +ride most of the time among sand-dunes. I glanced back anxiously to see +if I was being pursued; but no one followed. I rode on at the steady +lope, losing sight of the carriage, passing by dune after dune, rising +windmill after windmill, to drop them behind me as I rode. In that low +country, I had the gleam of the sea to my left hand, with the sails of +ships passing by me. The wind freshened as I rode, till at last my left +cheek felt the continual stinging of the sand grains, whirled up by the +wind from the bents. Where the sea-beach broadened, I rode on the sands. +The miles dropped past quickly enough, though I rode only at the lope, +not daring to hurry my horse. I kept this my pace even when going +through villages, where the people in their strange Dutch clothes +hurried out to stare at me as I bucketed by. I passed by acre after acre +of bulb-fields, mostly tulip-fields, now beginning to be full of colour. +Once, for ten minutes, I rode by a broad canal, where a barge with a +scarlet transom drove along under sail, spreading the ripples, keeping +alongside me. The helmsman, who was smoking a pipe as he eyed the luff +of his sail, waved his hand to me, as I loped along beside him. You +would not believe it; but he was one of the Oulton fishermen, a man +whom I had known for years. I had seen that tan-sailed barge many, many +times, rushing up the Waveney from Somer Leyton, with that same quiet +figure at her helm. I would have loved to have called out “Oh, Hendry. +How are you? Fancy seeing you here.” But I dared not betray myself; nor +did Hendry recognize me. After the road swung away from the canal, I +watched that barge as long as she remained in sight, thinking that while +she was there I had a little bit of Oulton by me. + +At last, far away I saw the church of Egmont, rising out of a flat +land (not unlike the Broad land) on which sails were passing in a misty +distance. I rose in my stirrups with a holloa; for now, I thought, I was +near my journey's end. I clapped my horse's neck, promising him an apple +for his supper. Then, glancing back, I looked out over the land. The +Oulton barge was far away now, a patch of dark sail drawing itself +slowly across the sky. Out to sea a great ship seemed to stand still +upon the skyline. But directly behind me, perhaps a mile away, perhaps +two miles, clearly visible on the white straight ribbon of road, a clump +of gallopers advanced, quartering across the road towards me. There may +have been twenty of them all told; some of them seemed to ride in ranks +like soldiers. I made no doubt when I caught sight of them that they +were coming after me, about that matter of the lady's harness. My first +impulse was to pull up, so that Old Blunderbore, as I had christened my +horse, might get his breath. But I decided not to stop, as I knew how +dangerous a thing it is to stop a horse in his pace after he has settled +down to it, had still three miles to go to shelter. If I could +manage the three miles all would be well. But could manage them? Old +Blunderbore had taken the eighteen miles we had come together very +easily. Now I was thankful that I had not pressed him in the early part +of the ride. But Egmont seemed a long, long way from me. I dared not +begin to gallop so far from shelter. I went loping on as before, with my +heart in my mouth, feeling like one pursued in a nightmare. + +As I looked around, to see these gallopers coming on, while I was still +lollopping forward, I felt that I was tied by the legs, unable to move. +Each instant made it more difficult for me to keep from shaking up my +horse. Continual promptings flashed into my mind, urging me to bolt down +somewhere among the dunes. These plans I set aside as worthless; for a +boy would soon have been caught among those desolate sandhills. There +was no real hiding among them. You could see any person among them from +a mile away. I kept on ahead, longing for that wonderful minute when I +could hurry my horse, in the wild rush to Egmont town, the final wild +rush, on the nag's last strength, with my pursuers, now going their +fastest, trailing away behind, as their beasts foundered. The air came +singing past. I heard behind me the patter of the turf sent flying by +Old Blunderbore's hoofs. The excitement of the ride took vigorous hold +on me. I felt on glancing back that I should do it, that I should carry +my message, that the Dutchman should see my mettle, before they stopped +me. They were coming up fast on horses still pretty fresh. I would show +them, I said to myself, what a boy can do on a spent horse. + +Old Blunderbore lollopped on. I clapped him on the neck. “Come up, boy! +Up!” I cried. “Egmont--Egmont! Come on, Old Blunderbore!” The good old +fellow shook his head up with a whinny. He could see Egmont. He could +smell the good corn perhaps. I banged him with my cap on the shoulder. +“Up, boy!” I cried. I felt that even if I died, even if I was shot +there, as I sailed along with my King's orders, I should have tasted +life in that wild gallop. + +A countryman carrying a sack put down his load to stare at me, for +now, with only a mile to go, I was going a brave gait, as fast as Old +Blunderbore could manage. I saw the man put up his hands in pretended +terror. The next instant he was far behind, wondering no doubt why the +charging squadron beyond were galloping after a boy. Now we were rushing +at our full speed, with half a mile, a quarter of a mile, two hundred +yards to the town gates. Carts drew to one side, hearing the clatter. I +shouted to drive away the children. Poultry scattered as though the king +of the foxes was abroad. After me came the thundering clatter of the +pursuit. I could hear distant shouts. The nearest man there was a +quarter of a mile away. A man started out to catch my rein, thinking +that my horse had run away with me. I banged him in the face with my cap +as I swung past him. In another second, as it seemed, I was pulled up +inside the gates. + +As far as I remember,--but it is all rather blurred now,--the place +where I pulled up was a sort of public square. I swung myself off Old +Blunderbore just outside a tavern. An ostler ran up to me at once to +hold him. So I gave him a silver piece what it was worth I did not know, +saying firmly “Zwolle-Haus. Go on. Zwolle-Haus.” + +The ostler smiled as he repeated Zwolle-Haus, pointing to the tavern +itself, which, by good luck, was the very house. + +“M. Stendhal,” I said. “Where is M. Stendhal? Mynheer Stendhal? Mynheer +Stendhal Haus?” + +The ostler repeated, “Stendhal? Stendhal? Ah, ja. Stendhal. Da.” He +pointed down a narrow street which led, as I could see, to a canal +wharf. + +I thanked him in English, giving him another silver piece. Then off I +went, tottering on my toes with the strangeness of walking after so long +a ride. I was not out of the wood yet, by a long way. At every second, +as I hurried on, I expected to hear cries of my pursuers, as they +charged down the narrow street after me. I tried to run, but my legs +felt so funny, it was like running in a dream. I just felt that I was +walking on pillows, instead of legs. Luckily that little narrow street +was only fifty yards long. It was with a great gasp of relief that I +got to the end of it. When I could turn to my right out of sight of the +square I felt that I was saved. I had been but a minute ahead of the +pursuers outside on the open. Directly after my entrance, some cart or +waggon went out of the town, filling the narrow gateway full, so that my +enemies were forced to pull up. This gave me a fair start, without which +I could hardly have won clear. If it had not been for that lucky waggon, +who knows what would have happened? + +As it was, I tottered along with drawn pistol to the door of a great +house (luckily for me the only house), which fronted the canal. I must +have seemed a queer object, coming in from my ride like that, in a +peaceful Dutch town. If I had chanced upon a magistrate I suppose I +should have been locked up; but luck was with me on that day. I chanced +only on Mynheer Stendhal as he sat smoking among his tulips in the front +of his mansion. He jumped up with a “God bless me!” when he saw me. + +“Mynheer Stendhal?” I asked. + +“Yes,” he said in good English. “What is it, boy?” + +“Take me in quick,” I said. “They're after me.” + + + +CHAPTER X. SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT + +In another minute, after Mr. Stendhal had read my note, I was skinning +off my clothes in an upper bedroom. Within three minutes I was dressed +like a Dutch boy, in huge baggy striped trousers belonging to Stendhal's +son. In four minutes the swift Mr. Stendhal had walked me across the +wharf in sabots to one of the galliots in the canal, which he ordered +under way at once, to pick up Argyle at sea. So that when my pursuers +rode up to Mr. Stendhal's door in search of me, I was a dirty little +Dutch boy casting off a stern-hawser from a ring bolt. They seemed to +storm at Mr. Stendhal; but I don't know what they said; he acted the +part of surprised indignation to the life. When I looked my last on Mr. +Stendhal he was at the door, begging a search party to enter to see for +themselves that I was not hidden there. The galliot got under way, at +that moment, with a good deal of crying out from her sailors. As she +swung away into the canal, I saw the handsome lady idly looking on. She +was waiting at the door with the other riders. She was the only +woman there. To show her that I was a skilled seaman I cast off the +stern-hawser nimbly, then dropped on to the deck like one bred to the +trade. A moment later I was aloft, casting loose the gaff-topsail. From +that fine height as the barge began to move I saw the horsemen turning +away foiled. I saw the lady's leathered hat, making a little dash of +green among the drab of the riding coats. Then an outhouse hid them all +from sight. I was in a sea-going barge, bound out, under all sail, +along a waterway lined with old reeds, all blowing down with a rattling +shiver. + +Now I am not going to tell you much more of my Holland experiences. I +was in that barge for about one whole fortnight, during which I think I +saw the greater part of the Dutch canals. We picked up Argyle at sea on +the first day. After that we went to Amsterdam with a cargo of hides. +Then we wandered about at the wind's will, thinking that it might puzzle +people, if any one should have stumbled on the right scent. All that +fortnight was a long delightful picnic to me. The barge was so like an +Oulton wherry that I was at home in her. I knew what to do, it was not +like being in the schooner. When we were lying up by a wharf, I used +to spend my spare hours in fishing, or in flinging fiat pebbles from +a cleft-stick at the water-rats. When we were under sail I used to sit +aloft in the cross-trees, looking out at the distant sea. At night, +after a supper of strong soup, we all turned in to our bunks in the tiny +cabin, from the scuttle of which I could see a little patch of sky full +of stars. + +A boy lives very much in the present. I do not think that I thought much +of the Duke's service, nor of our venture for the crown. If I thought +at all of our adventures, I thought of the handsome woman with the grey, +fierce eyes. In a way, I hoped that might have another tussle with her, +not because I liked adventure, no sane creature does, but because I +thought of her with liking. I felt that she would be such a brave, witty +person to have for a friend. I felt sad somehow at the thought of not +seeing her again. She was quite young, not more than twenty, if her +looks did not belie her. I used to wonder how it was that she had come +to be a secret agent. I believed that the sharp-faced horsey man had +somehow driven her to it against her will. Thinking of her at night, +before I fell asleep, I used to long to help her. It is curious, but I +always thought tenderly of this woman, even though she had twice tried +to kill me. A man's bad angel is only his good angel a little warped. + +On the second of May, though I did not know it then, Argyle set sail for +Scotland, to raise the clans for a foray across the Border. On the same +day I was summoned from my quarters in the barge to take up my King's +service. Late one evening, when it was almost dark night, Mr. Jermyn +halted at the wharf-side to call me from my supper. “Mount behind me, +Martin,” he said softly, peering down the hatch. “It's time, now.” + I thought he must mean that it was time to invade England. You must +remember that I knew little of the rights of the case, except that the +Duke's cause was the one favoured by my father, dead such a little while +before. Yet when I heard that sudden summons, it went through me with a +shock that now this England was to be the scene of a bloody civil war, +father fighting son, brother against brother. I would rather have been +anywhere at that moment than where I was, hearing that order. Still, I +had put my hand to the plough. There was no drawing back. I rose up +with my eyes full of tears to say good-bye to the kind Dutch bargemen. +I never saw them again. In a moment I was up the wharf, scrambling into +the big double saddle behind Mr. Jermyn. Before my eyes were accustomed +to the darkness we were trotting off into the night I knew not whither. + +“Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn, half turning in his saddle, “talk in a low +voice. There may be spies anywhere.” + +“Yes, sir,” I answered, meekly. For a while after that we were silent; I +was waiting for him to tell me more. + +“Martin,” he said at length, “we're going to send you to England, with a +message.” + +“Yes, sir?” I answered. + +“You understand that there's danger, boy?” + +“Yes, sir.” + +“Life is full of danger. But for his King a Christian man must be +content to run risks. You aren't afraid, Martin?” + +“No, sir,” I answered bravely. I was afraid, all the same. I doubt if +any boy my age would have felt very brave, riding in the night like +that, with danger of spies all about. + +“That's right, Martin,” he said kindly. “That's the kind of boy I +thought you.” Again we were quiet, till at last he said: + +“You're going in a barquentine to Dartmouth. Can you remember Blick of +Kingswear?” + +“Blick of Kingswear,” I repeated. “Yes, sir.” + +“He's the man you're to go to.” + +“Yes, sir. What am I to tell him?” + +“Tell him this, Martin. Listen carefully. This, now. King Golden Cap. +After Six One.” + +“King Golden Cap. After Six One,” I repeated. “Blick of Kingswear. King +Golden Cap. After Six One.” + +“That's right,” he said. “Repeat it over. Don't forget a word of it. +But I know you're too careful a lad to do that.” There was no fear of my +forgetting it. I think that message is burned in into my brain under the +skull-bones. + +“There'll be cipher messages, too, Martin. They're also for Mr. Blick. +You'll carry a little leather satchel, with letters sewn into the flap. +You'll carry stockings in the satchel. Or school-books. You are Mr. +Blick's sister's son, left an orphan in Holland. You'll be in mourning. +Your mother died of low-fever, remember, coming over to collect a +debt from her factor. Your mother was an Oulton fish-boat owner. Pay +attention now. I'm going to cross-examine you in your past history.” + +As we rode on into the gloom, in the still, flat, misty land, which +gleamed out at whiles with water dykes, he cross-examined me in detail, +in several different ways, just as a magistrate would have done it. I +was soon letter-perfect about my mother. I knew Mr. Blick's past history +as well as I knew my own. + +“Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn suddenly. “Do you hear anything?” + +“Yes, sir,” I answered. “I think I do, sir.” + +“What is it you hear, Martin?” + +“I think I hear a horse's hoofs, sir.” + +“Behind us?” + +“Yes, sir. A long way behind.” + +“Hold on then, boy. I'm going to pull up.” + +We halted for an instant in the midst of a wide fiat desert, the +loneliest place on God's earth. For an instant in the stillness we +heard the trot trot of a horse's hoofs. Then the unseen rider behind us +halted, too, as though uncertain how to ride, with our hoofs silent. + +“There,” said Mr. Jermyn. “You see. Now we'll make him go on again.” + He shook the horse into his trot again, talking to him in a little low +voice that shook with excitement. Sure enough, after a moment the trot +sounded out behind us. It was as though our wraiths were riding behind +us, following us home. “I'll make sure,” said Mr. Jermyn, pulling up +again. + +“You're a cunning dog,” he said gently. “You heard that?” Indeed, it +sounded uncanny. The unseen rider had feared to pull up, guessing that +we had guessed his intentions. Instead of pulling up he did a much more +ominous thing, he slowed his pace perceptibly. We could hear the change +in the beat of the horse-hoofs. “Cunning lad,” said Mr. Jermyn. “I've +a good mind to shoot that man, Martin. He's following us. Pity it's so +dark. One can never be sure in the dark like this. But I don't know. I'd +like to see who it is.” + +We trotted on again at our usual pace. Presently, something occurred +to me. Mr. Jermyn, I said; “would you like me to see who it is? I could +slip off as we go. I could lie down flat so that he would pass against +the sky. Then you could come back for me.” + +He did not like the scheme at first. He said that it would be too dark +for me to see anybody; but that when we were nearer to the town it might +be done. So we rode on at our quick trot for a couple of more, hearing +always behind us a faint beat of +upon the road, like the echo of our own hoofs. After a time they stopped +suddenly, nor did we hear them again. + +“D'you know what he's done, Martin?” said Mr. Jermyn. + +“No, sir,” I answered. + +“He's muffled his horse's hoofs with duffle shoes. A sort of thick felt +slippers. He was in too great a hurry to do that before. There are the +lights of the town.” + +“Shall I get down, sir?” + +“If you can without my pulling up. Don't speak. But lay your head on the +road. You'll hear the horse, then, if I'm right.” + +“Then I'll lie still,” I said, “to see if I can see who it is.” + +“Yes. But make no sign. He may shoot. He may take you for a footpad. +I'll ride back to you in a minute.” + +He slowed down the horse so that I could slip off unheard on to the turf +by the roadside. When he had gone a little distance, I laid my ear to +the road. Sure enough, the noise of the other horse was faint but plain +in the distance, coming along on the road, avoiding the turf. The turf +vas trenched in many drains, so as to make dangerous riding at night. I +lay down flat on the turf, with my pistol in my hand. I was excited; but +I remember that I enjoyed it. I felt so like an ancient Briton lying in +wait for his enemy. I tried to guess the distance of this strange horse +from me. It is always difficult to judge either distance or location by +sound, when the wind is blowing. The horse hoofs sounded about a quarter +of a mile away. I know not how far they really were. Very soon I could +see the black moving mass coming quietly along the road. The duffle +hoof-wraps made a dull plodding noise near at hand. Nearer the unknown +rider came, suspecting nothing. I could see him bent forward, peering +out ahead. I could even take stock of him, dark though it was. He was a +not very tall man, wearing a full Spanish riding cloak. It seemed to me +that he checked his horse's speed somewhere in the thirty yards before +he passed me. Then, just as he passed, just as I had a full view of him, +blackly outlined against the stars, his horse shied violently at me, on +to the other side of the road. The rider swung him about on the instant +to make him face the danger. I could see him staring down at me, as he +bent forward to pat his horse's neck. I bent my head down so that my +face was hidden in the grass. + +The stranger did not see me. I am quite sure that he did not see me. He +turned his horse back along the road for a few snorting paces. Then with +a sounding slap on his shoulder he drove him at a fast pace along the +turf towards me. I heard the brute whinny. He was uneasy; he was trying +to shy; he was twisting away, trying to avoid the strange thing which +lay there. I hid my head no longer. I saw the horse above me. I saw the +rider glaring down. He was going to ride over me. I saw his face, a grey +blur under his hat. The horse seemed to be right on top of me. I started +up to my feet with a cry. The horse shied into the road, with a violence +which made the rider rock. Then, throwing up his head, he bolted towards +the town, half mad with the scare. Fifty yards down the road he tore +past Mr. Jermyn, who was trotting back to pick me up. We heard the +frantic hoofs pass away into the night, growing louder as the duffle +wraps were kicked off. Perhaps you have noticed how the very sound of +the gallop of a scared horse conveys fear. That is what we felt, we two +conspirators, as we talked together, hearing that clattering alarm-note +die away. + +“Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn. “That was a woman. She chuckled as she +galloped past me.” + +“Are you sure, sir?” I asked, half-hoping that he might be right. I +felt my heart leap at the thought of being in another adventure with the +lady. + +“Yes,” he said, “I'm quite sure. Now we must be quick, so as to give +her no time in the town.” When I had mounted, we forced the horse to a +gallop till we were within a quarter of a mile of the walls, where we +pulled up at a cross-roads. + +“Get down, Martin,” he said. “We must enter the town by different roads. +Turn off here to the right. Then take the next two turns to the left, +which will bring you into the square. I shall meet you there. Take your +time. There's no hurry.” + +About ten minutes later, I was stopped in a dark quiet alley by a hand +on the back of my neck. I saw no one. I heard no noise of breathing. In +the pitch blackness of the night the hand arrested me. It was like my +spine suddenly stiffening to a rod of ice. “Quiet,” said a strange voice +before I could scream. “Off with those Dutch clothes. Put on these. Off +with those sabots.” I was in a suit of English clothes in less than a +minute. “Boots,” the voice said in my ear. “Pull them on.” They were +long leather knee-boots, supple from careful greasing. In one of them I +felt something hard. My heart leapt as I felt it. + +It was a long Italian stiletto. I felt myself a seaman indeed, nay, +more than a seaman, a secret agent, with a pair of such boots upon me, +“heeled,” as the sailors call it, with such a weapon. “Go straight on,” + said the voice. + +As I started to go straight on, there was a sort of rustling behind me. +Some black figure seemed to vanish from me. Whoever the man was that had +brought me the clothes, he had vanished, just as an Indian will vanish +into grass six inches high. Thinking over my strange adventures, I +think that that changing of my clothes in the night was almost the most +strange of all. It was so eerie, that he should be there at all, a part +of Mr. Jermyn's plan, fitting into it exactly, though undreamed of by +me. Would indeed that all Mr. Jermyn's plans had carried through so +well. But it was not to be. One ought not to grumble. + +A few steps farther on, I came to a public square, on one side of which +(quite close to where I stood) was a wharf, crowded with shipping. I had +hardly expected the sea to be so near, somehow, but seeing it like that +I naturally stopped to look for the ship which was to carry me. The only +barquentine among the ships lay apart from the others, pointing towards +the harbour entrance. She seemed to be a fine big vessel, as far as +I could judge in that light. I lingered there for some few minutes, +looking at the ships, wondering why it was that Mr. Jermyn had not met +me. I was nervous about it. My nerves were tense from all the excitement +of the night. One cannot stand much excitement for long. I had had +enough excitement that night to last me through the week. As I stood +looking at the ships, I began to feel a horror of the wharf-side. I felt +as though the very stones of the place were my enemies, lying in wait +for me. I cannot explain the feeling more clearly than that. It was due +probably to the loneliness of the great empty square, dark as a tomb. +Then, expecting Mr. Jermyn, but failing to meet with him, was another +cause for dread. I thought, in my nervousness, that I should be in a +fine pickle if any enemies made away with Mr. Jermyn, leaving me alone, +in a strange land, with only a few silver pieces in my pocket. Still, +Mr. Jermyn was long in coming. My anxiety was almost more than I could +bear. + +At last, growing fearful that I had somehow missed him at the mouth of +the dark alley, I walked slowly back in my tracks, wishing that I had a +thicker jacket, since it was beginning to rain rather smartly. There was +a great sort of inn on the side of the square to which I walked. It had +lights on the second floor. The great windows of that story opened on +to balconies, in what is, I believe, the Spanish way of building. I +remember feeling bitterly how cheery the warm lights looked, inside +there, where the people were. I stood underneath the balcony out of the +rain, looking out sharply towards the alley, expecting at each instant +to see Mr. Jermyn. Still he did not come. I dared not move from where I +was lest I should miss him. I racked my brains to try to remember if I +had obeyed orders exactly. I wondered whether I had come to the right +square. I began to imagine all kinds of evil things which might have +happened to him. Perhaps that secret fiend of a woman had been too many +for him. Perhaps some other secret service people had waylaid him as +he entered the town. Perhaps he was even then in bonds in some cellar, +being examined for letters by some of the usurper's men. + + + +CHAPTER XI. AURELIA + +While I was fretting myself into a state of hysteria, the catch of one +of the great window-doors above me was pushed back. Someone came out on +the balcony just over my head. It was a woman, evidently in some great +distress, for she was sobbing bitterly. I thought it mean to stand there +hearing her cry, so I moved away. As I walked off, the window opened +again. A big heavy-looted man came out. + +“Stop crying, Aurelia,” the voice said. “Here's the stuff. Put it in +your pocket.” + +“I can't,” the woman answered. “I can't.” + +I stopped moving away when I heard that voice. It was the voice of the +Longshore Jack woman who had had those adventures with me. I should have +known her voice anywhere, even choked as it then was with sobs. It was a +good voice, of a pleasant quality, but with a quick, authoritative ring. + +“I can't,” she said. “I can't, Father.” + +“Put it in your pocket,” her father said. “No rubbish of that sort. You +must.” + +“It would kill me. I couldn't,” she answered. “I should hate myself +forever.” + +“No more of that to me,” said the cold, hard voice with quiet passion. +“Your silly scruples aren't going to outweigh a nation's need. There it +is in your pocket. Be careful you don't use too much. If you fail again, +remember, you'll earn your own living. Oh, you bungler! When I think +of--” + +“I'm no bungler. You know it,” she answered passionately. “I planned +everything. You silly men never backed me up. Who was it guessed right +this time? I suppose you think you'd have come here without my help? +That's like a man.” + +“Don't stand there rousing the town, Aurelia,” the man said. “Come in out +of the rain at once. Get yourself ready to start.” + +As the window banged to behind them, a figure loomed up out of the +night--two figures, more. I sprang to one side; but they were too quick +for me. Someone flung an old flour-sack over my head. Before I was ready +to struggle I was lying flat on the pavement, with a man upon my chest. + +“It's him,” said a voice. “You young rip, where are the letters?” + +“What letters?” I said, struggling, choking against the folds of the +sack. + +“Rip up his boots,” said another. “Dig him with a knife if he won't +answer.” + +“Bring him in to the Colonel,” said the first. + +“I've got no letters,” I said. + +“Lift him up quick,” said the man who had suggested the knife. “In with +him. Here's the watch.” + +“Quick, boys,” the leader said. “We mustn't be caught at this game.” + +Steps sounded somewhere in the square. Hearing them, I squealed with all +my strength, hoping that somebody would come. + +“Choke him,” said one of the men. + +I gave one more loud squeal before they jammed the sack on my mouth. +To my joy, the feet broke into a run. They were the feet of the watch, +coming to my rescue. + +“Up with him,” said the leader among my captors. “Quick, in to the +Colonel with him.” + +“No, no! Drop it. I'm off. Here's the watch,” cried the other hurriedly. + +They let me drop on to the pavement after half lifting me. In five +seconds more they were scattering to shelter. As I rose to my feet, +flinging off the flour-sack, I found myself in the midst of the city +watch, about a dozen men, all armed, whose leader carried a lantern. +The windows of the great inn were open; people were thronging on to the +balcony to see what the matter was; citizens came to their house-doors. +At that moment, Mr. Jermyn appeared. The captain of the guard was asking +questions in Dutch. The guardsmen were peering at my face in the lantern +light. + +Mr. Jermyn questioned me quickly as to what had happened. He interpreted +my tale to the guard. I was his servant, he told them. I had been +attacked by unknown robbers, some of whom, at least, were English. One +of them had tried to stifle me with a flour-sack, which, on examination +under the lantern, proved to be the sack of Robert Harling, Corn-miller, +Eastry. Goodness knows how it came to be there; for ship's flour travels +in cask. Mr. Jermyn gave an address, where we could be found if any of +the villains were caught; but he added that it was useless to expect +me to identify any of them, since the attack had been made in the dark, +with the victim securely blindfolded. He gave the leader of the men some +money. The guard moved away to look for the culprits (long before in +hiding, one would think), while Mr. Jermyn took me away with him. + +As we went, I looked up at the inn balcony, from which several heads +looked down upon us. Behind them, in the lighted room, in profile, in +full view, was the lady of the fierce eyes. I knew her at once, in spite +of the grey Spanish (man's) hat she wore, slouched over her face. She +was all swathed in a Spanish riding cloak. One took her for a handsome +young man. But I knew that she was my enemy. I knew her name now, too; +Aurelia. She was looking down at me, or rather at us, for she could not +have made out our faces. Her face was sad. She seemed uninterested; +she had, perhaps, enough sorrow of her own at that moment, without +the anxieties of others. A big, burly, hulking, handsome person of the +swaggering sort which used to enter the army in those days, left the +balcony hurriedly. I saw him at the window, speaking earnestly to her, +pointing to the square, in which, already, the darkness hid us. I saw +the listlessness fall from her. She seemed to waken up into intense life +in an instant. She walked with a swift decision peculiar to her +away from the window, leaving the hulking fellow, an elderly, +dissolute-looking man, with the wild puffy eyes of the drinker, to pick +his teeth in full view of the square. + +When we left watching our enemies, Mr. Jermyn bade me walk on tiptoe. We +scurried away across the square diagonally, pausing twice to listen for +pursuers. No one seemed to be following. There was not much sense in +following; for the guard was busy searching for suspicious persons. We +heard them challenging passers-by, with a rattle of their halberds +on the stones, to make their answers prompt. We were safe enough from +persecution for the time. We went down a dark street into a dark alley. +From the alley we entered a courtyard, the sides of which were vast +houses. We entered one of these houses. The door seemed to open in the +mysterious way which had puzzled me so much in Fish Lane. Mr. Jermyn +smiled when I asked him how this was done. “Go on in, boy,” he said. +“There are many queer things in lives like ours.” He gave me a shove +across the threshold, while the door closed itself silently behind us. + +He took me into a room which was not unlike a marine store of the better +sort. There were many sailor things (all of the very best quality) lying +in neat heaps on long oak shelves against the walls. In the middle of +the room a table was laid for dinner. + +Mr. Jermyn made me eat a hearty meal before starting, which I did. As +I ate, he fidgeted about among some lockers at my back. Presently, as I +began to sip some wine which he had poured out for me, he put something +over my shoulders. + +“Here,” he said, “this is the satchel, Martin. Keep the straps drawn +tight always. Don't take it off till you give it into Mr. Blick's hands. +His own hands, remember. Don't take it off even at night. When you lie +down, lash it around your neck with spun-yarn.” All this I promised most +faithfully to do. “But,” I said, examining the satchel, which was like +an ordinary small old weather-beaten satchel for carrying books, “where +are the letters, sir?” + +“Sewn into the double,” he answered. “You wouldn't be able to sew so +neatly as that. Would you, now?” + +“Oh, yes, I should, sir,” I replied. “I am a pretty good hand with a +sail-needle. The Oulton fishermen used to teach me the stitches. I can +do herring-bone stitch. I can even put a cringle into a sail.” + +“You're the eighth wonder of the world, I think,” Mr. Jermyn said. “But +choose, now. Choose a kit for yourself. You won't get a chance to change +your clothes till you get to Mr. Blick's if you don't take some from +here. So just look round the room here. Take whatever you want.” + +I felt myself to have been fairly well equipped by the stranger who had +made me change my clothes in the alley. But I knew how cold the Channel +may be even in June; so I chose out two changes of thick underwear. +Weapons I had no need for, with the armory already in my belt; but a +heavy tarred jacket with an ear-flap collar was likely to be useful, so +I chose that instead. It was not more than ten sizes too large for me; +that did not matter; at sea one tries to keep warm; appearances are not +much regarded. Last of all, when I had packed my satchel, I noticed +a sailor's canvas “housewife” very well stored with buttons, etc. I +noticed that it held what is called a “palm,” that is, the leather +hand-guard used by sail-makers for pushing the needle through sail +cloth. It occurred to me, vaguely, that such a “housewife” would be +useful, in case my clothes got torn, so I stuffed it into my satchel +with the other things. I saw that it contained a few small sail-needles +(of the kind so excellent as egg-borers) as well as some of the strong +fine sail-twine, each thread of which will support a weight of fifty +pounds. I put the housewife into my store with a vague feeling of being +rich in the world's goods, with such a little treasury of necessaries; I +had really no thought of what that chance impulse was to do for me. + +“Are you ready?” Mr. Jermyn asked. + +“Yes, sir. Quite ready.” + +“Take this blank drawing-book,” he said, handing me a small pocket-book, +in which a pencil was stuck. “Make a practice of drawing what you see. +Draw the ships. Make sketches of the coast. You will find that such +drawings will give you great pleasure when you come to be old. They will +help you, too, in impressing an object on your mind. Drawing thus will +give you a sense of the extraordinary wonder of the universe. It will +teach you a lot of things. Now let's be off. It's time we were on +board.” + +When we went out of the house we were joined by three or four seamen who +carried cases of bottles (probably gin bottles). We struck off towards +the ship together at a brisk pace, singing one of those quick-time songs +with choruses to which the sailors sometimes work. The song they sang +was that very jolly one called “Leave her, Johnny.” They made such a +noise with the chorus of this ditty that Mr. Jermyn was able to refresh +my memory in the message to be given to Mr. Blick. + +The rain had ceased before we started. When we came into the square, we +saw that cressets, or big flaming port-fires, had been placed along +the wharf, to give light to some seamen who were rolling casks to the +barquentine. A little crowd of idlers had gathered about the workers to +watch them at their job; there may have been so many as twenty people +there. They stood in a pretty strong, but very unsteady light, by which +I could take stock of them. I looked carefully among them for the figure +of a young man in a grey Spanish hat; but he was certainly not there. +The barquentine had her sails loosed, but not hoisted. Some boats were +in the canal ahead, ready to tow her out. She had also laid out a +hawser, by which to heave herself out with her capstan. I could see at +a glance that she was at the point of sailing. As we came up the +plank-gangway which led to her deck we were delayed for a moment by a +seaman who was getting a cask aboard. + +“Beg pardon, sir,” he said to Mr. Jermyn. “I won't keep you waiting +long. This cask's about as heavy as nitre.” + +“What 'a' you got in that cask, Dick?” said the boatswain, who kept a +tally at the gangway. + +“Nitre or bullets, I guess,” said Dick, struggling to get the cask on to +the gang plank. “It's as heavy as it knows how.” + +“Give Dick a hand there,” the boatswain ordered. A seaman who was +standing somewhere behind me came forward, jogging my elbow as he +passed. In a minute or two they had the cask aboard. + +“It's red lead,” said the boatswain, examining the marks upon it. “Sling +it down into the 'tweendecks.” + +After this little diversion, I was free to go down the gangway with +Mr. Jermyn. The captain received us in the cabin. He seemed to know my +“uncle Blick,” as he called him, very well indeed. I somehow didn't like +the looks of the man; he had a bluff air; but it seemed to sit ill +upon him. He reminded me of the sort of farmer who stands well with his +parson or squire, while he tyrannizes over his labourers with all the +calculating cowardly cruelty of the mean mind. I did not take to Captain +Barlow, for all his affected joviality. + +However, the ship was sailing. They showed me the little trim cabin +which was to be mine for the voyage. Mr. Jermyn ran ashore up the +gangway, after shaking me by the hand. He called to me over his shoulder +to remember him very kindly to my uncle. A moment later, as the hawsers +were cast off, the little crowd on the wharf called out “Three cheers +for the Gara barquentine,” which the Gara's crew acknowledged with three +cheers for Pierhead, in the sailor fashion. We were moving slowly under +the influence of the oared boats ahead of us, when a seaman at the +forward capstan began to sing the solo part of an old capstan chanty. +The men broke in upon him with the chorus, which rang out, in its sweet +clearness, making echoes in the city. I ran to the capstan to heave with +them, so that I, too, might sing. I was at the capstan there, heaving +round with the best of them, until we were standing out to sea, beyond +the last of the fairway lights, with our sails trimmed to the +strong northerly wind. After that, being tired with so many crowded +excitements, which had given me a life's adventures since supper-time, I +went below to my bunk, to turn in. + +I took off my satchel, intending to tie it round my neck after I had +undressed. Some inequality in the strap against my fingers made me hold +it to the cabin lamp to examine it more closely. To my horror, I saw +that the strap had been nearly cut through in five places. If it had not +been of double leather with an inner lining of flexible wire, any one +of those cuts would have cut the thong clean in two. Then a brisk twitch +would have left the satchel at the cutter's mercy. It gave me a lively +sense of the craft of our enemies, to see those cuts in the leather. I +had felt nothing. I had suspected nothing. Only once, for that instant +on the wharf, when we stopped to let Dick get his barrel aboard, had +they had a chance to come about me. Yet in that instant of time they had +suspected that that satchel contained letters. They had made their bold +attempt to make away with it. They had slashed this leather in five +places with a knife as sharp as a razor. But had it been on the wharf, +that this was done? I began to wonder if it could have been on the +wharf. Might it not have been done when I was at the capstan, heaving +round on the bar? I thought not. I must have noticed a seaman doing such +a thing. It would have been impossible for any one to have cut the strap +there; for the capstan was always revolving. The man next to me on the +bar never took his hands from the lever, of that I was certain. The men +on the bar behind me could not have reached me. Even if they had reached +me the mate must have noticed it. I knew that sailors were often clever +thieves; but I did not believe that they could have been so clever under +the mate's eye. If it had not been done at the capstan it could not have +been done since I came aboard; for there had been no other opportunity. +I was quite convinced, after a moment's thought, that it had been done +on the wharf before I came aboard. Then I wondered if it had been done +by common shore thieves, or “nickers,” who are always present in our +big seaport towns, ready to steal whenever they get a chance. But I was +rather against this possibility; for my mind just then was much too full +of Aurelia's party. I saw their hands in it. It would have needed very +strong evidence to convince me that they were not at the bottom of this +last attack, as they had doubtless been in the attack under the inn +balcony. + +Thinking of their cunning with some dismay, I went to my door to secure +it. I was in my stockinged feet at the moment, as I had kicked my +boots off on coming into the cabin. My step, therefore, must have been +noiseless. Opening the door smartly, half-conscious of some slight noise +on the far side, I almost ran into Captain Barlow, who was standing +without. He showed a momentary confusion, I thought, at seeing me thus +suddenly. It was a bad sign. To me, in my excited nervous state, it was +a very bad sign. It convinced me that he had been standing there, trying +to spy upon me through the keyhole, with what purpose I could guess only +too well. His face changed to a jovial grin in an instant; but I felt +that he was searching my face narrowly for some sign of suspicion. + +“I was just coming in to see if you wanted anything,” he said. + +“No. Nothing, thanks,” I answered. “But what time's breakfast, sir?” + +“Oh, the boy'll call you,” he answered. “Is that your school satchel? +Hey? What you carry your books in? Let's see it?” + +“Oh,” I said, as lightly as I could, feeling that he was getting on +ticklish ground. “I've not unpacked it yet. It's got all my things in +it.” + +By this time he was well within my cabin. “Why,” he said, “this strap's +almost cut in two. Does your master let you bring your satchel to school +in that state? How did it come to be cut like that? Hey?” + +I made some confused remark about its having always been in that state; +as it was an old satchel which my father used for a shooting-bag. I had +never known boys to carry books in a satchel. That kind of school was +unknown to me. + +“Well,” he said, fingering the strap affectionately, as though he was +going to lift it off my head, “you let me take it away with me. I've got +men in this ship, who can mend a cut leather strap as neat as you've no +idea of. They'd sew up a cut like them so as you'd hardly know it had +been cut.” + +I really feared that he would have the bag away from me by main force. +But I rallied all my forces to save it. “I'm lagged now,” I said. “I +haven't undone my things. I'll give it to you in the morning.” + +It seemed to me that he looked at me rather hard when I said this; but +he evidently thought “What can it matter? Tomorrow will serve just as +well.” So he just gave a little laugh. “Right,” he said. “You turn in +now. Give it to me in the morning. Good night, boy.” + +“Good night,” I said, as he left the cabin, adding, under my breath, +“Good riddance, too. You won't find quite so much when you come to +examine this bag by daylight.” After he had gone--but not at once, as I +wished not to make him suspicious,--I locked my cabin-door. Then I hung +my tarred sea-coat on the door-hook, so that the flap entirely covered +the keyhole. There were bolts on the door, but the upper one alone could +be pushed home. With this in its place felt secure from spies. Yet not +too secure. I was not certain that the bulkheads were without crannies +from which I could be watched. The crack by the door-hinge might, for +all I knew, give a very good view of the inside of the cabin. Thinking +that I might still be under observation I decided to put off what I had +to do until the very early morning, so I undressed myself for bed. I +took care to put out the light before turning in, so that I might not +be seen lashing the satchel round my neck with a length of spunyarn. I +slept with my head upon it. + + + +CHAPTER XII. BRAVE CAPTAIN BARLOW + +Very early the next morning, at about half-past four, a little before +sunrise, I woke up with a start, wondering where I was. Looking through +my little scuttle port, I could see the flashing of bright waves, +which sometimes dowsed my window with a shower of drops. The ship +was apparently making about three knots an hour, under all her sails. +Directly I woke, I turned out of my bunk to do what I had to do. After +dressing, I took my sail-making tools from my housewife. I had resolved +to cut the letters from their hiding-place so that I might make them +up into tiny rolls, small enough to hide in my pistol cartridges. Very +carefully I cut the threads which bound the leather flaps of the satchel +together. I worked standing up, with the satchel in my bunk. I could +hardly have been seen from any point. In a few moments the letters were +in my hands. They were small sheets of paper, each about four inches +square. They were nine in number, all different. They were covered with +a neat cipher very different from the not very neat, not quite formed +hand of the Duke himself. What the cipher was, I did not know. It was +one of the many figure ciphers then in use. I learned long afterwards +that the figures which frequently occurred in them stood for King +James II. Such as they were, those cipher letters made a good deal of +difference to many thousands of people then living contentedly at home. + +As soon as I had removed them, I rolled them up very carefully into +pistol cartridges from which I drew the charges. I was just going to +throw away the powder, when I thought, “No, I'll put the powder back. +It'll make the fraud more difficult to detect.” So I put the powder back +with great care. Then I searched my mind for something with which to +seal up the cartridge wads over the powder. I could think of nothing at +all, till I remembered the tar-seams at my feet. I dug up a fragment of +tar-seam from the dark corners of the cabin under my bunk. Then I lit my +lamp with my little pocket tinder-box, so that I could heat the tar as I +needed it. It took me a long time to finish the cartridges properly; but +I flatter myself that I made neat jobs of them. I was trained to neat +habits by my father. The Oulton seamen had given me a taste for doing +clever neat work, such as plaits or pointing, so that I was not such a +bungler at delicate handicraft as most boys of my age. I even took the +trouble to hide the tar marks on my wads by smearing wetted gunpowder +all over them. When I had hidden all the letters, I wrote out a few +pencilled notes upon leaves neatly cut from my pocket-book. I wrote a +varying arrangement of ciphers on each leaf, in the neatest hand I could +command. I always made neat figures; but as I had not touched a pen for +nearly a month, I was out of practice. Still, I did very creditably. I +am quite sure that my neat ciphers gave the usurper James a very trying +week of continual study. I daresay the whole privy council puzzled over +those notes of mine. I felt very pleased with them when they were done. + +I had not much more than a half-hour left to me when I finished writing +them out. The ship's bells told me that it was seven o'clock. Cabin +breakfast, as I knew very well, would be at eight. I could expect to +be called at half past seven. I put the two flaps of the satchel evenly +together, removing all traces of the thread used in the earlier sewing. +Then I very trimly sewed the two flaps with my sail-needle, using all +my strength to make secure stitches. I used some brown soap in the +wash-stand as thread wax, to make the sewing more easy. “There,” I +thought, “no one will suspect that this was sewn by a boy.” When I had +finished, I thought of dirtying the twine to make the work look old; but +I decided to let well alone. I might so easily betray my hand by trying +to do too much. The slight trace of the soap made the work look old +enough. But I took very great care to remove all traces of my work +in the cabin. The little scraps of thread which I had cut out of the +satchel I ate, as I could see no safer means of getting rid of them. I +cannot say that they disagreed with me, though they were not very easy +to get down. My palm, being a common sea-implement, not likely to +seem strange in a ship's cabin, I hid in a locker below my bunk. My +sail-needles I thrust at first into the linings of the pockets of my +tarred sea-coat. On second thoughts, I drove them into the mattress of +my bunk. My hank of twine I dropped on deck later, when I went out to +breakfast. Having covered all traces of my morning's work, I washed with +a light heart. When some one came to my cabin-door to call me, I cried +out that I would be out in a minute. + +When the breakfast bell rang, I walked aft to the great cabin, with my +satchel over my shoulder. The captain asked me how I had slept; so +I said that I had slept like a top, until a few minutes before I was +called. + +“That's the way with you young fellows,” he said. “When you come to be +my age you won't be able to do that.” Presently, as we were sitting down +to breakfast, he began his attack upon the satchel. “You still got your +satchel, I see,” he said. “Do you carry it about with you always? Or are +you pretending to be a military man with a knapsack?” + +I looked a little uncomfortable at this; but not from the reason which +flashed through his mind. I said that I liked carrying it about, as it +served instead of a side coat-pocket, which was perfectly true. + +“By the way,” he said; “you must let me take that beloved satchel after +breakfast, so that I can get the strap sewn up for you.” + +It came into my mind to look blank at this. I stammered as I said that I +didn't mind the straps being cut, because there was a wire heart to the +leather which would hold till we got to England, when I could put on a +new strap for myself. + +“Oh, nonsense,” he said, serving out some of the cold bacon from the +dish in front of him. “Nonsense. What would your uncle say if you landed +slovenly like that? Besides, now you're at sea you're a sailor. Sailors +don't wear things like that at meals any more than they wear their +hats.” + +After this, I saw that there was no further chance of retaining the +satchel, so I took it from my neck, but grudgingly, as though I hated +doing so. I heard no more about it till after breakfast, when he made a +sudden playful pounce upon it, as it lay upon the chair beside me, at an +instant when I was quite unprepared to save it. + +“Aha,” he cried, waving his booty. “Now then. Now.” + +I knew that he would expect a passionate outcry from me, nor did I +spare it; because I meant him to think that I knew the satchel contained +precious matters. + +“No, no,” I cried. “Let me have it. I don't want it mended.” + +“What?” he said. “Not want it mended? It must be mended.” + +At this I made a sort of playful rush to get it. He dodged away from me, +laughing. I attacked again, playing my part admirably, as I thought, +but taking care not to overdo it. At last, as though fearing to show too +great an anxiety about the thing, I allowed him to keep it. I asked him +if he would be able to sew the leather over the wire heart. + +“Why, yes,” he said. I could see that he smiled. He was thinking that I +had stopped struggling in order to show him that I set no real value on +the satchel. He was thinking that he saw through my cunning. + +“Might I see you sew it up?” I said. “I should like to learn how to sew +up leather.” + +He thought that this was another sign of there being letters in the +satchel, this wish of mine to be present when the sewing was done. + +“Why, yes,” he said. “I'll do it here. You shall do it yourself if you +like. I will teach you.” So saying, he tossed me an orange from his +pocket. “Eat that,” he said, “while I go on deck to take the sights.” + +He left the cabin, swinging the satchel carelessly in his left hand. I +thought to myself that I had better play anxiety; so, putting the orange +on the table, I followed him into the 'tweendecks, halting at the door, +as though in fear about the satchel's fate. Looking back, he saw me +there. My presence confirmed him in his belief that he had got my +treasure. He waved to me. “Back in a minute,” he said. “Stay in the +cabin till I come back. There's a story-book in the locker.” + +I turned back into the cabin in a halting, irresolute way which no doubt +deceived him as my other movements had deceived him. When I had shut the +door, I went to the locker for the story-book. + +Now the story-book, when I found it, was not a story-book, but a little +thick book of Christian sermons by various good bishops. I read one of +them through, to try, but I did not understand it. Then I put the book +down with the sudden thought: “This Captain Barlow cannot read. He +thinks that these sermons are stories. Now who is it in this ship to +whom the letters will be shown? Or can there be no one here? Is he going +to steal the letters to submit them to somebody ashore?” + +I was pretty sure that there was somebody shut up in the ship who was +concerned in the theft with Barlow. I cannot tell what made me so sure. +I had deceived the captain so easily that I despised him. I did not give +him credit for any intelligence whatsoever. Perhaps that was the reason. +Then it came over me with a cold wave of dismay that perhaps the woman +Aurelia was on board, hidden somewhere, but active for mischief. I +remembered that scrap of conversation from the inn-balcony. I wondered +if that secret mission mentioned then was to concern me in any way. What +was it, I wondered, that was put into her pocket by her father as she +stood crying there, just above me? If she were on board, then I must +indeed look to myself, for she was probably too cunning a creature to +be deceived by my forgeries. The very thought of having her in the ship +with me was uncomfortable. I felt that I must find some more subtle +hiding-place for my letters than I had found hitherto. I may have +idealized the woman, in my alarm, into a miracle of shrewdness. At +any rate I knew that she would be a much more dangerous opponent than +Captain Barlow, the jocular donkey who allowed himself to be fooled by +a schoolboy who was in his power. I knew, too, that she would probably +search me other letters, whether my ciphered blinds deceived her or not. +She was not one so easily satisfied as a merchant skipper; besides, she +had now two scores against me, as well as excellent reason to think me a +sharp young man. + +Presently, after half an hour's absence, the captain came back with the +satchel, evidently very pleased with himself. He seemed to find pleasure +in the sight of my pretended distress. “Why,” he said, with a grin; +“you've not eaten your orange.” + +“No, sir,” I said, “I'm not very hungry just after breakfast.” + +“Why, then,” he answered, “you must keep it for your dinner. Look how +nice I've mended your strap for you.” + +“Thank you very much, sir,” I said. “But thought that you were going to +do it here. You were going to teach me how to do it.” + +“Well, it's done now, isn't it?” he replied. “It's done pretty good, +too. I'll teach you how to sew some other time. I suppose they don't +learn you that, where you go to school?” + +“No, sir,” I said, “they don't.” + +“Ah,” he said, picking up the book. “You're a great one for your book, I +see. There's very good reading in a book like that.” + +“Yes,” I said, looking at the mended strap. “There is. How very neatly +you've mended the strap, sir. Thank you very much.” + +He looked at me with a look which said, very plainly, “You've got a fine +nerve, my lad, to pretend in that way.” + +I could see from his manner during the next few minutes that he wished +to keep me from examining the satchel flap. No doubt he thought that I +was on tenter-hooks all the time, to look to see if the precious letters +had been disturbed. At last, in a very easy way, after slinging the +strap round my shoulder, I pulled out my handkerchief, intending to put +it into the satchel as into an extra pocket. + +“I'm going up on deck, sir,” I said. “May I take the book with me?” + +As he said that I might, I swiftly opened the satchel, to pop the book +in. I could feel that he watched my face mighty narrowly all the time. +No doubt I looked guilty enough to convince him of his cleverness. I had +no more than a second's peep at the flap, but that was quite enough to +show me that it had been tampered with. I had finished off my work that +morning with an even neatness. The bold Captain Barlow had left two ends +of thread sticking out from the place where he had ended his stitch. +Besides, my thread had been soaped, to make it work more easily. The +thread in the flap now was plainly not soaped; it was fibrous to the +touch, not sleeked down, as mine had been. + +When I went on deck, I found the ship driving fast down Channel, making +an excellent passage. I took up my place by the mizzen-rigging, near +which there were no seamen at work, so that I could puzzle out a new +hiding-place for my letters. I noticed, as I stood there, that some men +were getting a boat over the side. It seemed a queer thing to be doing +in the Channel, so far from the port to which we were bound; but I did +not pay much attention to it at the time, as I was very anxious. I was +wondering what in the world I could do with the pistol cartridges which +I had made that morning. I feared Aurelia. For all that I could tell she +was looking at me as I stood there, guessing, from my face, that I had +other letters upon me. It did not occur to me that my anxiety might be +taken for grief at having the satchel searched. At last it came into +my head that Aurelia, if she were in the ship, would follow up that +morning's work promptly, before I could devise a fresh hiding-place. +At any rate I felt pretty sure that I should not be much out of that +observation until the night. It came into my head that the next attack +would be upon my boots; for in those days secret agents frequently hid +their papers above a false boot-sole, or stitched them into the double +leather where the beckets, or handles, joined the leg of the boot at the +rim. + +Sure enough, I had not been very long on deck when the ship's boy +appeared before me. He was an abject looking lad, like most ship's boys. +I suppose no one would become a ship's boy until he had proved himself +unfit for life anywhere else. Personally, I had rather be a desert +savage than a ship's boy. My experience on La Reina was enough to sicken +me of such a life forever. This barquentine's boy came up to me, as I +have said. + +“Sir,” he said, “can I take away your boots to black, please?” + +“No,” I answered, “my boots don't want blacking. I grease them myself.” + +“Please, sir,” he said, “do let me take them away, sir.” + +“No,” I said. “I grease them myself, thank you.” I thought that this +would end the business; but no such matter. + +“Please, sir,” he said, “I wish you would let me take them away. The +captain'll wale me if I don't. He gave me orders, sir.” + +“Don't call me 'sir,'” I said. “I'll see the captain myself.” + +I walked quickly to the companion-way, below which (listening to us, +like the creature he was) sat the captain, carving the end of a stick. + +“Please, sir,” I said, “I've already greased my boots this morning. I +always grease them.” (I had only had them about twelve hours.) “If I +blacked them they'd get so dry that they would crack.” + +“All right. All right, boy,” he answered. “I forgot you wore +soft-leather boots. They're the kind they buy up to make salt beef of at +the Navy Yard.” He grinned in my face, as though he were pleased; but +a few minutes later, when I had gone forward, I heard him thrashing the +wretched boy, because he had failed to get the boots from me for him. + +I soon found that I was pretty closely watched. If I went forward to the +fo'c's'le, I found myself dogged by the ship's boy, who was blubbering +from his whipping, poor lad, as though his heart would break. In between +his sobs, he tried to tell me the use of everything forward, which was +trying to me, as I knew more than he knew. If I went aft, the mate would +come rolling up, to ask me if I could hear the dog-fish bark yet. If I +went below the captain got on to my tracks at once. He was by far the +worst of the three: the other two were only obeying his orders. I went +into my cabin hoping to get rid of him there; but no, it was no use. +In he came, too, with the excuse that he wished to see if I had enough +clothes on my bunk. It was more worrying than words can tell. All the +time I wondered whether he would end by knocking me senseless so that +he might search my boots at his ease. I had the fear of that strongly on +me. I was tempted, yet feared, to drive him from me by threatening him +with my pistol. His constant dogging of me was intolerable. But had I +threatened him, he would have had an excuse for maltreating me. My +duty was to save the letters, not to worry about my own inconveniences. +Often, since then, I have suffered agonies of remorse at not giving up +the letters meekly. Had I done so, I might, who knows, have saved some +two thousand lives. Well. We are all agents of a power greater than +ourselves. Though I was, it may be, doing wrong then, I was doing wrong +unwittingly. Had things happened only a little differently, my wrong +would have turned out a glorious right. The name of Martin Hyde would +have been in the history books. He watched me narrowly as I took off +my waistcoat (pretending to be too hot), nor did he forget to eye +the waistcoat. “See here,” he said. “Do you know how a sailor folds a +waistcoat? Give it to me now. I'll show you.” He snatched it from my +hands with that rudeness which, in a boorish nature, passes for fun; he +only wished to feel it over so that if any letter were sewn within it he +might hear the paper crackle. The sailor's way of folding a waistcoat, +as shown by him then, was just the way which bent all the cloth in +folds. He seemed to be much disgusted at hearing no crackling as he +folded it. I could have laughed outright at his woeful face, had I been +less anxious. Had he been worth his salt as a spy he would have lulled +all my suspicions to sleep before beginning to search for letters. +Instead of that he went to work as crudely as a common footpad.. + + + +CHAPTER XIII. IT BREEZES UP + +After I had taken off my waistcoat, I went out into the 'tweendecks, +then into the grand cabin, then into the space below the booms. He +followed me everywhere, keeping me under observation, till I was tempted +to tell him where the letters were, so as to have a little peace. At +first he kept telling me stories, or making bad jokes; but very soon +he grew weary of pretending; he became surly. At this point I asked him +which was his cabin. He glowered at me for asking such a question, but +he pointed it out to me. It was a cabin no larger than my own, on +the opposite (that is the port) side of the 'tweendecks. I took the +opportunity (it was a bold stroke, evidently displeasing to him) of +looking in; for to tell the truth I had a suspicion that he slept in the +grand cabin, on the top of the locker. I thought that the stateroom +had another inmate. When I looked into it I expected to find myself in +Aurelia's presence. I did not want to see her; but I wished very eagerly +to know if she were in the ship or not. The stateroom was empty, but the +bunk, which had been slept in, was not yet made up. + +I do not know how much longer he would have dogged me about the ship. +To my great joy he was called from me by the mate, who cried down +the hatchway, bidding him come up at once, as there was “something in +sight.” Captain Barlow evidently wanted me to come on deck with him; +but I was resolute. I said I would stop below to have another try at his +stories. He went on deck surlily, saying something about “You wait,” + or “You whelp,” I could not catch his exact words. He turned at the +hatchway to see where I had gone. I had expected this move, so when +he looked, he saw me entering the grand cabin, just as I had said. I +watched him through the crack in the hinge; for I fully expected him to +return suddenly. As he did not return on the instant, I darted into my +own cabin just long enough to drop the letter cartridges into an old tin +slush-pot which was stowed in the locker below the bunk. I had noted it +in the early morning when I had done my sewing. I pressed the cartridges +into the slush, till they were all hidden. In another instant of time +the pot was back in the locker among the other oddments while I was +back in the cabin hard at work at my sermons. I was conscious that +the captain glanced through the skylight at me. No doubt what he saw +reassured him. For the moment I felt perfectly safe. + +About half an hour later, I heard a great noise of hauling on deck, +followed by the threshing of our sails, as though they had suddenly come +aback. I knew enough of the sea to know that if we were tacking there +would be other orders, while, if the helmsman had let the ship come +aback by accident I should have heard the officers rating him. I heard +neither nor orders; something else was happening. A glance out of the +stern windows showed me that the ship was no longer under way. She was +not moving through the water. It struck me that I had better go on deck +to see what was the matter. When I reached the deck I found that +the barquentine was hove-to (that is, held motionless by a certain +arrangement of the sails) about half a mile from a small full-rigged +ship which had hove-to likewise. The barquentine's boat was rapidly +pulling towards this full-rigged ship, with Captain Barlow sitting +in the stern-sheets. The ship was a man-of-war; for she flew the St. +George's banner, as well as a pennant. Her guns were pointing through +her ports, eight bright brass guns to a broadside. She was waiting +there, heaving in huge stately heaves, for Captain Barlow's message. + +Now I had had alarms enough since I entered the Duke's service; but I +confess this sight of the man-of-war daunted me worse than any of them. +I knew that Captain Barlow had stopped her, so that he might hand over +my letters to her captain; that was easily guessed The next question +was, would the captain insist on taking the messenger to be examined in +person. It was that which scared me worst. I had heard frightful tales +about political prisoners. They were shut up in the Tower dungeons, +away below the level of the Thames. They were examined there by masked +magistrates who wrung the truth from them by the “bootikins,” which +squeezed the feet, or by the thumbscrews, which twisted the thumbs. My +feet seemed to grow red-hot when I thought of that horror. I knew only +too well that my youth would not save me. James the Second was never +moved by pity towards a beaten enemy. I watched the arrival of the boat +at the ship's side, with the perspiration running down my face. I began +to understand, now, what was meant by the words high treason. I saw all +the majesty of the English Navy, all the law, all the noble polity of +England, arrayed to judge a boy to death, for a five minutes' prank. +They would drag me on a hurdle to Tyburn, as soon as torture had made me +tell my tale. + +But enough of my state of mind. I saw Captain Barlow go up the ship's +gangway, where an officer no doubt received him. Very soon afterwards he +came down the gangway again, half followed by some one who seemed to +be ordering him. His boat then shoved off for the barquentine. The +man-of-war got under way again by swinging her great mainyard smartly +about. The smother at her bows gleamed whiter at the very instant, as +she gathered way. It was a blessed sight to me, after my suspense, I +assure you; but I did not understand it till later. I learned later +on that Captain Barlow was one of a kind of men very common in those +troublous times. He was hedging, or trimming. He was quite willing to +make money by selling the Duke's plans to the King; but he had the sense +to see that the Duke's party might succeed, in which case the King's +favour would not be worth much. So his treason to the Duke stopped short +of the betrayal of men attached in any way to the Monmouth party. He +would betray letters, when he could lay his hands on them unobserved; +but he was not going to become an open enemy to the Duke until he knew +that the Duke's was the losing side; then he would betray men fast +enough. Until then, he would receive the trust of both factions, in +order to betray a portion of the confidence received from them. + +The day dragged by for me somehow, uncomfortably, under the captain's +eye. It was one of the longest days I have ever known. It sickened me +utterly of the life of adventure to which I now seemed pledged. I vowed +that if I had the chance I would write to my uncle from Mr. Blick's +house, begging to be received back. That seemed to be the only way of +escape possible to me. It did not seem hopeful; but it gave me some +solace to think of it. I longed to be free from these terrors. You +don't know what an adventurous life is. I will tell you. It is a life of +sordid unquiet, pursued without plan, like the life of an animal. Have +you seen a dog trying to cross a busy street? There is the adventurer. +Or the rabbit on the cliff, in his state of continual panic; he, too, +lives the adventurous life. What does the world owe to the adventurer? +But there. I become impatient. One patient hero in his garret is worth +all these silly fireworks put together. + +One thing more happened on that day. The breeze freshened all the +afternoon till by bedtime it blew what is called a fresh gale. Captain +Barlow drove his ship till she shook to her centre, not because he liked +(like many sailors) to show his vessel's paces; but because he sat at +his bottle too long after dinner. He was half drunk by supper time, too +drunk to take the sail off her, so we drove on down Channel, trusting to +the goodness of the gear. There would have been a pretty smash-up if we +had had to alter our course hurriedly. As it was we were jumping like a +young colt, in a welter of foam, with two men at the tiller, besides a +gang on the tackles. I never knew any ship to bound about so wildly. I +passed the evening after supper on deck, enjoying the splendour of that +savage leaping rush down Channel, yet just a little nervous at the sight +of our spars buckling under the strain. The captain was drunk before +dark; we could hear him banging the table with his bottle. The mate, who +was on the poop with me, kept glancing from the spars to the skylight; +he was getting frightened at the gait we were going. “Young man,” he +said, “d'ye know the sailor's catechism?” + +“No, sir,” I answered. “Well,” he said, “it's short but sweet, like a +ration of rum. What is the complete duty of a sailorman? You don't know? +It's this. OBEY ORDERS, IF YOU BREAK OWNERS. My orders are not to take +off sail till Mr. drunken Barlow sees fit. You'll see a few happenings +aloft just now if he don't see fit soon.” Just at that instant she gave +a lurch which sent one of the helmsmen flying. The mate leaped to his +place with an angry exclamation. “Another man to the helm,” he cried. +“You, boy. Run below. Tell the captain she'll be dismasted in another +five minutes.” He was in the right of it. A blind man could have told +that the ship was being over-driven. I ran down, as eager as the mate to +put an end to the danger. + +When I went below, I found the captain in my cabin, rummaging +everywhere. He had flung out the contents of the lockers, my bedclothes, +everything, in a jumble on the deck, which, in a drunken aimless way he +was examining by the light of a couple of dip candles, stuck to the edge +of the bunk. It was not a time to mind about that. “Sir,” I said, “the +ship is sinking. Come on deck, sir; take the sail off. The mate says the +ship is sinking.” + +“Eh,” said the captain furiously. “You young spy. I command this ship. +What's the sail got to do with you?” He glared at me in drunken anger. + +“You young whelp,” he cried, grabbing me by the collar. “Where are your +letters? Eh? Where've you hid your letters?” + +At that instant, there came a more violent gust in the fierceness of +wind which drove us. The ship gave a “yank;” there is no other word to +express the frightful shock of her movement. She lay down on her lee +beam ends with a crash of breaking crockery. Casks broke loose in the +hold; gear fell from aloft; the captain was flung under me against the +ship's side. The deck beneath us sloped up like a roof. In the roar +of water rushing down the hatch I remember thinking that the Day of +Judgment was come. Yells on deck mingled with all the uproar; I heard +something thud like a sledge-hammer on the ship's side. The captain +picked himself up holding his head, which was all one gore of blood from +the crack against the ship's side. “Beam ends,” he said stupidly. “Beam +ends. Yes. Yes.” He was dazed; he did not know what he said; but some +sort of sailor's instinct told him that he was wanted on deck. At any +rate he went out, pulling himself up the steep deck with a cleverness +which I had not expected. He left me clutching the ledge of the bunk, +staring up at the door away above me, while the wreck of my belongings +banged about at my feet. I thought it was all over with the ship; but I +was not scared at the prospect of death; only a little sickish from +the shock of that sudden sweeping over. I found a fascination in the +horrible open door, the black oblong hole in the air through which the +captain had passed. I waited for the sea to pour down it. I expected +to see a clear mass of water with fish in it; something quite calm, +something beautiful, not the noisy horror of the sea outside. I suppose +I waited like that for a full minute before the roar of the squall grew +less. Then I told myself that I must go on deck; that the danger would +be less, looking it in the face, than down there in the cabin. It +was not pleasant to go on deck, any more than it is pleasant to go +downstairs at two in the morning to look for burglars, but it was better +to be moving than staying still. I clenched my fist upon the only dip +which remained alight (the other was somewhere in the jumble under my +feet). Then, catching hold of the door-hook I pulled myself up to the +door, where I steadied myself for a moment. While I stood there I had +a horrible feeling of the ship having died under my feet. She had been +leaping so gallantly only five minutes before. Now she lay with her +heart broken, while the seas beat her with great thumps. + +Two battle-lanterns lit the after 'tweendecks. There was a great heap +of staved in casks, slopping about in an inch or two of water, all along +that side, thrown there by the smash. I could hear the men yelling on +deck. Captain Barlow was swearing in loud shouts. I could hear all this +in the lull of the squall. I heard more than that, as I stood listening. +I heard the faint crying out of a woman's voice from the steward's +pantry (next door to the captain's cabin) on the opposite side, across +the steep, tipped up slippery decks. At first I thought it must be +the poor cat; but as the wind passed, letting me hear more clearly, I +recognized that it was a woman's voice, crying out there in the darkness +with a note of pain. I did not think of Aurelia. She never entered my +head. All that I thought was “Poor creature! What a place for a woman!” + The ship was jerking, you might almost call it gasping, as the seas +struck her; it was no easy job to climb along that roof-slope of the +deck with nothing to hold on by. I got across somehow, partly by luck, +partly by fingernails. I even managed to open the pantry door, which was +another difficulty, as it opened inwards, into the cabin. As I opened +it, a suck of wind blew out my light. There I was in the dark, with a +hurt woman, in a ship which for all I knew, might sink with all hands +in twenty seconds. It is queer; I didn't mind the ship sinking. What I +disliked was being in the dark with an unknown somebody who whimpered. + +“Are you much hurt?” I asked. “Hold on a minute. I'll strike a light.” + I shut myself into the cabin, so as to keep out the draught. My feet +kicked among the steward's crockery. It was as dark in that cubby-hole +as in a grave. The unknown person, probably fearing me, thinking me some +rough drunken sailor, was crying out now more in terror than in pain. +She was begging me not to hurt her. I probably frightened her a good +deal by not replying. The tinder box took up all my attention for a +good couple of minutes. A tinder box is not a thing to get light by +hurriedly. You try some day, to see how quickly you can light a candle +by one. When I got the candle lit, I thought of the battle-lanterns +swinging outside all the time. I might have saved myself all that +trouble by using a little common sense. Well. Wait till you stand as I +stood, with your heart in your boots, down in a pit of death, you'll see +how much common sense will remain in your fine brains. + +When the flame took hold of the wick, so that I could look about me, I +saw the lady Aurelia lying among the smashed up gear to leeward. She had +been lying down, reading in a sort of bunk which had been rigged up for +her on the locker-top. The shock had flung her clean out of the bunk +on to the deck. At the same moment an avalanche of gear had fetched to +leeward. A cask had rolled on to her left hand, pinning her down to +the deck, while a box of bottles had cut the back of her head. A more +complete picture of misery you could not hope to see. There was all +the ill-smelling jumble of steward's gear, tumbled in a heap of smash, +soaking in the oil from the fallen lamp. There was a good deal of blood +about. Aurelia was lying in all the debris half covered with salted fish +from one of the capsized casks. They looked like huge leaves. She seemed +to have been buried under them, like a babe in the wood. She grew calm +when she saw me. “There are candles under the bunk,” she said. “Light +two or three. Tell me what has happened.” + +I did not answer till I had lighted three or four more candles. “The +ship's on her beam ends,” I said. “It's the captain's fault. But never +mind that. I must get you out. Are you badly hurt, do you think?” + +“I'm all right,” she said with a gasp. “But it's being pinned in here. I +thought I was going to be pinned down while I was being drowned.” + +“Shut your eyes, please,” I said. “Bite your lip. It'll hurt, I'm +afraid, getting this cask off your hand. Are you ready. Now.” I did it +as gently as I could; but it made me turn all cold to think of the hand +under all that weight. + +“Can you withdraw your hand, now?” I asked, tilting the cask as far up +as I could. + +“No,” she said. “Look out. I'll roll out.” In another two seconds she +was sitting up among the crockery with her face deathly white against +the bulkhead; she had fainted. There was a water-carafe on a bracket up +above my head. I splashed her face with water from it till she rallied. +She came to herself with a little hysterical laugh, at the very instant +when something giving way aloft let the ship right herself again. “Hold +on a minute,” I said. “Take this water. Now drink a little. I'll be back +in a moment.” The ship was rolling drunkenly in the trough of the sea; +but I made a nimble rush to the cabin, where the captain's cruet of +brandy bottles still swung from a hook in the beams. I ran back to her +with a bottle of brandy. There were a few unbroken mugs in the pantry, +so I gave her a drink of brandy, which brought the colour back to her +cheeks. While she sat there, in the mess of gear which slid about as the +ship rolled, I got a good big jug of water from the scuttle-butt in the +'tweendecks. I nipped on deck with it to ask the mate for some balsam, +an excellent cure for cuts which most sailors carry to sea with them. +There was mess enough on deck in all conscience. I found the foretopmast +gone over the side, in a tangle of torn rope at which all hands were +furiously hacking. The mate was on the fo'c'sle hacking at some gear +with a tomahawk. I did not see the captain. + +“Mr. mate,” I cried. “I want some balsam, quick.” + +“Get out of this,” he shouted. “Get out of this. I can't attend to your +hurts. Don't come bothering here.” + +“It's for the lady,” I said, “the lady down below.” + +“In my chest. Look in my chest till,” he said. “Now stand dear. I've +trouble enough without ladies in the case. Are you all clear, you, aft +there?” + +“All gone here, sir,” the men shouted back. “Shall we sling a bowline +over the foot?” + +“No,” he shouted. “Look out. She's going.” + +For just a second I saw the mass of spar all tangled up with sail rise +up on a wave as it drifted past. I found myself wondering why we had all +been in the shadow of death only a couple of minutes before. There was +no thought of danger now. I ran below for the balsam, which I found +without difficulty. + + + +CHAPTER XIV. A DRINK OF SHERBET + +I took what handkerchiefs I could find into the pantry with me. “There's +no danger,” I said. “The ship's all right. How are you now? Let me give +you some more brandy.” I gave her a little more brandy; then I helped +her on to the top of the locker. Pouring out some water into the basin I +bathed the cut on her head. It was a clean long cut which would probably +have gone through the bone had not her hair been so thick. I dressed it +as well as I could with balsam, then bound it tightly up with a white +handkerchief. The hand was a good deal more, difficult to manage; it +was nastily crushed; though no bones were broken. The wrist was so much +swollen that I had to cut open the sleeve of her man's riding jacket. +Then I bathed the hand with cold water mixed with vinegar (which I had +heard was cooling) till I felt that the time had come to bandage it, so +that the patient might lie down to rest. She had been much shaken by her +fall. I don't think it ever once occurred to me to think of her as my +enemy. I felt too much pity for her, being hurt, like that. “Look here,” + I said. “You'll have to wear that arm in a sling. I'll bandage it up for +you nicely.” She bore my surgery like the hero she was; it didn't look +very wonderful when it was done; but she said that the pain was a good +deal soothed. That was not the end though. I had to change cabins +with her, since I could not let a hurt woman sleep in that bunk in the +pantry; she might so easily be flung from it a second time. So I shifted +her things into my cabin, where I made all tidy for her. As for the +precious slush can, I stowed that carefully away, at the back of some +lumber in one of the pantry lockers, where it would not be found. +Altogether, it took me about twenty minutes to make everything ready, +by which time the little accident on deck had been forgotten, except by +those who had to do the work of sending up a new topmast; a job which +kept all hands busy all night. The ship was making a steady three knots. +under her reduced sail when I helped Aurelia across to her new room. +There was no more thought of danger. + +As I paused at the cabin door, to ask if there was anything more which I +could do for her, the lady turned to me. + +“What is your name?” she asked. I am ashamed to say that I hesitated, +being half inclined to give her a false name; for my time of secret +service had given me a thorough distrust of pretty nearly everybody. She +noticed my hesitation. “As a friend to another friend,” she added. “Life +isn't all the King's service.” + +“My name is Martin Hyde,” I said. + +“Mine is Aurelia,” she replied, “Aurelia Carew. Will you remember that?” + I told her that I should certainly remember that. “We seem to have met +before,” she said, “more than once.” + +“Yes,” I answered, smiling. She, too, smiled, but she quickly became +grave again. + +“Mr. Martin Hyde,” she said, with a little catch in her voice, “we two +are in opposite camps. But I don't know. After this, it's difficult. +I warn you.” Here she stopped, quite unable to go on. “I can't,” she +continued, more to herself than to me, “I can't. They oughtn't to have +put this on me. They oughtn't. They oughtn't.” She laid her unhurt hand +on my shoulder for a moment. “Let me warn you,” she said earnestly, +“that you're in danger.” + +“In danger from you?” I asked. + +“Don't ask me more,” she said, “I hate myself for telling you even that. +Oh, it's terrible to have to do it. Go now. Don't ask me more. But I had +to warn you. But I can't do it myself.” I did not know what to make of +this; but I gathered that her task (whatever it was) from which she had +shrunk so bitterly in the Dutch town only the night before, was now to +be deputed to another, probably to the captain, perhaps to the Dartmouth +justices. I did not like the thought; but I thanked her for warning me, +it was generous of her to warn me. I took out the dagger with which she +had tried to stab me. “You said we were in opposite camps, Miss Carew,” + I said. “But I wouldn't like to keep this. I mean I wouldn't like to +think that we were enemies, really.” I daresay I said other foolish +things as well, at the same time. + +“Yes, keep it,” she said. “I couldn't bear to have it again. But be +warned. Don't trust me. While we're in opposite camps you be warned. For +I'm your enemy, then, when you least expect it.” + +Nothing much happened the next day until the evening, by which time +we were off the Isle of Wight. With the aid of the mate, I doctored +Aurelia's hand again; that was the only memorable event of the day. In +the evening, the captain (who had been moody from his drunkenness of +the night before) asked me to sing to him in the great cabin. I was +surprised at the request; but I knew a few ballads, so I sang them to +him. While I was singing, Aurelia entered the cabin; she sat down on +one of the lockers below the great window. She looked very white, in the +gloom there. She did not speak to me; but sat there restlessly, coughing +in a dry hacking way, as though one of her ribs had been broken in the +fall. I lowered my voice when I noticed this, as I was afraid that +my singing might annoy her; I thought that she was suffering from her +wound. The captain told me to pipe up; as he couldn't hear what my +words were. I asked Aurelia if my singing worried her; but instead of +answering she left the cabin for a few minutes. When she came back, she +sat with her face in her hand, seemingly in great pain. I sang all the +ballads known to me. When I had finished, the captain grunted a note of +approval. “Well,” he said, “so there's your ballads. That's your treat. +Now you shall have mine.” A little gong hung in the cabin. He banged +upon it to summon his boy, who came in trembling, as he always did, +expecting to be beaten before he went out. “Bring in a jug of cool +water,” he said. “Then fetch them limes I bought.” As the boy went +out, the captain turned to me with a grin. “Did you ever drink Turk's +sherbet?” he said. + +“No,” I answered. “I've never even heard of it. What is it?” + +“Why,” he said, “it's a drink the heathen Turks make out of citron. A +powder which fizzes. I got some of it last autumn when I made a voyage +to Scanderoon. It's been too cold ever since to want to drink any, as +it's a summer drink mostly. Now you shall have some.” He took down some +tumblers from the rack in which they stood. “Here's glasses,” he said. +“Now the sherbet is in this bottle here.” He produced a pint glass +bottle from one of the lockers. It was stopped with a wooden plug, +carved in the likeness of a Turk's head. It was about three parts full +of a whitish powder. A label on the side of the bottle gave directions +for its preparation. + +When the boy returned with his tray, the captain squeezed the juice of +half a lime into each of the three tumblers. “That's the first thing,” + he said. “Lime juice. Now the water.” He poured water into each glass, +till they were nearly full. “White of egg is said to make it better,” + he said to me. “But at sea I guess we must do without that. Now then. +You're the singer, so you drink first. Be ready to drink it while it +fizzes; for then it's at its best. Are you ready?” I was quite ready, so +the captain filled his spoon with the soft white powder. Glancing round +at Aurelia I saw that she had covered her eyes with her hand. “Won't +Miss Carew drink first?” I asked. + +“I don't want any,” she said in a low voice. Before I could speak +another word the captain had poured his heaped spoonful of powder into +my glass. “Stir it up, boy,” he cried. “Down with it while it fizzes.” + Aurelia rose to her feet, catching her breath sharply. + +I remember a pleasant taste, as though all of the fruits of the world +had been crushed together into a syrup; then a mist surged all about me, +the cabin became darker, the captain seemed to grow vast, till his body +filled the room. My legs melted from me. I was one little wavering +flame blowing about on great waves. Something was hard upon my head. +The captain's hand (I could feel) was lifting my eyelid. I heard him say +“That's got him.” Instantly a choir of voices began to chant “That's got +him,” in roaring, tumultuous bursts of music. Then the music became, as +it were, present, but inaudible; there were waves of sound all round me, +but my ears were deafened to them. I had been put out of action by some +very powerful drug, I remember no more of that evening's entertainment. +I was utterly unconscious. + +I came to, very sick, some time in the night. I was in the bunk in the +pantry; but far too helpless in my misery to rise, or to take an account +of time. I lay half-conscious till the morning, when I fell into a deep +sleep, which lasted, I may say, till the evening; for I did not feel +sufficiently awake to get up until about half-past five. When I did +get up, I felt so tottery that I could hardly keep my feet. Someone, I +supposed that it was Aurelia, had placed a metal brandy flask, with a +paper roll containing hard-boiled eggs, on my wash-hand-stand. I took a +gulp of the brandy. In the midst of my sickness I remember the shame of +it; the shame of being drugged by those two; for I knew that I had been +drugged; the shame of having given up like that, at the moment when I +had the cards in my hand; all the cards. I was locked into the +pantry; all my clothes were gone. I found myself dressed in a sailor's +serge-shirt. All my other property had vanished. I remember crying as +I shook at the door to open it; it was too strong for me, in my weak +state. As I wrestled with the door, I heard the dry rattling out of the +cable. We had come to anchor; we were in Dartmouth; perhaps in a few +minutes I should be going ashore. Looking through the port-hole, I saw +a great steep hill rising up from the water, with houses clinging to its +side, like barnacles on the side of a rock. I could see people walking +on the wharf. I could see a banner blowing out from a flagstaff. + +A few more gulps of brandy brought me to myself I was safe anyhow; +my cartridges had not been found. I dropped them one by one into the +metal-flask. Whatever happened, no one would look for them there. Then +I banged at the door again, trying to make people hear. Nobody paid +any attention to me; I might have spared myself the trouble. Long +afterwards, I learned that I was detained while Captain Barlow spoke to +a magistrate about me, asking if I might be “questioned,” that is, put +to the thumbscrews, till it could be learned whether I carried a verbal +message to my uncle, Mr. Blick. The magistrate to whom he first applied +was one of the Monmouth faction as it happened, so my thumbs escaped; +but I had a narrow escape later, as you shall hear. About an hour after +the ship came to anchor, the cabin-door was opened by a sailor, who +flung in an armful of clothes to me, without speaking a word. They were +mostly not my own clothes; the boots were not mine; my own boots, I +guessed, had been cut to pieces in the letter-hunt. All the clothes +which were mine had had the seams ripped up. All my cartridges had been +taken. About half of my money was gone. The only things untouched were +the weapons in the belt. I laughed to myself to think how little reward +they had had for all their baseness. They had stooped to the methods of +the lowest kind of thieves, yet they had failed. They had not found my +letters. My joy was not very real; I was too wretched for that. Looking +back at it all long after, I think that the hardest thing to bear was +Aurelia's share in the work. I had not thought that Aurelia would join +in tricking me in that way. But while I thought bitterly of her deceit, +I thought of her tears on the balcony in the Dutch city. After all, she +had been driven into it by that big bully of a man. I forgave her when I +thought of him; he was the cause of it all. A brute he must have been to +force her into such an action. Presently the mate came down with orders +to me to leave the ship at once. I asked him for my own clothes; but he +told me sharply to be thankful for what I had, since I'd done no work +to earn them; by work he meant the brainless manual work done by people +like himself. So going on deck I called a boatman, who for twopence put +me ashore on the Kingswear side of the river. He gave me full directions +for finding Mr. Blick's house, telling me that in another five minutes I +should come to it, if I followed my nose. As I started from the +landing place I looked back at the barquentine, where I had had so +many adventures. She was lying at anchor at a little distance from the +Dartmouth landing place, making a fair show, under her flag, in spite of +her jury foretopmast. As I looked, the boatman jogged my elbow, pointing +across the river to the strip of road which edges the stream. “A young +lady waving to you,” he said. Sure enough a lady was waving to me. I +supposed that it was Aurelia, asking pardon, trying to show me that we +parted friends. I would not wave at first; I was surly; but after +about a minute I waved my hat to her. Then I set off up the road to Mr. +Blick's. Ten minutes later, I was in Mr. Blick's house, telling him all +that I have now told you. + +Mr. Blick kept me in his house for a day or two less than four weeks, +when business took him to Exeter. I went with him; for he gave out that +he was taking me to school there, as his dead sister had wished. His +real reason was to pass the word through the country that King Monmouth +was coming. He was one of the few men in full knowledge of the Duke's +plans; but as we went about from town to town, spreading the word among +the faithful, I saw that the Duke was expected by vast numbers of the +country folk. Our clients were not much among the gentry; they hung by +themselves, as, in this country, they always will, in times of popular +stir. But among the poorer people, such as small farmers, or common +labouring men, we were looked for as men sent from on high. At more than +one little quiet village, when we went into the inn-parlour, we saw the +men looking at us, half frightened, half expectant, as though we, being +strangers, must needs have news of the King for whom they longed. Often +some publican or maltster would tell us that Gyle (their name for the +unfortunate Argyle, then a defeated man in Scotland, if not already put +to death for his rebellion) was taken, looking at us carefully as he +spoke, for fear lest we should be of the wrong side. Then, if we seemed +sympathetic, he would tell us how perhaps another would have better luck +elsewhere. After that, we would tell our news. It was dangerous work, +though, carrying that message across the country. In many of the towns +we found guards of the Devon red regiment of militia. I am quite sure +that if Mr. Blick had not had me by his side, as an excellent excuse +for travelling to Exeter, he would have been lodged in gaol as a +suspicious character. The soldiers had arrested many travellers already; +the gaols were full. King James's great man in those parts, the Earl of +Albemarle, knew very well that something was in the air; but as he was a +great lord the hearts of the poor were hidden from him. He had no +guess of what was planning. In a way, the Duke's affairs were very well +planned. The eastern end of Devon, all Somerset, with the western end of +Dorset, were all ripe to rise, directly he appeared. They knew that he +was coming; they were prepared to join him; they knew at about what time +he would come, at about a fortnight from hay-harvest. Already, quite +unknown to the authorities, we had men picked out to carry the news +of the landing to different parts of the country. So far, I think, the +Duke's affairs were well planned. But though we had all this enthusiasm +in three counties, besides promises of similar risings in London, we +were in no real case to take the field. Our adherents, however numerous, +however brave, were only a mob, when all is said; they were not an army. +The Duke thought that the regular army, or at least some regiments of +it, would desert to him, as happened some years later, when the great +Prince William did what my master attempted. But my master forgot that +he had neither the arms nor the officers to make his faction a likely +body for regular troops to join. + + + +CHAPTER XV. THE ROAD TO LYME + +We spread the tidings as far as Exeter, where Mr. Blick made some +pretence of handing me over to a schoolmaster, one Hubble, a red-faced, +cheery clergyman, one of the most ardent rebels on our side. Indeed, the +clergymen everywhere supported us, as defenders of the Protestant faith, +which that dastard James would have destroyed. Mr. Hubble made some +excuse for not taking me in at the instant; but gave us letters of +introduction to people in towns further on, so that we could pass the +militia without difficulty, to give the news in western Dorset. So after +waiting for a little while in Exeter, gathering all the news we could of +the whereabouts of the troops of militia, we pushed on eastward, by way +of Sidmouth, to the big town of Dorchester. As we came east, we found +the militia very much more suspicious than they had been on the western +side of Exeter. At every little town we found a strong guard so placed +that no one could enter without passing under the captain's eye. We were +brought before militia captains some two or three times a day. Sometimes +we were searched; sometimes, if the captain happened to be drunk, we +were bullied with threats of the gaol. Mr. Blick in these cases always +insisted on being brought before the magistrate, to whom he would tell +a fine indignant tale, saying what a shame it was that he could not +take his orphan nephew peaceably to school, without being suspected of +complicity in a rebellion. He would then show Mr. Hubble's letters, +or some other papers signed by the Dartmouth magistrates. These always +cleared our characters, so that we were allowed to proceed; but I did +not like the way in which our descriptions were taken. Once on our +journey, shortly after we had left Sidmouth, where the soldiers had been +very suspicious, we turned out of the highway to leave word at a town +called Seaton. We spread the watchword at several villages near the +sea, before we came to Seaton, so that we were rather late in arriving. +Thinking no wrong, we put up at one of the inns in Seaton, intending to +pass the night there. We were at supper in our inn, when some yeomanry +rode up to the door, to ask the landlord if an elderly man had passed +that way with a boy. The landlord, who was a good deal scared by the +soldiers, showed the captain in to us at once. We were quite as much +scared to see him as the landlord had been. The captain of the soldiers +was the very man who had given us such a searching examination in +Sidmouth that morning. + +“Well,” he said to Mr. Blick, “I thought you were going to Dorchester. +What brings you here?” “Sir,” said Mr. Blick, “we've been so much +interrupted by soldiers that we hoped to travel away from the +main-roads.” + +“Well, sir,” said the captain, “I've had you watched. Since you left +Sidmouth, you've been into every inn upon the road, listening to a lot +of seditious talk about Argyle. That's not my point, though. You gave +out to me that you were going to Dorchester. Instead of that you slink +off the Dorchester road at the first opportunity. You will have to +explain yourself to my superiors. You're under arrest.” + +“Sir,” said Mr. Blick, “I am sorry that you should think ill of me. We +will gladly come with you to answer for our conduct to the authorities. +But while the horses are being saddled, perhaps you will join us at +supper. Landlord, bring a couple of bottles more. The captain sups with +us.” + +But though the captain drank his couple of bottles of port, he did not +become any gentler with us. As soon as supper was over we had to ride on +again, with the troopers all round us. + +“Sir,” said Mr. Blick, “may I ask you where we are going with you?” + +“Axminster,” said the captain. + +“Well. That's on my way,” said Mr. Blick. + +“It'll probably end your way, for some time,” said the captain. + +“I'm perfectly willing to abide by the decision of the authorities,” Mr. +Blick answered calmly. “But what is the meaning of all these soldiers +everywhere? I've asked the people; but nobody seems able to give a +straight answer.” + +“I think you know what the soldiers mean well enough,” answered the +captain. “If you hadn't known you wouldn't have turned out of the +highway.” + +At about midnight we reached Axminster. We were taken before a couple +of officers who sat at work by candlelight over a mass of papers, in +an upper chamber of an inn. They had a wild air of having been without +sleep for some time. Their muddy riding boots were drying in front of +the fire. They had a map of the countryside before them, all stuck about +with little flags, some red, some yellow, to show where the different +troops of militia were stationed. After saluting these officers, +the captain made his report about us, saying that we were suspicious +persons, who had started from Sialmouth, towards Dorchester. He had +waited to receive word from the troops stationed along the highway of +our arrival at various points upon the road; but, failing to hear about +us, he had searched for us, with the result that he had found us at +Seaton, some miles out of our way. The officers questioned us closely +about our plans, making notes of what we said. They kept referring to a +book of letters, as though to verify what we said. Mr. Blick's answers +made them take a favourable view of us; but they told him in a friendly +way that the officer had done right to arrest us. They complimented +the captain on his zeal. Meanwhile, they said, since we were going to +Dorchester, we could not object to going with a military escort. A troop +of cavalry was to start in a couple of hours; we could go with that. + +We were in Dorchester for a few days, always under the eye of the +soldiers. It was a bustling, suspicious time full of false alarms. Mr. +Blick told me that the message “King Golden Cap. After six one,” meant +that the Duke was to be expected off Golden Cap, a cliff a few miles +from Lyme Regis, any day after the first of the sixth month. He was +on tenter-hooks to be in Lyme to greet him on his arrival; but this he +could not hope to do. We were watched too carefully to be able to get +away to a place upon the sea-coast. We had to be very careful how we +sent our secret message abroad into the country. I have never known a +time so full of alarms. People would ride in to the town at night with +word that Monmouth was landed, or that there was fighting all along the +coast, or that King James was dead. The drums would beat; the cavalry +would come out clattering. People would be crying out. The loyal would +come to their doorsteps ready to fly further inland. Every night, if +one lay awake, one could hear the noise of spades in back gardens where +misers were burying their money. Then, every day, one would see the +troopers coming in, generally two at a time, with a suspected man led by +a cord knotted to his two thumbs. Dorchester gaol was full of suspected +people, who were kept in prison indefinitely, without trial, in very +great discomfort. King James was afraid, he did not really know of what, +so he took measures not so much to prevent trouble as to avenge his own +fear. Mr. Blick used to send me to the prison every morning with loaves +of fresh bread for the prisoners. + +At last, after midnight, in the night of the 11th of June, a memorable +day for the West, riders came in with news which destroyed the night's +rest of the town. Monmouth had landed at Lyme the evening before, after +sailing about in sight of the town all day. That was news indeed. It +made a strange uproar in the streets. The trumpets blew from every +inn-door to summons the billeted soldiers. Officers ran about bawling +for their sergeants; the sergeants hurried about with lanterns, rousing +the men from where they slept. All the streets were full of cavalry men +trying to form in the crowd. At last, when they were formed, a trumpet +sounded, making everyone keep silence. Then in the stillness an officer +shouted out an order, which no one, save a soldier, could understand. +Instantly the kettle-drums began to pound; the swords jingled; the +horses whinnied, tossing up their heads. The soldiers trotted off +smartly towards Bridport, leaving the town strangely quiet, strangely +scared, to discuss the great news from Lyme. + +I was watching the crowd at my bed-room window when the horsemen trotted +off. While I stood looking at them, Mr. Blick ran upstairs, bidding me +to come down at once, as now there was a chance to get to Lyme. “Come +quick,” he said. “The troops are gone. We must follow on their tracks. +It'll be too late later in the morning.” In less than twenty minutes we +were trotting after the soldiers at a good pace, passing some scores +of men on foot who were hurrying, as they said, to see the battle. Mr. +Blick wore a sword which clattered as he rode. The people hearing the +noise thought that he was an officer, perhaps a colonel, riding with his +servant. Many of the men asked him where the battle was to be, whether +it would begin before daylight, whether Monmouth was come with the +French, all sorts of questions, to which we answered at random. In the +light summer night we had a fair view of things. When we dismounted to +lead our horses up or down the steep hills of that road, the straggling +sight-seers came all round us as we walked, to hear what we had to tell. +We could see their faces all about us, strange in the dusk, like ghosts, +not like real men. At the top of one hill, Mr. Blick warned them to look +out for themselves. He told them that before morning the highway would +be patrolled by troops who would take them in charge as suspicious +characters trying to join Monmouth, which actually happened the next day +when the militia officers realized that war had begun. His words scared +off a number of them; but many kept on as they were going, to see the +great battle, which, they said, would begin as soon as it was light. + +When the sun began to peep, we turned off the highway in order to avoid +Bridport, which we passed a little after dawn. A few miles further on +we felt that we could turn into the road again as we were safe from +the militia at that distance. Then, feeling happy at the thought of +the coming contest, which, we felt sure, would be won by our side, +we pressed our tired nags over the brook towards the steep hill which +separates Charmouth from Lyme. + +It was early morning, about five o'clock, when we came to Charmouth; +but the little town was as busy as though it were noon on fair-day. The +street was crowded. People were coming in from all the countryside. A +man was haranguing the crowd from a horseless waggon drawn up at an inn. +The horses had no doubt been pressed into Monmouth's service some hours +before. I should think that there must have been three hundred people +listening to the orator. Men, already half drunk, with green boughs in +their hats, were marching about the town in uneven companies, armed +with clubs torn from the hedges. Weeping women followed them, trying to +persuade their sons or husbands to come home. Other men were bringing +out horses from private stables. People were singing. One man, leaning +out of a window, kept on firing his pistol as fast as he could load. +Waving men cheered from the hill above. The men in the town cheered +back. There was a great deal of noisy joking everywhere. They cheered us +as we rode through them, telling us that Monmouth had arms for all. One +poor woman begged Mr. Blick to tell her man to come home, as without him +the children would all starve. The crowd groaned at her; but Mr. Blick +stopped them, calling the husband, who was in a sad state of drunken +vainglory, to leave the ranks in which he tried to march. “We don't want +fathers of families,” he cried. “We want these tight young bachelors. +They're the boys.” Indeed, the tight young bachelors felt that this was +the case, so the woman got her man again; lucky she was to get him. As +far as I could judge, the crowd imagined us to be great officers; at +any rate our coming drew away the listeners from the waggon. They came +flocking to our heels as though we were the Duke himself. A drummer beat +up a quickstep; the crowd surged forward. We marched across the fields +to Lyme, five hundred strong. One of the men, plucking a sprig of +hawthorn from the hedge, asked me to wear it in my hat as the Duke's +badge, which I did. He called me “Captain.” “Captain,” he said. “We had +a brush with them already, this morning, along the road here. Two on 'em +were killed. They didn't stay for no more.” So fighting had begun then, +the civil war had taken its first fruits of life. There could be no more +shillyshallying; we had put our hands to a big business. In spite of +the noise of the march, my spirits were rather dashed by the thought +of those two men, lying dead somewhere on the road behind us, killed by +their own countrymen. + +We are said to be a sober people; but none of those who saw Lyme that +morning would have had much opinion of our sobriety. Charmouth had been +disorderly; Lyme was uproarious. Outside the town, in one of the fields +above the church, we were stopped by a guard of men who all wore white +scarves on their arms, as well as green sprays in their hats. They +stopped us, apparently, because their captain wished to exercise them +in military customs. They were evidently raw to the use of arms. They +handled their muskets like spades. “Be you for Monmouth, masters?” they +asked us, grinning. When we said that we were, this very unmilitary +guard told us to pass on. “Her've got arms for all,” they said. “The +word be 'Fear nothing but God.'” Some of them joked with friends among +our party. They waved their muskets to us. + + + +CHAPTER XVI. THE LANDING + +Inside the town, there was great confusion. Riotous men were foraging, +that is, plundering from private houses, pretending that they did so at +the Duke's orders. The streets were full of people, nearly all of them +men, the green boughs in their hats. On the beach two long lines of +men with green scarves on their arms were being drilled by an officer. +Horses were picketed in a long line up the main street; they were +mostly very poor cart-stock, ill-provided, as I learned afterwards, +with harness. Men were bringing hay to them from whatever haystack was +nearest. From time to time, there came a loud booming of guns, above +the ringing of the church bells. Three ships in the bay, one of them +La Reina, were firing salutes as they hoisted their colours. It was all +like a very noisy fair or coronation day. It had little appearance of an +armed invasion. We found the Duke busy with Mr. Jermyn enlisting men in +a field above the town. + +“That's not Mr. Jermyn. That's Lord Grey,” Mr. Blick said, on hearing me +exclaim. “Mr. Jermyn's only the name he goes by. He's my Lord now, you +must remember.” + +Just then the Duke caught sight of us riding up. He took us for local +gentry, coming in to volunteer. He came smiling to welcome us. It must +have been a shrewd disappointment to him to find that we were not what +he thought. All his hopes were in the gentry, poor man. By the time we +were on our feet with our hats off he had turned his back upon us +as though to speak to Lord Grey, but really, I believe, to hide his +chagrin. When he turned to us again both of them welcomed us, saying +that there was work enough for all, in enlisting men, making out +billets, etc. So without more ado we gave our horses to the ostlers at +an inn. Mr. Blick at once began to blarney the standers-by into joining, +while I, sitting at a little table, in the open air, wrote out copies of +a letter addressed to the local gentry. My copies were carried from Lyme +by messengers that afternoon but, alas for my master, they did not bring +many gentry to us. + +Now while I was writing at the table, under the great flapping standard, +with the Duke, in his purple coat, walking about in front of me, I had a +pretty full view of the crowd which ringed us in. We were circled about +by a crowd of gaping admirers; from whom, every minute, Mr. Blick, or +the Duke, or Lord Grey, would select a sheepish grinning man to serve +under our colours. Among the crowd I noticed a little old lame man with +a long white beard. He was a puppet-man, who was making the people laugh +by dancing his puppets almost under the Duke's nose. As he jerked the +puppet-strings, he played continually on his pan-pipes the ribald tune +of “Hey, boys, up go we,” then very popular. The Duke spoke to him once; +but he did not answer, only bowed very low, with his hat off, which made +the people think him an idiot or a jester. They laughed heartily at him. +After a bit, it occurred to me that this old puppet-shaker always crept +into the ring (with his hat off to receive alms) whenever the Duke spoke +aside to Lord Grey, or to some other officer. I watched him narrowly to +make sure, because something in his manner made me suspect that he was +trying to catch what our leaders said to each other. I tried to recall +where I had seen the old man; for I had seen him before. He had been at +Exeter on the day we set out for Sidmouth, so much I remembered clearly; +but looking at him carefully, with my head full of memories of faces, +it seemed to me that he had been at Dorchester also. Surely an old man, +lame in the left leg like this man, had gone down a narrow lane in +front of me in Dorchester. I had not thought of it in Dorchester; but I +thought of it now, with a feeling that it was strange to meet again thus +in Lyme. I took good stock of the man, wondering if he were a spy. +He was a dirty old man enough. His dirty fingers poked through ragged +mittens. His cheeks were all swathed up in a woollen comforter. I made +the mistake of looking at him so hard that I made him look at me. Seeing +that I was staring at him, with a face full of suspicion, he walked +boldly up to me, holding out his hat for my charity. We stared at +each other, while he blew a blast on his pan-pipes, at which everybody +laughed. + +“Come, come, boy,” said Lord Grey to me, “we want those letters done. +Never mind about the puppets. Here, old man” (giving him a penny), “you +take yourself off now. Or are you going to enlist?” + +The people laughed again at this, while the old man, after a flourish of +his hat to me, piped up lively quickstep, called “Jockeys to the Fair.” + +He disappeared after this. I did not see him again until our troubles +began, later in the morning. I was finishing off the last of my letters, +when some of our scouts rode in to make a grave report to the Duke. They +had ridden in pretty hard, their horses were lathered all over. They +themselves were in an internal lather; for they had just had their first +sight of war. They had come into touch (so they declared) with the +whole of Albemarle's militia, marching out to attack them. On being +questioned, it turned out that they had heard this from an excited +labourer who had run to them with the news, as they stood guard in +a roadside field a few miles out of Lyme. They themselves had seen +nothing, but the news seemed so probable that the Duke acted on it. He +sent me off at once with a message to a clever, handsome gentleman who +was in charge of the cavalry in the street. It was in giving the message +that I saw the old man again. He was them limping up the street on the +Sidmouth road, going fast, in spite of his lameness. I gave my message +to the captain, who commanded his trumpeter to call to arms. The +trumpeter blew nobly; but the sight of the confusion afterwards showed +me how little raw troops can be trusted. There was a hasty scramble for +horses rather than a setting forth. Some men quarreled over weapons; +others wrestled with harness; others ran about wildly, asking what was +happening, was it to be a battle, what did blowing on the trumpet mean? +Some few, thinking the worst, got wisdom in those few moments. They took +horses from the ranks, but instead of forming up with the regiments, +they galloped off home, having had enough of soldiering at the first +order. The foot behaved rather better, knowing, perhaps, that if they +fought they would be behind hedges, in some sort of shelter. Even so, +they seemed a raw lot of clumsy bumpkins as they marched up. Many of +them were in ploughmen's smock-frocks; hardly any of them had any +sense of handling their guns. They had drums with them, which beat up +a quickstep, giving each man of them a high sense of his importance, +especially if he had been drinking. People in the roadway cheered them, +until they heard that there was to be a battle. Those who were coming in +to join us found it a reason for hesitation. + +After a lot of confusion, the army drew out of Lyme along the Sidmouth +road, followed by a host of sightseers. Some of the best mounted rode +on ahead at a trot, under the handsome man, Mr. Fletcher, who was their +captain. I followed on with the foot-soldiers, who marched extremely +slowly. They halted at their own discretion; nor did they seem to +understand that orders given were to be obeyed. What they liked, poor +fellows, was to see the women admiring them. The march up the hill +out of Lyme was a long exhibition of vanity, the women waving their +handkerchiefs, the men putting on all sorts of airs, jetting like +gamecocks. When we got up to the top of the hill, I saw the old lame +puppet-man, sitting on the edge of the wild, unenclosed, gorse-covered +common-land which stretches away towards the town of Axminster. He was +watching us with deep interest. Our men were spreading out into line +upon this common. The horse was ranging on, bobbing about, far ahead. +The foot were looking about eagerly as they got out of the ranks in +which they had marched; but they could see no trace of any enemy. +I caught sight of the Duke four hundred yards away, a little figure +sitting alone on his horse, in front of half a dozen others. They were +all scanning the country, all the way round. Presently I called out that +I saw the enemy. Half a dozen cavalry were riding up a combe far off. +But they were our own men, not the militia. They were some of our scouts +riding off as “feelers” to spy out Albemarle's position. All the time +that we were up there on the hill, the little old man portered about +among the men, now listening to what they had to say, now asking the +soldiers to look at his pretty puppets. When the returning scouts +brought word that no troops were near us, so that we were free to march +back again, he was still there, packing up his puppets in tarred canvas, +as though about to march off to the next market-town. We marched past +him, as he sat in the heather. I passed quite close to him, staring at +him hard, for to tell the truth he was on my mind. I was suspicious of +him. He took off his hat to me, with a smile; but he did not speak. Then +my troops swung round, down the hill, leaving him alone there, watching +the men pass. + +Other things put him out of my mind during the afternoon. I was kept +busy writing orders to scouts; for we were sending out scouts in every +direction, partly to protect us from surprise, partly to direct new +recruits to our headquarters. Mr. Blick, who knew the ground dictated +the letters, helped by Mr. Fletcher, who studied a big map with great +attention; I was writing all that afternoon. Lyme grew noisier during +the day, as the recruits became more drunk. Many steady men turned away +from us when they saw our disorder. I myself had been brought up to +abhor drunkenness. I found the state of drunken uproar very terrible. I +feared that such an army would never achieve any great deed. I thought +that such sin would be punished. Our soldiers were not behaving like +knights sworn to a good cause; but like boors at a fair. That day we +lost our only good officer, Mr. Fletcher. + +I have spoken of this gentleman. He was in command of the horse under +Lord Grey. He was a much better soldier than my Lord; a better officer, +too; a better man. Now in the day's confusion, with everything topsy +turvy, the Duke's messenger, “Old Dare,” rode into Lyme from Taunton, +where he had galloped the day before to spread the news of our arrival. +This Dare was a quick-tempered, not very clever, popular man with a +great deal of influence in the countryside. On his way back to us from +Taunton, someone lent, or gave, him a very fine horse. It may have been +meant as a gift to the Duke; I do not know. Anyhow Old Dare rode in on +this horse with letters from Taunton, which he handed to Mr. Fletcher to +give to the Duke. Fletcher, our cavalry commander, had as yet no horse; +so seeing the splendid charger on which Old Dare rode, he ordered Old +Dare to give it up to him. He was the real commander of the army, with +a military right, if no real right, to take what horse he liked from +any subordinate officer. But Old Dare, like so many of our men, had no +knowledge of what soldier's discipline meant. He saw, in Fletcher, a +gentleman with whom he had lived as an equal for the last fortnight. He +was not going to give up his horse like that; not he. Fletcher (speaking +sharply) told him to obey without further words, at which Dare in a +sudden flush of temper struck him with his riding switch. Fletcher +was not a patient man. He could not let an act of gross mutiny pass +unpunished, nor would he suffer an insult. He shot Dare dead upon +the spot, in full view of some hundreds of us. It was all done in an +instant. There was Dare lying dead, never to stir again. There was +Fletcher, our only soldier, with a smoking pistol in his hand, thinking +that he had taught the army a lesson in obedience. There was the +army all about him, flocking round in a swarm, not looking at it as a +military punishment but as a savage murder, for which he deserved to be +hanged. Then the Duke hastened up to make things quiet, before the army +avenged their friend. He drew Fletcher aside, though the people murmured +at him for speaking to a murderer. He was unnerved by Fletcher's act. He +had no great vitality. Sudden crises such as this unnerved him, by +using up his forces. A crisis of this kind (a small thing in a great +rebellion) was often enough to keep his brain from considering other, +more important, more burning questions concerning the entire army. The +end of this business was as unhappy as its beginning. Fletcher, our only +soldier, was sent aboard the frigate in which the Duke had sailed from +Holland. When the tide served, she set sail with him for Corunna in +Spain. With him she carried all our hopes of success, together with a +quantity of stores which would have been of use later in the expedition. +As I left the Cobb, or pier, which makes Lyme harbour, I saw the little +lame puppet-man turning away from the beach with a company of men who +wore our green boughs. For a few steps I hurried towards him, so that I +might overhear what he was saying; I made so sure that he was a spy. Mr. +Blick, to whom I told my fears, bade me not to worry myself. “Why, boy,” + he said, “there are five hundred spies in Lyme; but they can't hurt us. +Before they can get off to tell our enemies all about us there won't +be any enemies left. We shall be marching at once. We shall drive +everything before us.” He spoke with such confidence that I believed +him; yet the old man troubled me, for all that. When you see a face +continually, at a time when you are excited, you connect the face with +your excitement; it troubles your nerves. + +The day wore by with all the unreality of a day of confusion. I was kept +at work until the light was gone; then served at the Duke's table while +he supped, then snatched a hurried supper while he talked with his +officers. After supper, I had to go from billet to billet, looking for +people whom the officers wished to see. Something very important was in +the air. The discussion in the inn's great room was the first serious +council of the war. About eleven o'clock, Lord Grey came out of the +room, telling me to follow him. We went out into the street, where +presently our men began to fall in, four or five abreast, about a +hundred ranks of them. A few cavalry came, too, but not enough, I heard +Lord Grey say, not enough to do any good with. In spite of all the +efforts of those who loved us (by efforts I mean the robbing of +farm-stables) we were very short of horses. Those which we had were not +good; they were cart, not saddle-horses, unused to the noise of guns. +Still, such as they were, they formed up in the street ahead of the +foot. The force took a long time to form; for the men kept saying that +they had forgotten something, their powder-horn, their cartridges, their +guns, even. Then they had to run back to their billets to fetch whatever +it was, while those who remained behind, puzzled at the movement so late +at night, when they wished to sleep, began to get nervous. They began to +ask where it was that we were going, was it to Axminster, or to Bridport. + + + +CHAPTER XVII. A VOICE AT DAWN + +Word was passed about that we were going to surprise the militia at +Bridport at dawn. We were told to keep quiet on the march, after passing +Charmouth, as the night was so still that we should be heard far off. We +did not know how near the Bridport outposts might come to us under cover +of the night. “You come with us, Martin,” said Lord Grey: “Take a horse. +If we win Bridport you'll have to gallop back with the news.” I was +made a little nervous by the thought of going into battle so soon; but +gulping down my fears I mounted a marsh-mare which stood near the inn +door. I hoped sincerely that no militia bullet would find any part of +either of us. Then the drums began to play us out of the town with their +morning roll. A fife whined out, going down to our marrows with its +shrillness. Lights showed at the windows. We saw dark heads framed in +yellow patches. People called to us. In the door of the great inn stood +Monmouth; his face seemed very white in the glare of the torches. He +raised his hand to us as we passed him. The last thing I noticed of the +town, for I rode in the rear with Lord Grey, were the ranks passing the +lamp on the town hall. They came up to it in waves, their cloaks showing +in glimmer for an instant. Then they passed on into the night, sliding +forwards slowly with a steady roll, like the moving of waves to the +shore. + +We were a long time riding; so long that the dawn was on us by the time +we were within shot of the enemy. I don't remember very much about the +ride, except that it was unreal, very unreal; for the mists came down, +blotting the world from us, so that we rode in a swirl of cold grey, +amid a noise of dropping. When we got to the top of the long hill after +Chideock I was bidden halt at a cross-roads, with a waggon full of +ammunition, while the force moved on to the attack. The hills were +showing up clearly above the mist; but the valley lay like a sea, a +great grey formless level, like some world of the ghosts. The troops +passed down in it, moving pretty briskly, lest the mist should lift +before they were in position. Most of them knew the country, so that +they could well walk confidently; but their quickness had something +nervous in it, as though they were ill at ease. Very soon they were out +of sight, out of hearing, swallowed up in the fog. + +I waited a long time (as it seemed) up there at the cross-roads. After a +long wait I rode a little down the hill, from sheer anxiety. I pulled +up in a bank of cloud, through which I could see dimly, in the growing +light, for about a dozen yards. I was leaning well forward, listening +for the sound of shooting, when something made me look down. Someone +was standing at my side, slipping something into my pocket. It gave me a +start. I clutched at the person. It was the old lame puppet-man who +had been at Lyme the day before. “Latter for ee,” he said in a whisper. +“Read en, unless you'm a fool.” His hand pressed lightly on my bridle +hand for an instant; then he ducked sideways swiftly into the wilderness +of ferny gorse at the side of the road, where I could not hope to +follow him, even if the mist had not hidden him. Something in the voice, +something in the lightness of the touch startled me into the knowledge. +As he ducked, it came over me that this old man was Aurelia disguised, +come to spy upon us, but bent, also, on giving me a warning, some little +kind word of advice, at the beginning of my lord's war. I ought to have +recognized her before. I had been blind. She had been under my eyes the +whole day, yet I had never once suspected, no one, of all that army, had +suspected. She had been disguised by a master-hand. She had played her +part like a great actress. It was terrible to think of the risk she was +running. One man's suspicion, in a time of war, would have been enough +to give her to a horrible death. I tried to follow her into the jungle +into which she had vanished; but my horse would not face the furze. I +tried hard to see her, but it was no use; the tangle was too thick; she +had gone. I called out to her softly; but I got no answer; only, at some +little distance away, I heard a twig snap under a passer's foot. + +In a momentary clearing of the mist, I pulled out my letter. It was +written in a fine, firm hand, with signature. It was a short, purposeful +letter, which kept sharply to the point. It only contained two lines. +“Your Duke's cause is hopeless. He has no possible chance. Take the +Axminster road to safety.” That was the whole letter. It gave me a +feeling of uneasiness; but it did not tempt me to desert. I thought that +if I deserted I might very well be tortured into betraying all that I +knew of the Duke's plans, while I doubted very much whether the Duke's +body-servant would find mercy from the merciless, frightened King. What +was I to do, even if I escaped from the King's party? I was too young +for any employment worthy of my station in life. I had neither the +strength nor the skill for manual labour. Who would employ a boy of my +age on a farm or in a factory? All that I could hope would be to get +away to sea, to a life which I had already found loathsome. As to going +back to my uncle's house, I doubt if I would have gone, even had I had +the certainty of getting to it safely. When a boy has once taken to an +adventurous life, nothing but very ill health will drive him back to +home-life. Yet there was the thought of Aurelia. Somehow the thought +of her was a stronger temptation than any fear of defeat. I would have +liked to have seen that old enemy of mine again. + +I was thinking over the letter, wondering what would come to the Duke's +cause, when the valley below me began to ring with firing. A heavy +fire had begun there. It thundered in a long roll, which died down, +momentarily, into single sputterings through which one could hear +shouting. About twenty minutes after the beginning of the shots, when +all the party on the hill-top were edging nearer to the battle, taking +a few steps at a time, on tenter-hooks to be engaged, we heard a great +gallop of horses' hoofs coming to us at full tilt. At first we +were scared by this, for the noise was tremendous, too great, we +inexperienced soldiers thought, to be caused by our little troop of +cavalry. We thought that it was the Bridport militia charging down on +us, after destroying our friends. The mist by this time was all blowing +clear, though wisps of it clung along the hedgerows in unreal rolling +folds. The day above was breaking in the sultry blue summer dimness. We +could see, I suppose, for a quarter of a mile, straight down the road. + +We had swung round, facing towards Lyme, when the noise of the hoofs +first came to us. When the turn of the road showed us a squad of cavalry +coming to us at the charge, led by half a dozen riderless horses, we +waited for no more. We spurred up our nags in a panic, till we, too, +were going full tilt for Lyme, shouting out as we went any nonsense +which came to our heads. We were in a panic fear; I believe that the +horses in some way felt it too. We galloped back to Chideock as though +we were chased by witches, while the gun-firing at Bridport steadily +grew less, till at last it stopped altogether. At Chideock, some of the +cavalry came up with us. They were our own men, our own troop of horse, +not an enemy after all. The riderless horses were a few of the militia +charges which had been seized from a cavalry outpost to the west of the +town. We had bolted from our own crazy terror. But we were not the only +fleers. Our cavalry had bolted first, at the first volley outside the +town. It is unjust to say that they were afraid. Lord Grey was not a +coward; our men had stout hearts enough; but they had not reckoned +on the horses. The first discharge of guns scared the horses almost +frantic. They swung about out of action in a couple of seconds. Another +volley made them all bolt. It was when they were bolting that the men +began to grow alarmed. Fear is a contagious thing; it seems to pass +from spirit to spirit, like a flame along a powder train, till perhaps +a whole army feels it. Our horsemen pulled up among us in Chideock in +as bad a scare as you ever saw; it was twenty minutes before they dared +walk back to find out what had happened to the foot at Bridport, after +their retreat. + +Our foot came back very angry with the horse. They had fired away a lot +of powder to very little purpose, before orders reached them, bidding +them retire. They had not wished to retire; but at last they had done +so sullenly, vowing to duck Lord Grey for deserting them. We had +taken about a dozen horses without harness, instead of the two hundred +equipped chargers which we had promised ourselves. + +We had killed a few of the militia, so everybody said; but in the +confusion of the powder-smoke who could say how many? They were certain +that none of our own men had been killed; but in a force so newly +raised, who could say for certain which were our own men? As a matter +of fact several of our men had been taken by the royalists, which is as +much as to say that they had been killed. Altogether the affair had +been a hopeless failure from the very beginning. The foot had learned to +despise the horse. The horses had learned to be afraid of gun-fire. The +cavalrymen had learned to despise Lord Grey. The militia had learned to +despise us. The only valuable lesson that our men had learned was that +a battle was not so terrible a thing. You knelt down, fired your gun, +shouted, borrowed your neighbour's drinking bottle, took a long swig, +then fired again, with more shouting, till somebody clapped you on the +shoulder with orders to come away. But this lesson, precious as it was +did not console our men for their beating. They were cross with the long +night-march as well as with Lord Grey's desertion. We dragged our +way back to Lyme very slowly, losing a good fifty of our number by +desertion. They slipped away home, after falling out of the ranks to +rest. They had had enough of fighting for the Duke; they were off home. +The officers were strict at first, trying to stop these desertions; but +the temper of the men was so bad that at last they gave it up, hoping +that some at least would stay. That was another evil consequence of +fighting for the crown with an undisciplined mob; they could sustain +defeat as ill as they could use victory. We did not trail into Lyme +until after noon; for we marched like snails, fearing that the militia +would follow us. When we got into camp, the men flung their arms from +them, careless of the officer's orders. All that they wanted was sleep +(we had eaten a late breakfast at Charmouth), they were not going to +do any more soldier's foolery of drill, or sentry-go. As for Lord Grey, +whom everybody called a coward, the Duke could not cashier him, because +he was the best officer remaining to us. Poor Fletcher, who might have +made something of our cavalry, was by this time far away at sea. The +other officers had shown their incapacity that morning. For my own part, +I chose out a snug billet on a hearthrug in the George Inn, where I +slept very soundly for several hours. While I slept, the Duke held a +melancholy council to debate what could be done. + +They say that he ought to have marched that morning to Exeter, where +Lord Albemarle's militia (all of them ripe for rebellion) would have +joined him. + +Exeter or Bristol, one or the other, would have been a fine plume in +his cap, a strong, fortified town, full of arms, where he could have +established himself firmly. I do not know why he decided against +marching to Exeter. He may have had bad reports of troops being on the +road waiting for him; or he may have thought that his friends (who +were plentiful on the Bristol road) would rally to him as soon as he +appeared. He was deceived by those protesting gentry, his friends, who +had welcomed him so warmly only a few months before. He thought that all +the countryside was ready to join him. He had been deceived, as perhaps +a cleverer man would have been deceived, by the warmth of his welcome +on his earlier visit. An Englishman is always polite to a Duke when he +meets him in a friendly gathering. But when the Duke says, “Lend me all +your ready money, together with your horses, or rather give them to me, +since I am the King,” his politeness leaves him; he gets away to London +to warn the police as fast as his horse will take him. Thus it was with +the Duke's friends scattered about along the main-road from Lyme to +Bristol. + +I know not who persuaded the Duke to march; probably it was Grey; it may +have been Venner; it may have been a momentary mad resolution caused +by a glass of wine. They say that he was solemn about it, as though he +expected to fail. Perhaps he would have gone back to Holland if the ship +had been still in the harbour, but of course she had gone away. He would +not go in La Reina; for she was sluggish from barnacles, having been +long un-careened. The Channel at this time was full of ships looking for +him; how he escaped them when he sailed from Holland I cannot think. He +hesitated for a long time, poor man, before deciding; no man could have +acted more like a Stuart, at such a time. When the decision was made he +gave word to start early on the following morning. But this I did not +know till one A.M, when Lord Grey routed me out from my berth on the +hearth-rug, so that I might go from house to house, calling up our +officers. + +I suppose that all our officers were out of bed by two o'clock, yet +it took them eight hours to get their men together, into some sort of +order. We were hardly ready for the road at ten A.M. when the drums +beat up to play us out of the town. As I was the Duke's servant, I was +allowed to ride by my master; I daresay people thought that I was the +young Prince. We marched up the hill gaily, with a multitude flocking +all about us, but there were many of that crowd who looked doubtfully +at my master's sad face, thinking that he looked over-melancholy for a +conquering king. + +We marched out of Lyme into a valley, through a sort of suburb called +Uplyme. After that we marched steadily up hill, a long climb of two +miles, having a great view of the countryside on our left hand. Our +right was shut from us by a wooded hill. It was a warm, sunny June day: +the grass just ripe for hay harvest; the country at its best; everything +at its full flower, so that you wondered at the world's abundance. We +sent out scouts, when we were about a mile from Lyme; but when we were +at the top of the hill we could see for ourselves, without putting +scouts abroad. We could see horsemen on the high ground away to the +left, two or three hundred of them. Besides these there were some +companies of foot drawn up in good order in the fields outside +Axminster, at some distance from the town. When this army caught sight +of us, it began to file off towards the town, as though to dispute it +with us, so our advanced guard pushed on to drive them out of it. +The sight of so many men in order, was a very moving one. To see them +advance their colours, to see the light on the shifting steel, to hear +the low beating hum of the feet was stirring to the heart. Word ran +along the line that there was going to be a battle. Our foot left the +road, so as to spread out into line in the open, where they could take +up positions behind hedges. I was sent back to the rear at this instant, +to order up the ammunition waggons, so that I missed some part of the +operations; but I shall never forget how confidently our men spread out; +they marched as though they were going into the fields for partridges. +The drums began again, to hearten them, but there was no need for drums +in that company; they began to sing of their own accord, making a noise +which drowned the drums altogether. I gave my orders to the ammunition +waggons, which were blocked in a jumble of sightseers, camp-followers, +etc., etc., so that they could hardly move. The drivers got me to charge +my horse through the mob to make a path, which I did, with a good deal +of pain to myself, for the people thus thrust aside struck at me. The +drivers struck out at them in return; we had a little fight of our own, +while Axminster was being won. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. I SPEAK WITH AURELIA + +The next thing which I remember was coming out of the mob with the +waggons just behind me, going at a smart pace to a position on the +army's right. The road was pretty full of all sorts of people; but as +we shouted for them to clear the way, they made a lane for us. I saw the +Duke's little clump of staff-officers on a pitch of rising ground, but +there was no firing; only a noise of many voices singing. Just as we +were about to turn off the road into the fields behind our right wing, +I saw the little old lame puppet-man sitting on a donkey by the ditch +at the side of the road. I shouted to the drivers to pass on, which they +did, at full tilt, while I drew rein by the old man's side. “Aurelia,” I +said, “this is no place for you. Do get away from here before they find +you out.” + +“Why,” she said, very calmly, in the broad burring man's voice which +she imitated so exactly. “I be come 'ere to find you out. You'm going to +your death, boy. You get out of this 'ere army afore you're took. I +tell ee thy Duke be a doomed man. Look at en's face. Why, boy, there be +eleven thousand soldiers a-marching to put er down. You've only a got +a quarter of that lot. Come out of en, boy. Do-an't ee be led wrong.” I +was touched by her kind thought for me; she was risking her life for +me for the second time, but in the hurry of the moment I could not put +words together to thank her. + +“Aurelia,” I said, “I can't talk to you now. Only get out of this. Don't +stay here. I'm all right.” + +“No, Martin,” she said, in her ordinary voice, “you're not all right. +Come out of this. Slip away tonight to Newenham Abbey. It be over there, +not more than a couple of miles. Oh, come, come. I can't bear to see you +going away to certain death. I KNOW that this force cannot win.” + +“Yes, Aurelia,” I answered. “But I'm not going to be a hang-back for all +that. I'm not going to be a coward. You risk a horrible death, only to +tell me not to do the same. You wouldn't give up a cause you believed +in, merely because it was dangerous. I'll stick by my master, Aurelia. +Don't try to tempt me.” + +She would have said more; she would perhaps have persuaded me from my +heroics, had not the guns begun firing. That broke the spell with a +vengeance; nothing could be done after that. I shook up my horse, hardly +pausing to say “God bless you.” In another minute she was out of sight, +while I was cantering off to the extreme right wing with the Duke's +orders to his officers to cut in on the road to Chard. As I rode along, +behind the scattered line of our men, I could see the rolls of smoke +from the firing on the left. The men on the right were not firing, but +being raw troops they were edging little by little towards the firing, +in which I do not doubt they longed to be, for the sake of the noise. +They say now that the Duke threw away this battle at Axminster. He could +have cut Albemarle's troops to pieces had he chosen to do so. They made +a pretty bold front till we were within gunfire of them, when they all +scattered off to the town pell-mell. While they were in the town, we +could have cut them off from the Chard road, which would have penned +them in while we worked round to seize the bridges. After that, one +brisk assault would have made the whole batch of them surrender. Some of +our officers galloped from our right wing (where I was) to see how the +land lay, before leading off their men as I had brought them word. A +few of them fired their pistols, when they came to the road, which was +enough to make the right wing double forward to support them without +orders. In a minute about a thousand of us were running fast after our +officers, while the Duke's aides charged down to stop us. He had decided +not to fight, probably thinking that it would do his cause no good by +killing a lot of his subjects so early in his reign. We know now that +had he made one bold attack that morning, the whole of Albemarle's +force, with the exception of a few officers, would have declared for +him. In other words we should have added to our army about a thousand +drilled armed men who knew the country through which we were to pass. +By not fighting, we discouraged our own army, who grumbled bitterly when +they found their second battle as ineffectual as the fight at Bridport. + +I remember next that I saw the whole of Albemarle's troops flying for +their lives along the Chard road, flinging away their weapons as they +ran. They had the start of us; but a resolute captain could have brought +them to a stand, by pushing forward his cavalry. However “a bridge of +gold to a flying foe” is a good saying. We let them go. When our cavalry +advanced (to keep them on the move, not to fight with them) they passed +the time in collecting what the militia had flung away; about four +thousand pounds' worth of soldiers' stores, chiefly uniforms. I went +forward with the horse on that occasion. I picked up altogether about a +dozen muskets, which I gave to some of our men who were armed only with +clubs. Then I rode back to report myself ready for service to my master, +who was getting ready for camp, thinking that his men had done enough +for one day. + +It was a sad waste of time. A rough camp was formed. We went no further +for that time. About half a precious day was wasted, which might have +brought us nearly to Taunton under a resolute man, sworn to conquer. +Some of our men went out to forage, which they did pretty roughly. It +was theft with violence, coloured over by some little touch of law. +The farmers who were unpopular thereabouts had their cattle driven off; +their ricks carted off; their horses stolen; their hen-roosts destroyed. +We were like an army of locusts, eating up everything as we passed. Our +promises to pay, when the King came to his own, were really additional +insult; for the people robbed knew only too well how Stuart kings kept +their promises. One strange thing I saw that night. The men who were +cooking their newly stolen beef at the camp-fires kept crying out for +camp-kettles in which to boil the joints. We had no camp-kettles; but an +old man came forward to the Duke's quarters to ask if he might show the +men how to cook their meat without kettles. The Duke at once commanded +him to show us how this might be done. Like most useful inventions, it +was very simple. It was one of those things which are forgotten as life +becomes civilised, but for want of which one may perish when one returns +to barbarity, as in war. The old man began by placing stout poles +in tripods over the camp-fires, lashing them firmly at the top with +faggot-binders. Then he took the hide of one of the slaughtered cattle, +gathering it up at the corners, so as to form a sort of bag. He cut some +long narrow strips from the hide of the legs, with which to tie the four +corners together. Then he lashed the four corners to the tripod, so that +the bag hung over the fire. + +“There,” he said. “There is your kettle. Now put water into en. Boil +thy victuals in er. That be a soldier's camp-kettle. You can carry your +kettle on your beef till you be ready for en.” + +Indeed, it proved to be a very good kind of a kettle after one got +used to the nastiness of it, though the smell of burning hair from the +kettles was disgusting. To this day, I have only to singe a few hairs +in a candle to bring back to my mind's eye that first day in camp at +Axminster, the hill, the valley ringed in by combes, the noise of the +horses, the sputtering of the fires of green wood, the many men passing +about aimlessly, wondering at the ease of a soldier's life after the +labour of spring ploughing. It was a wonderful sight, that first camp +of ours; but the men for the most part grumbled at not fighting; they +wanted to be pushing on, to seize the city of Bristol, instead of +camping there. How did they know, they said, that the weather would +keep fine? How were we to march with all our ten baggage waggons if the +weather turned wet, so that the roads became muddy? The roads in those +parts became deep quagmires in rainy weather. A light farmer's market +cart might go in up to the axles after a day's steady rain. To march +through such roads would break the men's hearts quicker than any +quantity of fighting, however disastrous. Thus they grumbled about the +camp-fires, while I bustled over the Duke's dinner, in the intervals of +running errands for the colonel. + +That evening, after the summer dusk had come, but before the army had +settled to sleep, I heard an old man, one of our cavalrymen, talking to +another trooper. “Ah,” he said, “I was fighting in the old wars under +Oliver. I've seen wars enough. You mark my words, boy, this army won't +do much. We've not got enough men, for one thing. We could have had +fourteen thousand or more if he'd thought to bring muskets for en. We've +not got cavalry, that's another thing. When us do come face to face with +all the King's men us shall be sore put to it for want of a few trusty +horses. Horsemen be the very backbones of armies in the field. Then, +boy, we not got any captains, that's worst of all. The Duke's no +captain. If he'd been a captain her'd have fought this morning. Them +others aren't captains neither, none of them. Besides, what are they +doing sitting down in camp like this when we ought to be marching? +Us ought to be marching. Marching all night, never setting down once, +marching in two armies, one to Exeter, one to Bristol. Us'd 'ave the two +towns by late tomorrow night if us was under old Oliver. It'll take us +a week to get to Bristol at this rate. By that time it will be full of +troops, as well as secured by ships. As for us, by that time we shall +have troops all round us, not to speak of club-men.” + +“Ah,” said the younger man. “What be club-men, gaffer?” + +“You'll know soon enough what club-men are,” the old man answered, “if +there's any more of this drunken dirty robbery I saw this afternoon. +Those thieves who stole the farmer's cattle would have been shot in +Oliver's time. They'd have cast lots on a drum in sight of all on us, +drawn up. The men who got the low numbers would have been shot. The +captains would have pistolled them where they stood. If this robbing +goes on, all the farmers will club together to defend themselves, making +a sort of second army for us to fight against. That is what club-men +means. It's not a nice thing to fight in a country where there are +club-men all round you. No, boy. So what with all this, boy, I be going +to creep out of this 'ere army. I do-an't like the look of things, nor +I do-an't like the way things are done. If you take a old man's advice +you'll come too.” + +“Noa,” said the honest oaf, “I be agoin' to vight. I be a-goin' to +London town to be a girt sol-dier.” + +“Ah,” said the old man, shortly, “you be a vule, Tummas. Wish ee good +day, maister.” Then the old man turned sharply on his heel to leave the +camp, which he did easily enough, for he knew several of the sentries. +Even if he had not known them, it would have made little difference, +because our sentries were so lax that the camp was always swarming with +strangers. Women came to see their husbands or sweethearts. Boys came +out of love of mischief. Men came out of curiosity, or out of some wish +to see things before they decided which side to take. Our captains were +never sure at night how many of their men would turn up at muster the +next morning. + +After the old man had deserted, I sat down on the high ground above the +camp, in the earthen battery where our four little guns were mounted. I +was oppressed with a sad feeling that we were all marching to death. The +old man's words, “we shall have troops all round us,” rang in my head, +till I could have cried. My mind was full of terrible imaginings. I +saw our army penned up in a little narrow valley where the roads were +quagmires, so that our guns were stuck in the mud, our horses up to +their knees, our men floundering. On the hills all round us I saw +the King's armies, fifty thousand strong, marching to music under the +colours, firing, then wheeling, forming with a glint of pikes, bringing +up guns at a gallop, shooting us down, while we in the mud tried to +form. I knew that the end of it all would be a little clump of men round +the Duke, gathered together on a hillock, holding out to the last. The +men would be dropping as the shot struck them. The wounded would waver, +letting their pike-points drop. Then' there would come a whirling of +cavalry, horses' eyes in the smoke, bright iron horse-shoes gleaming, +swords crashing down on us, an eddy of battle which would end in a hush +as the last of us died. I saw all these pictures in my brain, as clearly +as one sees in a dream. You must not wonder that I looked over the misty +fields towards Newenham Abbey with a sort of longing to be there, well +out of all the war. It was only a mile from me. I could slip away so +easily. I was not bound to stay where I was, to share in the misery +caused by my leader's want of skill. Then I remembered how my father had +believed in the right of the Duke's cause. He would have counselled me +to stay, I thought. It seemed to me, in the dusk of the night, that my +father was by me, urging me to stay. The thought was very blessed; it +cleared away all my troubles as though they had not been. I decided +to look no more towards Newenham; but to go on by the Duke's side to +whatever fortune the wars might bring us. Somehow, the feeling that my +father was by me, made me sure that we were marching to victory. I went +to my quarters comforted, sure of sleeping contentedly. + +Like the rest of us, I had to sleep in the open, without any more +shelter than a horse-cloth. Even the Duke was without a tent that night. +He slept in camp with us, to set an example to his men, though he might +well have gone to some house in the town. I liked the notion of sleeping +out in the open. In fine warm summer weather, when the dew is not too +heavy, it is pleasant, until a little before the dawn, when one feels +uneasy, for some reason, as though an enemy were coming. Perhaps our +savage ancestors, the earliest ancient Britons, who lived in hill-camps, +high up, with their cattle round them, expected the attacks of their +enemies always at a little before the dawn; so that, in time, the +entire race learned to be wakeful then, lest the enemy should catch the +slumberers, with flint-axe heads in the skull. It may be that to this +day we feel the fear felt by so many generations of our ancestors. On +this first night in camp, I found that many of the men were sleeping +uneasily, for they did not know the secret of sleeping in the open. They +did not know that to sleep comfortably in the open one must dig a little +hole in the ground, about as big as a porridge bowl, to receive one's +hipbone. If you do this, you sleep at ease, feeling nothing of the +hardness of the bed. If you fail to do it, you wake all bruised, after a +wretched night's tumbling; you ache all the next day. + +After grubbing up a hollow with my knife, I swathed myself in my blanket +with a saddle for pillow. I watched the stars for a while, as they +drifted slowly over me. The horses stamped, shaking their picket-ropes. +The sentries walked their rounds, or came to the camp-fires to call +their reliefs. The night was full of strange noises. The presence of so +many sleeping men was strange. It was very beautiful, very solemn. It +gave one a kind of awe to think that thus so many famous armies had +slept before the battles of the world, before Pharsalia, before Chalons, +before Hastings. Presently the murmuring became so slight that I fell +asleep, forgetting everything, only turning uneasily from time to time, +to keep the cool night wind from blowing on my cheeks so as to wake me. + +It must have been two in the morning when I was wakened by some armed +men, evidently our sentries, who rolled me over without ceremony. + +“Wake up, young master,” they said, grinning. “You'm wanted. You be to +get up to go a errand. You be a soldier now. You does your sleeping in +peace-times when you be a soldier,” I sat up blinking my eyes, in the +early light, thinking how nice t'other forty winks would be. + +“Heigho,” I yawned. “All right. I'm awake. What is it? What's the +matter?” + +“Lord Grey be a wanting you, young master,” said one of the men. “Down +there, where them horses be in the road.” I picked myself up at that, +wishing for a basin of water into which I might shove my head. + +“Yes, yes,” I said. “Thank you. I'll go down.” I left my blanket where +it was, as I expected to be back in a few minutes. I walked down hill +out of the camp to the road where the horses stood; there were four +horses, two of them mounted. The mounted men were regular country +bumpkins, with green sprays in their hats, like the rest of our men; but +their horses were pretty good, much better than most of those we had. +One of them was a stocky old cob, which was no doubt to be mine. +The other was a beast with handsome harness for Lord Grey. “Alas,” I +thought. “No more sleep for me. I've got to ride. I wonder where we are +going.” The men touched their hats to me; for as I was in the Duke's +retinue I was much respected. Some of them no doubt thought I was a +princeling or little lord. + +“Where are we going?” I asked the troopers. + +“Going scouting out towards Colyton yonder, sir,” said one of them. “Us +be to pick up his Lordship in the town.” + + + +CHAPTER XIX. I MEET THE CLUB MEN + +I wondered when I was to get breakfast; but I knew Lord Grey well enough +to know that he was not a man to go willingly without food for more than +a few hours at a time. Breakfast I should have presently, nor would it +be skin-boiled beef, smelling of singed hair. So I mounted my cob with +a good will. The first trooper rode by my side, the other waited for a +moment to examine the feet of Lord Grey's charger. He trotted after +us, leading the riderless horse, some fifty yards behind us. We trotted +smartly through Axminster, where we set the dogs barking. People sprang +from their beds when they heard us, fearing that we were an army coming +to fight. We cantered out of the town over the river, heading towards a +hilly country, which had few houses upon it. I looked back after leaving +Axminster, to see if Lord Grey wanted me. He had mounted his horse +somewhere in the town; but he was now a couple of hundred yards behind +us, riding' with a third man, whom I judged to be Colonel Foukes, by his +broad white regimental scarf. After we had gone a few miles, we came to +a cross-roads where my guide bade me halt to wait for orders. The others +had pulled up, too. I could see Lord Grey examining a map, while his +horse sidled about across the road. The trooper who had been riding with +him, joined us after a while, telling us to take the road to our right, +which would take us, he said, towards Taunton. We were to keep our eyes +skinned, he said, for any sign of armed men coming on the high-road from +Honiton, so as to threaten our left flank. The gentlemen were going to +scout towards the sea. At eight o'clock, if we had seen no trace of any +armed force coming, we were to make for Chard, where we should find the +Duke's army. We were to examine the roads for any signs of troops having +passed recently towards Taunton. We were to enquire of the country +people, if troops were abroad in that countryside, what troops they +might be, how led, how equipped, etc. If we came across any men anxious +to join the Duke we were to send them on to Chard or Ilminster, on the +easterly road to Taunton. We were to ride without our green boughs, he +said; so before starting on our road we flung them into the ditches. +Lord Grey waved his hand to us, as he turned away with his friend. We +took off our hats in reply, hardly in a soldierly salute; then we set +off at a walk along the Taunton road. It is a lonely road leading up to +the hills, a straight Roman road, better than any roads laid in England +at that time; but a road which strikes horror into one, the country +through which it runs is so bleak. + +By about six o'clock (according to one of the troopers, who judged by +the height of the sun) we were in a clump of firs high up on a hill, +looking over a vast piece of eastern Devon. We had scouted pretty +closely all round Honiton, examining the country people, without hearing +of any troops. We were now looking out for some gleam upon a road, some +rising of dust over a hedge, some scattering of birds even, any sign +of men advancing, which might be examined more closely. The morning was +bright; but the valleys had mist upon them, which would soon turn to the +quivering blue June heat-haze. The land lay below us, spread out in huge +folds; the fields, all different colours, looked like the counties on a +map; we could see the sea, we could see the gleam of a little river. We +could see Axminster far to the east of us; but the marching army was out +of sight, somewhere on the Chard high-road. After scanning pretty well +all around us, I caught sight of moving figures on the top of one of the +combes to south of us. We all looked hard at the place, trying to make +out more of them. They were nearly a mile from us. They seemed to be +standing there as sentries. At first we thought that they must be people +with Lord Grey; but as we could see no horses we decided that they could +not be. One of the men said that as far as he'd heard tell like, +the combe on which they stood was what they call a camp, where soldiers +lived in the old time. He didn't know much more about it; but he said +that he thought we ought to examine it, like, before riding on to some +inn where we could breakfast. + +The other man seemed to think so, too; but when we came to talk over +the best way of doing our espials, we were puzzled. We should be seen at +once if we went to them directly. We might be suspected if we approached +them on horseback. If the men went, they might be detained, because, for +all that we knew, the combe might be full of militia. So I said I had +better go, since no one would suspect a boy. To this the men raised a +good many objections, looking at each other suspiciously, plainly asking +questions with their raised eyebrows. I thought at the time that they +were afraid of sending me into a possible danger, because I was a +servant attached to the Duke's person. However, when I said that I would +go on foot, taking all precautions, they agreed grudgingly to let me go. + +I crept along towards this combe on foot, as though I were going bird's +nesting. I beat along by the hedges, keeping out of sight behind them, +till I was actually on the combe's north slope, climbing up to the old +earthwork on the top. I took care to climb the slope at a place where +there was no sentry, which was, of course, not only the steepest bit of +the hill but covered with gorse clumps, through which I could scarcely +thrust my way. Up towards the top the gorse was less plentiful; there +were immense foxgloves, ferns, little marshy tufts where rushes grew, +little spots of wet bright green moss. Yellow-hammers drawled their +pretty tripping notes to me, not starting away, even when I passed close +to them. All the beauty of June was on the earth that day; the beauty of +everything in that intense blue haze was wonderful. + +The top of the combe was very steep, steeper than any of the ascent, +because it had been built up like an outer wall by the savages who once +lived there with their cattle. I could see just the bare steep wall +of the rampart standing up in a dull green line of short-grassed turf +against the sky, now burning with the intense blue of summer. One hard +quick scramble, with my fingernails dug into the ground, brought my head +to the top of the rampart, beyond which I could see nothing but +great ferns, a forest of great ferns, already four or five feet high, +stretching away below, into the cup of the camp or citadel. I did not +dare to stand up, lest I should be seen. I burrowed my way among the +ferns over the wall into the hollow, worming my way towards the edge of +the fern clump so that I could see. In a minute, I was gazing through +the fern-stems into the camp itself; it was a curious sight. + +About fifty people (some of them women) were sitting about a hollow +in the ground, which I guessed to be a sort of smokeless fireplace or +earth-oven. Everywhere else, all over the hollow of the camp, which +must have been a full three hundred yards across, were various kinds of +farm-stock, mostly cattle, though there were many picketed horses, too. +At first I thought that I had climbed into a camp of gipsies, which gave +me a scare; for gipsies then were a wild lot, whom wise folk avoided. +Then, as I glanced about, I saw a sentry standing not thirty yards from +me, but well above me, on the rampart top. He was no gipsy he was an +ordinary farmer's lad, with the walk of a ploughman. His sleeves, which +were rolled back, showed me a sun-burnt pair of arms, such as no gipsy +ever had. What puzzled me about him was his heavy double-barrelled +pistol, which he carried in his right hand, with something of a military +cock, yet as though awed by it. He was not over sure of that same +pistol. I could see that he confounded it in some way with art-magic. + +Then I remembered what the old soldier had said the night before about +club men. This camp must be a camp of club men, I thought. They had come +there to protect their stock from the rapine of our vile pillagers, who +had spread such terror amongst the farmers the day before. Perched up +on the combe, with sentries always on the look-out, they could see the +Duke's raiders long before they came within gunshot. If an armed force +had tried to rush the camp, after learning that the beasts were shut up +within it (which, by the way, no man could possibly suspect until he +saw them from the rampart top), the few defenders clubbed together there +could have kept them out without difficulty; for there was only one +narrow entrance to the camp, so constructed that any one entering by it +could be shot at from three sides, if not from all four. I looked about +me carefully from my hiding-place, till I decided that I could get a +better view from another part of the fern clump. I began to wriggle +through the thick, sweet-scented stalks, towards the heart of the camp, +going with infinite care, so as not to break down the fern into a path. +I hoped to make no more stir among the fern-tops than would be made by +one of the many pigs scattering about in the enclosure. + +While I was crawling along in this way, I suddenly heard a curious +noise from an intensely thick part of the fern in front of me. It was a +clinking noise, followed by a sort of dry rasping, as though a very big +person were gritting his teeth very hard. It stopped suddenly, but soon +began again. I thought that it must be some one mending harness with +a file, or perhaps some old sheep or cow, with the remnants of a bell +about her neck, licking a stone for salt. As was in an adventure, +I thought that I would see it out to the end; for I was enjoying my +morning. In spite of the want of breakfast I felt very like a red Indian +or a pirate, creeping through the jungle to the sack of a treasure +train. So I wormed on towards the noise. As I came near to it, I went +more cautiously, because in one of the pauses of the noise, I heard a +muttered curse, which told me that the unseen noise-maker was a man. If +I had been wise I should have stopped there; for I had learned all that +I came out to learn. But I was excited now. I wished to see everything, +before creeping away unseen to make my report. Perhaps I wished to see +something which had nothing to do with the club men, a private main +of cocks, say, or a dog, or bull-baiting, carried on with some of the +squire's creatures, but without his knowledge. I had a half wish that I +might have something of the kind to report; because in my heart I longed +to say nothing to any of the Duke's party which might lead to the ruin +of these poor people who were trying so hard to protect their property. + +A few feet further on, I was wishing most heartily that I had never +left my room in London. It was like this. In the very heart of the fern +clump, where the ferns were tallest, a little spring bubbled out of +the ground, at the rate, I suppose, of a pint of water in a minute. The +ferns grew immensely thick there; but someone had thinned out a few of +the roots from the ground, leaving the uprooted plant with the ferns +still living, to form a rough kind of thatch above a piece of earth big +enough for a man's body. In the scented shade of this thatch, with +the side of his face turned towards me, a big, rough, bearded man sat, +filing away some bright steel irons which were riveted on his ankles. He +swore continually in a low whisper as he worked, not even pausing in his +curses when he spat on to the hollow scraped in the irons by his file. +He was the fiercest looking savage of a man I have ever seen. His face +had a look of stern, gloomy cruelty which I shall never forget. His +general appearance was terrible; for he had a face burnt almost black by +the sun (some of it may have been mud) with a nasty white scar running +irregularly all down his left cheek, along the throat to the shoulder. +He was not what you might call naked, a naked man, such as I have seen +since in the hot countries, would have looked a nobleman beside him. He +wore a pair of dirty linen knickerbockers, all frayed into ribbons at +the knees, a pair of strong hide slippers bound to his ankles by strips +of leather, a part of a filthy red shirt without sleeves, a hat stolen +from a scarecrow, nothing else whatever, except the mud of many days' +gathering. His shirt was torn all down the back in a great slit which +he had tried to secure by what the sailors call “Bristol buttons,” i.e. +pieces of string. The red flannel hung from him so as to show his back, +all criss-crossed with flogging scars. I knew at once from the irons +that he was a criminal escaped from gaol; but the criss-crossed scars +taught me that he was a criminal of the most terrible kind, probably one +who had shipped into the Navy to avoid hanging. + +I took in a view of him before he saw me. His image was stamped on my +brain in less than ten seconds. In the eleventh second, I was lying on +my back in the gloom of the fern-growth, with this great ruffian on my +chest, squeezing me by my windpipe. I cannot say that he spoke to me. It +was not speech. It was the snarling wild beast gurgle which passes for +speech in the slums of our great cities, as though all the filth of a +low nature were choking in the throat at once. He was on me too quickly +for me to cry out. I could only lie still, cackling for breath, while +the fierce face glowered down on me. I understood him to say that he +would have my windpipe out if I said a word. I suppose he saw that I was +only a very frightened boy; for his clutch upon me relaxed, after a few +awful, gasping moments. When he loosed his hold, his great hand pawed +over my throat till he had me by the scruff of the neck. He drew me over +towards the spring, as one would draw a puppy. Then, still crouching in +the fern, he hurried me to a single stunted sloe-bush which grew there. +“Go down, you,” he said, giving me a shove towards the bush. “Down th' +'ole.” + +Just behind the sloe-bush, under a fringe of immense ferns, was an +opening in the earth, about eighteen inches high, by two feet across. +It was like a large rabbit or fox earth, except that the mouth of it was +not worn bare. I did not like the thought of going down th' 'ole; but +with this great griping fist on my nape there was not much sense in +saying so. I wormed my way in, helped on by prods from the file. It was +a melancholy moment when my head passed beyond the last filtering of +light into the tomb's blackness, where not even insects lived. After a +moment of scrambling I found that the passage was big enough for me to +go on all fours. It was a dry passage, too, which seemed strange to me; +but on reaching out with my hand I felt that the walls were lined with +well laid stones, unmortared. The roof above me was also of stone. You +may wonder why I did not shoot this ruffian with my pistol. You boys +think that if you had a pistol you would shoot any one who threatened +you. You would not. When the moment comes, it is not so easily disposed +of. Besides, a filthy, cursing pirate on your throat checks your natural +calm most strangely. + +The passage led into the swell of the rampart for about twenty yards, +where it opened into a dimly lighted chamber about four feet high. A +little blink of light came through a rabbit hole, at the end of which +I saw a spray of gorse with the sunlight on it. I could see by the dim +light that the chamber was built of unmortared stones, very cleverly +laid. The floor of it was greasier than the passage had been, but still +it was not damp. On one side it had a bed of heather stalks, on the +other there was something dark which felt like cold meat. The man came +grunting in behind me, clinking his leg-irons. After groping about in a +corner of the room he lighted a stinking rushlight by means of a tinder +box. + + + +CHAPTER XX. THE SQUIRE'S HOUSE + +“There,” he said, not unkindly, “there's a nice little 'ome for yer. Now +you, tell me wot you were doing spying on me. First of all, 'ave you +any money?” He did not wait for me to answer, but dug his hands into my +pockets at once, taking every penny I had, except a few shillings +which were hidden in my belt. He did not see my belt, as I had taken to +wearing it next my skin, since I began to follow the wars. I feared from +the greed which showed in all his movements that he vas going to strip +me; but he did not do so, thinking, no doubt, that none of my clothes +would fit his body. + +“Well,” he said, in his snarling beast voice, “wot's up 'ere, with all +these folk brought their beasts 'ere?” + +I told him that the Duke had come co fight for the crown of England, +with the result, as I supposed, that the country people dared not trust +their live-stock at home, for fear of having them pillaged. He seemed +pleased at the news; but being an utter wild beast, far less civilized +than the lowest savage ever known to me, he showed his pleasure by +hoping that the rich (whom he cursed fluently) might have their heads +pulled off in the war, while as for the poor (the farmers close by us) +he hoped that they might lose every beast they owned. “Do 'era good,” + he said. “Now,” he went on, “are you come spying 'ere along of the +farmers?” + +“No,” I said, “I am a servant of the Duke's, riding out to look for the +militia.” + +“Ah,” he said. “Are yer, cocky? 'Ow'm I to know that?” + +“Well,” I said, “Look at my hands. Are they the hands of a farmer?” + +“No,” he said. “No, Mister stuck-up flunkey, they ain't. I s'pose yet +proud of yet 'ands. I'll 'ave yer wait at table on me.” He seemed to +like the notion: for he repeated it many times, while he dug out hunks +of cold ham with his file, from the meat which I had felt as I crawled +in + + “'Ow proud I dig + A'unk a cold pig” + +he sang, as he gulped the pieces down. It was partly a nightmare, partly +very funny. I was not sure if he was mad, probably he was mad, but being +down in the burrow there, in the half darkness, hearing that song, made +me feel that I was mad; it was all a very terrible joke; perhaps madness +affects people like that. At last I spoke to him again. + +“Sir,” I said, “I've been up since two this morning. Give me a hunk of +cold pig, too. I'm half-starved.” + +“'Elp yourself, can't yer?” he snarled. “Oo'm I to wait on yer?” Then, +very cunningly, he put in, “'Ave you got a knife on yer?” + +“No,” I said cautiously, “I've got no knife,” which was a lie; I did not +wish my knife to go the same way as the money. He gave me some cold +pig, very excellent ham it was, too, for which I was very thankful. He +watched my greediness with satisfaction. I ate heartily when I saw that +my confident way with him had made him more tender towards me. + +“Yes,” he snorted. “Per'aps you ain't been lying to me after all. Now +'ow long will these blokes be up the 'ill 'ere?” I did not know that; +but I supposed that they would go home directly the Duke's army had got +as far, say, as Taunton. “But,” I added, “the Duke may be beaten. If +he's beaten, all this part will be full of troops beating every bush for +the rebels.” He swore at this; but his curses were only designed to hide +his terror. + +“Could a fellow get to sea,” he said in a whining tone. “Could a poor +fellow in trouble slip away to sea, now, at one of these seaport towns? +Boy, I been livin' like a wild beast all the way from Bristol, this two +months. I didn't kill the feller; not dead. The knife only went into 'im +a very little way, not more'n a inch. I was raised near 'ere at a farm. +So I knowed of this 'ere burrow. I got 'ere two days ago, pretty near +dead. Now I been penned up from the sea by these farmers comin' 'ere, +doin' swottin' sentry-go all round me. I tell yer, I'll cut up sour, if +they pen me in, now I'm so near got away. I been with Avery. They call +Avery a pirate. They said I was a pirate. It's 'anging if they ketch +me. Do yer think I could get away to Lyme or some place, to get took +into a ship?” I told him, no; because I knew from what Lord Grey had +told me, that the Channel was full of men-of-war searching every +ship which hove in sight; besides, he did not look to me to be a very +promising hand for a captain to take aboard. + +“All the same,” he said, “I got to risk it. You say there may be troops +coming?” + +“As for that,” I answered, “the troops may be here at any moment from +Exeter or Honiton. They've arrested hundreds of people everywhere +around. You'd better stay in the burrow here.” He did not pay much +attention to what I said. He cursed violently, as though he were a +bag-pipe full of foul words being slowly squeezed by some player. At +last he crawled to the passage, foaming out incoherently that he would +show them, he would, let them just wait. + +“You stay 'ere,” he said. “If I find you follerin' me, I'll mash your 'ed +into that much slobber.” He showed me a short piece of rope which he had +twisted, sailor fashion, so as to form a handle for a jagged piece of +flint, which, as I could see, had been used on some one or something +quite recently. + +“Mogador Jack,” he said, “'e don't like people follerin' 'im.” With that +he left me alone in the burrow, wondering, now that it was over, why he +had not killed me. He left me quite stunned; his sudden coming into my +life had been so strange. It was unreal, like a dream, to have been +in an ancient Briton's burial-chamber with a mad old pirate who had +committed murder. But now that he had gone, I was eager to go, too, if +it could be managed. I would not stay there till the brute came back, in +spite of that flint club. After waiting some little time, during which, +I felt sure, he was waiting for me at the door of the burrow, I took +out my pistol. I examined the charge to see that all was well; then very +cautiously, I began to crawl up the passage, with my pistol in my hand. + +I waited for some minutes near the door, trying to convince myself by +the lie of the shadows outside that he was crouched there, ready for me. +But it seemed safe. I could see no shadow at all except the tremulous +fern-shadows. At last I took off my coat as a blind. I flung it through +the doorway, with some force, to see if it would draw him from his +hiding. Nothing happened. The ruffian did not pounce upon it. I took +a few long breaths to hearten me; it was now or never. I shut my eyes, +praying that the first two blows might miss my head, so that I should +have time to fire. Then, on my back, with my pistol raised over my head, +I forced myself out with every muscle in my body. I leaped to my feet on +the instant, quickly glancing round for the madman, swinging my pistol +about with my finger hard on the trigger. He was not there, after all. +I might have spared myself the trouble. I was alone there in the fern, +within earshot of a murmur of voices, talking excitedly. I was not going +to spy into any more secrets. I was going to get out of that camp cost +what it might. I made one rush through the fern in the direction of the +rampart, shoving the stalks aside, as a bull knocks through jungle in +Campeachy. In thirty steps I was clear of the fern, charging slap into a +group of people who were giving brandy to the sentry, whom I had passed +but a little while before. He was bleeding from a broken wound on his +pretty hard Saxon skull. He was not badly hurt, for he was swearing +lustily; but he had been stunned just long enough for my pirate man to +strip him. He was dressed now in a pair of leather gaiters, all the rest +of his things had been taken, the pistol with them, I saw all this at +a glance, as I charged in among them. I took it all in, guessing in one +swift gleam of comprehension, exactly what had happened there, as my +pirate made his rush for freedom. There was no time to ask if my guess +were right or not. + +“Out of my way,” I shouted, shoving my pistol towards the nearest of the +group. “Out of my way, or I shall fire.” They made way for me. I charged +down hill by the way I had come. Some one cried “Stop en.” Another +shouted “Shoot en, maister.” There came a great bang of a gun over my +head. But I was going down hill like a rabbit, into the gorse, into the +bracken, into the close cover of the heath. Glancing back, I saw a dozen +excited people rushing down the rampart after me. Some flung stones; +some ran to catch horses to chase me. But I had the start of them. I was +down the hill, over the hedge, in the lane, in no time. There, a hundred +yards away, I saw my friends the troopers leading my cob. I shouted to +them. They heard me. They came up to me at a gallop. In ten seconds more +we were sailing away together. + +“You been getting into scrapes, master,” said one of the troopers. “You +doan't want to meddle with the folk in these parts.” + +“No,” said the other, with a touch of insolence in his voice. “So your +master may find, one of these fine days.” Being mindful of the Duke's +honour, I told the man to mind his own business, which he said he meant +to do, without asking my opinion. After that we rode on together a +little heated, till we were out of sight of the combe, where I had had +such a startling adventure. + +After another hour of riding, we pulled up at the garden gate of an old +grey handsome house which stood at some distance from the road. I asked +one of the troopers who lived in this house. He said that it was an old +Abbey, which belonged to Squire; but that we were to leave word there +of the Duke's movements, “for Squire be very 'tached to the Protestants; +besides he'll give us a breakfast. Sure to.” We left our horses at the +gate while we walked up to the house. A pretty girl, who seemed to know +one of the men, told us to come in, while she got breakfast for us. +“Squire,” she said, “would be glad to hear what was going on; for he was +that given up to the soldiers we couldn't hardly believe.” We were +shown down a long flagged corridor to a little cool room which looked as +though it had once been the abbot's cell. It had a window in it, looking +out upon a garden in full flower, a little rose garden, covered with +those lovely bushes of old English red single roses, the most beautiful +flower in the world. The window was large, but the space of it was +broken up by stone piers, so that no pane of glass was more than six +inches wide. I mention this now, because of what happened later. There +was not much furniture in the room; but what there was was very good. +There was an old Dutch pewter jug, full of sweet-williams, on the +table. On the wall' there was a picture of a Spanish gentleman on a +cream-coloured, fat handsome little horse. Together they looked very +like Don Quixote out for a ride with his squire. The two troopers left +me in this room, while they went off to the kitchen. Presently the +servant came in again, bringing me a noble dish of breakfast, a pigeon +pie, a ham, a jar of preserved quince, a honeycomb, a great household +loaf, newly baked, a big quart jug full of small beer. I made a very +honest meal. After eating, I examined the room. There was tapestry over +one part of the wall. It concealed a little low door which led to what +had once been the abbot's fishpond, now a roofed-in bath-house, where +one could plunge into eight feet or so of (bitterly cold) spring water. +This bath-house was some steps lower than the little dining room. It +was lighted by a skylight directly over the bath. It had no other window +whatever. After examining the bath, wishing that I had known of it +before eating, I went back to the dining room, where the servant was +clearing away the food. + +“I hope you enjoyed your breakfast, sir,” she said. + +“Yes, thank you, very much indeed,” I answered. + +“Squire will be down d'reckly, sir,” she said. “If you will please to +make yourself at home.” I made myself at home, as she desired, while +she, after a few minutes, took away the soiled plates, leaving all the +other things on the side-board, ready for dinner. I noticed that she +smiled in a rather strange way as she drew to the door behind her. + +I loitered away about half an hour, waiting for the squire to come. As +he did not come, I turned over the books on the shelves, mostly volumes +of plays, the Spanish Tragedy, the Laws of Candy, Love Lies a Bleeding, +etc., four plays to a volume in buckram covers. I was just getting +tired of All for Love, when I heard a footstep in the passage outside. +I thought that I would ask the passenger, whoever it might be, for +how much longer the squire would keep me waiting. I was anxious about +getting back to the army. It was dangerous to straggle too far from the +Duke's camps when unbeaten armies followed on both his wings. So I went +to the door to learn my fate at once. To my great surprise I found that +I could not open it. It was locked on the outside. The great heavy +iron lock had been turned upon me. I was a prisoner in the room there. +Thinking that it had been done carelessly, I beat upon the door to +attract the man who passed down the passage, calling to him to turn the +key for me so that I might get out. The footsteps did not pause. They +passed on, down the corridor, as though the man were deaf. After that +a fury came upon me. I beat upon the door for five minutes on end, till +the house must have rung with the clatter; but no one paid any attention +to me, only, far away, I heard a woman giggling, in an interval when I +had paused for breath. The door was a heavy, thick oak door, bound with +iron. The lock was a bar of steel at least two inches thick; there was +no chance of getting it open. Even firing into the lock with my little +pistol would not have helped me; it would only have jammed the tongue of +steel in its bed. I soon saw the folly of trying to get out by the door; +so I turned to the window, which was more difficult still, or, if not +more difficult, more tantalizing, since it showed me the free garden +into which one little jump would suffice to carry me. But the closely +placed piers of stone made it impossible for me to get through the +window. It was no use trying to do so. I should only have stuck fast, +midway. I began at once to pick out the mortar of the pier stones with +my knife point. It was hopeless work, though, for the old monks had used +some cement a good deal harder than the stones which it bound together. +I could only dig away a little dust from its surface. That way also was +barred to me. Then I went down to the bathing-chamber, hoping that there +would be some way of escape for me there. I hoped that the escape pipe +of the bath might be a great stone conduit leading to a fish-pond in +the garden. It was nothing of the sort. It was a little miserable leaden +pipe. I beat all round the walls, praying for some secret door, but +there was nothing of any use to me, only a little iron ventilator high +up, big enough to take my head, but nothing more. As for the skylight +over the bath, it was beyond my reach, high up. For the moment I could +see no means of getting to it. I went back to the dining room to give +another useless pounding to the door. My head was full of miserable +forebodings; but as yet I suspected merely that I had been caught by +some sudden advance of militia. Or perhaps the squire had laid plans +to get information from one who knew the Duke. Perhaps I had been lured +away specially by one hungry for the King's good opinion. Or could it be +Aurelia? Whatever it was, I was trapped, that was the terrible thing. I +was shut up there till my enemy, whoever it was, chose to deal with me. +I was in arms against the ruling King of England; everybody's hand would +be against me, unless my own hands helped me before my enemies came. +My first thought was to get the table down the steps, to make a bridge +across the bath, from which I could reach the skylight. This I could not +do at first; for being much flustered, I did not put the table-leaves +down. Until I knocked them down in my hurry they kept me from dragging +the table from the dining room. When I got it at last into the +bath-room, I found that it would not stretch across the water: the legs +were too close together, as I might have seen had I kept my wits about +me. I could think of no other way of getting out. + +I went back disheartened to the dining room, dragging my coat behind +me. The first thing which I saw was a letter addressed to me in a hand +already known to me. The letter lay on the floor on the space once +covered by the table. As it had not been there when I dragged the table +downstairs, someone must have entered the room while I was away. I +opened the letter in a good deal of flurry. It ran as follows: + +“Dear Martin Hyde:--As you will not take a sincere friend's advice, you +have to make the best of a sincere adviser's friendship. You did me a +great service. Let me do you one. I hope to keep you an amused prisoner +until your captain is a beaten man. By about three weeks from this 26th +of June we shall hope to have made you so much our friend that you will +not think of leaving us. May I make a compact with you? Please do not +shoot me with that pistol of yours when I bring you some supper tonight. +That is one part of it. The other is this. Let us be friends. We know +all about you. I have even talked to Ephraim about you. So let us make +it up. We have been two little spit fires. At any rate you have. Let us +be friends. What sorts of books do you like to read? I shall bring you +some story-books about ghosts, or about red Indians. Which do you like +best? I like red Indians myself. I suppose you, being a man, like ghosts +best. Your sincere friend Aurelia Carew. Who by the by thinks it best +to warn you that you had not better try to get up the chimney, as it is +barred across. She hopes that the table did not fall into the bath.” + + + +CHAPTER XXI. MY FRIEND AURELIA AND HER UNCLE + +It was a friendly letter, which relieved me a good deal from my +anxieties; but what I could not bear was the thought that the Duke would +think me a deserter. I made up my mind that I would get away from that +house at the first opportunity, so as to rejoin the Duke, to whom I felt +myself pledged. But in the meantime, until I could get away, I resolved +to make the best of my imprisonment. I was nettled by Aurelia's tone of +superiority. I would show her, as I had shown her before, that my wits +were just as nimble as hers. A few minutes after the letter had been +read, she held a parley with me through the keyhole. + +“Mr. Martin Hyde. Are you going to shoot me?” + +“No, Miss Carew, though I think you deserve it.” + +“You won't try to get away if I open the door?” + +“I mean to get away as soon as ever I get half a chance.” + +“I've got three men with me at the door here.” + +“Oh. Very well. But you just wait till I get a chance.” + +“Don't be so bloodthirsty, Mr. Martin Hyde. Now, I'm coming in to talk +with you. No pistols, mind. Not one.” + +“I've promised I won't shoot. You might believe a fellow. But I mean to +get away, remember. Just to show you.” + +She opened the door after that, a brown, merry Aurelia, behind whom I +could see three men, ready to stop any rush. They closed the door behind +her after she had entered. + +“Well,” she said, smiling. “Will you not shake hands with me, Martin +Hyde?” + +“Yes,” I said, “I will shake hands. But you played a very mean trick, I +think. There.” + +“You mustn't think me mean,” she answered. “I don't like mean people. +Now promise me one thing. You say you are going to run away from us. You +won't run away from me when I am with you, will you?” + +“No,” I said, after thinking this over, to see if it could be twisted +into any sort of trap, likely to stop my escape. “I will not. Not while +I am with you.” + +“That's right,” she said. “We can go out together, then. Now you've +promised, suppose we go out into the garden.” + +We went into the garden together, talking of every subject under the sun +but the subject nearest to our hearts at the moment. I would not speak +of her capture of me; she would not speak of the Duke's march towards +Taunton. There was some constraint whenever we came near those subjects. +She was a very merry, charming companion; but the effect of her talk +that morning was to make me angry at being trapped by her. I looked over +the countryside for guiding points in case I should be able to get away. +Axminster lay to the southeast, distant about six miles; so much I could +reckon from the course of our morning's ride. I could not see Axminster +for I was shut from it by rolling combes, pretty high, which made a +narrow valley for the river. To the west the combes were very high, +strung along towards Taunton in heaps. Due east, as I suspected, quite +near to us, was Chard, where by this time the Duke must have been +taking up his position. Taunton I judged (from a mile-stone which we had +passed) to be not much more than a dozen miles from where I was. I have +always had a pretty keen sense of position. I do not get lost. Even in +the lonely parts of the world I have never been lost. I can figure out +the way home by a sort of instinct helped by a glimpse at the sun. When +I go over a hill I have a sort of picture-memory of what lies behind, +to help me home again, however tortuous my path is on the other side. So +the few glimpses which I could get of the surrounding country were real +helps to me. I made more use of them than Aurelia suspected. + +We were much together that day. Certainly she did her best to make my +imprisonment happy. In the evening she was kinder; we were more at ease +together; I was able to speak freely to her. + +“Aurelia,” I said, “you risked your life twice to warn me.” + +“That's not quite true, Martin,” she said. “I am a government spy, +trusted with many people's lives. I had other work to do than to warn a +naughty boy who wanted to see what the ghosts were.” I was startled at +her knowing so much about me; she laughed. + +“Well,” she said, “I like you for it. I should have wanted to see them +myself. But the ghost-makers are scattered far enough now.” + +“All the same, Aurelia,” I said, “I thank you for what you did for me. I +wish I could do something in return.” She laughed. + +“Well,” she said, “you were very kind in the ship. You were a good enemy +to me then. Weren't you?” + +“Yes,” I said, “I beat you properly on the ship. I carried the Duke's +letters in my pistol cartridges, where you never suspected them. The +letters which were in the satchel I forged myself after I got on board. +If you'd not been a silly you'd have seen that they were forged.” + +“So that was why,” she said. “Those letters gave everybody more anxious +work than you've any notion of. Oh, Martin, though, I helped to drug you +to get those letters. It was terrible. Terrible. Will you ever forgive +me?” + +“Why, yes, Aurelia,” I said. “After all, it was done for your King. Just +as I mean to run away from here to serve mine. All is fair in the King's +service. Let us shake hands on that.” We shook hands heartily, looking +into each other's eyes. + +“By the way,” I said, “where did you get to that day in Holland, when I +got the letters from you?” + +“Ah,” she answered, “you made me like a wildcat that day. I nearly +killed you, twice. You remember that low parapet on the roof? I was +behind that, waiting for you with a loaded pistol. You were all very +near your deaths that morning. In the King's service, of course. +For just a minute, I thought that you would climb up to examine that +parapet. What a crazy lot you all were not to know at once that I was +there! Where else could I have been?” + +“Well,” I answered, “I beat you in the ride, didn't I? You thought +yourself awfully clever about that horse at the inn. Well, I beat +you there. I beat you in the race. I beat you with my letters to the +Dutchman. I beat you over those forgeries.” + +“Yes, indeed,” she said. “I can beat all the men in your Duke's service. +Every one. Even clever Colonel Lane. Even Fletcher of Saltoun. But a +boy is so unexpected, there's no beating a boy, except with a good +birch rod. You beat me so often, Martin, that I think you can afford to +forgive me for tricking you once in bringing you here.” + +“I shall beat you in that, too, Miss Carew,” I said; “for I mean to get +away from you as soon as I can.” + +“So you say,” she said. “But we have club men walking all round this +house all night, as well as sentries by day, guarding the stock. +Your gang of marauders will find a rough welcome if they come for +refreshments here.” + +Even as she spoke, there came a sudden crash of fire-arms from the +meadows outside the garden. About a dozen men came hurrying out of the +house with weapons in their hands, among them a big, fierce-looking +handsome man, who drew his sword as he ran. + +“That is my uncle, Travers Carew,” said Aurelia. “He owns this property. +He wants to meet you.” There came another splutter of fire-arms from the +meadows. “Come,” she said. “We'll see what it is. It is the Duke's men +come pillaging.” + +We ran through a gate in the wall into an apple-orchard, where the Carew +men were already dodging among the trees towards the enemy. There was +a good deal of shouting, but the tide of battle, as they call it, the +noise of shots, the trampling of horses, had already set away to the +left, where the enemy were retreating, with news, as I heard later, that +the militia held the Abbey in force. The Carew men came back in a few +minutes with a prisoner. He had been captured while holding the horses +of two friends, who had dismounted to drive off some of the Carew +cattle. He said that the attack had been made by a party of twenty of +the Duke's horse, sent out to bring in food for the march. They had +scattered at the first discharge of fire-arms, which had frightened them +horribly, for they had not expected any opposition. The frightened men +never drew rein till they galloped their exhausted horses into Chard +camp, where they gave another touch of dejection to the melancholy Duke. +As for the prisoner, he was sent off under guard to Honiton gaol; I +don't know what became of him. He was one of more than three thousand +who came to death or misery in that war. They said that he was a young +farmer, in a small way, from somewhere out beyond Chideock. The war +had been a kind of high-spirited frolic for him; he had entered into it +thoughtlessly, in the belief that it would be a sort of pleasant ride to +London, with his expenses paid. Now he was ended. When he rode out with +bound hands from the Carew house that evening, between two armed riders, +he rode out of life. He never saw Chideock again, except in the grey +light of dawn, after a long ride upon a hurdle, going to be hanged +outside his home. Or perhaps he was bundled into one of the terrible +convict ships bound for Barbadoes, with other rebels, to die of +small-pox on the way, or under the whip in the plantations. + +After this little brush, with its pitiful accompaniment, which filled +me full of a blind anger against the royal party, so much stronger, yet +with so much less right than ours, I was taken in to see Sir Travers +Carew. He had just sent off the prisoner to Honkon, much as he would +have brushed a fly from his hand. He had that satisfaction with himself, +that feeling of having supported the right, which comes to all those who +do cruel things in the name of that code of unjust cruelty, the criminal +law. He looked at me with rather a grim smile, which made me squirm. + +“So,” he said, “this is the young rebel, is it? Do you know that I could +send you off to Honiton gaol with that poor fellow there?” This made my +heart die; but something prompted me to put a good face on it. + +“Sir,” I said, “I have done what my father thought right. I don't wish +to be treated better than any other prisoner. Send me to Honiton, sir.” + +“No,” he said, looking at me kindly. “I shall not send you to Honiton. +You are not in arms against the King's peace, nor did you come over from +Holland with the Duke. I can't send you to Honiton. Besides, I knew your +father, Martin. I was at college with him. He was a good friend of +mine, poor fellow. No, sir, I shall keep you here till the Duke's crazy +attempt is knocked on the head. I think I can find something better for +you to do than that fussy old maid, your uncle, could. But, remember, +sir. You have a reputation for being a slippery young eel. I shall take +particular pains to keep you from slipping out of my hands. But I do not +wish to use force to your father's son. Will you give me your word not +to try to escape?” + +“No,” I answered, sullenly. “I won't. I mean to get away directly I +can.” + +“Come,” he said kindly, “we tricked you rather nastily. But do you +suppose, Martin, that your father, if he were here, would encourage your +present resolutions? The Duke is coming (nearly unprepared) to bring a +lot of silly yokels into collision with fully trained soldiers ten times +more numerous. If the countryside, the gentry, the educated, intelligent +men, were ready for the Duke, or believed in his cause, they would join +him. They do not join him. His only adherents are the idle, ignorant, +ill-conditioned rogues of this county, who will neither fight nor obey, +when it comes to the pinch. I do not love the present King, Martin, but +he is a better man than this Duke. The Duke will never make a king. He +may be very fit for court-life; but there is not an ounce of king in +him. If the Duke succeeds, in a year or two he will show himself so +foolish that we shall have to send for the Prince of Orange, who is a +man of real, strong wisdom. We count on that same prince to deliver us +from James, when the time is ripe. It is not ripe, yet. I am telling you +bitter, stern truth, Martin. Now then. Let me have your promise not to +continue in the service of this doomed princeling, your master. Eh? What +shall it be?” + +“No,” I said, “that's desertion.” + +“Not at all,” he answered. “It is a custom of war. Come now. As a +prisoner of war, give me your parole.” + +“You said just now that I was not a prisoner of war,” I answered. + +“Very well, then,” he said. “I am a magistrate. I commit you add +suspected person. Hart! Hart!” (Here he called in a man-servant.) “Just +see that this young sprig keeps out of mischief. Think it over, Mr. +Martin. Think it over.” + +In a couple of minutes I was back in my prison cells, locked in for the +night, with neither lamp nor candle. A cot had been made up for me in a +corner of the room. Supper was laid for me on the table, which had been +brought back to its place. There was nothing for it but to grope to bed +in the twilight, wondering how soon I could get away to what I still +believed to be a righteous cause in which my father wished me to fight. +I slept soundly after my day of adventure. I dreamed that I rode into +London behind the Duke, amid all the glory of victory, with the people +flinging flowers at us. But dreams go by contraries, the wise women say. + +I was a full fortnight, or a little more, a prisoner in that house. +They treated me very kindly. Aurelia was like an elder sister. Old Sir +Travers used to jest at my being a rebel. But I was a prisoner, shut +in, watched, kept close. The kindness jarred upon me. It was treating +me like a child, when I was no longer a child. I had for some wild weeks +been doing things which few men have the chance of doing. Perhaps, if I +had confided all that I felt to Aurelia, she would have cleared away my +troubles, made me see that the Duke's cause was wrong, that my father +would wish his son well out of civil broils, however just, that I had +better give the promise that they asked from me. But I never confided +really fully in her. I moped a good deal, much worried in my mind. I +began to get a lot of unworthy fancies into my head, silly fancies, +which an honest talk would have scattered at once. I began to think from +their silence about the Duke's doings that his affairs were prospering, +that he was conquering, or had conquered, that I was being held by this +loyalist family as a hostage. It was silly of me; but although in many +ways I was a skilled man of affairs, I had only the brain of a child, I +could not see the absurdity of what I came to believe. It worried me so +much that at the end of my imprisonment I became very feverish; really +ill from anxiety, as prisoners often are. I refused food for the latter +part of one day, hoping to frighten my captors. They did not notice it, +so I had my pains for nothing. + +I went to bed very early; but I could not sleep. I fidgeted about till +I was unusually wakeful. Then I got out of bed to try if there was a +way of escape by the old-fashioned chimney, barred across as it was, +at intervals, by strong old iron bars. I had never thought the chimney +possible, having examined it before, when I first came to that house; +but my fever made me think all things possible; so up I got, hoping that +I should have light enough to work by. + + + +CHAPTER XXII. THE PRIEST'S HOLE + +It was too dark to do much that night, but I spent an hour in picking +mortar from the bricks into which the lowest iron bar had been let. +After a brief sleep I woke in the first of the light (at about one +o'clock) ready to go at it again. My fever was hot upon me. I don't +think that I was quite sane that day; but all my reason seemed to burn +up into one bright point, escape, escape at all costs, then, at the +instant. I must tell you that the chimney, like most old chimneys, was +big enough for a big boy to scramble up, in order to sweep it. For some +reason, the owners of the house had barred the chimney across so that +this could not be done. They swept it, probably, in the effective +old-fashioned way by shooting a blank charge of powder from a +blunderbuss straight up the opening. The first two iron bars were so +placed that it was only necessary to remove one to make room for my +body. Further up there were others, more close together. The fire had +not been lighted for many years; there was no soot in the passage. There +was a jackdaw's nest high up. I could see the old jackdaw looking down +at me. Up above her head was a little square of sky. I did not doubt +that when I got to the top I should be able to scramble out of that +square on to the leads, then down by a water-spout, evading the +sentries, over the garden wall to freedom. After half an hour of mortar +picking I got one end of the lowest iron bar out of its socket. Then I +picked out the mortar from the other end, working the bar about like a +lever, to grind the fulcrum into dust. Soon I had the bar so loose that +I was able to thrust it to one side, leaving a passage big enough for my +body. + +I was very happy when this was done. I went back to the room to make up +a packet of food to take with me. This I thrust into an inner pocket, +before launching out up the hole. When I had cleaned up the mess of +mortar, I started up the chimney, carefully replacing the bar behind +me. Soon I was seven or eight feet above the room, trying to get at the +upper bars. I was scrambling about for a foothold, when I noticed, to +my left, an iron bar or handle, well concealed from below by projecting +bricks. I seized hold of it with my left hand, very glad of the support +it offered, when, with a dull grating noise, it slid downwards under my +weight, drawing with it the iron panel to which it was clamped. I had +come upon a secret chamber in the chimney; there at my side was an +opening big enough for a man's body. I was pretty well startled by it, +not only by the suddenness of the discovery, but from the fear I had +lest it should lead to some inhabited room, where my journey would be +brought to an end. I peered into it well, before I ventured to enter. +It was a little low room, about five feet square, lit by two loopholes, +which were concealed from outside by the great growth of ivy on the side +of the house. I clambered into it with pleasure, keeping as quiet as I +could. It was a dirty little room, with part of its floor rotten from +rain which had beaten in through the loopholes. It had not been used for +a great while. The pallet bed against the wall was covered with rotten +rags, dry as tinder. There were traces of food, who could say how +ancient, in a dish by the bed. There was a little crucifix, with a +broken neck-chain, lying close to the platter. Some priest who had used +this priest-hole years before had left it there in his hurry; I wondered +how. Something of the awe which had been upon him then seemed to linger +in the place. Many men had lain with beating hearts in that room; the +room seemed to remember. I have never been in a place which made one's +heart move like that room. Well. The priest's fears were dead as the +priest by this time. Nothing but the wreck of his dinner, perhaps the +last he ever ate, remained to tell of him, beside the broken symbol of +his belief. I shut-to the little panel-door by which I had entered, so +that I might not have the horrible fancy that the old priest's shaven +head was peering up the chimney at me, to see what I was doing in his +old room, long since given over to the birds. + +As I expected, there was a way of escape from the hiding-place. A big +stone in the wall seemed to project unnecessarily; the last comer to +that room had shut the door carelessly; otherwise I might never have +found it. Seeing the projecting stone, I took it for a clue feeling all +round it, till I found that underneath it there was a groove for finger +tips. The stone was nothing more than a large, cunningly fashioned +drawer, which pulled out, showing a passage leading down, down, along +narrow winding steps, just broad enough for one man to creep down at a +time. The stairs were more awesome than the room, for they were dark. I +could not see where they led; but I meant to go through this adventure, +now that I had begun it. So down I crept cautiously, clinging to the +wall, feeling with my feet as I went, lest there should be no step, +suddenly, but a black pit, far down, into which a man might fall +headlong, on to who knows what horrors. I counted the steps. I thought +that they would never end. There were thirty-seven altogether. They +brought me to a dark sort of room, with damp earth for its floor, upon +which water slowly dropped from some unseen stalactite. I judged that +I must be somewhere under the bath-chamber, not more than ten feet from +the abbot's old fish-pond. If there was a way out I felt that it must +be to my left, under the garden; not to my right, which would lead back +under the body of the house. + +Very cautiously I felt along to my left, till I found that there was +indeed a passage; but one so low that I had to stoop to get along it. A +few steps further brought me with a shock against a wall, a sad surprise +to me, for I thought that I was on the road to safety. When I recovered +from my fear I felt along the wall till I found that the passage +zigzagged like a badger's earth. It turned once sharply to the right, +going up a couple of steps, then again sharply to the left, going up a +few more steps, then again to the right up one step more, to a broader +open stretch, lit by one or two tiny chinks, more cheering to me than +you can imagine. I guessed that I was passing at last under the garden, +having gone right below the house's foundations. The chinks of light +seemed to me to come from holes worn in the roof by rabbits or rats. +They were pleasant things to see after all that groping in the blackness +of night. On I went cautiously, feeling my way before me, till suddenly +I stopped dead, frightened terribly, for close to me, almost within +touch as it seemed, some men were talking to each other. They were +evidently sitting just above my head, in the cool morning, watching +for me to come through my window, as I suppose. They were some of Sir +Travers's sentries. A moment's thought told me that I had little to +fear from them, if I moved quietly in my burrow. However, as my walk was +often noisy, through stumblings on stones, I waited till they moved off, +which was not for some minutes. One of the men was asking the other what +was the truth about the Duke. + +“Why,” his mate answered, “they say as he got beat back coming towards +London. They say he be going to Bridgewater, now, to make it a castle, +like; or perhaps he be a coming to Taunton. They say he have only a mob, +like, left to en, what with all this rain. But I do-an't know. He be +very like to come here agen; so as us'll have to watch for our stock.” + +“Ah?” said the first. “They did say as there was soldiers come to +Evilminster. So as to shut en off, like. I seed fires out that way, +myself, like camp-fires, afore it grew light. They do say the soldiers +be all for the Duke.” + +“Yes,” the other answered, “he be very like to win if it come to a +battle. He'd a got on to London, I dare-say, if the roads had but been +dry.” + +“What do ee say to a bit of tobaccy, master?” said the first, after a +pause. + +“Why, very well,” said the other. At this instant, without any warning, +something in the wall of my passage gave way, some bit of rotten mortar +which held up a stone, or something of the sort. At any rate, a stone +fell out, with a little rush of rotten plaster, making a good deal of +noise, though of course it seemed more to me than to the men outside. + +“What ever in the world was that?” said one of them. + +“I dunno,” said the other. “It seemed to come from down below somewhere, +under the earth, like. Do you think as it could be a rabbit?” + +“It did sound like a stone falling out of a wall,” came the answer. “I +dunno. Where could it a come from?” + +They seemed to search about for some trace of a rabbit; but not finding +any, they listened for another stone to fall. + +“I tell you what I think,” said the first man. “I believe as there be +underground passages all over these here gardens. Some of them walks +sound just as hollow as logs if you do stamp on 'em. There was very +queer doings here in the old monks' time; very queer. Some day I mean to +grub about a bit, master. For my old grandmother used always to say as +the monks buried a lot of treasure hereabouts in the old time.” + +“Ah?” said the other. “Then shall us get a spade quiet like, to see if +it be beneath.” The other hesitated, while my heart sank. I very nearly +went back to my prison, thinking that all was over. + +“No,” said his comrade. “Us'll ask Sir Travers first. He do-an't like +people grubbing about. Some of his forefathers as they call them weren't +very good, I do hear, neither. He do-an't want none of their little +games brought to light, like.” + +After this, the men moved off, to some other part of their beat. I went +on along the passage quickly, till suddenly I fell with a crash down +three or four steps into a dirty puddle, knocking my head as I fell. I +could see no glimmer of light from this place; but I groped my way out, +up a few more steps further on into a smaller, dirtier passage than the +one which I had just left. After this I had to crawl like a badger in +his earth, with my back brushing against the roof, over many masses of +broken brickwork most rough to the palms of my hands. All of a sudden +I smelt a pleasant stable-smell. I heard the rattle of a halter drawn +across manger bars. I heard a horse paw upon the ground quite close to +me. A dim, but regular chink of light showed in front of me, level with +my head as crawled. Peering through it, I saw that I was looking into a +stable, almost level with the floor; the passage had come to an end. + +By getting my fingers into the crack through which I peered, I found +that I could swing round some half a dozen stones, which were mortared +together, so as to form a revolving door. It worked with difficulty, +as though no one had passed through by that way for many years; but +it worked for me, after a little hard pushing. I scrambled through the +narrow opening into a roomy old stable, where some cart-horses peered +at me with wonder, as I rose to my feet. After getting out, I shut to +my door behind me, so firmly that I could not open it again; there must +have been some spring or catch which I could not set to work. Two steps +more took me out of the horses' stalls into the space behind, where, on +a mass of hay, lay a carter, fast asleep, with the door-key in his hand. +By his side lay a pitchfork. He was keeping guard there, prepared to +resist Monmouth's pillagers. + +He slept so heavily that I was tempted to take the key from his hand. +Twice I made little half steps forward to take it; but each time +something in the man's look daunted me. He was a surly-looking man who, +if roused suddenly, in a locked stable, might lay about him without +waiting to see who roused him. He stirred in his sleep as I drew near +him for the second time; so I gave up the key as a bad job. The loft +seemed to be my only chance; as there was only this one big locked +double door upon the lower floor, I clambered up the steep ladder to the +loft, hoping that my luck there might be better, but resolved, if the +worst came, to hide there in the hay until the carter took the horses to +work, leaving the doors open. + +I had hardly set my foot upon the loft floor, when one of the horses, +hearing some noise outside, or being moved by some evil spirit, whinnied +loudly, rattling his halter. The noise was enough to arouse an army. It +startled the carter from his bed. I heard him leap to his feet with an +oath; I heard him pad round the stable, talking to the horses in turn; I +heard him unlock the door to see what was stirring. I stood stock-still +in my tracks, not daring to stir towards the cover of the hay at the +farther end of the loft. I heard him walk slowly, grunting heavily, +to the foot of the ladder, where he stopped to listen for any further +signal. If he had come up he must have caught me. I could not have +escaped. But though he seemed suspicious he did not venture further. He +walked slowly back to his bed, grunting discontentedly. In a few minutes +he was sound asleep again; for farming people sleep like sailors, as +though sleep were a sort of spirit muffling them suddenly in a thick +felt blanket. After he had gone off to sleep, I took off my boots, in +order to put them on under my stockings, for the greater quiet which +that muffling gives to the tread. Then I peered about the loft for a way +of escape. + +There were big double doors to this upper loft, through which the hay +could be passed from a waggon standing near the wall. These doors were +padlocked on the inside; there was no opening them; the staples were +much too firm for me to remove without a crowbar. The other openings in +the walls were mere loophole slits, about four feet long but only a few +inches broad. There were enough of these to make the place light. By +their light I could see that there was no way of escape for me except +by the main door. I was almost despairing of escape from this prison of +mine, when I saw that the loft had a hayshoot, leading downwards. When +I saw it I fondly hoped that it led to some outer stable or cart-shed, +separated from that in which the carter slept. A glance down its smooth +shaft showed me that it led to the main stable. I could see the heads +of the meditative horses, bent over the empty mangers exactly as if they +were saying grace. Beyond them I saw the boots of the carter dangling +over the edge of the trusses of hay on which he slept. I stepped back +from this shaft quickly because I thought that I might be seen from +below. My foot went into the nest of a sitting hen, right on to the +creature's back. Up she started, giving me such a fright that I nearly +screamed. She flew with a cackling shriek which set all the blackbirds +chippering in the countryside. Round the loft she scattered, calling +her hideous noise. Up jumped the carter, down came his pitchfork with +a thud. His great boots clattered over the stable to the ladder. Clump, +clump, he came upstairs, with his pitchfork prongs gleaming over his +head like lanceheads. I saw his head show over the opening of the loft. +There was not a second to lose. His back of course was still towards me, +as the ladder was mercifully nailed to the wall. Before he turned I slid +over the mouth of the shaft down into the hayrack of the old brute who +had whinnied. I lit softly; but I certainly shocked that old mare's +feelings. In a second, before she had time to kick, I was outside her +stall, darting across the stable to the key, which lay on the truss of +hay, mercifully left there by its guardian. In another second the lock +had turned. I was outside, in the glorious open fields again. Swiftly +but silently I drew the key out of the lock. One second more sufficed +to lock that door from without. The carter was a prisoner there, locked +safely in with his horses. I was free. The key was in my pocket. Yonder +lay the great combes which hid Taunton from me. I waved my hat towards +them; then, with a wild joyous rush, I scrambled behind the cover of the +nearest hedge, along which I ran hard for nearly a quarter of a mile. + +I stopped for a few minutes to rest among some ferns, while I debated +how to proceed. I changed the arrangement of my stockings; I also dusted +my very dirty clothes, all filthy from that horrid passage underground. +“Now,” I said to myself, “there must be many ways to Taunton. One way, +I know, leads along this valley, past Chard there, where the houses are. +The other way must lie across these combes, high up. Which way shall I +choose, I wonder?” A moment's thought showed me that the combes would +be unfrequented, while the valley road, being the easy road, which (as I +knew) the Duke's army had chosen, would no doubt be full of people, some +of them (perhaps) the King's soldiers, coming up from Bridport. If I +went by that road my pursuers would soon hear of me, even if I managed +to get past the watchers on the road. On the other hand, Aurelia would +probably know that I should choose the combe road. Still, even if she +sent out mounted men, she would find me hard to track, since the combes +were lonely, so lonely that for hours together you can walk there +without meeting anybody. There would be plentiful cover among the combes +in case I wished to lie low. Besides, I had a famous start, a five +hours' start; for I should not be missed until eight o'clock. It could +not then have been much more than half-past two. In five hours an active +boy, even if he knew not the road, might put some half a dozen miles +behind him. I say only half a dozen miles, because the roads were the +roughest of rough mud-tracks, still soft from the rains. As I did not +know the way, I knew that I might count on going wrong, taking wrong +turns, etc. As I wished to avoid people, I counted on travelling most +of the way across country, trusting to luck to find my way among the +fields. So that, although in five hours I should travel perhaps ten or +twelve miles, I could not count on getting more than six miles towards +Taunton. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. FREE + +For the first hour or two, as no one would be about so early, I thought +it safe to use the road. I put my best foot foremost, going up the great +steep combe, with Chard at my back. + +The road was one of the loneliest I have ever trodden. It went winding +up among barren-looking combes which seemed little better than waste +land. There were few houses, so few that sometimes, on a bit of rising +ground, when the road lifted clear of the hedges, one had to look about +to see any dwelling of men. There was little cultivation, either. It was +nearly all waste, or scanty pasture. A few cows cropped by the wayside +near the lonely cottages. A few sheep wandered among the ferns. It was +a very desolate land to lie within so few miles of England's richest +valleys. I walked through it hurriedly, for I wished to get far from my +prison before my escape was discovered. No one was there to see me; +the lie of the valley below gave me my direction, roughly, but closely +enough. After about an hour of steady, fairly good walking, I pulled up +by a little tiny brook for breakfast. I ate quickly, then hurried on, +for I dared not waste time. I turned out of the narrow cart-tracks into +what seemed to be a highroad. + +I dipped down a hollow, past a pond where geese were feeding, then +turned to a stiff steep hill, which never seemed to end for miles. The +country grew lonelier at every step; there were no houses there; only +a few rabbits tamely playing in the outskirts of the coverts. A jay +screamed in the clump of trees at the hill-top; it seemed the proper +kind of voice for a waste like that. Still further on, I sat down to +rest at the brink of the great descent, which led, as I guessed, as I +could almost see, to the plain where Taunton lay, waiting for the Duke's +army to garrison her. There were thick woods to my right at this point, +making cover so dense that no hounds would have tried to break through +it, no matter how strong a scent might lead them. It was here, as I sat +for a few minutes to rest, that a strange thing happened. + +I was sitting at the moment with my back to the wood, looking over +the desolate country towards a tiny cottage far off on the side of the +combe. A big dog-fox came out of the cover from behind me, so quietly +that I did not hear him. He trotted past me in the road; I do not think +that he saw me till he was just opposite. Then he stopped to examine me, +as though he had never seen such a thing before. He was puzzled by me, +but he soon decided that I was not worth bothering about, for he made +no stay. He padded slowly on towards Chard, evidently well-pleased with +himself. Suddenly he stopped dead, with one pad lifted, a living image +of alert tension. He was alarmed by something coming along the road by +which I had come. He turned his head slightly, as though to make sure +with his best ear. Then with a single beautiful lollopping bound he +was over the hedge to safety, going in that exquisite curving rhythm of +movement which the fox has above all English animals. For a second, I +wondered what it was that had startled him. Then, with a quickness of +wit which would have done credit to an older mind, I realized that there +was danger coming on the road towards me, danger of men or of dogs, +since nothing else in this country frightens a fox. It flashed in upon +me that I must get out of sight at once; before that danger hove in view +of me. I gave a quick rush over the fence into the tangle, through which +I drove my way till I was snug in an open space under some yew trees, +surrounded on all sides by brambles. I shinned up one of the great yew +trees, till I could command a sight of the road, while lying hidden +myself in the profuse darkness of the foliage. Here I drew out my +pistol, ready for what might come. I suppose I had not been in my +hiding-place for more than thirty seconds, when over the brow of the +hill came Sir Travers Carew, at a full gallop, cheering on a couple of +hounds, who were hot on my scent. Aurelia rode after him, on her famous +chestnut mare. Behind her galloped two men, whom I had not seen before. +In an instant, they were swooped down to the place where the dog-fox had +passed. The hounds gave tongue when they smelt the rank scent of their +proper game; they were unused to boy-hunting. They did not hesitate an +instant, but swung off as wild as puppies over the hedge, after the fox. +The horsemen paused for a second, surprised at the sudden sharp turn; +but they followed the hounds' lead, popping over the fence most nimbly, +not waiting to look for my tracks in the banks of the hedge. They +streamed away after the fox, to whom I wished strong legs. I knew that +with two young hounds they would never catch him, but I hoped that he +would give them a good run before the sun killed the scent. I looked +at the sun, now gloriously bright over all the world, putting a bluish +glitter on to the shaking oak leaves of the wood. How came it that they +had discovered my flight so soon since it could not be more than six +o'clock, if as much? I wondered if it had been the old carter, who had +never really seen me. It might have been the old carter; but doubtless +he drummed for a good while on the door of the stable before anybody +heard him. Or it might have been one of the garden sentries. One of the +sentries might well have peeped in at the window of my room to make sure +that I was up to no pranks. He could have seen from the window that my +bed was empty. If he had noticed that, he could have unlocked my door to +make sure, after which it would not have taken more than a few minutes +to start after me. I learned afterwards that the sentry had alarmed the +house at a little before five o'clock. The carter, being only half-awake +when he came after me, suspected nothing till the other farm-hands came +for the horses, at about six o'clock, when, the key being gone, he had +to break the lock, vowing that the rattens had took his key from him in +the night. My disappearance puzzled everybody, because I had hidden my +tracks so carefully that no one noticed at first how the chimney bars +had been loosened. No one in that house knew of the secret room, so that +the general impression was that I had either squeezed myself through the +window, or blown myself out through the keyhole by art-magic. The hounds +had been laid along the road to Chard, with the result that they had hit +my trail after a few minutes of casting about. + +Now that they were after me, I did not know what to do. I dared not +go on towards Taunton; for who knew how soon the squire would find his +error, by viewing the fox? He was too old a huntsman not to cast back +to where he had left the road, as soon as he learned that his hounds +had changed foxes. I concluded that I had better stay where I was, +throughout that day, carefully hidden in the yew-tree. In the evening +I might venture further if the coast seemed clear. It was easy to make +such a resolution; but not so easy to keep to it; for fifteen hours is a +long time for a boy to wait. I stayed quiet for some hours, but I heard +no more of my hunters. I learned later that they had gone from me, in +a wide circuit, to cut round upon the Taunton roads, so as to intercept +me, or to cause me to be intercepted in case I passed by those ways. +The hounds gave up after chasing the fox for three miles. The old squire +thought that they stopped because the sun had destroyed the scent. With +a little help from an animal I had beaten Aurelia once more. When I grew +weary of sitting up in the yew tree, clambered down, intending to push +on through the wood until I came to the end of it. It was mighty +thick cover to push through for the first half mile; then I came to a +cart-track, made by wood-cutters, which I followed till it took me out +of the wood into a wild kind of sheep-pasture. It was now fully nine +in the evening, but the country was so desolate it might have been +undiscovered land. I might have been its first settler, newly come there +from the seas. It taught me something of the terrors of war that day's +wandering towards Taunton. I realized all the men of these parts had +wandered away after the Duke, for the sake of the excitement, after +living lonely up there in the wilds. Their wives had followed the army +also. The while population (scanty as it was) had moved off to look for +something more stirring than had hitherto come to them. I wandered +on slowly, taking my time, getting my direction fairly clear from the +glimpses which I sometimes caught of the line of the highway. At a +little after noon I ate the last of my victuals near a spring. I rested +after my dinner, then pushed on again, till I had won to a little +spinney only four miles from Taunton, where my legs began to fail under +me. + +I crept into the spinney, wondering if it contained some good shelter in +which I could sleep for the night. I found a sort of dry, high pitched +bank, with the grass all worn off it, which I thought would serve my +turn, if the rain held off. As for supper, I determined to shoot a +rabbit with my pistol. For drink, there was a plenty of small brooks +within half a mile of the little enclosure. After I had chosen my camp, +I was not very satisfied with it. The cover near by was none too thick. +So I moved off to another part where the bushes grew more closely +together. As I was walking leisurely along, I smelt a smell of something +cooking, I heard voices, I heard something clink, as though two tin cups +were being jangled. Before I could draw back, a man thrust through the +undergrowth, challenging me with a pistol. Two other men followed him, +talking in low, angry tones. They came all round me with very murderous +looks. They were the filthiest looking scarecrows ever seen out of a +wheat-field. + +“Why,” said one of them, lowering his pistol, “it be the Duke's young +man, as we seed at Lyme.” They became more friendly at that; but still +they seemed uneasy, not very sure of my intentions. + +“Where is the Duke?” I asked after a long awkward pause. “Is he at +Taunton?” They looked from one to the other with strange looks which I +did not understand. + +“The Duke be at Bridgewater,” said one of them in a curious tone. “What +be you doing away from the Duke?” + +“Why,” I said, “I was taken prisoner. I escaped this morning.” + +“Yes?” they said with some show of eagerness. “Be there many soldiers +hereaway, after us?” + +“No. Not many,” I said. “Are you coming from the Duke?” + +“Yes,” said one of them, “we left en at Bridgewater. We have been having +enough of fighting for the crown. We been marching in mud up to our +knees. We been fighting behind hedges. We been retreating for the last +week. So now us be going home, if us can get there. Glad if we never +sees a fight again.” + +“Well,” I said, “I must get to the Duke if I can. How far is it to +Bridgewater?” + +“Matter of fifteen mile,” they said, after a short debate. “You'll never +get there tonight. Nor perhaps tomorrow, since we hear the soldiers be a +coming.” + +“I'll get some of the way tonight,” I said; but my heart sank at the +thought; for I was tired out. + +“No, young master,” said one of the men kindly, “you stop with us for +tonight. Come to supper with us. Us 'ave rabbits on the fire.” Their +fortnight of war had given them a touch of that comradeship which +camp-life always gives. They took me with them to their camp-fire, where +they fed me on a wonderful mess of rabbits boiled with herbs. The men +had bread. One of them had cider. Our feast there was most pleasant; or +would have been, had not the talk of these deserters been so melancholy. +They were flying to their homes like hunted animals, after a fortnight +of misery which had altered their faces forever. They had been +in battle; they had retreated through mud; they had seen all the +ill-fortune of war. They did all that they could to keep me from my +purpose; but I had made up my mind to rejoin my master; I was not to be +moved. Before settling down to sleep for the night I helped the men to +set wires for rabbits, an art which I had not understood till then, +but highly useful to a lad so fated to adventurous living as myself. We +slept in various parts of the spinney, wherever there was good shelter; +but we were all so full of jangling nerves that our sleep was most +uneasy. We woke very early, visited our wires, then breakfasted heartily +on the night's take. The men insisted on giving me a day's provision +to take with me, which I took, though grudgingly, for they had none too +much for themselves, poor fellows. Just before we parted I wrote a note +to Sir Travers, on a leaf of my pocketbook. “Dear Sir Travers,” I wrote, +“These men are well-known to me as honest subjects. They have had great +troubles on their road. I hope that you will help them to get home. +Please remember me very kindly to your niece.” After folding this +very neatly I gave the precious piece of impudence to one of the men. +“There,” I said, “if you are stopped, insist on being carried before Sir +Travers. He knows me. I am sure that he will help you as far as he +can.” For this the men thanked me humbly. I learned, too, that it was of +service to them. It saved them all from arrest later in the same day. + +Having bidden my hosts farewell, I wandered on, keeping pretty well in +cover. I saw a patrol of the King's dragoons in one of the roads near +which I walked. The nets were fast closing in on my master: there were +soldiers coming upon him from every quarter save the west, which was +blocked too, as it happened, by ships of war in the Channel. This +particular patrol of dragoons caught sight of me. I saw a soldier +looking over a gate at me; but as I was only a boy, seemingly out for +birdsnests, he did not challenge me, so that by noon I was safe in +Taunton. I have no clear memory of Taunton, except that it was full of +people, mostly women. There were little crowds in the streets, little +crowds of women, surrounding muddy, tired men who had come in from the +Duke. People were going about in a hurried, aimless way which showed +that they were scared. Many houses were shut up. Many men were working +on the city walls, trying to make the place defensible. If ever a town +had the fear of death upon it that town was Taunton, then. As far as I +could make out it was not the actual war that it feared; though that +it feared pretty strongly, as the looks on the women's faces showed. It +feared that the Duke's army would come back to camp there, to eat them +all up, every penny, every blade of corn, like an army of locusts. +Sometimes, while I was there, men galloped in with news, generally +false, like most warmews, but eagerly sought for by those who even now +saw their husbands shot dead in ranks by the fierce red-coats under +their drunken Dutch general. Sometimes the news was that the army was +pressing in to cut off the Duke from Taunton; that the dragoons were +shooting people on the road; that they were going to root out the whole +population without mercy. At another time news came that Monmouth was +marching in to music, determined to hold Taunton till the town was a +heap of cinders. Then one, bloody with his spurred horse's gore, cried +aloud that the King was dead, shot in the heart by one of his brother's +servants. Then another came calling all to prayer. All this uproar +caused a hurrying from one crowd to another. Here a man preached +fervently to a crowd of enthusiasts. Here men ran from a prayer-meeting +to crowd about a messenger. Bells jangled from the churches; the noise +of the picks never ceased in the trenches; the taverns were full; the +streets swarmed; the public places were now thronged, now suddenly +empty. Here came the aldermen in their robes, scared faces among the +scarlet, followed by a mob praying for news, asking in frenzy for +something certain, however terrible. There several in a body clamoured +at a citizen's door in the like fever of doubt. There was enough agony +of mind in Taunton that day to furnish out any company of tragedians. +We English, an emotional people by nature, are best when the blow has +fallen. We bear neither doubt nor rapture wisely. Our strength is shown +in troublous times in which other people give way to despair. + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. THE END + +Among all the confusion, I learned certainly from some deserters that +the Duke was at Bridgewater, waiting till his men had rested, before +trying to break through to the north, to his friends in Chester. He had +won a bad name for himself among his friends. Nobody praised him. The +Taunton people, who had given him such a splendid welcome ten days +before, now cursed him for having failed; they knew too well what sort +of punishment was sure to fall upon them, directly the fighting came to +an end. Somehow all their despairing talk failed to frighten me. I was +not scared by all the signs of panic in the streets. I was too young to +understand fully; but besides that I was buoyed up by the belief that +I had done a fine thing in escaping from prison in order to serve the +cause dear to my heart. My heart told me that I was going to a glorious +victory in the right cause. I cannot explain it. I felt my father in my +heart urging me to go forward. I would not have drawn back for all the +King's captains in a company riding out against me together. I felt that +these people were behaving absurdly; they should keep a brave patient +face against their troubles. Tomorrow or the next day would see us in +triumph, beating our enemies back to London, to the usurper's den in +Whitehall. + +It drew towards sunset before I had found a means to get to Bridgewater. +The innkeepers who in times of peace sent daily carriers thither, with +whom a man could travel in comfort for a few pence, had now either lost +their horses, or feared to risk them. No carriers had gone either to +Bridgewater or to Bristol since the Duke marched in on the fourth day +of his journey; nor had the carriers come in as usual from those places; +the business of the town was at a standstill. I asked at several inns, +but that was the account given to me. There was no safety on the roads. +The country was overrun by thieves, who stole horses in the name of the +Duke or of the King; nothing was safe anywhere. The general hope of the +people was for Monmouth to be beaten soon, or to be victorious soon. +They had lost quite enough by him; they wanted the rebellion over. + +At last, just when I had begun to think the thing hopeless, I found an +honest Quaker about to ride to Bridgewater with a basket of Bibles for +the Duke's men. He did not ask me what my business at Bridgewater +might be; but he knew that no one would want to go there at such a time +without good cause. “Well,” he said, “if you can ride small, you shall +ride behind me, but it will be slow riding, as the horse will be heavily +laden.” He was going to start at eight o'clock, so as to travel +all night, when the marauders, whether deserters from the Duke or +ill-conditioned country people, were always less busy. I had time to +get some supper for myself in the tavern-bar before starting. Just as +we were about to ride off together, when we were in the saddle, waiting +only till some carts rolled past the yard-door, I had a fright, for +there, coming into the inn yard, was one of the troopers who had +beguiled me from the Duke's army that day at Axminster. I had no doubt +that he was going from inn to inn, asking for news of me. We began to +move through the yard as he came towards us; the clack of the horse's +feet upon the cobbles made him look up; but though he stared at me hard, +he did so with an occupied mind; he was in such a brown study (as it is +called) that he never recognized me. A minute later, we were riding out +of town past the trench-labourers, my heart going pit-a-pat from the +excitement of my narrow escape. I dared not ask the Quaker to go fast, +lest he should worm my story from me, but for the first three miles I +assure you I found it hard not to prod that old nag with my knife to +make him quicken his two mile an hour crawl. Often during the first +hours of the ride I heard horses coming after us at a gallop. It was +all fancy; we were left to our own devices. My pursuers, I found, +afterwards, were misled by the lies of the landlord at the inn we had +left. We were being searched for in Taunton all that fatal night, by +half a dozen of the Carew servants. + +Bridgewater had not gone to bed when we got there. The people were out +in the streets, talking in frightened clumps, expecting something. After +thanking the Quaker for his kindness in giving me a lift I asked at one +of these clumps where I could find the Duke. I was feeling so happy +at the thought of rejoining my master, after all my adventures, that I +think I never felt so happy. + +“Where can I find the Duke?” I asked. “I'm his servant, I must find +him.” + +“Find him?” said one of the talkers. “He's not here. He's marched out, +sir, with all his army, over to Sedgemoor to fight the King's army. It's +a night attack, sir.” + +I was bitterly disappointed at not having reached my journey's end; but +there was a stir in the thought of battle. I asked by which road I could +get to the place where the battle would be. The man told me to turn to +the right after crossing the river. “But,” said he, “you don't want to +get mixed up in the fighting, master. There be thousands out there on +the moor. A boy would be nowhere among all them.” + +“Yes,” said another. “Better stay here, sir. If the Duke wins he'll be +back afore breakfast. If he gets beat, you'd be best out of the way.” + +This was sound advice; but I was not in a mood to profit by it. +Something told me that the battle was to be a victory for us; so I +thanked the men, telling them that I would go out over the moor by the +road they had mentioned. As I moved away, they called out to me to mind +myself, for the King's dragoons were on the moor, as a sort of screen +in front of their camp. By the road they had mentioned I might very well +get into the King's camp without seeing anything of my master. One of +them added that the battle would begin, or might begin, long before I +got there, “if the mist don't lead en astray, like.” + +It took me some few minutes to get out of the gates across the river; +for there was a press of people crowded there. It was as dark as +a summer night ever is, that is, a sort of twilight, when I passed +through, but just at the gates were two great torches stuck into rings +in the wall. The wind made their flames waver about uncertainly, so that +sometimes you could see particular faces in the crowd, all lit in muddy +gold light for an instant, before the wavering made them dark again. +Several mounted men were there, trying to pass. Among them, in one +sudden glare, I saw Aurelia on her Arab, reined in beside Sir Travers, +whose horse was kicking out behind him. I passed them by so close that +I touched Aurelia's riding habit as I crept out of the press. They were +talking together, just behind me, as I crept from the town over the +bridge above which the summer mists clung, almost hiding the stream. +Aurelia was saying “I only hope we may be in time.” “Yes, poor boy,” + said Sir Travers. “It will be terrible if we are too late.” It gave me a +pang to hear them, for I knew that they were talking about me. + +I crept into the shelter of the bridge parapet while they rode on past +me. The mist hid them from me. The town was dark above the mist like +a city in the clouds. The stars were dim now with the coming of day. +A sheep-bell on the moor made a noise like a nightbird. A few ponies +pastured on the moor trotted away, lightly padding, scared, I suppose, +by the two riders. Then, far away, but sounding very near at hand, for +sound travels very strangely in mist, so strangely that often a very +distant noise will strike loudly, while it is scarcely heard close to, +there came a shot. Almost instantly, the air seemed full of the roar +of battle. The gun-fire broke out into a long irregular roar, a fury +of noise which roused up the city behind me, as though all the citizens +were slamming their doors to get away from it. I hurried along the road +towards the battle, praying, as I went, that my master might conquer, +that the King's troops had been caught asleep, that when I got there, +in the glory of dawn, I might find the Duke's army returning thanks in +their enemy's camp. I pressed on along the rough moor road until the +dawn came over the far horizon, driving the mists away, so that I could +see what was doing there. + +I saw a great sweep of moorland to my left, with a confused crowd of +horsemen scattering away towards a line of low hills some miles beyond. +They were riding from the firing, which filled all the nearer part of +the moor with smoke, among which I saw moving figures, sudden glimpses +of men in rank, sudden men on horseback, struggling with their horses. +The noise was worse than I had expected; it came on me with repeated +deafening shocks. I could hear cries in the lulls when the firing +slackened; then the uproar grew worse again, sounds of desperate thuds, +marking cannon shot. I heard balls going over my head with a shrill +“wheep, wheep,” which made me duck. A small iron cannon ball spun into +the road like a spinning top, scattering the dust. It wormed slowly past +me for a second, then rose up irregularly in a bound, to thud into the +ditch, where it lay still. I saw cannon coming up at a gallop, with many +horses, on the bare right flank of the battle. Another ball came just +over my head, with a scream which made my heart quite sick. I sat down +cowering under a ruined thorn-tree by the road, crying like a little +child. It must have been a moment after that when I saw a man staggering +down the road towards me, holding his side with both hands. He fell +into the road, dead, not far from me. Then others came past, some so +fearfully hurt that it was a miracle that they should walk. They came +past in a long horrible procession, men without weapons, without hands, +shot in the head, in the body, lacerated, bleeding, limping, with white +drawn faces, tottering to the town which they would never see again. I +shut my eyes, crouching well under the tree, while this fight went +on. It was nothing but a time of pain, a roaring, booming horror with +shrieks in it. I don't know how long it lasted. I only know that the +shooting seemed suddenly to pass into a thunder of horse-hoofs as +the King's dragoons came past in a charge. Right in front of me they +galloped, hacking at the fleers, leaning out from their saddles to cut +at them, leaning down to stab them, rising up to reach at those who +climbed the banks. Under that tide of cavalry the Duke's army melted. +They fought in clumps desperately. They flung away their weapons. They +fled. They rushed down desperately to meet death. It was all a medley of +broken noises, oaths, stray shots, cries, wounded men whimpering, hurt +horses screaming. The horses were the worst part of it. Perhaps you +never heard a horse scream. + +That morning's work is all very confused to me. I remember seeing men +cut down as they ran. I remember a fine horse coming past me lurching, +clattering his stirrups, before leaping into the river. I remember the +stink of powder over all the field; the strange look on the faces of +the dead; the body of a trumpeter, kneeling against a gorse-bush, shot +through the heart, with his trumpet raised to his lips, the litter +everywhere, burnt cartridges, clothes, belts, shot, all the waste of +war. They are in my mind, those memories, like scattered pictures. The +next clear memory in my mind, is of a company of cavalry in red coats, +under a fierce, white-faced man, bringing in a string of prisoners to +the King's camp. A couple of troopers jumped down to examine me. One had +the face of a savage; the other was half drunk. “You're one of them,” + they said. “Bring him on.” They twisted string about my thumbs. I +was their prisoner. They dragged me into the King's camp, where the +white-faced man sat down at a table to judge us. + +I will not talk of that butchery. The white-faced man has been judged +now, in his turn; I will say no more of him. When it came to my turn, he +would hear no words from me; I was a rebel, fit for nothing but death. +“Pistol him” was all the sentence passed on me. The soldiers laid hands +on me to drag me away, to add my little corpse to the heap outside. One +of the officers spoke up for me. “He's only a boy,” he said. “Go easy +with the boy. Don't have the poor child killed.” It was kindly spoken; +but quite carelessly. The man would have pleaded for a cat with just as +much passion. It was useless, anyway, for the colonel merely repeated +“Pistol him,” just as one would have ordered a wine at dinner. +“Burgundy.” “No, the Burgundy here is all so expensive.” “Never mind, +Burgundy.” So I was led away to stand with the next batch of prisoners +lined against a wall to be shot. My place was at the end of a line, +next to a young sullen-looking man black with powder. I did not feel +frightened, only hopeless, quite hopeless, a sort of dead feeling. I +remember looking at the soldiers getting ready to shoot us. I wondered +which would shoot me. They seemed so slow about it. There was some +hitch, I think, in filling up the line; a man had proved his innocence +or something. + +Then, the next instant, there was Aurelia dragging the white-faced man +from his table. I dimly remember him ordering me to be released, while +Sir Travers Carew gave me brandy. I remember the young sullen-looking +man's face; for he looked at me, a look of dull wonder, with a sort +of hopeless envy in it, which has wrung my heart daily, ever since. +“Mount,” said Aurelia. “Mount, Martin. For God's sake, Uncle Travers, +let us get out of this.” They were on both sides of me each giving me an +arm in the saddle, as we rode out of that field of death through Zoyland +village towards the old Abbey near Chard. + +I shall say little more, except that I never saw my master again. When +they led him to the scaffold on Tower Hill I was outward bound to +the West Indies, as private secretary to Sir Travers, newly appointed +Governor of St. Eulalie. We had many of Monmouth's men in St. Eulalie +after the Bloody Assizes; but their tale is too horrible to tell here. +You will want to know whether I ever saw Aurelia again. Not for some +years, not very often for nine years; but since then our lives have been +so mingled that when we die it will be hard to say which soul is which, +so much our spirits are each other's. So now, I have written a long +story. May we all tell our tales to the end before the pen is taken from +us. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Martin Hyde, The Duke's Messenger, by +John Masefield + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 1274 *** diff --git a/1274-h/1274-h.htm b/1274-h/1274-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..04e1ae5 --- /dev/null +++ b/1274-h/1274-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,7876 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> + +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> + <head> + <title> + Martin Hyde, by John Masefield + </title> + <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal; + margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; + text-align: right;} + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +</style> + </head> + <body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 1274 ***</div> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <h1> + MARTIN HYDE + </h1> + <h2> + THE DUKE'S MESSENGER + </h2> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h2> + by John Masefield + </h2> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <blockquote> + <p class="toc"> + <big><b>CONTENTS</b></big> + </p> + <p> + <br /> <a href="#link2H_4_0001"> <b>MARTIN HYDE</b> </a><br /><br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0001"> CHAPTER I. </a> I LEAVE HOME <br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0002"> CHAPTER II. </a> I LEAVE HOME AGAIN + <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0003"> CHAPTER III. </a> I LEAVE + HOME A THIRD TIME <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0004"> CHAPTER IV. </a> I + LEAVE HOME FOR THE LAST TIME <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0005"> CHAPTER + V. </a> I GO TO SEA <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0006"> + CHAPTER VI. </a> THE SEA! THE SEA! <br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0007"> CHAPTER VII. </a> LAND RATS AND WATER + RATS <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0008"> CHAPTER VIII. </a> I + MEET MY FRIEND <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0009"> CHAPTER IX. </a> I + SEE MORE OF MY FRIEND <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0010"> CHAPTER X. + </a> SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0011"> + CHAPTER XI. </a> AURELIA <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0012"> + CHAPTER XII. </a> BRAVE CAPTAIN BARLOW <br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0013"> CHAPTER XIII. </a> IT BREEZES UP <br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0014"> CHAPTER XIV. </a> A DRINK OF SHERBET + <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0015"> CHAPTER XV. </a> THE ROAD + TO LYME <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0016"> CHAPTER XVI. </a> THE + LANDING <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0017"> CHAPTER XVII. </a> A + VOICE AT DAWN <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0018"> CHAPTER XVIII. </a> I + SPEAK WITH AURELIA <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0019"> CHAPTER XIX. </a> I + MEET THE CLUB MEN <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0020"> CHAPTER XX. </a> THE + SQUIRE'S HOUSE <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0021"> CHAPTER XXI. </a> MY + FRIEND AURELIA AND HER UNCLE <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0022"> CHAPTER + XXII. </a> THE PRIEST'S HOLE <br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0023"> CHAPTER XXIII. </a> FREE + <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0024"> CHAPTER XXIV. </a> THE + END <br /><br /> + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="link2H_4_0001" id="link2H_4_0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <h1> + MARTIN HYDE + </h1> + <h2> + THE DUKE'S MESSENGER + </h2> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0001" id="link2HCH0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER I. I LEAVE HOME + </h2> + <p> + I was born at Oulton, in Suffolk, in the year 1672. I know not the day of + my birth, but it was in March, a day or two after the Dutch war began. I + know this, because my father, who was the clergyman at Oulton, once told + me that in the night of my birth a horseman called upon him, at the + rectory, to ask the way to Lowestoft. He was riding from London with + letters for the Admiral, he said; but had missed his way somewhere beyond + Beccles. He was mud from head to foot (it had been a wet March) but he + would not stay to dry himself. He reined in at the door, just as I was + born, as though he were some ghost, bringing my life in his saddle bags. + Then he shook up his horse, through the mud, towards Lowestoft, so that + the splashing of the horse's hoofs must have been the first sound heard by + me. The Admiral was gone when he reached Lowestoft, poor man, so all his + trouble was wasted. War wastes more energy, I suppose, than any other form + of folly. I know that on the East Coast, during all the years of my + childhood, this Dutch war wasted the energies of thousands. The villages + had to drill men, each village according to its size, to make an army in + case the Dutch should land. Long after the war was over, they drilled + thus. I remember them on the field outside the church, drilling after + Sunday service, firing at a stump of a tree. Once some wag rang the + alarm-bell at night, to fetch them out of their beds. Then there were the + smugglers; they, too, were caused by the war. After the fighting there was + a bitter feeling against the Dutch. Dutch goods were taxed heavily (spice, + I remember, was made very dear thus) to pay for the war. The smugglers + began then to land their goods secretly, all along the coast, so that they + might avoid the payment of the duty. The farmers were their friends; for + they liked to have their gin cheap. Indeed, they used to say that in an + agueish place like the fens, gin was a necessity, if one would avoid + fever. Often, at night, in the winter, when I was walking home from + Lowestoft school, I would see the farmers riding to the rendezvous in the + dark, with their horses' hoofs all wrapped up in sacks, to make no noise. + </p> + <p> + I lived for twelve years at Oulton. I learned how to handle a boat there, + how to swim, how to skate, how to find the eggs of the many wild fowl in + the reeds. In those days the Broad country was a very wild land, half of + it swamp. My father gave me a coracle on my tenth birthday. In this little + boat I used to explore the country for many miles, pushing up creeks among + the reeds, then watching, in the pools (far out of the world it seemed) + for ruffs or wild duck. I was a hardy boy, much older than my years, like + so many only children. I used to go away, sometimes, for two or three days + together, with my friend John Halmer, Captain Halmer's son, taking some + bread, with a blanket or two, as my ship's stores. We used to paddle far + up the Waveney to an island hidden in reeds. We were the only persons who + knew of that island. We were like little kings there. We built a rough + sort of tent-hut there every summer. Then we would pass the time there + deliciously, now bathing, now fishing, but always living on what we + caught. John, who was a wild lad, much older than I, used to go among the + gipsies in their great winter camp at Oulton. He learned many strange + tricks from them. He was a good camp-companion. I think that the last two + years of my life at Oulton were the happiest years of my life. I have + never cared for dry or hilly countries since. Wherever I have been in the + world, I have always longed for the Broads, where the rivers wander among + reeds for miles, losing themselves in thickets of reeds. I have always + thought tenderly of the flat land, where windmills or churches are the + only landmarks, standing up above the mist, in the loneliness of the fens. + But when I was nearly thirteen years old (just after the death of Charles + the Second) my father died, leaving me an orphan. My uncle, Gabriel Hyde, + a man about town, was my only relative. The vicar of Lowestoft wrote to + him, on my behalf. A fortnight later (the ways were always very foul in + the winter) my uncle's man came to fetch me to London. There was a sale of + my father's furniture. His books were sent off to his college at Cambridge + by the Lowestoft carrier. Then the valet took me by wherry to Norwich, + where we caught a weekly coach to town. That was the last time I ever + sailed on the Waveney as a boy, that journey to Norwich. When I next saw + the Broads, I was a man of thirty-five. I remember how strangely small the + country seemed to me when I saw it after my wanderings. But this is away + from my tale. All that I remember of the coach-ride was my arrival late at + night at the London inn, a dark house full of smells, from which the valet + led me to my uncle's house. + </p> + <p> + I lay awake, that first night, much puzzled by the noise, fearing that + London would be all streets, a dismal place. When I fell asleep, I was + waked continually by chiming bells. In the morning, early, I was roused by + the musical calling made by milkmen on their rounds, with that morning's + milk for sale. At breakfast my uncle told me not to go into the street + without Ephraim, his man; for without a guide, he said, I should get lost. + He warned me that there were people in London who made a living by seizing + children (“kidnapping” or “trepanning” them, as it was called) to sell to + merchant-captains bound for the plantations. “So be very careful, Martin,” + he said. “Do not talk to strangers.” He went for his morning walk after + this, telling me that I might run out to play in the garden. + </p> + <p> + I went out of doors feeling that London must be a very terrible place, if + the folk there went about counting all who met them as possible enemies. I + was homesick for the Broads, where everybody, even bad men, like the worst + of the smugglers, was friendly to me. I hated all this noisy city, so full + of dirty jumbled houses. I longed to be in my coracle on the Waveney, + paddling along among the reeds, chucking pebbles at the water-rats. But + when I went out into the garden I found that even London held something + for me, not so good as the Broads, perhaps, but pleasant in its way. + </p> + <p> + Now before I go further, I must tell you that my uncle's house was one of + the old houses in Billingsgate. It stood in a narrow, crowded lane, at the + western end of Thames Street, close to the river. Few of the houses + thereabouts were old; for the fire of London had nearly destroyed that + part of the city, but my uncle's house, with a few more in the same lane, + being built of brick, had escaped. The bricks of some of the houses were + scorched black. I remember, also, at the corner house, three doors from my + uncle's house, the melted end of a water pipe, hanging from the roof like + a long leaden icicle, just as it had run from the heat eighteen years + before. I used to long for that icicle: it would have made such fine + bullets for my sling. I have said that Fish Lane, where my uncle lived, + was narrow. It was very narrow. The upper stories of the houses opposite + could be touched from my bed-room window with an eight-foot fishing rod. + If one leaned well out, one could see right into their upper rooms. You + could even hear the people talking in them. + </p> + <p> + At the back of the house there was a garden of potherbs. It sloped down to + the river-bank, where there were stairs to the water. The stairs were + covered in, so as to form a boat-house, in which (as I learned afterwards) + my uncle's skiffs were kept. You may be sure that I lost no time in + getting down to the water, after I had breakfasted with my uncle, on the + morning after my arrival. + </p> + <p> + A low stone parapet, topped by iron rails, shut off the garden from the + beach. Just beyond the parapet, within slingshot, as I soon proved, was + the famous Pool of London, full of ships of all sorts, some with flags + flying. The mild spring sun (it was early in April) made the sight + glorious. There must have been a hundred ships there, all marshalled in + ranks, at double-moorings, head to flood. Boats full of merchandise were + pulling to the wharves by the Custom House. Men were working aloft on the + yards, bending or unbending sails. In some ships the sails hung loose, + drying in the sun. In others, the men were singing out as they walked + round the capstan, hoisting goods from the hold. One of the ships close to + me was a beautiful little Spanish schooner, with her name La Reina in big + gold letters on her transom. She was evidently one of those very fast + fruit boats, from the Canary Islands, of which I had heard the seamen at + Oulton speak. She was discharging oranges into a lighter, when I first saw + her. The sweet, heavy smell of the bruised peels scented the river for + many yards. + </p> + <p> + I was looking at this schooner, wishing that I could pass an hour in her + hold, among those delicious boxes, when a bearded man came on deck from + her cabin. He looked at the shore, straight at myself as I thought, + raising his hand swiftly as though to beckon me to him. A boat pushed out + instantly, in answer to the hand, from the garden next to the one in which + I stood. The waterman, pulling to the schooner, talked with the man for a + moment, evidently settling the amount of his fare. After the haggling, my + gentleman climbed into the boat by a little rope-ladder at the stern. Then + the boatman pulled away upstream, going on the last of the flood, within + twenty yards of where I stood. + </p> + <p> + I had watched them idly, attracted, in the beginning, by that sudden + raising of the hand. But as they passed me, there came a sudden puff of + wind, strong enough to flurry the water into wrinkles. It lifted the + gentleman's hat, so that he saved it only by a violent snatch which made + the boat rock. As he jammed the hat down he broke or displaced some string + or clip near his ears. At any rate his beard came adrift on the side + nearest to me. The man was wearing a false beard. He remedied the matter + at once, very cleverly, so that I may have been the only witness; but I + saw that the boatman was in the man's secret, whatever it was. He pulled + hard on his starboard oar, bringing the boat partly across the current, + thus screening him from everybody except the workers in the ships. It must + have seemed to all who saw him that he was merely pulling to another arch + of London Bridge. + </p> + <p> + I was not sure of the man's face. It seemed handsome; that was all that I + could say of it. But I was fascinated by the mystery. I wondered why he + was wearing a false beard. I wondered what he was doing in the schooner. I + imagined all sorts of romantic plots in which he was taking part. I + watched his boat go through the Bridge with the feeling that I was sharing + in all sorts of adventures already. There was a fall of water at the + Bridge which made the river dangerous there even on a flood tide. I could + see that the waves there would be quite enough for such a boat without the + most tender handling. I watched to see how they would pass through. Both + men stood up, facing forwards, each taking an oar. They worked her + through, out of sight, in a very clever fashion; which set me wondering + again what this handsome gentleman might be, who worked a boat so well. + </p> + <p> + I hung about at the end of the garden until dinner time, hoping that they + would return. I watched every boat which came downstream, finding a great + pleasure in the watermen's skill, for indeed the water at the Bridge was + frightful; only a strong nerve could venture on it. But the boat did not + come back, though one or two other boats brought people, or goods, to the + stairs of the garden beside me. I could not see into the garden; that + party wall was too high. + </p> + <p> + I did not go indoors again till Ephraim came to fetch me, saying that it + was time I washed my hands for dinner. I went to my room; but instead of + washing my hands, I leaned out of the window to watch a dancing bear which + was sidling about in the lane, just below, while his keeper made a noise + on the panpipes. A little crowd of idlers was gathered round the bear. + Some of them were laughing at the bear, some at his keeper. I saw two boys + sneaking about among the company; they were evil-looking little ruffians, + with that hard look in the eyes which always marks the thoroughly wicked. + As I watched, one of them slipped his hand into a man's pocket, then + withdrew it, passing something swiftly to his companion, who walked + unconcernedly away. I ran out of doors at once, to the man who had been + robbed. + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” I said, when he had drawn away from the little crowd. “Have you not + been robbed of something?” + </p> + <p> + He turned to look down on me, searching his pockets with both hands. It + gave me a start to see him, for he was the bearded man who had passed me + in the boat that morning. You may be sure that I took a good note of him. + He was a handsome, melancholy-looking man, with a beard designed to make + him look fairer than he really was. + </p> + <p> + “Robbed of something?” he repeated in a quiet voice. “Yes, I have been + robbed of something.” It seemed to me that he turned pale, when he found + that he had been robbed. “Did you see it?” he asked. “Don't point. Just + describe him to me. No. Don't look round, boy. Tell me without looking + round.” + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” I said, “do you see two little boys moving about among the people + there?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he said. + </p> + <p> + “It's the boy with the bit of broken pipe in his hat who has the, whatever + it was, sir, I'm sure. I saw it all.” + </p> + <p> + “I see,” he said. “That's the coveter. Let this be a warning to you, boy, + never to stop in a crowd to watch these street-performers. Where were you, + when you saw it?” + </p> + <p> + “Up above there, sir. In that house.” + </p> + <p> + “In Mr. Hyde's house. Do you live there?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Since when? Not for long, surely?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir. Only since yesterday. I'm Mr. Hyde's nephew.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah! Indeed. And that is your room up there?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Where do you come from then? You've not been in town before. What is your + father?” + </p> + <p> + “My father's dead, sir. I come from Oulton. My father was rector there.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” he said quietly. “Now give this penny to the bear-ward.” + </p> + <p> + While I was giving the penny to the keeper, the strange man edged among + the lookers-on, apparently watching the bear's antics, till he was just + behind the pickpocket's accomplice. Watching his time, he seized the boy + from behind by both wrists. + </p> + <p> + “This boy's a pickpocket,” he cried aloud. “Stop that other boy. He's an + accomplice.” The other boy, who had just taken a purse, started to run, + letting the booty drop. A boatman who was going towards the river, tripped + him up with an oar so that he fell heavily. He lay still where he had + fallen (all the wind was knocked out of him) so that he was easily + secured. The boy who had been seized by the bearded man made no attempt to + get away. He was too firmly held. Both boys were then marched off to the + nearest constable where (after a strict search), they were locked into a + cellar till the morrow. The crowd deserted the bear-ward when the cry of + pickpockets was raised. They followed my mysterious friend to the + constable's house, hoping, no doubt, that they would be able to crowd in + to hear the constable bully the boys as he searched them. One or two, who + pretended to have missed things, managed to get in. The bearded man told + me to come in, as he said that I should be needed as a witness. The others + were driven out into the street, where, I suppose, their monkey-minds soon + found other game, a horse fallen down, or a drunken woman in the gutter, + to divert their idleness. Such sights seem to attract a London crowd at + once. + </p> + <p> + The boys were strictly searched by the constable. The booty from their + pockets was turned out upon the table. + </p> + <p> + “Now, sir,” said the constable to the bearded man, after he had made a + note of my story. “What is it they 'ad of you, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “A shagreen leather pocket-book,” said the man. “There it is.” + </p> + <p> + “This one?” said the constable. + </p> + <p> + “Yes.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh,” said the constable, opening the clasps, so that he could examine the + writing on the leaves. “What's inside?” + </p> + <p> + “A lot of figures,” said the man. “Sums. Problems in arithmetic.” + </p> + <p> + “Right,” said the constable, handing over the book. + </p> + <p> + “Here you are, sir. What name, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “Edward Jermyn.” + </p> + <p> + “Edward German,” the constable repeated. + </p> + <p> + “Where d' you live, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “At Mr. Scott's in Fish Lane.” + </p> + <p> + “Right, sir,” said the constable, writing down the address, “You must + appear tomorrow at ten before Mr. Garry, the magistrate. You, too, young + master, to give your evidence.” + </p> + <p> + At this the boys burst out crying, begging us not to appear, using all + those deceptive arts which the London thieves practise from childhood. I, + who was new to the world's deceits, was touched to the marrow by their + seeming misery. The constable roughly silenced them. “I know you,” he + said. “I had my eye on you two ever since Christmas. Now you'll go abroad + to do a bit of honest work, instead of nickin' pockets. Stow your + blubbering now, or I'll give you Mogador Jack.” He produced “Mogador + Jack,” a supple shark's backbone, from behind the door. The tears stopped + on the instant. + </p> + <p> + After this, the bearded man showed me the way back to Fish Lane, where + Ephraim, who was at the door, looking out for me, gave me a shrewd + scolding, for venturing out without a guide. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Jermyn silenced him by giving him a shilling. The next day, Mr. Jermyn + took me to the magistrate's house, where the two thieves were formally + committed for trial. Mr. Jermyn told me that they would probably be + transported for seven years, on conviction at the Assizes; but that, as + they were young, the honest work abroad, in the plantations, might be the + saving of them. “So do not be so sad, Mr. Martin,” he said. “You do not + know how good a thing you did when you looked out of the window yesterday. + Do you know, by the way, how much my book is worth?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” I said. + </p> + <p> + “Well. It's worth more than the King's crown,” he said. + </p> + <p> + “But I thought it was only sums, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he said, with a strange smile. “But some sums have to do with a + great deal of money. Now I want you to think tonight of something to the + value of twenty pounds or so. I want to give you something as a reward for + your smartness. Don't decide at once. Think it over. Here we are at our + homes, you see. We live just opposite to each other.” + </p> + <p> + We were standing at this moment in the narrow lane at my uncle's door. As + he spoke, he raised his hand in a farewell salute with that dignity of + gesture which was in all his movements. On the instant, to my surprise, + the door of the house opposite opened slowly, till it was about half open. + No one opened it, as I could see; it swung back of itself. After my friend + had stepped across the threshold it swung to with a click in the same + mysterious way. It was as though it had a knowledge of Mr. Jermyn's mind, + as though the raised hand had had a magical power over it. When I went + indoors to my uncle's house I was excited. I felt that I was in the + presence of something romantic, something mysterious. I liked Mr. Jermyn. + He had been very kind. But I kept wondering why he wore a false beard, why + his door opened so mysteriously, why he valued a book of sums above the + worth of a King's crown. As for his offer of a present, I did not like it, + though he had not given me time to say as much. I remembered how indignant + the Oulton wherrymen had been when a gentleman offered them money for + saving his daughter's life. I had seen the man robbed, what else could I + have done? I could have done no less than tell him. I resolved that I + would refuse the gift when next I saw him. + </p> + <p> + At dinner that day, I was full of Mr. Jermyn, much to my uncle's + annoyance. + </p> + <p> + “Who is this Mr. Jermyn, Martin?” he asked. “I don't know him. Is he a + gentleman?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, uncle.” + </p> + <p> + “Do you know him, Ephraim?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir. I know him by sight, sir. Gentleman who lives over the way, Mr. + Hyde.” + </p> + <p> + “That's Mr. Scott's, though.” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir. Mr. Jermyn's been there ever since February.” + </p> + <p> + “But the house is empty.” + </p> + <p> + “The lower floor is furnished, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Do you know anything of him? Do you know his man?” + </p> + <p> + “They say he's in the fruit way, sir. In the Spanish trade. His men are + Spaniards. They do say he's not quite to be trusted.” + </p> + <p> + “Who says this?” my uncle asked. + </p> + <p> + “I don't like to mention names, sir,” Ephraim said. + </p> + <p> + “Quite right. Quite right. But what do they say?” + </p> + <p> + “Very queer things goes on in that 'ouse,” said Ephraim. “I don't 'ardly + like to say. But they think 'e raises the devil, sir. Awful noises goes on + there. I seen some things myself there, as I don't like to talk of. Well. + I saw a black bird as big as a man stand flapping in the window. Then I + seen eyes glaring out at the door. They give the 'ouse a bad name, sir; + everyone.” + </p> + <p> + “H'm,” said my uncle. “What's he like, Martin, this Mr. Jermyn?” + </p> + <p> + “A tall man, with a beard,” I answered. I thought it wrong to mention that + I knew the beard to be false. “He's always stroking the bridge of his nose + with his hand.” + </p> + <p> + “Ha,” my uncle said, as though recognizing the trait. “But with a beard, + you tell me?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir. With a beard.” + </p> + <p> + “H'm,” he answered, musing, “I must have a look at this Mr. Jermyn. + Remember, Martin, you're to have nothing more to do with him, till I know + a little more of what he is. You understand?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, uncle.” + </p> + <p> + “One cannot be too careful in this town. I won't allow you in the streets, + Martin. No matter who has his pockets picked. I told you that before.” + </p> + <p> + “Please, uncle, may I go on the river, then, if I'm not to go into the + street? I'm used to boats.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes. You may do that. But you're not to go on board the ships, mind.” + </p> + <p> + “Beg pardon, sir,” Ephraim put in. “The fall at the Bridge is very risky, + sir.” + </p> + <p> + “It is?” said my uncle, testily. “Then of course you can't go in a boat, + Martin. You must play in the garden, or read.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER II. I LEAVE HOME AGAIN + </h2> + <p> + I thought Ephraim a pig for putting in that word about the fall. Though I + had only known Ephraim for a few days I disliked him perhaps as much as he + disliked me. He was angry (I could feel it) at having a boy in the house, + after many years of quiet alone with my uncle. I know that when he had + occasion to speak to me, he always went away muttering about my being a + charity brat who ought to be in the poor-house. Still, like most servants, + he vented most of his malice indirectly, as in this hint of his about the + river. I rose up from the dinner-table full of rebellion. I would go on + the river, I said to myself, fall or no fall. I would see more of Mr. + Jermyn, too. I would find out what went on in that house. I would find out + everything. In all this, of course, I was very wrong, but having made sure + that I was being treated unjustly I felt that I was only doing right in + rebelling. So after waiting till Ephraim was in the pantry, washing up the + dinner-things with the housemaid, I slipped down the garden to the + boat-house. The door was padlocked, as I had feared; but with an old + hammer-head I managed to pry off the staple. I felt like a burglar when + the lock came off in my hand. I felt that I was acting deceitfully. Then + the thought of Ephraim came over me, making me rebellious to my + finger-tips. I would go on the river, I said to myself, I would go aboard + all the ships in the Pool. I would show them all that I could handle a + boat anywhere. So in a moment my good angel was beaten. I was in the + boat-house, prying at the staple of the outer door, like the young rogue + that I was. Well, I paid a heavy price for that day of disobedience. It + was the most dearly bought day's row I ever heard of. + </p> + <p> + It took me a few moments to open the outer door. Then, with a thrill of + pleasure, such as only those who love the water can fed, I thrust out into + the river, on to the last of the ebb, then fast ebbing. The fall under the + bridge at that state of the tide was truly terrifying. It roared so loudly + that I could hear nothing else. It boiled about the bridge piers so + fiercely that I was scared to see it. I had seen the sea in storm; but + then one does not put to sea in a storm. This waterfall tumbled daily, + even in a calm. I shuddered to think of small boats, caught in the current + above it, being drawn down, slowly at first, then with a whirl, till all + was whelmed in the tumble below the arches. I saw how hatefully the back + wash seemed to saunter back to the fall along the banks. I thought that if + I was not careful I might be caught in the back wash, drawn slowly along + it by the undertow, till the cataract sank me. As I watched the fall, + fascinated, yet scared by it, there came a shooting rush, with shouts of + triumph. A four-oared wherry with two passengers shot through the arch + over the worst of the water into the quiet of the midstream. They waved to + me, evidently very pleased with their exploit. That set me wondering + whether the water were really as bad as it looked. My first feat was to + back up cautiously almost to the fall, till my boat was dancing so + vigorously that I was spattered all over. Standing up in the boat there, I + could see the oily water, like a great arched snake's back, swirl past the + arch towards me, bubbleless, almost without a ripple, till it showed all + its teeth at once in breaking down. The piers of the arches jutted far out + below the fall, like pointed islands. I was about to try to climb on the + top of one from the boat, a piece of madness which would probably have + ended in my death, but some boys in one of the houses on the bridge began + to pelt me with pebbles, so that I had to sheer off. I pulled down among + the shipping, examining every vessel in the Pool. Then I pulled down the + stream, with the ebb, as far as Wapping, where I was much shocked by the + sight of the pirates' gallows, with seven dead men hung in chains together + there, for taking the ship Delight, so a waterman told me, on the Guinea + Coast, the year before. I left my boat at Wapping Stairs, while I went + into a pastry-cook's shop to buy cake; for I was now hungry. The + pastry-cook was also a vintner. His tables were pretty well crowded with + men, mostly seafaring men, who were drinking wine together, talking of + politics. I knew nothing whatever about politics, but hearing the Duke of + Monmouth named I pricked up my ears to listen. My father had told me, in + his last illness, when the news of the death of Charles the Second reached + us, that trouble would come to England through this Duke, because, he + said, “he will never agree with King James.” Many people (the Duke himself + being one of them) believed that this James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, was + the son of a very beautiful woman by Charles the Second, who (so the tale + went) had married her in his wanderings abroad, while Cromwell ruled in + England here. I myself shall ever believe this story. I am quite sure, + now, in my own mind, that Monmouth was our rightful King. I have heard + accounts of this marriage of Charles the Second from people who were with + him in his wanderings. When Charles the Second died (being poisoned, some + said, by his brother James, who wished to seize the throne while Monmouth + was abroad, unable to claim his rights) James succeeded to the crown. At + the time of which I write he had been King for about two months. I did not + know anything about his merits as a King; but hearing the name of Monmouth + I felt sure, from the first, that I should hear more of what my father had + told me. + </p> + <p> + One of the seamen, a sour-looking, pale-faced man, was saying that Holland + was full of talk that the Duke was coming over, to try for the Kingdom. + Another said that it wasn't the Duke of Monmouth but the Duke of Argyle + that was coming, to try, not for England, but for Scotland. A third said + that all this was talk, for how could a single man, without twenty friends + in the world, get through a cruising fleet? “How could he do anything, + even if he did land?” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” said another man. “They say that the West is ready to rally around + him. That's what they say.” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” said the first, raising his cup. “Here's to King James, I say. + England's had enough of civil troubles.” The other men drank the toast + with applause. It is curious to remember how cautious people were in those + troublous days. One could never be sure of your friend's true opinion. It + was a time when there were so many spies abroad that everybody was + suspicious of his neighbour. I am sure that a good half of that company + was disloyal; yet they drank that toast, stamping their feet, as though + they would have shed their blood for King James with all the pleasure in + life. “Are you for King James, young waterman?” said one of the men to me. + “Yes,” I said, “I am for the rightful King.” At this they all laughed. One + of the men said that if there were many like me the Duke of Monmouth might + spare himself the trouble of coming over. + </p> + <p> + I finished my cake quietly, after that. Then, as the tide was not yet + making, to help me back up the river, I wandered into Wapping fields, + where a gang of beggars camped. They were a dirtier, more troublesome + company than the worst of the Oulton gipsies. They crowded round me, + whining about their miseries, with the fawning smiles of professional + beggars. There were children among them who lied about their wants as + glibly as their parents lied. The Oulton beggars had taught me to refuse + such people, as being, nearly always, knaves; so I said that I had nothing + for them. I felt the hands of these thieves lightly feeling the outsides + of my pockets for something worth taking. One of them with a sudden thrust + upon me snatched my handkerchief. He tossed it to a friend. As he started + to run from me, a young man with an evil, weak face pushed me backwards + with a violent shove. I staggered back, from the push, to fall over a boy + who had crouched behind me there, ready to upset me. When I got up, rather + shaken from my fall, the dirty gang was scattering to its burrow; for they + lived, like beasts, in holes scratched in the ground, thatched over with + sacks or old clothes. I hurried back toward Wapping in the hope of finding + a constable to recover my handkerchief for me. The constable (when I found + him) refused to stir until I made it worth his while. Sixpence was his + fee, he said, but he was sure that a handsome young gentleman like myself + would not grudge a sixpence to recover a handkerchief. On searching for my + purse (in which I had about two shillings) I found that that had gone, + too, “nicked” by these thieves. I told the Constable that my purse had + been stolen. + </p> + <p> + “Oh,” he said. “How much was in it?” I told him. + </p> + <p> + “Could you describe the man who took it?” + </p> + <p> + “No.” I said. “I did not see the man take it.” + </p> + <p> + “Then how do you know that anybody took it?” + </p> + <p> + Of course I did not know that anybody had taken it but thought it highly + probable. “That won't do here,” he said, settling down in his chair to his + tobacco. “I'll look into it. If I hear of it, why, next time you come + here, you shall have it.” + </p> + <p> + “But my handkerchief,” I said. + </p> + <p> + “Sixpence is my fee,” the brute answered. “Do you want to rob a poor man + of his earnings? Why, what a rogue you must be, young master.” I tried to + move him to recover my handkerchief, but without success. At last, growing + weary of the sound of my pipe, as he said, he rounded on me. + </p> + <p> + “If you don't run away 'ome,” he said, “I'll commit you for a nuisance. + Think I'm goin' to be bothered by yer. Be off, now.” + </p> + <p> + At that, I set off down to the river. There I found two dirty little boys + in my uncle's boat, busy with the dipper, trying to fill her with water. I + boxed the ears of one of them, when the other, coming behind me, hit me + over the head with the stretcher. I turned sharply, giving him a punch + which made his nose bleed. The other, seeing his chance (my back being + turned) promptly soused me with the dipper. I saw that I would have to + settle one of them at a time, so, paying no attention to the dipper, I + followed up my blow on the nose with one or two more, which drove the + stretcher-boy out of the boat. The other was a harder lad; who would, + perhaps, have beaten me, had not a waterman on the stairs taken my part. + He took my enemy by the ear. “Get out of that,” he said, giving him a + kick. “If I catch you messing boats again, I'll give you Mogador Jack.” I + pushed off from the stairs then, glad to get away with both oars. My + enemies, running along the banks, flung stones at me as long as I was in + range. If I had had my sling with me, would have warmed their legs for + them. When was out of range of their shot, I laid in my oars, so that I + could bail. The boys had poured about six inches of water into the boat. + If the plug had been less tightly hammered in, they would no doubt have + sunk her at her painter by pulling it out. Then should have been indeed in + difficulty. It took me about twenty minutes to bail the boat clear. As I + bailed her, I thought that Londoners must be the most unpleasant people in + the world, since, already, in two days, I had met so many knaves. It did + not occur to me at the time that I was a young knave, too, to be out in a + stolen boat, against orders. I never once thought how well I had been + served for my disobedience. + </p> + <p> + I had an uncomfortable journey upstream, for I was very wet from my + sousing. I loitered at the Tower to watch the garrison drilling with the + big guns. Then I loitered about among the ships, reading their names, or + even climbing their gangways to look at their decks. I lingered a long + time at the schooner La Reina, partly because she was much the prettiest + ship in the Pool, but partly because I was beginning to dread Ephraim. I + wondered whether Mr. Jermyn was on board of her. I was half tempted to + climb aboard to find out. I clambered partly up her gangway, so that I + could peer over the rail. To my surprise, I found that her hatches were + battened down as in ships ready for the sea. Her cargo of oranges, that + had smelt so sweetly, must have been a blind, for no ship, discharging + cargo the day before, could be loaded, ready for sea, within twenty-four + hours. Indeed, she was in excellent trim. She was not too light to put to + sea. No doubt, I said to myself, she has taken in ballast to equal the + weight of oranges sent ashore. But I knew just enough of ships to know + that there was some mystery in the business. The schooner could not be the + plain fruit-trader for which men took her. As I looked over her rail, + noting this, I said to myself that “here is another mystery with which Mr. + Jermyn has to do.” I felt a thrill of excitement go through me. I was + touching mysterious adventure at half a dozen different points. I felt + inclined to creep to the hatchway of the little cabin, to listen there if + any plots were being hatched. It was getting duskish by this time, it must + have been nearly seven o'clock. Two men came up the cabin hatch together. + One of them was Mr. Jermyn, the other a shorter fellow, to whom Mr. Jermyn + seemed extremely respectful. I wished not to be seen, so I ducked down + nimbly into my boat, drawing her forward by a guess-warp, till I could row + without being heard by them. I heard Mr. Jermyn calling to a waterman; so + very swiftly I paddled behind other ships in the tier, without being + observed. Then I paddled back to my uncle's boat-house, the door of which, + to my horror, was firmly fastened against me. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER III. I LEAVE HOME A THIRD TIME + </h2> + <p> + I must have made some little noise at the door, trying to get in. At any + rate, Ephraim, who was waiting for such a signal, came forward with a + churlish glee to rate me. + </p> + <p> + “So you're come back, Mr. Martin,” he said. “These are nice carryings-on + for a young gentleman.” I thought that I might as well be hanged for a + sheep as for a lamb. Ephraim's tone jarred me, so I told him to shut up, + as I didn't want any of his jaw. This rather staggered him, so I told him + further to open the boat-house, instead of standing like a stock, as I + wanted to moor the boat. He opened the door for me, glowering at me + moodily. “Mr. Hyde shall know of this,” he said when all was secured. He + caught me by the arm to drag me out of the boat-house; so I, expecting + this, rapped him shrewdly with the stretcher on the elbow. I thought for a + moment that he would beat me. I could see his face very fierce in the + dusk. I heard his teeth gritting. Then fear of my uncle restrained him. + All that he said was, “If I 'ad my way I'd 'ave it out of you for this. A + good sound whippin's what you want.” + </p> + <p> + “Is it?” I asked contemptuously. “Lock the door.” + </p> + <p> + Ephraim left me in the sitting-room while he made his report to my uncle. + It was not a long report. He returned in a few minutes to say that I was + to be locked into my room without supper. “Mr. 'Ide is in a fine taking,” + he said. “Per'aps 'e'll knock some of your pride out of you.” I made no + answer, but let him march me to my room, to the execution of the sentence. + “There,” he said, through the door, as he turned the key on me. “Per'aps + that'll bring you to your senses.” + </p> + <p> + “Ephraim the stiff-neck!” I answered loudly; “Old Ephraim Stiff-neck! + Stiff-neck!” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” he answered, clumping down the corridor. He was thinking how small I + should sing when, in the morning, he gave me the option of apologizing to + him, or going without breakfast. + </p> + <p> + It was pretty dark by this time. Fish Lane was as quiet as a country road. + No one was stirring there. I thought that, as my uncle would shortly go to + supper, I might soon venture out by the window, high up as it was, to buy + myself some food in the town. I liked the notion; but when I came to look + down from the window it seemed a giddy height from the pavement. Going + down would be easy; but getting back would be quite another matter. + Thinking it over, I remembered that I had seen a short gardener's ladder + hooked to the garden wall. If I could make a rope, by which to let myself + down, I could, I thought, make use of this ladder to get back by, for it + would cover nearly half the height to my window sill, a full thirty feet + from the ground. If, by standing on the upper rungs, could reach within + five yards of the window, I knew that I should be able to scramble up so + far by a rope. There was no difficulty about a rope. I had a good eighteen + yards of choice stout rope there in the room with me, the lashings of my + two trunks. I was about to pay this out into the lane, when I thought that + would be far more effective if I fashioned a ladder for myself, using the + two trunk lashings as the uprights. This was a glorious thought. I tied + the lashings together behind the wooden bed-post which was to be my + support in midair. Then I rummaged out a hank of sailor's spunyarn, a kind + of very strong tarred string, with which to make my steps, or rungs, did + not do this very well, for I was working in the dark, but you may be sure + that I made those steps with all my strength, since my bones were to + depend upon them. I ran short of spunyarn before I had finished, so my + last three steps were made of the fire-irons. They made a good finish to + the whole; for, being heavy, they kept the ladder steady. At least thought + that they would keep the ladder steady, in the innocence of my heart. + </p> + <p> + I was so excited, when I finished the tying of the tongs, that I almost + forgot to take some money from the little store which I kept locked up in + my trunk. A shilling would be ample, I thought; but I took rather more + than that, so as to be on the safe side. I took the precaution, before + leaving, of bolting my door from the inside, lest Ephraim should visit me + in my absence. + </p> + <p> + Then, having tested all my knots, I paid out my ladder from the window. No + one was within sight along the lane. Downstairs they were at supper, for I + heard the dining-room bell ring. Very cautiously I swung myself over the + window ledge on my adventure. Now a rope ladder is an unsteady thing at + the best of times; but when I swung myself on to this one it jumped about + like a wild colt, banging the fire-irons against the wall, making noise + enough to raise the town. I had to climb down it on the inner side, or I + should have had Ephraim out to see what the matter was. Even so, my heart + was in my mouth, with fright, as I stepped on to the pavement. After + making sure that no one saw, I hooked up the lower ends of my ladder as + far as I could reach, so that a passer-by might run less chance of seeing + them. Then I scuttled off to the delights of Eastcheap, thinking what + glorious sport I could have with this ladder in time to come. I thought of + the moonlight adventures on the river, skulking along in my boat, like a + pirate on a night attack. I thought how, perhaps, I should overhear gangs + of highwaymen making their plans, or robbers in their dens, carousing + after a victory. It seemed to me that London might be a wonderful place, + to one with such a means of getting out at night. + </p> + <p> + I ate a good supper at a cook-shop, sauntered about the streets for + awhile, then sauntered slowly home, after buying a tinder box, with which + to light my candies. I found my ladder dangling unnoticed, so I nimbly + climbed to my room, pulling it up after me, like the savages in Polynesia. + I lit my candles, intending to read; but I found that I was far too well + inclined to mischief to pay much heed to my book. Casting about for + something to do, I thought that I would open a little locked door which + led to some (apparently disused) room beyond my own. I had some difficulty + in breaking the lock of this door; but a naughty boy is generally very + patient. I opened it at last, with some misgivings as to what my uncle + might say on the morrow, though with the feeling that I was a sort of + conspirator, or, shall we say, a man haunting a house, playing ghost, + coming at night to his secret chamber. I was disappointed with the room. + Like my own room, it was nothing more than a long, bare attic. It had a + false floor, like many houses of the time, but there was no thought of + concealment here. Half a dozen of the long flooring planks were stored in + a stack against the wall, so that anyone could see what lay in the hollow + below. There was nothing romantic there. A long array of docketed, + ticketed bundles of receipts filled more than half the space. I suppose + that nearly every bill which my uncle had ever paid lay there, gathering + dust. The rest of the space was filled with Ephraim's dirty old account + books, jumbled higgledy-piggledy with collections of printed, unbound + sermons, such as used to be sold forty years before, in the great Puritan + time. I examined a few of the sermons, hoping to find some lighter fare + among them. I examined also a few of the old account books, in the same + hope. Other rubbish lay scattered in the corners of the room; old + mouse-eaten saddle-bags mostly. There were one or two empty baskets, which + had once been lined with silk. In one of them, I can't think why, there + was an old empty, dusty powder-horn, the only thing in that room at all to + my taste. I stuck it into my belt with a scrap of spunyarn, feeling that + it made me a wonderful piratical figure. If I had had a lantern I should + have been a very king there. + </p> + <p> + As I sat among the rubbish there, with my pistol (a sailmaker's fid) in my + belt, it occurred to me that I would sit up till everyone had gone to bed. + Then, at eleven or twelve o'clock, I would, I thought, creep downstairs, + to explore all over the house, down even to the cellars. It shocked me + when I remembered that I was locked in. I dared not pick the lock of that + door. My scheme (after all) would have to wait for another night, when the + difficulties would be less. That scheme of mine has waited until the + present time. Though I never thought it, that was the last hour I was to + spend in my uncle's house. I walked past it, only the other day, thinking + how strange my life has been, feeling sad, too, that I should never know + to what room a door at the end of the upper passage led. Well, I never + shall know, now. I was a wild, disobedient young rogue. Read on. + </p> + <p> + When I decided not to pick the lock of my door I thought of the mysterious + Mr. Jermyn as an alternative excitement. I crept to my window to look out + at the house, watching it with a sort of terrified pleasure, half + expecting to see a ghost flapping his wings, outside the window. + </p> + <p> + I was surprised to see that the window of the upper floor (which I knew to + be uninhabited) was open. I watched it, (it was just opposite) hoping that + something would happen. Presently two men came quickly up the lane from + the river. As they neared the house they seemed to me to shuffle in their + walk rather more than vas necessary. It must have been a signal, for, as + they came opposite the door, I saw it swing back upon its hinges, as it + had swung that morning, with Mr. Jermyn. Both men entered the house + swiftly, just as the city churches, one after the other, chimed half-past + nine o'clock. Almost directly afterwards I got the start of my life. I was + looking into the dark upper room across the lane, expecting nothing, when + suddenly, out of the darkness, so terribly that I was scared beyond + screaming, two large red eyes glowed, over a mouth that trembled in fire. + I started back in my seat, sick with fright, but I could not take my eyes + away. I watched that horrid thing, with my hair stiffening on my head. + Then in the room below it, the luminous figure of an owl gleamed out. That + was not the worst, either. I heard that savage, “chacking” noise which + brown owls make when they are perched. This great gleaming owl, five times + greater than any earthly owl, was making that chacking noise, as though it + would soon spread its wings, to swoop on some such wretched mouse as + myself. I could see its eyes roll. I thought I saw the feathers stiffen on + its breast. Then, as the sweat rolled down my face, both the horrible + things vanished as suddenly as they had appeared. They were gone for more + than a minute, then they appeared again, only to disappear a second time. + They were exactly alike at each appearance. Soon my horror left me, for I + saw that the things disappeared at regular intervals. I found that I could + time each reappearance by counting ninety slowly from the instant the + things vanished. That calmed me. “I believe they're only clock-work,” I + said to myself. A moment later I saw Mr. Jermyn's head in sharp outline + against the brightness of the owl. He seemed to be fixing something with + his hand. It made me burst into a cackle of laughter, to find how easily I + had been scared. “Why, it's only clock-work,” I said aloud. “They're + carved turnips with candles inside them, fixed to a revolving pole, like + those we used to play with at Oulton, on the 5th of November.” My fear was + gone in an instant. I thought to myself how fine it would be if I could + get into that house, to stop the works, in revenge for the scare they had + given me. I wondered how I could do that. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0004" id="link2HCH0004"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER IV. I LEAVE HOME FOR THE LAST TIME + </h2> + <p> + I was thoroughly ripe for mischief of any kind; my scare had driven away + all desire for sleep. I looked at the window, wondering if it would be + best to go down my ladder again, to get the ladder in the garden. I was + about to do thus, when I remembered the planks in the box-room. How + splendid it would be, I thought, if I could get a couple of those long + planks across the lane as a sort of bridge. They were strong, thick planks + not likely to sag in the middle if I could only get them across. Getting + them across was the difficulty; for though I was strong for my age, I + found the first plank very contrary. After blowing out my candles I fixed + one end of the board under my heavy four-post bed, pointing the other end + out through the window, slanting upwards. Straddling across it, I very + gingerly edged it out, a hand's breadth at a time, till I had some ten + feet wagging about in the air over the lane. It was as much as I could do + unaided, to aim the thing. It seemed to have a wild, contrary kind of life + in it. Once or twice I came near to dropping it into the lane, which would + have been the end of everything. When I got it across, the end caught on + the window ledge for about ten perilous minutes. + </p> + <p> + I was quite tired out before I got it properly across with two feet of the + end in the other house. I did not at all look forward to the job of + getting it back again after my trip. One plank was hardly safe, I thought; + so I slid a second over it, without much trouble. It seemed firm enough + then for anybody, no matter how heavy. So carefully I straddled across it, + hopping forward a little at a time, as though I were playing leap-frog. + When once I had started, I was much too nervous to go back. My head was + strong enough. I was well used to being high up in trees. But the danger + of this adventure made me dizzy. At every hop the two planks clacked + together. I could feel the upper plank shaking out behind me a little to + one side of the other. Then a tired waterman shambled slowly up from the + river, carrying his oars. He passed underneath me, while I was in mid-air. + It was lucky for me, I thought, that few people when walking look above + their own heads. He passed on without seeing me. I waited up aloft till he + had gone, feeling my head grow dizzier at each second. I was, I trust, + truly thankful when I was able to dive down over the window-sill into the + strange house. When I had rested for a moment, I felt that it was not so + difficult after all. “Going back,” I said to myself, “will be much less + ticklish.” Turning my head, I saw the eyes of the devil-face glaring at + me. They smelt very strongly of kitchen tallow. + </p> + <p> + I was not in the least frightened. I crept cautiously along the floor, on + tip-toe, to examine the contrivance. A hollow shaft of light wood, a sort + of big wooden pipe, led down through the floor, probably to the + ground-floor or basement, much as a mast goes down through a ship's decks + into the hold. It was slowly revolving, being worked by some simple, not + very strong mill-contrivance downstairs. A shelf had been fixed up inside + the pipe. On the shelf (as I could see by looking in) was a tallow candle + in a sconce. Two oval bits of red glass, let into the wood, made the eyes + of this lantern-devil. The mouth was a smear of some gleaming stuff, + evidently some chemical. This was all the monster which had frightened me. + The clacking noise was made by the machine which moved it round. As for + the owl, that was probably painted with the same chemical. People were + more superstitious then than now. I have no doubt that an ignorant person + like Ephraim, who had lived all his life in London, had been scared out of + his wits by this machine. Like most ignorant people, he probably reckoned + the thing as devilish, merely because he did not understand it. One or two + neighbours, a housemaid or so, perhaps, had seen it, too. On the strength + of their reports the house had gotten a bad name. The two unoccupied + floors had failed to get tenants, while Mr. Jermyn, the contriver of the + whole, had been left alone, as no doubt he had planned. I thought that + Londoners must be a very foolish people to be so easily misled. Now that I + am older, I see that Londoners often live in very narrow grooves. They are + apt to be frightened at anything to which they have not been accustomed; + unless, of course, it is a war, when they can scream about themselves so + loudly that they forget that they are screaming. + </p> + <p> + I examined the machine critically, by its own candle, which I removed for + the purpose. I meant to fix up one very like it in Ephraim's bed-room as + soon as I found an opportunity. Then I looked about the room for some + other toy, feeling in a fine state of excitement with the success of my + adventure. The room was quite bare. But for this ghost-machine, there was + nothing which could interest me, except a curious drawing, done with a + burnt stick on the plaster of the wall, of a man-of-war under sail. After + examining this drawing, I listened carefully at the door lest my faint + footsteps should have roused someone below. I could hear no one stirring; + the house was silent. “I must be careful,” I said to myself. “They all may + have gone to bed.” Understand, I did not know then what I was doing. I was + merely a wrong-headed boy, up to a prank, begun in a moment of rebellion. + When I paused in the landing, outside the ghost-room, shading the candle + with my hand, I was not aware that I was doing wrong. I was only thinking + how fine it would be to find out about Mr. Jermyn, before crawling back, + over the plank, to my bed. I wanted to steal about these deserted floors, + like a conspirator; then, having, perhaps, found out about the mystery, to + go back home. It did not enter my head that I might be shot as a burglar. + My original intention, you must remember, had only been to stop the works + of the ghost. It was later on that my intention became criminal, instead + of merely boyish, or, in other words, crack-brained. As to stopping the + ghost, I could not stop the revolving pipe. I could do no more than take + away the light from the ghost-face. As for the owl on the lower floor, + when I came to it, could not do so much, for it was a great big picture on + board, done in some shining paint. I had nothing with which I could smear + it over, nor could I reach the head. As for stopping the machine, that I + dared not attempt to do, lest I should bring someone up to me, from the + works, wherever they were. Standing by the ghost of the owl, hearing the + chack-chack of the machine at intervals below me, I became aware of voices + in the room downstairs. When the chack-chack stopped, I could hear men + talking. I could hear what they said, for they were talking in the + ordinary tone of conversation. There was an open space as it happened, all + around the great pipe, where it passed through the floor. I could peep + through this into the room below, getting a good sight of what was going + on. It was very wicked of me, for there is nothing quite so contemptible + as an eavesdropper, but I could not resist the temptation to look down. + When once I had looked down I am ashamed to say that I listened to what + the men were saying. But first of all, I put out my candle, lest anyone + looking up should see the light through the open space. + </p> + <p> + At the head of the table, there was a very handsome man, dressed all in + black, as though in mourning. His beauty was so great that afterwards it + passed into a proverb. Later in the year, when I saw this gentleman nearly + every day, I noticed that people (even those who did not know who he was) + would look after him when he passed them. I will say only this about his + handsomeness. It was a bodily kind of beauty, of colour rather than of + form; there was not much character in it. Had he lived, I daresay he would + have become ugly like the rest of his family, none of whom, except his + great-great-grandmother, was accounted much for looks. + </p> + <p> + Next to this handsome man, on the right, sat Mr. Jermyn, looking fifteen + years younger without his false beard. Then came a very black-looking man, + with a face all eyebrows. Then a soldier in uniform. Then a little, wiry + man, who jumped about as though excited—I could only see him when he + jumped: he had an unpleasant, saturnine face, which frightened me. That, + as far as I could see, was the whole company. When I first began to + listen, the man in uniform was speaking to the handsome man at the head of + the table. I knew at once, when he said Your Majesty, that he was talking + to James, the Duke of Monmouth, of whom I had heard that afternoon. + </p> + <p> + “No, your Majesty,” he said. “No, your Majesty,” he repeated, “I can't + answer for the army. If things had been different in February” (he meant, + “if you had been in England when Charles II died”) “there would have been + another King in England. As it is, I'm against a rising.” + </p> + <p> + “Don't you think his Majesty could succeed by raising an army in the + West?” said Mr. Jermyn. “The present usurper (he meant James II) is a + great coward. The West is ripe to rebel. Any strong demonstration there + would paralyse him. Besides, the army wouldn't fire on their own + countrymen. We'd enough of that in the Civil War. What do you think of a + Western rising?” + </p> + <p> + The soldier smiled. “Ah no,” he said. “No, your Majesty. Whatever you do, + Sire, don't do it with untrained men. A rising in the West would only put + you at the head of a mob. A regiment of steady trained men in good + discipline can destroy any mob in twenty minutes. No, your Majesty. No. + Don't try. it, Sire.” + </p> + <p> + “Then what do you advise, Lane?” said the Duke. + </p> + <p> + “I would say wait, your Majesty. Wait till the usurper, the poisoner, + commits himself with the Papists. When he's made himself thoroughly + unpopular throughout the country, then sound a few regiments. It's only a + matter of a year or two. If you'll wait for a year or two you'll see + yourself invited over. Besides, a sudden rising in the West must fail, + sir. Your Majesty would be in between two great garrisons, Bristol and + Portsmouth. We can't be sure that either would be true to us.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” the Duke answered. “Yes, Lane. But as I plan it, the army will be + tempted north. Argyle will make a strong feint in Scotland, with the great + clans, just when the Western gentry declare for us.” + </p> + <p> + “I take it,” Lane answered, “that Argyle has sounded the clans. He knows, + I suppose, what force of drilled men will rally to him. You know nothing, + sir, about the West. You know that many men are for you; but you know not + how many nor how good. You will need mounted men, sir, if you are to dash + down upon London with any speed. You cannot raise cavalry in a week. All + that you will get in the West will be squireens, or dashing young farmers, + both kinds unaccustomed to being ordered; both kinds totally unfitted for + war.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said the saturnine little man. “But a rising in the West would have + this natural effect. Argyle will draw troops to the north, as his Majesty + has explained. Very well, then. Let Devon declare for the King, the + business will be done. The usurper will not dare to send the few troops + left to him out of the capital, lest the town should rise on him.” + </p> + <p> + “Very true. True. A good point,” said the man with the eyebrows. + </p> + <p> + “I think that disposes of your argument, Lane,” said the Duke, with a + smile. + </p> + <p> + “It's a supposition, sir, against a certainty. I've told you of a military + danger. Falk, there, only tells you of a bare, military possibility.” + </p> + <p> + “But it's as certain as anything can be,” said the man with the eyebrows. + “You can see. That's just what must happen.” + </p> + <p> + “It is what may happen if you wait for a year or two, your Majesty,” Lane + replied. “But a newly crowned King is always popular. I doubt if you will + find public opinion so much on your side, your Majesty. No for a year or + two, till he's made himself disliked. They've settled down now to this + usurper. They'll resent an interruption. The trades-men will resent an + interruption.” + </p> + <p> + “I think you over-rate the difficulties, Lane,” said Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said the Duke, “I'm a great believer in putting a matter to the + test. Much must necessarily be left to chance. If we wait, we may not find + public opinion turning against our enemies. We may even lose the good + opinion of the West by waiting. Besides, by waiting, Lane, we should lose + the extraordinary: help of Argyle's diversion in the north.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” the others said in chorus. “We mustn't lose that. A rising this + early summer, when the roads are good. A rising as soon as Argyle is + ready.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, your Majesty,” said Lane, shaking his head. “I see you're resolved. + You shall not find me backward when the time comes, for all my doubts at + this meeting. To your Majesty's happy success.” They all drank the toast; + but I noticed that Mr. Lane looked melancholy, as though he foresaw + something of what actually happened in that terrible June. + </p> + <p> + “Very good,” said the Duke, “I thank you, gentlemen. Now, Jermyn. We two + shall have to be off to the Low Countries in another half hour. How about + messengers to the West? You, Lane, are tied here to your regiment. Falk, + how about you, Falk?” + </p> + <p> + “No, your Majesty,” said Falk. “There's danger in sending me. I'm + suspected. I'm known to be in your interests.” + </p> + <p> + “You, then, Candlish,” said the Duke to the man with the eyebrows. + </p> + <p> + “Not me, Sire,” said Candlish. “I can't disguise myself. I'm stamped by + nature for the paths of virtue.” + </p> + <p> + “It would be a good thing,” said Falk, “if we could get some Western + carrier.” + </p> + <p> + “The Western carriers are all watched,” Lane replied. “They are followed, + wherever they go, as on as they arrive at their inns here.” + </p> + <p> + “Haven't you found some more gipsies, Falk?” Candlish asked. “The last + gipsy we had was very good.” + </p> + <p> + “He was caught by a press-gang,” said Falk, “Gipsies aren't to be trusted, + though. They would sell us at once if they had the chance. Ramon was an + exception.” + </p> + <p> + Mr. Jermyn had risen at the Duke's last speech as though to put on his + coat, ready to leave the house.. The Duke was listening to the + conversation, making 'idle sketches, as he listened, on the paper before + him, I think I hardly realised, as I craned over the open space, that I + had been listening to a conversation which would have condemned all + present to death for treason. I repeated to myself, in a dazed sort of + way, that the West was ready to rise. “King James is an usurper,” I said + softly. “These men are going to rebel against him. There's going to be a + civil war in England about it.” I had hardly repeated this to myself, when + it came over me with a shock that I was in terrible personal danger. The + men were just leaving the house. They would probably look up, on leaving, + to see what sort of a night it was. They would see my wonderful bridge. It + would be all over with me then. I was so I could hardly stand up. I took a + few cautious steps towards the door, saying to myself that I would never + again be disobedient if I might escape this once. I was at the door, just + about to open it, when I heard a step upon the landing just outside, + coming towards me. I gave up hope then; but I had just sense enough to + step to my left, so that, when the door should open (if the stranger + entered) it might, possibly, screen me from him. Then I heard the Duke's + voice from down below calling to Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “Jermyn,” he called. “Bring down my books, will you. They're on my bed. + What are you doing up there?” + </p> + <p> + “Just seeing to the ghosts, your Majesty. I won't keep you waiting.” + </p> + <p> + “I'll come, too,” he answered. “I'd like to see your ghosts again.” Then I + heard Mr. Jermyn loitering at the stair-head while the Duke left the + council-room. My hair was rising on my scalp; there was cold sweat on my + forehead; it was as much as I could do to keep my teeth from chattering. I + heard the Duke's feet upon the stairs; there were eleven stairs, I counted + them. Presently I heard him say, “Now, Jermyn.” Then came Jermyn's answer + of “This way, your Majesty.” He flung the door wide open, so that the Duke + might enter. The two men passed into the room to examine the horrible owl. + The Duke chuckled as the machine moved round to him. “How bright he + keeps,” he said. “Yes,” Jermyn answered. “He won't need painting for a + long while yet.” “No,” the Duke answered, “I hear, Jermyn, he's given you + a most uncanny reputation.” “Yes,” said Jermyn, “the house has a bad name. + What in the world is this?” In walking round the owl his foot had struck + upon the unlucky tin candle-sconce which I had brought from the room + above. “Sounds like a tin candle-stick,” said the Duke. “Yes,” said Mr. + Jermyn, groping. “That's what it is. Now how in the world did it get here? + It's the candle-stick from the dragon's head in the room above.” “Are you + sure, Jermyn?” the Duke asked, in a voice which showed that he was + agitated. “Yes, sir. Quite sure. But no one's been up there.” “There must + be a spy,” said the Duke. The two voices spoke together for a moment in + whispers. I could not hear what they said; but a moment later I heard the + rasping, clinking noise of two swords being drawn. “Come out of that,” + said Mr. Jermyn's voice. I felt that I was discovered; but I dared not + stir from my covert. I heard the two men walking swiftly to the door. A + hand plucked it from in front of me. I shrank back into the wall, covering + my eyes with my hands, so that I should not see the two long sword-blades + pointing at my throat. “Make no sound. Make no sound, now,” said the Duke, + pressing his sword-point on my chest, so that I could feel it thrust hard + upon me, as though it needed very little force to send it through. I made + no sound. + </p> + <p> + “Who are you?” said Mr. Jermyn, backing to the opening in the floor. “Kill + him if he moves, sir. Candlish, Candlish. Bring a light. Bring a light. + We've caught a moth.” + </p> + <p> + I tried to swallow, but my throat seemed choked with dust. I heard the + people downstairs bustling out of the room with candles. I tried to speak; + but I could not. I was too much scared. I stood pressed hard against the + wall, with the Duke's sword-point still in place. + </p> + <p> + “Bring it in here, Candlish,” said Mr. Jermyn. There came a clattering + noise from the window. Mr. Jermyn had released some heavy rolled up + curtain-blinds, which covered the whole window. There was no chance, now, + of being seen from the street, or from my uncle's house. Candlish entered + carrying a candle. + </p> + <p> + The others followed at his heels. + </p> + <p> + “A boy. Eh?” he said. + </p> + <p> + “What do you do here?” the Duke asked, staring hard at me. + </p> + <p> + “He's frightened out of his wits, sir,” said Lane. “We aren't going to + hurt you, boy, if you'll only tell the truth.” + </p> + <p> + “Why,” said Mr. Jermyn. “It's Martin Hyde, nephew to old Hyde across the + way.” + </p> + <p> + “But he's overheard us,” put in Falk. “He's overheard us.” + </p> + <p> + “Come on downstairs. Bring him with you,” said the Duke. Lane took me by + one arm. Mr. Jermyn took me by the other. They marched me downstairs to + the council-room. + </p> + <p> + “Here, boy,” said Candlish, not unkindly. “Drink this wine.” He made me + swallow a glass of Burgundy, which certainly did me a great deal of good. + I was able to speak after drinking it. + </p> + <p> + “Now, Mr. Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn. “How do you come to be in this house?” + </p> + <p> + “Take your time, boy,” said Lane. + </p> + <p> + “He's not a London boy?” said the Duke to Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” he answered in a whisper. “Just come here from the country.” + </p> + <p> + “Please, your Majesty,” I began. + </p> + <p> + “So you're a young rebel,” said the Duke. “That shows he overheard us,” + said Falk. + </p> + <p> + “Let him alone, Falk,” the Duke said. + </p> + <p> + “He'll tell the truth. No use in frightening him.” + </p> + <p> + “Please, your Majesty,” I said again, “I was locked up in my room for + taking my uncle's boat this afternoon.” One of two of them smiled when I + said this: it gave me confidence. + </p> + <p> + “But how did you get into this house?” Mr. Jermyn asked. + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir,” I answered, “I saw your upper window open. So I laid a + couple of planks across the lane from my window. Then I just straddled + across, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Are you used to burglary, may I ask?” said the Duke. + </p> + <p> + “No, your Majesty. But I saw the ghosts. I wanted to see how they were + made.” + </p> + <p> + “Well. That's one for you, Jermyn,” said Lane. “Your ghosts haven't + frightened this one.” + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” I answered. “They frightened me horribly. I wanted to be revenged + for that. But after a bit I was sure they were only clockwork. I wanted to + stop them. I did stop the devil upstairs, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “So you stopped the devil upstairs,” the Duke said. “What did you do + then?” + </p> + <p> + “I came down to this room, sir. I looked at the owl. But I couldn't see + how to stop the owl, sir. I saw you all sitting round the room. I'm afraid + I listened, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “That was not a gentlemanly thing to do,” said Lane. “Was it now?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “You understood all that was said. Eh, boy?” said Candlish. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir. I understood it all.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, young man,” said Falk. “You'll be sorry you did.” + </p> + <p> + “Be quiet, Falk,” said the Duke. “No one shall bully the boy. What's your + name, boy?” + </p> + <p> + “Martin Hyde, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “A very smart lad too, sir,” said Jermyn. “He saved my book of cipher + correspondence yesterday. We should have been in trouble if that had got + into the wrong hands.” + </p> + <p> + “You understand,” said the Duke, “that what you have heard might get us + all, perhaps many more besides ourselves, into very terrible danger if + repeated?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, your Majesty, I understand,” I answered. “Lock him into the pantry, + Jermyn,” said the Duke, “while we decide what to do with him. Go with Mr. + Jermyn, boy. We sha'n't hurt you. Don't be frightened. Give him some + oranges, Jermyn.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0005" id="link2HCH0005"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER V. I GO TO SEA + </h2> + <p> + Mr. Jermyn led me to the pantry (a little room on the ground floor), where + he placed a plate of oranges before me. + </p> + <p> + “See how many you can eat,” he said. “But don't try to burgle yourself + free. This is a strong room.” He locked the heavy door, leaving me alone + with a well-filled pantry, which seemed to be without a window. A little + iron grating near the ceiling served as a ventilator. There was no chance + of getting out through that. The door was plated with iron. The floor was + of concrete. I was a prisoner now in good earnest. I was no longer + frightened; but I had had such scares that night that I had little stomach + for the fruit. I was only anxious to be allowed to go back to my bed. I + heard a dull noise in the upper part of the house, followed by the falling + of a plank. “There goes my bridge,” I thought. “Are they going to be so + mean as to call my uncle out of bed, to show him what I've been doing?” I + thought that perhaps they would do this, as my uncle (for all that I knew) + might be in their plot. “Well,” I said to myself, “I shall get a good + thrashing. Perhaps that brute Ephraim will be told to thrash me. But + thrashing or no, I've had enough of going out at night. I'll ask my uncle + not to thrash me, but to put me into the Navy. I should love that. I know + that I shall never get on in London.” This sudden plan of the Navy, about + which I had never before thought, seemed to me to be a good way of getting + out of my deserts. I felt sure that my uncle would be charmed to be rid of + me; while I knew very well that boys of that generation often entered the + Navy, in the care of the captains, as naval cadets (or, as they were then + called, “captain's servants”) at the ages of eight or nine. I wondered why + the debate lasted so long. Naturally, in that gloomy little prison, lit by + a single tallow candle, with all my anxieties heavy on my mind, the time + passed slowly. But they were so long in making up their minds that it + seemed as though they had forgotten me. I began to remember horrible tales + of people shut up in secret rooms until they starved to death, or till the + rats ate them. I remembered the tale of the nun being walled up in a vault + of her convent, brick by brick, till the last brick shut off the last + glimmer of the bricklayer's lantern, till the last layer of mortar made + for her the last sound she would hear, the patting clink of the trowel on + the brick, before it was all horrible dark silence for ever. I wondered + how many people had been silenced in that way. I wondered how long I + should live, if that was what these men decided. + </p> + <p> + My fears were ended by the opening of the door. “Come on,” said Mr. Lane. + “This way,” He led me back to the council-room, where all the conspirators + sat at their places by the table. I noticed that Mr. Jermyn (cloaked now, + as for travel) was wearing his false beard again. + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Hyde,” the Duke said. “I understand that you are well disposed to my + cause.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, your Majesty,” I answered; though indeed I only followed what my + father had told me. I had no real knowledge about it, one way or the + other. I knew only what others had told me. Still, in this instance, as + far as I have been able to judge by what I learned long afterwards, I was + right. The Duke had truly a claim to the throne; he was also a better man + than that disgraceful king who took his place. + </p> + <p> + “Very well, Mr. Hyde,” the Duke answered. “Have you any objections to + entering my service?” + </p> + <p> + I was not very sure of what he meant; it came rather suddenly upon me, so + I stammered, without replying. + </p> + <p> + “His Majesty means, would you like to join our party?” said Mr. Lane. “To + be one of us. To serve him abroad.” + </p> + <p> + I was flushed with pleasure at the thought of going abroad, among a + company of conspirators. I had no knowledge of what the consequences might + be, except that I should escape a sound whipping from my uncle or from + Ephraim. I did not like the thought of living on in London, with the + prospect of entering a merchant's office at the end of my boyhood. I + thought that in the Duke's service I should soon become a general, so that + I might return to my uncle, very splendidly dressed, to show him how well + I had managed my own life for myself. I thought that life was always like + that to the adventurous man. Besides I hoped that I should escape school, + the very thought of which I hated. Looking at the matter in that secret + council-room, it seemed so very attractive. It seemed to give me a pathway + of escape, whichever way I looked at it, from all that I most disliked. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, your Majesty,” I said, “I should very much like to enter your + service.” + </p> + <p> + “You understand, Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn, “that we are engaged in a very + dangerous work. It is so dangerous that we should not be justified in + allowing you to go free after what you have heard tonight. But its very + danger makes it necessary that we should tell you something of what your + work under his Majesty will be, before you decide finally to throw in your + lot with us. It is one thing to be a prisoner among us, Hyde; but quite + another to be what is called a rebel, engaged in treasonable practices + against a ruling King.” + </p> + <p> + “Still,” said Lane, “don't think that your imprisonment with us would be + unpleasant. If you would rather not join us, you have only to say so. We + shall then send you over to Holland, where you will, no doubt, find plenty + of boats with which to amuse yourself. You will be kept in Holland till a + certain much-wished event takes place, about the middle of June. After + that you will be brought back here to your uncle who, by that time, will + have forgiven you.” + </p> + <p> + “That's a very pretty ladder you made,” said the Duke. “You've evidently + lived among sailors.” + </p> + <p> + “Among fishermen mostly, your Majesty,” I said “My father was rector in + the Broads country.” I knew from his remark that someone had been across + to my uncle's house to remove all traces of my bridge. My ladder, I knew, + would now be dangling from my window, to show by which way I had escaped. + </p> + <p> + “We want you, Hyde,” Mr. Jermyn said. “That is—we shall want you in + the event of your joining us, to be our messenger to the West. You will + travel continually from Holland to the West of England, generally to the + country near Taunton, but sometimes to Exeter, sometimes still further to + the West. You will carry letters sewn into the flap of your leather + travelling satchel. You will travel alone by your own name, giving out, in + case any one should ask you, that you are going to one of certain people, + whose names will be given to you. There will be no danger to yourself; for + the persons to whom you will be sent are not suspected; indeed one of them + is a clergyman. We think that a boy will have less difficulty in getting + about the country in its present state than any man, provided, of course, + that you travel by different routes on each journey. If, however, by some + extraordinary chance, you should be caught with these letters in your + wallet, we shall take steps to bring you off; for we have a good deal of + power, in one way or another, by which we get things done. Still, it may + well fall out, Hyde, in spite of all our care, that you will come into the + hands of men with whom we have no influence. If you should, (remember, it + is quite possible) you will be transported to serve in one of the + Virginian or West Indian plantations. That will be the end of you as far + as we are concerned. We shan't be able to help you then. If you think the + cause is right, join us, provided that you do not think the risks too + great.” + </p> + <p> + “If all goes well,” said the Duke, “if the summer should prove prosperous, + I may be able to reward a faithful servant, even if he is only a boy.” + </p> + <p> + “I will serve your Majesty gladly,” I answered. “I should like to join + your service.” + </p> + <p> + “Very well then, Jermyn,” he said, rising swiftly on his way to the door; + “bring him on board at once.” + </p> + <p> + “We're off to Holland tonight, in the schooner there,” said Mr. Jermyn. + “So put these biscuits in your pocket. Give him another glass of wine, + Falk. Now, then. Good-bye, Lane. Good-bye everybody.” + </p> + <p> + “Good-bye,” they said. “Good-bye, boy.” In another minute we were in the + narrow road, within earshot of the tumbling water, going down to the + stairs at the lane end, to take boat. The last that I saw of my uncle's + house was the white of my ladder ropes, swinging about against the + darkness of the bricks. + </p> + <p> + “Remember, Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn in a low voice, “that his Majesty is + always plain Mr. Scott. Remember that. Remember, too, that you are never + to speak to him unless he speaks to you. But you won't have much to do + with him. Were you ever at sea, before?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir. Only about the Broads in a coracle.” + </p> + <p> + “You'll find it very interesting, then. If you're not seasick. Here we are + at the boat. Now, jump in. Get into the bows.” + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Scott” was already snug under a boat-cloak in the sternsheets. As + soon as we had stepped in, the boatman shoved off. The boat rippled the + water into a gleaming track as she gathered way. We were off. I was on my + way to Holland. I was a conspirator, travelling with a King. There ahead + of me was the fine hull of the schooner La Reina, waiting to carry us to + all sorts of adventure, none of them (as I planned them then) so strange, + or so terrible, as those which happened to me. As we drew up alongside + her, I heard the clack-clack of the sailors heaving at the windlass. They + were getting up the anchor, so that we might sail from this horrible city + to all the wonderful romance which awaited me, as I thought, beyond, in + the great world. Five minutes after I had stepped upon her deck we were + gliding down on the ebb, bound for Holland. + </p> + <p> + “Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn, as we drew past the battery on the Tower + platform, “do you see the high ground, beyond the towers there?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir,” I said. + </p> + <p> + “Do you know what that is?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “That's Tower Hill,” he answered, “where traitors, I mean conspirators + like you or me, are beheaded. Do you know what that means?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir,” I replied. “To have your head cut off.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he said. “With all that hill black with people. The scaffold hung + with black making a sort of platform in the middle. Then soldiers, with + drums, all round. You put your head over a block, so that your neck rests + on the wood. Then the executioner comes at you with an axe. Then your head + is shown to the people. 'This is the head of a traitor.' We may all end in + that way, on that little hill there. You must be very careful how you + carry the letters, Hyde.” + </p> + <p> + After this hint, he showed me a hammock in the schooner's 'tweendecks, + telling me that I should soon be accustomed to that kind of bed. “It is a + little awkward at first,” he said, “especially the getting in part; but, + when once snugly in, it is the most comfortable kind of bed in the world.” + After undressing by the light of a huge ship's lantern, which Mr. Jermyn + called a battle-lantern, I turned into my hammock, rather glad to be + alone. Now that I was pledged to this conspiracy business, with some + knowledge of what it might lead to, I half wished myself well out of it. + The 'tweendecks was much less comfortable than the bedroom which I had + left so gaily such a very little time before. I had exchanged a good + prison for a bad one. The smell of oranges, so near to the hold in which + they were stored, was overpowering, mixed, as it was, with the horrible + ship-smell of decaying water (known as bilge-water) which flopped about at + each roll a few feet below me. My hammock was slung in a draught from the + main hatchway. People came down the hatchway during the night to fetch + coils of rope or tackles. Tired as I was, I slept very badly that first + night on board ship. The schooner seemed to be full of queer, unrelated + movements. The noise of the water slipping past was like somebody talking. + The striking of the bells kept me from sleeping. I did not get to sleep + till well into the middle watch (about two in the morning) after which I + slept brokenly until a rough voice bawled in my ear to get up out of that, + as it was time to wash down. + </p> + <p> + I put my clothes on hurriedly, wondering where I should find a basin in + which to wash myself. I could see none in the 'tweendecks; but I supposed + that there would be some in the cabins, which opened off the 'tweendecks + on each side. Now a 'tweendecks (I may as well tell you here) is nothing + more than a deck of a ship below the upper deck. If some of my readers + have never been in a ship, let them try to imagine themselves descending + from the upper deck—where all the masts stand—by a ladder + fixed in a square opening known as a hatchway. About six feet down this + ladder is the 'tweendecks, a long narrow room, with a ceiling so low that + unless you bend, you bump your head against the beams. + </p> + <p> + If you will imagine a long narrow room, only six feet high, you will know + what a 'tweendecks is like. Only in a real 'tween-decks it is always + rather dark, for the windows (if you care to call them so) are thick glass + bull's-eyes which let in very little light. A glare of light comes down + the hatchways. Away from the hatchways a few battle-lanterns are hung, to + keep up some pretence of light in the darkest corners. At one end of this + long narrow room in La Reina a wooden partition, running right across from + side to side, made a biggish chamber called “the cabin,” where the + officers took their meals. A little further along the room, one on each + side of it, were two tiny partitioned cabins, about seven feet square, in + which the officers slept, two in each cabin one above the other, in + shelf-beds, or bunks. My hammock had been slung between these cabins, a + little forward of them. When I turned out, I saw that the rest of the + 'tweendecks was piled with stores of all kinds, lashed down firmly to + ringbolts. Right forward, in the darkness of the ship's bows, I saw other + hammocks where the sailors slept. + </p> + <p> + I was wondering what I was to do about washing, when the rough man who had + called me a few minutes before came down to ask me why I was not up on + deck. I said that I was wondering where I could wash myself. + </p> + <p> + “Wash yourself,” he said. “You haven't made yourself dirty yet. You don't + wash at sea till your work's done for the day. Why, haven't you lashed + your hammock yet?” + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir,” I said, “I don't know how.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, for once,” he said, “I'll show you how. Tomorrow you'll do it for + yourself.” + </p> + <p> + “There,” he said, when he had lashed up the hammock, by what seemed to me + to be art-magic, “don't you say you don't know how to lash a 'ammick. I've + showed you once. Now shove it in the rack there. Up on deck with you.” + </p> + <p> + I ran up the ladder to the deck, thinking that this was not at all the + kind of service which I had expected. When I got to the deck I felt + happier; for it was a lovely bright morning. The schooner was under all + sail, tearing along at what seemed to me to be great speed. We were out at + sea now. England lay behind us, some miles away. I could see the windows + gleaming in a little town on the shore. Ships were in sight, with rollers + of foam whitening under them. Gulls dipped after fish. The clouds drove + past. A fishing boat piled with fish was labouring up to London, her sails + dark with spray. On the deck of the schooner some barefooted sailors were + filling the wash-deck tubs at a hand-pump. One man was at work high aloft + on the topsail yard, sitting across the yard with his legs dangling down, + keeping his seat (as I thought) by balance. I found the scene so + delightful that I gazed at it like a boy in a trance, was still staring, + when the surly boor who had called me (he was the schooner's mate it + seemed) came up behind me. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” he said, in the rough, bullying speech of a sailor, “do ye see + it?” + </p> + <p> + “See what, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “What you're looking at.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir,” I answered. + </p> + <p> + “Then you got no butter in your eyes, then. Why ain't you at work?” + </p> + <p> + “What am I to do, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “Do,” he said. “Ain't you Mr. Scott's servant?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Then get a bucket of fresh water out of the cask there. Take this + scrubber. You'll find some soap in the locker there. Now scrub out the + cabin as quick as you know how.” + </p> + <p> + He showed me down to the cabin. It was a dingy, dirty little room about + twelve feet square over all, but made, in reality, much smaller by the + lockers which ran along each side. + </p> + <p> + It was lighted by two large wooden ports, known as “chase ports,” through + which the chase guns or “stern-chasers pointed. Only one gun (a long three + pounder on a swivel) was mounted; for guns take up a lot of room. With two + guns in that little cabin there would not have been room enough to swing a + cat. You need six feet for the proper swinging of a cat, so a man-of-war + boatswain told me. The cat meant is the cat of nine tails with which they + used to flog seamen. To flog properly one needs a good swing, so my friend + said. + </p> + <p> + “There you are,” said the mate of the schooner. “Now down on your knees. + Scrub the floor here. See you get it mucho blanco.” + </p> + <p> + He left me feeling much ashamed at having to work like a common ship's + boy, instead of like a prince's page, which is what I had thought myself. + Like many middle-class English boys I had been brought up to look on + manual work as degrading. I was filled with shame at having to scrub this + dirty deck. I, who, only yesterday, had lorded it over Ephraim, as though + I were a superior being. You boys who go to good schools try to learn a + little humbleness. You may think your parents very fine gentlefolk; but in + the world, outside a narrow class, the having gentle parents will not help + one much. It may be that you, for all your birth, have neither the + instincts nor the intellect to preserve the gentility your parents made + for you. You are no gentleman till you have proved it. Your right level + may be the level of the betting publican, or of the sneak-thief, or of + things even lower than these. It is nothing to be proud of that your + parents are rich enough to keep your hands clean of joyless, killing toil, + at an age when many better men are old in slavery. Try to be thankful for + it; not proud. Leisure is the most sacred thing life has. A wise man would + give his left hand for leisure. You that have it given to you by the mercy + of gentle birth, regard it as a trust; make noble use of it. Many great + men waste half their energies in the struggle for that which you regard, + poor fools, as your right, as something to brag of. + </p> + <p> + I had never scrubbed a floor in my life; but I had seen it done, without + taking much account of the art in it. I set to work, feeling more degraded + each moment, as the hardness of the deck began to make my knees sore. When + I had done about half of the cabin (in a lazy, neglectful way, leaving + patches unscrubbed, only just wetted over, so as to seem clean to a chance + observer) I thought that I would do no more; but wait till Mr. Jermyn came + to me. I would tell him that I wished to go home, that I was not going to + be a common sailor, but a trusted messenger, with a lot more to the same + tune, meaning, really, that I hated this job of washing decks like poison. + I dare say, if the truth were known, the sudden change in my fortunes had + made me a little homesick. But even so, I was skulking work which had been + given to me. What was worse, I was being dishonest. For I was pretending + to do the work, even when I took least trouble with it. At last I took it + into my head to wet the whole floor with water, meaning to do no more to + it. While I was doing this the mate came into the cabin. + </p> + <p> + “Look here,” he said. “I've been watching you. You ain't working. You're + skulking. You ain't trying to wash that deck. You're making believe, + thinking I won't know any different. Don't answer me. I know what you're + doing. Now then. You go over every bit of that deck which you've just + slopped at. Do it over. I'm going to stand here till it's done.” + </p> + <p> + It was in my mind to be rebellious; but this man did not look like a good + man to rebel from. He was a big grim sailor with a length of rope in his + hand. He called it his “manrope.” “You see my manrope,” he said. “His + name's Mogador Jack. He likes little skulks like you.” Afterwards I + learned that a manrope is the rope rail at a ship's gangway, or + (sometimes) a length of rope in the gangway-side for boatmen to catch as + they came alongside the ship. I did not like the look of Mogador Jack, so + I went at my scrubbing with all my strength, keeping my thoughts to + myself. My knees felt very sore. My back ached with the continual bending + down. I had had no food that morning, either, that was another thing. + “Spell, oh,” said the man at last. “Straighten your back a bit. Empty your + bucket over the side. No. Not through the sternport. Carry in on deck. + Empty it there. Then fill it again. Lively, too. It'll be breakfast time + before you've done. You've got to have this cabin ready by eight bells.” + </p> + <p> + I will not tell you how I finished the deck. I will say only this, that at + the end I began to take a sort of pride or pleasure in making the planks + white. Afterwards, I always found that there is this pleasure in manual + work. There is always pleasure of a sort in doing anything that is not + very easy. “There,” the mate said. “Now lay the table for breakfast. + You'll find the things in them lockers. Lay for three places. Don't break + the ship's crockery while you're doing it.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0006" id="link2HCH0006"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VI. THE SEA! THE SEA! + </h2> + <p> + He left me, then, as he had to watch the men on deck. I felt, when he went + on deck, that the morning had been a nightmare; but now I was to be + flunkey well as slave, a new humiliation. I did not think how many times I + had humiliated others by letting them do such things for me. I had done so + all my life without a thought. Now, forsooth, I was at the point of tears + at having to do it for others, even though one of the others was my + rightful King. Grubbing about among the lockers, I found a canvas + table-cloth, which had once been part of a sail. I spread this cloth with + the breakfast gear, imitating the arrangements made at home at Oulton. The + mate came down some minutes after I had finished. He caught me sitting + down on the top of the lockers, looking out at the ships through the open + port. + </p> + <p> + “Here,” he said roughly. “You've got to learn manners, or I'll have to + teach you. Remember this once for all, my son. No one sits in the cabin + except a captain or a passenger. You'll take your cap off to the cabin + door before I've done with you. Nor you don't sit down till your work's + done. That's another thing. Why ain't you at work?” + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir,” I said, “I've laid the table. What else am I to do?” + </p> + <p> + “Do,” he said. “Give the windows a rub. Then clean your hands, ready to + wait at table. No. Hold on. Have you called Mr. Scott yet?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir. I didn't know I had to.” + </p> + <p> + “My,” he answered. “Have you any sense at all? Go call them. No. Get their + hot water first at the galley.” + </p> + <p> + I suppose I stared at him; for I did not know that this would be a duty of + mine. “Here. Don't look at me like that,” he said. “You make me forget + myself.” He went to the locker, in which he rummaged till he produced a + big copper kettle. “Here's the hot water can,” he said. “Nip with it to + the galley, before the cook puts his fire out. On deck, boy. Don't you + know where the galley is?” + </p> + <p> + I did not know where the galley was in this particular ship. I thought + that it would probably be below decks, round a space of brick floor to + prevent fire. But as the mate said “on deck” I ran on deck at once. I ran + on deck, up the hatch, so vigorously, that I charged into a seaman who was + carrying a can of slush, or melted salt fat used in the greasing of ropes. + I butted into him, spattering the slush all over him, besides making a + filthy mess of grease on the deck, then newly cleansed. The seaman, who + was the boatswain or second mate, boxed my ears with a couple of cuffs + which made my head sing. “You young hound,” he said, “Cubbadar when your + chief passes.” I went forward to the galley, crying as if my heart would + break, not only at the pain of the blows, which stung me horribly, but at + the misery of my life in this new service, that had seemed so grand only + seven or eight hours before. At the galley door was the cook, a morose + little Londoner with earrings in his ears. “Miaow, Miaow,” he said, + pretending to mimic my sobs. “Why haven't you come for this 'ot water + before? 'Ere 'ave I been keepin' my fire lit while you been enjoyin' a + stuffin' loaf down in that there cabin.” I was too miserable to answer + him. I just held out my kettle, thinking that he would fill it for me. + “Wot are you 'oldin' out the kettle for?” he asked. “Think I'm goin' to do + yer dirty work? Fill it at the 'ob yourself.” I filled it as he bade me, + choking down my tears. When I had filled it, I hurried back to the + 'tweendecks, hoping to hide my misery down in the semi-darkness there. I + did not pass the second mate on my way back; but I passed some of the + seamen, to whom a boy in tears was fair game. One asked me what I meant by + coming aft all salt, like a head sea, making the deck wet after he'd + squeegeed it down. Another told me to wait till the second mate caught me. + “I'd be sorry then,” he said, “that ever I spilt the slush;” with other + sea-jests, all of them pretty brutal. It is said that if a strange rook + comes to a rookery the other rooks peck it to death, or at any rate drive + it away. I know not if this be true of rooks (I know that sparrows will + attack owls or canaries, whenever they have a chance), but it is true + enough of human beings. We all hate the new-comer, we are all suspicious + of him, as of a possible enemy. The seamen did to me what school-boys do + to the new boy. I did not know then that there is no mercy for one + sensitive enough to take such “jests” to heart. At sea, the rough, ready + tom-fool boy is the boy to thrive. Such an one might have spilt all the + slush in the ship, without getting so much as a cuff. I was a merry boy + enough, but I was sad when I made my first appearance. The sailors saw me + crying. If I had only had the wit to dodge the bosun's blows, the matter + of the slush would have been turned off with a laugh, since he only struck + me in the irritation of the moment. He would have enjoyed chasing me round + the deck. If I had only come up merrily that is what would have happened. + As it was I came up sad, with the result that I got my ears boxed, which, + of course, made me too wretched to put the cook in a good temper; a cause + of much woe to me later. The seamen who saw me crying at once put me down + as a cry-baby, which I really was not; so that, for the rest of my time in + the ship I was cruelly misjudged. I hope that my readers will remember how + little a thing may make a great difference in a person's life. I hope that + they will also remember how easy it is to misjudge a person. It will be + well for them if, as I trust, they may never experience how terrible it + feels to be misjudged. + </p> + <p> + After I had called the two gentlemen, I gave the glass bull's-eyes in the + swing ports a rub with a cloth. I was at work in this way when the two + gentlemen entered. Mr. Jermyn smiled to see me with my coat off, rubbing + at the glass. He also wished me good morning, which Mr. Scott failed to + do. Mr. Scott took no notice of me one way or the other; but sat down at + the locker, asking when breakfast would be ready. “Get breakfast, boy,” + Mr. Jermyn said. At that I put my glass-rag into the locker. I hurried off + to the galley to bring the breakfast, not knowing rightly whether it would + be there or in another place. The cook, surly brute, made a lot of + offensive remarks to me, to which I made no answer. He was glad to have + someone to bully, for he had the common man's love of power, with all his + hatred of anything more polished than himself. I took the breakfast aft to + the cabin, where, by this time, the ship's captain was seated. I placed + the dish before Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “Why haven't you washed your hands, boy?” he asked, looking at my hands. + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir, I haven't had time.” + </p> + <p> + “Wash them now, then. Don't come to wait at table with hands like that + again. I didn't think you were a dirty boy.” + </p> + <p> + I was not a dirty boy; but, having been at work since before six that + morning, I had had no chance of washing myself. I could not answer; but + the injustice of Mr. Jermyn's words gave me some of the most bitter misery + which I have known. For brutal, thoughtless injustice, it is difficult to + beat the merchant ship. I stole away to wash myself, very glad of the + chance to get away from the cabin. When I was ready, it was time to clear + the breakfast things to the galley, to wash them with the cook. Luckily, I + had overheard Mr. Jermyn say “how well this cook can devil kidneys.” I + repeated this to the cook, who was pleased to hear it. It made him rather + more kind in his manner to me. He did not know who Mr. Scott really was. + He asked me a lot of questions about what I knew of Mr. Scott. I replied + that I'd heard that he was a Spanish merchant, a friend of Mr. Jermyn's. + As for Mr. Jermyn, he knew' an uncle of mine. I had helped him to recover + his pocket-book; that was all that I knew of him; that was why he had + given me my present post as servant. More I dared not say; for I + remembered the Duke's sharp sword on my chest. We talked thus, as we + washed the dishes; the cook in a sweeter mood (having had his morning dram + of brandy); I, myself, trying hard to win him to a good opinion of me. I + asked him if I might clean his copper for him; it was in a sad state of + dirt. “You'll have work enough 'ere, boy,” he said, tartly, “without you + running round for more. You mind your own business.” After this little + snap at my head (no thought of thanks occurred to him) he prepared + breakfast for us, out of the remains of the cabin breakfast. I was much + cheered by the prospect of food, for nearly three hours of hard work had + given me an appetite. At a word from the cook, I brought out two little + stools from under the bunk. Then I placed the “bread-barge,” or wooden + bowl of ship's biscuits, ready for our meal, beside our two plates. + </p> + <p> + Breakfast was just about to begin, when my enemy, the boatswain, appeared + at the galley door. “Here, cook,” he said, “where's that limb of a boy? + Oh, you're there, are you? Feeding your face. Get a three-cornered scraper + right now. You'll scrape up that slush you spilled, before you eat so much + as a reefer's nut.” I had to go on deck again for another hour, while I + scraped up the slush, which was, surely, spilled as much by himself as by + me, since he was not looking where he was going any more than I was. I got + no breakfast. For after the grease was cleaned I was sent to black the + gentlemen's boots; then to make up their beds; then to scrub their cabin + clean. After all this, being faint with hunger, I took a ship's biscuit + from the locker in the cabin to eat as I worked. I did not know it; but + this biscuit was what is known as “captain's bread,” a whiter (but less + pleasant) kind of ship's biscuit, baked for officers. As I was eating it + (I was polishing the cabin door-knobs at the time) the captain came down + for a dram of brandy. He saw what I was eating. At once he read me a + lecture, calling me a greedy young thief. Let me not eat another cabin + biscuit, he said, or he'd do to me what they always did to thieves:—drag + them under the ship from one side to another, so that the barnacles would + cut them (as he said) into Spanish sennet-work. When I answered him, he + lost his temper, in sailor fashion, saying that if I said another word + he'd make me sick that ever I learned to speak. + </p> + <p> + I will not go into the details of the rest of that first day's misery. I + was kept hard at work for the whole time of daylight, often at work beyond + my strength, always at work quite strange to me. Nobody in the ship, + except perhaps the mate, troubled to show me how to do these strange + tasks; but all swore at me for not doing them rightly. What I felt most + keenly was the injustice of their verdicts upon me. I was being condemned + by them as a dirty, snivelling, lying, thieving young hound. They took a + savage pleasure in telling me how I should come to dance on air at + Cuckold's Haven, or, in other words, to the gallows, if I went on as I had + begun. Whereas (but for my dishonest moment in the morning) I had worked + like a slave since dawn under every possible disadvantage which hasty men + could place in my way. After serving the cabin supper that night I was + free to go to my hammock. There was not much to be glad for, except the + rest after so much work. I went with a glad heart, for I was tired out. + The wind had drawn to the east, freshening as it came ahead, so that there + was no chance of our reaching our destination for some days. I had the + prospect of similar daily slavery in the schooner at least till our + arrival. My nights would be my only pleasant hours till then. The noise of + the waves breaking on board the schooner kept me awake during the night, + tired as I was. It is a dreadful noise, when heard for the first time. I + did not then know what a mass of water can come aboard a ship without + doing much harm. So, when the head of a wave, rushing across the deck, + came with a swish down the hatch to wash the 'tweendecks I started up in + my hammock, pretty well startled. I soon learned that all was well, for I + heard the sailors laughing in their rough, swearing fashion as they piled + a tarpaulin over the open hatch-mouth. A moment later, eight bells were + struck. Some of the sailors having finished their watch, came down into + the 'tweendecks to rest. Two of them stepped very quietly to the chest + below my hammock, where they sat down to play cards, by the light of the + nearest battle-lantern. If they had made a noise I should probably have + fallen asleep again in a few minutes; for what would one rough noise have + been among all the noise on deck? But they kept very quiet, talking in low + voices as they called the cards, rapping gently on the chest-lid, opening + the lantern gently to get lights for their pipes. Their quietness was like + the stealthy approach of an enemy, it kept a restless man awake, just as + the snapping of twigs in a forest will keep an Indian awake, while he will + sleep soundly when trees are falling. I kept awake, too, in spite of + myself (or half awake), wishing that the men would go, but fearing to + speak to them. At last, fearing that I should never get to sleep at all, I + looked over the edge of the hammock intending to ask them to go. I saw + then that one of them was my enemy the boatswain, while the other was the + ship's carpenter, who had eaten supper in the galley with me, at the + cook's invitation. As these were, in a sense, officers, I dared not open + my mouth to them, so I lay down again, hoping that either they would go + soon, or that they would let me get to sleep before the morning. As I lay + there, I overheard their talk. I could not help it. I could hear every + word spoken by them. I did not want their talk, goodness knows, but as I + could not help it, I listened. + </p> + <p> + “Heigho,” said the boatswain, yawning. “I sha'n't have much to spend on + Hollands when I get there. Them rubbers at bowls in London have pretty + near cleaned my purse out.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah, come off,” said the carpenter. “You can always get rid of a coil of + rope to someone, on the sly, you boatswains can. A coil of rope comes to a + few guilders. Eh, mynheer?” + </p> + <p> + “I sold too many coils off this hooker,” said the boatswain. “I run the + ship short.” + </p> + <p> + “Who sleeps in the hammock there?” the carpenter asked. + </p> + <p> + “The loblolly boy for the cabin,” the boatswain answered. “Young clumsy + hound. I clumped his fat chops for him this morning.” + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Jermyn's boy?” said the carpenter, sinking his voice. “There's + something queer about that Mr. Jermyn. 'E wears a false beard. That Mr. + Scott isn't all what he pretends neither.” + </p> + <p> + “I don't see how that can be,” the boatswain said, “I wish I'd a drink of + something. I'm as dry as foul block.” + </p> + <p> + “There'd be more'n a dram to us two, if Mr. Scott was what I think,” said + the carpenter. “I'm going to keep my eye on that gang.” + </p> + <p> + “Keep your eye on the moon,” said the boatswain. + </p> + <p> + “I tell you what'd raise drinks pretty quick.” + </p> + <p> + “What would?” + </p> + <p> + “That loblolly boy would.” + </p> + <p> + “Eh?” said the carpenter. “Go easy, Joe. He may be awake.” + </p> + <p> + “Not he,” said the boatswain, carelessly glancing into my hammock, where I + lay like all the Seven Sleepers condensed. “Not he. Snoring young hound. + Do him good to raise drinks for the crowd.” + </p> + <p> + “Eh,” said the carpenter, a quieter, more cautious scoundrel than the + other (therefore much more dangerous). “How would a boy like that?” He + left his sentence unfinished. + </p> + <p> + “Sell him to one of these Dutch East India merchants,” said the boatswain. + “There's always one or two of them in the Canal, bound for Java. A likely + young lad like that would fetch twenty pounds from a Dutch skipper. A + white boy would sell for forty in the East. Even if we only got ten, + there'd be pretty drinking while it lasted.” + </p> + <p> + This evidently made an impression on the carpenter, for he did not answer + at once. “Yes,” he said presently. “But a lad like that's got good + friends. He don't talk like you or I, Joe.” + </p> + <p> + “Friends in your eye,” said the other. “What's a lad with good friends + doing as loblolly boy?” + </p> + <p> + “Run away,” the carpenter said. “Besides, Mr. Jermyn isn't likely to let + the lad loose in Haarlem.” + </p> + <p> + “He might. We could keep a watch,” the boatswain answered. “If he goes + ashore, we could tip off Longshore Jack to keep an eye on him. Jack gets + good chances, working the town.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said the other. “I mean to put Longshore Jack on to this Mr. + Jermyn. If I aren't foul of the buoy there's money in Mr. Jermyn. More + than in East Indian slaves.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh,” the boatswain answered, carelessly, “I don't bother about my + betters, myself. What d'ye think to get from Mr. Jermyn?” + </p> + <p> + The carpenter made no answer; but lighted his pipe at the lantern, + evidently turning over some scheme in his mind. After that, the talk ran + on other topics, some of which I could not understand. It was mostly about + the Gold Coast, about a place called Whydah, where there was good trading + for negroes, so the boatswain said. He had been there in a Bristol brig, + under Captain Travers, collecting trade, i.e. negro slaves. At Whydah they + had made King Jellybags so drunk with “Samboe” (whatever Samboe was) that + they had carried him off to sea, with his whole court. “The blacks was mad + after,” he said, “the next ship's crew that put in there was all set on + the beach. I seed their bones after. All picked clean. But old King + Jellybags fetched thirty pound in Port Royal, duty free.” He seemed to + think that this story was something laugh at. + </p> + <p> + I strained my ears to hear more of what they said. I could catch nothing + more relating to myself. Nothing more was said about me. They told each + other stories about the African shore, where the schooners anchored in the + creeks, among the swamp-smells, in search of slaves or gold dust. They + told tales of Tortuga, where the pirates lived together in a town, + whenever they were at home after a cruise. “Rum is cheaper than water + there,” the bo'sun said. “A sloop comes off once a month with stores from + Port Royal. Its happy days, being in Tortuga.” Presently the two men crept + aft to the empty cabin to steal the captain's brandy. Soon afterwards they + passed forward to their hammocks. + </p> + <p> + When they had gone, I lay awake, wondering I was to avoid this terrible + danger of being sold to the Dutch East India merchants. I wondered who + Longshore Jack might be. I feared that the carpenter suspected our party. + I kept repeating his words, “There's money in Mr. Jermyn,” till at last, + through sheer weariness, I fell asleep. In the morning, as cleared away + breakfast, from the cabin-table, I told Mr. Jermyn all that I had heard. + The Duke seemed agitated. He kept referring to an astronomical book which + told him how his ruling planets stood. “Yes,” he kept saying, “I've no + very favourable stars till July. I don't like this, Jermyn.” Mr. Jermyn + smoked a pipe of tobacco (a practise rare among gentlemen at that time) + while he thought of what could be done. At last he spoke. + </p> + <p> + “I know what we'll do, sir. We'll sell this man as carpenter to the Dutch + East India man. We'll give the two of them a sleeping draught in their + drink. We'll get rid of them both together.” + </p> + <p> + “It sounds very cruel,” said the Duke. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said Mr. Jermyn, “it is cruel. But who knows what the sly man may + not pick up? We're playing akes, we two. We've got many enemies. One word + of what this man suspects may bring a whole pack of spies upon us. + Besides, if the spies get hold of this boy we shall have some trouble.” + </p> + <p> + “The boy's done very well,” said the Duke. + </p> + <p> + “He's got a talent for overhearing,” Mr. Jermyn answered. “Well, Martin + Hyde. How do you like your work?” + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” I answered, “I don't like it at all.” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” he said, “we shall be in the Canal to-night, now the wind has + changed. Hold out till then, think, sir,” he said, turning to the Duke, + “the boy has done really very creditably. The work is not at all the work + for one of his condition.” + </p> + <p> + The Duke rewarded me with his languid beautiful smile. + </p> + <p> + “Who lives will see,” he said. “A King never forgets a faithful servant.” + </p> + <p> + The phrase seemed queer on the lips of that man's father's son; but I + bowed very low, for I felt that I was already a captain of a man-of-war, + with a big blazing decoration on my heart. Well, who lives, sees. I lived + to see a lot of strange things in that King's service. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0007" id="link2HCH0007"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VII. LAND RATS AND WATER RATS + </h2> + <p> + I will say no more about our passage except that we were three days at + sea. Then, when I woke one morning, I found that we were fast moored to a + gay little wharf, paved with clean white cobbles, on the north side of the + canal. Strange, outlandish figures, in immense blue baggy trousers, + clattered past in wooden shoes. A few Dutch galliots lay moored ahead of + us, with long scarlet pennons on their mastheads. On the other side of the + canal was a huge East Indiaman, with her lower yards cockbilled, loading + all three hatches at once. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was so + bright that all the scene had thrice its natural beauty. The clean neat + trimness of the town, the water slapping past in the canal, the ships with + their flags, the Sunday trim of the schooner, all filled me with delight, + lit up, as they were, by the April sun. I looked about me at my ease, for + the deck was deserted. Even the never-sleeping mate was resting, now that + we were in port. While I looked, a man sidled along the wharf from a + warehouse towards me. He looked at the schooner in a way which convinced + me that he was not a sailor. Then, sheltering behind a bollard, he lighted + his pipe. + </p> + <p> + He was a short, active, wiry man, with a sharp, thin face, disfigured by a + green patch over his right eye. He looked to me to have a horsey look, as + though were a groom or coachman. After lighting his pipe, he advanced to a + point abreast of the schooner's gang-way, from which he could look down + upon her, as she lay with her deck a foot or two below the level of the + wharf. + </p> + <p> + “Chips aboard?” he asked, meaning, “Is the carpenter on board?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I said. “Will you come aboard?” + </p> + <p> + He did not answer, but looked about the ship, as though making notes of + everything. Presently he turned to me. + </p> + <p> + “You're new,” he said. “Are you Mr. Jermyn's boy?” I told him that I was. + </p> + <p> + “How is Mr. Jermyn keeping?” he asked. “Is that cough of his better?” This + made me feel that probably the man knew Mr. Jermyn. “Yes,” I said. “He's + got no cough, now.” “He'd a bad one last time he was here,” the man + answered. For a while he kept silent. He seemed to me to be puzzling out + the relative heights of our masts. Suddenly he turned to me, with a very + natural air. “How's Mr. Scott's business going?” he asked. “You know, eh? + You know what I mean?” I was taken off my guard. I'm afraid I hesitated, + though I knew that the man's sharp eyes noted every little change on my + face. Then, in the most natural way, the man reassured me. “You know,” he + said. “What demand for oranges in London?” I was thankful that he had not + meant the other business. I said with a good deal too much of eagerness + that there was, I believed, a big demand for oranges. “Yes,” he said, “I + suppose so many young boys makes a brisk demand.” I was uneasy at the + man's manner. He seemed to be pumping me, but he had such a natural easy + way, under the pale mask of his face, that I could not be sure if he were + in the secret or not. I was on my guard now, ready for any question, as I + thought, but eager for an excuse to get away from this man before I + betrayed any trust. “Nice ship,” he said easily. “Did you join her in + Spain?” “No,” I answered. “In London.” “In London?” he said. “I thought + you'd something of a Spanish look.” “No,” I said. “I'm English. Did you + want the carpenter, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he answered. “I do. But no hurry. No hurry, lad.” Here he pulled + out a watch, which he wound up, staring vacantly about the decks as he did + so. “Tell me, boy,” he said gently. “Is Lane come over with you?” To tell + the truth, it flashed across my mind, when he pulled out his watch, that + he was making me unready for a difficult question. I was not a very bright + boy; but I had this sudden prompting or instinct, which set me on my + guard. No one is more difficult to pump than a boy who is ready for his + questioner, so I stared at him. “Lane?” I said, “Lane? Do you mean the + bo'sun?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” he said. “The Colonel. You know? Eh?” + </p> + <p> + “No.” I said. “I don't know.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh well,” he answered. “It's all one. I suppose he's not come over.” At + this moment the mate came on deck with the carpenter, carrying a model + ship which they had been making together in their spare time. They nodded + to the stranger, who gave them a curt “How do?” as though they had parted + from him only the night before. The mate growled at me for wasting time on + deck when I should be at work. He sent me down to my usual job of getting + the cabin ready for the breakfast of the gentlemen. As I passed down the + hatchway, I heard the carpenter say to the stranger, “Well. So what's the + news with Jack?” It flashed into my mind that this man might be his + friend, the “Longshore Jack” who was to keep an eye upon me as well as + upon Mr. Jermyn. It gave me a most horrid qualm to think this. The man was + so sly, so calm, so guarded, that the thought of him being on the look-out + for me, to sell me to the Dutch captains, almost scared me out of my wits. + The mate brought him to the cabin as I was laying the table. “This is the + cabin,” he was saying, “where the gentlemen messes. That's our + stern-chaser, the gun there.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh,” said the stranger, looking about him like one who has never seen a + ship before. “But where do they sleep? Do they sleep on the sofa (he meant + the lockers), there?” + </p> + <p> + “Why, no,” said the mate. “They sleep in the little cabins yonder. But we + musn't stay down here now. I'm not supposed to use this cabin. I mustn't + let the captain see me.” So they went on deck again, leaving me alone. + When the gentlemen came in to breakfast, I had to go on deck for the + dishes. As I passed to the galley, I noticed the stranger talking to the + carpenter by the main-rigging. They gave me a meaning look, which I did + not at all relish. Then, as I stood in the galley, while the cook dished + up, I noticed that the stranger raised his hand to a tall, lanky, + ill-favoured man who was loafing about on the wharf, carrying a large + black package. This man came right up to the edge of the wharf, directly + he saw the stranger's signal. It made me uneasy somehow. I was in a + thoroughly anxious mood, longing to confide in some one, even in the + crusty cook, yet fearing to open my mouth to any one, even to Mr. Jermyn, + to whom I dared not speak with the captain present in the room. Well, I + had my work to do, so I kept my thoughts to myself. I took the dishes down + below to the cabin, where, after removing the covers, I waited on the + gentlemen. + </p> + <p> + “Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn. “This skylight over our heads makes rather a + draught. We can't have it open in the morning for breakfast. + </p> + <p> + “Did you open it?” the captain asked. “What made you open it?” + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir, I didn't open it.” + </p> + <p> + “Then shut it,” said the captain. “Go on deck. The catch is fast outside.” + </p> + <p> + I ran very nimbly on deck to shut the skylight, but the catch was very + stiff; it took me some few moments to undo. I noticed, as I worked at it, + that the deck was empty, except for the lanky man with the package, who + was now forward, apparently undoing his package on the forehatch. I + thought that he was a sort of pedlar or bumboatman, come to sell onions, + soft bread, or cheap jewellery to the sailors. The carpenter's head showed + for an instant at the galley-door, He was looking forward at the pedlar. + The hands were all down below in the forecastle, eating their breakfast. + The other stranger seemed to have gone. I could not see him about the + deck. At last the skylight came down with a clatter, leaving me free to go + below again. As I went down the hatchway, into the 'tweendecks gloom, I + saw a figure apparently at work among the ship's stores lashed to the deck + there. I could not see who it was; it was too dark for that but the thing + seemed strange to me. I guessed that it might be my enemy the boatswain, + so I passed aft to the cabin on the other side. + </p> + <p> + Soon after that, it might be ten minutes after, while the gentlemen were + talking lazily about going ashore, we heard loud shouts on deck. + </p> + <p> + “What's that?” said the captain, starting up from his chair. + </p> + <p> + “Sounds like fire,” said Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “Fire forward,” said the captain, turning very white. “There's five tons + of powder forward.” + </p> + <p> + “What?” cried the Duke. + </p> + <p> + At that instant we heard the boatswain roaring to the men to come on deck. + “Aft for the hose there, Bill,” we heard. Feet rushed aft along the deck, + helter-skelter. Some one shoved the skylight open with a violent heave. + Looking up, we saw the carpenter's head. He looked as scared as a man can + be. + </p> + <p> + “On deck,” he cried. “We're all in a blaze forward. The lamp in the + bo'sun's locker. Quick.” + </p> + <p> + “Just over the powder,” the captain said, rushing out. + </p> + <p> + “Quick, sir,” said Jermyn to the Duke. “We may blow up at any moment.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” said the Duke, rising leisurely. “Not with these stars. Impossible.” + </p> + <p> + All the same, the two men followed the captain in pretty quick time. Mr. + Jermyn rushed the Duke out by the arm. I was rushing out, too, when I saw + the Duke's hat lying on the lockers. I darted at it, for I knew that he + would want it, with the result that my heel slipped on a copper nail-head, + which had been worn down even with the deck till it was smooth as glass. + Down I came, bang, with a jolt which shook me almost sick. I rose up, + stupid with the shock, so wretched with the present pain that the fire + seemed a little matter to me. Indeed, I did not understand the risk. I did + not know how a fire so far forward could affect the cabin. + </p> + <p> + A couple of minutes must have passed before I picked up the hat from where + it lay. As I hurried through the 'tweendecks some slight noise or movement + made me turn my head. Looking to my right. I saw the horsey man, the + stranger, rummaging quickly in the lockers of the Duke's cabin, As I + looked, I saw him snatch up something like a pocketbook or pocket case, + with a hasty “Ah” of approval. At the same moment, he saw me watching him. + </p> + <p> + “Where's Mr. Scott?” he cried, darting out on me. “We may all blow up in + another moment.” + </p> + <p> + “He's on deck,” I said. “Hasn't he gone on deck?” + </p> + <p> + “On deck?” said the man. “Then on deck with you, too.” He pushed me up the + hatch before him. “Quick,” he cried. “Quick. There's Mr. Scott forward. + Get him on to the wharf. + </p> + <p> + He gave me a hasty shove forward, to where the whole company was working + in a cloud of smoke, passing buckets from hand to hand. A crowd of + Dutchmen had gathered on the wharf. Everybody was shouting. The scene was + confused like a bad dream. I caught sight of the pedlar man at the gangway + as the stranger thrust me forward. In the twinkling of an eye the stranger + passed something to him with the quick thrust known as the thieves' pass. + I saw it, for all my confusion. I knew in an instant that he had stolen + something. The pedlar person was an accomplice. As likely as not the fire + was a diversion. I rushed at the gangway. The pedlar was moving quickly + away with his hands in his pockets. It all happened in a moment. As I + rushed at the gangway, with some wild notion of stopping the pedlar, the + horsey man caught me by the collar. + </p> + <p> + “What,” he said, in a loud voice. “Trying to desert, are you? You come + forward where the danger is.” He ran me forward. He was as strong as a + bull. + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Jermyn,” I cried. “Mr. Jermyn. This man's a thief.” + </p> + <p> + The man twisted my collar on to my throat till I choked. “Quiet, you,” he + hissed. + </p> + <p> + Then Mr. Jermyn dropped his bucket to attend to me. + </p> + <p> + “A thief,” I gasped. “A thief.” Mr. Jermyn sprang aft, with his eyes on + the man's eyes. The stranger flung me into Mr. Jermyn's way, with all the + sweep of his arm. As I went staggering into the fore-bitts (for Mr. Jermyn + dodged me) the man took a quick side step up the rail to the wharf. I + steadied myself. Mr. Jermyn, failing to catch the man before he was off + the ship, rushed below to see what was lost. The crowd of workers seemed + to dissolve suddenly. The men surged all about me, swearing. The fire was + out. Remember, all this happened in thirty seconds, from the passing of + the stolen goods to the stranger's letting go my throat. The very instant + that I found my feet against the bitts, I jumped off the ship on to the + wharf. There was the stranger running down the wharf to the right, full + tilt. There was the lanky pedlar slouching quickly away as though he were + going on an errand, with his black box full of groceries. + </p> + <p> + “That's the man, Mr. Scott,” I cried. “He's got it.” + </p> + <p> + The captain (who, I believe, was a naval officer in the Duke's secret) was + up on the wharf in an instant. I followed him, though the carpenter + clutched at me as I scrambled up. I kicked out behind like a donkey. I + didn't kick him, but some one thrust the carpenter aside in the hurry so + that I was free. In another seconds I was past the captain, running after + the pedlar, who started to run at a good speed, dropping his box with a + clatter. Half a dozen joined in the pursuit. The captain had his sword + out. They raised such a noise behind me that I thought the whole crew was + at my heels. The pedlar kept glancing behind; he knew very little about + running. He doubled from street to street, like a man at his wits' ends. I + could see that he was blown. When he entered into that conspiracy, he had + counted on the horsey man diverting suspicion from him. Suddenly, after + twisting round a corner, he darted through a swing door into a stone-paved + court, surrounded by brick walls. I was at his heels at the moment or I + should have lost him there. I darted through the swing door after him. I + went full sprawl over his body on the other side. He had, quite used up, + collapsed there. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0008" id="link2HCH0008"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VIII. I MEET MY FRIEND + </h2> + <p> + “Give it me,” I said. “Give it me, Longshore Jack. Before they catch us.” + To my horror, I saw that the creature was a woman in a man's clothes. She + took me for one of her gang. She was too much frightened to think things + out. “I thought you were one of the other lot,” she gasped, as she handed + me a pocketbook. + </p> + <p> + “Didn't he get the letters, too?” I asked at a venture. “No,” she said, + sitting up, now, panting, to take a good look at me. I stared at her for a + moment. I, myself, was out of breath. + </p> + <p> + “They're going,” I said, hearing the noise of the pursuit passing away in + the check. “I'll just spy out the land.” I opened the door till it was an + inch or two ajar, so that I could see what was going on outside. “They're + gone,” I said again, still keeping up the pretence of being on her side. + As I said it, I glanced back to fix her features on my memory. She had a + pale, resolute face with fierce eyes, which seemed fierce from pain, not + from any cruelty of nature. It was a pleasant face, as far as one could + judge of a face made up to resemble a dirty pedlar's face. + </p> + <p> + Seeing my look, she seemed to watch me curiously, raising herself up, till + she stood unsteadily by the wall. “When did you come in?” she said, + meaning, I suppose, when did I join the gang. + </p> + <p> + “Last week,” I answered, swinging the door a little further open. + Footsteps were coming rapidly along the road. I heard excited voices, I + made sure that it was the search party going back to the schooner. + </p> + <p> + “Digame, muchacho,” she said in Spanish. It must have been some sort of + pass-word among them. Seeing by my face that I did not understand she + repeated the words softly. Then at that very instant she was on me like a + tigress with a knife. I slipped to one side instinctively. I suppose I + half saw her as the knife went home. She grabbed at the pocket-book, which + I swung away from her hand. The knife went deep into the door, with a + drive which must have jarred her to the shoulder. “Give it me,” she + gasped, snatching at me like a fury. I dodged to one side, up the court, + horribly scared. She followed, raving like a mad thing, quite ghastly + white under her paint, wholly forgetful that she was acting a man's part. + When once we were dodging I grew calmer. I led her to the end of the + court, then ducked. She charged in, blindly, against the wall, while I + raced to the door, very pleased with my success. I did not hear her follow + me, so, when I got to the door, I looked back. Just at that instant, there + came a smart report. The creature had fired at me with a pistol; the + bullet sent a dozen chips of brick into my face. I went through the door + just as the shot from the second barrel thudded into the lintel. Going + through hurriedly I ran into Mr. Jermyn, as he came round the corner with + the captain. “I've got it,” I said. “Look out. She's in there.” + </p> + <p> + “Who?” they said. “The thief? A woman?” They did not stay, but thrust + through the door. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Jermyn dragged me through with them. “You say you've got it, Martin?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I answered, handing him the book. “Here it is.” + </p> + <p> + “That's a mercy,” he said. “Now then, where's the thief?” + </p> + <p> + I had been out of the court, I suppose thirty seconds; it cannot have been + more. Yet, when I went back with those two men, the woman had gone, as + though she had never been there. “She's over the wall,” cried the captain, + running up the court. But when we looked over the wall there was no trace + of her, except some slight scratches upon the brick, where her toes had + rested. On the other side of the wall was a tulip bed full of rows of late + flowering tulips, not yet out. There was no footmark on the earth. Plainly + she had not jumped down on the other side. “Check,” said captain. “Is she + in one of the houses?” + </p> + <p> + But the houses on the left side of the court (on the other side the court + had no houses, only brick walls seven feet high) were all old, barred in, + deserted mansions, with padlocks on the doors. She could not possibly have + entered one of those. + </p> + <p> + “They're old plague-houses,” said Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “They've been deserted twenty years now, since the great sickness.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes?” said the captain, carelessly. “But where can she have got to?” + </p> + <p> + “Well. It beats me,” Mr. Jermyn replied. “But perhaps she ran along the + wall to the end, then jumped down into the lane. That's the only thing she + could have done. By the way, boy, you were shot at. Were you hit?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I answered. “But I got jolly near it. The bullet went just by me.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” he said. “Take this. You'll have to be armed in future.” + </p> + <p> + He handed me a beautiful little double-barrelled pocket pistol. “Be + careful,” he said. “It's loaded. Put it in your pocket. You musn't be seen + carrying arms here. That would never do.” + </p> + <p> + “Boy,” said the captain. “D'ye think you could shin up that water-spout, + so as to look over the parapet there, on to the leads of the houses?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I said. “I think I could, from the top of the wall.” + </p> + <p> + “Why,” Mr. Jermyn said. “She couldn't have got up there.” + </p> + <p> + “An active woman might,” the captain said. “You see, the water-spout is + only six feet long from the wall to the eaves. There's good footing on the + brackets. It's three quick steps. Then one vigorous heave over the + parapet. There you are, snug as a purser's billet, out of sight.” + </p> + <p> + “No woman could have done it,” Mr. Jermyn said. “Besides, look here. We + can't go further in the matter. We've recovered the book. We must get back + to the ship.” + </p> + <p> + So the scheme of climbing up the water pipe came to nothing. We walked off + together wondering where the woman had got to. Long afterwards I learned + that she heard all that we said by the wall there. While we talked, she + was busy reloading her pistol, waiting. At the door of the court we paused + to pull out her knife from where it stuck. It was a not very large + dagger-knife, with a small woman's grip, inlaid with silver, but bound at + the guard with gold clasps. The end of the handle was also bound with + gold. The edge of the broad, cutting blade curved to a long sharp point. + The back was straight. On the blade was an inscription in Spanish, “Veneer + o Morir” (“To conquer or die”), with the maker's name, Luis Socartes, + Toledo, surrounded by a little twirligig. I have it in my hand as I write. + I value it more than anything in my possession. It serves to remind me of + a very remarkable woman. + </p> + <p> + “There, Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn. “There's a curiosity for you. Get one of + the seamen to make a sheath for it. Then you can wear it at your back on + your belt like a sailor.” + </p> + <p> + As we walked back to the ship, I told Mr. Jermyn all that I had seen of + the morning's adventure. He said that the whole, as far as he could make + it out, had been a carefully laid plot of some of James the Second's + spies. He treated me as an equal now. He seemed to think that I had saved + the Duke from a very dreadful danger. The horsey man, he said, was + evidently a trusted secret agent, who must have made friends with the + carpenter on some earlier visit of the schooner. He had planned his raid + on the Duke's papers very cleverly. He had arrived on board when no one + was about. He had bribed the carpenter (so we conjectured, piecing the + evidence together) to shout fire, when we were busy at breakfast. Then, + when all was ready, this woman, whoever she was, had gone forward to the + bo'sun's locker, where she had set fire to half a dozen of those + fumigating chemical candles which she had brought in her box. The candles + at once sputtered out immense volumes of evil smelling smoke. The + carpenter, watching his time, raised the alarm of fire, while the horsey + man, hidden below, waited till all were on deck to force the spring-locks + on the Duke's cabin-door. When once he had got inside the cabin, he had + worked with feverish speed, emptying all the drawers, ripping up the + mattress, even upsetting the books from the bookshelf, all in about two + minutes. Luckily the Duke kept nearly all his secret papers about his + person. The pocket-book was the only important exception. This, a very + secret list of all the Western gentry ready to rise, was locked in a + casket in a locked drawer. + </p> + <p> + “It shows you,” said Mr. Jermyn, “how well worked, that he did all this in + so little time. If you hadn't fallen on the nail, Martin, our friends in + the West would have fared badly. It was very clever of you to bring us out + of the danger.” When we got back aboard the schooner, we found, as we had + expected, that the men in league with the horsey man had deserted. Neither + carpenter nor boatswain was to be found. Both had bolted off in pursuit of + the horsey man at the moment of alarm, leaving their chests behind them. I + suppose they thought that the plot had succeeded. I dare say, too, that + the horsey man, who was evidently well known to them both, had given them + orders to desert in the confusion, so that he might suck their brains at + leisure elsewhere. Altogether, the morning's work from breakfast time till + ten was as full of moving incident as a quiet person's life. I have never + had a more exciting two hours. When I sat down to my own breakfast (which + I ate in the cabin among the gentlemen) I seemed to have grown five years + older. All three men made much of me. They brought out all sorts of + sweetmeats for me, saying I had saved them from disaster. The Duke was + especially kind. “Why, Jermyn,” he said, “we thought we'd found a clever + messenger; but we've found a guardian angel.” He gave me a belt made of + green Spanish leather, with a wonderfully wrought steel clasp. “Here,” he + said. “Wear this, Martin. Here's a holster on it for your pistol. These + pouches hold cartridges. Then this sheath at the back will hold your + dagger, the spoils of war.” + </p> + <p> + “There,” said the captain. “Now I'll give you something else to fit you + out. I'll give you a pocket flask. What's more, I'll teach you how to make + cartridges. We'll make a stock this morning.” + </p> + <p> + While he was speaking, the mate came down to tell us how sorry he was that + it was through him that the horsey man was shown over the ship. “He told + me he'd important letters for Mr. Scott,” he said, “so I thought it was + only right to show him about, while you was dressing. The carpenter came + to me. 'This gentleman's got letters for Mr. Scott,' he said. So I was + just taken in. He was such a smooth spoken chap. After I got to know, I + could 'a' bit my head off.” They spoke kindly to the man, who was + evidently distressed at his mistake. They told him to give orders for a + watchman to walk the gangway all day long in future, which to me sounded + like locking the stable door too late. After that, I learned how to make + pistol cartridges until the company prepared to go ashore. The chests of + the deserters were locked up in the lazaret, or store cupboard, so that if + the men came aboard again they might not take away their things. + </p> + <p> + “Before we start,” the Duke said, “I must just say this. We know, from + this morning's work, that the spies of the English court know much more + than we supposed. We may count it as certain that this ship is being + watched at this moment. Now, we must put them off the scent, because I + must see Argyle without their knowledge. It is not much good putting to + sea again, as a blind, for they can't help knowing that we are here to see + Argyle. They have only to watch Argyle's house to see us enter, sooner or + later. I suggest this as a blind. We ought to ride far out into the + country to Zaandam, say, by way of Amsterdam. That's about twenty miles. + Meanwhile Argyle shall come aboard here. The schooner shall take him up to + Egmont; he'll get there this afternoon. He must come aboard disguised + though. At Zaandam, we three will separate, Jermyn will personate me, + remaining in Zaandam. The boy shall carry letters in a hurry to Hoorn; + dummy letters, of course. While I shall creep off to meet Argyle—somewhere + else. If we start in a hurry they won't have time to organize a pursuit. + There are probably only a few secret agents waiting for us here. What do + you say?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said Mr. Jermyn. “I myself should say this. Send the boy on at once + to Egmont with a note to Stendhal the merchant there. They won't suspect + the boy. They won't bother to follow him, probably. Tell Stendhal to send + Out a galliot to take Argyle off the schooner while at sea. The galliot + can land Argyle somewhere on the coast. That would puzzle them rarely. She + can then ply to England, or elsewhere, so that her men won't have a chance + of talking. As for the schooner, she can proceed north to anchor at the + Texel till further orders. At the same time, we could ride south to + Noordwyk; find a barge there going north. Hide in her cabin till she + arrives, say, at Alkmaar. Meet Argyle somewhere near there. Then remain + hidden till it is time to move. We can set all the balls moving, by + sticking up a few bills in the towns.” I did not know what he meant by + this. Afterwards I learned that the conspirators took their instructions + from advertisements for servants, or of things lost, which were stuck up + in public places. To the initiated, these bills, seemingly innocent, gave + warning of the Duke's plan. Very few people in Holland (not more than + thirty I believe) were in the secret of his expedition. Most of these + thirty knew other loyalists, to whom, when the time came, they gave the + word. When the time came we were only about eighty men all told. That is + not a large force, is it, for the invasion of a populous kingdom? + </p> + <p> + They talked it out for a little while, making improvements on Mr. Jermyn's + plan. They had a map by them during some of the time. Before they made + their decision, they turned me out of the cabin, so that I know not to + this day what the Duke did during the next few days. I know only this, + that he disappeared from his enemies, so completely that the spies were + baffled. Not only James's spies, that is nothing: but the spies of William + of Orange were baffled. They knew no more of his whereabouts than I knew. + They had to write home that he had gone, they could not guess where; but + possibly to Scotland to sound the clans. All that I know of his doings + during the next week is this. After about half an hour of debate, the + captain went ashore to one of the famous inns in the town. From this inn, + he despatched, one by one, at brief intervals, three horses, each to a + different inn along the Egmont highway. He gave instructions to the + ostlers who rode them to wait outside the inns named till the gentlemen + called for them. He got the third horse off, in this quiet way, at the end + of about an hour. I believe that he then sent a printed book (with certain + words in it underlined, so as to form a message) by the hand of a little + girl, to the Duke of Argyle's lodging. I have heard that it was a book on + the training of horses to do tricks. There was probably some cipher + message in it, as well as the underlined message. Whatever it was, it gave + the Duke his instructions. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0009" id="link2HCH0009"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER IX. I SEE MORE OF MY FRIEND + </h2> + <p> + After waiting for about an hour in the schooner, I was sent ashore with a + bottle-basket, with very precise instructions in what I was to do. I was + to follow the road towards Haarlem, till I came to the inn near the + turning of the Egmont highway. There I was to leave my bottle-basket, + asking (or, rather, handing over a written request) for it to be filled + with bottles of the very best gin. After paying for this, I was to direct + it to be sent aboard the schooner by the ostler (who was waiting at the + door with a horse) the last of those ordered by the captain. I was then to + walk the horse along the Egmont road, till I saw or heard an open carriage + coming behind. Then I was to trot, keeping ahead of the carriage, but not + far from it, till I was past the third tavern. After that, if I was not + recalled by those in the carriage, I was free to quicken up my pace. I was + then to ride straight ahead, till I got to Egmont, a twenty mile ride to + the north. There I was to deliver up my horse at the Zwolle-Haus inn, + before enquiring for M. Stendhal, the East India merchant. To him I was to + give a letter, which for safety was rolled into a blank cartridge in my + little pistol cartridge box. After that, I was to stay at M. Stendhal's + house, keeping out of harm's way, till I received further orders from my + masters. + </p> + <p> + You may be sure that I thought myself a fine figure of gallantry as I + stepped out with my bottle-basket. I was a King's secret agent. I had a + King's letter hidden about my person. I was armed with fine weapons, which + I longed to be using. I had been under fire for my King's sake. I was also + still tingling with my King's praise. It was a warm, sunny April day; that + was another thing to fill me with gladness. Soon I should be mounted on a + nag, riding out in a strange land, on a secret mission, with a pocket full + of special service money. Whatever I had felt in the few days of the + sea-passage was all forgotten now. I did not even worry about not knowing + the language. It would keep me from loitering to chatter. My schoolboy + French would probably be enough for all purposes if I vent astray. I was + “to avoid chance acquaintances, particularly if they spoke English.” That + was my last order. Repeating it to myself I walked on briskly. + </p> + <p> + I had not gone more than three hundred yards upon my way, when a lady, + very richly dressed, cantered slowly past me on a fine bay mare. She was + followed by a gentleman in scarlet, riding on a little black Arab. They + had not gone a hundred yards past me when the Arab picked up a stone. The + man dismounted to pick it out, while the lady rode back to hold the horse, + which was a ticklish job, since he was as fresh as a colt. He went + squirming about like an eel. The man had no hook to pick the stone with; + nor could he get it out by his fingers. I could hear him growling under + his breath in some strange language, while the horse sidled about as + wicked as he could be. + </p> + <p> + As I approached, the horse grew so troublesome that the man decided to + take him back to the town, to have the stone pulled there. He was just + starting to lead him back when I came up with them. He asked me some + question in a tongue which I did not know. He probably asked me if I had a + hook. I shook my head. The lady said something to him in French, which + made him laugh. Then he began to lead back the horse towards the town. The + lady, after waving her hand to him, started to ride slowly forward in + front of me. Like most ladies at that time she wore a little black velvet + domino mask over her eyes. All people could ride in those days; but I + remember it occurred to me that this lady rode beautifully. So many women + look like meal-sacks in the saddle. This one rode as though she were a + part of the horse. + </p> + <p> + She kept about twenty yards ahead of me till I sighted the inn, where an + ostler was walking the little nag which I was to ride. She halted at the + inn-door, looking back towards the town for her companion. Then, without + calling to anybody, she dismounted, flinging her mare's reins over a hook + in the wall. She went into the inn boldly, drawing her whip through her + left hand. When I entered the inn-door a moment later, she was talking in + Dutch to the landlord, who was bowing to her as though she were a great + lady. + </p> + <p> + I handed over my bottle-basket, with the letter, to a woman who served the + customers at the drinking bar. Then, as I was going out to take my horse, + the lady spoke to me in broken English. + </p> + <p> + “Walk my horse, so he not take cold,” she said. It was in the twilight of + the passage from the door, so that I could not see her very clearly, but + the voice was certainly like the voice of the woman who had fired at me in + the courtyard. Or was I right? That voice was on my nerves. It seemed to + be the voice of all the strangers in the town. I looked up at her quickly. + She was masked; yet the grey eyes seemed to gleam beyond the velvet, much + as that woman's eyes had gleamed. Her mouth; her chin; the general poise + of her body, all convinced me. She was the woman who had carried away the + book from Longshore Jack. I was quite sure of it. I pretended not to + understand her. I dropped my eyes, without stopping; she flicked me + lightly with her whip to draw my attention. + </p> + <p> + “Walk my horse,” she said again, with a little petulance in her voice. I + saw no way out of it. If I refused, she would guess (if she did not know + already) that I was not there only for bottles of gin. “Oui, + mademoiselle,” I said. “Oui. Merci.” So out I went to where the mare + stood. She followed me to the door to see me take the mare. There was no + escape; she was going to delay me at the door till the man returned. I + patted the lovely creature's neck. I was very well used to horses, for in + the Broad Country a man must ride almost as much as he must row. But I was + not so taken up with this mare that I did not take good stock of the lady, + who, for her part, watched me pretty narrowly, as though she meant never + to forget me. I began to walk the beast in the road in front of the inn, + wondering how in the world I was to get out of the difficulty before the + Duke's carriage arrived. There was the woman watching me, with a satirical + smile. She was evidently enjoying the sight of my crestfallen face. + </p> + <p> + Now in my misery a wild thought occurred to me. I began to time my walking + of the mare so that I was walking towards Sandfoort, while the other + horse-boy was walking with my nag towards Egmont on the other side of the + inn. I had read that in desperate cases the desperate remedy is the only + measure to be tried. While I was walking away from the inn I drew the + dagger, the spoils of war. I drew it very gently as though I were merely + buttoning my waistcoat. Then with one swift cut I drew it nine-tenths + through the girth. I did nothing more for that turn, though I only bided + my time. After a turn or two more, the other horse-boy was called up to + the inn by the lady to receive a drink of beer. No doubt she was going to + question him (as he drank) about the reason for his being there. He walked + up leisurely, full of smiles at the beer, leaving his nag fast to a hook + in the wall some dozen yards from the door. This was a better chance than + I had hoped for; so drawing my dagger, I resolved to put things to the + test. I ripped the reins off the mare close to the bit. Then with a loud + shout followed by a whack in the flank, I frightened that lovely mare + right into them, almost into the inn-door. Before they knew what had + happened I was at my own horse's head swiftly casting off the reins from + the hook. Before they had turned to pursue me, I was in the saddle, going + at a quick trot towards Egmont, while the mare was charging down the road + behind me, with her saddle under her belly, giving her the fright of her + life. + </p> + <p> + An awful thought came to me. “Supposing the lady is not the English spy, + what an awful thing I have done. Even if she be, what right have I to cut + her horse's harness? They may put me in prison for it. Besides, what an + ass I have been. If she is what I think, she will know now that I am her + enemy, engaged on very special service.” Looking back at the inn-door, I + saw a party of people gesticulating in the road. A man was shouting to me. + Others seemed to be laughing. Then, to my great joy, round the turn of the + road came an open carriage with two horses, going at a good pace. There + came my masters. All was well. I chuckled to myself as I thought of the + lady's face, when these two passed her, leaving her without means of + following them. When we were well out of sight of the inn, I rode back to + the carriage to report, wondering how they would receive my news. They + received it with displeasure, saying that I had disobeyed my orders, not + only in acting as I had done; but in coming back to tell them. They bade + me ride on at once to Egmont, before I was arrested for cutting the lady's + harness. As for their own plans, whatever they were, my action altered + them. I do not know what they did. I know that I turned away with a flea + in my ear from the Duke's reproof. I remember not very much of my ride to + Egmont, except that I seemed to ride most of the time among sand-dunes. I + glanced back anxiously to see if I was being pursued; but no one followed. + I rode on at the steady lope, losing sight of the carriage, passing by + dune after dune, rising windmill after windmill, to drop them behind me as + I rode. In that low country, I had the gleam of the sea to my left hand, + with the sails of ships passing by me. The wind freshened as I rode, till + at last my left cheek felt the continual stinging of the sand grains, + whirled up by the wind from the bents. Where the sea-beach broadened, I + rode on the sands. The miles dropped past quickly enough, though I rode + only at the lope, not daring to hurry my horse. I kept this my pace even + when going through villages, where the people in their strange Dutch + clothes hurried out to stare at me as I bucketed by. I passed by acre + after acre of bulb-fields, mostly tulip-fields, now beginning to be full + of colour. Once, for ten minutes, I rode by a broad canal, where a barge + with a scarlet transom drove along under sail, spreading the ripples, + keeping alongside me. The helmsman, who was smoking a pipe as he eyed the + luff of his sail, waved his hand to me, as I loped along beside him. You + would not believe it; but he was one of the Oulton fishermen, a man whom I + had known for years. I had seen that tan-sailed barge many, many times, + rushing up the Waveney from Somer Leyton, with that same quiet figure at + her helm. I would have loved to have called out “Oh, Hendry. How are you? + Fancy seeing you here.” But I dared not betray myself; nor did Hendry + recognize me. After the road swung away from the canal, I watched that + barge as long as she remained in sight, thinking that while she was there + I had a little bit of Oulton by me. + </p> + <p> + At last, far away I saw the church of Egmont, rising out of a flat land + (not unlike the Broad land) on which sails were passing in a misty + distance. I rose in my stirrups with a holloa; for now, I thought, I was + near my journey's end. I clapped my horse's neck, promising him an apple + for his supper. Then, glancing back, I looked out over the land. The + Oulton barge was far away now, a patch of dark sail drawing itself slowly + across the sky. Out to sea a great ship seemed to stand still upon the + skyline. But directly behind me, perhaps a mile away, perhaps two miles, + clearly visible on the white straight ribbon of road, a clump of gallopers + advanced, quartering across the road towards me. There may have been + twenty of them all told; some of them seemed to ride in ranks like + soldiers. I made no doubt when I caught sight of them that they were + coming after me, about that matter of the lady's harness. My first impulse + was to pull up, so that Old Blunderbore, as I had christened my horse, + might get his breath. But I decided not to stop, as I knew how dangerous a + thing it is to stop a horse in his pace after he has settled down to it, + had still three miles to go to shelter. If I could manage the three miles + all would be well. But could manage them? Old Blunderbore had taken the + eighteen miles we had come together very easily. Now I was thankful that I + had not pressed him in the early part of the ride. But Egmont seemed a + long, long way from me. I dared not begin to gallop so far from shelter. I + went loping on as before, with my heart in my mouth, feeling like one + pursued in a nightmare. + </p> + <p> + As I looked around, to see these gallopers coming on, while I was still + lollopping forward, I felt that I was tied by the legs, unable to move. + Each instant made it more difficult for me to keep from shaking up my + horse. Continual promptings flashed into my mind, urging me to bolt down + somewhere among the dunes. These plans I set aside as worthless; for a boy + would soon have been caught among those desolate sandhills. There was no + real hiding among them. You could see any person among them from a mile + away. I kept on ahead, longing for that wonderful minute when I could + hurry my horse, in the wild rush to Egmont town, the final wild rush, on + the nag's last strength, with my pursuers, now going their fastest, + trailing away behind, as their beasts foundered. The air came singing + past. I heard behind me the patter of the turf sent flying by Old + Blunderbore's hoofs. The excitement of the ride took vigorous hold on me. + I felt on glancing back that I should do it, that I should carry my + message, that the Dutchman should see my mettle, before they stopped me. + They were coming up fast on horses still pretty fresh. I would show them, + I said to myself, what a boy can do on a spent horse. + </p> + <p> + Old Blunderbore lollopped on. I clapped him on the neck. “Come up, boy! + Up!” I cried. “Egmont—Egmont! Come on, Old Blunderbore!” The good + old fellow shook his head up with a whinny. He could see Egmont. He could + smell the good corn perhaps. I banged him with my cap on the shoulder. + “Up, boy!” I cried. I felt that even if I died, even if I was shot there, + as I sailed along with my King's orders, I should have tasted life in that + wild gallop. + </p> + <p> + A countryman carrying a sack put down his load to stare at me, for now, + with only a mile to go, I was going a brave gait, as fast as Old + Blunderbore could manage. I saw the man put up his hands in pretended + terror. The next instant he was far behind, wondering no doubt why the + charging squadron beyond were galloping after a boy. Now we were rushing + at our full speed, with half a mile, a quarter of a mile, two hundred + yards to the town gates. Carts drew to one side, hearing the clatter. I + shouted to drive away the children. Poultry scattered as though the king + of the foxes was abroad. After me came the thundering clatter of the + pursuit. I could hear distant shouts. The nearest man there was a quarter + of a mile away. A man started out to catch my rein, thinking that my horse + had run away with me. I banged him in the face with my cap as I swung past + him. In another second, as it seemed, I was pulled up inside the gates. + </p> + <p> + As far as I remember,—but it is all rather blurred now,—the + place where I pulled up was a sort of public square. I swung myself off + Old Blunderbore just outside a tavern. An ostler ran up to me at once to + hold him. So I gave him a silver piece what it was worth I did not know, + saying firmly “Zwolle-Haus. Go on. Zwolle-Haus.” + </p> + <p> + The ostler smiled as he repeated Zwolle-Haus, pointing to the tavern + itself, which, by good luck, was the very house. + </p> + <p> + “M. Stendhal,” I said. “Where is M. Stendhal? Mynheer Stendhal? Mynheer + Stendhal Haus?” + </p> + <p> + The ostler repeated, “Stendhal? Stendhal? Ah, ja. Stendhal. Da.” He + pointed down a narrow street which led, as I could see, to a canal wharf. + </p> + <p> + I thanked him in English, giving him another silver piece. Then off I + went, tottering on my toes with the strangeness of walking after so long a + ride. I was not out of the wood yet, by a long way. At every second, as I + hurried on, I expected to hear cries of my pursuers, as they charged down + the narrow street after me. I tried to run, but my legs felt so funny, it + was like running in a dream. I just felt that I was walking on pillows, + instead of legs. Luckily that little narrow street was only fifty yards + long. It was with a great gasp of relief that I got to the end of it. When + I could turn to my right out of sight of the square I felt that I was + saved. I had been but a minute ahead of the pursuers outside on the open. + Directly after my entrance, some cart or waggon went out of the town, + filling the narrow gateway full, so that my enemies were forced to pull + up. This gave me a fair start, without which I could hardly have won + clear. If it had not been for that lucky waggon, who knows what would have + happened? + </p> + <p> + As it was, I tottered along with drawn pistol to the door of a great house + (luckily for me the only house), which fronted the canal. I must have + seemed a queer object, coming in from my ride like that, in a peaceful + Dutch town. If I had chanced upon a magistrate I suppose I should have + been locked up; but luck was with me on that day. I chanced only on + Mynheer Stendhal as he sat smoking among his tulips in the front of his + mansion. He jumped up with a “God bless me!” when he saw me. + </p> + <p> + “Mynheer Stendhal?” I asked. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he said in good English. “What is it, boy?” + </p> + <p> + “Take me in quick,” I said. “They're after me.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER X. SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT + </h2> + <p> + In another minute, after Mr. Stendhal had read my note, I was skinning off + my clothes in an upper bedroom. Within three minutes I was dressed like a + Dutch boy, in huge baggy striped trousers belonging to Stendhal's son. In + four minutes the swift Mr. Stendhal had walked me across the wharf in + sabots to one of the galliots in the canal, which he ordered under way at + once, to pick up Argyle at sea. So that when my pursuers rode up to Mr. + Stendhal's door in search of me, I was a dirty little Dutch boy casting + off a stern-hawser from a ring bolt. They seemed to storm at Mr. Stendhal; + but I don't know what they said; he acted the part of surprised + indignation to the life. When I looked my last on Mr. Stendhal he was at + the door, begging a search party to enter to see for themselves that I was + not hidden there. The galliot got under way, at that moment, with a good + deal of crying out from her sailors. As she swung away into the canal, I + saw the handsome lady idly looking on. She was waiting at the door with + the other riders. She was the only woman there. To show her that I was a + skilled seaman I cast off the stern-hawser nimbly, then dropped on to the + deck like one bred to the trade. A moment later I was aloft, casting loose + the gaff-topsail. From that fine height as the barge began to move I saw + the horsemen turning away foiled. I saw the lady's leathered hat, making a + little dash of green among the drab of the riding coats. Then an outhouse + hid them all from sight. I was in a sea-going barge, bound out, under all + sail, along a waterway lined with old reeds, all blowing down with a + rattling shiver. + </p> + <p> + Now I am not going to tell you much more of my Holland experiences. I was + in that barge for about one whole fortnight, during which I think I saw + the greater part of the Dutch canals. We picked up Argyle at sea on the + first day. After that we went to Amsterdam with a cargo of hides. Then we + wandered about at the wind's will, thinking that it might puzzle people, + if any one should have stumbled on the right scent. All that fortnight was + a long delightful picnic to me. The barge was so like an Oulton wherry + that I was at home in her. I knew what to do, it was not like being in the + schooner. When we were lying up by a wharf, I used to spend my spare hours + in fishing, or in flinging fiat pebbles from a cleft-stick at the + water-rats. When we were under sail I used to sit aloft in the + cross-trees, looking out at the distant sea. At night, after a supper of + strong soup, we all turned in to our bunks in the tiny cabin, from the + scuttle of which I could see a little patch of sky full of stars. + </p> + <p> + A boy lives very much in the present. I do not think that I thought much + of the Duke's service, nor of our venture for the crown. If I thought at + all of our adventures, I thought of the handsome woman with the grey, + fierce eyes. In a way, I hoped that might have another tussle with her, + not because I liked adventure, no sane creature does, but because I + thought of her with liking. I felt that she would be such a brave, witty + person to have for a friend. I felt sad somehow at the thought of not + seeing her again. She was quite young, not more than twenty, if her looks + did not belie her. I used to wonder how it was that she had come to be a + secret agent. I believed that the sharp-faced horsey man had somehow + driven her to it against her will. Thinking of her at night, before I fell + asleep, I used to long to help her. It is curious, but I always thought + tenderly of this woman, even though she had twice tried to kill me. A + man's bad angel is only his good angel a little warped. + </p> + <p> + On the second of May, though I did not know it then, Argyle set sail for + Scotland, to raise the clans for a foray across the Border. On the same + day I was summoned from my quarters in the barge to take up my King's + service. Late one evening, when it was almost dark night, Mr. Jermyn + halted at the wharf-side to call me from my supper. “Mount behind me, + Martin,” he said softly, peering down the hatch. “It's time, now.” I + thought he must mean that it was time to invade England. You must remember + that I knew little of the rights of the case, except that the Duke's cause + was the one favoured by my father, dead such a little while before. Yet + when I heard that sudden summons, it went through me with a shock that now + this England was to be the scene of a bloody civil war, father fighting + son, brother against brother. I would rather have been anywhere at that + moment than where I was, hearing that order. Still, I had put my hand to + the plough. There was no drawing back. I rose up with my eyes full of + tears to say good-bye to the kind Dutch bargemen. I never saw them again. + In a moment I was up the wharf, scrambling into the big double saddle + behind Mr. Jermyn. Before my eyes were accustomed to the darkness we were + trotting off into the night I knew not whither. + </p> + <p> + “Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn, half turning in his saddle, “talk in a low + voice. There may be spies anywhere.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir,” I answered, meekly. For a while after that we were silent; I + was waiting for him to tell me more. + </p> + <p> + “Martin,” he said at length, “we're going to send you to England, with a + message.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir?” I answered. + </p> + <p> + “You understand that there's danger, boy?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Life is full of danger. But for his King a Christian man must be content + to run risks. You aren't afraid, Martin?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” I answered bravely. I was afraid, all the same. I doubt if any + boy my age would have felt very brave, riding in the night like that, with + danger of spies all about. + </p> + <p> + “That's right, Martin,” he said kindly. “That's the kind of boy I thought + you.” Again we were quiet, till at last he said: + </p> + <p> + “You're going in a barquentine to Dartmouth. Can you remember Blick of + Kingswear?” + </p> + <p> + “Blick of Kingswear,” I repeated. “Yes, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “He's the man you're to go to.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir. What am I to tell him?” + </p> + <p> + “Tell him this, Martin. Listen carefully. This, now. King Golden Cap. + After Six One.” + </p> + <p> + “King Golden Cap. After Six One,” I repeated. “Blick of Kingswear. King + Golden Cap. After Six One.” + </p> + <p> + “That's right,” he said. “Repeat it over. Don't forget a word of it. But I + know you're too careful a lad to do that.” There was no fear of my + forgetting it. I think that message is burned in into my brain under the + skull-bones. + </p> + <p> + “There'll be cipher messages, too, Martin. They're also for Mr. Blick. + You'll carry a little leather satchel, with letters sewn into the flap. + You'll carry stockings in the satchel. Or school-books. You are Mr. + Blick's sister's son, left an orphan in Holland. You'll be in mourning. + Your mother died of low-fever, remember, coming over to collect a debt + from her factor. Your mother was an Oulton fish-boat owner. Pay attention + now. I'm going to cross-examine you in your past history.” + </p> + <p> + As we rode on into the gloom, in the still, flat, misty land, which + gleamed out at whiles with water dykes, he cross-examined me in detail, in + several different ways, just as a magistrate would have done it. I was + soon letter-perfect about my mother. I knew Mr. Blick's past history as + well as I knew my own. + </p> + <p> + “Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn suddenly. “Do you hear anything?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir,” I answered. “I think I do, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “What is it you hear, Martin?” + </p> + <p> + “I think I hear a horse's hoofs, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Behind us?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir. A long way behind.” + </p> + <p> + “Hold on then, boy. I'm going to pull up.” + </p> + <p> + We halted for an instant in the midst of a wide fiat desert, the loneliest + place on God's earth. For an instant in the stillness we heard the trot + trot of a horse's hoofs. Then the unseen rider behind us halted, too, as + though uncertain how to ride, with our hoofs silent. + </p> + <p> + “There,” said Mr. Jermyn. “You see. Now we'll make him go on again.” He + shook the horse into his trot again, talking to him in a little low voice + that shook with excitement. Sure enough, after a moment the trot sounded + out behind us. It was as though our wraiths were riding behind us, + following us home. “I'll make sure,” said Mr. Jermyn, pulling up again. + </p> + <p> + “You're a cunning dog,” he said gently. “You heard that?” Indeed, it + sounded uncanny. The unseen rider had feared to pull up, guessing that we + had guessed his intentions. Instead of pulling up he did a much more + ominous thing, he slowed his pace perceptibly. We could hear the change in + the beat of the horse-hoofs. “Cunning lad,” said Mr. Jermyn. “I've a good + mind to shoot that man, Martin. He's following us. Pity it's so dark. One + can never be sure in the dark like this. But I don't know. I'd like to see + who it is.” + </p> + <p> + We trotted on again at our usual pace. Presently, something occurred to + me. Mr. Jermyn, I said; “would you like me to see who it is? I could slip + off as we go. I could lie down flat so that he would pass against the sky. + Then you could come back for me.” + </p> + <p> + He did not like the scheme at first. He said that it would be too dark for + me to see anybody; but that when we were nearer to the town it might be + done. So we rode on at our quick trot for a couple of more, hearing always + behind us a faint beat of upon the road, like the echo of our own hoofs. + After a time they stopped suddenly, nor did we hear them again. + </p> + <p> + “D'you know what he's done, Martin?” said Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” I answered. + </p> + <p> + “He's muffled his horse's hoofs with duffle shoes. A sort of thick felt + slippers. He was in too great a hurry to do that before. There are the + lights of the town.” + </p> + <p> + “Shall I get down, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “If you can without my pulling up. Don't speak. But lay your head on the + road. You'll hear the horse, then, if I'm right.” + </p> + <p> + “Then I'll lie still,” I said, “to see if I can see who it is.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes. But make no sign. He may shoot. He may take you for a footpad. I'll + ride back to you in a minute.” + </p> + <p> + He slowed down the horse so that I could slip off unheard on to the turf + by the roadside. When he had gone a little distance, I laid my ear to the + road. Sure enough, the noise of the other horse was faint but plain in the + distance, coming along on the road, avoiding the turf. The turf vas + trenched in many drains, so as to make dangerous riding at night. I lay + down flat on the turf, with my pistol in my hand. I was excited; but I + remember that I enjoyed it. I felt so like an ancient Briton lying in wait + for his enemy. I tried to guess the distance of this strange horse from + me. It is always difficult to judge either distance or location by sound, + when the wind is blowing. The horse hoofs sounded about a quarter of a + mile away. I know not how far they really were. Very soon I could see the + black moving mass coming quietly along the road. The duffle hoof-wraps + made a dull plodding noise near at hand. Nearer the unknown rider came, + suspecting nothing. I could see him bent forward, peering out ahead. I + could even take stock of him, dark though it was. He was a not very tall + man, wearing a full Spanish riding cloak. It seemed to me that he checked + his horse's speed somewhere in the thirty yards before he passed me. Then, + just as he passed, just as I had a full view of him, blackly outlined + against the stars, his horse shied violently at me, on to the other side + of the road. The rider swung him about on the instant to make him face the + danger. I could see him staring down at me, as he bent forward to pat his + horse's neck. I bent my head down so that my face was hidden in the grass. + </p> + <p> + The stranger did not see me. I am quite sure that he did not see me. He + turned his horse back along the road for a few snorting paces. Then with a + sounding slap on his shoulder he drove him at a fast pace along the turf + towards me. I heard the brute whinny. He was uneasy; he was trying to shy; + he was twisting away, trying to avoid the strange thing which lay there. I + hid my head no longer. I saw the horse above me. I saw the rider glaring + down. He was going to ride over me. I saw his face, a grey blur under his + hat. The horse seemed to be right on top of me. I started up to my feet + with a cry. The horse shied into the road, with a violence which made the + rider rock. Then, throwing up his head, he bolted towards the town, half + mad with the scare. Fifty yards down the road he tore past Mr. Jermyn, who + was trotting back to pick me up. We heard the frantic hoofs pass away into + the night, growing louder as the duffle wraps were kicked off. Perhaps you + have noticed how the very sound of the gallop of a scared horse conveys + fear. That is what we felt, we two conspirators, as we talked together, + hearing that clattering alarm-note die away. + </p> + <p> + “Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn. “That was a woman. She chuckled as she galloped + past me.” + </p> + <p> + “Are you sure, sir?” I asked, half-hoping that he might be right. I felt + my heart leap at the thought of being in another adventure with the lady. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he said, “I'm quite sure. Now we must be quick, so as to give her + no time in the town.” When I had mounted, we forced the horse to a gallop + till we were within a quarter of a mile of the walls, where we pulled up + at a cross-roads. + </p> + <p> + “Get down, Martin,” he said. “We must enter the town by different roads. + Turn off here to the right. Then take the next two turns to the left, + which will bring you into the square. I shall meet you there. Take your + time. There's no hurry.” + </p> + <p> + About ten minutes later, I was stopped in a dark quiet alley by a hand on + the back of my neck. I saw no one. I heard no noise of breathing. In the + pitch blackness of the night the hand arrested me. It was like my spine + suddenly stiffening to a rod of ice. “Quiet,” said a strange voice before + I could scream. “Off with those Dutch clothes. Put on these. Off with + those sabots.” I was in a suit of English clothes in less than a minute. + “Boots,” the voice said in my ear. “Pull them on.” They were long leather + knee-boots, supple from careful greasing. In one of them I felt something + hard. My heart leapt as I felt it. + </p> + <p> + It was a long Italian stiletto. I felt myself a seaman indeed, nay, more + than a seaman, a secret agent, with a pair of such boots upon me, + “heeled,” as the sailors call it, with such a weapon. “Go straight on,” + said the voice. + </p> + <p> + As I started to go straight on, there was a sort of rustling behind me. + Some black figure seemed to vanish from me. Whoever the man was that had + brought me the clothes, he had vanished, just as an Indian will vanish + into grass six inches high. Thinking over my strange adventures, I think + that that changing of my clothes in the night was almost the most strange + of all. It was so eerie, that he should be there at all, a part of Mr. + Jermyn's plan, fitting into it exactly, though undreamed of by me. Would + indeed that all Mr. Jermyn's plans had carried through so well. But it was + not to be. One ought not to grumble. + </p> + <p> + A few steps farther on, I came to a public square, on one side of which + (quite close to where I stood) was a wharf, crowded with shipping. I had + hardly expected the sea to be so near, somehow, but seeing it like that I + naturally stopped to look for the ship which was to carry me. The only + barquentine among the ships lay apart from the others, pointing towards + the harbour entrance. She seemed to be a fine big vessel, as far as I + could judge in that light. I lingered there for some few minutes, looking + at the ships, wondering why it was that Mr. Jermyn had not met me. I was + nervous about it. My nerves were tense from all the excitement of the + night. One cannot stand much excitement for long. I had had enough + excitement that night to last me through the week. As I stood looking at + the ships, I began to feel a horror of the wharf-side. I felt as though + the very stones of the place were my enemies, lying in wait for me. I + cannot explain the feeling more clearly than that. It was due probably to + the loneliness of the great empty square, dark as a tomb. Then, expecting + Mr. Jermyn, but failing to meet with him, was another cause for dread. I + thought, in my nervousness, that I should be in a fine pickle if any + enemies made away with Mr. Jermyn, leaving me alone, in a strange land, + with only a few silver pieces in my pocket. Still, Mr. Jermyn was long in + coming. My anxiety was almost more than I could bear. + </p> + <p> + At last, growing fearful that I had somehow missed him at the mouth of the + dark alley, I walked slowly back in my tracks, wishing that I had a + thicker jacket, since it was beginning to rain rather smartly. There was a + great sort of inn on the side of the square to which I walked. It had + lights on the second floor. The great windows of that story opened on to + balconies, in what is, I believe, the Spanish way of building. I remember + feeling bitterly how cheery the warm lights looked, inside there, where + the people were. I stood underneath the balcony out of the rain, looking + out sharply towards the alley, expecting at each instant to see Mr. + Jermyn. Still he did not come. I dared not move from where I was lest I + should miss him. I racked my brains to try to remember if I had obeyed + orders exactly. I wondered whether I had come to the right square. I began + to imagine all kinds of evil things which might have happened to him. + Perhaps that secret fiend of a woman had been too many for him. Perhaps + some other secret service people had waylaid him as he entered the town. + Perhaps he was even then in bonds in some cellar, being examined for + letters by some of the usurper's men. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XI. AURELIA + </h2> + <p> + While I was fretting myself into a state of hysteria, the catch of one of + the great window-doors above me was pushed back. Someone came out on the + balcony just over my head. It was a woman, evidently in some great + distress, for she was sobbing bitterly. I thought it mean to stand there + hearing her cry, so I moved away. As I walked off, the window opened + again. A big heavy-looted man came out. + </p> + <p> + “Stop crying, Aurelia,” the voice said. “Here's the stuff. Put it in your + pocket.” + </p> + <p> + “I can't,” the woman answered. “I can't.” + </p> + <p> + I stopped moving away when I heard that voice. It was the voice of the + Longshore Jack woman who had had those adventures with me. I should have + known her voice anywhere, even choked as it then was with sobs. It was a + good voice, of a pleasant quality, but with a quick, authoritative ring. + </p> + <p> + “I can't,” she said. “I can't, Father.” + </p> + <p> + “Put it in your pocket,” her father said. “No rubbish of that sort. You + must.” + </p> + <p> + “It would kill me. I couldn't,” she answered. “I should hate myself + forever.” + </p> + <p> + “No more of that to me,” said the cold, hard voice with quiet passion. + “Your silly scruples aren't going to outweigh a nation's need. There it is + in your pocket. Be careful you don't use too much. If you fail again, + remember, you'll earn your own living. Oh, you bungler! When I think of—” + </p> + <p> + “I'm no bungler. You know it,” she answered passionately. “I planned + everything. You silly men never backed me up. Who was it guessed right + this time? I suppose you think you'd have come here without my help? + That's like a man.” + </p> + <p> + “Don't stand there rousing the town, Aurelia,” the man said. “Come in out + of the rain at once. Get yourself ready to start.” + </p> + <p> + As the window banged to behind them, a figure loomed up out of the night—two + figures, more. I sprang to one side; but they were too quick for me. + Someone flung an old flour-sack over my head. Before I was ready to + struggle I was lying flat on the pavement, with a man upon my chest. + </p> + <p> + “It's him,” said a voice. “You young rip, where are the letters?” + </p> + <p> + “What letters?” I said, struggling, choking against the folds of the sack. + </p> + <p> + “Rip up his boots,” said another. “Dig him with a knife if he won't + answer.” + </p> + <p> + “Bring him in to the Colonel,” said the first. + </p> + <p> + “I've got no letters,” I said. + </p> + <p> + “Lift him up quick,” said the man who had suggested the knife. “In with + him. Here's the watch.” + </p> + <p> + “Quick, boys,” the leader said. “We mustn't be caught at this game.” + </p> + <p> + Steps sounded somewhere in the square. Hearing them, I squealed with all + my strength, hoping that somebody would come. + </p> + <p> + “Choke him,” said one of the men. + </p> + <p> + I gave one more loud squeal before they jammed the sack on my mouth. To my + joy, the feet broke into a run. They were the feet of the watch, coming to + my rescue. + </p> + <p> + “Up with him,” said the leader among my captors. “Quick, in to the Colonel + with him.” + </p> + <p> + “No, no! Drop it. I'm off. Here's the watch,” cried the other hurriedly. + </p> + <p> + They let me drop on to the pavement after half lifting me. In five seconds + more they were scattering to shelter. As I rose to my feet, flinging off + the flour-sack, I found myself in the midst of the city watch, about a + dozen men, all armed, whose leader carried a lantern. The windows of the + great inn were open; people were thronging on to the balcony to see what + the matter was; citizens came to their house-doors. At that moment, Mr. + Jermyn appeared. The captain of the guard was asking questions in Dutch. + The guardsmen were peering at my face in the lantern light. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Jermyn questioned me quickly as to what had happened. He interpreted + my tale to the guard. I was his servant, he told them. I had been attacked + by unknown robbers, some of whom, at least, were English. One of them had + tried to stifle me with a flour-sack, which, on examination under the + lantern, proved to be the sack of Robert Harling, Corn-miller, Eastry. + Goodness knows how it came to be there; for ship's flour travels in cask. + Mr. Jermyn gave an address, where we could be found if any of the villains + were caught; but he added that it was useless to expect me to identify any + of them, since the attack had been made in the dark, with the victim + securely blindfolded. He gave the leader of the men some money. The guard + moved away to look for the culprits (long before in hiding, one would + think), while Mr. Jermyn took me away with him. + </p> + <p> + As we went, I looked up at the inn balcony, from which several heads + looked down upon us. Behind them, in the lighted room, in profile, in full + view, was the lady of the fierce eyes. I knew her at once, in spite of the + grey Spanish (man's) hat she wore, slouched over her face. She was all + swathed in a Spanish riding cloak. One took her for a handsome young man. + But I knew that she was my enemy. I knew her name now, too; Aurelia. She + was looking down at me, or rather at us, for she could not have made out + our faces. Her face was sad. She seemed uninterested; she had, perhaps, + enough sorrow of her own at that moment, without the anxieties of others. + A big, burly, hulking, handsome person of the swaggering sort which used + to enter the army in those days, left the balcony hurriedly. I saw him at + the window, speaking earnestly to her, pointing to the square, in which, + already, the darkness hid us. I saw the listlessness fall from her. She + seemed to waken up into intense life in an instant. She walked with a + swift decision peculiar to her away from the window, leaving the hulking + fellow, an elderly, dissolute-looking man, with the wild puffy eyes of the + drinker, to pick his teeth in full view of the square. + </p> + <p> + When we left watching our enemies, Mr. Jermyn bade me walk on tiptoe. We + scurried away across the square diagonally, pausing twice to listen for + pursuers. No one seemed to be following. There was not much sense in + following; for the guard was busy searching for suspicious persons. We + heard them challenging passers-by, with a rattle of their halberds on the + stones, to make their answers prompt. We were safe enough from persecution + for the time. We went down a dark street into a dark alley. From the alley + we entered a courtyard, the sides of which were vast houses. We entered + one of these houses. The door seemed to open in the mysterious way which + had puzzled me so much in Fish Lane. Mr. Jermyn smiled when I asked him + how this was done. “Go on in, boy,” he said. “There are many queer things + in lives like ours.” He gave me a shove across the threshold, while the + door closed itself silently behind us. + </p> + <p> + He took me into a room which was not unlike a marine store of the better + sort. There were many sailor things (all of the very best quality) lying + in neat heaps on long oak shelves against the walls. In the middle of the + room a table was laid for dinner. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Jermyn made me eat a hearty meal before starting, which I did. As I + ate, he fidgeted about among some lockers at my back. Presently, as I + began to sip some wine which he had poured out for me, he put something + over my shoulders. + </p> + <p> + “Here,” he said, “this is the satchel, Martin. Keep the straps drawn tight + always. Don't take it off till you give it into Mr. Blick's hands. His own + hands, remember. Don't take it off even at night. When you lie down, lash + it around your neck with spun-yarn.” All this I promised most faithfully + to do. “But,” I said, examining the satchel, which was like an ordinary + small old weather-beaten satchel for carrying books, “where are the + letters, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “Sewn into the double,” he answered. “You wouldn't be able to sew so + neatly as that. Would you, now?” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, yes, I should, sir,” I replied. “I am a pretty good hand with a + sail-needle. The Oulton fishermen used to teach me the stitches. I can do + herring-bone stitch. I can even put a cringle into a sail.” + </p> + <p> + “You're the eighth wonder of the world, I think,” Mr. Jermyn said. “But + choose, now. Choose a kit for yourself. You won't get a chance to change + your clothes till you get to Mr. Blick's if you don't take some from here. + So just look round the room here. Take whatever you want.” + </p> + <p> + I felt myself to have been fairly well equipped by the stranger who had + made me change my clothes in the alley. But I knew how cold the Channel + may be even in June; so I chose out two changes of thick underwear. + Weapons I had no need for, with the armory already in my belt; but a heavy + tarred jacket with an ear-flap collar was likely to be useful, so I chose + that instead. It was not more than ten sizes too large for me; that did + not matter; at sea one tries to keep warm; appearances are not much + regarded. Last of all, when I had packed my satchel, I noticed a sailor's + canvas “housewife” very well stored with buttons, etc. I noticed that it + held what is called a “palm,” that is, the leather hand-guard used by + sail-makers for pushing the needle through sail cloth. It occurred to me, + vaguely, that such a “housewife” would be useful, in case my clothes got + torn, so I stuffed it into my satchel with the other things. I saw that it + contained a few small sail-needles (of the kind so excellent as + egg-borers) as well as some of the strong fine sail-twine, each thread of + which will support a weight of fifty pounds. I put the housewife into my + store with a vague feeling of being rich in the world's goods, with such a + little treasury of necessaries; I had really no thought of what that + chance impulse was to do for me. + </p> + <p> + “Are you ready?” Mr. Jermyn asked. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir. Quite ready.” + </p> + <p> + “Take this blank drawing-book,” he said, handing me a small pocket-book, + in which a pencil was stuck. “Make a practice of drawing what you see. + Draw the ships. Make sketches of the coast. You will find that such + drawings will give you great pleasure when you come to be old. They will + help you, too, in impressing an object on your mind. Drawing thus will + give you a sense of the extraordinary wonder of the universe. It will + teach you a lot of things. Now let's be off. It's time we were on board.” + </p> + <p> + When we went out of the house we were joined by three or four seamen who + carried cases of bottles (probably gin bottles). We struck off towards the + ship together at a brisk pace, singing one of those quick-time songs with + choruses to which the sailors sometimes work. The song they sang was that + very jolly one called “Leave her, Johnny.” They made such a noise with the + chorus of this ditty that Mr. Jermyn was able to refresh my memory in the + message to be given to Mr. Blick. + </p> + <p> + The rain had ceased before we started. When we came into the square, we + saw that cressets, or big flaming port-fires, had been placed along the + wharf, to give light to some seamen who were rolling casks to the + barquentine. A little crowd of idlers had gathered about the workers to + watch them at their job; there may have been so many as twenty people + there. They stood in a pretty strong, but very unsteady light, by which I + could take stock of them. I looked carefully among them for the figure of + a young man in a grey Spanish hat; but he was certainly not there. The + barquentine had her sails loosed, but not hoisted. Some boats were in the + canal ahead, ready to tow her out. She had also laid out a hawser, by + which to heave herself out with her capstan. I could see at a glance that + she was at the point of sailing. As we came up the plank-gangway which led + to her deck we were delayed for a moment by a seaman who was getting a + cask aboard. + </p> + <p> + “Beg pardon, sir,” he said to Mr. Jermyn. “I won't keep you waiting long. + This cask's about as heavy as nitre.” + </p> + <p> + “What 'a' you got in that cask, Dick?” said the boatswain, who kept a + tally at the gangway. + </p> + <p> + “Nitre or bullets, I guess,” said Dick, struggling to get the cask on to + the gang plank. “It's as heavy as it knows how.” + </p> + <p> + “Give Dick a hand there,” the boatswain ordered. A seaman who was standing + somewhere behind me came forward, jogging my elbow as he passed. In a + minute or two they had the cask aboard. + </p> + <p> + “It's red lead,” said the boatswain, examining the marks upon it. “Sling + it down into the 'tweendecks.” + </p> + <p> + After this little diversion, I was free to go down the gangway with Mr. + Jermyn. The captain received us in the cabin. He seemed to know my “uncle + Blick,” as he called him, very well indeed. I somehow didn't like the + looks of the man; he had a bluff air; but it seemed to sit ill upon him. + He reminded me of the sort of farmer who stands well with his parson or + squire, while he tyrannizes over his labourers with all the calculating + cowardly cruelty of the mean mind. I did not take to Captain Barlow, for + all his affected joviality. + </p> + <p> + However, the ship was sailing. They showed me the little trim cabin which + was to be mine for the voyage. Mr. Jermyn ran ashore up the gangway, after + shaking me by the hand. He called to me over his shoulder to remember him + very kindly to my uncle. A moment later, as the hawsers were cast off, the + little crowd on the wharf called out “Three cheers for the Gara + barquentine,” which the Gara's crew acknowledged with three cheers for + Pierhead, in the sailor fashion. We were moving slowly under the influence + of the oared boats ahead of us, when a seaman at the forward capstan began + to sing the solo part of an old capstan chanty. The men broke in upon him + with the chorus, which rang out, in its sweet clearness, making echoes in + the city. I ran to the capstan to heave with them, so that I, too, might + sing. I was at the capstan there, heaving round with the best of them, + until we were standing out to sea, beyond the last of the fairway lights, + with our sails trimmed to the strong northerly wind. After that, being + tired with so many crowded excitements, which had given me a life's + adventures since supper-time, I went below to my bunk, to turn in. + </p> + <p> + I took off my satchel, intending to tie it round my neck after I had + undressed. Some inequality in the strap against my fingers made me hold it + to the cabin lamp to examine it more closely. To my horror, I saw that the + strap had been nearly cut through in five places. If it had not been of + double leather with an inner lining of flexible wire, any one of those + cuts would have cut the thong clean in two. Then a brisk twitch would have + left the satchel at the cutter's mercy. It gave me a lively sense of the + craft of our enemies, to see those cuts in the leather. I had felt + nothing. I had suspected nothing. Only once, for that instant on the + wharf, when we stopped to let Dick get his barrel aboard, had they had a + chance to come about me. Yet in that instant of time they had suspected + that that satchel contained letters. They had made their bold attempt to + make away with it. They had slashed this leather in five places with a + knife as sharp as a razor. But had it been on the wharf, that this was + done? I began to wonder if it could have been on the wharf. Might it not + have been done when I was at the capstan, heaving round on the bar? I + thought not. I must have noticed a seaman doing such a thing. It would + have been impossible for any one to have cut the strap there; for the + capstan was always revolving. The man next to me on the bar never took his + hands from the lever, of that I was certain. The men on the bar behind me + could not have reached me. Even if they had reached me the mate must have + noticed it. I knew that sailors were often clever thieves; but I did not + believe that they could have been so clever under the mate's eye. If it + had not been done at the capstan it could not have been done since I came + aboard; for there had been no other opportunity. I was quite convinced, + after a moment's thought, that it had been done on the wharf before I came + aboard. Then I wondered if it had been done by common shore thieves, or + “nickers,” who are always present in our big seaport towns, ready to steal + whenever they get a chance. But I was rather against this possibility; for + my mind just then was much too full of Aurelia's party. I saw their hands + in it. It would have needed very strong evidence to convince me that they + were not at the bottom of this last attack, as they had doubtless been in + the attack under the inn balcony. + </p> + <p> + Thinking of their cunning with some dismay, I went to my door to secure + it. I was in my stockinged feet at the moment, as I had kicked my boots + off on coming into the cabin. My step, therefore, must have been + noiseless. Opening the door smartly, half-conscious of some slight noise + on the far side, I almost ran into Captain Barlow, who was standing + without. He showed a momentary confusion, I thought, at seeing me thus + suddenly. It was a bad sign. To me, in my excited nervous state, it was a + very bad sign. It convinced me that he had been standing there, trying to + spy upon me through the keyhole, with what purpose I could guess only too + well. His face changed to a jovial grin in an instant; but I felt that he + was searching my face narrowly for some sign of suspicion. + </p> + <p> + “I was just coming in to see if you wanted anything,” he said. + </p> + <p> + “No. Nothing, thanks,” I answered. “But what time's breakfast, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, the boy'll call you,” he answered. “Is that your school satchel? Hey? + What you carry your books in? Let's see it?” + </p> + <p> + “Oh,” I said, as lightly as I could, feeling that he was getting on + ticklish ground. “I've not unpacked it yet. It's got all my things in it.” + </p> + <p> + By this time he was well within my cabin. “Why,” he said, “this strap's + almost cut in two. Does your master let you bring your satchel to school + in that state? How did it come to be cut like that? Hey?” + </p> + <p> + I made some confused remark about its having always been in that state; as + it was an old satchel which my father used for a shooting-bag. I had never + known boys to carry books in a satchel. That kind of school was unknown to + me. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” he said, fingering the strap affectionately, as though he was + going to lift it off my head, “you let me take it away with me. I've got + men in this ship, who can mend a cut leather strap as neat as you've no + idea of. They'd sew up a cut like them so as you'd hardly know it had been + cut.” + </p> + <p> + I really feared that he would have the bag away from me by main force. But + I rallied all my forces to save it. “I'm lagged now,” I said. “I haven't + undone my things. I'll give it to you in the morning.” + </p> + <p> + It seemed to me that he looked at me rather hard when I said this; but he + evidently thought “What can it matter? Tomorrow will serve just as well.” + So he just gave a little laugh. “Right,” he said. “You turn in now. Give + it to me in the morning. Good night, boy.” + </p> + <p> + “Good night,” I said, as he left the cabin, adding, under my breath, “Good + riddance, too. You won't find quite so much when you come to examine this + bag by daylight.” After he had gone—but not at once, as I wished not + to make him suspicious,—I locked my cabin-door. Then I hung my + tarred sea-coat on the door-hook, so that the flap entirely covered the + keyhole. There were bolts on the door, but the upper one alone could be + pushed home. With this in its place felt secure from spies. Yet not too + secure. I was not certain that the bulkheads were without crannies from + which I could be watched. The crack by the door-hinge might, for all I + knew, give a very good view of the inside of the cabin. Thinking that I + might still be under observation I decided to put off what I had to do + until the very early morning, so I undressed myself for bed. I took care + to put out the light before turning in, so that I might not be seen + lashing the satchel round my neck with a length of spunyarn. I slept with + my head upon it. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0012" id="link2HCH0012"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XII. BRAVE CAPTAIN BARLOW + </h2> + <p> + Very early the next morning, at about half-past four, a little before + sunrise, I woke up with a start, wondering where I was. Looking through my + little scuttle port, I could see the flashing of bright waves, which + sometimes dowsed my window with a shower of drops. The ship was apparently + making about three knots an hour, under all her sails. Directly I woke, I + turned out of my bunk to do what I had to do. After dressing, I took my + sail-making tools from my housewife. I had resolved to cut the letters + from their hiding-place so that I might make them up into tiny rolls, + small enough to hide in my pistol cartridges. Very carefully I cut the + threads which bound the leather flaps of the satchel together. I worked + standing up, with the satchel in my bunk. I could hardly have been seen + from any point. In a few moments the letters were in my hands. They were + small sheets of paper, each about four inches square. They were nine in + number, all different. They were covered with a neat cipher very different + from the not very neat, not quite formed hand of the Duke himself. What + the cipher was, I did not know. It was one of the many figure ciphers then + in use. I learned long afterwards that the figures which frequently + occurred in them stood for King James II. Such as they were, those cipher + letters made a good deal of difference to many thousands of people then + living contentedly at home. + </p> + <p> + As soon as I had removed them, I rolled them up very carefully into pistol + cartridges from which I drew the charges. I was just going to throw away + the powder, when I thought, “No, I'll put the powder back. It'll make the + fraud more difficult to detect.” So I put the powder back with great care. + Then I searched my mind for something with which to seal up the cartridge + wads over the powder. I could think of nothing at all, till I remembered + the tar-seams at my feet. I dug up a fragment of tar-seam from the dark + corners of the cabin under my bunk. Then I lit my lamp with my little + pocket tinder-box, so that I could heat the tar as I needed it. It took me + a long time to finish the cartridges properly; but I flatter myself that I + made neat jobs of them. I was trained to neat habits by my father. The + Oulton seamen had given me a taste for doing clever neat work, such as + plaits or pointing, so that I was not such a bungler at delicate + handicraft as most boys of my age. I even took the trouble to hide the tar + marks on my wads by smearing wetted gunpowder all over them. When I had + hidden all the letters, I wrote out a few pencilled notes upon leaves + neatly cut from my pocket-book. I wrote a varying arrangement of ciphers + on each leaf, in the neatest hand I could command. I always made neat + figures; but as I had not touched a pen for nearly a month, I was out of + practice. Still, I did very creditably. I am quite sure that my neat + ciphers gave the usurper James a very trying week of continual study. I + daresay the whole privy council puzzled over those notes of mine. I felt + very pleased with them when they were done. + </p> + <p> + I had not much more than a half-hour left to me when I finished writing + them out. The ship's bells told me that it was seven o'clock. Cabin + breakfast, as I knew very well, would be at eight. I could expect to be + called at half past seven. I put the two flaps of the satchel evenly + together, removing all traces of the thread used in the earlier sewing. + Then I very trimly sewed the two flaps with my sail-needle, using all my + strength to make secure stitches. I used some brown soap in the wash-stand + as thread wax, to make the sewing more easy. “There,” I thought, “no one + will suspect that this was sewn by a boy.” When I had finished, I thought + of dirtying the twine to make the work look old; but I decided to let well + alone. I might so easily betray my hand by trying to do too much. The + slight trace of the soap made the work look old enough. But I took very + great care to remove all traces of my work in the cabin. The little scraps + of thread which I had cut out of the satchel I ate, as I could see no + safer means of getting rid of them. I cannot say that they disagreed with + me, though they were not very easy to get down. My palm, being a common + sea-implement, not likely to seem strange in a ship's cabin, I hid in a + locker below my bunk. My sail-needles I thrust at first into the linings + of the pockets of my tarred sea-coat. On second thoughts, I drove them + into the mattress of my bunk. My hank of twine I dropped on deck later, + when I went out to breakfast. Having covered all traces of my morning's + work, I washed with a light heart. When some one came to my cabin-door to + call me, I cried out that I would be out in a minute. + </p> + <p> + When the breakfast bell rang, I walked aft to the great cabin, with my + satchel over my shoulder. The captain asked me how I had slept; so I said + that I had slept like a top, until a few minutes before I was called. + </p> + <p> + “That's the way with you young fellows,” he said. “When you come to be my + age you won't be able to do that.” Presently, as we were sitting down to + breakfast, he began his attack upon the satchel. “You still got your + satchel, I see,” he said. “Do you carry it about with you always? Or are + you pretending to be a military man with a knapsack?” + </p> + <p> + I looked a little uncomfortable at this; but not from the reason which + flashed through his mind. I said that I liked carrying it about, as it + served instead of a side coat-pocket, which was perfectly true. + </p> + <p> + “By the way,” he said; “you must let me take that beloved satchel after + breakfast, so that I can get the strap sewn up for you.” + </p> + <p> + It came into my mind to look blank at this. I stammered as I said that I + didn't mind the straps being cut, because there was a wire heart to the + leather which would hold till we got to England, when I could put on a new + strap for myself. + </p> + <p> + “Oh, nonsense,” he said, serving out some of the cold bacon from the dish + in front of him. “Nonsense. What would your uncle say if you landed + slovenly like that? Besides, now you're at sea you're a sailor. Sailors + don't wear things like that at meals any more than they wear their hats.” + </p> + <p> + After this, I saw that there was no further chance of retaining the + satchel, so I took it from my neck, but grudgingly, as though I hated + doing so. I heard no more about it till after breakfast, when he made a + sudden playful pounce upon it, as it lay upon the chair beside me, at an + instant when I was quite unprepared to save it. + </p> + <p> + “Aha,” he cried, waving his booty. “Now then. Now.” + </p> + <p> + I knew that he would expect a passionate outcry from me, nor did I spare + it; because I meant him to think that I knew the satchel contained + precious matters. + </p> + <p> + “No, no,” I cried. “Let me have it. I don't want it mended.” + </p> + <p> + “What?” he said. “Not want it mended? It must be mended.” + </p> + <p> + At this I made a sort of playful rush to get it. He dodged away from me, + laughing. I attacked again, playing my part admirably, as I thought, but + taking care not to overdo it. At last, as though fearing to show too great + an anxiety about the thing, I allowed him to keep it. I asked him if he + would be able to sew the leather over the wire heart. + </p> + <p> + “Why, yes,” he said. I could see that he smiled. He was thinking that I + had stopped struggling in order to show him that I set no real value on + the satchel. He was thinking that he saw through my cunning. + </p> + <p> + “Might I see you sew it up?” I said. “I should like to learn how to sew up + leather.” + </p> + <p> + He thought that this was another sign of there being letters in the + satchel, this wish of mine to be present when the sewing was done. + </p> + <p> + “Why, yes,” he said. “I'll do it here. You shall do it yourself if you + like. I will teach you.” So saying, he tossed me an orange from his + pocket. “Eat that,” he said, “while I go on deck to take the sights.” + </p> + <p> + He left the cabin, swinging the satchel carelessly in his left hand. I + thought to myself that I had better play anxiety; so, putting the orange + on the table, I followed him into the 'tweendecks, halting at the door, as + though in fear about the satchel's fate. Looking back, he saw me there. My + presence confirmed him in his belief that he had got my treasure. He waved + to me. “Back in a minute,” he said. “Stay in the cabin till I come back. + There's a story-book in the locker.” + </p> + <p> + I turned back into the cabin in a halting, irresolute way which no doubt + deceived him as my other movements had deceived him. When I had shut the + door, I went to the locker for the story-book. + </p> + <p> + Now the story-book, when I found it, was not a story-book, but a little + thick book of Christian sermons by various good bishops. I read one of + them through, to try, but I did not understand it. Then I put the book + down with the sudden thought: “This Captain Barlow cannot read. He thinks + that these sermons are stories. Now who is it in this ship to whom the + letters will be shown? Or can there be no one here? Is he going to steal + the letters to submit them to somebody ashore?” + </p> + <p> + I was pretty sure that there was somebody shut up in the ship who was + concerned in the theft with Barlow. I cannot tell what made me so sure. I + had deceived the captain so easily that I despised him. I did not give him + credit for any intelligence whatsoever. Perhaps that was the reason. Then + it came over me with a cold wave of dismay that perhaps the woman Aurelia + was on board, hidden somewhere, but active for mischief. I remembered that + scrap of conversation from the inn-balcony. I wondered if that secret + mission mentioned then was to concern me in any way. What was it, I + wondered, that was put into her pocket by her father as she stood crying + there, just above me? If she were on board, then I must indeed look to + myself, for she was probably too cunning a creature to be deceived by my + forgeries. The very thought of having her in the ship with me was + uncomfortable. I felt that I must find some more subtle hiding-place for + my letters than I had found hitherto. I may have idealized the woman, in + my alarm, into a miracle of shrewdness. At any rate I knew that she would + be a much more dangerous opponent than Captain Barlow, the jocular donkey + who allowed himself to be fooled by a schoolboy who was in his power. I + knew, too, that she would probably search me other letters, whether my + ciphered blinds deceived her or not. She was not one so easily satisfied + as a merchant skipper; besides, she had now two scores against me, as well + as excellent reason to think me a sharp young man. + </p> + <p> + Presently, after half an hour's absence, the captain came back with the + satchel, evidently very pleased with himself. He seemed to find pleasure + in the sight of my pretended distress. “Why,” he said, with a grin; + “you've not eaten your orange.” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” I said, “I'm not very hungry just after breakfast.” + </p> + <p> + “Why, then,” he answered, “you must keep it for your dinner. Look how nice + I've mended your strap for you.” + </p> + <p> + “Thank you very much, sir,” I said. “But thought that you were going to do + it here. You were going to teach me how to do it.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, it's done now, isn't it?” he replied. “It's done pretty good, too. + I'll teach you how to sew some other time. I suppose they don't learn you + that, where you go to school?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” I said, “they don't.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” he said, picking up the book. “You're a great one for your book, I + see. There's very good reading in a book like that.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I said, looking at the mended strap. “There is. How very neatly + you've mended the strap, sir. Thank you very much.” + </p> + <p> + He looked at me with a look which said, very plainly, “You've got a fine + nerve, my lad, to pretend in that way.” + </p> + <p> + I could see from his manner during the next few minutes that he wished to + keep me from examining the satchel flap. No doubt he thought that I was on + tenter-hooks all the time, to look to see if the precious letters had been + disturbed. At last, in a very easy way, after slinging the strap round my + shoulder, I pulled out my handkerchief, intending to put it into the + satchel as into an extra pocket. + </p> + <p> + “I'm going up on deck, sir,” I said. “May I take the book with me?” + </p> + <p> + As he said that I might, I swiftly opened the satchel, to pop the book in. + I could feel that he watched my face mighty narrowly all the time. No + doubt I looked guilty enough to convince him of his cleverness. I had no + more than a second's peep at the flap, but that was quite enough to show + me that it had been tampered with. I had finished off my work that morning + with an even neatness. The bold Captain Barlow had left two ends of thread + sticking out from the place where he had ended his stitch. Besides, my + thread had been soaped, to make it work more easily. The thread in the + flap now was plainly not soaped; it was fibrous to the touch, not sleeked + down, as mine had been. + </p> + <p> + When I went on deck, I found the ship driving fast down Channel, making an + excellent passage. I took up my place by the mizzen-rigging, near which + there were no seamen at work, so that I could puzzle out a new + hiding-place for my letters. I noticed, as I stood there, that some men + were getting a boat over the side. It seemed a queer thing to be doing in + the Channel, so far from the port to which we were bound; but I did not + pay much attention to it at the time, as I was very anxious. I was + wondering what in the world I could do with the pistol cartridges which I + had made that morning. I feared Aurelia. For all that I could tell she was + looking at me as I stood there, guessing, from my face, that I had other + letters upon me. It did not occur to me that my anxiety might be taken for + grief at having the satchel searched. At last it came into my head that + Aurelia, if she were in the ship, would follow up that morning's work + promptly, before I could devise a fresh hiding-place. At any rate I felt + pretty sure that I should not be much out of that observation until the + night. It came into my head that the next attack would be upon my boots; + for in those days secret agents frequently hid their papers above a false + boot-sole, or stitched them into the double leather where the beckets, or + handles, joined the leg of the boot at the rim. + </p> + <p> + Sure enough, I had not been very long on deck when the ship's boy appeared + before me. He was an abject looking lad, like most ship's boys. I suppose + no one would become a ship's boy until he had proved himself unfit for + life anywhere else. Personally, I had rather be a desert savage than a + ship's boy. My experience on La Reina was enough to sicken me of such a + life forever. This barquentine's boy came up to me, as I have said. + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” he said, “can I take away your boots to black, please?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I answered, “my boots don't want blacking. I grease them myself.” + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir,” he said, “do let me take them away, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I said. “I grease them myself, thank you.” I thought that this would + end the business; but no such matter. + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir,” he said, “I wish you would let me take them away. The + captain'll wale me if I don't. He gave me orders, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Don't call me 'sir,'” I said. “I'll see the captain myself.” + </p> + <p> + I walked quickly to the companion-way, below which (listening to us, like + the creature he was) sat the captain, carving the end of a stick. + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir,” I said, “I've already greased my boots this morning. I + always grease them.” (I had only had them about twelve hours.) “If I + blacked them they'd get so dry that they would crack.” + </p> + <p> + “All right. All right, boy,” he answered. “I forgot you wore soft-leather + boots. They're the kind they buy up to make salt beef of at the Navy + Yard.” He grinned in my face, as though he were pleased; but a few minutes + later, when I had gone forward, I heard him thrashing the wretched boy, + because he had failed to get the boots from me for him. + </p> + <p> + I soon found that I was pretty closely watched. If I went forward to the + fo'c's'le, I found myself dogged by the ship's boy, who was blubbering + from his whipping, poor lad, as though his heart would break. In between + his sobs, he tried to tell me the use of everything forward, which was + trying to me, as I knew more than he knew. If I went aft, the mate would + come rolling up, to ask me if I could hear the dog-fish bark yet. If I + went below the captain got on to my tracks at once. He was by far the + worst of the three: the other two were only obeying his orders. I went + into my cabin hoping to get rid of him there; but no, it was no use. In he + came, too, with the excuse that he wished to see if I had enough clothes + on my bunk. It was more worrying than words can tell. All the time I + wondered whether he would end by knocking me senseless so that he might + search my boots at his ease. I had the fear of that strongly on me. I was + tempted, yet feared, to drive him from me by threatening him with my + pistol. His constant dogging of me was intolerable. But had I threatened + him, he would have had an excuse for maltreating me. My duty was to save + the letters, not to worry about my own inconveniences. Often, since then, + I have suffered agonies of remorse at not giving up the letters meekly. + Had I done so, I might, who knows, have saved some two thousand lives. + Well. We are all agents of a power greater than ourselves. Though I was, + it may be, doing wrong then, I was doing wrong unwittingly. Had things + happened only a little differently, my wrong would have turned out a + glorious right. The name of Martin Hyde would have been in the history + books. He watched me narrowly as I took off my waistcoat (pretending to be + too hot), nor did he forget to eye the waistcoat. “See here,” he said. “Do + you know how a sailor folds a waistcoat? Give it to me now. I'll show + you.” He snatched it from my hands with that rudeness which, in a boorish + nature, passes for fun; he only wished to feel it over so that if any + letter were sewn within it he might hear the paper crackle. The sailor's + way of folding a waistcoat, as shown by him then, was just the way which + bent all the cloth in folds. He seemed to be much disgusted at hearing no + crackling as he folded it. I could have laughed outright at his woeful + face, had I been less anxious. Had he been worth his salt as a spy he + would have lulled all my suspicions to sleep before beginning to search + for letters. Instead of that he went to work as crudely as a common + footpad.. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0013" id="link2HCH0013"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIII. IT BREEZES UP + </h2> + <p> + After I had taken off my waistcoat, I went out into the 'tweendecks, then + into the grand cabin, then into the space below the booms. He followed me + everywhere, keeping me under observation, till I was tempted to tell him + where the letters were, so as to have a little peace. At first he kept + telling me stories, or making bad jokes; but very soon he grew weary of + pretending; he became surly. At this point I asked him which was his + cabin. He glowered at me for asking such a question, but he pointed it out + to me. It was a cabin no larger than my own, on the opposite (that is the + port) side of the 'tweendecks. I took the opportunity (it was a bold + stroke, evidently displeasing to him) of looking in; for to tell the truth + I had a suspicion that he slept in the grand cabin, on the top of the + locker. I thought that the stateroom had another inmate. When I looked + into it I expected to find myself in Aurelia's presence. I did not want to + see her; but I wished very eagerly to know if she were in the ship or not. + The stateroom was empty, but the bunk, which had been slept in, was not + yet made up. + </p> + <p> + I do not know how much longer he would have dogged me about the ship. To + my great joy he was called from me by the mate, who cried down the + hatchway, bidding him come up at once, as there was “something in sight.” + Captain Barlow evidently wanted me to come on deck with him; but I was + resolute. I said I would stop below to have another try at his stories. He + went on deck surlily, saying something about “You wait,” or “You whelp,” I + could not catch his exact words. He turned at the hatchway to see where I + had gone. I had expected this move, so when he looked, he saw me entering + the grand cabin, just as I had said. I watched him through the crack in + the hinge; for I fully expected him to return suddenly. As he did not + return on the instant, I darted into my own cabin just long enough to drop + the letter cartridges into an old tin slush-pot which was stowed in the + locker below the bunk. I had noted it in the early morning when I had done + my sewing. I pressed the cartridges into the slush, till they were all + hidden. In another instant of time the pot was back in the locker among + the other oddments while I was back in the cabin hard at work at my + sermons. I was conscious that the captain glanced through the skylight at + me. No doubt what he saw reassured him. For the moment I felt perfectly + safe. + </p> + <p> + About half an hour later, I heard a great noise of hauling on deck, + followed by the threshing of our sails, as though they had suddenly come + aback. I knew enough of the sea to know that if we were tacking there + would be other orders, while, if the helmsman had let the ship come aback + by accident I should have heard the officers rating him. I heard neither + nor orders; something else was happening. A glance out of the stern + windows showed me that the ship was no longer under way. She was not + moving through the water. It struck me that I had better go on deck to see + what was the matter. When I reached the deck I found that the barquentine + was hove-to (that is, held motionless by a certain arrangement of the + sails) about half a mile from a small full-rigged ship which had hove-to + likewise. The barquentine's boat was rapidly pulling towards this + full-rigged ship, with Captain Barlow sitting in the stern-sheets. The + ship was a man-of-war; for she flew the St. George's banner, as well as a + pennant. Her guns were pointing through her ports, eight bright brass guns + to a broadside. She was waiting there, heaving in huge stately heaves, for + Captain Barlow's message. + </p> + <p> + Now I had had alarms enough since I entered the Duke's service; but I + confess this sight of the man-of-war daunted me worse than any of them. I + knew that Captain Barlow had stopped her, so that he might hand over my + letters to her captain; that was easily guessed The next question was, + would the captain insist on taking the messenger to be examined in person. + It was that which scared me worst. I had heard frightful tales about + political prisoners. They were shut up in the Tower dungeons, away below + the level of the Thames. They were examined there by masked magistrates + who wrung the truth from them by the “bootikins,” which squeezed the feet, + or by the thumbscrews, which twisted the thumbs. My feet seemed to grow + red-hot when I thought of that horror. I knew only too well that my youth + would not save me. James the Second was never moved by pity towards a + beaten enemy. I watched the arrival of the boat at the ship's side, with + the perspiration running down my face. I began to understand, now, what + was meant by the words high treason. I saw all the majesty of the English + Navy, all the law, all the noble polity of England, arrayed to judge a boy + to death, for a five minutes' prank. They would drag me on a hurdle to + Tyburn, as soon as torture had made me tell my tale. + </p> + <p> + But enough of my state of mind. I saw Captain Barlow go up the ship's + gangway, where an officer no doubt received him. Very soon afterwards he + came down the gangway again, half followed by some one who seemed to be + ordering him. His boat then shoved off for the barquentine. The man-of-war + got under way again by swinging her great mainyard smartly about. The + smother at her bows gleamed whiter at the very instant, as she gathered + way. It was a blessed sight to me, after my suspense, I assure you; but I + did not understand it till later. I learned later on that Captain Barlow + was one of a kind of men very common in those troublous times. He was + hedging, or trimming. He was quite willing to make money by selling the + Duke's plans to the King; but he had the sense to see that the Duke's + party might succeed, in which case the King's favour would not be worth + much. So his treason to the Duke stopped short of the betrayal of men + attached in any way to the Monmouth party. He would betray letters, when + he could lay his hands on them unobserved; but he was not going to become + an open enemy to the Duke until he knew that the Duke's was the losing + side; then he would betray men fast enough. Until then, he would receive + the trust of both factions, in order to betray a portion of the confidence + received from them. + </p> + <p> + The day dragged by for me somehow, uncomfortably, under the captain's eye. + It was one of the longest days I have ever known. It sickened me utterly + of the life of adventure to which I now seemed pledged. I vowed that if I + had the chance I would write to my uncle from Mr. Blick's house, begging + to be received back. That seemed to be the only way of escape possible to + me. It did not seem hopeful; but it gave me some solace to think of it. I + longed to be free from these terrors. You don't know what an adventurous + life is. I will tell you. It is a life of sordid unquiet, pursued without + plan, like the life of an animal. Have you seen a dog trying to cross a + busy street? There is the adventurer. Or the rabbit on the cliff, in his + state of continual panic; he, too, lives the adventurous life. What does + the world owe to the adventurer? But there. I become impatient. One + patient hero in his garret is worth all these silly fireworks put + together. + </p> + <p> + One thing more happened on that day. The breeze freshened all the + afternoon till by bedtime it blew what is called a fresh gale. Captain + Barlow drove his ship till she shook to her centre, not because he liked + (like many sailors) to show his vessel's paces; but because he sat at his + bottle too long after dinner. He was half drunk by supper time, too drunk + to take the sail off her, so we drove on down Channel, trusting to the + goodness of the gear. There would have been a pretty smash-up if we had + had to alter our course hurriedly. As it was we were jumping like a young + colt, in a welter of foam, with two men at the tiller, besides a gang on + the tackles. I never knew any ship to bound about so wildly. I passed the + evening after supper on deck, enjoying the splendour of that savage + leaping rush down Channel, yet just a little nervous at the sight of our + spars buckling under the strain. The captain was drunk before dark; we + could hear him banging the table with his bottle. The mate, who was on the + poop with me, kept glancing from the spars to the skylight; he was getting + frightened at the gait we were going. “Young man,” he said, “d'ye know the + sailor's catechism?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” I answered. “Well,” he said, “it's short but sweet, like a + ration of rum. What is the complete duty of a sailorman? You don't know? + It's this. OBEY ORDERS, IF YOU BREAK OWNERS. My orders are not to take off + sail till Mr. drunken Barlow sees fit. You'll see a few happenings aloft + just now if he don't see fit soon.” Just at that instant she gave a lurch + which sent one of the helmsmen flying. The mate leaped to his place with + an angry exclamation. “Another man to the helm,” he cried. “You, boy. Run + below. Tell the captain she'll be dismasted in another five minutes.” He + was in the right of it. A blind man could have told that the ship was + being over-driven. I ran down, as eager as the mate to put an end to the + danger. + </p> + <p> + When I went below, I found the captain in my cabin, rummaging everywhere. + He had flung out the contents of the lockers, my bedclothes, everything, + in a jumble on the deck, which, in a drunken aimless way he was examining + by the light of a couple of dip candles, stuck to the edge of the bunk. It + was not a time to mind about that. “Sir,” I said, “the ship is sinking. + Come on deck, sir; take the sail off. The mate says the ship is sinking.” + </p> + <p> + “Eh,” said the captain furiously. “You young spy. I command this ship. + What's the sail got to do with you?” He glared at me in drunken anger. + </p> + <p> + “You young whelp,” he cried, grabbing me by the collar. “Where are your + letters? Eh? Where've you hid your letters?” + </p> + <p> + At that instant, there came a more violent gust in the fierceness of wind + which drove us. The ship gave a “yank;” there is no other word to express + the frightful shock of her movement. She lay down on her lee beam ends + with a crash of breaking crockery. Casks broke loose in the hold; gear + fell from aloft; the captain was flung under me against the ship's side. + The deck beneath us sloped up like a roof. In the roar of water rushing + down the hatch I remember thinking that the Day of Judgment was come. + Yells on deck mingled with all the uproar; I heard something thud like a + sledge-hammer on the ship's side. The captain picked himself up holding + his head, which was all one gore of blood from the crack against the + ship's side. “Beam ends,” he said stupidly. “Beam ends. Yes. Yes.” He was + dazed; he did not know what he said; but some sort of sailor's instinct + told him that he was wanted on deck. At any rate he went out, pulling + himself up the steep deck with a cleverness which I had not expected. He + left me clutching the ledge of the bunk, staring up at the door away above + me, while the wreck of my belongings banged about at my feet. I thought it + was all over with the ship; but I was not scared at the prospect of death; + only a little sickish from the shock of that sudden sweeping over. I found + a fascination in the horrible open door, the black oblong hole in the air + through which the captain had passed. I waited for the sea to pour down + it. I expected to see a clear mass of water with fish in it; something + quite calm, something beautiful, not the noisy horror of the sea outside. + I suppose I waited like that for a full minute before the roar of the + squall grew less. Then I told myself that I must go on deck; that the + danger would be less, looking it in the face, than down there in the + cabin. It was not pleasant to go on deck, any more than it is pleasant to + go downstairs at two in the morning to look for burglars, but it was + better to be moving than staying still. I clenched my fist upon the only + dip which remained alight (the other was somewhere in the jumble under my + feet). Then, catching hold of the door-hook I pulled myself up to the + door, where I steadied myself for a moment. While I stood there I had a + horrible feeling of the ship having died under my feet. She had been + leaping so gallantly only five minutes before. Now she lay with her heart + broken, while the seas beat her with great thumps. + </p> + <p> + Two battle-lanterns lit the after 'tweendecks. There was a great heap of + staved in casks, slopping about in an inch or two of water, all along that + side, thrown there by the smash. I could hear the men yelling on deck. + Captain Barlow was swearing in loud shouts. I could hear all this in the + lull of the squall. I heard more than that, as I stood listening. I heard + the faint crying out of a woman's voice from the steward's pantry (next + door to the captain's cabin) on the opposite side, across the steep, + tipped up slippery decks. At first I thought it must be the poor cat; but + as the wind passed, letting me hear more clearly, I recognized that it was + a woman's voice, crying out there in the darkness with a note of pain. I + did not think of Aurelia. She never entered my head. All that I thought + was “Poor creature! What a place for a woman!” The ship was jerking, you + might almost call it gasping, as the seas struck her; it was no easy job + to climb along that roof-slope of the deck with nothing to hold on by. I + got across somehow, partly by luck, partly by fingernails. I even managed + to open the pantry door, which was another difficulty, as it opened + inwards, into the cabin. As I opened it, a suck of wind blew out my light. + There I was in the dark, with a hurt woman, in a ship which for all I + knew, might sink with all hands in twenty seconds. It is queer; I didn't + mind the ship sinking. What I disliked was being in the dark with an + unknown somebody who whimpered. + </p> + <p> + “Are you much hurt?” I asked. “Hold on a minute. I'll strike a light.” I + shut myself into the cabin, so as to keep out the draught. My feet kicked + among the steward's crockery. It was as dark in that cubby-hole as in a + grave. The unknown person, probably fearing me, thinking me some rough + drunken sailor, was crying out now more in terror than in pain. She was + begging me not to hurt her. I probably frightened her a good deal by not + replying. The tinder box took up all my attention for a good couple of + minutes. A tinder box is not a thing to get light by hurriedly. You try + some day, to see how quickly you can light a candle by one. When I got the + candle lit, I thought of the battle-lanterns swinging outside all the + time. I might have saved myself all that trouble by using a little common + sense. Well. Wait till you stand as I stood, with your heart in your + boots, down in a pit of death, you'll see how much common sense will + remain in your fine brains. + </p> + <p> + When the flame took hold of the wick, so that I could look about me, I saw + the lady Aurelia lying among the smashed up gear to leeward. She had been + lying down, reading in a sort of bunk which had been rigged up for her on + the locker-top. The shock had flung her clean out of the bunk on to the + deck. At the same moment an avalanche of gear had fetched to leeward. A + cask had rolled on to her left hand, pinning her down to the deck, while a + box of bottles had cut the back of her head. A more complete picture of + misery you could not hope to see. There was all the ill-smelling jumble of + steward's gear, tumbled in a heap of smash, soaking in the oil from the + fallen lamp. There was a good deal of blood about. Aurelia was lying in + all the debris half covered with salted fish from one of the capsized + casks. They looked like huge leaves. She seemed to have been buried under + them, like a babe in the wood. She grew calm when she saw me. “There are + candles under the bunk,” she said. “Light two or three. Tell me what has + happened.” + </p> + <p> + I did not answer till I had lighted three or four more candles. “The + ship's on her beam ends,” I said. “It's the captain's fault. But never + mind that. I must get you out. Are you badly hurt, do you think?” + </p> + <p> + “I'm all right,” she said with a gasp. “But it's being pinned in here. I + thought I was going to be pinned down while I was being drowned.” + </p> + <p> + “Shut your eyes, please,” I said. “Bite your lip. It'll hurt, I'm afraid, + getting this cask off your hand. Are you ready. Now.” I did it as gently + as I could; but it made me turn all cold to think of the hand under all + that weight. + </p> + <p> + “Can you withdraw your hand, now?” I asked, tilting the cask as far up as + I could. + </p> + <p> + “No,” she said. “Look out. I'll roll out.” In another two seconds she was + sitting up among the crockery with her face deathly white against the + bulkhead; she had fainted. There was a water-carafe on a bracket up above + my head. I splashed her face with water from it till she rallied. She came + to herself with a little hysterical laugh, at the very instant when + something giving way aloft let the ship right herself again. “Hold on a + minute,” I said. “Take this water. Now drink a little. I'll be back in a + moment.” The ship was rolling drunkenly in the trough of the sea; but I + made a nimble rush to the cabin, where the captain's cruet of brandy + bottles still swung from a hook in the beams. I ran back to her with a + bottle of brandy. There were a few unbroken mugs in the pantry, so I gave + her a drink of brandy, which brought the colour back to her cheeks. While + she sat there, in the mess of gear which slid about as the ship rolled, I + got a good big jug of water from the scuttle-butt in the 'tweendecks. I + nipped on deck with it to ask the mate for some balsam, an excellent cure + for cuts which most sailors carry to sea with them. There was mess enough + on deck in all conscience. I found the foretopmast gone over the side, in + a tangle of torn rope at which all hands were furiously hacking. The mate + was on the fo'c'sle hacking at some gear with a tomahawk. I did not see + the captain. + </p> + <p> + “Mr. mate,” I cried. “I want some balsam, quick.” + </p> + <p> + “Get out of this,” he shouted. “Get out of this. I can't attend to your + hurts. Don't come bothering here.” + </p> + <p> + “It's for the lady,” I said, “the lady down below.” + </p> + <p> + “In my chest. Look in my chest till,” he said. “Now stand dear. I've + trouble enough without ladies in the case. Are you all clear, you, aft + there?” + </p> + <p> + “All gone here, sir,” the men shouted back. “Shall we sling a bowline over + the foot?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” he shouted. “Look out. She's going.” + </p> + <p> + For just a second I saw the mass of spar all tangled up with sail rise up + on a wave as it drifted past. I found myself wondering why we had all been + in the shadow of death only a couple of minutes before. There was no + thought of danger now. I ran below for the balsam, which I found without + difficulty. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0014" id="link2HCH0014"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIV. A DRINK OF SHERBET + </h2> + <p> + I took what handkerchiefs I could find into the pantry with me. “There's + no danger,” I said. “The ship's all right. How are you now? Let me give + you some more brandy.” I gave her a little more brandy; then I helped her + on to the top of the locker. Pouring out some water into the basin I + bathed the cut on her head. It was a clean long cut which would probably + have gone through the bone had not her hair been so thick. I dressed it as + well as I could with balsam, then bound it tightly up with a white + handkerchief. The hand was a good deal more, difficult to manage; it was + nastily crushed; though no bones were broken. The wrist was so much + swollen that I had to cut open the sleeve of her man's riding jacket. Then + I bathed the hand with cold water mixed with vinegar (which I had heard + was cooling) till I felt that the time had come to bandage it, so that the + patient might lie down to rest. She had been much shaken by her fall. I + don't think it ever once occurred to me to think of her as my enemy. I + felt too much pity for her, being hurt, like that. “Look here,” I said. + “You'll have to wear that arm in a sling. I'll bandage it up for you + nicely.” She bore my surgery like the hero she was; it didn't look very + wonderful when it was done; but she said that the pain was a good deal + soothed. That was not the end though. I had to change cabins with her, + since I could not let a hurt woman sleep in that bunk in the pantry; she + might so easily be flung from it a second time. So I shifted her things + into my cabin, where I made all tidy for her. As for the precious slush + can, I stowed that carefully away, at the back of some lumber in one of + the pantry lockers, where it would not be found. Altogether, it took me + about twenty minutes to make everything ready, by which time the little + accident on deck had been forgotten, except by those who had to do the + work of sending up a new topmast; a job which kept all hands busy all + night. The ship was making a steady three knots. under her reduced sail + when I helped Aurelia across to her new room. There was no more thought of + danger. + </p> + <p> + As I paused at the cabin door, to ask if there was anything more which I + could do for her, the lady turned to me. + </p> + <p> + “What is your name?” she asked. I am ashamed to say that I hesitated, + being half inclined to give her a false name; for my time of secret + service had given me a thorough distrust of pretty nearly everybody. She + noticed my hesitation. “As a friend to another friend,” she added. “Life + isn't all the King's service.” + </p> + <p> + “My name is Martin Hyde,” I said. + </p> + <p> + “Mine is Aurelia,” she replied, “Aurelia Carew. Will you remember that?” I + told her that I should certainly remember that. “We seem to have met + before,” she said, “more than once.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I answered, smiling. She, too, smiled, but she quickly became grave + again. + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Martin Hyde,” she said, with a little catch in her voice, “we two are + in opposite camps. But I don't know. After this, it's difficult. I warn + you.” Here she stopped, quite unable to go on. “I can't,” she continued, + more to herself than to me, “I can't. They oughtn't to have put this on + me. They oughtn't. They oughtn't.” She laid her unhurt hand on my shoulder + for a moment. “Let me warn you,” she said earnestly, “that you're in + danger.” + </p> + <p> + “In danger from you?” I asked. + </p> + <p> + “Don't ask me more,” she said, “I hate myself for telling you even that. + Oh, it's terrible to have to do it. Go now. Don't ask me more. But I had + to warn you. But I can't do it myself.” I did not know what to make of + this; but I gathered that her task (whatever it was) from which she had + shrunk so bitterly in the Dutch town only the night before, was now to be + deputed to another, probably to the captain, perhaps to the Dartmouth + justices. I did not like the thought; but I thanked her for warning me, it + was generous of her to warn me. I took out the dagger with which she had + tried to stab me. “You said we were in opposite camps, Miss Carew,” I + said. “But I wouldn't like to keep this. I mean I wouldn't like to think + that we were enemies, really.” I daresay I said other foolish things as + well, at the same time. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, keep it,” she said. “I couldn't bear to have it again. But be + warned. Don't trust me. While we're in opposite camps you be warned. For + I'm your enemy, then, when you least expect it.” + </p> + <p> + Nothing much happened the next day until the evening, by which time we + were off the Isle of Wight. With the aid of the mate, I doctored Aurelia's + hand again; that was the only memorable event of the day. In the evening, + the captain (who had been moody from his drunkenness of the night before) + asked me to sing to him in the great cabin. I was surprised at the + request; but I knew a few ballads, so I sang them to him. While I was + singing, Aurelia entered the cabin; she sat down on one of the lockers + below the great window. She looked very white, in the gloom there. She did + not speak to me; but sat there restlessly, coughing in a dry hacking way, + as though one of her ribs had been broken in the fall. I lowered my voice + when I noticed this, as I was afraid that my singing might annoy her; I + thought that she was suffering from her wound. The captain told me to pipe + up; as he couldn't hear what my words were. I asked Aurelia if my singing + worried her; but instead of answering she left the cabin for a few + minutes. When she came back, she sat with her face in her hand, seemingly + in great pain. I sang all the ballads known to me. When I had finished, + the captain grunted a note of approval. “Well,” he said, “so there's your + ballads. That's your treat. Now you shall have mine.” A little gong hung + in the cabin. He banged upon it to summon his boy, who came in trembling, + as he always did, expecting to be beaten before he went out. “Bring in a + jug of cool water,” he said. “Then fetch them limes I bought.” As the boy + went out, the captain turned to me with a grin. “Did you ever drink Turk's + sherbet?” he said. + </p> + <p> + “No,” I answered. “I've never even heard of it. What is it?” + </p> + <p> + “Why,” he said, “it's a drink the heathen Turks make out of citron. A + powder which fizzes. I got some of it last autumn when I made a voyage to + Scanderoon. It's been too cold ever since to want to drink any, as it's a + summer drink mostly. Now you shall have some.” He took down some tumblers + from the rack in which they stood. “Here's glasses,” he said. “Now the + sherbet is in this bottle here.” He produced a pint glass bottle from one + of the lockers. It was stopped with a wooden plug, carved in the likeness + of a Turk's head. It was about three parts full of a whitish powder. A + label on the side of the bottle gave directions for its preparation. + </p> + <p> + When the boy returned with his tray, the captain squeezed the juice of + half a lime into each of the three tumblers. “That's the first thing,” he + said. “Lime juice. Now the water.” He poured water into each glass, till + they were nearly full. “White of egg is said to make it better,” he said + to me. “But at sea I guess we must do without that. Now then. You're the + singer, so you drink first. Be ready to drink it while it fizzes; for then + it's at its best. Are you ready?” I was quite ready, so the captain filled + his spoon with the soft white powder. Glancing round at Aurelia I saw that + she had covered her eyes with her hand. “Won't Miss Carew drink first?” I + asked. + </p> + <p> + “I don't want any,” she said in a low voice. Before I could speak another + word the captain had poured his heaped spoonful of powder into my glass. + “Stir it up, boy,” he cried. “Down with it while it fizzes.” Aurelia rose + to her feet, catching her breath sharply. + </p> + <p> + I remember a pleasant taste, as though all of the fruits of the world had + been crushed together into a syrup; then a mist surged all about me, the + cabin became darker, the captain seemed to grow vast, till his body filled + the room. My legs melted from me. I was one little wavering flame blowing + about on great waves. Something was hard upon my head. The captain's hand + (I could feel) was lifting my eyelid. I heard him say “That's got him.” + Instantly a choir of voices began to chant “That's got him,” in roaring, + tumultuous bursts of music. Then the music became, as it were, present, + but inaudible; there were waves of sound all round me, but my ears were + deafened to them. I had been put out of action by some very powerful drug, + I remember no more of that evening's entertainment. I was utterly + unconscious. + </p> + <p> + I came to, very sick, some time in the night. I was in the bunk in the + pantry; but far too helpless in my misery to rise, or to take an account + of time. I lay half-conscious till the morning, when I fell into a deep + sleep, which lasted, I may say, till the evening; for I did not feel + sufficiently awake to get up until about half-past five. When I did get + up, I felt so tottery that I could hardly keep my feet. Someone, I + supposed that it was Aurelia, had placed a metal brandy flask, with a + paper roll containing hard-boiled eggs, on my wash-hand-stand. I took a + gulp of the brandy. In the midst of my sickness I remember the shame of + it; the shame of being drugged by those two; for I knew that I had been + drugged; the shame of having given up like that, at the moment when I had + the cards in my hand; all the cards. I was locked into the pantry; all my + clothes were gone. I found myself dressed in a sailor's serge-shirt. All + my other property had vanished. I remember crying as I shook at the door + to open it; it was too strong for me, in my weak state. As I wrestled with + the door, I heard the dry rattling out of the cable. We had come to + anchor; we were in Dartmouth; perhaps in a few minutes I should be going + ashore. Looking through the port-hole, I saw a great steep hill rising up + from the water, with houses clinging to its side, like barnacles on the + side of a rock. I could see people walking on the wharf. I could see a + banner blowing out from a flagstaff. + </p> + <p> + A few more gulps of brandy brought me to myself I was safe anyhow; my + cartridges had not been found. I dropped them one by one into the + metal-flask. Whatever happened, no one would look for them there. Then I + banged at the door again, trying to make people hear. Nobody paid any + attention to me; I might have spared myself the trouble. Long afterwards, + I learned that I was detained while Captain Barlow spoke to a magistrate + about me, asking if I might be “questioned,” that is, put to the + thumbscrews, till it could be learned whether I carried a verbal message + to my uncle, Mr. Blick. The magistrate to whom he first applied was one of + the Monmouth faction as it happened, so my thumbs escaped; but I had a + narrow escape later, as you shall hear. About an hour after the ship came + to anchor, the cabin-door was opened by a sailor, who flung in an armful + of clothes to me, without speaking a word. They were mostly not my own + clothes; the boots were not mine; my own boots, I guessed, had been cut to + pieces in the letter-hunt. All the clothes which were mine had had the + seams ripped up. All my cartridges had been taken. About half of my money + was gone. The only things untouched were the weapons in the belt. I + laughed to myself to think how little reward they had had for all their + baseness. They had stooped to the methods of the lowest kind of thieves, + yet they had failed. They had not found my letters. My joy was not very + real; I was too wretched for that. Looking back at it all long after, I + think that the hardest thing to bear was Aurelia's share in the work. I + had not thought that Aurelia would join in tricking me in that way. But + while I thought bitterly of her deceit, I thought of her tears on the + balcony in the Dutch city. After all, she had been driven into it by that + big bully of a man. I forgave her when I thought of him; he was the cause + of it all. A brute he must have been to force her into such an action. + Presently the mate came down with orders to me to leave the ship at once. + I asked him for my own clothes; but he told me sharply to be thankful for + what I had, since I'd done no work to earn them; by work he meant the + brainless manual work done by people like himself. So going on deck I + called a boatman, who for twopence put me ashore on the Kingswear side of + the river. He gave me full directions for finding Mr. Blick's house, + telling me that in another five minutes I should come to it, if I followed + my nose. As I started from the landing place I looked back at the + barquentine, where I had had so many adventures. She was lying at anchor + at a little distance from the Dartmouth landing place, making a fair show, + under her flag, in spite of her jury foretopmast. As I looked, the boatman + jogged my elbow, pointing across the river to the strip of road which + edges the stream. “A young lady waving to you,” he said. Sure enough a + lady was waving to me. I supposed that it was Aurelia, asking pardon, + trying to show me that we parted friends. I would not wave at first; I was + surly; but after about a minute I waved my hat to her. Then I set off up + the road to Mr. Blick's. Ten minutes later, I was in Mr. Blick's house, + telling him all that I have now told you. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Blick kept me in his house for a day or two less than four weeks, when + business took him to Exeter. I went with him; for he gave out that he was + taking me to school there, as his dead sister had wished. His real reason + was to pass the word through the country that King Monmouth was coming. He + was one of the few men in full knowledge of the Duke's plans; but as we + went about from town to town, spreading the word among the faithful, I saw + that the Duke was expected by vast numbers of the country folk. Our + clients were not much among the gentry; they hung by themselves, as, in + this country, they always will, in times of popular stir. But among the + poorer people, such as small farmers, or common labouring men, we were + looked for as men sent from on high. At more than one little quiet + village, when we went into the inn-parlour, we saw the men looking at us, + half frightened, half expectant, as though we, being strangers, must needs + have news of the King for whom they longed. Often some publican or + maltster would tell us that Gyle (their name for the unfortunate Argyle, + then a defeated man in Scotland, if not already put to death for his + rebellion) was taken, looking at us carefully as he spoke, for fear lest + we should be of the wrong side. Then, if we seemed sympathetic, he would + tell us how perhaps another would have better luck elsewhere. After that, + we would tell our news. It was dangerous work, though, carrying that + message across the country. In many of the towns we found guards of the + Devon red regiment of militia. I am quite sure that if Mr. Blick had not + had me by his side, as an excellent excuse for travelling to Exeter, he + would have been lodged in gaol as a suspicious character. The soldiers had + arrested many travellers already; the gaols were full. King James's great + man in those parts, the Earl of Albemarle, knew very well that something + was in the air; but as he was a great lord the hearts of the poor were + hidden from him. He had no guess of what was planning. In a way, the + Duke's affairs were very well planned. The eastern end of Devon, all + Somerset, with the western end of Dorset, were all ripe to rise, directly + he appeared. They knew that he was coming; they were prepared to join him; + they knew at about what time he would come, at about a fortnight from + hay-harvest. Already, quite unknown to the authorities, we had men picked + out to carry the news of the landing to different parts of the country. So + far, I think, the Duke's affairs were well planned. But though we had all + this enthusiasm in three counties, besides promises of similar risings in + London, we were in no real case to take the field. Our adherents, however + numerous, however brave, were only a mob, when all is said; they were not + an army. The Duke thought that the regular army, or at least some + regiments of it, would desert to him, as happened some years later, when + the great Prince William did what my master attempted. But my master + forgot that he had neither the arms nor the officers to make his faction a + likely body for regular troops to join. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0015" id="link2HCH0015"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XV. THE ROAD TO LYME + </h2> + <p> + We spread the tidings as far as Exeter, where Mr. Blick made some pretence + of handing me over to a schoolmaster, one Hubble, a red-faced, cheery + clergyman, one of the most ardent rebels on our side. Indeed, the + clergymen everywhere supported us, as defenders of the Protestant faith, + which that dastard James would have destroyed. Mr. Hubble made some excuse + for not taking me in at the instant; but gave us letters of introduction + to people in towns further on, so that we could pass the militia without + difficulty, to give the news in western Dorset. So after waiting for a + little while in Exeter, gathering all the news we could of the whereabouts + of the troops of militia, we pushed on eastward, by way of Sidmouth, to + the big town of Dorchester. As we came east, we found the militia very + much more suspicious than they had been on the western side of Exeter. At + every little town we found a strong guard so placed that no one could + enter without passing under the captain's eye. We were brought before + militia captains some two or three times a day. Sometimes we were + searched; sometimes, if the captain happened to be drunk, we were bullied + with threats of the gaol. Mr. Blick in these cases always insisted on + being brought before the magistrate, to whom he would tell a fine + indignant tale, saying what a shame it was that he could not take his + orphan nephew peaceably to school, without being suspected of complicity + in a rebellion. He would then show Mr. Hubble's letters, or some other + papers signed by the Dartmouth magistrates. These always cleared our + characters, so that we were allowed to proceed; but I did not like the way + in which our descriptions were taken. Once on our journey, shortly after + we had left Sidmouth, where the soldiers had been very suspicious, we + turned out of the highway to leave word at a town called Seaton. We spread + the watchword at several villages near the sea, before we came to Seaton, + so that we were rather late in arriving. Thinking no wrong, we put up at + one of the inns in Seaton, intending to pass the night there. We were at + supper in our inn, when some yeomanry rode up to the door, to ask the + landlord if an elderly man had passed that way with a boy. The landlord, + who was a good deal scared by the soldiers, showed the captain in to us at + once. We were quite as much scared to see him as the landlord had been. + The captain of the soldiers was the very man who had given us such a + searching examination in Sidmouth that morning. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” he said to Mr. Blick, “I thought you were going to Dorchester. + What brings you here?” “Sir,” said Mr. Blick, “we've been so much + interrupted by soldiers that we hoped to travel away from the main-roads.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, sir,” said the captain, “I've had you watched. Since you left + Sidmouth, you've been into every inn upon the road, listening to a lot of + seditious talk about Argyle. That's not my point, though. You gave out to + me that you were going to Dorchester. Instead of that you slink off the + Dorchester road at the first opportunity. You will have to explain + yourself to my superiors. You're under arrest.” + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” said Mr. Blick, “I am sorry that you should think ill of me. We + will gladly come with you to answer for our conduct to the authorities. + But while the horses are being saddled, perhaps you will join us at + supper. Landlord, bring a couple of bottles more. The captain sups with + us.” + </p> + <p> + But though the captain drank his couple of bottles of port, he did not + become any gentler with us. As soon as supper was over we had to ride on + again, with the troopers all round us. + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” said Mr. Blick, “may I ask you where we are going with you?” + </p> + <p> + “Axminster,” said the captain. + </p> + <p> + “Well. That's on my way,” said Mr. Blick. + </p> + <p> + “It'll probably end your way, for some time,” said the captain. + </p> + <p> + “I'm perfectly willing to abide by the decision of the authorities,” Mr. + Blick answered calmly. “But what is the meaning of all these soldiers + everywhere? I've asked the people; but nobody seems able to give a + straight answer.” + </p> + <p> + “I think you know what the soldiers mean well enough,” answered the + captain. “If you hadn't known you wouldn't have turned out of the + highway.” + </p> + <p> + At about midnight we reached Axminster. We were taken before a couple of + officers who sat at work by candlelight over a mass of papers, in an upper + chamber of an inn. They had a wild air of having been without sleep for + some time. Their muddy riding boots were drying in front of the fire. They + had a map of the countryside before them, all stuck about with little + flags, some red, some yellow, to show where the different troops of + militia were stationed. After saluting these officers, the captain made + his report about us, saying that we were suspicious persons, who had + started from Sialmouth, towards Dorchester. He had waited to receive word + from the troops stationed along the highway of our arrival at various + points upon the road; but, failing to hear about us, he had searched for + us, with the result that he had found us at Seaton, some miles out of our + way. The officers questioned us closely about our plans, making notes of + what we said. They kept referring to a book of letters, as though to + verify what we said. Mr. Blick's answers made them take a favourable view + of us; but they told him in a friendly way that the officer had done right + to arrest us. They complimented the captain on his zeal. Meanwhile, they + said, since we were going to Dorchester, we could not object to going with + a military escort. A troop of cavalry was to start in a couple of hours; + we could go with that. + </p> + <p> + We were in Dorchester for a few days, always under the eye of the + soldiers. It was a bustling, suspicious time full of false alarms. Mr. + Blick told me that the message “King Golden Cap. After six one,” meant + that the Duke was to be expected off Golden Cap, a cliff a few miles from + Lyme Regis, any day after the first of the sixth month. He was on + tenter-hooks to be in Lyme to greet him on his arrival; but this he could + not hope to do. We were watched too carefully to be able to get away to a + place upon the sea-coast. We had to be very careful how we sent our secret + message abroad into the country. I have never known a time so full of + alarms. People would ride in to the town at night with word that Monmouth + was landed, or that there was fighting all along the coast, or that King + James was dead. The drums would beat; the cavalry would come out + clattering. People would be crying out. The loyal would come to their + doorsteps ready to fly further inland. Every night, if one lay awake, one + could hear the noise of spades in back gardens where misers were burying + their money. Then, every day, one would see the troopers coming in, + generally two at a time, with a suspected man led by a cord knotted to his + two thumbs. Dorchester gaol was full of suspected people, who were kept in + prison indefinitely, without trial, in very great discomfort. King James + was afraid, he did not really know of what, so he took measures not so + much to prevent trouble as to avenge his own fear. Mr. Blick used to send + me to the prison every morning with loaves of fresh bread for the + prisoners. + </p> + <p> + At last, after midnight, in the night of the 11th of June, a memorable day + for the West, riders came in with news which destroyed the night's rest of + the town. Monmouth had landed at Lyme the evening before, after sailing + about in sight of the town all day. That was news indeed. It made a + strange uproar in the streets. The trumpets blew from every inn-door to + summons the billeted soldiers. Officers ran about bawling for their + sergeants; the sergeants hurried about with lanterns, rousing the men from + where they slept. All the streets were full of cavalry men trying to form + in the crowd. At last, when they were formed, a trumpet sounded, making + everyone keep silence. Then in the stillness an officer shouted out an + order, which no one, save a soldier, could understand. Instantly the + kettle-drums began to pound; the swords jingled; the horses whinnied, + tossing up their heads. The soldiers trotted off smartly towards Bridport, + leaving the town strangely quiet, strangely scared, to discuss the great + news from Lyme. + </p> + <p> + I was watching the crowd at my bed-room window when the horsemen trotted + off. While I stood looking at them, Mr. Blick ran upstairs, bidding me to + come down at once, as now there was a chance to get to Lyme. “Come quick,” + he said. “The troops are gone. We must follow on their tracks. It'll be + too late later in the morning.” In less than twenty minutes we were + trotting after the soldiers at a good pace, passing some scores of men on + foot who were hurrying, as they said, to see the battle. Mr. Blick wore a + sword which clattered as he rode. The people hearing the noise thought + that he was an officer, perhaps a colonel, riding with his servant. Many + of the men asked him where the battle was to be, whether it would begin + before daylight, whether Monmouth was come with the French, all sorts of + questions, to which we answered at random. In the light summer night we + had a fair view of things. When we dismounted to lead our horses up or + down the steep hills of that road, the straggling sight-seers came all + round us as we walked, to hear what we had to tell. We could see their + faces all about us, strange in the dusk, like ghosts, not like real men. + At the top of one hill, Mr. Blick warned them to look out for themselves. + He told them that before morning the highway would be patrolled by troops + who would take them in charge as suspicious characters trying to join + Monmouth, which actually happened the next day when the militia officers + realized that war had begun. His words scared off a number of them; but + many kept on as they were going, to see the great battle, which, they + said, would begin as soon as it was light. + </p> + <p> + When the sun began to peep, we turned off the highway in order to avoid + Bridport, which we passed a little after dawn. A few miles further on we + felt that we could turn into the road again as we were safe from the + militia at that distance. Then, feeling happy at the thought of the coming + contest, which, we felt sure, would be won by our side, we pressed our + tired nags over the brook towards the steep hill which separates Charmouth + from Lyme. + </p> + <p> + It was early morning, about five o'clock, when we came to Charmouth; but + the little town was as busy as though it were noon on fair-day. The street + was crowded. People were coming in from all the countryside. A man was + haranguing the crowd from a horseless waggon drawn up at an inn. The + horses had no doubt been pressed into Monmouth's service some hours + before. I should think that there must have been three hundred people + listening to the orator. Men, already half drunk, with green boughs in + their hats, were marching about the town in uneven companies, armed with + clubs torn from the hedges. Weeping women followed them, trying to + persuade their sons or husbands to come home. Other men were bringing out + horses from private stables. People were singing. One man, leaning out of + a window, kept on firing his pistol as fast as he could load. Waving men + cheered from the hill above. The men in the town cheered back. There was a + great deal of noisy joking everywhere. They cheered us as we rode through + them, telling us that Monmouth had arms for all. One poor woman begged Mr. + Blick to tell her man to come home, as without him the children would all + starve. The crowd groaned at her; but Mr. Blick stopped them, calling the + husband, who was in a sad state of drunken vainglory, to leave the ranks + in which he tried to march. “We don't want fathers of families,” he cried. + “We want these tight young bachelors. They're the boys.” Indeed, the tight + young bachelors felt that this was the case, so the woman got her man + again; lucky she was to get him. As far as I could judge, the crowd + imagined us to be great officers; at any rate our coming drew away the + listeners from the waggon. They came flocking to our heels as though we + were the Duke himself. A drummer beat up a quickstep; the crowd surged + forward. We marched across the fields to Lyme, five hundred strong. One of + the men, plucking a sprig of hawthorn from the hedge, asked me to wear it + in my hat as the Duke's badge, which I did. He called me “Captain.” + “Captain,” he said. “We had a brush with them already, this morning, along + the road here. Two on 'em were killed. They didn't stay for no more.” So + fighting had begun then, the civil war had taken its first fruits of life. + There could be no more shillyshallying; we had put our hands to a big + business. In spite of the noise of the march, my spirits were rather + dashed by the thought of those two men, lying dead somewhere on the road + behind us, killed by their own countrymen. + </p> + <p> + We are said to be a sober people; but none of those who saw Lyme that + morning would have had much opinion of our sobriety. Charmouth had been + disorderly; Lyme was uproarious. Outside the town, in one of the fields + above the church, we were stopped by a guard of men who all wore white + scarves on their arms, as well as green sprays in their hats. They stopped + us, apparently, because their captain wished to exercise them in military + customs. They were evidently raw to the use of arms. They handled their + muskets like spades. “Be you for Monmouth, masters?” they asked us, + grinning. When we said that we were, this very unmilitary guard told us to + pass on. “Her've got arms for all,” they said. “The word be 'Fear nothing + but God.'” Some of them joked with friends among our party. They waved + their muskets to us. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0016" id="link2HCH0016"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVI. THE LANDING + </h2> + <p> + Inside the town, there was great confusion. Riotous men were foraging, + that is, plundering from private houses, pretending that they did so at + the Duke's orders. The streets were full of people, nearly all of them + men, the green boughs in their hats. On the beach two long lines of men + with green scarves on their arms were being drilled by an officer. Horses + were picketed in a long line up the main street; they were mostly very + poor cart-stock, ill-provided, as I learned afterwards, with harness. Men + were bringing hay to them from whatever haystack was nearest. From time to + time, there came a loud booming of guns, above the ringing of the church + bells. Three ships in the bay, one of them La Reina, were firing salutes + as they hoisted their colours. It was all like a very noisy fair or + coronation day. It had little appearance of an armed invasion. We found + the Duke busy with Mr. Jermyn enlisting men in a field above the town. + </p> + <p> + “That's not Mr. Jermyn. That's Lord Grey,” Mr. Blick said, on hearing me + exclaim. “Mr. Jermyn's only the name he goes by. He's my Lord now, you + must remember.” + </p> + <p> + Just then the Duke caught sight of us riding up. He took us for local + gentry, coming in to volunteer. He came smiling to welcome us. It must + have been a shrewd disappointment to him to find that we were not what he + thought. All his hopes were in the gentry, poor man. By the time we were + on our feet with our hats off he had turned his back upon us as though to + speak to Lord Grey, but really, I believe, to hide his chagrin. When he + turned to us again both of them welcomed us, saying that there was work + enough for all, in enlisting men, making out billets, etc. So without more + ado we gave our horses to the ostlers at an inn. Mr. Blick at once began + to blarney the standers-by into joining, while I, sitting at a little + table, in the open air, wrote out copies of a letter addressed to the + local gentry. My copies were carried from Lyme by messengers that + afternoon but, alas for my master, they did not bring many gentry to us. + </p> + <p> + Now while I was writing at the table, under the great flapping standard, + with the Duke, in his purple coat, walking about in front of me, I had a + pretty full view of the crowd which ringed us in. We were circled about by + a crowd of gaping admirers; from whom, every minute, Mr. Blick, or the + Duke, or Lord Grey, would select a sheepish grinning man to serve under + our colours. Among the crowd I noticed a little old lame man with a long + white beard. He was a puppet-man, who was making the people laugh by + dancing his puppets almost under the Duke's nose. As he jerked the + puppet-strings, he played continually on his pan-pipes the ribald tune of + “Hey, boys, up go we,” then very popular. The Duke spoke to him once; but + he did not answer, only bowed very low, with his hat off, which made the + people think him an idiot or a jester. They laughed heartily at him. After + a bit, it occurred to me that this old puppet-shaker always crept into the + ring (with his hat off to receive alms) whenever the Duke spoke aside to + Lord Grey, or to some other officer. I watched him narrowly to make sure, + because something in his manner made me suspect that he was trying to + catch what our leaders said to each other. I tried to recall where I had + seen the old man; for I had seen him before. He had been at Exeter on the + day we set out for Sidmouth, so much I remembered clearly; but looking at + him carefully, with my head full of memories of faces, it seemed to me + that he had been at Dorchester also. Surely an old man, lame in the left + leg like this man, had gone down a narrow lane in front of me in + Dorchester. I had not thought of it in Dorchester; but I thought of it + now, with a feeling that it was strange to meet again thus in Lyme. I took + good stock of the man, wondering if he were a spy. He was a dirty old man + enough. His dirty fingers poked through ragged mittens. His cheeks were + all swathed up in a woollen comforter. I made the mistake of looking at + him so hard that I made him look at me. Seeing that I was staring at him, + with a face full of suspicion, he walked boldly up to me, holding out his + hat for my charity. We stared at each other, while he blew a blast on his + pan-pipes, at which everybody laughed. + </p> + <p> + “Come, come, boy,” said Lord Grey to me, “we want those letters done. + Never mind about the puppets. Here, old man” (giving him a penny), “you + take yourself off now. Or are you going to enlist?” + </p> + <p> + The people laughed again at this, while the old man, after a flourish of + his hat to me, piped up lively quickstep, called “Jockeys to the Fair.” + </p> + <p> + He disappeared after this. I did not see him again until our troubles + began, later in the morning. I was finishing off the last of my letters, + when some of our scouts rode in to make a grave report to the Duke. They + had ridden in pretty hard, their horses were lathered all over. They + themselves were in an internal lather; for they had just had their first + sight of war. They had come into touch (so they declared) with the whole + of Albemarle's militia, marching out to attack them. On being questioned, + it turned out that they had heard this from an excited labourer who had + run to them with the news, as they stood guard in a roadside field a few + miles out of Lyme. They themselves had seen nothing, but the news seemed + so probable that the Duke acted on it. He sent me off at once with a + message to a clever, handsome gentleman who was in charge of the cavalry + in the street. It was in giving the message that I saw the old man again. + He was them limping up the street on the Sidmouth road, going fast, in + spite of his lameness. I gave my message to the captain, who commanded his + trumpeter to call to arms. The trumpeter blew nobly; but the sight of the + confusion afterwards showed me how little raw troops can be trusted. There + was a hasty scramble for horses rather than a setting forth. Some men + quarreled over weapons; others wrestled with harness; others ran about + wildly, asking what was happening, was it to be a battle, what did blowing + on the trumpet mean? Some few, thinking the worst, got wisdom in those few + moments. They took horses from the ranks, but instead of forming up with + the regiments, they galloped off home, having had enough of soldiering at + the first order. The foot behaved rather better, knowing, perhaps, that if + they fought they would be behind hedges, in some sort of shelter. Even so, + they seemed a raw lot of clumsy bumpkins as they marched up. Many of them + were in ploughmen's smock-frocks; hardly any of them had any sense of + handling their guns. They had drums with them, which beat up a quickstep, + giving each man of them a high sense of his importance, especially if he + had been drinking. People in the roadway cheered them, until they heard + that there was to be a battle. Those who were coming in to join us found + it a reason for hesitation. + </p> + <p> + After a lot of confusion, the army drew out of Lyme along the Sidmouth + road, followed by a host of sightseers. Some of the best mounted rode on + ahead at a trot, under the handsome man, Mr. Fletcher, who was their + captain. I followed on with the foot-soldiers, who marched extremely + slowly. They halted at their own discretion; nor did they seem to + understand that orders given were to be obeyed. What they liked, poor + fellows, was to see the women admiring them. The march up the hill out of + Lyme was a long exhibition of vanity, the women waving their + handkerchiefs, the men putting on all sorts of airs, jetting like + gamecocks. When we got up to the top of the hill, I saw the old lame + puppet-man, sitting on the edge of the wild, unenclosed, gorse-covered + common-land which stretches away towards the town of Axminster. He was + watching us with deep interest. Our men were spreading out into line upon + this common. The horse was ranging on, bobbing about, far ahead. The foot + were looking about eagerly as they got out of the ranks in which they had + marched; but they could see no trace of any enemy. I caught sight of the + Duke four hundred yards away, a little figure sitting alone on his horse, + in front of half a dozen others. They were all scanning the country, all + the way round. Presently I called out that I saw the enemy. Half a dozen + cavalry were riding up a combe far off. But they were our own men, not the + militia. They were some of our scouts riding off as “feelers” to spy out + Albemarle's position. All the time that we were up there on the hill, the + little old man portered about among the men, now listening to what they + had to say, now asking the soldiers to look at his pretty puppets. When + the returning scouts brought word that no troops were near us, so that we + were free to march back again, he was still there, packing up his puppets + in tarred canvas, as though about to march off to the next market-town. We + marched past him, as he sat in the heather. I passed quite close to him, + staring at him hard, for to tell the truth he was on my mind. I was + suspicious of him. He took off his hat to me, with a smile; but he did not + speak. Then my troops swung round, down the hill, leaving him alone there, + watching the men pass. + </p> + <p> + Other things put him out of my mind during the afternoon. I was kept busy + writing orders to scouts; for we were sending out scouts in every + direction, partly to protect us from surprise, partly to direct new + recruits to our headquarters. Mr. Blick, who knew the ground dictated the + letters, helped by Mr. Fletcher, who studied a big map with great + attention; I was writing all that afternoon. Lyme grew noisier during the + day, as the recruits became more drunk. Many steady men turned away from + us when they saw our disorder. I myself had been brought up to abhor + drunkenness. I found the state of drunken uproar very terrible. I feared + that such an army would never achieve any great deed. I thought that such + sin would be punished. Our soldiers were not behaving like knights sworn + to a good cause; but like boors at a fair. That day we lost our only good + officer, Mr. Fletcher. + </p> + <p> + I have spoken of this gentleman. He was in command of the horse under Lord + Grey. He was a much better soldier than my Lord; a better officer, too; a + better man. Now in the day's confusion, with everything topsy turvy, the + Duke's messenger, “Old Dare,” rode into Lyme from Taunton, where he had + galloped the day before to spread the news of our arrival. This Dare was a + quick-tempered, not very clever, popular man with a great deal of + influence in the countryside. On his way back to us from Taunton, someone + lent, or gave, him a very fine horse. It may have been meant as a gift to + the Duke; I do not know. Anyhow Old Dare rode in on this horse with + letters from Taunton, which he handed to Mr. Fletcher to give to the Duke. + Fletcher, our cavalry commander, had as yet no horse; so seeing the + splendid charger on which Old Dare rode, he ordered Old Dare to give it up + to him. He was the real commander of the army, with a military right, if + no real right, to take what horse he liked from any subordinate officer. + But Old Dare, like so many of our men, had no knowledge of what soldier's + discipline meant. He saw, in Fletcher, a gentleman with whom he had lived + as an equal for the last fortnight. He was not going to give up his horse + like that; not he. Fletcher (speaking sharply) told him to obey without + further words, at which Dare in a sudden flush of temper struck him with + his riding switch. Fletcher was not a patient man. He could not let an act + of gross mutiny pass unpunished, nor would he suffer an insult. He shot + Dare dead upon the spot, in full view of some hundreds of us. It was all + done in an instant. There was Dare lying dead, never to stir again. There + was Fletcher, our only soldier, with a smoking pistol in his hand, + thinking that he had taught the army a lesson in obedience. There was the + army all about him, flocking round in a swarm, not looking at it as a + military punishment but as a savage murder, for which he deserved to be + hanged. Then the Duke hastened up to make things quiet, before the army + avenged their friend. He drew Fletcher aside, though the people murmured + at him for speaking to a murderer. He was unnerved by Fletcher's act. He + had no great vitality. Sudden crises such as this unnerved him, by using + up his forces. A crisis of this kind (a small thing in a great rebellion) + was often enough to keep his brain from considering other, more important, + more burning questions concerning the entire army. The end of this + business was as unhappy as its beginning. Fletcher, our only soldier, was + sent aboard the frigate in which the Duke had sailed from Holland. When + the tide served, she set sail with him for Corunna in Spain. With him she + carried all our hopes of success, together with a quantity of stores which + would have been of use later in the expedition. As I left the Cobb, or + pier, which makes Lyme harbour, I saw the little lame puppet-man turning + away from the beach with a company of men who wore our green boughs. For a + few steps I hurried towards him, so that I might overhear what he was + saying; I made so sure that he was a spy. Mr. Blick, to whom I told my + fears, bade me not to worry myself. “Why, boy,” he said, “there are five + hundred spies in Lyme; but they can't hurt us. Before they can get off to + tell our enemies all about us there won't be any enemies left. We shall be + marching at once. We shall drive everything before us.” He spoke with such + confidence that I believed him; yet the old man troubled me, for all that. + When you see a face continually, at a time when you are excited, you + connect the face with your excitement; it troubles your nerves. + </p> + <p> + The day wore by with all the unreality of a day of confusion. I was kept + at work until the light was gone; then served at the Duke's table while he + supped, then snatched a hurried supper while he talked with his officers. + After supper, I had to go from billet to billet, looking for people whom + the officers wished to see. Something very important was in the air. The + discussion in the inn's great room was the first serious council of the + war. About eleven o'clock, Lord Grey came out of the room, telling me to + follow him. We went out into the street, where presently our men began to + fall in, four or five abreast, about a hundred ranks of them. A few + cavalry came, too, but not enough, I heard Lord Grey say, not enough to do + any good with. In spite of all the efforts of those who loved us (by + efforts I mean the robbing of farm-stables) we were very short of horses. + Those which we had were not good; they were cart, not saddle-horses, + unused to the noise of guns. Still, such as they were, they formed up in + the street ahead of the foot. The force took a long time to form; for the + men kept saying that they had forgotten something, their powder-horn, + their cartridges, their guns, even. Then they had to run back to their + billets to fetch whatever it was, while those who remained behind, puzzled + at the movement so late at night, when they wished to sleep, began to get + nervous. They began to ask where it was that we were going, was it to + Axminster, or to Bridport. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0017" id="link2HCH0017"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVII. A VOICE AT DAWN + </h2> + <p> + Word was passed about that we were going to surprise the militia at + Bridport at dawn. We were told to keep quiet on the march, after passing + Charmouth, as the night was so still that we should be heard far off. We + did not know how near the Bridport outposts might come to us under cover + of the night. “You come with us, Martin,” said Lord Grey: “Take a horse. + If we win Bridport you'll have to gallop back with the news.” I was made a + little nervous by the thought of going into battle so soon; but gulping + down my fears I mounted a marsh-mare which stood near the inn door. I + hoped sincerely that no militia bullet would find any part of either of + us. Then the drums began to play us out of the town with their morning + roll. A fife whined out, going down to our marrows with its shrillness. + Lights showed at the windows. We saw dark heads framed in yellow patches. + People called to us. In the door of the great inn stood Monmouth; his face + seemed very white in the glare of the torches. He raised his hand to us as + we passed him. The last thing I noticed of the town, for I rode in the + rear with Lord Grey, were the ranks passing the lamp on the town hall. + They came up to it in waves, their cloaks showing in glimmer for an + instant. Then they passed on into the night, sliding forwards slowly with + a steady roll, like the moving of waves to the shore. + </p> + <p> + We were a long time riding; so long that the dawn was on us by the time we + were within shot of the enemy. I don't remember very much about the ride, + except that it was unreal, very unreal; for the mists came down, blotting + the world from us, so that we rode in a swirl of cold grey, amid a noise + of dropping. When we got to the top of the long hill after Chideock I was + bidden halt at a cross-roads, with a waggon full of ammunition, while the + force moved on to the attack. The hills were showing up clearly above the + mist; but the valley lay like a sea, a great grey formless level, like + some world of the ghosts. The troops passed down in it, moving pretty + briskly, lest the mist should lift before they were in position. Most of + them knew the country, so that they could well walk confidently; but their + quickness had something nervous in it, as though they were ill at ease. + Very soon they were out of sight, out of hearing, swallowed up in the fog. + </p> + <p> + I waited a long time (as it seemed) up there at the cross-roads. After a + long wait I rode a little down the hill, from sheer anxiety. I pulled up + in a bank of cloud, through which I could see dimly, in the growing light, + for about a dozen yards. I was leaning well forward, listening for the + sound of shooting, when something made me look down. Someone was standing + at my side, slipping something into my pocket. It gave me a start. I + clutched at the person. It was the old lame puppet-man who had been at + Lyme the day before. “Latter for ee,” he said in a whisper. “Read en, + unless you'm a fool.” His hand pressed lightly on my bridle hand for an + instant; then he ducked sideways swiftly into the wilderness of ferny + gorse at the side of the road, where I could not hope to follow him, even + if the mist had not hidden him. Something in the voice, something in the + lightness of the touch startled me into the knowledge. As he ducked, it + came over me that this old man was Aurelia disguised, come to spy upon us, + but bent, also, on giving me a warning, some little kind word of advice, + at the beginning of my lord's war. I ought to have recognized her before. + I had been blind. She had been under my eyes the whole day, yet I had + never once suspected, no one, of all that army, had suspected. She had + been disguised by a master-hand. She had played her part like a great + actress. It was terrible to think of the risk she was running. One man's + suspicion, in a time of war, would have been enough to give her to a + horrible death. I tried to follow her into the jungle into which she had + vanished; but my horse would not face the furze. I tried hard to see her, + but it was no use; the tangle was too thick; she had gone. I called out to + her softly; but I got no answer; only, at some little distance away, I + heard a twig snap under a passer's foot. + </p> + <p> + In a momentary clearing of the mist, I pulled out my letter. It was + written in a fine, firm hand, with signature. It was a short, purposeful + letter, which kept sharply to the point. It only contained two lines. + “Your Duke's cause is hopeless. He has no possible chance. Take the + Axminster road to safety.” That was the whole letter. It gave me a feeling + of uneasiness; but it did not tempt me to desert. I thought that if I + deserted I might very well be tortured into betraying all that I knew of + the Duke's plans, while I doubted very much whether the Duke's + body-servant would find mercy from the merciless, frightened King. What + was I to do, even if I escaped from the King's party? I was too young for + any employment worthy of my station in life. I had neither the strength + nor the skill for manual labour. Who would employ a boy of my age on a + farm or in a factory? All that I could hope would be to get away to sea, + to a life which I had already found loathsome. As to going back to my + uncle's house, I doubt if I would have gone, even had I had the certainty + of getting to it safely. When a boy has once taken to an adventurous life, + nothing but very ill health will drive him back to home-life. Yet there + was the thought of Aurelia. Somehow the thought of her was a stronger + temptation than any fear of defeat. I would have liked to have seen that + old enemy of mine again. + </p> + <p> + I was thinking over the letter, wondering what would come to the Duke's + cause, when the valley below me began to ring with firing. A heavy fire + had begun there. It thundered in a long roll, which died down, + momentarily, into single sputterings through which one could hear + shouting. About twenty minutes after the beginning of the shots, when all + the party on the hill-top were edging nearer to the battle, taking a few + steps at a time, on tenter-hooks to be engaged, we heard a great gallop of + horses' hoofs coming to us at full tilt. At first we were scared by this, + for the noise was tremendous, too great, we inexperienced soldiers + thought, to be caused by our little troop of cavalry. We thought that it + was the Bridport militia charging down on us, after destroying our + friends. The mist by this time was all blowing clear, though wisps of it + clung along the hedgerows in unreal rolling folds. The day above was + breaking in the sultry blue summer dimness. We could see, I suppose, for a + quarter of a mile, straight down the road. + </p> + <p> + We had swung round, facing towards Lyme, when the noise of the hoofs first + came to us. When the turn of the road showed us a squad of cavalry coming + to us at the charge, led by half a dozen riderless horses, we waited for + no more. We spurred up our nags in a panic, till we, too, were going full + tilt for Lyme, shouting out as we went any nonsense which came to our + heads. We were in a panic fear; I believe that the horses in some way felt + it too. We galloped back to Chideock as though we were chased by witches, + while the gun-firing at Bridport steadily grew less, till at last it + stopped altogether. At Chideock, some of the cavalry came up with us. They + were our own men, our own troop of horse, not an enemy after all. The + riderless horses were a few of the militia charges which had been seized + from a cavalry outpost to the west of the town. We had bolted from our own + crazy terror. But we were not the only fleers. Our cavalry had bolted + first, at the first volley outside the town. It is unjust to say that they + were afraid. Lord Grey was not a coward; our men had stout hearts enough; + but they had not reckoned on the horses. The first discharge of guns + scared the horses almost frantic. They swung about out of action in a + couple of seconds. Another volley made them all bolt. It was when they + were bolting that the men began to grow alarmed. Fear is a contagious + thing; it seems to pass from spirit to spirit, like a flame along a powder + train, till perhaps a whole army feels it. Our horsemen pulled up among us + in Chideock in as bad a scare as you ever saw; it was twenty minutes + before they dared walk back to find out what had happened to the foot at + Bridport, after their retreat. + </p> + <p> + Our foot came back very angry with the horse. They had fired away a lot of + powder to very little purpose, before orders reached them, bidding them + retire. They had not wished to retire; but at last they had done so + sullenly, vowing to duck Lord Grey for deserting them. We had taken about + a dozen horses without harness, instead of the two hundred equipped + chargers which we had promised ourselves. + </p> + <p> + We had killed a few of the militia, so everybody said; but in the + confusion of the powder-smoke who could say how many? They were certain + that none of our own men had been killed; but in a force so newly raised, + who could say for certain which were our own men? As a matter of fact + several of our men had been taken by the royalists, which is as much as to + say that they had been killed. Altogether the affair had been a hopeless + failure from the very beginning. The foot had learned to despise the + horse. The horses had learned to be afraid of gun-fire. The cavalrymen had + learned to despise Lord Grey. The militia had learned to despise us. The + only valuable lesson that our men had learned was that a battle was not so + terrible a thing. You knelt down, fired your gun, shouted, borrowed your + neighbour's drinking bottle, took a long swig, then fired again, with more + shouting, till somebody clapped you on the shoulder with orders to come + away. But this lesson, precious as it was did not console our men for + their beating. They were cross with the long night-march as well as with + Lord Grey's desertion. We dragged our way back to Lyme very slowly, losing + a good fifty of our number by desertion. They slipped away home, after + falling out of the ranks to rest. They had had enough of fighting for the + Duke; they were off home. The officers were strict at first, trying to + stop these desertions; but the temper of the men was so bad that at last + they gave it up, hoping that some at least would stay. That was another + evil consequence of fighting for the crown with an undisciplined mob; they + could sustain defeat as ill as they could use victory. We did not trail + into Lyme until after noon; for we marched like snails, fearing that the + militia would follow us. When we got into camp, the men flung their arms + from them, careless of the officer's orders. All that they wanted was + sleep (we had eaten a late breakfast at Charmouth), they were not going to + do any more soldier's foolery of drill, or sentry-go. As for Lord Grey, + whom everybody called a coward, the Duke could not cashier him, because he + was the best officer remaining to us. Poor Fletcher, who might have made + something of our cavalry, was by this time far away at sea. The other + officers had shown their incapacity that morning. For my own part, I chose + out a snug billet on a hearthrug in the George Inn, where I slept very + soundly for several hours. While I slept, the Duke held a melancholy + council to debate what could be done. + </p> + <p> + They say that he ought to have marched that morning to Exeter, where Lord + Albemarle's militia (all of them ripe for rebellion) would have joined + him. + </p> + <p> + Exeter or Bristol, one or the other, would have been a fine plume in his + cap, a strong, fortified town, full of arms, where he could have + established himself firmly. I do not know why he decided against marching + to Exeter. He may have had bad reports of troops being on the road waiting + for him; or he may have thought that his friends (who were plentiful on + the Bristol road) would rally to him as soon as he appeared. He was + deceived by those protesting gentry, his friends, who had welcomed him so + warmly only a few months before. He thought that all the countryside was + ready to join him. He had been deceived, as perhaps a cleverer man would + have been deceived, by the warmth of his welcome on his earlier visit. An + Englishman is always polite to a Duke when he meets him in a friendly + gathering. But when the Duke says, “Lend me all your ready money, together + with your horses, or rather give them to me, since I am the King,” his + politeness leaves him; he gets away to London to warn the police as fast + as his horse will take him. Thus it was with the Duke's friends scattered + about along the main-road from Lyme to Bristol. + </p> + <p> + I know not who persuaded the Duke to march; probably it was Grey; it may + have been Venner; it may have been a momentary mad resolution caused by a + glass of wine. They say that he was solemn about it, as though he expected + to fail. Perhaps he would have gone back to Holland if the ship had been + still in the harbour, but of course she had gone away. He would not go in + La Reina; for she was sluggish from barnacles, having been long + un-careened. The Channel at this time was full of ships looking for him; + how he escaped them when he sailed from Holland I cannot think. He + hesitated for a long time, poor man, before deciding; no man could have + acted more like a Stuart, at such a time. When the decision was made he + gave word to start early on the following morning. But this I did not know + till one A.M, when Lord Grey routed me out from my berth on the + hearth-rug, so that I might go from house to house, calling up our + officers. + </p> + <p> + I suppose that all our officers were out of bed by two o'clock, yet it + took them eight hours to get their men together, into some sort of order. + We were hardly ready for the road at ten A.M. when the drums beat up to + play us out of the town. As I was the Duke's servant, I was allowed to + ride by my master; I daresay people thought that I was the young Prince. + We marched up the hill gaily, with a multitude flocking all about us, but + there were many of that crowd who looked doubtfully at my master's sad + face, thinking that he looked over-melancholy for a conquering king. + </p> + <p> + We marched out of Lyme into a valley, through a sort of suburb called + Uplyme. After that we marched steadily up hill, a long climb of two miles, + having a great view of the countryside on our left hand. Our right was + shut from us by a wooded hill. It was a warm, sunny June day: the grass + just ripe for hay harvest; the country at its best; everything at its full + flower, so that you wondered at the world's abundance. We sent out scouts, + when we were about a mile from Lyme; but when we were at the top of the + hill we could see for ourselves, without putting scouts abroad. We could + see horsemen on the high ground away to the left, two or three hundred of + them. Besides these there were some companies of foot drawn up in good + order in the fields outside Axminster, at some distance from the town. + When this army caught sight of us, it began to file off towards the town, + as though to dispute it with us, so our advanced guard pushed on to drive + them out of it. The sight of so many men in order, was a very moving one. + To see them advance their colours, to see the light on the shifting steel, + to hear the low beating hum of the feet was stirring to the heart. Word + ran along the line that there was going to be a battle. Our foot left the + road, so as to spread out into line in the open, where they could take up + positions behind hedges. I was sent back to the rear at this instant, to + order up the ammunition waggons, so that I missed some part of the + operations; but I shall never forget how confidently our men spread out; + they marched as though they were going into the fields for partridges. The + drums began again, to hearten them, but there was no need for drums in + that company; they began to sing of their own accord, making a noise which + drowned the drums altogether. I gave my orders to the ammunition waggons, + which were blocked in a jumble of sightseers, camp-followers, etc., etc., + so that they could hardly move. The drivers got me to charge my horse + through the mob to make a path, which I did, with a good deal of pain to + myself, for the people thus thrust aside struck at me. The drivers struck + out at them in return; we had a little fight of our own, while Axminster + was being won. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0018" id="link2HCH0018"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVIII. I SPEAK WITH AURELIA + </h2> + <p> + The next thing which I remember was coming out of the mob with the waggons + just behind me, going at a smart pace to a position on the army's right. + The road was pretty full of all sorts of people; but as we shouted for + them to clear the way, they made a lane for us. I saw the Duke's little + clump of staff-officers on a pitch of rising ground, but there was no + firing; only a noise of many voices singing. Just as we were about to turn + off the road into the fields behind our right wing, I saw the little old + lame puppet-man sitting on a donkey by the ditch at the side of the road. + I shouted to the drivers to pass on, which they did, at full tilt, while I + drew rein by the old man's side. “Aurelia,” I said, “this is no place for + you. Do get away from here before they find you out.” + </p> + <p> + “Why,” she said, very calmly, in the broad burring man's voice which she + imitated so exactly. “I be come 'ere to find you out. You'm going to your + death, boy. You get out of this 'ere army afore you're took. I tell ee thy + Duke be a doomed man. Look at en's face. Why, boy, there be eleven + thousand soldiers a-marching to put er down. You've only a got a quarter + of that lot. Come out of en, boy. Do-an't ee be led wrong.” I was touched + by her kind thought for me; she was risking her life for me for the second + time, but in the hurry of the moment I could not put words together to + thank her. + </p> + <p> + “Aurelia,” I said, “I can't talk to you now. Only get out of this. Don't + stay here. I'm all right.” + </p> + <p> + “No, Martin,” she said, in her ordinary voice, “you're not all right. Come + out of this. Slip away tonight to Newenham Abbey. It be over there, not + more than a couple of miles. Oh, come, come. I can't bear to see you going + away to certain death. I KNOW that this force cannot win.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, Aurelia,” I answered. “But I'm not going to be a hang-back for all + that. I'm not going to be a coward. You risk a horrible death, only to + tell me not to do the same. You wouldn't give up a cause you believed in, + merely because it was dangerous. I'll stick by my master, Aurelia. Don't + try to tempt me.” + </p> + <p> + She would have said more; she would perhaps have persuaded me from my + heroics, had not the guns begun firing. That broke the spell with a + vengeance; nothing could be done after that. I shook up my horse, hardly + pausing to say “God bless you.” In another minute she was out of sight, + while I was cantering off to the extreme right wing with the Duke's orders + to his officers to cut in on the road to Chard. As I rode along, behind + the scattered line of our men, I could see the rolls of smoke from the + firing on the left. The men on the right were not firing, but being raw + troops they were edging little by little towards the firing, in which I do + not doubt they longed to be, for the sake of the noise. They say now that + the Duke threw away this battle at Axminster. He could have cut + Albemarle's troops to pieces had he chosen to do so. They made a pretty + bold front till we were within gunfire of them, when they all scattered + off to the town pell-mell. While they were in the town, we could have cut + them off from the Chard road, which would have penned them in while we + worked round to seize the bridges. After that, one brisk assault would + have made the whole batch of them surrender. Some of our officers galloped + from our right wing (where I was) to see how the land lay, before leading + off their men as I had brought them word. A few of them fired their + pistols, when they came to the road, which was enough to make the right + wing double forward to support them without orders. In a minute about a + thousand of us were running fast after our officers, while the Duke's + aides charged down to stop us. He had decided not to fight, probably + thinking that it would do his cause no good by killing a lot of his + subjects so early in his reign. We know now that had he made one bold + attack that morning, the whole of Albemarle's force, with the exception of + a few officers, would have declared for him. In other words we should have + added to our army about a thousand drilled armed men who knew the country + through which we were to pass. By not fighting, we discouraged our own + army, who grumbled bitterly when they found their second battle as + ineffectual as the fight at Bridport. + </p> + <p> + I remember next that I saw the whole of Albemarle's troops flying for + their lives along the Chard road, flinging away their weapons as they ran. + They had the start of us; but a resolute captain could have brought them + to a stand, by pushing forward his cavalry. However “a bridge of gold to a + flying foe” is a good saying. We let them go. When our cavalry advanced + (to keep them on the move, not to fight with them) they passed the time in + collecting what the militia had flung away; about four thousand pounds' + worth of soldiers' stores, chiefly uniforms. I went forward with the horse + on that occasion. I picked up altogether about a dozen muskets, which I + gave to some of our men who were armed only with clubs. Then I rode back + to report myself ready for service to my master, who was getting ready for + camp, thinking that his men had done enough for one day. + </p> + <p> + It was a sad waste of time. A rough camp was formed. We went no further + for that time. About half a precious day was wasted, which might have + brought us nearly to Taunton under a resolute man, sworn to conquer. Some + of our men went out to forage, which they did pretty roughly. It was theft + with violence, coloured over by some little touch of law. The farmers who + were unpopular thereabouts had their cattle driven off; their ricks carted + off; their horses stolen; their hen-roosts destroyed. We were like an army + of locusts, eating up everything as we passed. Our promises to pay, when + the King came to his own, were really additional insult; for the people + robbed knew only too well how Stuart kings kept their promises. One + strange thing I saw that night. The men who were cooking their newly + stolen beef at the camp-fires kept crying out for camp-kettles in which to + boil the joints. We had no camp-kettles; but an old man came forward to + the Duke's quarters to ask if he might show the men how to cook their meat + without kettles. The Duke at once commanded him to show us how this might + be done. Like most useful inventions, it was very simple. It was one of + those things which are forgotten as life becomes civilised, but for want + of which one may perish when one returns to barbarity, as in war. The old + man began by placing stout poles in tripods over the camp-fires, lashing + them firmly at the top with faggot-binders. Then he took the hide of one + of the slaughtered cattle, gathering it up at the corners, so as to form a + sort of bag. He cut some long narrow strips from the hide of the legs, + with which to tie the four corners together. Then he lashed the four + corners to the tripod, so that the bag hung over the fire. + </p> + <p> + “There,” he said. “There is your kettle. Now put water into en. Boil thy + victuals in er. That be a soldier's camp-kettle. You can carry your kettle + on your beef till you be ready for en.” + </p> + <p> + Indeed, it proved to be a very good kind of a kettle after one got used to + the nastiness of it, though the smell of burning hair from the kettles was + disgusting. To this day, I have only to singe a few hairs in a candle to + bring back to my mind's eye that first day in camp at Axminster, the hill, + the valley ringed in by combes, the noise of the horses, the sputtering of + the fires of green wood, the many men passing about aimlessly, wondering + at the ease of a soldier's life after the labour of spring ploughing. It + was a wonderful sight, that first camp of ours; but the men for the most + part grumbled at not fighting; they wanted to be pushing on, to seize the + city of Bristol, instead of camping there. How did they know, they said, + that the weather would keep fine? How were we to march with all our ten + baggage waggons if the weather turned wet, so that the roads became muddy? + The roads in those parts became deep quagmires in rainy weather. A light + farmer's market cart might go in up to the axles after a day's steady + rain. To march through such roads would break the men's hearts quicker + than any quantity of fighting, however disastrous. Thus they grumbled + about the camp-fires, while I bustled over the Duke's dinner, in the + intervals of running errands for the colonel. + </p> + <p> + That evening, after the summer dusk had come, but before the army had + settled to sleep, I heard an old man, one of our cavalrymen, talking to + another trooper. “Ah,” he said, “I was fighting in the old wars under + Oliver. I've seen wars enough. You mark my words, boy, this army won't do + much. We've not got enough men, for one thing. We could have had fourteen + thousand or more if he'd thought to bring muskets for en. We've not got + cavalry, that's another thing. When us do come face to face with all the + King's men us shall be sore put to it for want of a few trusty horses. + Horsemen be the very backbones of armies in the field. Then, boy, we not + got any captains, that's worst of all. The Duke's no captain. If he'd been + a captain her'd have fought this morning. Them others aren't captains + neither, none of them. Besides, what are they doing sitting down in camp + like this when we ought to be marching? Us ought to be marching. Marching + all night, never setting down once, marching in two armies, one to Exeter, + one to Bristol. Us'd 'ave the two towns by late tomorrow night if us was + under old Oliver. It'll take us a week to get to Bristol at this rate. By + that time it will be full of troops, as well as secured by ships. As for + us, by that time we shall have troops all round us, not to speak of + club-men.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” said the younger man. “What be club-men, gaffer?” + </p> + <p> + “You'll know soon enough what club-men are,” the old man answered, “if + there's any more of this drunken dirty robbery I saw this afternoon. Those + thieves who stole the farmer's cattle would have been shot in Oliver's + time. They'd have cast lots on a drum in sight of all on us, drawn up. The + men who got the low numbers would have been shot. The captains would have + pistolled them where they stood. If this robbing goes on, all the farmers + will club together to defend themselves, making a sort of second army for + us to fight against. That is what club-men means. It's not a nice thing to + fight in a country where there are club-men all round you. No, boy. So + what with all this, boy, I be going to creep out of this 'ere army. I + do-an't like the look of things, nor I do-an't like the way things are + done. If you take a old man's advice you'll come too.” + </p> + <p> + “Noa,” said the honest oaf, “I be agoin' to vight. I be a-goin' to London + town to be a girt sol-dier.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” said the old man, shortly, “you be a vule, Tummas. Wish ee good day, + maister.” Then the old man turned sharply on his heel to leave the camp, + which he did easily enough, for he knew several of the sentries. Even if + he had not known them, it would have made little difference, because our + sentries were so lax that the camp was always swarming with strangers. + Women came to see their husbands or sweethearts. Boys came out of love of + mischief. Men came out of curiosity, or out of some wish to see things + before they decided which side to take. Our captains were never sure at + night how many of their men would turn up at muster the next morning. + </p> + <p> + After the old man had deserted, I sat down on the high ground above the + camp, in the earthen battery where our four little guns were mounted. I + was oppressed with a sad feeling that we were all marching to death. The + old man's words, “we shall have troops all round us,” rang in my head, + till I could have cried. My mind was full of terrible imaginings. I saw + our army penned up in a little narrow valley where the roads were + quagmires, so that our guns were stuck in the mud, our horses up to their + knees, our men floundering. On the hills all round us I saw the King's + armies, fifty thousand strong, marching to music under the colours, + firing, then wheeling, forming with a glint of pikes, bringing up guns at + a gallop, shooting us down, while we in the mud tried to form. I knew that + the end of it all would be a little clump of men round the Duke, gathered + together on a hillock, holding out to the last. The men would be dropping + as the shot struck them. The wounded would waver, letting their + pike-points drop. Then' there would come a whirling of cavalry, horses' + eyes in the smoke, bright iron horse-shoes gleaming, swords crashing down + on us, an eddy of battle which would end in a hush as the last of us died. + I saw all these pictures in my brain, as clearly as one sees in a dream. + You must not wonder that I looked over the misty fields towards Newenham + Abbey with a sort of longing to be there, well out of all the war. It was + only a mile from me. I could slip away so easily. I was not bound to stay + where I was, to share in the misery caused by my leader's want of skill. + Then I remembered how my father had believed in the right of the Duke's + cause. He would have counselled me to stay, I thought. It seemed to me, in + the dusk of the night, that my father was by me, urging me to stay. The + thought was very blessed; it cleared away all my troubles as though they + had not been. I decided to look no more towards Newenham; but to go on by + the Duke's side to whatever fortune the wars might bring us. Somehow, the + feeling that my father was by me, made me sure that we were marching to + victory. I went to my quarters comforted, sure of sleeping contentedly. + </p> + <p> + Like the rest of us, I had to sleep in the open, without any more shelter + than a horse-cloth. Even the Duke was without a tent that night. He slept + in camp with us, to set an example to his men, though he might well have + gone to some house in the town. I liked the notion of sleeping out in the + open. In fine warm summer weather, when the dew is not too heavy, it is + pleasant, until a little before the dawn, when one feels uneasy, for some + reason, as though an enemy were coming. Perhaps our savage ancestors, the + earliest ancient Britons, who lived in hill-camps, high up, with their + cattle round them, expected the attacks of their enemies always at a + little before the dawn; so that, in time, the entire race learned to be + wakeful then, lest the enemy should catch the slumberers, with flint-axe + heads in the skull. It may be that to this day we feel the fear felt by so + many generations of our ancestors. On this first night in camp, I found + that many of the men were sleeping uneasily, for they did not know the + secret of sleeping in the open. They did not know that to sleep + comfortably in the open one must dig a little hole in the ground, about as + big as a porridge bowl, to receive one's hipbone. If you do this, you + sleep at ease, feeling nothing of the hardness of the bed. If you fail to + do it, you wake all bruised, after a wretched night's tumbling; you ache + all the next day. + </p> + <p> + After grubbing up a hollow with my knife, I swathed myself in my blanket + with a saddle for pillow. I watched the stars for a while, as they drifted + slowly over me. The horses stamped, shaking their picket-ropes. The + sentries walked their rounds, or came to the camp-fires to call their + reliefs. The night was full of strange noises. The presence of so many + sleeping men was strange. It was very beautiful, very solemn. It gave one + a kind of awe to think that thus so many famous armies had slept before + the battles of the world, before Pharsalia, before Chalons, before + Hastings. Presently the murmuring became so slight that I fell asleep, + forgetting everything, only turning uneasily from time to time, to keep + the cool night wind from blowing on my cheeks so as to wake me. + </p> + <p> + It must have been two in the morning when I was wakened by some armed men, + evidently our sentries, who rolled me over without ceremony. + </p> + <p> + “Wake up, young master,” they said, grinning. “You'm wanted. You be to get + up to go a errand. You be a soldier now. You does your sleeping in + peace-times when you be a soldier,” I sat up blinking my eyes, in the + early light, thinking how nice t'other forty winks would be. + </p> + <p> + “Heigho,” I yawned. “All right. I'm awake. What is it? What's the matter?” + </p> + <p> + “Lord Grey be a wanting you, young master,” said one of the men. “Down + there, where them horses be in the road.” I picked myself up at that, + wishing for a basin of water into which I might shove my head. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, yes,” I said. “Thank you. I'll go down.” I left my blanket where it + was, as I expected to be back in a few minutes. I walked down hill out of + the camp to the road where the horses stood; there were four horses, two + of them mounted. The mounted men were regular country bumpkins, with green + sprays in their hats, like the rest of our men; but their horses were + pretty good, much better than most of those we had. One of them was a + stocky old cob, which was no doubt to be mine. The other was a beast with + handsome harness for Lord Grey. “Alas,” I thought. “No more sleep for me. + I've got to ride. I wonder where we are going.” The men touched their hats + to me; for as I was in the Duke's retinue I was much respected. Some of + them no doubt thought I was a princeling or little lord. + </p> + <p> + “Where are we going?” I asked the troopers. + </p> + <p> + “Going scouting out towards Colyton yonder, sir,” said one of them. “Us be + to pick up his Lordship in the town.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0019" id="link2HCH0019"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIX. I MEET THE CLUB MEN + </h2> + <p> + I wondered when I was to get breakfast; but I knew Lord Grey well enough + to know that he was not a man to go willingly without food for more than a + few hours at a time. Breakfast I should have presently, nor would it be + skin-boiled beef, smelling of singed hair. So I mounted my cob with a good + will. The first trooper rode by my side, the other waited for a moment to + examine the feet of Lord Grey's charger. He trotted after us, leading the + riderless horse, some fifty yards behind us. We trotted smartly through + Axminster, where we set the dogs barking. People sprang from their beds + when they heard us, fearing that we were an army coming to fight. We + cantered out of the town over the river, heading towards a hilly country, + which had few houses upon it. I looked back after leaving Axminster, to + see if Lord Grey wanted me. He had mounted his horse somewhere in the + town; but he was now a couple of hundred yards behind us, riding' with a + third man, whom I judged to be Colonel Foukes, by his broad white + regimental scarf. After we had gone a few miles, we came to a cross-roads + where my guide bade me halt to wait for orders. The others had pulled up, + too. I could see Lord Grey examining a map, while his horse sidled about + across the road. The trooper who had been riding with him, joined us after + a while, telling us to take the road to our right, which would take us, he + said, towards Taunton. We were to keep our eyes skinned, he said, for any + sign of armed men coming on the high-road from Honiton, so as to threaten + our left flank. The gentlemen were going to scout towards the sea. At + eight o'clock, if we had seen no trace of any armed force coming, we were + to make for Chard, where we should find the Duke's army. We were to + examine the roads for any signs of troops having passed recently towards + Taunton. We were to enquire of the country people, if troops were abroad + in that countryside, what troops they might be, how led, how equipped, + etc. If we came across any men anxious to join the Duke we were to send + them on to Chard or Ilminster, on the easterly road to Taunton. We were to + ride without our green boughs, he said; so before starting on our road we + flung them into the ditches. Lord Grey waved his hand to us, as he turned + away with his friend. We took off our hats in reply, hardly in a soldierly + salute; then we set off at a walk along the Taunton road. It is a lonely + road leading up to the hills, a straight Roman road, better than any roads + laid in England at that time; but a road which strikes horror into one, + the country through which it runs is so bleak. + </p> + <p> + By about six o'clock (according to one of the troopers, who judged by the + height of the sun) we were in a clump of firs high up on a hill, looking + over a vast piece of eastern Devon. We had scouted pretty closely all + round Honiton, examining the country people, without hearing of any + troops. We were now looking out for some gleam upon a road, some rising of + dust over a hedge, some scattering of birds even, any sign of men + advancing, which might be examined more closely. The morning was bright; + but the valleys had mist upon them, which would soon turn to the quivering + blue June heat-haze. The land lay below us, spread out in huge folds; the + fields, all different colours, looked like the counties on a map; we could + see the sea, we could see the gleam of a little river. We could see + Axminster far to the east of us; but the marching army was out of sight, + somewhere on the Chard high-road. After scanning pretty well all around + us, I caught sight of moving figures on the top of one of the combes to + south of us. We all looked hard at the place, trying to make out more of + them. They were nearly a mile from us. They seemed to be standing there as + sentries. At first we thought that they must be people with Lord Grey; but + as we could see no horses we decided that they could not be. One of the + men said that as far as he'd heard tell like, the combe on which they + stood was what they call a camp, where soldiers lived in the old time. He + didn't know much more about it; but he said that he thought we ought to + examine it, like, before riding on to some inn where we could breakfast. + </p> + <p> + The other man seemed to think so, too; but when we came to talk over the + best way of doing our espials, we were puzzled. We should be seen at once + if we went to them directly. We might be suspected if we approached them + on horseback. If the men went, they might be detained, because, for all + that we knew, the combe might be full of militia. So I said I had better + go, since no one would suspect a boy. To this the men raised a good many + objections, looking at each other suspiciously, plainly asking questions + with their raised eyebrows. I thought at the time that they were afraid of + sending me into a possible danger, because I was a servant attached to the + Duke's person. However, when I said that I would go on foot, taking all + precautions, they agreed grudgingly to let me go. + </p> + <p> + I crept along towards this combe on foot, as though I were going bird's + nesting. I beat along by the hedges, keeping out of sight behind them, + till I was actually on the combe's north slope, climbing up to the old + earthwork on the top. I took care to climb the slope at a place where + there was no sentry, which was, of course, not only the steepest bit of + the hill but covered with gorse clumps, through which I could scarcely + thrust my way. Up towards the top the gorse was less plentiful; there were + immense foxgloves, ferns, little marshy tufts where rushes grew, little + spots of wet bright green moss. Yellow-hammers drawled their pretty + tripping notes to me, not starting away, even when I passed close to them. + All the beauty of June was on the earth that day; the beauty of everything + in that intense blue haze was wonderful. + </p> + <p> + The top of the combe was very steep, steeper than any of the ascent, + because it had been built up like an outer wall by the savages who once + lived there with their cattle. I could see just the bare steep wall of the + rampart standing up in a dull green line of short-grassed turf against the + sky, now burning with the intense blue of summer. One hard quick scramble, + with my fingernails dug into the ground, brought my head to the top of the + rampart, beyond which I could see nothing but great ferns, a forest of + great ferns, already four or five feet high, stretching away below, into + the cup of the camp or citadel. I did not dare to stand up, lest I should + be seen. I burrowed my way among the ferns over the wall into the hollow, + worming my way towards the edge of the fern clump so that I could see. In + a minute, I was gazing through the fern-stems into the camp itself; it was + a curious sight. + </p> + <p> + About fifty people (some of them women) were sitting about a hollow in the + ground, which I guessed to be a sort of smokeless fireplace or earth-oven. + Everywhere else, all over the hollow of the camp, which must have been a + full three hundred yards across, were various kinds of farm-stock, mostly + cattle, though there were many picketed horses, too. At first I thought + that I had climbed into a camp of gipsies, which gave me a scare; for + gipsies then were a wild lot, whom wise folk avoided. Then, as I glanced + about, I saw a sentry standing not thirty yards from me, but well above + me, on the rampart top. He was no gipsy he was an ordinary farmer's lad, + with the walk of a ploughman. His sleeves, which were rolled back, showed + me a sun-burnt pair of arms, such as no gipsy ever had. What puzzled me + about him was his heavy double-barrelled pistol, which he carried in his + right hand, with something of a military cock, yet as though awed by it. + He was not over sure of that same pistol. I could see that he confounded + it in some way with art-magic. + </p> + <p> + Then I remembered what the old soldier had said the night before about + club men. This camp must be a camp of club men, I thought. They had come + there to protect their stock from the rapine of our vile pillagers, who + had spread such terror amongst the farmers the day before. Perched up on + the combe, with sentries always on the look-out, they could see the Duke's + raiders long before they came within gunshot. If an armed force had tried + to rush the camp, after learning that the beasts were shut up within it + (which, by the way, no man could possibly suspect until he saw them from + the rampart top), the few defenders clubbed together there could have kept + them out without difficulty; for there was only one narrow entrance to the + camp, so constructed that any one entering by it could be shot at from + three sides, if not from all four. I looked about me carefully from my + hiding-place, till I decided that I could get a better view from another + part of the fern clump. I began to wriggle through the thick, + sweet-scented stalks, towards the heart of the camp, going with infinite + care, so as not to break down the fern into a path. I hoped to make no + more stir among the fern-tops than would be made by one of the many pigs + scattering about in the enclosure. + </p> + <p> + While I was crawling along in this way, I suddenly heard a curious noise + from an intensely thick part of the fern in front of me. It was a clinking + noise, followed by a sort of dry rasping, as though a very big person were + gritting his teeth very hard. It stopped suddenly, but soon began again. I + thought that it must be some one mending harness with a file, or perhaps + some old sheep or cow, with the remnants of a bell about her neck, licking + a stone for salt. As was in an adventure, I thought that I would see it + out to the end; for I was enjoying my morning. In spite of the want of + breakfast I felt very like a red Indian or a pirate, creeping through the + jungle to the sack of a treasure train. So I wormed on towards the noise. + As I came near to it, I went more cautiously, because in one of the pauses + of the noise, I heard a muttered curse, which told me that the unseen + noise-maker was a man. If I had been wise I should have stopped there; for + I had learned all that I came out to learn. But I was excited now. I + wished to see everything, before creeping away unseen to make my report. + Perhaps I wished to see something which had nothing to do with the club + men, a private main of cocks, say, or a dog, or bull-baiting, carried on + with some of the squire's creatures, but without his knowledge. I had a + half wish that I might have something of the kind to report; because in my + heart I longed to say nothing to any of the Duke's party which might lead + to the ruin of these poor people who were trying so hard to protect their + property. + </p> + <p> + A few feet further on, I was wishing most heartily that I had never left + my room in London. It was like this. In the very heart of the fern clump, + where the ferns were tallest, a little spring bubbled out of the ground, + at the rate, I suppose, of a pint of water in a minute. The ferns grew + immensely thick there; but someone had thinned out a few of the roots from + the ground, leaving the uprooted plant with the ferns still living, to + form a rough kind of thatch above a piece of earth big enough for a man's + body. In the scented shade of this thatch, with the side of his face + turned towards me, a big, rough, bearded man sat, filing away some bright + steel irons which were riveted on his ankles. He swore continually in a + low whisper as he worked, not even pausing in his curses when he spat on + to the hollow scraped in the irons by his file. He was the fiercest + looking savage of a man I have ever seen. His face had a look of stern, + gloomy cruelty which I shall never forget. His general appearance was + terrible; for he had a face burnt almost black by the sun (some of it may + have been mud) with a nasty white scar running irregularly all down his + left cheek, along the throat to the shoulder. He was not what you might + call naked, a naked man, such as I have seen since in the hot countries, + would have looked a nobleman beside him. He wore a pair of dirty linen + knickerbockers, all frayed into ribbons at the knees, a pair of strong + hide slippers bound to his ankles by strips of leather, a part of a filthy + red shirt without sleeves, a hat stolen from a scarecrow, nothing else + whatever, except the mud of many days' gathering. His shirt was torn all + down the back in a great slit which he had tried to secure by what the + sailors call “Bristol buttons,” i.e. pieces of string. The red flannel + hung from him so as to show his back, all criss-crossed with flogging + scars. I knew at once from the irons that he was a criminal escaped from + gaol; but the criss-crossed scars taught me that he was a criminal of the + most terrible kind, probably one who had shipped into the Navy to avoid + hanging. + </p> + <p> + I took in a view of him before he saw me. His image was stamped on my + brain in less than ten seconds. In the eleventh second, I was lying on my + back in the gloom of the fern-growth, with this great ruffian on my chest, + squeezing me by my windpipe. I cannot say that he spoke to me. It was not + speech. It was the snarling wild beast gurgle which passes for speech in + the slums of our great cities, as though all the filth of a low nature + were choking in the throat at once. He was on me too quickly for me to cry + out. I could only lie still, cackling for breath, while the fierce face + glowered down on me. I understood him to say that he would have my + windpipe out if I said a word. I suppose he saw that I was only a very + frightened boy; for his clutch upon me relaxed, after a few awful, gasping + moments. When he loosed his hold, his great hand pawed over my throat till + he had me by the scruff of the neck. He drew me over towards the spring, + as one would draw a puppy. Then, still crouching in the fern, he hurried + me to a single stunted sloe-bush which grew there. “Go down, you,” he + said, giving me a shove towards the bush. “Down th' 'ole.” + </p> + <p> + Just behind the sloe-bush, under a fringe of immense ferns, was an opening + in the earth, about eighteen inches high, by two feet across. It was like + a large rabbit or fox earth, except that the mouth of it was not worn + bare. I did not like the thought of going down th' 'ole; but with this + great griping fist on my nape there was not much sense in saying so. I + wormed my way in, helped on by prods from the file. It was a melancholy + moment when my head passed beyond the last filtering of light into the + tomb's blackness, where not even insects lived. After a moment of + scrambling I found that the passage was big enough for me to go on all + fours. It was a dry passage, too, which seemed strange to me; but on + reaching out with my hand I felt that the walls were lined with well laid + stones, unmortared. The roof above me was also of stone. You may wonder + why I did not shoot this ruffian with my pistol. You boys think that if + you had a pistol you would shoot any one who threatened you. You would + not. When the moment comes, it is not so easily disposed of. Besides, a + filthy, cursing pirate on your throat checks your natural calm most + strangely. + </p> + <p> + The passage led into the swell of the rampart for about twenty yards, + where it opened into a dimly lighted chamber about four feet high. A + little blink of light came through a rabbit hole, at the end of which I + saw a spray of gorse with the sunlight on it. I could see by the dim light + that the chamber was built of unmortared stones, very cleverly laid. The + floor of it was greasier than the passage had been, but still it was not + damp. On one side it had a bed of heather stalks, on the other there was + something dark which felt like cold meat. The man came grunting in behind + me, clinking his leg-irons. After groping about in a corner of the room he + lighted a stinking rushlight by means of a tinder box. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0020" id="link2HCH0020"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XX. THE SQUIRE'S HOUSE + </h2> + <p> + “There,” he said, not unkindly, “there's a nice little 'ome for yer. Now + you, tell me wot you were doing spying on me. First of all, 'ave you any + money?” He did not wait for me to answer, but dug his hands into my + pockets at once, taking every penny I had, except a few shillings which + were hidden in my belt. He did not see my belt, as I had taken to wearing + it next my skin, since I began to follow the wars. I feared from the greed + which showed in all his movements that he vas going to strip me; but he + did not do so, thinking, no doubt, that none of my clothes would fit his + body. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” he said, in his snarling beast voice, “wot's up 'ere, with all + these folk brought their beasts 'ere?” + </p> + <p> + I told him that the Duke had come co fight for the crown of England, with + the result, as I supposed, that the country people dared not trust their + live-stock at home, for fear of having them pillaged. He seemed pleased at + the news; but being an utter wild beast, far less civilized than the + lowest savage ever known to me, he showed his pleasure by hoping that the + rich (whom he cursed fluently) might have their heads pulled off in the + war, while as for the poor (the farmers close by us) he hoped that they + might lose every beast they owned. “Do 'era good,” he said. “Now,” he went + on, “are you come spying 'ere along of the farmers?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I said, “I am a servant of the Duke's, riding out to look for the + militia.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” he said. “Are yer, cocky? 'Ow'm I to know that?” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” I said, “Look at my hands. Are they the hands of a farmer?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” he said. “No, Mister stuck-up flunkey, they ain't. I s'pose yet + proud of yet 'ands. I'll 'ave yer wait at table on me.” He seemed to like + the notion: for he repeated it many times, while he dug out hunks of cold + ham with his file, from the meat which I had felt as I crawled in + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “'Ow proud I dig + A'unk a cold pig” + </pre> + <p> + he sang, as he gulped the pieces down. It was partly a nightmare, partly + very funny. I was not sure if he was mad, probably he was mad, but being + down in the burrow there, in the half darkness, hearing that song, made me + feel that I was mad; it was all a very terrible joke; perhaps madness + affects people like that. At last I spoke to him again. + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” I said, “I've been up since two this morning. Give me a hunk of + cold pig, too. I'm half-starved.” + </p> + <p> + “'Elp yourself, can't yer?” he snarled. “Oo'm I to wait on yer?” Then, + very cunningly, he put in, “'Ave you got a knife on yer?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I said cautiously, “I've got no knife,” which was a lie; I did not + wish my knife to go the same way as the money. He gave me some cold pig, + very excellent ham it was, too, for which I was very thankful. He watched + my greediness with satisfaction. I ate heartily when I saw that my + confident way with him had made him more tender towards me. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he snorted. “Per'aps you ain't been lying to me after all. Now 'ow + long will these blokes be up the 'ill 'ere?” I did not know that; but I + supposed that they would go home directly the Duke's army had got as far, + say, as Taunton. “But,” I added, “the Duke may be beaten. If he's beaten, + all this part will be full of troops beating every bush for the rebels.” + He swore at this; but his curses were only designed to hide his terror. + </p> + <p> + “Could a fellow get to sea,” he said in a whining tone. “Could a poor + fellow in trouble slip away to sea, now, at one of these seaport towns? + Boy, I been livin' like a wild beast all the way from Bristol, this two + months. I didn't kill the feller; not dead. The knife only went into 'im a + very little way, not more'n a inch. I was raised near 'ere at a farm. So I + knowed of this 'ere burrow. I got 'ere two days ago, pretty near dead. Now + I been penned up from the sea by these farmers comin' 'ere, doin' swottin' + sentry-go all round me. I tell yer, I'll cut up sour, if they pen me in, + now I'm so near got away. I been with Avery. They call Avery a pirate. + They said I was a pirate. It's 'anging if they ketch me. Do yer think I + could get away to Lyme or some place, to get took into a ship?” I told + him, no; because I knew from what Lord Grey had told me, that the Channel + was full of men-of-war searching every ship which hove in sight; besides, + he did not look to me to be a very promising hand for a captain to take + aboard. + </p> + <p> + “All the same,” he said, “I got to risk it. You say there may be troops + coming?” + </p> + <p> + “As for that,” I answered, “the troops may be here at any moment from + Exeter or Honiton. They've arrested hundreds of people everywhere around. + You'd better stay in the burrow here.” He did not pay much attention to + what I said. He cursed violently, as though he were a bag-pipe full of + foul words being slowly squeezed by some player. At last he crawled to the + passage, foaming out incoherently that he would show them, he would, let + them just wait. + </p> + <p> + “You stay 'ere,” he said. “If I find you follerin' me, I'll mash your 'ed + into that much slobber.” He showed me a short piece of rope which he had + twisted, sailor fashion, so as to form a handle for a jagged piece of + flint, which, as I could see, had been used on some one or something quite + recently. + </p> + <p> + “Mogador Jack,” he said, “'e don't like people follerin' 'im.” With that + he left me alone in the burrow, wondering, now that it was over, why he + had not killed me. He left me quite stunned; his sudden coming into my + life had been so strange. It was unreal, like a dream, to have been in an + ancient Briton's burial-chamber with a mad old pirate who had committed + murder. But now that he had gone, I was eager to go, too, if it could be + managed. I would not stay there till the brute came back, in spite of that + flint club. After waiting some little time, during which, I felt sure, he + was waiting for me at the door of the burrow, I took out my pistol. I + examined the charge to see that all was well; then very cautiously, I + began to crawl up the passage, with my pistol in my hand. + </p> + <p> + I waited for some minutes near the door, trying to convince myself by the + lie of the shadows outside that he was crouched there, ready for me. But + it seemed safe. I could see no shadow at all except the tremulous + fern-shadows. At last I took off my coat as a blind. I flung it through + the doorway, with some force, to see if it would draw him from his hiding. + Nothing happened. The ruffian did not pounce upon it. I took a few long + breaths to hearten me; it was now or never. I shut my eyes, praying that + the first two blows might miss my head, so that I should have time to + fire. Then, on my back, with my pistol raised over my head, I forced + myself out with every muscle in my body. I leaped to my feet on the + instant, quickly glancing round for the madman, swinging my pistol about + with my finger hard on the trigger. He was not there, after all. I might + have spared myself the trouble. I was alone there in the fern, within + earshot of a murmur of voices, talking excitedly. I was not going to spy + into any more secrets. I was going to get out of that camp cost what it + might. I made one rush through the fern in the direction of the rampart, + shoving the stalks aside, as a bull knocks through jungle in Campeachy. In + thirty steps I was clear of the fern, charging slap into a group of people + who were giving brandy to the sentry, whom I had passed but a little while + before. He was bleeding from a broken wound on his pretty hard Saxon + skull. He was not badly hurt, for he was swearing lustily; but he had been + stunned just long enough for my pirate man to strip him. He was dressed + now in a pair of leather gaiters, all the rest of his things had been + taken, the pistol with them, I saw all this at a glance, as I charged in + among them. I took it all in, guessing in one swift gleam of + comprehension, exactly what had happened there, as my pirate made his rush + for freedom. There was no time to ask if my guess were right or not. + </p> + <p> + “Out of my way,” I shouted, shoving my pistol towards the nearest of the + group. “Out of my way, or I shall fire.” They made way for me. I charged + down hill by the way I had come. Some one cried “Stop en.” Another shouted + “Shoot en, maister.” There came a great bang of a gun over my head. But I + was going down hill like a rabbit, into the gorse, into the bracken, into + the close cover of the heath. Glancing back, I saw a dozen excited people + rushing down the rampart after me. Some flung stones; some ran to catch + horses to chase me. But I had the start of them. I was down the hill, over + the hedge, in the lane, in no time. There, a hundred yards away, I saw my + friends the troopers leading my cob. I shouted to them. They heard me. + They came up to me at a gallop. In ten seconds more we were sailing away + together. + </p> + <p> + “You been getting into scrapes, master,” said one of the troopers. “You + doan't want to meddle with the folk in these parts.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” said the other, with a touch of insolence in his voice. “So your + master may find, one of these fine days.” Being mindful of the Duke's + honour, I told the man to mind his own business, which he said he meant to + do, without asking my opinion. After that we rode on together a little + heated, till we were out of sight of the combe, where I had had such a + startling adventure. + </p> + <p> + After another hour of riding, we pulled up at the garden gate of an old + grey handsome house which stood at some distance from the road. I asked + one of the troopers who lived in this house. He said that it was an old + Abbey, which belonged to Squire; but that we were to leave word there of + the Duke's movements, “for Squire be very 'tached to the Protestants; + besides he'll give us a breakfast. Sure to.” We left our horses at the + gate while we walked up to the house. A pretty girl, who seemed to know + one of the men, told us to come in, while she got breakfast for us. + “Squire,” she said, “would be glad to hear what was going on; for he was + that given up to the soldiers we couldn't hardly believe.” We were shown + down a long flagged corridor to a little cool room which looked as though + it had once been the abbot's cell. It had a window in it, looking out upon + a garden in full flower, a little rose garden, covered with those lovely + bushes of old English red single roses, the most beautiful flower in the + world. The window was large, but the space of it was broken up by stone + piers, so that no pane of glass was more than six inches wide. I mention + this now, because of what happened later. There was not much furniture in + the room; but what there was was very good. There was an old Dutch pewter + jug, full of sweet-williams, on the table. On the wall' there was a + picture of a Spanish gentleman on a cream-coloured, fat handsome little + horse. Together they looked very like Don Quixote out for a ride with his + squire. The two troopers left me in this room, while they went off to the + kitchen. Presently the servant came in again, bringing me a noble dish of + breakfast, a pigeon pie, a ham, a jar of preserved quince, a honeycomb, a + great household loaf, newly baked, a big quart jug full of small beer. I + made a very honest meal. After eating, I examined the room. There was + tapestry over one part of the wall. It concealed a little low door which + led to what had once been the abbot's fishpond, now a roofed-in + bath-house, where one could plunge into eight feet or so of (bitterly + cold) spring water. This bath-house was some steps lower than the little + dining room. It was lighted by a skylight directly over the bath. It had + no other window whatever. After examining the bath, wishing that I had + known of it before eating, I went back to the dining room, where the + servant was clearing away the food. + </p> + <p> + “I hope you enjoyed your breakfast, sir,” she said. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, thank you, very much indeed,” I answered. + </p> + <p> + “Squire will be down d'reckly, sir,” she said. “If you will please to make + yourself at home.” I made myself at home, as she desired, while she, after + a few minutes, took away the soiled plates, leaving all the other things + on the side-board, ready for dinner. I noticed that she smiled in a rather + strange way as she drew to the door behind her. + </p> + <p> + I loitered away about half an hour, waiting for the squire to come. As he + did not come, I turned over the books on the shelves, mostly volumes of + plays, the Spanish Tragedy, the Laws of Candy, Love Lies a Bleeding, etc., + four plays to a volume in buckram covers. I was just getting tired of All + for Love, when I heard a footstep in the passage outside. I thought that I + would ask the passenger, whoever it might be, for how much longer the + squire would keep me waiting. I was anxious about getting back to the + army. It was dangerous to straggle too far from the Duke's camps when + unbeaten armies followed on both his wings. So I went to the door to learn + my fate at once. To my great surprise I found that I could not open it. It + was locked on the outside. The great heavy iron lock had been turned upon + me. I was a prisoner in the room there. Thinking that it had been done + carelessly, I beat upon the door to attract the man who passed down the + passage, calling to him to turn the key for me so that I might get out. + The footsteps did not pause. They passed on, down the corridor, as though + the man were deaf. After that a fury came upon me. I beat upon the door + for five minutes on end, till the house must have rung with the clatter; + but no one paid any attention to me, only, far away, I heard a woman + giggling, in an interval when I had paused for breath. The door was a + heavy, thick oak door, bound with iron. The lock was a bar of steel at + least two inches thick; there was no chance of getting it open. Even + firing into the lock with my little pistol would not have helped me; it + would only have jammed the tongue of steel in its bed. I soon saw the + folly of trying to get out by the door; so I turned to the window, which + was more difficult still, or, if not more difficult, more tantalizing, + since it showed me the free garden into which one little jump would + suffice to carry me. But the closely placed piers of stone made it + impossible for me to get through the window. It was no use trying to do + so. I should only have stuck fast, midway. I began at once to pick out the + mortar of the pier stones with my knife point. It was hopeless work, + though, for the old monks had used some cement a good deal harder than the + stones which it bound together. I could only dig away a little dust from + its surface. That way also was barred to me. Then I went down to the + bathing-chamber, hoping that there would be some way of escape for me + there. I hoped that the escape pipe of the bath might be a great stone + conduit leading to a fish-pond in the garden. It was nothing of the sort. + It was a little miserable leaden pipe. I beat all round the walls, praying + for some secret door, but there was nothing of any use to me, only a + little iron ventilator high up, big enough to take my head, but nothing + more. As for the skylight over the bath, it was beyond my reach, high up. + For the moment I could see no means of getting to it. I went back to the + dining room to give another useless pounding to the door. My head was full + of miserable forebodings; but as yet I suspected merely that I had been + caught by some sudden advance of militia. Or perhaps the squire had laid + plans to get information from one who knew the Duke. Perhaps I had been + lured away specially by one hungry for the King's good opinion. Or could + it be Aurelia? Whatever it was, I was trapped, that was the terrible + thing. I was shut up there till my enemy, whoever it was, chose to deal + with me. I was in arms against the ruling King of England; everybody's + hand would be against me, unless my own hands helped me before my enemies + came. My first thought was to get the table down the steps, to make a + bridge across the bath, from which I could reach the skylight. This I + could not do at first; for being much flustered, I did not put the + table-leaves down. Until I knocked them down in my hurry they kept me from + dragging the table from the dining room. When I got it at last into the + bath-room, I found that it would not stretch across the water: the legs + were too close together, as I might have seen had I kept my wits about me. + I could think of no other way of getting out. + </p> + <p> + I went back disheartened to the dining room, dragging my coat behind me. + The first thing which I saw was a letter addressed to me in a hand already + known to me. The letter lay on the floor on the space once covered by the + table. As it had not been there when I dragged the table downstairs, + someone must have entered the room while I was away. I opened the letter + in a good deal of flurry. It ran as follows: + </p> + <p> + “Dear Martin Hyde:—As you will not take a sincere friend's advice, + you have to make the best of a sincere adviser's friendship. You did me a + great service. Let me do you one. I hope to keep you an amused prisoner + until your captain is a beaten man. By about three weeks from this 26th of + June we shall hope to have made you so much our friend that you will not + think of leaving us. May I make a compact with you? Please do not shoot me + with that pistol of yours when I bring you some supper tonight. That is + one part of it. The other is this. Let us be friends. We know all about + you. I have even talked to Ephraim about you. So let us make it up. We + have been two little spit fires. At any rate you have. Let us be friends. + What sorts of books do you like to read? I shall bring you some + story-books about ghosts, or about red Indians. Which do you like best? I + like red Indians myself. I suppose you, being a man, like ghosts best. + Your sincere friend Aurelia Carew. Who by the by thinks it best to warn + you that you had not better try to get up the chimney, as it is barred + across. She hopes that the table did not fall into the bath.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0021" id="link2HCH0021"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXI. MY FRIEND AURELIA AND HER UNCLE + </h2> + <p> + It was a friendly letter, which relieved me a good deal from my anxieties; + but what I could not bear was the thought that the Duke would think me a + deserter. I made up my mind that I would get away from that house at the + first opportunity, so as to rejoin the Duke, to whom I felt myself + pledged. But in the meantime, until I could get away, I resolved to make + the best of my imprisonment. I was nettled by Aurelia's tone of + superiority. I would show her, as I had shown her before, that my wits + were just as nimble as hers. A few minutes after the letter had been read, + she held a parley with me through the keyhole. + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Martin Hyde. Are you going to shoot me?” + </p> + <p> + “No, Miss Carew, though I think you deserve it.” + </p> + <p> + “You won't try to get away if I open the door?” + </p> + <p> + “I mean to get away as soon as ever I get half a chance.” + </p> + <p> + “I've got three men with me at the door here.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh. Very well. But you just wait till I get a chance.” + </p> + <p> + “Don't be so bloodthirsty, Mr. Martin Hyde. Now, I'm coming in to talk + with you. No pistols, mind. Not one.” + </p> + <p> + “I've promised I won't shoot. You might believe a fellow. But I mean to + get away, remember. Just to show you.” + </p> + <p> + She opened the door after that, a brown, merry Aurelia, behind whom I + could see three men, ready to stop any rush. They closed the door behind + her after she had entered. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” she said, smiling. “Will you not shake hands with me, Martin + Hyde?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I said, “I will shake hands. But you played a very mean trick, I + think. There.” + </p> + <p> + “You mustn't think me mean,” she answered. “I don't like mean people. Now + promise me one thing. You say you are going to run away from us. You won't + run away from me when I am with you, will you?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I said, after thinking this over, to see if it could be twisted into + any sort of trap, likely to stop my escape. “I will not. Not while I am + with you.” + </p> + <p> + “That's right,” she said. “We can go out together, then. Now you've + promised, suppose we go out into the garden.” + </p> + <p> + We went into the garden together, talking of every subject under the sun + but the subject nearest to our hearts at the moment. I would not speak of + her capture of me; she would not speak of the Duke's march towards + Taunton. There was some constraint whenever we came near those subjects. + She was a very merry, charming companion; but the effect of her talk that + morning was to make me angry at being trapped by her. I looked over the + countryside for guiding points in case I should be able to get away. + Axminster lay to the southeast, distant about six miles; so much I could + reckon from the course of our morning's ride. I could not see Axminster + for I was shut from it by rolling combes, pretty high, which made a narrow + valley for the river. To the west the combes were very high, strung along + towards Taunton in heaps. Due east, as I suspected, quite near to us, was + Chard, where by this time the Duke must have been taking up his position. + Taunton I judged (from a mile-stone which we had passed) to be not much + more than a dozen miles from where I was. I have always had a pretty keen + sense of position. I do not get lost. Even in the lonely parts of the + world I have never been lost. I can figure out the way home by a sort of + instinct helped by a glimpse at the sun. When I go over a hill I have a + sort of picture-memory of what lies behind, to help me home again, however + tortuous my path is on the other side. So the few glimpses which I could + get of the surrounding country were real helps to me. I made more use of + them than Aurelia suspected. + </p> + <p> + We were much together that day. Certainly she did her best to make my + imprisonment happy. In the evening she was kinder; we were more at ease + together; I was able to speak freely to her. + </p> + <p> + “Aurelia,” I said, “you risked your life twice to warn me.” + </p> + <p> + “That's not quite true, Martin,” she said. “I am a government spy, trusted + with many people's lives. I had other work to do than to warn a naughty + boy who wanted to see what the ghosts were.” I was startled at her knowing + so much about me; she laughed. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” she said, “I like you for it. I should have wanted to see them + myself. But the ghost-makers are scattered far enough now.” + </p> + <p> + “All the same, Aurelia,” I said, “I thank you for what you did for me. I + wish I could do something in return.” She laughed. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” she said, “you were very kind in the ship. You were a good enemy + to me then. Weren't you?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I said, “I beat you properly on the ship. I carried the Duke's + letters in my pistol cartridges, where you never suspected them. The + letters which were in the satchel I forged myself after I got on board. If + you'd not been a silly you'd have seen that they were forged.” + </p> + <p> + “So that was why,” she said. “Those letters gave everybody more anxious + work than you've any notion of. Oh, Martin, though, I helped to drug you + to get those letters. It was terrible. Terrible. Will you ever forgive + me?” + </p> + <p> + “Why, yes, Aurelia,” I said. “After all, it was done for your King. Just + as I mean to run away from here to serve mine. All is fair in the King's + service. Let us shake hands on that.” We shook hands heartily, looking + into each other's eyes. + </p> + <p> + “By the way,” I said, “where did you get to that day in Holland, when I + got the letters from you?” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” she answered, “you made me like a wildcat that day. I nearly killed + you, twice. You remember that low parapet on the roof? I was behind that, + waiting for you with a loaded pistol. You were all very near your deaths + that morning. In the King's service, of course. For just a minute, I + thought that you would climb up to examine that parapet. What a crazy lot + you all were not to know at once that I was there! Where else could I have + been?” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” I answered, “I beat you in the ride, didn't I? You thought + yourself awfully clever about that horse at the inn. Well, I beat you + there. I beat you in the race. I beat you with my letters to the Dutchman. + I beat you over those forgeries.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, indeed,” she said. “I can beat all the men in your Duke's service. + Every one. Even clever Colonel Lane. Even Fletcher of Saltoun. But a boy + is so unexpected, there's no beating a boy, except with a good birch rod. + You beat me so often, Martin, that I think you can afford to forgive me + for tricking you once in bringing you here.” + </p> + <p> + “I shall beat you in that, too, Miss Carew,” I said; “for I mean to get + away from you as soon as I can.” + </p> + <p> + “So you say,” she said. “But we have club men walking all round this house + all night, as well as sentries by day, guarding the stock. Your gang of + marauders will find a rough welcome if they come for refreshments here.” + </p> + <p> + Even as she spoke, there came a sudden crash of fire-arms from the meadows + outside the garden. About a dozen men came hurrying out of the house with + weapons in their hands, among them a big, fierce-looking handsome man, who + drew his sword as he ran. + </p> + <p> + “That is my uncle, Travers Carew,” said Aurelia. “He owns this property. + He wants to meet you.” There came another splutter of fire-arms from the + meadows. “Come,” she said. “We'll see what it is. It is the Duke's men + come pillaging.” + </p> + <p> + We ran through a gate in the wall into an apple-orchard, where the Carew + men were already dodging among the trees towards the enemy. There was a + good deal of shouting, but the tide of battle, as they call it, the noise + of shots, the trampling of horses, had already set away to the left, where + the enemy were retreating, with news, as I heard later, that the militia + held the Abbey in force. The Carew men came back in a few minutes with a + prisoner. He had been captured while holding the horses of two friends, + who had dismounted to drive off some of the Carew cattle. He said that the + attack had been made by a party of twenty of the Duke's horse, sent out to + bring in food for the march. They had scattered at the first discharge of + fire-arms, which had frightened them horribly, for they had not expected + any opposition. The frightened men never drew rein till they galloped + their exhausted horses into Chard camp, where they gave another touch of + dejection to the melancholy Duke. As for the prisoner, he was sent off + under guard to Honiton gaol; I don't know what became of him. He was one + of more than three thousand who came to death or misery in that war. They + said that he was a young farmer, in a small way, from somewhere out beyond + Chideock. The war had been a kind of high-spirited frolic for him; he had + entered into it thoughtlessly, in the belief that it would be a sort of + pleasant ride to London, with his expenses paid. Now he was ended. When he + rode out with bound hands from the Carew house that evening, between two + armed riders, he rode out of life. He never saw Chideock again, except in + the grey light of dawn, after a long ride upon a hurdle, going to be + hanged outside his home. Or perhaps he was bundled into one of the + terrible convict ships bound for Barbadoes, with other rebels, to die of + small-pox on the way, or under the whip in the plantations. + </p> + <p> + After this little brush, with its pitiful accompaniment, which filled me + full of a blind anger against the royal party, so much stronger, yet with + so much less right than ours, I was taken in to see Sir Travers Carew. He + had just sent off the prisoner to Honkon, much as he would have brushed a + fly from his hand. He had that satisfaction with himself, that feeling of + having supported the right, which comes to all those who do cruel things + in the name of that code of unjust cruelty, the criminal law. He looked at + me with rather a grim smile, which made me squirm. + </p> + <p> + “So,” he said, “this is the young rebel, is it? Do you know that I could + send you off to Honiton gaol with that poor fellow there?” This made my + heart die; but something prompted me to put a good face on it. + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” I said, “I have done what my father thought right. I don't wish to + be treated better than any other prisoner. Send me to Honiton, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” he said, looking at me kindly. “I shall not send you to Honiton. You + are not in arms against the King's peace, nor did you come over from + Holland with the Duke. I can't send you to Honiton. Besides, I knew your + father, Martin. I was at college with him. He was a good friend of mine, + poor fellow. No, sir, I shall keep you here till the Duke's crazy attempt + is knocked on the head. I think I can find something better for you to do + than that fussy old maid, your uncle, could. But, remember, sir. You have + a reputation for being a slippery young eel. I shall take particular pains + to keep you from slipping out of my hands. But I do not wish to use force + to your father's son. Will you give me your word not to try to escape?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I answered, sullenly. “I won't. I mean to get away directly I can.” + </p> + <p> + “Come,” he said kindly, “we tricked you rather nastily. But do you + suppose, Martin, that your father, if he were here, would encourage your + present resolutions? The Duke is coming (nearly unprepared) to bring a lot + of silly yokels into collision with fully trained soldiers ten times more + numerous. If the countryside, the gentry, the educated, intelligent men, + were ready for the Duke, or believed in his cause, they would join him. + They do not join him. His only adherents are the idle, ignorant, + ill-conditioned rogues of this county, who will neither fight nor obey, + when it comes to the pinch. I do not love the present King, Martin, but he + is a better man than this Duke. The Duke will never make a king. He may be + very fit for court-life; but there is not an ounce of king in him. If the + Duke succeeds, in a year or two he will show himself so foolish that we + shall have to send for the Prince of Orange, who is a man of real, strong + wisdom. We count on that same prince to deliver us from James, when the + time is ripe. It is not ripe, yet. I am telling you bitter, stern truth, + Martin. Now then. Let me have your promise not to continue in the service + of this doomed princeling, your master. Eh? What shall it be?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I said, “that's desertion.” + </p> + <p> + “Not at all,” he answered. “It is a custom of war. Come now. As a prisoner + of war, give me your parole.” + </p> + <p> + “You said just now that I was not a prisoner of war,” I answered. + </p> + <p> + “Very well, then,” he said. “I am a magistrate. I commit you add suspected + person. Hart! Hart!” (Here he called in a man-servant.) “Just see that + this young sprig keeps out of mischief. Think it over, Mr. Martin. Think + it over.” + </p> + <p> + In a couple of minutes I was back in my prison cells, locked in for the + night, with neither lamp nor candle. A cot had been made up for me in a + corner of the room. Supper was laid for me on the table, which had been + brought back to its place. There was nothing for it but to grope to bed in + the twilight, wondering how soon I could get away to what I still believed + to be a righteous cause in which my father wished me to fight. I slept + soundly after my day of adventure. I dreamed that I rode into London + behind the Duke, amid all the glory of victory, with the people flinging + flowers at us. But dreams go by contraries, the wise women say. + </p> + <p> + I was a full fortnight, or a little more, a prisoner in that house. They + treated me very kindly. Aurelia was like an elder sister. Old Sir Travers + used to jest at my being a rebel. But I was a prisoner, shut in, watched, + kept close. The kindness jarred upon me. It was treating me like a child, + when I was no longer a child. I had for some wild weeks been doing things + which few men have the chance of doing. Perhaps, if I had confided all + that I felt to Aurelia, she would have cleared away my troubles, made me + see that the Duke's cause was wrong, that my father would wish his son + well out of civil broils, however just, that I had better give the promise + that they asked from me. But I never confided really fully in her. I moped + a good deal, much worried in my mind. I began to get a lot of unworthy + fancies into my head, silly fancies, which an honest talk would have + scattered at once. I began to think from their silence about the Duke's + doings that his affairs were prospering, that he was conquering, or had + conquered, that I was being held by this loyalist family as a hostage. It + was silly of me; but although in many ways I was a skilled man of affairs, + I had only the brain of a child, I could not see the absurdity of what I + came to believe. It worried me so much that at the end of my imprisonment + I became very feverish; really ill from anxiety, as prisoners often are. I + refused food for the latter part of one day, hoping to frighten my + captors. They did not notice it, so I had my pains for nothing. + </p> + <p> + I went to bed very early; but I could not sleep. I fidgeted about till I + was unusually wakeful. Then I got out of bed to try if there was a way of + escape by the old-fashioned chimney, barred across as it was, at + intervals, by strong old iron bars. I had never thought the chimney + possible, having examined it before, when I first came to that house; but + my fever made me think all things possible; so up I got, hoping that I + should have light enough to work by. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0022" id="link2HCH0022"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXII. THE PRIEST'S HOLE + </h2> + <p> + It was too dark to do much that night, but I spent an hour in picking + mortar from the bricks into which the lowest iron bar had been let. After + a brief sleep I woke in the first of the light (at about one o'clock) + ready to go at it again. My fever was hot upon me. I don't think that I + was quite sane that day; but all my reason seemed to burn up into one + bright point, escape, escape at all costs, then, at the instant. I must + tell you that the chimney, like most old chimneys, was big enough for a + big boy to scramble up, in order to sweep it. For some reason, the owners + of the house had barred the chimney across so that this could not be done. + They swept it, probably, in the effective old-fashioned way by shooting a + blank charge of powder from a blunderbuss straight up the opening. The + first two iron bars were so placed that it was only necessary to remove + one to make room for my body. Further up there were others, more close + together. The fire had not been lighted for many years; there was no soot + in the passage. There was a jackdaw's nest high up. I could see the old + jackdaw looking down at me. Up above her head was a little square of sky. + I did not doubt that when I got to the top I should be able to scramble + out of that square on to the leads, then down by a water-spout, evading + the sentries, over the garden wall to freedom. After half an hour of + mortar picking I got one end of the lowest iron bar out of its socket. + Then I picked out the mortar from the other end, working the bar about + like a lever, to grind the fulcrum into dust. Soon I had the bar so loose + that I was able to thrust it to one side, leaving a passage big enough for + my body. + </p> + <p> + I was very happy when this was done. I went back to the room to make up a + packet of food to take with me. This I thrust into an inner pocket, before + launching out up the hole. When I had cleaned up the mess of mortar, I + started up the chimney, carefully replacing the bar behind me. Soon I was + seven or eight feet above the room, trying to get at the upper bars. I was + scrambling about for a foothold, when I noticed, to my left, an iron bar + or handle, well concealed from below by projecting bricks. I seized hold + of it with my left hand, very glad of the support it offered, when, with a + dull grating noise, it slid downwards under my weight, drawing with it the + iron panel to which it was clamped. I had come upon a secret chamber in + the chimney; there at my side was an opening big enough for a man's body. + I was pretty well startled by it, not only by the suddenness of the + discovery, but from the fear I had lest it should lead to some inhabited + room, where my journey would be brought to an end. I peered into it well, + before I ventured to enter. It was a little low room, about five feet + square, lit by two loopholes, which were concealed from outside by the + great growth of ivy on the side of the house. I clambered into it with + pleasure, keeping as quiet as I could. It was a dirty little room, with + part of its floor rotten from rain which had beaten in through the + loopholes. It had not been used for a great while. The pallet bed against + the wall was covered with rotten rags, dry as tinder. There were traces of + food, who could say how ancient, in a dish by the bed. There was a little + crucifix, with a broken neck-chain, lying close to the platter. Some + priest who had used this priest-hole years before had left it there in his + hurry; I wondered how. Something of the awe which had been upon him then + seemed to linger in the place. Many men had lain with beating hearts in + that room; the room seemed to remember. I have never been in a place which + made one's heart move like that room. Well. The priest's fears were dead + as the priest by this time. Nothing but the wreck of his dinner, perhaps + the last he ever ate, remained to tell of him, beside the broken symbol of + his belief. I shut-to the little panel-door by which I had entered, so + that I might not have the horrible fancy that the old priest's shaven head + was peering up the chimney at me, to see what I was doing in his old room, + long since given over to the birds. + </p> + <p> + As I expected, there was a way of escape from the hiding-place. A big + stone in the wall seemed to project unnecessarily; the last comer to that + room had shut the door carelessly; otherwise I might never have found it. + Seeing the projecting stone, I took it for a clue feeling all round it, + till I found that underneath it there was a groove for finger tips. The + stone was nothing more than a large, cunningly fashioned drawer, which + pulled out, showing a passage leading down, down, along narrow winding + steps, just broad enough for one man to creep down at a time. The stairs + were more awesome than the room, for they were dark. I could not see where + they led; but I meant to go through this adventure, now that I had begun + it. So down I crept cautiously, clinging to the wall, feeling with my feet + as I went, lest there should be no step, suddenly, but a black pit, far + down, into which a man might fall headlong, on to who knows what horrors. + I counted the steps. I thought that they would never end. There were + thirty-seven altogether. They brought me to a dark sort of room, with damp + earth for its floor, upon which water slowly dropped from some unseen + stalactite. I judged that I must be somewhere under the bath-chamber, not + more than ten feet from the abbot's old fish-pond. If there was a way out + I felt that it must be to my left, under the garden; not to my right, + which would lead back under the body of the house. + </p> + <p> + Very cautiously I felt along to my left, till I found that there was + indeed a passage; but one so low that I had to stoop to get along it. A + few steps further brought me with a shock against a wall, a sad surprise + to me, for I thought that I was on the road to safety. When I recovered + from my fear I felt along the wall till I found that the passage zigzagged + like a badger's earth. It turned once sharply to the right, going up a + couple of steps, then again sharply to the left, going up a few more + steps, then again to the right up one step more, to a broader open + stretch, lit by one or two tiny chinks, more cheering to me than you can + imagine. I guessed that I was passing at last under the garden, having + gone right below the house's foundations. The chinks of light seemed to me + to come from holes worn in the roof by rabbits or rats. They were pleasant + things to see after all that groping in the blackness of night. On I went + cautiously, feeling my way before me, till suddenly I stopped dead, + frightened terribly, for close to me, almost within touch as it seemed, + some men were talking to each other. They were evidently sitting just + above my head, in the cool morning, watching for me to come through my + window, as I suppose. They were some of Sir Travers's sentries. A moment's + thought told me that I had little to fear from them, if I moved quietly in + my burrow. However, as my walk was often noisy, through stumblings on + stones, I waited till they moved off, which was not for some minutes. One + of the men was asking the other what was the truth about the Duke. + </p> + <p> + “Why,” his mate answered, “they say as he got beat back coming towards + London. They say he be going to Bridgewater, now, to make it a castle, + like; or perhaps he be a coming to Taunton. They say he have only a mob, + like, left to en, what with all this rain. But I do-an't know. He be very + like to come here agen; so as us'll have to watch for our stock.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah?” said the first. “They did say as there was soldiers come to + Evilminster. So as to shut en off, like. I seed fires out that way, + myself, like camp-fires, afore it grew light. They do say the soldiers be + all for the Duke.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” the other answered, “he be very like to win if it come to a battle. + He'd a got on to London, I dare-say, if the roads had but been dry.” + </p> + <p> + “What do ee say to a bit of tobaccy, master?” said the first, after a + pause. + </p> + <p> + “Why, very well,” said the other. At this instant, without any warning, + something in the wall of my passage gave way, some bit of rotten mortar + which held up a stone, or something of the sort. At any rate, a stone fell + out, with a little rush of rotten plaster, making a good deal of noise, + though of course it seemed more to me than to the men outside. + </p> + <p> + “What ever in the world was that?” said one of them. + </p> + <p> + “I dunno,” said the other. “It seemed to come from down below somewhere, + under the earth, like. Do you think as it could be a rabbit?” + </p> + <p> + “It did sound like a stone falling out of a wall,” came the answer. “I + dunno. Where could it a come from?” + </p> + <p> + They seemed to search about for some trace of a rabbit; but not finding + any, they listened for another stone to fall. + </p> + <p> + “I tell you what I think,” said the first man. “I believe as there be + underground passages all over these here gardens. Some of them walks sound + just as hollow as logs if you do stamp on 'em. There was very queer doings + here in the old monks' time; very queer. Some day I mean to grub about a + bit, master. For my old grandmother used always to say as the monks buried + a lot of treasure hereabouts in the old time.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah?” said the other. “Then shall us get a spade quiet like, to see if it + be beneath.” The other hesitated, while my heart sank. I very nearly went + back to my prison, thinking that all was over. + </p> + <p> + “No,” said his comrade. “Us'll ask Sir Travers first. He do-an't like + people grubbing about. Some of his forefathers as they call them weren't + very good, I do hear, neither. He do-an't want none of their little games + brought to light, like.” + </p> + <p> + After this, the men moved off, to some other part of their beat. I went on + along the passage quickly, till suddenly I fell with a crash down three or + four steps into a dirty puddle, knocking my head as I fell. I could see no + glimmer of light from this place; but I groped my way out, up a few more + steps further on into a smaller, dirtier passage than the one which I had + just left. After this I had to crawl like a badger in his earth, with my + back brushing against the roof, over many masses of broken brickwork most + rough to the palms of my hands. All of a sudden I smelt a pleasant + stable-smell. I heard the rattle of a halter drawn across manger bars. I + heard a horse paw upon the ground quite close to me. A dim, but regular + chink of light showed in front of me, level with my head as crawled. + Peering through it, I saw that I was looking into a stable, almost level + with the floor; the passage had come to an end. + </p> + <p> + By getting my fingers into the crack through which I peered, I found that + I could swing round some half a dozen stones, which were mortared + together, so as to form a revolving door. It worked with difficulty, as + though no one had passed through by that way for many years; but it worked + for me, after a little hard pushing. I scrambled through the narrow + opening into a roomy old stable, where some cart-horses peered at me with + wonder, as I rose to my feet. After getting out, I shut to my door behind + me, so firmly that I could not open it again; there must have been some + spring or catch which I could not set to work. Two steps more took me out + of the horses' stalls into the space behind, where, on a mass of hay, lay + a carter, fast asleep, with the door-key in his hand. By his side lay a + pitchfork. He was keeping guard there, prepared to resist Monmouth's + pillagers. + </p> + <p> + He slept so heavily that I was tempted to take the key from his hand. + Twice I made little half steps forward to take it; but each time something + in the man's look daunted me. He was a surly-looking man who, if roused + suddenly, in a locked stable, might lay about him without waiting to see + who roused him. He stirred in his sleep as I drew near him for the second + time; so I gave up the key as a bad job. The loft seemed to be my only + chance; as there was only this one big locked double door upon the lower + floor, I clambered up the steep ladder to the loft, hoping that my luck + there might be better, but resolved, if the worst came, to hide there in + the hay until the carter took the horses to work, leaving the doors open. + </p> + <p> + I had hardly set my foot upon the loft floor, when one of the horses, + hearing some noise outside, or being moved by some evil spirit, whinnied + loudly, rattling his halter. The noise was enough to arouse an army. It + startled the carter from his bed. I heard him leap to his feet with an + oath; I heard him pad round the stable, talking to the horses in turn; I + heard him unlock the door to see what was stirring. I stood stock-still in + my tracks, not daring to stir towards the cover of the hay at the farther + end of the loft. I heard him walk slowly, grunting heavily, to the foot of + the ladder, where he stopped to listen for any further signal. If he had + come up he must have caught me. I could not have escaped. But though he + seemed suspicious he did not venture further. He walked slowly back to his + bed, grunting discontentedly. In a few minutes he was sound asleep again; + for farming people sleep like sailors, as though sleep were a sort of + spirit muffling them suddenly in a thick felt blanket. After he had gone + off to sleep, I took off my boots, in order to put them on under my + stockings, for the greater quiet which that muffling gives to the tread. + Then I peered about the loft for a way of escape. + </p> + <p> + There were big double doors to this upper loft, through which the hay + could be passed from a waggon standing near the wall. These doors were + padlocked on the inside; there was no opening them; the staples were much + too firm for me to remove without a crowbar. The other openings in the + walls were mere loophole slits, about four feet long but only a few inches + broad. There were enough of these to make the place light. By their light + I could see that there was no way of escape for me except by the main + door. I was almost despairing of escape from this prison of mine, when I + saw that the loft had a hayshoot, leading downwards. When I saw it I + fondly hoped that it led to some outer stable or cart-shed, separated from + that in which the carter slept. A glance down its smooth shaft showed me + that it led to the main stable. I could see the heads of the meditative + horses, bent over the empty mangers exactly as if they were saying grace. + Beyond them I saw the boots of the carter dangling over the edge of the + trusses of hay on which he slept. I stepped back from this shaft quickly + because I thought that I might be seen from below. My foot went into the + nest of a sitting hen, right on to the creature's back. Up she started, + giving me such a fright that I nearly screamed. She flew with a cackling + shriek which set all the blackbirds chippering in the countryside. Round + the loft she scattered, calling her hideous noise. Up jumped the carter, + down came his pitchfork with a thud. His great boots clattered over the + stable to the ladder. Clump, clump, he came upstairs, with his pitchfork + prongs gleaming over his head like lanceheads. I saw his head show over + the opening of the loft. There was not a second to lose. His back of + course was still towards me, as the ladder was mercifully nailed to the + wall. Before he turned I slid over the mouth of the shaft down into the + hayrack of the old brute who had whinnied. I lit softly; but I certainly + shocked that old mare's feelings. In a second, before she had time to + kick, I was outside her stall, darting across the stable to the key, which + lay on the truss of hay, mercifully left there by its guardian. In another + second the lock had turned. I was outside, in the glorious open fields + again. Swiftly but silently I drew the key out of the lock. One second + more sufficed to lock that door from without. The carter was a prisoner + there, locked safely in with his horses. I was free. The key was in my + pocket. Yonder lay the great combes which hid Taunton from me. I waved my + hat towards them; then, with a wild joyous rush, I scrambled behind the + cover of the nearest hedge, along which I ran hard for nearly a quarter of + a mile. + </p> + <p> + I stopped for a few minutes to rest among some ferns, while I debated how + to proceed. I changed the arrangement of my stockings; I also dusted my + very dirty clothes, all filthy from that horrid passage underground. + “Now,” I said to myself, “there must be many ways to Taunton. One way, I + know, leads along this valley, past Chard there, where the houses are. The + other way must lie across these combes, high up. Which way shall I choose, + I wonder?” A moment's thought showed me that the combes would be + unfrequented, while the valley road, being the easy road, which (as I + knew) the Duke's army had chosen, would no doubt be full of people, some + of them (perhaps) the King's soldiers, coming up from Bridport. If I went + by that road my pursuers would soon hear of me, even if I managed to get + past the watchers on the road. On the other hand, Aurelia would probably + know that I should choose the combe road. Still, even if she sent out + mounted men, she would find me hard to track, since the combes were + lonely, so lonely that for hours together you can walk there without + meeting anybody. There would be plentiful cover among the combes in case I + wished to lie low. Besides, I had a famous start, a five hours' start; for + I should not be missed until eight o'clock. It could not then have been + much more than half-past two. In five hours an active boy, even if he knew + not the road, might put some half a dozen miles behind him. I say only + half a dozen miles, because the roads were the roughest of rough + mud-tracks, still soft from the rains. As I did not know the way, I knew + that I might count on going wrong, taking wrong turns, etc. As I wished to + avoid people, I counted on travelling most of the way across country, + trusting to luck to find my way among the fields. So that, although in + five hours I should travel perhaps ten or twelve miles, I could not count + on getting more than six miles towards Taunton. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0023" id="link2HCH0023"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXIII. FREE + </h2> + <p> + For the first hour or two, as no one would be about so early, I thought it + safe to use the road. I put my best foot foremost, going up the great + steep combe, with Chard at my back. + </p> + <p> + The road was one of the loneliest I have ever trodden. It went winding up + among barren-looking combes which seemed little better than waste land. + There were few houses, so few that sometimes, on a bit of rising ground, + when the road lifted clear of the hedges, one had to look about to see any + dwelling of men. There was little cultivation, either. It was nearly all + waste, or scanty pasture. A few cows cropped by the wayside near the + lonely cottages. A few sheep wandered among the ferns. It was a very + desolate land to lie within so few miles of England's richest valleys. I + walked through it hurriedly, for I wished to get far from my prison before + my escape was discovered. No one was there to see me; the lie of the + valley below gave me my direction, roughly, but closely enough. After + about an hour of steady, fairly good walking, I pulled up by a little tiny + brook for breakfast. I ate quickly, then hurried on, for I dared not waste + time. I turned out of the narrow cart-tracks into what seemed to be a + highroad. + </p> + <p> + I dipped down a hollow, past a pond where geese were feeding, then turned + to a stiff steep hill, which never seemed to end for miles. The country + grew lonelier at every step; there were no houses there; only a few + rabbits tamely playing in the outskirts of the coverts. A jay screamed in + the clump of trees at the hill-top; it seemed the proper kind of voice for + a waste like that. Still further on, I sat down to rest at the brink of + the great descent, which led, as I guessed, as I could almost see, to the + plain where Taunton lay, waiting for the Duke's army to garrison her. + There were thick woods to my right at this point, making cover so dense + that no hounds would have tried to break through it, no matter how strong + a scent might lead them. It was here, as I sat for a few minutes to rest, + that a strange thing happened. + </p> + <p> + I was sitting at the moment with my back to the wood, looking over the + desolate country towards a tiny cottage far off on the side of the combe. + A big dog-fox came out of the cover from behind me, so quietly that I did + not hear him. He trotted past me in the road; I do not think that he saw + me till he was just opposite. Then he stopped to examine me, as though he + had never seen such a thing before. He was puzzled by me, but he soon + decided that I was not worth bothering about, for he made no stay. He + padded slowly on towards Chard, evidently well-pleased with himself. + Suddenly he stopped dead, with one pad lifted, a living image of alert + tension. He was alarmed by something coming along the road by which I had + come. He turned his head slightly, as though to make sure with his best + ear. Then with a single beautiful lollopping bound he was over the hedge + to safety, going in that exquisite curving rhythm of movement which the + fox has above all English animals. For a second, I wondered what it was + that had startled him. Then, with a quickness of wit which would have done + credit to an older mind, I realized that there was danger coming on the + road towards me, danger of men or of dogs, since nothing else in this + country frightens a fox. It flashed in upon me that I must get out of + sight at once; before that danger hove in view of me. I gave a quick rush + over the fence into the tangle, through which I drove my way till I was + snug in an open space under some yew trees, surrounded on all sides by + brambles. I shinned up one of the great yew trees, till I could command a + sight of the road, while lying hidden myself in the profuse darkness of + the foliage. Here I drew out my pistol, ready for what might come. I + suppose I had not been in my hiding-place for more than thirty seconds, + when over the brow of the hill came Sir Travers Carew, at a full gallop, + cheering on a couple of hounds, who were hot on my scent. Aurelia rode + after him, on her famous chestnut mare. Behind her galloped two men, whom + I had not seen before. In an instant, they were swooped down to the place + where the dog-fox had passed. The hounds gave tongue when they smelt the + rank scent of their proper game; they were unused to boy-hunting. They did + not hesitate an instant, but swung off as wild as puppies over the hedge, + after the fox. The horsemen paused for a second, surprised at the sudden + sharp turn; but they followed the hounds' lead, popping over the fence + most nimbly, not waiting to look for my tracks in the banks of the hedge. + They streamed away after the fox, to whom I wished strong legs. I knew + that with two young hounds they would never catch him, but I hoped that he + would give them a good run before the sun killed the scent. I looked at + the sun, now gloriously bright over all the world, putting a bluish + glitter on to the shaking oak leaves of the wood. How came it that they + had discovered my flight so soon since it could not be more than six + o'clock, if as much? I wondered if it had been the old carter, who had + never really seen me. It might have been the old carter; but doubtless he + drummed for a good while on the door of the stable before anybody heard + him. Or it might have been one of the garden sentries. One of the sentries + might well have peeped in at the window of my room to make sure that I was + up to no pranks. He could have seen from the window that my bed was empty. + If he had noticed that, he could have unlocked my door to make sure, after + which it would not have taken more than a few minutes to start after me. I + learned afterwards that the sentry had alarmed the house at a little + before five o'clock. The carter, being only half-awake when he came after + me, suspected nothing till the other farm-hands came for the horses, at + about six o'clock, when, the key being gone, he had to break the lock, + vowing that the rattens had took his key from him in the night. My + disappearance puzzled everybody, because I had hidden my tracks so + carefully that no one noticed at first how the chimney bars had been + loosened. No one in that house knew of the secret room, so that the + general impression was that I had either squeezed myself through the + window, or blown myself out through the keyhole by art-magic. The hounds + had been laid along the road to Chard, with the result that they had hit + my trail after a few minutes of casting about. + </p> + <p> + Now that they were after me, I did not know what to do. I dared not go on + towards Taunton; for who knew how soon the squire would find his error, by + viewing the fox? He was too old a huntsman not to cast back to where he + had left the road, as soon as he learned that his hounds had changed + foxes. I concluded that I had better stay where I was, throughout that + day, carefully hidden in the yew-tree. In the evening I might venture + further if the coast seemed clear. It was easy to make such a resolution; + but not so easy to keep to it; for fifteen hours is a long time for a boy + to wait. I stayed quiet for some hours, but I heard no more of my hunters. + I learned later that they had gone from me, in a wide circuit, to cut + round upon the Taunton roads, so as to intercept me, or to cause me to be + intercepted in case I passed by those ways. The hounds gave up after + chasing the fox for three miles. The old squire thought that they stopped + because the sun had destroyed the scent. With a little help from an animal + I had beaten Aurelia once more. When I grew weary of sitting up in the yew + tree, clambered down, intending to push on through the wood until I came + to the end of it. It was mighty thick cover to push through for the first + half mile; then I came to a cart-track, made by wood-cutters, which I + followed till it took me out of the wood into a wild kind of + sheep-pasture. It was now fully nine in the evening, but the country was + so desolate it might have been undiscovered land. I might have been its + first settler, newly come there from the seas. It taught me something of + the terrors of war that day's wandering towards Taunton. I realized all + the men of these parts had wandered away after the Duke, for the sake of + the excitement, after living lonely up there in the wilds. Their wives had + followed the army also. The while population (scanty as it was) had moved + off to look for something more stirring than had hitherto come to them. I + wandered on slowly, taking my time, getting my direction fairly clear from + the glimpses which I sometimes caught of the line of the highway. At a + little after noon I ate the last of my victuals near a spring. I rested + after my dinner, then pushed on again, till I had won to a little spinney + only four miles from Taunton, where my legs began to fail under me. + </p> + <p> + I crept into the spinney, wondering if it contained some good shelter in + which I could sleep for the night. I found a sort of dry, high pitched + bank, with the grass all worn off it, which I thought would serve my turn, + if the rain held off. As for supper, I determined to shoot a rabbit with + my pistol. For drink, there was a plenty of small brooks within half a + mile of the little enclosure. After I had chosen my camp, I was not very + satisfied with it. The cover near by was none too thick. So I moved off to + another part where the bushes grew more closely together. As I was walking + leisurely along, I smelt a smell of something cooking, I heard voices, I + heard something clink, as though two tin cups were being jangled. Before I + could draw back, a man thrust through the undergrowth, challenging me with + a pistol. Two other men followed him, talking in low, angry tones. They + came all round me with very murderous looks. They were the filthiest + looking scarecrows ever seen out of a wheat-field. + </p> + <p> + “Why,” said one of them, lowering his pistol, “it be the Duke's young man, + as we seed at Lyme.” They became more friendly at that; but still they + seemed uneasy, not very sure of my intentions. + </p> + <p> + “Where is the Duke?” I asked after a long awkward pause. “Is he at + Taunton?” They looked from one to the other with strange looks which I did + not understand. + </p> + <p> + “The Duke be at Bridgewater,” said one of them in a curious tone. “What be + you doing away from the Duke?” + </p> + <p> + “Why,” I said, “I was taken prisoner. I escaped this morning.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes?” they said with some show of eagerness. “Be there many soldiers + hereaway, after us?” + </p> + <p> + “No. Not many,” I said. “Are you coming from the Duke?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said one of them, “we left en at Bridgewater. We have been having + enough of fighting for the crown. We been marching in mud up to our knees. + We been fighting behind hedges. We been retreating for the last week. So + now us be going home, if us can get there. Glad if we never sees a fight + again.” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” I said, “I must get to the Duke if I can. How far is it to + Bridgewater?” + </p> + <p> + “Matter of fifteen mile,” they said, after a short debate. “You'll never + get there tonight. Nor perhaps tomorrow, since we hear the soldiers be a + coming.” + </p> + <p> + “I'll get some of the way tonight,” I said; but my heart sank at the + thought; for I was tired out. + </p> + <p> + “No, young master,” said one of the men kindly, “you stop with us for + tonight. Come to supper with us. Us 'ave rabbits on the fire.” Their + fortnight of war had given them a touch of that comradeship which + camp-life always gives. They took me with them to their camp-fire, where + they fed me on a wonderful mess of rabbits boiled with herbs. The men had + bread. One of them had cider. Our feast there was most pleasant; or would + have been, had not the talk of these deserters been so melancholy. They + were flying to their homes like hunted animals, after a fortnight of + misery which had altered their faces forever. They had been in battle; + they had retreated through mud; they had seen all the ill-fortune of war. + They did all that they could to keep me from my purpose; but I had made up + my mind to rejoin my master; I was not to be moved. Before settling down + to sleep for the night I helped the men to set wires for rabbits, an art + which I had not understood till then, but highly useful to a lad so fated + to adventurous living as myself. We slept in various parts of the spinney, + wherever there was good shelter; but we were all so full of jangling + nerves that our sleep was most uneasy. We woke very early, visited our + wires, then breakfasted heartily on the night's take. The men insisted on + giving me a day's provision to take with me, which I took, though + grudgingly, for they had none too much for themselves, poor fellows. Just + before we parted I wrote a note to Sir Travers, on a leaf of my + pocketbook. “Dear Sir Travers,” I wrote, “These men are well-known to me + as honest subjects. They have had great troubles on their road. I hope + that you will help them to get home. Please remember me very kindly to + your niece.” After folding this very neatly I gave the precious piece of + impudence to one of the men. “There,” I said, “if you are stopped, insist + on being carried before Sir Travers. He knows me. I am sure that he will + help you as far as he can.” For this the men thanked me humbly. I learned, + too, that it was of service to them. It saved them all from arrest later + in the same day. + </p> + <p> + Having bidden my hosts farewell, I wandered on, keeping pretty well in + cover. I saw a patrol of the King's dragoons in one of the roads near + which I walked. The nets were fast closing in on my master: there were + soldiers coming upon him from every quarter save the west, which was + blocked too, as it happened, by ships of war in the Channel. This + particular patrol of dragoons caught sight of me. I saw a soldier looking + over a gate at me; but as I was only a boy, seemingly out for birdsnests, + he did not challenge me, so that by noon I was safe in Taunton. I have no + clear memory of Taunton, except that it was full of people, mostly women. + There were little crowds in the streets, little crowds of women, + surrounding muddy, tired men who had come in from the Duke. People were + going about in a hurried, aimless way which showed that they were scared. + Many houses were shut up. Many men were working on the city walls, trying + to make the place defensible. If ever a town had the fear of death upon it + that town was Taunton, then. As far as I could make out it was not the + actual war that it feared; though that it feared pretty strongly, as the + looks on the women's faces showed. It feared that the Duke's army would + come back to camp there, to eat them all up, every penny, every blade of + corn, like an army of locusts. Sometimes, while I was there, men galloped + in with news, generally false, like most warmews, but eagerly sought for + by those who even now saw their husbands shot dead in ranks by the fierce + red-coats under their drunken Dutch general. Sometimes the news was that + the army was pressing in to cut off the Duke from Taunton; that the + dragoons were shooting people on the road; that they were going to root + out the whole population without mercy. At another time news came that + Monmouth was marching in to music, determined to hold Taunton till the + town was a heap of cinders. Then one, bloody with his spurred horse's + gore, cried aloud that the King was dead, shot in the heart by one of his + brother's servants. Then another came calling all to prayer. All this + uproar caused a hurrying from one crowd to another. Here a man preached + fervently to a crowd of enthusiasts. Here men ran from a prayer-meeting to + crowd about a messenger. Bells jangled from the churches; the noise of the + picks never ceased in the trenches; the taverns were full; the streets + swarmed; the public places were now thronged, now suddenly empty. Here + came the aldermen in their robes, scared faces among the scarlet, followed + by a mob praying for news, asking in frenzy for something certain, however + terrible. There several in a body clamoured at a citizen's door in the + like fever of doubt. There was enough agony of mind in Taunton that day to + furnish out any company of tragedians. We English, an emotional people by + nature, are best when the blow has fallen. We bear neither doubt nor + rapture wisely. Our strength is shown in troublous times in which other + people give way to despair. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0024" id="link2HCH0024"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXIV. THE END + </h2> + <p> + Among all the confusion, I learned certainly from some deserters that the + Duke was at Bridgewater, waiting till his men had rested, before trying to + break through to the north, to his friends in Chester. He had won a bad + name for himself among his friends. Nobody praised him. The Taunton + people, who had given him such a splendid welcome ten days before, now + cursed him for having failed; they knew too well what sort of punishment + was sure to fall upon them, directly the fighting came to an end. Somehow + all their despairing talk failed to frighten me. I was not scared by all + the signs of panic in the streets. I was too young to understand fully; + but besides that I was buoyed up by the belief that I had done a fine + thing in escaping from prison in order to serve the cause dear to my + heart. My heart told me that I was going to a glorious victory in the + right cause. I cannot explain it. I felt my father in my heart urging me + to go forward. I would not have drawn back for all the King's captains in + a company riding out against me together. I felt that these people were + behaving absurdly; they should keep a brave patient face against their + troubles. Tomorrow or the next day would see us in triumph, beating our + enemies back to London, to the usurper's den in Whitehall. + </p> + <p> + It drew towards sunset before I had found a means to get to Bridgewater. + The innkeepers who in times of peace sent daily carriers thither, with + whom a man could travel in comfort for a few pence, had now either lost + their horses, or feared to risk them. No carriers had gone either to + Bridgewater or to Bristol since the Duke marched in on the fourth day of + his journey; nor had the carriers come in as usual from those places; the + business of the town was at a standstill. I asked at several inns, but + that was the account given to me. There was no safety on the roads. The + country was overrun by thieves, who stole horses in the name of the Duke + or of the King; nothing was safe anywhere. The general hope of the people + was for Monmouth to be beaten soon, or to be victorious soon. They had + lost quite enough by him; they wanted the rebellion over. + </p> + <p> + At last, just when I had begun to think the thing hopeless, I found an + honest Quaker about to ride to Bridgewater with a basket of Bibles for the + Duke's men. He did not ask me what my business at Bridgewater might be; + but he knew that no one would want to go there at such a time without good + cause. “Well,” he said, “if you can ride small, you shall ride behind me, + but it will be slow riding, as the horse will be heavily laden.” He was + going to start at eight o'clock, so as to travel all night, when the + marauders, whether deserters from the Duke or ill-conditioned country + people, were always less busy. I had time to get some supper for myself in + the tavern-bar before starting. Just as we were about to ride off + together, when we were in the saddle, waiting only till some carts rolled + past the yard-door, I had a fright, for there, coming into the inn yard, + was one of the troopers who had beguiled me from the Duke's army that day + at Axminster. I had no doubt that he was going from inn to inn, asking for + news of me. We began to move through the yard as he came towards us; the + clack of the horse's feet upon the cobbles made him look up; but though he + stared at me hard, he did so with an occupied mind; he was in such a brown + study (as it is called) that he never recognized me. A minute later, we + were riding out of town past the trench-labourers, my heart going + pit-a-pat from the excitement of my narrow escape. I dared not ask the + Quaker to go fast, lest he should worm my story from me, but for the first + three miles I assure you I found it hard not to prod that old nag with my + knife to make him quicken his two mile an hour crawl. Often during the + first hours of the ride I heard horses coming after us at a gallop. It was + all fancy; we were left to our own devices. My pursuers, I found, + afterwards, were misled by the lies of the landlord at the inn we had + left. We were being searched for in Taunton all that fatal night, by half + a dozen of the Carew servants. + </p> + <p> + Bridgewater had not gone to bed when we got there. The people were out in + the streets, talking in frightened clumps, expecting something. After + thanking the Quaker for his kindness in giving me a lift I asked at one of + these clumps where I could find the Duke. I was feeling so happy at the + thought of rejoining my master, after all my adventures, that I think I + never felt so happy. + </p> + <p> + “Where can I find the Duke?” I asked. “I'm his servant, I must find him.” + </p> + <p> + “Find him?” said one of the talkers. “He's not here. He's marched out, + sir, with all his army, over to Sedgemoor to fight the King's army. It's a + night attack, sir.” + </p> + <p> + I was bitterly disappointed at not having reached my journey's end; but + there was a stir in the thought of battle. I asked by which road I could + get to the place where the battle would be. The man told me to turn to the + right after crossing the river. “But,” said he, “you don't want to get + mixed up in the fighting, master. There be thousands out there on the + moor. A boy would be nowhere among all them.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said another. “Better stay here, sir. If the Duke wins he'll be + back afore breakfast. If he gets beat, you'd be best out of the way.” + </p> + <p> + This was sound advice; but I was not in a mood to profit by it. Something + told me that the battle was to be a victory for us; so I thanked the men, + telling them that I would go out over the moor by the road they had + mentioned. As I moved away, they called out to me to mind myself, for the + King's dragoons were on the moor, as a sort of screen in front of their + camp. By the road they had mentioned I might very well get into the King's + camp without seeing anything of my master. One of them added that the + battle would begin, or might begin, long before I got there, “if the mist + don't lead en astray, like.” + </p> + <p> + It took me some few minutes to get out of the gates across the river; for + there was a press of people crowded there. It was as dark as a summer + night ever is, that is, a sort of twilight, when I passed through, but + just at the gates were two great torches stuck into rings in the wall. The + wind made their flames waver about uncertainly, so that sometimes you + could see particular faces in the crowd, all lit in muddy gold light for + an instant, before the wavering made them dark again. Several mounted men + were there, trying to pass. Among them, in one sudden glare, I saw Aurelia + on her Arab, reined in beside Sir Travers, whose horse was kicking out + behind him. I passed them by so close that I touched Aurelia's riding + habit as I crept out of the press. They were talking together, just behind + me, as I crept from the town over the bridge above which the summer mists + clung, almost hiding the stream. Aurelia was saying “I only hope we may be + in time.” “Yes, poor boy,” said Sir Travers. “It will be terrible if we + are too late.” It gave me a pang to hear them, for I knew that they were + talking about me. + </p> + <p> + I crept into the shelter of the bridge parapet while they rode on past me. + The mist hid them from me. The town was dark above the mist like a city in + the clouds. The stars were dim now with the coming of day. A sheep-bell on + the moor made a noise like a nightbird. A few ponies pastured on the moor + trotted away, lightly padding, scared, I suppose, by the two riders. Then, + far away, but sounding very near at hand, for sound travels very strangely + in mist, so strangely that often a very distant noise will strike loudly, + while it is scarcely heard close to, there came a shot. Almost instantly, + the air seemed full of the roar of battle. The gun-fire broke out into a + long irregular roar, a fury of noise which roused up the city behind me, + as though all the citizens were slamming their doors to get away from it. + I hurried along the road towards the battle, praying, as I went, that my + master might conquer, that the King's troops had been caught asleep, that + when I got there, in the glory of dawn, I might find the Duke's army + returning thanks in their enemy's camp. I pressed on along the rough moor + road until the dawn came over the far horizon, driving the mists away, so + that I could see what was doing there. + </p> + <p> + I saw a great sweep of moorland to my left, with a confused crowd of + horsemen scattering away towards a line of low hills some miles beyond. + They were riding from the firing, which filled all the nearer part of the + moor with smoke, among which I saw moving figures, sudden glimpses of men + in rank, sudden men on horseback, struggling with their horses. The noise + was worse than I had expected; it came on me with repeated deafening + shocks. I could hear cries in the lulls when the firing slackened; then + the uproar grew worse again, sounds of desperate thuds, marking cannon + shot. I heard balls going over my head with a shrill “wheep, wheep,” which + made me duck. A small iron cannon ball spun into the road like a spinning + top, scattering the dust. It wormed slowly past me for a second, then rose + up irregularly in a bound, to thud into the ditch, where it lay still. I + saw cannon coming up at a gallop, with many horses, on the bare right + flank of the battle. Another ball came just over my head, with a scream + which made my heart quite sick. I sat down cowering under a ruined + thorn-tree by the road, crying like a little child. It must have been a + moment after that when I saw a man staggering down the road towards me, + holding his side with both hands. He fell into the road, dead, not far + from me. Then others came past, some so fearfully hurt that it was a + miracle that they should walk. They came past in a long horrible + procession, men without weapons, without hands, shot in the head, in the + body, lacerated, bleeding, limping, with white drawn faces, tottering to + the town which they would never see again. I shut my eyes, crouching well + under the tree, while this fight went on. It was nothing but a time of + pain, a roaring, booming horror with shrieks in it. I don't know how long + it lasted. I only know that the shooting seemed suddenly to pass into a + thunder of horse-hoofs as the King's dragoons came past in a charge. Right + in front of me they galloped, hacking at the fleers, leaning out from + their saddles to cut at them, leaning down to stab them, rising up to + reach at those who climbed the banks. Under that tide of cavalry the + Duke's army melted. They fought in clumps desperately. They flung away + their weapons. They fled. They rushed down desperately to meet death. It + was all a medley of broken noises, oaths, stray shots, cries, wounded men + whimpering, hurt horses screaming. The horses were the worst part of it. + Perhaps you never heard a horse scream. + </p> + <p> + That morning's work is all very confused to me. I remember seeing men cut + down as they ran. I remember a fine horse coming past me lurching, + clattering his stirrups, before leaping into the river. I remember the + stink of powder over all the field; the strange look on the faces of the + dead; the body of a trumpeter, kneeling against a gorse-bush, shot through + the heart, with his trumpet raised to his lips, the litter everywhere, + burnt cartridges, clothes, belts, shot, all the waste of war. They are in + my mind, those memories, like scattered pictures. The next clear memory in + my mind, is of a company of cavalry in red coats, under a fierce, + white-faced man, bringing in a string of prisoners to the King's camp. A + couple of troopers jumped down to examine me. One had the face of a + savage; the other was half drunk. “You're one of them,” they said. “Bring + him on.” They twisted string about my thumbs. I was their prisoner. They + dragged me into the King's camp, where the white-faced man sat down at a + table to judge us. + </p> + <p> + I will not talk of that butchery. The white-faced man has been judged now, + in his turn; I will say no more of him. When it came to my turn, he would + hear no words from me; I was a rebel, fit for nothing but death. “Pistol + him” was all the sentence passed on me. The soldiers laid hands on me to + drag me away, to add my little corpse to the heap outside. One of the + officers spoke up for me. “He's only a boy,” he said. “Go easy with the + boy. Don't have the poor child killed.” It was kindly spoken; but quite + carelessly. The man would have pleaded for a cat with just as much + passion. It was useless, anyway, for the colonel merely repeated “Pistol + him,” just as one would have ordered a wine at dinner. “Burgundy.” “No, + the Burgundy here is all so expensive.” “Never mind, Burgundy.” So I was + led away to stand with the next batch of prisoners lined against a wall to + be shot. My place was at the end of a line, next to a young sullen-looking + man black with powder. I did not feel frightened, only hopeless, quite + hopeless, a sort of dead feeling. I remember looking at the soldiers + getting ready to shoot us. I wondered which would shoot me. They seemed so + slow about it. There was some hitch, I think, in filling up the line; a + man had proved his innocence or something. + </p> + <p> + Then, the next instant, there was Aurelia dragging the white-faced man + from his table. I dimly remember him ordering me to be released, while Sir + Travers Carew gave me brandy. I remember the young sullen-looking man's + face; for he looked at me, a look of dull wonder, with a sort of hopeless + envy in it, which has wrung my heart daily, ever since. “Mount,” said + Aurelia. “Mount, Martin. For God's sake, Uncle Travers, let us get out of + this.” They were on both sides of me each giving me an arm in the saddle, + as we rode out of that field of death through Zoyland village towards the + old Abbey near Chard. + </p> + <p> + I shall say little more, except that I never saw my master again. When + they led him to the scaffold on Tower Hill I was outward bound to the West + Indies, as private secretary to Sir Travers, newly appointed Governor of + St. Eulalie. We had many of Monmouth's men in St. Eulalie after the Bloody + Assizes; but their tale is too horrible to tell here. You will want to + know whether I ever saw Aurelia again. Not for some years, not very often + for nine years; but since then our lives have been so mingled that when we + die it will be hard to say which soul is which, so much our spirits are + each other's. So now, I have written a long story. May we all tell our + tales to the end before the pen is taken from us. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 1274 ***</div> +</body> +</html> diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..229f8c0 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #1274 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1274) diff --git a/old/1274-0.txt b/old/1274-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cc09e6a --- /dev/null +++ b/old/1274-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7410 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Martin Hyde, The Duke's Messenger, by John Masefield + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Martin Hyde, The Duke's Messenger + +Author: John Masefield + +Posting Date: August 24, 2008 [EBook #1274] +Release Date: April, 1998 +Last Updated: March 16, 2018 + + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARTIN HYDE, THE DUKE'S MESSENGER *** + + + + +Produced by Aaron Cannon + + + + + +MARTIN HYDE + +THE DUKE'S MESSENGER + +by John Masefield + + + +CONTENTS + + I. I LEAVE HOME + II. I LEAVE HOME AGAIN + III. I LEAVE HOME A THIRD TIME + IV. I LEAVE HOME FOR THE LAST TIME + V. I GO TO SEA + VI. THE SEA! THE SEA! + VII. LAND RATS AND WATER RATS + VIII. I MEET MY FRIEND + IX. I SEE MORE OF MY FRIEND + X. SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT + XI. AURELIA + XII. BRAVE CAPTAIN BARLOW + XIII. IT BREEZES UP + XIV. A DRINK OF SHERBET + XV. THE ROAD TO LYME + XVI. THE LANDING + XVII. A VOICE AT DAWN + XVIII. I SPEAK WITH AURELIA + XIX. I MEET THE CLUB MEN + XX. THE SQUIRE'S HOUSE + XXI. MY FRIEND AURELIA AND HER UNCLE + XXII. THE PRIEST'S HOLE + XXIII. FREE + XXIV THE END + + + + +MARTIN HYDE + +THE DUKE'S MESSENGER + +by + +John Masefield + + + +CHAPTER I. I LEAVE HOME + +I was born at Oulton, in Suffolk, in the year 1672. I know not the +day of my birth, but it was in March, a day or two after the Dutch war +began. I know this, because my father, who was the clergyman at Oulton, +once told me that in the night of my birth a horseman called upon him, +at the rectory, to ask the way to Lowestoft. He was riding from London +with letters for the Admiral, he said; but had missed his way somewhere +beyond Beccles. He was mud from head to foot (it had been a wet March) +but he would not stay to dry himself. He reined in at the door, just as +I was born, as though he were some ghost, bringing my life in his saddle +bags. Then he shook up his horse, through the mud, towards Lowestoft, so +that the splashing of the horse's hoofs must have been the first sound +heard by me. The Admiral was gone when he reached Lowestoft, poor man, +so all his trouble was wasted. War wastes more energy, I suppose, than +any other form of folly. I know that on the East Coast, during all the +years of my childhood, this Dutch war wasted the energies of thousands. +The villages had to drill men, each village according to its size, to +make an army in case the Dutch should land. Long after the war was over, +they drilled thus. I remember them on the field outside the church, +drilling after Sunday service, firing at a stump of a tree. Once some +wag rang the alarm-bell at night, to fetch them out of their beds. Then +there were the smugglers; they, too, were caused by the war. After the +fighting there was a bitter feeling against the Dutch. Dutch goods were +taxed heavily (spice, I remember, was made very dear thus) to pay for +the war. The smugglers began then to land their goods secretly, all +along the coast, so that they might avoid the payment of the duty. The +farmers were their friends; for they liked to have their gin cheap. +Indeed, they used to say that in an agueish place like the fens, gin was +a necessity, if one would avoid fever. Often, at night, in the winter, +when I was walking home from Lowestoft school, I would see the farmers +riding to the rendezvous in the dark, with their horses' hoofs all +wrapped up in sacks, to make no noise. + +I lived for twelve years at Oulton. I learned how to handle a boat +there, how to swim, how to skate, how to find the eggs of the many wild +fowl in the reeds. In those days the Broad country was a very wild land, +half of it swamp. My father gave me a coracle on my tenth birthday. In +this little boat I used to explore the country for many miles, pushing +up creeks among the reeds, then watching, in the pools (far out of the +world it seemed) for ruffs or wild duck. I was a hardy boy, much older +than my years, like so many only children. I used to go away, sometimes, +for two or three days together, with my friend John Halmer, Captain +Halmer's son, taking some bread, with a blanket or two, as my ship's +stores. We used to paddle far up the Waveney to an island hidden in +reeds. We were the only persons who knew of that island. We were like +little kings there. We built a rough sort of tent-hut there every +summer. Then we would pass the time there deliciously, now bathing, now +fishing, but always living on what we caught. John, who was a wild lad, +much older than I, used to go among the gipsies in their great winter +camp at Oulton. He learned many strange tricks from them. He was a good +camp-companion. I think that the last two years of my life at Oulton +were the happiest years of my life. I have never cared for dry or hilly +countries since. Wherever I have been in the world, I have always longed +for the Broads, where the rivers wander among reeds for miles, losing +themselves in thickets of reeds. I have always thought tenderly of the +flat land, where windmills or churches are the only landmarks, standing +up above the mist, in the loneliness of the fens. But when I was nearly +thirteen years old (just after the death of Charles the Second) my +father died, leaving me an orphan. My uncle, Gabriel Hyde, a man about +town, was my only relative. The vicar of Lowestoft wrote to him, on my +behalf. A fortnight later (the ways were always very foul in the winter) +my uncle's man came to fetch me to London. There was a sale of my +father's furniture. His books were sent off to his college at Cambridge +by the Lowestoft carrier. Then the valet took me by wherry to Norwich, +where we caught a weekly coach to town. That was the last time I ever +sailed on the Waveney as a boy, that journey to Norwich. When I next saw +the Broads, I was a man of thirty-five. I remember how strangely small +the country seemed to me when I saw it after my wanderings. But this is +away from my tale. All that I remember of the coach-ride was my arrival +late at night at the London inn, a dark house full of smells, from which +the valet led me to my uncle's house. + +I lay awake, that first night, much puzzled by the noise, fearing that +London would be all streets, a dismal place. When I fell asleep, I was +waked continually by chiming bells. In the morning, early, I was roused +by the musical calling made by milkmen on their rounds, with that +morning's milk for sale. At breakfast my uncle told me not to go into +the street without Ephraim, his man; for without a guide, he said, I +should get lost. He warned me that there were people in London who made +a living by seizing children (“kidnapping” or “trepanning” them, as it +was called) to sell to merchant-captains bound for the plantations. “So +be very careful, Martin,” he said. “Do not talk to strangers.” He went +for his morning walk after this, telling me that I might run out to play +in the garden. + +I went out of doors feeling that London must be a very terrible place, +if the folk there went about counting all who met them as possible +enemies. I was homesick for the Broads, where everybody, even bad men, +like the worst of the smugglers, was friendly to me. I hated all this +noisy city, so full of dirty jumbled houses. I longed to be in my +coracle on the Waveney, paddling along among the reeds, chucking pebbles +at the water-rats. But when I went out into the garden I found that even +London held something for me, not so good as the Broads, perhaps, but +pleasant in its way. + +Now before I go further, I must tell you that my uncle's house was one +of the old houses in Billingsgate. It stood in a narrow, crowded lane, +at the western end of Thames Street, close to the river. Few of the +houses thereabouts were old; for the fire of London had nearly destroyed +that part of the city, but my uncle's house, with a few more in the +same lane, being built of brick, had escaped. The bricks of some of the +houses were scorched black. I remember, also, at the corner house, three +doors from my uncle's house, the melted end of a water pipe, hanging +from the roof like a long leaden icicle, just as it had run from the +heat eighteen years before. I used to long for that icicle: it would +have made such fine bullets for my sling. I have said that Fish Lane, +where my uncle lived, was narrow. It was very narrow. The upper stories +of the houses opposite could be touched from my bed-room window with an +eight-foot fishing rod. If one leaned well out, one could see right into +their upper rooms. You could even hear the people talking in them. + +At the back of the house there was a garden of potherbs. It sloped down +to the river-bank, where there were stairs to the water. The stairs +were covered in, so as to form a boat-house, in which (as I learned +afterwards) my uncle's skiffs were kept. You may be sure that I lost +no time in getting down to the water, after I had breakfasted with my +uncle, on the morning after my arrival. + +A low stone parapet, topped by iron rails, shut off the garden from the +beach. Just beyond the parapet, within slingshot, as I soon proved, was +the famous Pool of London, full of ships of all sorts, some with flags +flying. The mild spring sun (it was early in April) made the sight +glorious. There must have been a hundred ships there, all marshalled in +ranks, at double-moorings, head to flood. Boats full of merchandise were +pulling to the wharves by the Custom House. Men were working aloft on +the yards, bending or unbending sails. In some ships the sails hung +loose, drying in the sun. In others, the men were singing out as they +walked round the capstan, hoisting goods from the hold. One of the ships +close to me was a beautiful little Spanish schooner, with her name La +Reina in big gold letters on her transom. She was evidently one of those +very fast fruit boats, from the Canary Islands, of which I had heard the +seamen at Oulton speak. She was discharging oranges into a lighter, when +I first saw her. The sweet, heavy smell of the bruised peels scented the +river for many yards. + +I was looking at this schooner, wishing that I could pass an hour in her +hold, among those delicious boxes, when a bearded man came on deck from +her cabin. He looked at the shore, straight at myself as I thought, +raising his hand swiftly as though to beckon me to him. A boat pushed +out instantly, in answer to the hand, from the garden next to the one +in which I stood. The waterman, pulling to the schooner, talked with the +man for a moment, evidently settling the amount of his fare. After the +haggling, my gentleman climbed into the boat by a little rope-ladder at +the stern. Then the boatman pulled away upstream, going on the last of +the flood, within twenty yards of where I stood. + +I had watched them idly, attracted, in the beginning, by that sudden +raising of the hand. But as they passed me, there came a sudden puff +of wind, strong enough to flurry the water into wrinkles. It lifted the +gentleman's hat, so that he saved it only by a violent snatch which +made the boat rock. As he jammed the hat down he broke or displaced some +string or clip near his ears. At any rate his beard came adrift on the +side nearest to me. The man was wearing a false beard. He remedied the +matter at once, very cleverly, so that I may have been the only witness; +but I saw that the boatman was in the man's secret, whatever it was. He +pulled hard on his starboard oar, bringing the boat partly across the +current, thus screening him from everybody except the workers in the +ships. It must have seemed to all who saw him that he was merely pulling +to another arch of London Bridge. + +I was not sure of the man's face. It seemed handsome; that was all that +I could say of it. But I was fascinated by the mystery. I wondered +why he was wearing a false beard. I wondered what he was doing in the +schooner. I imagined all sorts of romantic plots in which he was taking +part. I watched his boat go through the Bridge with the feeling that +I was sharing in all sorts of adventures already. There was a fall of +water at the Bridge which made the river dangerous there even on a flood +tide. I could see that the waves there would be quite enough for such a +boat without the most tender handling. I watched to see how they would +pass through. Both men stood up, facing forwards, each taking an oar. +They worked her through, out of sight, in a very clever fashion; which +set me wondering again what this handsome gentleman might be, who worked +a boat so well. + +I hung about at the end of the garden until dinner time, hoping that +they would return. I watched every boat which came downstream, finding +a great pleasure in the watermen's skill, for indeed the water at the +Bridge was frightful; only a strong nerve could venture on it. But the +boat did not come back, though one or two other boats brought people, or +goods, to the stairs of the garden beside me. I could not see into the +garden; that party wall was too high. + +I did not go indoors again till Ephraim came to fetch me, saying that it +was time I washed my hands for dinner. I went to my room; but instead +of washing my hands, I leaned out of the window to watch a dancing bear +which was sidling about in the lane, just below, while his keeper made +a noise on the panpipes. A little crowd of idlers was gathered round the +bear. Some of them were laughing at the bear, some at his keeper. I saw +two boys sneaking about among the company; they were evil-looking +little ruffians, with that hard look in the eyes which always marks the +thoroughly wicked. As I watched, one of them slipped his hand into +a man's pocket, then withdrew it, passing something swiftly to his +companion, who walked unconcernedly away. I ran out of doors at once, to +the man who had been robbed. + +“Sir,” I said, when he had drawn away from the little crowd. “Have you +not been robbed of something?” + +He turned to look down on me, searching his pockets with both hands. It +gave me a start to see him, for he was the bearded man who had passed +me in the boat that morning. You may be sure that I took a good note of +him. He was a handsome, melancholy-looking man, with a beard designed to +make him look fairer than he really was. + +“Robbed of something?” he repeated in a quiet voice. “Yes, I have been +robbed of something.” It seemed to me that he turned pale, when he found +that he had been robbed. “Did you see it?” he asked. “Don't point. Just +describe him to me. No. Don't look round, boy. Tell me without looking +round.” + +“Sir,” I said, “do you see two little boys moving about among the people +there?” + +“Yes,” he said. + +“It's the boy with the bit of broken pipe in his hat who has the, +whatever it was, sir, I'm sure. I saw it all.” + +“I see,” he said. “That's the coveter. Let this be a warning to you, +boy, never to stop in a crowd to watch these street-performers. Where +were you, when you saw it?” + +“Up above there, sir. In that house.” + +“In Mr. Hyde's house. Do you live there?” + +“Yes, sir.” + +“Since when? Not for long, surely?” + +“No, sir. Only since yesterday. I'm Mr. Hyde's nephew.” + +“Ah! Indeed. And that is your room up there?” + +“Yes, sir.” + +“Where do you come from then? You've not been in town before. What is +your father?” + +“My father's dead, sir. I come from Oulton. My father was rector there.” + +“Ah,” he said quietly. “Now give this penny to the bear-ward.” + +While I was giving the penny to the keeper, the strange man edged among +the lookers-on, apparently watching the bear's antics, till he was just +behind the pickpocket's accomplice. Watching his time, he seized the boy +from behind by both wrists. + +“This boy's a pickpocket,” he cried aloud. “Stop that other boy. He's an +accomplice.” The other boy, who had just taken a purse, started to +run, letting the booty drop. A boatman who was going towards the river, +tripped him up with an oar so that he fell heavily. He lay still where +he had fallen (all the wind was knocked out of him) so that he was +easily secured. The boy who had been seized by the bearded man made no +attempt to get away. He was too firmly held. Both boys were then marched +off to the nearest constable where (after a strict search), they were +locked into a cellar till the morrow. The crowd deserted the bear-ward +when the cry of pickpockets was raised. They followed my mysterious +friend to the constable's house, hoping, no doubt, that they would be +able to crowd in to hear the constable bully the boys as he searched +them. One or two, who pretended to have missed things, managed to get +in. The bearded man told me to come in, as he said that I should be +needed as a witness. The others were driven out into the street, where, +I suppose, their monkey-minds soon found other game, a horse fallen +down, or a drunken woman in the gutter, to divert their idleness. Such +sights seem to attract a London crowd at once. + +The boys were strictly searched by the constable. The booty from their +pockets was turned out upon the table. + +“Now, sir,” said the constable to the bearded man, after he had made a +note of my story. “What is it they 'ad of you, sir?” + +“A shagreen leather pocket-book,” said the man. “There it is.” + +“This one?” said the constable. + +“Yes.” + +“Oh,” said the constable, opening the clasps, so that he could examine +the writing on the leaves. “What's inside?” + +“A lot of figures,” said the man. “Sums. Problems in arithmetic.” + +“Right,” said the constable, handing over the book. + +“Here you are, sir. What name, sir?” + +“Edward Jermyn.” + +“Edward German,” the constable repeated. + +“Where d' you live, sir?” + +“At Mr. Scott's in Fish Lane.” + +“Right, sir,” said the constable, writing down the address, “You must +appear tomorrow at ten before Mr. Garry, the magistrate. You, too, young +master, to give your evidence.” + +At this the boys burst out crying, begging us not to appear, using all +those deceptive arts which the London thieves practise from childhood. +I, who was new to the world's deceits, was touched to the marrow by +their seeming misery. The constable roughly silenced them. “I know you,” + he said. “I had my eye on you two ever since Christmas. Now you'll go +abroad to do a bit of honest work, instead of nickin' pockets. Stow your +blubbering now, or I'll give you Mogador Jack.” He produced “Mogador +Jack,” a supple shark's backbone, from behind the door. The tears +stopped on the instant. + +After this, the bearded man showed me the way back to Fish Lane, where +Ephraim, who was at the door, looking out for me, gave me a shrewd +scolding, for venturing out without a guide. + +Mr. Jermyn silenced him by giving him a shilling. The next day, Mr. +Jermyn took me to the magistrate's house, where the two thieves were +formally committed for trial. Mr. Jermyn told me that they would +probably be transported for seven years, on conviction at the +Assizes; but that, as they were young, the honest work abroad, in the +plantations, might be the saving of them. “So do not be so sad, Mr. +Martin,” he said. “You do not know how good a thing you did when you +looked out of the window yesterday. Do you know, by the way, how much my +book is worth?” + +“No, sir,” I said. + +“Well. It's worth more than the King's crown,” he said. + +“But I thought it was only sums, sir.” + +“Yes,” he said, with a strange smile. “But some sums have to do with a +great deal of money. Now I want you to think tonight of something to the +value of twenty pounds or so. I want to give you something as a reward +for your smartness. Don't decide at once. Think it over. Here we are at +our homes, you see. We live just opposite to each other.” + +We were standing at this moment in the narrow lane at my uncle's door. +As he spoke, he raised his hand in a farewell salute with that dignity +of gesture which was in all his movements. On the instant, to my +surprise, the door of the house opposite opened slowly, till it was +about half open. No one opened it, as I could see; it swung back of +itself. After my friend had stepped across the threshold it swung to +with a click in the same mysterious way. It was as though it had a +knowledge of Mr. Jermyn's mind, as though the raised hand had had a +magical power over it. When I went indoors to my uncle's house I was +excited. I felt that I was in the presence of something romantic, +something mysterious. I liked Mr. Jermyn. He had been very kind. But +I kept wondering why he wore a false beard, why his door opened so +mysteriously, why he valued a book of sums above the worth of a King's +crown. As for his offer of a present, I did not like it, though he had +not given me time to say as much. I remembered how indignant the Oulton +wherrymen had been when a gentleman offered them money for saving his +daughter's life. I had seen the man robbed, what else could I have done? +I could have done no less than tell him. I resolved that I would refuse +the gift when next I saw him. + +At dinner that day, I was full of Mr. Jermyn, much to my uncle's +annoyance. + +“Who is this Mr. Jermyn, Martin?” he asked. “I don't know him. Is he a +gentleman?” + +“Yes, uncle.” + +“Do you know him, Ephraim?” + +“No, sir. I know him by sight, sir. Gentleman who lives over the way, +Mr. Hyde.” + +“That's Mr. Scott's, though.” + +“No, sir. Mr. Jermyn's been there ever since February.” + +“But the house is empty.” + +“The lower floor is furnished, sir.” + +“Do you know anything of him? Do you know his man?” + +“They say he's in the fruit way, sir. In the Spanish trade. His men are +Spaniards. They do say he's not quite to be trusted.” + +“Who says this?” my uncle asked. + +“I don't like to mention names, sir,” Ephraim said. + +“Quite right. Quite right. But what do they say?” + +“Very queer things goes on in that 'ouse,” said Ephraim. “I don't 'ardly +like to say. But they think 'e raises the devil, sir. Awful noises goes +on there. I seen some things myself there, as I don't like to talk of. +Well. I saw a black bird as big as a man stand flapping in the window. +Then I seen eyes glaring out at the door. They give the 'ouse a bad +name, sir; everyone.” + +“H'm,” said my uncle. “What's he like, Martin, this Mr. Jermyn?” + +“A tall man, with a beard,” I answered. I thought it wrong to mention +that I knew the beard to be false. “He's always stroking the bridge of +his nose with his hand.” + +“Ha,” my uncle said, as though recognizing the trait. “But with a beard, +you tell me?” + +“Yes, sir. With a beard.” + +“H'm,” he answered, musing, “I must have a look at this Mr. Jermyn. +Remember, Martin, you're to have nothing more to do with him, till I +know a little more of what he is. You understand?” + +“Yes, uncle.” + +“One cannot be too careful in this town. I won't allow you in the +streets, Martin. No matter who has his pockets picked. I told you that +before.” + +“Please, uncle, may I go on the river, then, if I'm not to go into the +street? I'm used to boats.” + +“Yes. You may do that. But you're not to go on board the ships, mind.” + +“Beg pardon, sir,” Ephraim put in. “The fall at the Bridge is very +risky, sir.” + +“It is?” said my uncle, testily. “Then of course you can't go in a boat, +Martin. You must play in the garden, or read.” + + + +CHAPTER II. I LEAVE HOME AGAIN + +I thought Ephraim a pig for putting in that word about the fall. Though +I had only known Ephraim for a few days I disliked him perhaps as much +as he disliked me. He was angry (I could feel it) at having a boy in the +house, after many years of quiet alone with my uncle. I know that when +he had occasion to speak to me, he always went away muttering about my +being a charity brat who ought to be in the poor-house. Still, like most +servants, he vented most of his malice indirectly, as in this hint of +his about the river. I rose up from the dinner-table full of rebellion. +I would go on the river, I said to myself, fall or no fall. I would see +more of Mr. Jermyn, too. I would find out what went on in that house. I +would find out everything. In all this, of course, I was very wrong, +but having made sure that I was being treated unjustly I felt that I was +only doing right in rebelling. So after waiting till Ephraim was in the +pantry, washing up the dinner-things with the housemaid, I slipped down +the garden to the boat-house. The door was padlocked, as I had feared; +but with an old hammer-head I managed to pry off the staple. I felt like +a burglar when the lock came off in my hand. I felt that I was acting +deceitfully. Then the thought of Ephraim came over me, making me +rebellious to my finger-tips. I would go on the river, I said to myself, +I would go aboard all the ships in the Pool. I would show them all that +I could handle a boat anywhere. So in a moment my good angel was beaten. +I was in the boat-house, prying at the staple of the outer door, like +the young rogue that I was. Well, I paid a heavy price for that day of +disobedience. It was the most dearly bought day's row I ever heard of. + +It took me a few moments to open the outer door. Then, with a thrill of +pleasure, such as only those who love the water can fed, I thrust out +into the river, on to the last of the ebb, then fast ebbing. The fall +under the bridge at that state of the tide was truly terrifying. It +roared so loudly that I could hear nothing else. It boiled about the +bridge piers so fiercely that I was scared to see it. I had seen the sea +in storm; but then one does not put to sea in a storm. This waterfall +tumbled daily, even in a calm. I shuddered to think of small boats, +caught in the current above it, being drawn down, slowly at first, then +with a whirl, till all was whelmed in the tumble below the arches. I saw +how hatefully the back wash seemed to saunter back to the fall along the +banks. I thought that if I was not careful I might be caught in the back +wash, drawn slowly along it by the undertow, till the cataract sank +me. As I watched the fall, fascinated, yet scared by it, there came +a shooting rush, with shouts of triumph. A four-oared wherry with two +passengers shot through the arch over the worst of the water into the +quiet of the midstream. They waved to me, evidently very pleased with +their exploit. That set me wondering whether the water were really as +bad as it looked. My first feat was to back up cautiously almost to the +fall, till my boat was dancing so vigorously that I was spattered all +over. Standing up in the boat there, I could see the oily water, like a +great arched snake's back, swirl past the arch towards me, bubbleless, +almost without a ripple, till it showed all its teeth at once in +breaking down. The piers of the arches jutted far out below the fall, +like pointed islands. I was about to try to climb on the top of one +from the boat, a piece of madness which would probably have ended in my +death, but some boys in one of the houses on the bridge began to pelt +me with pebbles, so that I had to sheer off. I pulled down among the +shipping, examining every vessel in the Pool. Then I pulled down the +stream, with the ebb, as far as Wapping, where I was much shocked by +the sight of the pirates' gallows, with seven dead men hung in chains +together there, for taking the ship Delight, so a waterman told me, on +the Guinea Coast, the year before. I left my boat at Wapping Stairs, +while I went into a pastry-cook's shop to buy cake; for I was now +hungry. The pastry-cook was also a vintner. His tables were pretty well +crowded with men, mostly seafaring men, who were drinking wine together, +talking of politics. I knew nothing whatever about politics, but hearing +the Duke of Monmouth named I pricked up my ears to listen. My father had +told me, in his last illness, when the news of the death of Charles the +Second reached us, that trouble would come to England through this Duke, +because, he said, “he will never agree with King James.” Many people +(the Duke himself being one of them) believed that this James Scott, +Duke of Monmouth, was the son of a very beautiful woman by Charles the +Second, who (so the tale went) had married her in his wanderings abroad, +while Cromwell ruled in England here. I myself shall ever believe this +story. I am quite sure, now, in my own mind, that Monmouth was our +rightful King. I have heard accounts of this marriage of Charles the +Second from people who were with him in his wanderings. When Charles the +Second died (being poisoned, some said, by his brother James, who wished +to seize the throne while Monmouth was abroad, unable to claim his +rights) James succeeded to the crown. At the time of which I write he +had been King for about two months. I did not know anything about his +merits as a King; but hearing the name of Monmouth I felt sure, from the +first, that I should hear more of what my father had told me. + +One of the seamen, a sour-looking, pale-faced man, was saying that +Holland was full of talk that the Duke was coming over, to try for the +Kingdom. Another said that it wasn't the Duke of Monmouth but the Duke +of Argyle that was coming, to try, not for England, but for Scotland. A +third said that all this was talk, for how could a single man, without +twenty friends in the world, get through a cruising fleet? “How could he +do anything, even if he did land?” + +“Ah,” said another man. “They say that the West is ready to rally around +him. That's what they say.” + +“Well,” said the first, raising his cup. “Here's to King James, I say. +England's had enough of civil troubles.” The other men drank the toast +with applause. It is curious to remember how cautious people were in +those troublous days. One could never be sure of your friend's true +opinion. It was a time when there were so many spies abroad that +everybody was suspicious of his neighbour. I am sure that a good half +of that company was disloyal; yet they drank that toast, stamping their +feet, as though they would have shed their blood for King James with all +the pleasure in life. “Are you for King James, young waterman?” said one +of the men to me. “Yes,” I said, “I am for the rightful King.” At this +they all laughed. One of the men said that if there were many like me +the Duke of Monmouth might spare himself the trouble of coming over. + +I finished my cake quietly, after that. Then, as the tide was not yet +making, to help me back up the river, I wandered into Wapping fields, +where a gang of beggars camped. They were a dirtier, more troublesome +company than the worst of the Oulton gipsies. They crowded round me, +whining about their miseries, with the fawning smiles of professional +beggars. There were children among them who lied about their wants as +glibly as their parents lied. The Oulton beggars had taught me to refuse +such people, as being, nearly always, knaves; so I said that I had +nothing for them. I felt the hands of these thieves lightly feeling the +outsides of my pockets for something worth taking. One of them with +a sudden thrust upon me snatched my handkerchief. He tossed it to a +friend. As he started to run from me, a young man with an evil, weak +face pushed me backwards with a violent shove. I staggered back, from +the push, to fall over a boy who had crouched behind me there, ready to +upset me. When I got up, rather shaken from my fall, the dirty gang +was scattering to its burrow; for they lived, like beasts, in holes +scratched in the ground, thatched over with sacks or old clothes. +I hurried back toward Wapping in the hope of finding a constable to +recover my handkerchief for me. The constable (when I found him) refused +to stir until I made it worth his while. Sixpence was his fee, he said, +but he was sure that a handsome young gentleman like myself would not +grudge a sixpence to recover a handkerchief. On searching for my purse +(in which I had about two shillings) I found that that had gone, too, +“nicked” by these thieves. I told the Constable that my purse had been +stolen. + +“Oh,” he said. “How much was in it?” I told him. + +“Could you describe the man who took it?” + +“No.” I said. “I did not see the man take it.” + +“Then how do you know that anybody took it?” + +Of course I did not know that anybody had taken it but thought it highly +probable. “That won't do here,” he said, settling down in his chair to +his tobacco. “I'll look into it. If I hear of it, why, next time you +come here, you shall have it.” + +“But my handkerchief,” I said. + +“Sixpence is my fee,” the brute answered. “Do you want to rob a poor man +of his earnings? Why, what a rogue you must be, young master.” I tried +to move him to recover my handkerchief, but without success. At last, +growing weary of the sound of my pipe, as he said, he rounded on me. + +“If you don't run away 'ome,” he said, “I'll commit you for a nuisance. +Think I'm goin' to be bothered by yer. Be off, now.” + +At that, I set off down to the river. There I found two dirty little +boys in my uncle's boat, busy with the dipper, trying to fill her with +water. I boxed the ears of one of them, when the other, coming behind +me, hit me over the head with the stretcher. I turned sharply, giving +him a punch which made his nose bleed. The other, seeing his chance +(my back being turned) promptly soused me with the dipper. I saw that I +would have to settle one of them at a time, so, paying no attention +to the dipper, I followed up my blow on the nose with one or two more, +which drove the stretcher-boy out of the boat. The other was a harder +lad; who would, perhaps, have beaten me, had not a waterman on the +stairs taken my part. He took my enemy by the ear. “Get out of that,” he +said, giving him a kick. “If I catch you messing boats again, I'll give +you Mogador Jack.” I pushed off from the stairs then, glad to get away +with both oars. My enemies, running along the banks, flung stones at +me as long as I was in range. If I had had my sling with me, would have +warmed their legs for them. When was out of range of their shot, I laid +in my oars, so that I could bail. The boys had poured about six inches +of water into the boat. If the plug had been less tightly hammered in, +they would no doubt have sunk her at her painter by pulling it out. Then +should have been indeed in difficulty. It took me about twenty minutes +to bail the boat clear. As I bailed her, I thought that Londoners must +be the most unpleasant people in the world, since, already, in two days, +I had met so many knaves. It did not occur to me at the time that I was +a young knave, too, to be out in a stolen boat, against orders. I never +once thought how well I had been served for my disobedience. + +I had an uncomfortable journey upstream, for I was very wet from my +sousing. I loitered at the Tower to watch the garrison drilling with the +big guns. Then I loitered about among the ships, reading their names, or +even climbing their gangways to look at their decks. I lingered a long +time at the schooner La Reina, partly because she was much the prettiest +ship in the Pool, but partly because I was beginning to dread Ephraim. +I wondered whether Mr. Jermyn was on board of her. I was half tempted to +climb aboard to find out. I clambered partly up her gangway, so that I +could peer over the rail. To my surprise, I found that her hatches were +battened down as in ships ready for the sea. Her cargo of oranges, that +had smelt so sweetly, must have been a blind, for no ship, discharging +cargo the day before, could be loaded, ready for sea, within twenty-four +hours. Indeed, she was in excellent trim. She was not too light to put +to sea. No doubt, I said to myself, she has taken in ballast to equal +the weight of oranges sent ashore. But I knew just enough of ships to +know that there was some mystery in the business. The schooner could not +be the plain fruit-trader for which men took her. As I looked over her +rail, noting this, I said to myself that “here is another mystery with +which Mr. Jermyn has to do.” I felt a thrill of excitement go through +me. I was touching mysterious adventure at half a dozen different +points. I felt inclined to creep to the hatchway of the little cabin, to +listen there if any plots were being hatched. It was getting duskish by +this time, it must have been nearly seven o'clock. Two men came up the +cabin hatch together. One of them was Mr. Jermyn, the other a shorter +fellow, to whom Mr. Jermyn seemed extremely respectful. I wished not to +be seen, so I ducked down nimbly into my boat, drawing her forward by +a guess-warp, till I could row without being heard by them. I heard Mr. +Jermyn calling to a waterman; so very swiftly I paddled behind other +ships in the tier, without being observed. Then I paddled back to my +uncle's boat-house, the door of which, to my horror, was firmly fastened +against me. + + + +CHAPTER III. I LEAVE HOME A THIRD TIME + +I must have made some little noise at the door, trying to get in. At any +rate, Ephraim, who was waiting for such a signal, came forward with a +churlish glee to rate me. + +“So you're come back, Mr. Martin,” he said. “These are nice carryings-on +for a young gentleman.” I thought that I might as well be hanged for a +sheep as for a lamb. Ephraim's tone jarred me, so I told him to shut up, +as I didn't want any of his jaw. This rather staggered him, so I told +him further to open the boat-house, instead of standing like a stock, +as I wanted to moor the boat. He opened the door for me, glowering at me +moodily. “Mr. Hyde shall know of this,” he said when all was secured. He +caught me by the arm to drag me out of the boat-house; so I, expecting +this, rapped him shrewdly with the stretcher on the elbow. I thought for +a moment that he would beat me. I could see his face very fierce in the +dusk. I heard his teeth gritting. Then fear of my uncle restrained him. +All that he said was, “If I 'ad my way I'd 'ave it out of you for this. +A good sound whippin's what you want.” + +“Is it?” I asked contemptuously. “Lock the door.” + +Ephraim left me in the sitting-room while he made his report to my +uncle. It was not a long report. He returned in a few minutes to say +that I was to be locked into my room without supper. “Mr. 'Ide is in a +fine taking,” he said. “Per'aps 'e'll knock some of your pride out +of you.” I made no answer, but let him march me to my room, to the +execution of the sentence. “There,” he said, through the door, as he +turned the key on me. “Per'aps that'll bring you to your senses.” + +“Ephraim the stiff-neck!” I answered loudly; “Old Ephraim Stiff-neck! +Stiff-neck!” + +“Ah,” he answered, clumping down the corridor. He was thinking how small +I should sing when, in the morning, he gave me the option of apologizing +to him, or going without breakfast. + +It was pretty dark by this time. Fish Lane was as quiet as a country +road. No one was stirring there. I thought that, as my uncle would +shortly go to supper, I might soon venture out by the window, high up +as it was, to buy myself some food in the town. I liked the notion; but +when I came to look down from the window it seemed a giddy height from +the pavement. Going down would be easy; but getting back would be quite +another matter. Thinking it over, I remembered that I had seen a short +gardener's ladder hooked to the garden wall. If I could make a rope, by +which to let myself down, I could, I thought, make use of this ladder +to get back by, for it would cover nearly half the height to my window +sill, a full thirty feet from the ground. If, by standing on the upper +rungs, could reach within five yards of the window, I knew that I should +be able to scramble up so far by a rope. There was no difficulty about a +rope. I had a good eighteen yards of choice stout rope there in the room +with me, the lashings of my two trunks. I was about to pay this out into +the lane, when I thought that would be far more effective if I fashioned +a ladder for myself, using the two trunk lashings as the uprights. This +was a glorious thought. I tied the lashings together behind the wooden +bed-post which was to be my support in midair. Then I rummaged out a +hank of sailor's spunyarn, a kind of very strong tarred string, with +which to make my steps, or rungs, did not do this very well, for I was +working in the dark, but you may be sure that I made those steps with +all my strength, since my bones were to depend upon them. I ran short of +spunyarn before I had finished, so my last three steps were made of the +fire-irons. They made a good finish to the whole; for, being heavy, they +kept the ladder steady. At least thought that they would keep the ladder +steady, in the innocence of my heart. + +I was so excited, when I finished the tying of the tongs, that I almost +forgot to take some money from the little store which I kept locked up +in my trunk. A shilling would be ample, I thought; but I took rather +more than that, so as to be on the safe side. I took the precaution, +before leaving, of bolting my door from the inside, lest Ephraim should +visit me in my absence. + +Then, having tested all my knots, I paid out my ladder from the window. +No one was within sight along the lane. Downstairs they were at supper, +for I heard the dining-room bell ring. Very cautiously I swung myself +over the window ledge on my adventure. Now a rope ladder is an unsteady +thing at the best of times; but when I swung myself on to this one it +jumped about like a wild colt, banging the fire-irons against the wall, +making noise enough to raise the town. I had to climb down it on the +inner side, or I should have had Ephraim out to see what the matter was. +Even so, my heart was in my mouth, with fright, as I stepped on to the +pavement. After making sure that no one saw, I hooked up the lower ends +of my ladder as far as I could reach, so that a passer-by might run less +chance of seeing them. Then I scuttled off to the delights of Eastcheap, +thinking what glorious sport I could have with this ladder in time to +come. I thought of the moonlight adventures on the river, skulking along +in my boat, like a pirate on a night attack. I thought how, perhaps, I +should overhear gangs of highwaymen making their plans, or robbers in +their dens, carousing after a victory. It seemed to me that London might +be a wonderful place, to one with such a means of getting out at night. + +I ate a good supper at a cook-shop, sauntered about the streets for +awhile, then sauntered slowly home, after buying a tinder box, with +which to light my candies. I found my ladder dangling unnoticed, so I +nimbly climbed to my room, pulling it up after me, like the savages in +Polynesia. I lit my candles, intending to read; but I found that I was +far too well inclined to mischief to pay much heed to my book. Casting +about for something to do, I thought that I would open a little locked +door which led to some (apparently disused) room beyond my own. I had +some difficulty in breaking the lock of this door; but a naughty boy is +generally very patient. I opened it at last, with some misgivings as to +what my uncle might say on the morrow, though with the feeling that I +was a sort of conspirator, or, shall we say, a man haunting a house, +playing ghost, coming at night to his secret chamber. I was disappointed +with the room. Like my own room, it was nothing more than a long, bare +attic. It had a false floor, like many houses of the time, but there was +no thought of concealment here. Half a dozen of the long flooring planks +were stored in a stack against the wall, so that anyone could see what +lay in the hollow below. There was nothing romantic there. A long array +of docketed, ticketed bundles of receipts filled more than half the +space. I suppose that nearly every bill which my uncle had ever paid lay +there, gathering dust. The rest of the space was filled with Ephraim's +dirty old account books, jumbled higgledy-piggledy with collections of +printed, unbound sermons, such as used to be sold forty years before, in +the great Puritan time. I examined a few of the sermons, hoping to find +some lighter fare among them. I examined also a few of the old account +books, in the same hope. Other rubbish lay scattered in the corners +of the room; old mouse-eaten saddle-bags mostly. There were one or two +empty baskets, which had once been lined with silk. In one of them, I +can't think why, there was an old empty, dusty powder-horn, the only +thing in that room at all to my taste. I stuck it into my belt with a +scrap of spunyarn, feeling that it made me a wonderful piratical figure. +If I had had a lantern I should have been a very king there. + +As I sat among the rubbish there, with my pistol (a sailmaker's fid) in +my belt, it occurred to me that I would sit up till everyone had gone +to bed. Then, at eleven or twelve o'clock, I would, I thought, creep +downstairs, to explore all over the house, down even to the cellars. It +shocked me when I remembered that I was locked in. I dared not pick the +lock of that door. My scheme (after all) would have to wait for another +night, when the difficulties would be less. That scheme of mine has +waited until the present time. Though I never thought it, that was the +last hour I was to spend in my uncle's house. I walked past it, only the +other day, thinking how strange my life has been, feeling sad, too, that +I should never know to what room a door at the end of the upper passage +led. Well, I never shall know, now. I was a wild, disobedient young +rogue. Read on. + +When I decided not to pick the lock of my door I thought of the +mysterious Mr. Jermyn as an alternative excitement. I crept to my window +to look out at the house, watching it with a sort of terrified pleasure, +half expecting to see a ghost flapping his wings, outside the window. + +I was surprised to see that the window of the upper floor (which I knew +to be uninhabited) was open. I watched it, (it was just opposite) hoping +that something would happen. Presently two men came quickly up the lane +from the river. As they neared the house they seemed to me to shuffle in +their walk rather more than vas necessary. It must have been a signal, +for, as they came opposite the door, I saw it swing back upon its +hinges, as it had swung that morning, with Mr. Jermyn. Both men entered +the house swiftly, just as the city churches, one after the other, +chimed half-past nine o'clock. Almost directly afterwards I got the +start of my life. I was looking into the dark upper room across the +lane, expecting nothing, when suddenly, out of the darkness, so terribly +that I was scared beyond screaming, two large red eyes glowed, over +a mouth that trembled in fire. I started back in my seat, sick with +fright, but I could not take my eyes away. I watched that horrid thing, +with my hair stiffening on my head. Then in the room below it, the +luminous figure of an owl gleamed out. That was not the worst, either. I +heard that savage, “chacking” noise which brown owls make when they are +perched. This great gleaming owl, five times greater than any earthly +owl, was making that chacking noise, as though it would soon spread its +wings, to swoop on some such wretched mouse as myself. I could see its +eyes roll. I thought I saw the feathers stiffen on its breast. Then, +as the sweat rolled down my face, both the horrible things vanished as +suddenly as they had appeared. They were gone for more than a minute, +then they appeared again, only to disappear a second time. They were +exactly alike at each appearance. Soon my horror left me, for I saw that +the things disappeared at regular intervals. I found that I could time +each reappearance by counting ninety slowly from the instant the things +vanished. That calmed me. “I believe they're only clock-work,” I said to +myself. A moment later I saw Mr. Jermyn's head in sharp outline against +the brightness of the owl. He seemed to be fixing something with his +hand. It made me burst into a cackle of laughter, to find how easily +I had been scared. “Why, it's only clock-work,” I said aloud. “They're +carved turnips with candles inside them, fixed to a revolving pole, like +those we used to play with at Oulton, on the 5th of November.” My fear +was gone in an instant. I thought to myself how fine it would be if I +could get into that house, to stop the works, in revenge for the scare +they had given me. I wondered how I could do that. + + + +CHAPTER IV. I LEAVE HOME FOR THE LAST TIME + +I was thoroughly ripe for mischief of any kind; my scare had driven away +all desire for sleep. I looked at the window, wondering if it would be +best to go down my ladder again, to get the ladder in the garden. I +was about to do thus, when I remembered the planks in the box-room. How +splendid it would be, I thought, if I could get a couple of those long +planks across the lane as a sort of bridge. They were strong, thick +planks not likely to sag in the middle if I could only get them across. +Getting them across was the difficulty; for though I was strong for my +age, I found the first plank very contrary. After blowing out my candles +I fixed one end of the board under my heavy four-post bed, pointing the +other end out through the window, slanting upwards. Straddling across +it, I very gingerly edged it out, a hand's breadth at a time, till I had +some ten feet wagging about in the air over the lane. It was as much as +I could do unaided, to aim the thing. It seemed to have a wild, contrary +kind of life in it. Once or twice I came near to dropping it into the +lane, which would have been the end of everything. When I got it across, +the end caught on the window ledge for about ten perilous minutes. + +I was quite tired out before I got it properly across with two feet of +the end in the other house. I did not at all look forward to the job +of getting it back again after my trip. One plank was hardly safe, I +thought; so I slid a second over it, without much trouble. It seemed +firm enough then for anybody, no matter how heavy. So carefully I +straddled across it, hopping forward a little at a time, as though I +were playing leap-frog. When once I had started, I was much too nervous +to go back. My head was strong enough. I was well used to being high up +in trees. But the danger of this adventure made me dizzy. At every hop +the two planks clacked together. I could feel the upper plank shaking +out behind me a little to one side of the other. Then a tired waterman +shambled slowly up from the river, carrying his oars. He passed +underneath me, while I was in mid-air. It was lucky for me, I thought, +that few people when walking look above their own heads. He passed on +without seeing me. I waited up aloft till he had gone, feeling my head +grow dizzier at each second. I was, I trust, truly thankful when I was +able to dive down over the window-sill into the strange house. When I +had rested for a moment, I felt that it was not so difficult after all. +“Going back,” I said to myself, “will be much less ticklish.” Turning +my head, I saw the eyes of the devil-face glaring at me. They smelt very +strongly of kitchen tallow. + +I was not in the least frightened. I crept cautiously along the floor, +on tip-toe, to examine the contrivance. A hollow shaft of light wood, +a sort of big wooden pipe, led down through the floor, probably to the +ground-floor or basement, much as a mast goes down through a ship's +decks into the hold. It was slowly revolving, being worked by some +simple, not very strong mill-contrivance downstairs. A shelf had been +fixed up inside the pipe. On the shelf (as I could see by looking in) +was a tallow candle in a sconce. Two oval bits of red glass, let into +the wood, made the eyes of this lantern-devil. The mouth was a smear of +some gleaming stuff, evidently some chemical. This was all the monster +which had frightened me. The clacking noise was made by the machine +which moved it round. As for the owl, that was probably painted with the +same chemical. People were more superstitious then than now. I have no +doubt that an ignorant person like Ephraim, who had lived all his life +in London, had been scared out of his wits by this machine. Like most +ignorant people, he probably reckoned the thing as devilish, merely +because he did not understand it. One or two neighbours, a housemaid +or so, perhaps, had seen it, too. On the strength of their reports the +house had gotten a bad name. The two unoccupied floors had failed to +get tenants, while Mr. Jermyn, the contriver of the whole, had been left +alone, as no doubt he had planned. I thought that Londoners must be a +very foolish people to be so easily misled. Now that I am older, I see +that Londoners often live in very narrow grooves. They are apt to be +frightened at anything to which they have not been accustomed; unless, +of course, it is a war, when they can scream about themselves so loudly +that they forget that they are screaming. + +I examined the machine critically, by its own candle, which I removed +for the purpose. I meant to fix up one very like it in Ephraim's +bed-room as soon as I found an opportunity. Then I looked about the +room for some other toy, feeling in a fine state of excitement with +the success of my adventure. The room was quite bare. But for this +ghost-machine, there was nothing which could interest me, except a +curious drawing, done with a burnt stick on the plaster of the wall, +of a man-of-war under sail. After examining this drawing, I listened +carefully at the door lest my faint footsteps should have roused someone +below. I could hear no one stirring; the house was silent. “I must be +careful,” I said to myself. “They all may have gone to bed.” Understand, +I did not know then what I was doing. I was merely a wrong-headed boy, +up to a prank, begun in a moment of rebellion. When I paused in the +landing, outside the ghost-room, shading the candle with my hand, I was +not aware that I was doing wrong. I was only thinking how fine it would +be to find out about Mr. Jermyn, before crawling back, over the plank, +to my bed. I wanted to steal about these deserted floors, like a +conspirator; then, having, perhaps, found out about the mystery, to go +back home. It did not enter my head that I might be shot as a burglar. +My original intention, you must remember, had only been to stop the +works of the ghost. It was later on that my intention became criminal, +instead of merely boyish, or, in other words, crack-brained. As to +stopping the ghost, I could not stop the revolving pipe. I could do no +more than take away the light from the ghost-face. As for the owl on the +lower floor, when I came to it, could not do so much, for it was a great +big picture on board, done in some shining paint. I had nothing with +which I could smear it over, nor could I reach the head. As for stopping +the machine, that I dared not attempt to do, lest I should bring someone +up to me, from the works, wherever they were. Standing by the ghost of +the owl, hearing the chack-chack of the machine at intervals below me, +I became aware of voices in the room downstairs. When the chack-chack +stopped, I could hear men talking. I could hear what they said, for they +were talking in the ordinary tone of conversation. There was an open +space as it happened, all around the great pipe, where it passed through +the floor. I could peep through this into the room below, getting a +good sight of what was going on. It was very wicked of me, for there is +nothing quite so contemptible as an eavesdropper, but I could not resist +the temptation to look down. When once I had looked down I am ashamed to +say that I listened to what the men were saying. But first of all, I put +out my candle, lest anyone looking up should see the light through the +open space. + +At the head of the table, there was a very handsome man, dressed all in +black, as though in mourning. His beauty was so great that afterwards +it passed into a proverb. Later in the year, when I saw this gentleman +nearly every day, I noticed that people (even those who did not know who +he was) would look after him when he passed them. I will say only this +about his handsomeness. It was a bodily kind of beauty, of colour +rather than of form; there was not much character in it. Had he lived, +I daresay he would have become ugly like the rest of his family, none of +whom, except his great-great-grandmother, was accounted much for looks. + +Next to this handsome man, on the right, sat Mr. Jermyn, looking fifteen +years younger without his false beard. Then came a very black-looking +man, with a face all eyebrows. Then a soldier in uniform. Then a little, +wiry man, who jumped about as though excited--I could only see him when +he jumped: he had an unpleasant, saturnine face, which frightened me. +That, as far as I could see, was the whole company. When I first began +to listen, the man in uniform was speaking to the handsome man at the +head of the table. I knew at once, when he said Your Majesty, that he +was talking to James, the Duke of Monmouth, of whom I had heard that +afternoon. + +“No, your Majesty,” he said. “No, your Majesty,” he repeated, “I can't +answer for the army. If things had been different in February” (he +meant, “if you had been in England when Charles II died”) “there would +have been another King in England. As it is, I'm against a rising.” + +“Don't you think his Majesty could succeed by raising an army in the +West?” said Mr. Jermyn. “The present usurper (he meant James II) is a +great coward. The West is ripe to rebel. Any strong demonstration +there would paralyse him. Besides, the army wouldn't fire on their own +countrymen. We'd enough of that in the Civil War. What do you think of a +Western rising?” + +The soldier smiled. “Ah no,” he said. “No, your Majesty. Whatever you +do, Sire, don't do it with untrained men. A rising in the West would +only put you at the head of a mob. A regiment of steady trained men in +good discipline can destroy any mob in twenty minutes. No, your Majesty. +No. Don't try. it, Sire.” + +“Then what do you advise, Lane?” said the Duke. + +“I would say wait, your Majesty. Wait till the usurper, the poisoner, +commits himself with the Papists. When he's made himself thoroughly +unpopular throughout the country, then sound a few regiments. It's only +a matter of a year or two. If you'll wait for a year or two you'll see +yourself invited over. Besides, a sudden rising in the West must fail, +sir. Your Majesty would be in between two great garrisons, Bristol and +Portsmouth. We can't be sure that either would be true to us.” + +“Yes,” the Duke answered. “Yes, Lane. But as I plan it, the army will +be tempted north. Argyle will make a strong feint in Scotland, with the +great clans, just when the Western gentry declare for us.” + +“I take it,” Lane answered, “that Argyle has sounded the clans. He +knows, I suppose, what force of drilled men will rally to him. You know +nothing, sir, about the West. You know that many men are for you; but +you know not how many nor how good. You will need mounted men, sir, +if you are to dash down upon London with any speed. You cannot raise +cavalry in a week. All that you will get in the West will be squireens, +or dashing young farmers, both kinds unaccustomed to being ordered; both +kinds totally unfitted for war.” + +“Yes,” said the saturnine little man. “But a rising in the West would +have this natural effect. Argyle will draw troops to the north, as his +Majesty has explained. Very well, then. Let Devon declare for the King, +the business will be done. The usurper will not dare to send the few +troops left to him out of the capital, lest the town should rise on +him.” + +“Very true. True. A good point,” said the man with the eyebrows. + +“I think that disposes of your argument, Lane,” said the Duke, with a +smile. + +“It's a supposition, sir, against a certainty. I've told you of a +military danger. Falk, there, only tells you of a bare, military +possibility.” + +“But it's as certain as anything can be,” said the man with the +eyebrows. “You can see. That's just what must happen.” + +“It is what may happen if you wait for a year or two, your Majesty,” + Lane replied. “But a newly crowned King is always popular. I doubt if +you will find public opinion so much on your side, your Majesty. No for +a year or two, till he's made himself disliked. They've settled down +now to this usurper. They'll resent an interruption. The trades-men will +resent an interruption.” + +“I think you over-rate the difficulties, Lane,” said Mr. Jermyn. + +“Yes,” said the Duke, “I'm a great believer in putting a matter to the +test. Much must necessarily be left to chance. If we wait, we may not +find public opinion turning against our enemies. We may even lose the +good opinion of the West by waiting. Besides, by waiting, Lane, we +should lose the extraordinary: help of Argyle's diversion in the north.” + +“Yes,” the others said in chorus. “We mustn't lose that. A rising this +early summer, when the roads are good. A rising as soon as Argyle is +ready.” + +“Well, your Majesty,” said Lane, shaking his head. “I see you're +resolved. You shall not find me backward when the time comes, for all my +doubts at this meeting. To your Majesty's happy success.” They all drank +the toast; but I noticed that Mr. Lane looked melancholy, as though he +foresaw something of what actually happened in that terrible June. + +“Very good,” said the Duke, “I thank you, gentlemen. Now, Jermyn. We +two shall have to be off to the Low Countries in another half hour. How +about messengers to the West? You, Lane, are tied here to your regiment. +Falk, how about you, Falk?” + +“No, your Majesty,” said Falk. “There's danger in sending me. I'm +suspected. I'm known to be in your interests.” + +“You, then, Candlish,” said the Duke to the man with the eyebrows. + +“Not me, Sire,” said Candlish. “I can't disguise myself. I'm stamped by +nature for the paths of virtue.” + +“It would be a good thing,” said Falk, “if we could get some Western +carrier.” + +“The Western carriers are all watched,” Lane replied. “They are +followed, wherever they go, as on as they arrive at their inns here.” + +“Haven't you found some more gipsies, Falk?” Candlish asked. “The last +gipsy we had was very good.” + +“He was caught by a press-gang,” said Falk, “Gipsies aren't to be +trusted, though. They would sell us at once if they had the chance. +Ramon was an exception.” + +Mr. Jermyn had risen at the Duke's last speech as though to put on +his coat, ready to leave the house.. The Duke was listening to the +conversation, making 'idle sketches, as he listened, on the paper before +him, I think I hardly realised, as I craned over the open space, that +I had been listening to a conversation which would have condemned all +present to death for treason. I repeated to myself, in a dazed sort of +way, that the West was ready to rise. “King James is an usurper,” I said +softly. “These men are going to rebel against him. There's going to be +a civil war in England about it.” I had hardly repeated this to myself, +when it came over me with a shock that I was in terrible personal +danger. The men were just leaving the house. They would probably look +up, on leaving, to see what sort of a night it was. They would see my +wonderful bridge. It would be all over with me then. I was so I could +hardly stand up. I took a few cautious steps towards the door, saying +to myself that I would never again be disobedient if I might escape this +once. I was at the door, just about to open it, when I heard a step upon +the landing just outside, coming towards me. I gave up hope then; but I +had just sense enough to step to my left, so that, when the door should +open (if the stranger entered) it might, possibly, screen me from him. +Then I heard the Duke's voice from down below calling to Mr. Jermyn. + +“Jermyn,” he called. “Bring down my books, will you. They're on my bed. +What are you doing up there?” + +“Just seeing to the ghosts, your Majesty. I won't keep you waiting.” + +“I'll come, too,” he answered. “I'd like to see your ghosts again.” Then +I heard Mr. Jermyn loitering at the stair-head while the Duke left the +council-room. My hair was rising on my scalp; there was cold sweat on my +forehead; it was as much as I could do to keep my teeth from chattering. +I heard the Duke's feet upon the stairs; there were eleven stairs, +I counted them. Presently I heard him say, “Now, Jermyn.” Then came +Jermyn's answer of “This way, your Majesty.” He flung the door wide +open, so that the Duke might enter. The two men passed into the room to +examine the horrible owl. The Duke chuckled as the machine moved round +to him. “How bright he keeps,” he said. “Yes,” Jermyn answered. “He +won't need painting for a long while yet.” “No,” the Duke answered, “I +hear, Jermyn, he's given you a most uncanny reputation.” “Yes,” said +Jermyn, “the house has a bad name. What in the world is this?” + In walking round the owl his foot had struck upon the unlucky tin +candle-sconce which I had brought from the room above. “Sounds like +a tin candle-stick,” said the Duke. “Yes,” said Mr. Jermyn, groping. +“That's what it is. Now how in the world did it get here? It's the +candle-stick from the dragon's head in the room above.” “Are you sure, +Jermyn?” the Duke asked, in a voice which showed that he was agitated. +“Yes, sir. Quite sure. But no one's been up there.” “There must be +a spy,” said the Duke. The two voices spoke together for a moment in +whispers. I could not hear what they said; but a moment later I heard +the rasping, clinking noise of two swords being drawn. “Come out of +that,” said Mr. Jermyn's voice. I felt that I was discovered; but I +dared not stir from my covert. I heard the two men walking swiftly to +the door. A hand plucked it from in front of me. I shrank back into the +wall, covering my eyes with my hands, so that I should not see the two +long sword-blades pointing at my throat. “Make no sound. Make no sound, +now,” said the Duke, pressing his sword-point on my chest, so that I +could feel it thrust hard upon me, as though it needed very little force +to send it through. I made no sound. + +“Who are you?” said Mr. Jermyn, backing to the opening in the floor. +“Kill him if he moves, sir. Candlish, Candlish. Bring a light. Bring a +light. We've caught a moth.” + +I tried to swallow, but my throat seemed choked with dust. I heard the +people downstairs bustling out of the room with candles. I tried to +speak; but I could not. I was too much scared. I stood pressed hard +against the wall, with the Duke's sword-point still in place. + +“Bring it in here, Candlish,” said Mr. Jermyn. There came a clattering +noise from the window. Mr. Jermyn had released some heavy rolled up +curtain-blinds, which covered the whole window. There was no chance, +now, of being seen from the street, or from my uncle's house. Candlish +entered carrying a candle. + +The others followed at his heels. + +“A boy. Eh?” he said. + +“What do you do here?” the Duke asked, staring hard at me. + +“He's frightened out of his wits, sir,” said Lane. “We aren't going to +hurt you, boy, if you'll only tell the truth.” + +“Why,” said Mr. Jermyn. “It's Martin Hyde, nephew to old Hyde across the +way.” + +“But he's overheard us,” put in Falk. “He's overheard us.” + +“Come on downstairs. Bring him with you,” said the Duke. Lane took me by +one arm. Mr. Jermyn took me by the other. They marched me downstairs to +the council-room. + +“Here, boy,” said Candlish, not unkindly. “Drink this wine.” He made +me swallow a glass of Burgundy, which certainly did me a great deal of +good. I was able to speak after drinking it. + +“Now, Mr. Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn. “How do you come to be in this house?” + +“Take your time, boy,” said Lane. + +“He's not a London boy?” said the Duke to Mr. Jermyn. + +“No, sir,” he answered in a whisper. “Just come here from the country.” + +“Please, your Majesty,” I began. + +“So you're a young rebel,” said the Duke. “That shows he overheard us,” + said Falk. + +“Let him alone, Falk,” the Duke said. + +“He'll tell the truth. No use in frightening him.” + +“Please, your Majesty,” I said again, “I was locked up in my room for +taking my uncle's boat this afternoon.” One of two of them smiled when I +said this: it gave me confidence. + +“But how did you get into this house?” Mr. Jermyn asked. + +“Please, sir,” I answered, “I saw your upper window open. So I laid a +couple of planks across the lane from my window. Then I just straddled +across, sir.” + +“Are you used to burglary, may I ask?” said the Duke. + +“No, your Majesty. But I saw the ghosts. I wanted to see how they were +made.” + +“Well. That's one for you, Jermyn,” said Lane. “Your ghosts haven't +frightened this one.” + +“Sir,” I answered. “They frightened me horribly. I wanted to be revenged +for that. But after a bit I was sure they were only clockwork. I wanted +to stop them. I did stop the devil upstairs, sir.” + +“So you stopped the devil upstairs,” the Duke said. “What did you do +then?” + +“I came down to this room, sir. I looked at the owl. But I couldn't +see how to stop the owl, sir. I saw you all sitting round the room. I'm +afraid I listened, sir.” + +“That was not a gentlemanly thing to do,” said Lane. “Was it now?” + +“No, sir.” + +“You understood all that was said. Eh, boy?” said Candlish. + +“Yes, sir. I understood it all.” + +“Well, young man,” said Falk. “You'll be sorry you did.” + +“Be quiet, Falk,” said the Duke. “No one shall bully the boy. What's +your name, boy?” + +“Martin Hyde, sir.” + +“A very smart lad too, sir,” said Jermyn. “He saved my book of cipher +correspondence yesterday. We should have been in trouble if that had got +into the wrong hands.” + +“You understand,” said the Duke, “that what you have heard might get us +all, perhaps many more besides ourselves, into very terrible danger if +repeated?” + +“Yes, your Majesty, I understand,” I answered. “Lock him into the +pantry, Jermyn,” said the Duke, “while we decide what to do with him. Go +with Mr. Jermyn, boy. We sha'n't hurt you. Don't be frightened. Give him +some oranges, Jermyn.” + + + +CHAPTER V. I GO TO SEA + +Mr. Jermyn led me to the pantry (a little room on the ground floor), +where he placed a plate of oranges before me. + +“See how many you can eat,” he said. “But don't try to burgle yourself +free. This is a strong room.” He locked the heavy door, leaving me alone +with a well-filled pantry, which seemed to be without a window. A little +iron grating near the ceiling served as a ventilator. There was no +chance of getting out through that. The door was plated with iron. The +floor was of concrete. I was a prisoner now in good earnest. I was +no longer frightened; but I had had such scares that night that I had +little stomach for the fruit. I was only anxious to be allowed to go +back to my bed. I heard a dull noise in the upper part of the house, +followed by the falling of a plank. “There goes my bridge,” I thought. +“Are they going to be so mean as to call my uncle out of bed, to show +him what I've been doing?” I thought that perhaps they would do this, as +my uncle (for all that I knew) might be in their plot. “Well,” I said to +myself, “I shall get a good thrashing. Perhaps that brute Ephraim will +be told to thrash me. But thrashing or no, I've had enough of going out +at night. I'll ask my uncle not to thrash me, but to put me into the +Navy. I should love that. I know that I shall never get on in London.” + This sudden plan of the Navy, about which I had never before thought, +seemed to me to be a good way of getting out of my deserts. I felt sure +that my uncle would be charmed to be rid of me; while I knew very well +that boys of that generation often entered the Navy, in the care of +the captains, as naval cadets (or, as they were then called, “captain's +servants”) at the ages of eight or nine. I wondered why the debate +lasted so long. Naturally, in that gloomy little prison, lit by a single +tallow candle, with all my anxieties heavy on my mind, the time passed +slowly. But they were so long in making up their minds that it seemed +as though they had forgotten me. I began to remember horrible tales of +people shut up in secret rooms until they starved to death, or till the +rats ate them. I remembered the tale of the nun being walled up in a +vault of her convent, brick by brick, till the last brick shut off the +last glimmer of the bricklayer's lantern, till the last layer of mortar +made for her the last sound she would hear, the patting clink of the +trowel on the brick, before it was all horrible dark silence for ever. +I wondered how many people had been silenced in that way. I wondered how +long I should live, if that was what these men decided. + +My fears were ended by the opening of the door. “Come on,” said Mr. +Lane. “This way,” He led me back to the council-room, where all the +conspirators sat at their places by the table. I noticed that Mr. Jermyn +(cloaked now, as for travel) was wearing his false beard again. + +“Mr. Hyde,” the Duke said. “I understand that you are well disposed to +my cause.” + +“Yes, your Majesty,” I answered; though indeed I only followed what my +father had told me. I had no real knowledge about it, one way or the +other. I knew only what others had told me. Still, in this instance, as +far as I have been able to judge by what I learned long afterwards, +I was right. The Duke had truly a claim to the throne; he was also a +better man than that disgraceful king who took his place. + +“Very well, Mr. Hyde,” the Duke answered. “Have you any objections to +entering my service?” + +I was not very sure of what he meant; it came rather suddenly upon me, +so I stammered, without replying. + +“His Majesty means, would you like to join our party?” said Mr. Lane. +“To be one of us. To serve him abroad.” + +I was flushed with pleasure at the thought of going abroad, among a +company of conspirators. I had no knowledge of what the consequences +might be, except that I should escape a sound whipping from my uncle or +from Ephraim. I did not like the thought of living on in London, with +the prospect of entering a merchant's office at the end of my boyhood. +I thought that in the Duke's service I should soon become a general, so +that I might return to my uncle, very splendidly dressed, to show him +how well I had managed my own life for myself. I thought that life was +always like that to the adventurous man. Besides I hoped that I should +escape school, the very thought of which I hated. Looking at the matter +in that secret council-room, it seemed so very attractive. It seemed to +give me a pathway of escape, whichever way I looked at it, from all that +I most disliked. + +“Yes, your Majesty,” I said, “I should very much like to enter your +service.” + +“You understand, Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn, “that we are engaged in a very +dangerous work. It is so dangerous that we should not be justified in +allowing you to go free after what you have heard tonight. But its very +danger makes it necessary that we should tell you something of what your +work under his Majesty will be, before you decide finally to throw in +your lot with us. It is one thing to be a prisoner among us, Hyde; +but quite another to be what is called a rebel, engaged in treasonable +practices against a ruling King.” + +“Still,” said Lane, “don't think that your imprisonment with us would be +unpleasant. If you would rather not join us, you have only to say so. +We shall then send you over to Holland, where you will, no doubt, +find plenty of boats with which to amuse yourself. You will be kept in +Holland till a certain much-wished event takes place, about the middle +of June. After that you will be brought back here to your uncle who, by +that time, will have forgiven you.” + +“That's a very pretty ladder you made,” said the Duke. “You've evidently +lived among sailors.” + +“Among fishermen mostly, your Majesty,” I said “My father was rector in +the Broads country.” I knew from his remark that someone had been across +to my uncle's house to remove all traces of my bridge. My ladder, I +knew, would now be dangling from my window, to show by which way I had +escaped. + +“We want you, Hyde,” Mr. Jermyn said. “That is--we shall want you in +the event of your joining us, to be our messenger to the West. You will +travel continually from Holland to the West of England, generally to the +country near Taunton, but sometimes to Exeter, sometimes still further +to the West. You will carry letters sewn into the flap of your leather +travelling satchel. You will travel alone by your own name, giving out, +in case any one should ask you, that you are going to one of certain +people, whose names will be given to you. There will be no danger to +yourself; for the persons to whom you will be sent are not suspected; +indeed one of them is a clergyman. We think that a boy will have less +difficulty in getting about the country in its present state than any +man, provided, of course, that you travel by different routes on each +journey. If, however, by some extraordinary chance, you should be caught +with these letters in your wallet, we shall take steps to bring you off; +for we have a good deal of power, in one way or another, by which we +get things done. Still, it may well fall out, Hyde, in spite of all +our care, that you will come into the hands of men with whom we have no +influence. If you should, (remember, it is quite possible) you will be +transported to serve in one of the Virginian or West Indian plantations. +That will be the end of you as far as we are concerned. We shan't +be able to help you then. If you think the cause is right, join us, +provided that you do not think the risks too great.” + +“If all goes well,” said the Duke, “if the summer should prove +prosperous, I may be able to reward a faithful servant, even if he is +only a boy.” + +“I will serve your Majesty gladly,” I answered. “I should like to join +your service.” + +“Very well then, Jermyn,” he said, rising swiftly on his way to the +door; “bring him on board at once.” + +“We're off to Holland tonight, in the schooner there,” said Mr. Jermyn. +“So put these biscuits in your pocket. Give him another glass of wine, +Falk. Now, then. Good-bye, Lane. Good-bye everybody.” + +“Good-bye,” they said. “Good-bye, boy.” In another minute we were in +the narrow road, within earshot of the tumbling water, going down to the +stairs at the lane end, to take boat. The last that I saw of my uncle's +house was the white of my ladder ropes, swinging about against the +darkness of the bricks. + +“Remember, Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn in a low voice, “that his Majesty is +always plain Mr. Scott. Remember that. Remember, too, that you are never +to speak to him unless he speaks to you. But you won't have much to do +with him. Were you ever at sea, before?” + +“No, sir. Only about the Broads in a coracle.” + +“You'll find it very interesting, then. If you're not seasick. Here we +are at the boat. Now, jump in. Get into the bows.” + +“Mr. Scott” was already snug under a boat-cloak in the sternsheets. As +soon as we had stepped in, the boatman shoved off. The boat rippled the +water into a gleaming track as she gathered way. We were off. I was on +my way to Holland. I was a conspirator, travelling with a King. There +ahead of me was the fine hull of the schooner La Reina, waiting to carry +us to all sorts of adventure, none of them (as I planned them then) so +strange, or so terrible, as those which happened to me. As we drew up +alongside her, I heard the clack-clack of the sailors heaving at the +windlass. They were getting up the anchor, so that we might sail from +this horrible city to all the wonderful romance which awaited me, as I +thought, beyond, in the great world. Five minutes after I had stepped +upon her deck we were gliding down on the ebb, bound for Holland. + +“Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn, as we drew past the battery on the Tower +platform, “do you see the high ground, beyond the towers there?” + +“Yes, sir,” I said. + +“Do you know what that is?” + +“No, sir.” + +“That's Tower Hill,” he answered, “where traitors, I mean conspirators +like you or me, are beheaded. Do you know what that means?” + +“Yes, sir,” I replied. “To have your head cut off.” + +“Yes,” he said. “With all that hill black with people. The scaffold hung +with black making a sort of platform in the middle. Then soldiers, with +drums, all round. You put your head over a block, so that your neck +rests on the wood. Then the executioner comes at you with an axe. Then +your head is shown to the people. 'This is the head of a traitor.' We +may all end in that way, on that little hill there. You must be very +careful how you carry the letters, Hyde.” + +After this hint, he showed me a hammock in the schooner's 'tweendecks, +telling me that I should soon be accustomed to that kind of bed. “It is +a little awkward at first,” he said, “especially the getting in part; +but, when once snugly in, it is the most comfortable kind of bed in the +world.” After undressing by the light of a huge ship's lantern, which +Mr. Jermyn called a battle-lantern, I turned into my hammock, rather +glad to be alone. Now that I was pledged to this conspiracy business, +with some knowledge of what it might lead to, I half wished myself well +out of it. The 'tweendecks was much less comfortable than the bedroom +which I had left so gaily such a very little time before. I had +exchanged a good prison for a bad one. The smell of oranges, so near to +the hold in which they were stored, was overpowering, mixed, as it was, +with the horrible ship-smell of decaying water (known as bilge-water) +which flopped about at each roll a few feet below me. My hammock was +slung in a draught from the main hatchway. People came down the hatchway +during the night to fetch coils of rope or tackles. Tired as I was, I +slept very badly that first night on board ship. The schooner seemed to +be full of queer, unrelated movements. The noise of the water slipping +past was like somebody talking. The striking of the bells kept me from +sleeping. I did not get to sleep till well into the middle watch (about +two in the morning) after which I slept brokenly until a rough voice +bawled in my ear to get up out of that, as it was time to wash down. + +I put my clothes on hurriedly, wondering where I should find a basin +in which to wash myself. I could see none in the 'tweendecks; but I +supposed that there would be some in the cabins, which opened off the +'tweendecks on each side. Now a 'tweendecks (I may as well tell you +here) is nothing more than a deck of a ship below the upper deck. If +some of my readers have never been in a ship, let them try to imagine +themselves descending from the upper deck--where all the masts stand--by +a ladder fixed in a square opening known as a hatchway. About six feet +down this ladder is the 'tweendecks, a long narrow room, with a ceiling +so low that unless you bend, you bump your head against the beams. + +If you will imagine a long narrow room, only six feet high, you will +know what a 'tweendecks is like. Only in a real 'tween-decks it is +always rather dark, for the windows (if you care to call them so) are +thick glass bull's-eyes which let in very little light. A glare of light +comes down the hatchways. Away from the hatchways a few battle-lanterns +are hung, to keep up some pretence of light in the darkest corners. At +one end of this long narrow room in La Reina a wooden partition, running +right across from side to side, made a biggish chamber called “the +cabin,” where the officers took their meals. A little further along the +room, one on each side of it, were two tiny partitioned cabins, about +seven feet square, in which the officers slept, two in each cabin one +above the other, in shelf-beds, or bunks. My hammock had been slung +between these cabins, a little forward of them. When I turned out, I +saw that the rest of the 'tweendecks was piled with stores of all kinds, +lashed down firmly to ringbolts. Right forward, in the darkness of the +ship's bows, I saw other hammocks where the sailors slept. + +I was wondering what I was to do about washing, when the rough man who +had called me a few minutes before came down to ask me why I was not up +on deck. I said that I was wondering where I could wash myself. + +“Wash yourself,” he said. “You haven't made yourself dirty yet. You +don't wash at sea till your work's done for the day. Why, haven't you +lashed your hammock yet?” + +“Please, sir,” I said, “I don't know how.” + +“Well, for once,” he said, “I'll show you how. Tomorrow you'll do it for +yourself.” + +“There,” he said, when he had lashed up the hammock, by what seemed to +me to be art-magic, “don't you say you don't know how to lash a 'ammick. +I've showed you once. Now shove it in the rack there. Up on deck with +you.” + +I ran up the ladder to the deck, thinking that this was not at all the +kind of service which I had expected. When I got to the deck I felt +happier; for it was a lovely bright morning. The schooner was under all +sail, tearing along at what seemed to me to be great speed. We were +out at sea now. England lay behind us, some miles away. I could see the +windows gleaming in a little town on the shore. Ships were in sight, +with rollers of foam whitening under them. Gulls dipped after fish. The +clouds drove past. A fishing boat piled with fish was labouring up to +London, her sails dark with spray. On the deck of the schooner some +barefooted sailors were filling the wash-deck tubs at a hand-pump. One +man was at work high aloft on the topsail yard, sitting across the yard +with his legs dangling down, keeping his seat (as I thought) by balance. +I found the scene so delightful that I gazed at it like a boy in a +trance, was still staring, when the surly boor who had called me (he was +the schooner's mate it seemed) came up behind me. + +“Well,” he said, in the rough, bullying speech of a sailor, “do ye see +it?” + +“See what, sir?” + +“What you're looking at.” + +“Yes, sir,” I answered. + +“Then you got no butter in your eyes, then. Why ain't you at work?” + +“What am I to do, sir?” + +“Do,” he said. “Ain't you Mr. Scott's servant?” + +“Yes, sir.” + +“Then get a bucket of fresh water out of the cask there. Take this +scrubber. You'll find some soap in the locker there. Now scrub out the +cabin as quick as you know how.” + +He showed me down to the cabin. It was a dingy, dirty little room about +twelve feet square over all, but made, in reality, much smaller by the +lockers which ran along each side. + +It was lighted by two large wooden ports, known as “chase ports,” + through which the chase guns or “stern-chasers pointed. Only one gun (a +long three pounder on a swivel) was mounted; for guns take up a lot of +room. With two guns in that little cabin there would not have been room +enough to swing a cat. You need six feet for the proper swinging of a +cat, so a man-of-war boatswain told me. The cat meant is the cat of nine +tails with which they used to flog seamen. To flog properly one needs a +good swing, so my friend said. + +“There you are,” said the mate of the schooner. “Now down on your knees. +Scrub the floor here. See you get it mucho blanco.” + +He left me feeling much ashamed at having to work like a common ship's +boy, instead of like a prince's page, which is what I had thought +myself. Like many middle-class English boys I had been brought up to +look on manual work as degrading. I was filled with shame at having +to scrub this dirty deck. I, who, only yesterday, had lorded it over +Ephraim, as though I were a superior being. You boys who go to good +schools try to learn a little humbleness. You may think your parents +very fine gentlefolk; but in the world, outside a narrow class, the +having gentle parents will not help one much. It may be that you, for +all your birth, have neither the instincts nor the intellect to preserve +the gentility your parents made for you. You are no gentleman till +you have proved it. Your right level may be the level of the betting +publican, or of the sneak-thief, or of things even lower than these. It +is nothing to be proud of that your parents are rich enough to keep your +hands clean of joyless, killing toil, at an age when many better men +are old in slavery. Try to be thankful for it; not proud. Leisure is +the most sacred thing life has. A wise man would give his left hand for +leisure. You that have it given to you by the mercy of gentle birth, +regard it as a trust; make noble use of it. Many great men waste half +their energies in the struggle for that which you regard, poor fools, as +your right, as something to brag of. + +I had never scrubbed a floor in my life; but I had seen it done, without +taking much account of the art in it. I set to work, feeling more +degraded each moment, as the hardness of the deck began to make my knees +sore. When I had done about half of the cabin (in a lazy, neglectful +way, leaving patches unscrubbed, only just wetted over, so as to seem +clean to a chance observer) I thought that I would do no more; but wait +till Mr. Jermyn came to me. I would tell him that I wished to go home, +that I was not going to be a common sailor, but a trusted messenger, +with a lot more to the same tune, meaning, really, that I hated this job +of washing decks like poison. I dare say, if the truth were known, the +sudden change in my fortunes had made me a little homesick. But even so, +I was skulking work which had been given to me. What was worse, I was +being dishonest. For I was pretending to do the work, even when I took +least trouble with it. At last I took it into my head to wet the whole +floor with water, meaning to do no more to it. While I was doing this +the mate came into the cabin. + +“Look here,” he said. “I've been watching you. You ain't working. You're +skulking. You ain't trying to wash that deck. You're making believe, +thinking I won't know any different. Don't answer me. I know what you're +doing. Now then. You go over every bit of that deck which you've just +slopped at. Do it over. I'm going to stand here till it's done.” + +It was in my mind to be rebellious; but this man did not look like a +good man to rebel from. He was a big grim sailor with a length of rope +in his hand. He called it his “manrope.” “You see my manrope,” he said. +“His name's Mogador Jack. He likes little skulks like you.” Afterwards +I learned that a manrope is the rope rail at a ship's gangway, or +(sometimes) a length of rope in the gangway-side for boatmen to catch as +they came alongside the ship. I did not like the look of Mogador Jack, +so I went at my scrubbing with all my strength, keeping my thoughts +to myself. My knees felt very sore. My back ached with the continual +bending down. I had had no food that morning, either, that was another +thing. “Spell, oh,” said the man at last. “Straighten your back a bit. +Empty your bucket over the side. No. Not through the sternport. Carry +in on deck. Empty it there. Then fill it again. Lively, too. It'll be +breakfast time before you've done. You've got to have this cabin ready +by eight bells.” + +I will not tell you how I finished the deck. I will say only this, that +at the end I began to take a sort of pride or pleasure in making the +planks white. Afterwards, I always found that there is this pleasure in +manual work. There is always pleasure of a sort in doing anything +that is not very easy. “There,” the mate said. “Now lay the table for +breakfast. You'll find the things in them lockers. Lay for three places. +Don't break the ship's crockery while you're doing it.” + + + +CHAPTER VI. THE SEA! THE SEA! + +He left me, then, as he had to watch the men on deck. I felt, when he +went on deck, that the morning had been a nightmare; but now I was to be +flunkey well as slave, a new humiliation. I did not think how many times +I had humiliated others by letting them do such things for me. I had +done so all my life without a thought. Now, forsooth, I was at the point +of tears at having to do it for others, even though one of the others +was my rightful King. Grubbing about among the lockers, I found a canvas +table-cloth, which had once been part of a sail. I spread this cloth +with the breakfast gear, imitating the arrangements made at home at +Oulton. The mate came down some minutes after I had finished. He caught +me sitting down on the top of the lockers, looking out at the ships +through the open port. + +“Here,” he said roughly. “You've got to learn manners, or I'll have to +teach you. Remember this once for all, my son. No one sits in the cabin +except a captain or a passenger. You'll take your cap off to the cabin +door before I've done with you. Nor you don't sit down till your work's +done. That's another thing. Why ain't you at work?” + +“Please, sir,” I said, “I've laid the table. What else am I to do?” + +“Do,” he said. “Give the windows a rub. Then clean your hands, ready to +wait at table. No. Hold on. Have you called Mr. Scott yet?” + +“No, sir. I didn't know I had to.” + +“My,” he answered. “Have you any sense at all? Go call them. No. Get +their hot water first at the galley.” + +I suppose I stared at him; for I did not know that this would be a +duty of mine. “Here. Don't look at me like that,” he said. “You make +me forget myself.” He went to the locker, in which he rummaged till he +produced a big copper kettle. “Here's the hot water can,” he said. “Nip +with it to the galley, before the cook puts his fire out. On deck, boy. +Don't you know where the galley is?” + +I did not know where the galley was in this particular ship. I thought +that it would probably be below decks, round a space of brick floor to +prevent fire. But as the mate said “on deck” I ran on deck at once. I +ran on deck, up the hatch, so vigorously, that I charged into a seaman +who was carrying a can of slush, or melted salt fat used in the greasing +of ropes. I butted into him, spattering the slush all over him, besides +making a filthy mess of grease on the deck, then newly cleansed. The +seaman, who was the boatswain or second mate, boxed my ears with a +couple of cuffs which made my head sing. “You young hound,” he said, +“Cubbadar when your chief passes.” I went forward to the galley, crying +as if my heart would break, not only at the pain of the blows, which +stung me horribly, but at the misery of my life in this new service, +that had seemed so grand only seven or eight hours before. At the galley +door was the cook, a morose little Londoner with earrings in his ears. +“Miaow, Miaow,” he said, pretending to mimic my sobs. “Why haven't you +come for this 'ot water before? 'Ere 'ave I been keepin' my fire lit +while you been enjoyin' a stuffin' loaf down in that there cabin.” I was +too miserable to answer him. I just held out my kettle, thinking that +he would fill it for me. “Wot are you 'oldin' out the kettle for?” + he asked. “Think I'm goin' to do yer dirty work? Fill it at the 'ob +yourself.” I filled it as he bade me, choking down my tears. When I had +filled it, I hurried back to the 'tweendecks, hoping to hide my misery +down in the semi-darkness there. I did not pass the second mate on my +way back; but I passed some of the seamen, to whom a boy in tears was +fair game. One asked me what I meant by coming aft all salt, like a head +sea, making the deck wet after he'd squeegeed it down. Another told me +to wait till the second mate caught me. “I'd be sorry then,” he said, +“that ever I spilt the slush;” with other sea-jests, all of them pretty +brutal. It is said that if a strange rook comes to a rookery the other +rooks peck it to death, or at any rate drive it away. I know not if this +be true of rooks (I know that sparrows will attack owls or canaries, +whenever they have a chance), but it is true enough of human beings. We +all hate the new-comer, we are all suspicious of him, as of a possible +enemy. The seamen did to me what school-boys do to the new boy. I did +not know then that there is no mercy for one sensitive enough to take +such “jests” to heart. At sea, the rough, ready tom-fool boy is the +boy to thrive. Such an one might have spilt all the slush in the ship, +without getting so much as a cuff. I was a merry boy enough, but I was +sad when I made my first appearance. The sailors saw me crying. If I +had only had the wit to dodge the bosun's blows, the matter of the slush +would have been turned off with a laugh, since he only struck me in the +irritation of the moment. He would have enjoyed chasing me round the +deck. If I had only come up merrily that is what would have happened. As +it was I came up sad, with the result that I got my ears boxed, which, +of course, made me too wretched to put the cook in a good temper; a +cause of much woe to me later. The seamen who saw me crying at once put +me down as a cry-baby, which I really was not; so that, for the rest of +my time in the ship I was cruelly misjudged. I hope that my readers will +remember how little a thing may make a great difference in a person's +life. I hope that they will also remember how easy it is to misjudge +a person. It will be well for them if, as I trust, they may never +experience how terrible it feels to be misjudged. + +After I had called the two gentlemen, I gave the glass bull's-eyes in +the swing ports a rub with a cloth. I was at work in this way when the +two gentlemen entered. Mr. Jermyn smiled to see me with my coat off, +rubbing at the glass. He also wished me good morning, which Mr. Scott +failed to do. Mr. Scott took no notice of me one way or the other; +but sat down at the locker, asking when breakfast would be ready. “Get +breakfast, boy,” Mr. Jermyn said. At that I put my glass-rag into the +locker. I hurried off to the galley to bring the breakfast, not knowing +rightly whether it would be there or in another place. The cook, surly +brute, made a lot of offensive remarks to me, to which I made no answer. +He was glad to have someone to bully, for he had the common man's love +of power, with all his hatred of anything more polished than himself. +I took the breakfast aft to the cabin, where, by this time, the ship's +captain was seated. I placed the dish before Mr. Jermyn. + +“Why haven't you washed your hands, boy?” he asked, looking at my hands. + +“Please, sir, I haven't had time.” + +“Wash them now, then. Don't come to wait at table with hands like that +again. I didn't think you were a dirty boy.” + +I was not a dirty boy; but, having been at work since before six that +morning, I had had no chance of washing myself. I could not answer; +but the injustice of Mr. Jermyn's words gave me some of the most bitter +misery which I have known. For brutal, thoughtless injustice, it is +difficult to beat the merchant ship. I stole away to wash myself, very +glad of the chance to get away from the cabin. When I was ready, it was +time to clear the breakfast things to the galley, to wash them with the +cook. Luckily, I had overheard Mr. Jermyn say “how well this cook can +devil kidneys.” I repeated this to the cook, who was pleased to hear it. +It made him rather more kind in his manner to me. He did not know who +Mr. Scott really was. He asked me a lot of questions about what I knew +of Mr. Scott. I replied that I'd heard that he was a Spanish merchant, a +friend of Mr. Jermyn's. As for Mr. Jermyn, he knew' an uncle of mine. I +had helped him to recover his pocket-book; that was all that I knew of +him; that was why he had given me my present post as servant. More I +dared not say; for I remembered the Duke's sharp sword on my chest. We +talked thus, as we washed the dishes; the cook in a sweeter mood (having +had his morning dram of brandy); I, myself, trying hard to win him to a +good opinion of me. I asked him if I might clean his copper for him; +it was in a sad state of dirt. “You'll have work enough 'ere, boy,” he +said, tartly, “without you running round for more. You mind your own +business.” After this little snap at my head (no thought of thanks +occurred to him) he prepared breakfast for us, out of the remains of the +cabin breakfast. I was much cheered by the prospect of food, for nearly +three hours of hard work had given me an appetite. At a word from the +cook, I brought out two little stools from under the bunk. Then I placed +the “bread-barge,” or wooden bowl of ship's biscuits, ready for our +meal, beside our two plates. + +Breakfast was just about to begin, when my enemy, the boatswain, +appeared at the galley door. “Here, cook,” he said, “where's that +limb of a boy? Oh, you're there, are you? Feeding your face. Get a +three-cornered scraper right now. You'll scrape up that slush you +spilled, before you eat so much as a reefer's nut.” I had to go on deck +again for another hour, while I scraped up the slush, which was, surely, +spilled as much by himself as by me, since he was not looking where he +was going any more than I was. I got no breakfast. For after the grease +was cleaned I was sent to black the gentlemen's boots; then to make up +their beds; then to scrub their cabin clean. After all this, being faint +with hunger, I took a ship's biscuit from the locker in the cabin to eat +as I worked. I did not know it; but this biscuit was what is known as +“captain's bread,” a whiter (but less pleasant) kind of ship's biscuit, +baked for officers. As I was eating it (I was polishing the cabin +door-knobs at the time) the captain came down for a dram of brandy. He +saw what I was eating. At once he read me a lecture, calling me a greedy +young thief. Let me not eat another cabin biscuit, he said, or he'd do +to me what they always did to thieves:--drag them under the ship from +one side to another, so that the barnacles would cut them (as he said) +into Spanish sennet-work. When I answered him, he lost his temper, in +sailor fashion, saying that if I said another word he'd make me sick +that ever I learned to speak. + +I will not go into the details of the rest of that first day's misery. +I was kept hard at work for the whole time of daylight, often at work +beyond my strength, always at work quite strange to me. Nobody in the +ship, except perhaps the mate, troubled to show me how to do these +strange tasks; but all swore at me for not doing them rightly. What +I felt most keenly was the injustice of their verdicts upon me. I was +being condemned by them as a dirty, snivelling, lying, thieving young +hound. They took a savage pleasure in telling me how I should come to +dance on air at Cuckold's Haven, or, in other words, to the gallows, if +I went on as I had begun. Whereas (but for my dishonest moment in the +morning) I had worked like a slave since dawn under every possible +disadvantage which hasty men could place in my way. After serving the +cabin supper that night I was free to go to my hammock. There was not +much to be glad for, except the rest after so much work. I went with +a glad heart, for I was tired out. The wind had drawn to the east, +freshening as it came ahead, so that there was no chance of our reaching +our destination for some days. I had the prospect of similar daily +slavery in the schooner at least till our arrival. My nights would be my +only pleasant hours till then. The noise of the waves breaking on board +the schooner kept me awake during the night, tired as I was. It is a +dreadful noise, when heard for the first time. I did not then know what +a mass of water can come aboard a ship without doing much harm. So, when +the head of a wave, rushing across the deck, came with a swish down the +hatch to wash the 'tweendecks I started up in my hammock, pretty well +startled. I soon learned that all was well, for I heard the sailors +laughing in their rough, swearing fashion as they piled a tarpaulin over +the open hatch-mouth. A moment later, eight bells were struck. Some of +the sailors having finished their watch, came down into the 'tweendecks +to rest. Two of them stepped very quietly to the chest below my +hammock, where they sat down to play cards, by the light of the nearest +battle-lantern. If they had made a noise I should probably have fallen +asleep again in a few minutes; for what would one rough noise have been +among all the noise on deck? But they kept very quiet, talking in +low voices as they called the cards, rapping gently on the chest-lid, +opening the lantern gently to get lights for their pipes. Their +quietness was like the stealthy approach of an enemy, it kept a restless +man awake, just as the snapping of twigs in a forest will keep an Indian +awake, while he will sleep soundly when trees are falling. I kept awake, +too, in spite of myself (or half awake), wishing that the men would go, +but fearing to speak to them. At last, fearing that I should never get +to sleep at all, I looked over the edge of the hammock intending to +ask them to go. I saw then that one of them was my enemy the boatswain, +while the other was the ship's carpenter, who had eaten supper in the +galley with me, at the cook's invitation. As these were, in a sense, +officers, I dared not open my mouth to them, so I lay down again, hoping +that either they would go soon, or that they would let me get to sleep +before the morning. As I lay there, I overheard their talk. I could not +help it. I could hear every word spoken by them. I did not want their +talk, goodness knows, but as I could not help it, I listened. + +“Heigho,” said the boatswain, yawning. “I sha'n't have much to spend on +Hollands when I get there. Them rubbers at bowls in London have pretty +near cleaned my purse out.” + +“Ah, come off,” said the carpenter. “You can always get rid of a coil of +rope to someone, on the sly, you boatswains can. A coil of rope comes to +a few guilders. Eh, mynheer?” + +“I sold too many coils off this hooker,” said the boatswain. “I run the +ship short.” + +“Who sleeps in the hammock there?” the carpenter asked. + +“The loblolly boy for the cabin,” the boatswain answered. “Young clumsy +hound. I clumped his fat chops for him this morning.” + +“Mr. Jermyn's boy?” said the carpenter, sinking his voice. “There's +something queer about that Mr. Jermyn. 'E wears a false beard. That Mr. +Scott isn't all what he pretends neither.” + +“I don't see how that can be,” the boatswain said, “I wish I'd a drink +of something. I'm as dry as foul block.” + +“There'd be more'n a dram to us two, if Mr. Scott was what I think,” + said the carpenter. “I'm going to keep my eye on that gang.” + +“Keep your eye on the moon,” said the boatswain. + +“I tell you what'd raise drinks pretty quick.” + +“What would?” + +“That loblolly boy would.” + +“Eh?” said the carpenter. “Go easy, Joe. He may be awake.” + +“Not he,” said the boatswain, carelessly glancing into my hammock, where +I lay like all the Seven Sleepers condensed. “Not he. Snoring young +hound. Do him good to raise drinks for the crowd.” + +“Eh,” said the carpenter, a quieter, more cautious scoundrel than the +other (therefore much more dangerous). “How would a boy like that?” He +left his sentence unfinished. + +“Sell him to one of these Dutch East India merchants,” said the +boatswain. “There's always one or two of them in the Canal, bound for +Java. A likely young lad like that would fetch twenty pounds from a +Dutch skipper. A white boy would sell for forty in the East. Even if we +only got ten, there'd be pretty drinking while it lasted.” + +This evidently made an impression on the carpenter, for he did not +answer at once. “Yes,” he said presently. “But a lad like that's got +good friends. He don't talk like you or I, Joe.” + +“Friends in your eye,” said the other. “What's a lad with good friends +doing as loblolly boy?” + +“Run away,” the carpenter said. “Besides, Mr. Jermyn isn't likely to let +the lad loose in Haarlem.” + +“He might. We could keep a watch,” the boatswain answered. “If he goes +ashore, we could tip off Longshore Jack to keep an eye on him. Jack gets +good chances, working the town.” + +“Yes,” said the other. “I mean to put Longshore Jack on to this Mr. +Jermyn. If I aren't foul of the buoy there's money in Mr. Jermyn. More +than in East Indian slaves.” + +“Oh,” the boatswain answered, carelessly, “I don't bother about my +betters, myself. What d'ye think to get from Mr. Jermyn?” + +The carpenter made no answer; but lighted his pipe at the lantern, +evidently turning over some scheme in his mind. After that, the talk +ran on other topics, some of which I could not understand. It was mostly +about the Gold Coast, about a place called Whydah, where there was +good trading for negroes, so the boatswain said. He had been there in +a Bristol brig, under Captain Travers, collecting trade, i.e. negro +slaves. At Whydah they had made King Jellybags so drunk with “Samboe” + (whatever Samboe was) that they had carried him off to sea, with his +whole court. “The blacks was mad after,” he said, “the next ship's crew +that put in there was all set on the beach. I seed their bones after. +All picked clean. But old King Jellybags fetched thirty pound in Port +Royal, duty free.” He seemed to think that this story was something +laugh at. + +I strained my ears to hear more of what they said. I could catch nothing +more relating to myself. Nothing more was said about me. They told each +other stories about the African shore, where the schooners anchored in +the creeks, among the swamp-smells, in search of slaves or gold dust. +They told tales of Tortuga, where the pirates lived together in a town, +whenever they were at home after a cruise. “Rum is cheaper than water +there,” the bo'sun said. “A sloop comes off once a month with stores +from Port Royal. Its happy days, being in Tortuga.” Presently the two +men crept aft to the empty cabin to steal the captain's brandy. Soon +afterwards they passed forward to their hammocks. + +When they had gone, I lay awake, wondering I was to avoid this terrible +danger of being sold to the Dutch East India merchants. I wondered +who Longshore Jack might be. I feared that the carpenter suspected our +party. I kept repeating his words, “There's money in Mr. Jermyn,” till +at last, through sheer weariness, I fell asleep. In the morning, as +cleared away breakfast, from the cabin-table, I told Mr. Jermyn all +that I had heard. The Duke seemed agitated. He kept referring to an +astronomical book which told him how his ruling planets stood. “Yes,” + he kept saying, “I've no very favourable stars till July. I don't like +this, Jermyn.” Mr. Jermyn smoked a pipe of tobacco (a practise rare +among gentlemen at that time) while he thought of what could be done. At +last he spoke. + +“I know what we'll do, sir. We'll sell this man as carpenter to the +Dutch East India man. We'll give the two of them a sleeping draught in +their drink. We'll get rid of them both together.” + +“It sounds very cruel,” said the Duke. + +“Yes,” said Mr. Jermyn, “it is cruel. But who knows what the sly man +may not pick up? We're playing akes, we two. We've got many enemies. One +word of what this man suspects may bring a whole pack of spies upon us. +Besides, if the spies get hold of this boy we shall have some trouble.” + +“The boy's done very well,” said the Duke. + +“He's got a talent for overhearing,” Mr. Jermyn answered. “Well, Martin +Hyde. How do you like your work?” + +“Sir,” I answered, “I don't like it at all.” + +“Well,” he said, “we shall be in the Canal to-night, now the wind has +changed. Hold out till then, think, sir,” he said, turning to the Duke, +“the boy has done really very creditably. The work is not at all the +work for one of his condition.” + +The Duke rewarded me with his languid beautiful smile. + +“Who lives will see,” he said. “A King never forgets a faithful +servant.” + +The phrase seemed queer on the lips of that man's father's son; but I +bowed very low, for I felt that I was already a captain of a man-of-war, +with a big blazing decoration on my heart. Well, who lives, sees. I +lived to see a lot of strange things in that King's service. + + + +CHAPTER VII. LAND RATS AND WATER RATS + +I will say no more about our passage except that we were three days at +sea. Then, when I woke one morning, I found that we were fast moored to +a gay little wharf, paved with clean white cobbles, on the north side of +the canal. Strange, outlandish figures, in immense blue baggy trousers, +clattered past in wooden shoes. A few Dutch galliots lay moored ahead of +us, with long scarlet pennons on their mastheads. On the other side of +the canal was a huge East Indiaman, with her lower yards cockbilled, +loading all three hatches at once. It was a beautiful morning. The sun +was so bright that all the scene had thrice its natural beauty. The +clean neat trimness of the town, the water slapping past in the canal, +the ships with their flags, the Sunday trim of the schooner, all filled +me with delight, lit up, as they were, by the April sun. I looked about +me at my ease, for the deck was deserted. Even the never-sleeping mate +was resting, now that we were in port. While I looked, a man sidled +along the wharf from a warehouse towards me. He looked at the schooner +in a way which convinced me that he was not a sailor. Then, sheltering +behind a bollard, he lighted his pipe. + +He was a short, active, wiry man, with a sharp, thin face, disfigured by +a green patch over his right eye. He looked to me to have a horsey look, +as though were a groom or coachman. After lighting his pipe, he advanced +to a point abreast of the schooner's gang-way, from which he could look +down upon her, as she lay with her deck a foot or two below the level of +the wharf. + +“Chips aboard?” he asked, meaning, “Is the carpenter on board?” + +“Yes,” I said. “Will you come aboard?” + +He did not answer, but looked about the ship, as though making notes of +everything. Presently he turned to me. + +“You're new,” he said. “Are you Mr. Jermyn's boy?” I told him that I +was. + +“How is Mr. Jermyn keeping?” he asked. “Is that cough of his better?” + This made me feel that probably the man knew Mr. Jermyn. “Yes,” I said. +“He's got no cough, now.” “He'd a bad one last time he was here,” the +man answered. For a while he kept silent. He seemed to me to be puzzling +out the relative heights of our masts. Suddenly he turned to me, with +a very natural air. “How's Mr. Scott's business going?” he asked. “You +know, eh? You know what I mean?” I was taken off my guard. I'm afraid +I hesitated, though I knew that the man's sharp eyes noted every little +change on my face. Then, in the most natural way, the man reassured me. +“You know,” he said. “What demand for oranges in London?” I was thankful +that he had not meant the other business. I said with a good deal too +much of eagerness that there was, I believed, a big demand for oranges. +“Yes,” he said, “I suppose so many young boys makes a brisk demand.” I +was uneasy at the man's manner. He seemed to be pumping me, but he had +such a natural easy way, under the pale mask of his face, that I could +not be sure if he were in the secret or not. I was on my guard now, +ready for any question, as I thought, but eager for an excuse to get +away from this man before I betrayed any trust. “Nice ship,” he said +easily. “Did you join her in Spain?” “No,” I answered. “In London.” “In +London?” he said. “I thought you'd something of a Spanish look.” “No,” I +said. “I'm English. Did you want the carpenter, sir?” + +“Yes,” he answered. “I do. But no hurry. No hurry, lad.” Here he pulled +out a watch, which he wound up, staring vacantly about the decks as he +did so. “Tell me, boy,” he said gently. “Is Lane come over with you?” To +tell the truth, it flashed across my mind, when he pulled out his watch, +that he was making me unready for a difficult question. I was not a very +bright boy; but I had this sudden prompting or instinct, which set me on +my guard. No one is more difficult to pump than a boy who is ready for +his questioner, so I stared at him. “Lane?” I said, “Lane? Do you mean +the bo'sun?” + +“No,” he said. “The Colonel. You know? Eh?” + +“No.” I said. “I don't know.” + +“Oh well,” he answered. “It's all one. I suppose he's not come over.” At +this moment the mate came on deck with the carpenter, carrying a model +ship which they had been making together in their spare time. They +nodded to the stranger, who gave them a curt “How do?” as though they +had parted from him only the night before. The mate growled at me for +wasting time on deck when I should be at work. He sent me down to my +usual job of getting the cabin ready for the breakfast of the gentlemen. +As I passed down the hatchway, I heard the carpenter say to the +stranger, “Well. So what's the news with Jack?” It flashed into my mind +that this man might be his friend, the “Longshore Jack” who was to keep +an eye upon me as well as upon Mr. Jermyn. It gave me a most horrid +qualm to think this. The man was so sly, so calm, so guarded, that the +thought of him being on the look-out for me, to sell me to the Dutch +captains, almost scared me out of my wits. The mate brought him to the +cabin as I was laying the table. “This is the cabin,” he was saying, +“where the gentlemen messes. That's our stern-chaser, the gun there.” + +“Oh,” said the stranger, looking about him like one who has never seen +a ship before. “But where do they sleep? Do they sleep on the sofa (he +meant the lockers), there?” + +“Why, no,” said the mate. “They sleep in the little cabins yonder. But +we musn't stay down here now. I'm not supposed to use this cabin. I +mustn't let the captain see me.” So they went on deck again, leaving me +alone. When the gentlemen came in to breakfast, I had to go on deck for +the dishes. As I passed to the galley, I noticed the stranger talking to +the carpenter by the main-rigging. They gave me a meaning look, which +I did not at all relish. Then, as I stood in the galley, while the cook +dished up, I noticed that the stranger raised his hand to a tall, lanky, +ill-favoured man who was loafing about on the wharf, carrying a large +black package. This man came right up to the edge of the wharf, directly +he saw the stranger's signal. It made me uneasy somehow. I was in a +thoroughly anxious mood, longing to confide in some one, even in the +crusty cook, yet fearing to open my mouth to any one, even to Mr. +Jermyn, to whom I dared not speak with the captain present in the room. +Well, I had my work to do, so I kept my thoughts to myself. I took the +dishes down below to the cabin, where, after removing the covers, I +waited on the gentlemen. + +“Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn. “This skylight over our heads makes rather a +draught. We can't have it open in the morning for breakfast. + +“Did you open it?” the captain asked. “What made you open it?” + +“Please, sir, I didn't open it.” + +“Then shut it,” said the captain. “Go on deck. The catch is fast +outside.” + +I ran very nimbly on deck to shut the skylight, but the catch was very +stiff; it took me some few moments to undo. I noticed, as I worked at +it, that the deck was empty, except for the lanky man with the package, +who was now forward, apparently undoing his package on the forehatch. I +thought that he was a sort of pedlar or bumboatman, come to sell onions, +soft bread, or cheap jewellery to the sailors. The carpenter's head +showed for an instant at the galley-door, He was looking forward at the +pedlar. The hands were all down below in the forecastle, eating their +breakfast. The other stranger seemed to have gone. I could not see him +about the deck. At last the skylight came down with a clatter, leaving +me free to go below again. As I went down the hatchway, into the +'tweendecks gloom, I saw a figure apparently at work among the ship's +stores lashed to the deck there. I could not see who it was; it was +too dark for that but the thing seemed strange to me. I guessed that +it might be my enemy the boatswain, so I passed aft to the cabin on the +other side. + +Soon after that, it might be ten minutes after, while the gentlemen were +talking lazily about going ashore, we heard loud shouts on deck. + +“What's that?” said the captain, starting up from his chair. + +“Sounds like fire,” said Mr. Jermyn. + +“Fire forward,” said the captain, turning very white. “There's five tons +of powder forward.” + +“What?” cried the Duke. + +At that instant we heard the boatswain roaring to the men to come on +deck. “Aft for the hose there, Bill,” we heard. Feet rushed aft along +the deck, helter-skelter. Some one shoved the skylight open with a +violent heave. Looking up, we saw the carpenter's head. He looked as +scared as a man can be. + +“On deck,” he cried. “We're all in a blaze forward. The lamp in the +bo'sun's locker. Quick.” + +“Just over the powder,” the captain said, rushing out. + +“Quick, sir,” said Jermyn to the Duke. “We may blow up at any moment.” + +“No,” said the Duke, rising leisurely. “Not with these stars. +Impossible.” + +All the same, the two men followed the captain in pretty quick time. Mr. +Jermyn rushed the Duke out by the arm. I was rushing out, too, when I +saw the Duke's hat lying on the lockers. I darted at it, for I knew +that he would want it, with the result that my heel slipped on a copper +nail-head, which had been worn down even with the deck till it was +smooth as glass. Down I came, bang, with a jolt which shook me almost +sick. I rose up, stupid with the shock, so wretched with the present +pain that the fire seemed a little matter to me. Indeed, I did not +understand the risk. I did not know how a fire so far forward could +affect the cabin. + +A couple of minutes must have passed before I picked up the hat from +where it lay. As I hurried through the 'tweendecks some slight noise +or movement made me turn my head. Looking to my right. I saw the horsey +man, the stranger, rummaging quickly in the lockers of the Duke's cabin, +As I looked, I saw him snatch up something like a pocketbook or pocket +case, with a hasty “Ah” of approval. At the same moment, he saw me +watching him. + +“Where's Mr. Scott?” he cried, darting out on me. “We may all blow up in +another moment.” + +“He's on deck,” I said. “Hasn't he gone on deck?” + +“On deck?” said the man. “Then on deck with you, too.” He pushed me +up the hatch before him. “Quick,” he cried. “Quick. There's Mr. Scott +forward. Get him on to the wharf. + +He gave me a hasty shove forward, to where the whole company was working +in a cloud of smoke, passing buckets from hand to hand. A crowd of +Dutchmen had gathered on the wharf. Everybody was shouting. The scene +was confused like a bad dream. I caught sight of the pedlar man at the +gangway as the stranger thrust me forward. In the twinkling of an eye +the stranger passed something to him with the quick thrust known as the +thieves' pass. I saw it, for all my confusion. I knew in an instant that +he had stolen something. The pedlar person was an accomplice. As likely +as not the fire was a diversion. I rushed at the gangway. The pedlar was +moving quickly away with his hands in his pockets. It all happened in +a moment. As I rushed at the gangway, with some wild notion of stopping +the pedlar, the horsey man caught me by the collar. + +“What,” he said, in a loud voice. “Trying to desert, are you? You come +forward where the danger is.” He ran me forward. He was as strong as a +bull. + +“Mr. Jermyn,” I cried. “Mr. Jermyn. This man's a thief.” + +The man twisted my collar on to my throat till I choked. “Quiet, you,” + he hissed. + +Then Mr. Jermyn dropped his bucket to attend to me. + +“A thief,” I gasped. “A thief.” Mr. Jermyn sprang aft, with his eyes on +the man's eyes. The stranger flung me into Mr. Jermyn's way, with all +the sweep of his arm. As I went staggering into the fore-bitts (for +Mr. Jermyn dodged me) the man took a quick side step up the rail to the +wharf. I steadied myself. Mr. Jermyn, failing to catch the man before +he was off the ship, rushed below to see what was lost. The crowd +of workers seemed to dissolve suddenly. The men surged all about me, +swearing. The fire was out. Remember, all this happened in thirty +seconds, from the passing of the stolen goods to the stranger's letting +go my throat. The very instant that I found my feet against the bitts, I +jumped off the ship on to the wharf. There was the stranger running down +the wharf to the right, full tilt. There was the lanky pedlar slouching +quickly away as though he were going on an errand, with his black box +full of groceries. + +“That's the man, Mr. Scott,” I cried. “He's got it.” + +The captain (who, I believe, was a naval officer in the Duke's secret) +was up on the wharf in an instant. I followed him, though the carpenter +clutched at me as I scrambled up. I kicked out behind like a donkey. I +didn't kick him, but some one thrust the carpenter aside in the hurry +so that I was free. In another seconds I was past the captain, running +after the pedlar, who started to run at a good speed, dropping his box +with a clatter. Half a dozen joined in the pursuit. The captain had his +sword out. They raised such a noise behind me that I thought the whole +crew was at my heels. The pedlar kept glancing behind; he knew very +little about running. He doubled from street to street, like a man at +his wits' ends. I could see that he was blown. When he entered into that +conspiracy, he had counted on the horsey man diverting suspicion from +him. Suddenly, after twisting round a corner, he darted through a swing +door into a stone-paved court, surrounded by brick walls. I was at his +heels at the moment or I should have lost him there. I darted through +the swing door after him. I went full sprawl over his body on the other +side. He had, quite used up, collapsed there. + + + +CHAPTER VIII. I MEET MY FRIEND + +“Give it me,” I said. “Give it me, Longshore Jack. Before they catch +us.” To my horror, I saw that the creature was a woman in a man's +clothes. She took me for one of her gang. She was too much frightened to +think things out. “I thought you were one of the other lot,” she gasped, +as she handed me a pocketbook. + +“Didn't he get the letters, too?” I asked at a venture. “No,” she said, +sitting up, now, panting, to take a good look at me. I stared at her for +a moment. I, myself, was out of breath. + +“They're going,” I said, hearing the noise of the pursuit passing away +in the check. “I'll just spy out the land.” I opened the door till it +was an inch or two ajar, so that I could see what was going on outside. +“They're gone,” I said again, still keeping up the pretence of being on +her side. As I said it, I glanced back to fix her features on my memory. +She had a pale, resolute face with fierce eyes, which seemed fierce from +pain, not from any cruelty of nature. It was a pleasant face, as far as +one could judge of a face made up to resemble a dirty pedlar's face. + +Seeing my look, she seemed to watch me curiously, raising herself up, +till she stood unsteadily by the wall. “When did you come in?” she said, +meaning, I suppose, when did I join the gang. + +“Last week,” I answered, swinging the door a little further open. +Footsteps were coming rapidly along the road. I heard excited voices, I +made sure that it was the search party going back to the schooner. + +“Digame, muchacho,” she said in Spanish. It must have been some sort of +pass-word among them. Seeing by my face that I did not understand she +repeated the words softly. Then at that very instant she was on me like +a tigress with a knife. I slipped to one side instinctively. I suppose +I half saw her as the knife went home. She grabbed at the pocket-book, +which I swung away from her hand. The knife went deep into the door, +with a drive which must have jarred her to the shoulder. “Give it me,” + she gasped, snatching at me like a fury. I dodged to one side, up the +court, horribly scared. She followed, raving like a mad thing, quite +ghastly white under her paint, wholly forgetful that she was acting a +man's part. When once we were dodging I grew calmer. I led her to the +end of the court, then ducked. She charged in, blindly, against the +wall, while I raced to the door, very pleased with my success. I did not +hear her follow me, so, when I got to the door, I looked back. Just at +that instant, there came a smart report. The creature had fired at me +with a pistol; the bullet sent a dozen chips of brick into my face. I +went through the door just as the shot from the second barrel thudded +into the lintel. Going through hurriedly I ran into Mr. Jermyn, as he +came round the corner with the captain. “I've got it,” I said. “Look +out. She's in there.” + +“Who?” they said. “The thief? A woman?” They did not stay, but thrust +through the door. + +Mr. Jermyn dragged me through with them. “You say you've got it, +Martin?” + +“Yes,” I answered, handing him the book. “Here it is.” + +“That's a mercy,” he said. “Now then, where's the thief?” + +I had been out of the court, I suppose thirty seconds; it cannot have +been more. Yet, when I went back with those two men, the woman had gone, +as though she had never been there. “She's over the wall,” cried the +captain, running up the court. But when we looked over the wall there +was no trace of her, except some slight scratches upon the brick, where +her toes had rested. On the other side of the wall was a tulip bed full +of rows of late flowering tulips, not yet out. There was no footmark on +the earth. Plainly she had not jumped down on the other side. “Check,” + said captain. “Is she in one of the houses?” + +But the houses on the left side of the court (on the other side the +court had no houses, only brick walls seven feet high) were all old, +barred in, deserted mansions, with padlocks on the doors. She could not +possibly have entered one of those. + +“They're old plague-houses,” said Mr. Jermyn. + +“They've been deserted twenty years now, since the great sickness.” + +“Yes?” said the captain, carelessly. “But where can she have got to?” + +“Well. It beats me,” Mr. Jermyn replied. “But perhaps she ran along the +wall to the end, then jumped down into the lane. That's the only thing +she could have done. By the way, boy, you were shot at. Were you hit?” + +“No,” I answered. “But I got jolly near it. The bullet went just by me.” + +“Ah,” he said. “Take this. You'll have to be armed in future.” + +He handed me a beautiful little double-barrelled pocket pistol. “Be +careful,” he said. “It's loaded. Put it in your pocket. You musn't be +seen carrying arms here. That would never do.” + +“Boy,” said the captain. “D'ye think you could shin up that water-spout, +so as to look over the parapet there, on to the leads of the houses?” + +“Yes,” I said. “I think I could, from the top of the wall.” + +“Why,” Mr. Jermyn said. “She couldn't have got up there.” + +“An active woman might,” the captain said. “You see, the water-spout is +only six feet long from the wall to the eaves. There's good footing on +the brackets. It's three quick steps. Then one vigorous heave over the +parapet. There you are, snug as a purser's billet, out of sight.” + +“No woman could have done it,” Mr. Jermyn said. “Besides, look here. We +can't go further in the matter. We've recovered the book. We must get +back to the ship.” + +So the scheme of climbing up the water pipe came to nothing. We walked +off together wondering where the woman had got to. Long afterwards I +learned that she heard all that we said by the wall there. While we +talked, she was busy reloading her pistol, waiting. At the door of the +court we paused to pull out her knife from where it stuck. It was a not +very large dagger-knife, with a small woman's grip, inlaid with silver, +but bound at the guard with gold clasps. The end of the handle was also +bound with gold. The edge of the broad, cutting blade curved to a long +sharp point. The back was straight. On the blade was an inscription in +Spanish, “Veneer o Morir” (“To conquer or die”), with the maker's name, +Luis Socartes, Toledo, surrounded by a little twirligig. I have it in +my hand as I write. I value it more than anything in my possession. It +serves to remind me of a very remarkable woman. + +“There, Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn. “There's a curiosity for you. Get one +of the seamen to make a sheath for it. Then you can wear it at your back +on your belt like a sailor.” + +As we walked back to the ship, I told Mr. Jermyn all that I had seen of +the morning's adventure. He said that the whole, as far as he could make +it out, had been a carefully laid plot of some of James the Second's +spies. He treated me as an equal now. He seemed to think that I had +saved the Duke from a very dreadful danger. The horsey man, he said, was +evidently a trusted secret agent, who must have made friends with the +carpenter on some earlier visit of the schooner. He had planned his raid +on the Duke's papers very cleverly. He had arrived on board when no one +was about. He had bribed the carpenter (so we conjectured, piecing the +evidence together) to shout fire, when we were busy at breakfast. Then, +when all was ready, this woman, whoever she was, had gone forward to +the bo'sun's locker, where she had set fire to half a dozen of those +fumigating chemical candles which she had brought in her box. The +candles at once sputtered out immense volumes of evil smelling smoke. +The carpenter, watching his time, raised the alarm of fire, while the +horsey man, hidden below, waited till all were on deck to force the +spring-locks on the Duke's cabin-door. When once he had got inside the +cabin, he had worked with feverish speed, emptying all the drawers, +ripping up the mattress, even upsetting the books from the bookshelf, +all in about two minutes. Luckily the Duke kept nearly all his secret +papers about his person. The pocket-book was the only important +exception. This, a very secret list of all the Western gentry ready to +rise, was locked in a casket in a locked drawer. + +“It shows you,” said Mr. Jermyn, “how well worked, that he did all this +in so little time. If you hadn't fallen on the nail, Martin, our friends +in the West would have fared badly. It was very clever of you to bring +us out of the danger.” When we got back aboard the schooner, we found, +as we had expected, that the men in league with the horsey man had +deserted. Neither carpenter nor boatswain was to be found. Both had +bolted off in pursuit of the horsey man at the moment of alarm, leaving +their chests behind them. I suppose they thought that the plot had +succeeded. I dare say, too, that the horsey man, who was evidently well +known to them both, had given them orders to desert in the confusion, +so that he might suck their brains at leisure elsewhere. Altogether, +the morning's work from breakfast time till ten was as full of moving +incident as a quiet person's life. I have never had a more exciting two +hours. When I sat down to my own breakfast (which I ate in the cabin +among the gentlemen) I seemed to have grown five years older. All three +men made much of me. They brought out all sorts of sweetmeats for me, +saying I had saved them from disaster. The Duke was especially kind. +“Why, Jermyn,” he said, “we thought we'd found a clever messenger; but +we've found a guardian angel.” He gave me a belt made of green Spanish +leather, with a wonderfully wrought steel clasp. “Here,” he said. “Wear +this, Martin. Here's a holster on it for your pistol. These pouches +hold cartridges. Then this sheath at the back will hold your dagger, the +spoils of war.” + +“There,” said the captain. “Now I'll give you something else to fit you +out. I'll give you a pocket flask. What's more, I'll teach you how to +make cartridges. We'll make a stock this morning.” + +While he was speaking, the mate came down to tell us how sorry he was +that it was through him that the horsey man was shown over the ship. “He +told me he'd important letters for Mr. Scott,” he said, “so I thought it +was only right to show him about, while you was dressing. The carpenter +came to me. 'This gentleman's got letters for Mr. Scott,' he said. So +I was just taken in. He was such a smooth spoken chap. After I got to +know, I could 'a' bit my head off.” They spoke kindly to the man, who +was evidently distressed at his mistake. They told him to give orders +for a watchman to walk the gangway all day long in future, which to me +sounded like locking the stable door too late. After that, I learned how +to make pistol cartridges until the company prepared to go ashore. +The chests of the deserters were locked up in the lazaret, or store +cupboard, so that if the men came aboard again they might not take away +their things. + +“Before we start,” the Duke said, “I must just say this. We know, from +this morning's work, that the spies of the English court know much more +than we supposed. We may count it as certain that this ship is being +watched at this moment. Now, we must put them off the scent, because I +must see Argyle without their knowledge. It is not much good putting to +sea again, as a blind, for they can't help knowing that we are here +to see Argyle. They have only to watch Argyle's house to see us enter, +sooner or later. I suggest this as a blind. We ought to ride far out +into the country to Zaandam, say, by way of Amsterdam. That's about +twenty miles. Meanwhile Argyle shall come aboard here. The schooner +shall take him up to Egmont; he'll get there this afternoon. He must +come aboard disguised though. At Zaandam, we three will separate, Jermyn +will personate me, remaining in Zaandam. The boy shall carry letters in +a hurry to Hoorn; dummy letters, of course. While I shall creep off to +meet Argyle--somewhere else. If we start in a hurry they won't have +time to organize a pursuit. There are probably only a few secret agents +waiting for us here. What do you say?” + +“Yes,” said Mr. Jermyn. “I myself should say this. Send the boy on at +once to Egmont with a note to Stendhal the merchant there. They won't +suspect the boy. They won't bother to follow him, probably. Tell +Stendhal to send Out a galliot to take Argyle off the schooner while +at sea. The galliot can land Argyle somewhere on the coast. That would +puzzle them rarely. She can then ply to England, or elsewhere, so that +her men won't have a chance of talking. As for the schooner, she can +proceed north to anchor at the Texel till further orders. At the same +time, we could ride south to Noordwyk; find a barge there going north. +Hide in her cabin till she arrives, say, at Alkmaar. Meet Argyle +somewhere near there. Then remain hidden till it is time to move. We can +set all the balls moving, by sticking up a few bills in the towns.” + I did not know what he meant by this. Afterwards I learned that the +conspirators took their instructions from advertisements for servants, +or of things lost, which were stuck up in public places. To the +initiated, these bills, seemingly innocent, gave warning of the Duke's +plan. Very few people in Holland (not more than thirty I believe) +were in the secret of his expedition. Most of these thirty knew other +loyalists, to whom, when the time came, they gave the word. When the +time came we were only about eighty men all told. That is not a large +force, is it, for the invasion of a populous kingdom? + +They talked it out for a little while, making improvements on Mr. +Jermyn's plan. They had a map by them during some of the time. Before +they made their decision, they turned me out of the cabin, so that I +know not to this day what the Duke did during the next few days. I know +only this, that he disappeared from his enemies, so completely that the +spies were baffled. Not only James's spies, that is nothing: but the +spies of William of Orange were baffled. They knew no more of his +whereabouts than I knew. They had to write home that he had gone, they +could not guess where; but possibly to Scotland to sound the clans. All +that I know of his doings during the next week is this. After about half +an hour of debate, the captain went ashore to one of the famous inns in +the town. From this inn, he despatched, one by one, at brief intervals, +three horses, each to a different inn along the Egmont highway. He gave +instructions to the ostlers who rode them to wait outside the inns named +till the gentlemen called for them. He got the third horse off, in this +quiet way, at the end of about an hour. I believe that he then sent +a printed book (with certain words in it underlined, so as to form a +message) by the hand of a little girl, to the Duke of Argyle's lodging. +I have heard that it was a book on the training of horses to do tricks. +There was probably some cipher message in it, as well as the underlined +message. Whatever it was, it gave the Duke his instructions. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. I SEE MORE OF MY FRIEND + +After waiting for about an hour in the schooner, I was sent ashore with +a bottle-basket, with very precise instructions in what I was to do. I +was to follow the road towards Haarlem, till I came to the inn near the +turning of the Egmont highway. There I was to leave my bottle-basket, +asking (or, rather, handing over a written request) for it to be filled +with bottles of the very best gin. After paying for this, I was to +direct it to be sent aboard the schooner by the ostler (who was waiting +at the door with a horse) the last of those ordered by the captain. I +was then to walk the horse along the Egmont road, till I saw or heard +an open carriage coming behind. Then I was to trot, keeping ahead of the +carriage, but not far from it, till I was past the third tavern. After +that, if I was not recalled by those in the carriage, I was free to +quicken up my pace. I was then to ride straight ahead, till I got to +Egmont, a twenty mile ride to the north. There I was to deliver up my +horse at the Zwolle-Haus inn, before enquiring for M. Stendhal, the +East India merchant. To him I was to give a letter, which for safety was +rolled into a blank cartridge in my little pistol cartridge box. After +that, I was to stay at M. Stendhal's house, keeping out of harm's way, +till I received further orders from my masters. + +You may be sure that I thought myself a fine figure of gallantry as I +stepped out with my bottle-basket. I was a King's secret agent. I had +a King's letter hidden about my person. I was armed with fine weapons, +which I longed to be using. I had been under fire for my King's sake. +I was also still tingling with my King's praise. It was a warm, sunny +April day; that was another thing to fill me with gladness. Soon I +should be mounted on a nag, riding out in a strange land, on a secret +mission, with a pocket full of special service money. Whatever I had +felt in the few days of the sea-passage was all forgotten now. I did +not even worry about not knowing the language. It would keep me from +loitering to chatter. My schoolboy French would probably be enough for +all purposes if I vent astray. I was “to avoid chance acquaintances, +particularly if they spoke English.” That was my last order. Repeating +it to myself I walked on briskly. + +I had not gone more than three hundred yards upon my way, when a lady, +very richly dressed, cantered slowly past me on a fine bay mare. She was +followed by a gentleman in scarlet, riding on a little black Arab. They +had not gone a hundred yards past me when the Arab picked up a stone. +The man dismounted to pick it out, while the lady rode back to hold the +horse, which was a ticklish job, since he was as fresh as a colt. He +went squirming about like an eel. The man had no hook to pick the stone +with; nor could he get it out by his fingers. I could hear him growling +under his breath in some strange language, while the horse sidled about +as wicked as he could be. + +As I approached, the horse grew so troublesome that the man decided to +take him back to the town, to have the stone pulled there. He was just +starting to lead him back when I came up with them. He asked me some +question in a tongue which I did not know. He probably asked me if I had +a hook. I shook my head. The lady said something to him in French, which +made him laugh. Then he began to lead back the horse towards the town. +The lady, after waving her hand to him, started to ride slowly forward +in front of me. Like most ladies at that time she wore a little black +velvet domino mask over her eyes. All people could ride in those days; +but I remember it occurred to me that this lady rode beautifully. So +many women look like meal-sacks in the saddle. This one rode as though +she were a part of the horse. + +She kept about twenty yards ahead of me till I sighted the inn, where an +ostler was walking the little nag which I was to ride. She halted at the +inn-door, looking back towards the town for her companion. Then, without +calling to anybody, she dismounted, flinging her mare's reins over a +hook in the wall. She went into the inn boldly, drawing her whip through +her left hand. When I entered the inn-door a moment later, she was +talking in Dutch to the landlord, who was bowing to her as though she +were a great lady. + +I handed over my bottle-basket, with the letter, to a woman who served +the customers at the drinking bar. Then, as I was going out to take my +horse, the lady spoke to me in broken English. + +“Walk my horse, so he not take cold,” she said. It was in the twilight +of the passage from the door, so that I could not see her very clearly, +but the voice was certainly like the voice of the woman who had fired +at me in the courtyard. Or was I right? That voice was on my nerves. It +seemed to be the voice of all the strangers in the town. I looked up at +her quickly. She was masked; yet the grey eyes seemed to gleam beyond +the velvet, much as that woman's eyes had gleamed. Her mouth; her chin; +the general poise of her body, all convinced me. She was the woman who +had carried away the book from Longshore Jack. I was quite sure of it. +I pretended not to understand her. I dropped my eyes, without stopping; +she flicked me lightly with her whip to draw my attention. + +“Walk my horse,” she said again, with a little petulance in her voice. I +saw no way out of it. If I refused, she would guess (if she did not +know already) that I was not there only for bottles of gin. “Oui, +mademoiselle,” I said. “Oui. Merci.” So out I went to where the mare +stood. She followed me to the door to see me take the mare. There was no +escape; she was going to delay me at the door till the man returned. I +patted the lovely creature's neck. I was very well used to horses, for +in the Broad Country a man must ride almost as much as he must row. But +I was not so taken up with this mare that I did not take good stock of +the lady, who, for her part, watched me pretty narrowly, as though she +meant never to forget me. I began to walk the beast in the road in +front of the inn, wondering how in the world I was to get out of the +difficulty before the Duke's carriage arrived. There was the woman +watching me, with a satirical smile. She was evidently enjoying the +sight of my crestfallen face. + +Now in my misery a wild thought occurred to me. I began to time my +walking of the mare so that I was walking towards Sandfoort, while the +other horse-boy was walking with my nag towards Egmont on the other side +of the inn. I had read that in desperate cases the desperate remedy is +the only measure to be tried. While I was walking away from the inn I +drew the dagger, the spoils of war. I drew it very gently as though I +were merely buttoning my waistcoat. Then with one swift cut I drew it +nine-tenths through the girth. I did nothing more for that turn, though +I only bided my time. After a turn or two more, the other horse-boy was +called up to the inn by the lady to receive a drink of beer. No doubt +she was going to question him (as he drank) about the reason for his +being there. He walked up leisurely, full of smiles at the beer, leaving +his nag fast to a hook in the wall some dozen yards from the door. +This was a better chance than I had hoped for; so drawing my dagger, +I resolved to put things to the test. I ripped the reins off the mare +close to the bit. Then with a loud shout followed by a whack in the +flank, I frightened that lovely mare right into them, almost into the +inn-door. Before they knew what had happened I was at my own horse's +head swiftly casting off the reins from the hook. Before they had turned +to pursue me, I was in the saddle, going at a quick trot towards Egmont, +while the mare was charging down the road behind me, with her saddle +under her belly, giving her the fright of her life. + +An awful thought came to me. “Supposing the lady is not the English spy, +what an awful thing I have done. Even if she be, what right have I to +cut her horse's harness? They may put me in prison for it. Besides, what +an ass I have been. If she is what I think, she will know now that I +am her enemy, engaged on very special service.” Looking back at the +inn-door, I saw a party of people gesticulating in the road. A man was +shouting to me. Others seemed to be laughing. Then, to my great joy, +round the turn of the road came an open carriage with two horses, going +at a good pace. There came my masters. All was well. I chuckled to +myself as I thought of the lady's face, when these two passed her, +leaving her without means of following them. When we were well out of +sight of the inn, I rode back to the carriage to report, wondering how +they would receive my news. They received it with displeasure, saying +that I had disobeyed my orders, not only in acting as I had done; but in +coming back to tell them. They bade me ride on at once to Egmont, before +I was arrested for cutting the lady's harness. As for their own plans, +whatever they were, my action altered them. I do not know what they did. +I know that I turned away with a flea in my ear from the Duke's reproof. +I remember not very much of my ride to Egmont, except that I seemed to +ride most of the time among sand-dunes. I glanced back anxiously to see +if I was being pursued; but no one followed. I rode on at the steady +lope, losing sight of the carriage, passing by dune after dune, rising +windmill after windmill, to drop them behind me as I rode. In that low +country, I had the gleam of the sea to my left hand, with the sails of +ships passing by me. The wind freshened as I rode, till at last my left +cheek felt the continual stinging of the sand grains, whirled up by the +wind from the bents. Where the sea-beach broadened, I rode on the sands. +The miles dropped past quickly enough, though I rode only at the lope, +not daring to hurry my horse. I kept this my pace even when going +through villages, where the people in their strange Dutch clothes +hurried out to stare at me as I bucketed by. I passed by acre after acre +of bulb-fields, mostly tulip-fields, now beginning to be full of colour. +Once, for ten minutes, I rode by a broad canal, where a barge with a +scarlet transom drove along under sail, spreading the ripples, keeping +alongside me. The helmsman, who was smoking a pipe as he eyed the luff +of his sail, waved his hand to me, as I loped along beside him. You +would not believe it; but he was one of the Oulton fishermen, a man +whom I had known for years. I had seen that tan-sailed barge many, many +times, rushing up the Waveney from Somer Leyton, with that same quiet +figure at her helm. I would have loved to have called out “Oh, Hendry. +How are you? Fancy seeing you here.” But I dared not betray myself; nor +did Hendry recognize me. After the road swung away from the canal, I +watched that barge as long as she remained in sight, thinking that while +she was there I had a little bit of Oulton by me. + +At last, far away I saw the church of Egmont, rising out of a flat +land (not unlike the Broad land) on which sails were passing in a misty +distance. I rose in my stirrups with a holloa; for now, I thought, I was +near my journey's end. I clapped my horse's neck, promising him an apple +for his supper. Then, glancing back, I looked out over the land. The +Oulton barge was far away now, a patch of dark sail drawing itself +slowly across the sky. Out to sea a great ship seemed to stand still +upon the skyline. But directly behind me, perhaps a mile away, perhaps +two miles, clearly visible on the white straight ribbon of road, a clump +of gallopers advanced, quartering across the road towards me. There may +have been twenty of them all told; some of them seemed to ride in ranks +like soldiers. I made no doubt when I caught sight of them that they +were coming after me, about that matter of the lady's harness. My first +impulse was to pull up, so that Old Blunderbore, as I had christened my +horse, might get his breath. But I decided not to stop, as I knew how +dangerous a thing it is to stop a horse in his pace after he has settled +down to it, had still three miles to go to shelter. If I could +manage the three miles all would be well. But could manage them? Old +Blunderbore had taken the eighteen miles we had come together very +easily. Now I was thankful that I had not pressed him in the early part +of the ride. But Egmont seemed a long, long way from me. I dared not +begin to gallop so far from shelter. I went loping on as before, with my +heart in my mouth, feeling like one pursued in a nightmare. + +As I looked around, to see these gallopers coming on, while I was still +lollopping forward, I felt that I was tied by the legs, unable to move. +Each instant made it more difficult for me to keep from shaking up my +horse. Continual promptings flashed into my mind, urging me to bolt down +somewhere among the dunes. These plans I set aside as worthless; for a +boy would soon have been caught among those desolate sandhills. There +was no real hiding among them. You could see any person among them from +a mile away. I kept on ahead, longing for that wonderful minute when I +could hurry my horse, in the wild rush to Egmont town, the final wild +rush, on the nag's last strength, with my pursuers, now going their +fastest, trailing away behind, as their beasts foundered. The air came +singing past. I heard behind me the patter of the turf sent flying by +Old Blunderbore's hoofs. The excitement of the ride took vigorous hold +on me. I felt on glancing back that I should do it, that I should carry +my message, that the Dutchman should see my mettle, before they stopped +me. They were coming up fast on horses still pretty fresh. I would show +them, I said to myself, what a boy can do on a spent horse. + +Old Blunderbore lollopped on. I clapped him on the neck. “Come up, boy! +Up!” I cried. “Egmont--Egmont! Come on, Old Blunderbore!” The good old +fellow shook his head up with a whinny. He could see Egmont. He could +smell the good corn perhaps. I banged him with my cap on the shoulder. +“Up, boy!” I cried. I felt that even if I died, even if I was shot +there, as I sailed along with my King's orders, I should have tasted +life in that wild gallop. + +A countryman carrying a sack put down his load to stare at me, for +now, with only a mile to go, I was going a brave gait, as fast as Old +Blunderbore could manage. I saw the man put up his hands in pretended +terror. The next instant he was far behind, wondering no doubt why the +charging squadron beyond were galloping after a boy. Now we were rushing +at our full speed, with half a mile, a quarter of a mile, two hundred +yards to the town gates. Carts drew to one side, hearing the clatter. I +shouted to drive away the children. Poultry scattered as though the king +of the foxes was abroad. After me came the thundering clatter of the +pursuit. I could hear distant shouts. The nearest man there was a +quarter of a mile away. A man started out to catch my rein, thinking +that my horse had run away with me. I banged him in the face with my cap +as I swung past him. In another second, as it seemed, I was pulled up +inside the gates. + +As far as I remember,--but it is all rather blurred now,--the place +where I pulled up was a sort of public square. I swung myself off Old +Blunderbore just outside a tavern. An ostler ran up to me at once to +hold him. So I gave him a silver piece what it was worth I did not know, +saying firmly “Zwolle-Haus. Go on. Zwolle-Haus.” + +The ostler smiled as he repeated Zwolle-Haus, pointing to the tavern +itself, which, by good luck, was the very house. + +“M. Stendhal,” I said. “Where is M. Stendhal? Mynheer Stendhal? Mynheer +Stendhal Haus?” + +The ostler repeated, “Stendhal? Stendhal? Ah, ja. Stendhal. Da.” He +pointed down a narrow street which led, as I could see, to a canal +wharf. + +I thanked him in English, giving him another silver piece. Then off I +went, tottering on my toes with the strangeness of walking after so long +a ride. I was not out of the wood yet, by a long way. At every second, +as I hurried on, I expected to hear cries of my pursuers, as they +charged down the narrow street after me. I tried to run, but my legs +felt so funny, it was like running in a dream. I just felt that I was +walking on pillows, instead of legs. Luckily that little narrow street +was only fifty yards long. It was with a great gasp of relief that I +got to the end of it. When I could turn to my right out of sight of the +square I felt that I was saved. I had been but a minute ahead of the +pursuers outside on the open. Directly after my entrance, some cart or +waggon went out of the town, filling the narrow gateway full, so that my +enemies were forced to pull up. This gave me a fair start, without which +I could hardly have won clear. If it had not been for that lucky waggon, +who knows what would have happened? + +As it was, I tottered along with drawn pistol to the door of a great +house (luckily for me the only house), which fronted the canal. I must +have seemed a queer object, coming in from my ride like that, in a +peaceful Dutch town. If I had chanced upon a magistrate I suppose I +should have been locked up; but luck was with me on that day. I chanced +only on Mynheer Stendhal as he sat smoking among his tulips in the front +of his mansion. He jumped up with a “God bless me!” when he saw me. + +“Mynheer Stendhal?” I asked. + +“Yes,” he said in good English. “What is it, boy?” + +“Take me in quick,” I said. “They're after me.” + + + +CHAPTER X. SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT + +In another minute, after Mr. Stendhal had read my note, I was skinning +off my clothes in an upper bedroom. Within three minutes I was dressed +like a Dutch boy, in huge baggy striped trousers belonging to Stendhal's +son. In four minutes the swift Mr. Stendhal had walked me across the +wharf in sabots to one of the galliots in the canal, which he ordered +under way at once, to pick up Argyle at sea. So that when my pursuers +rode up to Mr. Stendhal's door in search of me, I was a dirty little +Dutch boy casting off a stern-hawser from a ring bolt. They seemed to +storm at Mr. Stendhal; but I don't know what they said; he acted the +part of surprised indignation to the life. When I looked my last on Mr. +Stendhal he was at the door, begging a search party to enter to see for +themselves that I was not hidden there. The galliot got under way, at +that moment, with a good deal of crying out from her sailors. As she +swung away into the canal, I saw the handsome lady idly looking on. She +was waiting at the door with the other riders. She was the only +woman there. To show her that I was a skilled seaman I cast off the +stern-hawser nimbly, then dropped on to the deck like one bred to the +trade. A moment later I was aloft, casting loose the gaff-topsail. From +that fine height as the barge began to move I saw the horsemen turning +away foiled. I saw the lady's leathered hat, making a little dash of +green among the drab of the riding coats. Then an outhouse hid them all +from sight. I was in a sea-going barge, bound out, under all sail, +along a waterway lined with old reeds, all blowing down with a rattling +shiver. + +Now I am not going to tell you much more of my Holland experiences. I +was in that barge for about one whole fortnight, during which I think I +saw the greater part of the Dutch canals. We picked up Argyle at sea on +the first day. After that we went to Amsterdam with a cargo of hides. +Then we wandered about at the wind's will, thinking that it might puzzle +people, if any one should have stumbled on the right scent. All that +fortnight was a long delightful picnic to me. The barge was so like an +Oulton wherry that I was at home in her. I knew what to do, it was not +like being in the schooner. When we were lying up by a wharf, I used +to spend my spare hours in fishing, or in flinging fiat pebbles from +a cleft-stick at the water-rats. When we were under sail I used to sit +aloft in the cross-trees, looking out at the distant sea. At night, +after a supper of strong soup, we all turned in to our bunks in the tiny +cabin, from the scuttle of which I could see a little patch of sky full +of stars. + +A boy lives very much in the present. I do not think that I thought much +of the Duke's service, nor of our venture for the crown. If I thought +at all of our adventures, I thought of the handsome woman with the grey, +fierce eyes. In a way, I hoped that might have another tussle with her, +not because I liked adventure, no sane creature does, but because I +thought of her with liking. I felt that she would be such a brave, witty +person to have for a friend. I felt sad somehow at the thought of not +seeing her again. She was quite young, not more than twenty, if her +looks did not belie her. I used to wonder how it was that she had come +to be a secret agent. I believed that the sharp-faced horsey man had +somehow driven her to it against her will. Thinking of her at night, +before I fell asleep, I used to long to help her. It is curious, but I +always thought tenderly of this woman, even though she had twice tried +to kill me. A man's bad angel is only his good angel a little warped. + +On the second of May, though I did not know it then, Argyle set sail for +Scotland, to raise the clans for a foray across the Border. On the same +day I was summoned from my quarters in the barge to take up my King's +service. Late one evening, when it was almost dark night, Mr. Jermyn +halted at the wharf-side to call me from my supper. “Mount behind me, +Martin,” he said softly, peering down the hatch. “It's time, now.” + I thought he must mean that it was time to invade England. You must +remember that I knew little of the rights of the case, except that the +Duke's cause was the one favoured by my father, dead such a little while +before. Yet when I heard that sudden summons, it went through me with a +shock that now this England was to be the scene of a bloody civil war, +father fighting son, brother against brother. I would rather have been +anywhere at that moment than where I was, hearing that order. Still, I +had put my hand to the plough. There was no drawing back. I rose up +with my eyes full of tears to say good-bye to the kind Dutch bargemen. +I never saw them again. In a moment I was up the wharf, scrambling into +the big double saddle behind Mr. Jermyn. Before my eyes were accustomed +to the darkness we were trotting off into the night I knew not whither. + +“Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn, half turning in his saddle, “talk in a low +voice. There may be spies anywhere.” + +“Yes, sir,” I answered, meekly. For a while after that we were silent; I +was waiting for him to tell me more. + +“Martin,” he said at length, “we're going to send you to England, with a +message.” + +“Yes, sir?” I answered. + +“You understand that there's danger, boy?” + +“Yes, sir.” + +“Life is full of danger. But for his King a Christian man must be +content to run risks. You aren't afraid, Martin?” + +“No, sir,” I answered bravely. I was afraid, all the same. I doubt if +any boy my age would have felt very brave, riding in the night like +that, with danger of spies all about. + +“That's right, Martin,” he said kindly. “That's the kind of boy I +thought you.” Again we were quiet, till at last he said: + +“You're going in a barquentine to Dartmouth. Can you remember Blick of +Kingswear?” + +“Blick of Kingswear,” I repeated. “Yes, sir.” + +“He's the man you're to go to.” + +“Yes, sir. What am I to tell him?” + +“Tell him this, Martin. Listen carefully. This, now. King Golden Cap. +After Six One.” + +“King Golden Cap. After Six One,” I repeated. “Blick of Kingswear. King +Golden Cap. After Six One.” + +“That's right,” he said. “Repeat it over. Don't forget a word of it. +But I know you're too careful a lad to do that.” There was no fear of my +forgetting it. I think that message is burned in into my brain under the +skull-bones. + +“There'll be cipher messages, too, Martin. They're also for Mr. Blick. +You'll carry a little leather satchel, with letters sewn into the flap. +You'll carry stockings in the satchel. Or school-books. You are Mr. +Blick's sister's son, left an orphan in Holland. You'll be in mourning. +Your mother died of low-fever, remember, coming over to collect a +debt from her factor. Your mother was an Oulton fish-boat owner. Pay +attention now. I'm going to cross-examine you in your past history.” + +As we rode on into the gloom, in the still, flat, misty land, which +gleamed out at whiles with water dykes, he cross-examined me in detail, +in several different ways, just as a magistrate would have done it. I +was soon letter-perfect about my mother. I knew Mr. Blick's past history +as well as I knew my own. + +“Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn suddenly. “Do you hear anything?” + +“Yes, sir,” I answered. “I think I do, sir.” + +“What is it you hear, Martin?” + +“I think I hear a horse's hoofs, sir.” + +“Behind us?” + +“Yes, sir. A long way behind.” + +“Hold on then, boy. I'm going to pull up.” + +We halted for an instant in the midst of a wide fiat desert, the +loneliest place on God's earth. For an instant in the stillness we +heard the trot trot of a horse's hoofs. Then the unseen rider behind us +halted, too, as though uncertain how to ride, with our hoofs silent. + +“There,” said Mr. Jermyn. “You see. Now we'll make him go on again.” + He shook the horse into his trot again, talking to him in a little low +voice that shook with excitement. Sure enough, after a moment the trot +sounded out behind us. It was as though our wraiths were riding behind +us, following us home. “I'll make sure,” said Mr. Jermyn, pulling up +again. + +“You're a cunning dog,” he said gently. “You heard that?” Indeed, it +sounded uncanny. The unseen rider had feared to pull up, guessing that +we had guessed his intentions. Instead of pulling up he did a much more +ominous thing, he slowed his pace perceptibly. We could hear the change +in the beat of the horse-hoofs. “Cunning lad,” said Mr. Jermyn. “I've +a good mind to shoot that man, Martin. He's following us. Pity it's so +dark. One can never be sure in the dark like this. But I don't know. I'd +like to see who it is.” + +We trotted on again at our usual pace. Presently, something occurred +to me. Mr. Jermyn, I said; “would you like me to see who it is? I could +slip off as we go. I could lie down flat so that he would pass against +the sky. Then you could come back for me.” + +He did not like the scheme at first. He said that it would be too dark +for me to see anybody; but that when we were nearer to the town it might +be done. So we rode on at our quick trot for a couple of more, hearing +always behind us a faint beat of +upon the road, like the echo of our own hoofs. After a time they stopped +suddenly, nor did we hear them again. + +“D'you know what he's done, Martin?” said Mr. Jermyn. + +“No, sir,” I answered. + +“He's muffled his horse's hoofs with duffle shoes. A sort of thick felt +slippers. He was in too great a hurry to do that before. There are the +lights of the town.” + +“Shall I get down, sir?” + +“If you can without my pulling up. Don't speak. But lay your head on the +road. You'll hear the horse, then, if I'm right.” + +“Then I'll lie still,” I said, “to see if I can see who it is.” + +“Yes. But make no sign. He may shoot. He may take you for a footpad. +I'll ride back to you in a minute.” + +He slowed down the horse so that I could slip off unheard on to the turf +by the roadside. When he had gone a little distance, I laid my ear to +the road. Sure enough, the noise of the other horse was faint but plain +in the distance, coming along on the road, avoiding the turf. The turf +vas trenched in many drains, so as to make dangerous riding at night. I +lay down flat on the turf, with my pistol in my hand. I was excited; but +I remember that I enjoyed it. I felt so like an ancient Briton lying in +wait for his enemy. I tried to guess the distance of this strange horse +from me. It is always difficult to judge either distance or location by +sound, when the wind is blowing. The horse hoofs sounded about a quarter +of a mile away. I know not how far they really were. Very soon I could +see the black moving mass coming quietly along the road. The duffle +hoof-wraps made a dull plodding noise near at hand. Nearer the unknown +rider came, suspecting nothing. I could see him bent forward, peering +out ahead. I could even take stock of him, dark though it was. He was a +not very tall man, wearing a full Spanish riding cloak. It seemed to me +that he checked his horse's speed somewhere in the thirty yards before +he passed me. Then, just as he passed, just as I had a full view of him, +blackly outlined against the stars, his horse shied violently at me, on +to the other side of the road. The rider swung him about on the instant +to make him face the danger. I could see him staring down at me, as he +bent forward to pat his horse's neck. I bent my head down so that my +face was hidden in the grass. + +The stranger did not see me. I am quite sure that he did not see me. He +turned his horse back along the road for a few snorting paces. Then with +a sounding slap on his shoulder he drove him at a fast pace along the +turf towards me. I heard the brute whinny. He was uneasy; he was trying +to shy; he was twisting away, trying to avoid the strange thing which +lay there. I hid my head no longer. I saw the horse above me. I saw the +rider glaring down. He was going to ride over me. I saw his face, a grey +blur under his hat. The horse seemed to be right on top of me. I started +up to my feet with a cry. The horse shied into the road, with a violence +which made the rider rock. Then, throwing up his head, he bolted towards +the town, half mad with the scare. Fifty yards down the road he tore +past Mr. Jermyn, who was trotting back to pick me up. We heard the +frantic hoofs pass away into the night, growing louder as the duffle +wraps were kicked off. Perhaps you have noticed how the very sound of +the gallop of a scared horse conveys fear. That is what we felt, we two +conspirators, as we talked together, hearing that clattering alarm-note +die away. + +“Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn. “That was a woman. She chuckled as she +galloped past me.” + +“Are you sure, sir?” I asked, half-hoping that he might be right. I +felt my heart leap at the thought of being in another adventure with the +lady. + +“Yes,” he said, “I'm quite sure. Now we must be quick, so as to give +her no time in the town.” When I had mounted, we forced the horse to a +gallop till we were within a quarter of a mile of the walls, where we +pulled up at a cross-roads. + +“Get down, Martin,” he said. “We must enter the town by different roads. +Turn off here to the right. Then take the next two turns to the left, +which will bring you into the square. I shall meet you there. Take your +time. There's no hurry.” + +About ten minutes later, I was stopped in a dark quiet alley by a hand +on the back of my neck. I saw no one. I heard no noise of breathing. In +the pitch blackness of the night the hand arrested me. It was like my +spine suddenly stiffening to a rod of ice. “Quiet,” said a strange voice +before I could scream. “Off with those Dutch clothes. Put on these. Off +with those sabots.” I was in a suit of English clothes in less than a +minute. “Boots,” the voice said in my ear. “Pull them on.” They were +long leather knee-boots, supple from careful greasing. In one of them I +felt something hard. My heart leapt as I felt it. + +It was a long Italian stiletto. I felt myself a seaman indeed, nay, +more than a seaman, a secret agent, with a pair of such boots upon me, +“heeled,” as the sailors call it, with such a weapon. “Go straight on,” + said the voice. + +As I started to go straight on, there was a sort of rustling behind me. +Some black figure seemed to vanish from me. Whoever the man was that had +brought me the clothes, he had vanished, just as an Indian will vanish +into grass six inches high. Thinking over my strange adventures, I +think that that changing of my clothes in the night was almost the most +strange of all. It was so eerie, that he should be there at all, a part +of Mr. Jermyn's plan, fitting into it exactly, though undreamed of by +me. Would indeed that all Mr. Jermyn's plans had carried through so +well. But it was not to be. One ought not to grumble. + +A few steps farther on, I came to a public square, on one side of which +(quite close to where I stood) was a wharf, crowded with shipping. I had +hardly expected the sea to be so near, somehow, but seeing it like that +I naturally stopped to look for the ship which was to carry me. The only +barquentine among the ships lay apart from the others, pointing towards +the harbour entrance. She seemed to be a fine big vessel, as far as +I could judge in that light. I lingered there for some few minutes, +looking at the ships, wondering why it was that Mr. Jermyn had not met +me. I was nervous about it. My nerves were tense from all the excitement +of the night. One cannot stand much excitement for long. I had had +enough excitement that night to last me through the week. As I stood +looking at the ships, I began to feel a horror of the wharf-side. I felt +as though the very stones of the place were my enemies, lying in wait +for me. I cannot explain the feeling more clearly than that. It was due +probably to the loneliness of the great empty square, dark as a tomb. +Then, expecting Mr. Jermyn, but failing to meet with him, was another +cause for dread. I thought, in my nervousness, that I should be in a +fine pickle if any enemies made away with Mr. Jermyn, leaving me alone, +in a strange land, with only a few silver pieces in my pocket. Still, +Mr. Jermyn was long in coming. My anxiety was almost more than I could +bear. + +At last, growing fearful that I had somehow missed him at the mouth of +the dark alley, I walked slowly back in my tracks, wishing that I had a +thicker jacket, since it was beginning to rain rather smartly. There was +a great sort of inn on the side of the square to which I walked. It had +lights on the second floor. The great windows of that story opened on +to balconies, in what is, I believe, the Spanish way of building. I +remember feeling bitterly how cheery the warm lights looked, inside +there, where the people were. I stood underneath the balcony out of the +rain, looking out sharply towards the alley, expecting at each instant +to see Mr. Jermyn. Still he did not come. I dared not move from where I +was lest I should miss him. I racked my brains to try to remember if I +had obeyed orders exactly. I wondered whether I had come to the right +square. I began to imagine all kinds of evil things which might have +happened to him. Perhaps that secret fiend of a woman had been too many +for him. Perhaps some other secret service people had waylaid him as +he entered the town. Perhaps he was even then in bonds in some cellar, +being examined for letters by some of the usurper's men. + + + +CHAPTER XI. AURELIA + +While I was fretting myself into a state of hysteria, the catch of one +of the great window-doors above me was pushed back. Someone came out on +the balcony just over my head. It was a woman, evidently in some great +distress, for she was sobbing bitterly. I thought it mean to stand there +hearing her cry, so I moved away. As I walked off, the window opened +again. A big heavy-looted man came out. + +“Stop crying, Aurelia,” the voice said. “Here's the stuff. Put it in +your pocket.” + +“I can't,” the woman answered. “I can't.” + +I stopped moving away when I heard that voice. It was the voice of the +Longshore Jack woman who had had those adventures with me. I should have +known her voice anywhere, even choked as it then was with sobs. It was a +good voice, of a pleasant quality, but with a quick, authoritative ring. + +“I can't,” she said. “I can't, Father.” + +“Put it in your pocket,” her father said. “No rubbish of that sort. You +must.” + +“It would kill me. I couldn't,” she answered. “I should hate myself +forever.” + +“No more of that to me,” said the cold, hard voice with quiet passion. +“Your silly scruples aren't going to outweigh a nation's need. There it +is in your pocket. Be careful you don't use too much. If you fail again, +remember, you'll earn your own living. Oh, you bungler! When I think +of--” + +“I'm no bungler. You know it,” she answered passionately. “I planned +everything. You silly men never backed me up. Who was it guessed right +this time? I suppose you think you'd have come here without my help? +That's like a man.” + +“Don't stand there rousing the town, Aurelia,” the man said. “Come in out +of the rain at once. Get yourself ready to start.” + +As the window banged to behind them, a figure loomed up out of the +night--two figures, more. I sprang to one side; but they were too quick +for me. Someone flung an old flour-sack over my head. Before I was ready +to struggle I was lying flat on the pavement, with a man upon my chest. + +“It's him,” said a voice. “You young rip, where are the letters?” + +“What letters?” I said, struggling, choking against the folds of the +sack. + +“Rip up his boots,” said another. “Dig him with a knife if he won't +answer.” + +“Bring him in to the Colonel,” said the first. + +“I've got no letters,” I said. + +“Lift him up quick,” said the man who had suggested the knife. “In with +him. Here's the watch.” + +“Quick, boys,” the leader said. “We mustn't be caught at this game.” + +Steps sounded somewhere in the square. Hearing them, I squealed with all +my strength, hoping that somebody would come. + +“Choke him,” said one of the men. + +I gave one more loud squeal before they jammed the sack on my mouth. +To my joy, the feet broke into a run. They were the feet of the watch, +coming to my rescue. + +“Up with him,” said the leader among my captors. “Quick, in to the +Colonel with him.” + +“No, no! Drop it. I'm off. Here's the watch,” cried the other hurriedly. + +They let me drop on to the pavement after half lifting me. In five +seconds more they were scattering to shelter. As I rose to my feet, +flinging off the flour-sack, I found myself in the midst of the city +watch, about a dozen men, all armed, whose leader carried a lantern. +The windows of the great inn were open; people were thronging on to the +balcony to see what the matter was; citizens came to their house-doors. +At that moment, Mr. Jermyn appeared. The captain of the guard was asking +questions in Dutch. The guardsmen were peering at my face in the lantern +light. + +Mr. Jermyn questioned me quickly as to what had happened. He interpreted +my tale to the guard. I was his servant, he told them. I had been +attacked by unknown robbers, some of whom, at least, were English. One +of them had tried to stifle me with a flour-sack, which, on examination +under the lantern, proved to be the sack of Robert Harling, Corn-miller, +Eastry. Goodness knows how it came to be there; for ship's flour travels +in cask. Mr. Jermyn gave an address, where we could be found if any of +the villains were caught; but he added that it was useless to expect +me to identify any of them, since the attack had been made in the dark, +with the victim securely blindfolded. He gave the leader of the men some +money. The guard moved away to look for the culprits (long before in +hiding, one would think), while Mr. Jermyn took me away with him. + +As we went, I looked up at the inn balcony, from which several heads +looked down upon us. Behind them, in the lighted room, in profile, in +full view, was the lady of the fierce eyes. I knew her at once, in spite +of the grey Spanish (man's) hat she wore, slouched over her face. She +was all swathed in a Spanish riding cloak. One took her for a handsome +young man. But I knew that she was my enemy. I knew her name now, too; +Aurelia. She was looking down at me, or rather at us, for she could not +have made out our faces. Her face was sad. She seemed uninterested; +she had, perhaps, enough sorrow of her own at that moment, without +the anxieties of others. A big, burly, hulking, handsome person of the +swaggering sort which used to enter the army in those days, left the +balcony hurriedly. I saw him at the window, speaking earnestly to her, +pointing to the square, in which, already, the darkness hid us. I saw +the listlessness fall from her. She seemed to waken up into intense life +in an instant. She walked with a swift decision peculiar to her +away from the window, leaving the hulking fellow, an elderly, +dissolute-looking man, with the wild puffy eyes of the drinker, to pick +his teeth in full view of the square. + +When we left watching our enemies, Mr. Jermyn bade me walk on tiptoe. We +scurried away across the square diagonally, pausing twice to listen for +pursuers. No one seemed to be following. There was not much sense in +following; for the guard was busy searching for suspicious persons. We +heard them challenging passers-by, with a rattle of their halberds +on the stones, to make their answers prompt. We were safe enough from +persecution for the time. We went down a dark street into a dark alley. +From the alley we entered a courtyard, the sides of which were vast +houses. We entered one of these houses. The door seemed to open in the +mysterious way which had puzzled me so much in Fish Lane. Mr. Jermyn +smiled when I asked him how this was done. “Go on in, boy,” he said. +“There are many queer things in lives like ours.” He gave me a shove +across the threshold, while the door closed itself silently behind us. + +He took me into a room which was not unlike a marine store of the better +sort. There were many sailor things (all of the very best quality) lying +in neat heaps on long oak shelves against the walls. In the middle of +the room a table was laid for dinner. + +Mr. Jermyn made me eat a hearty meal before starting, which I did. As +I ate, he fidgeted about among some lockers at my back. Presently, as I +began to sip some wine which he had poured out for me, he put something +over my shoulders. + +“Here,” he said, “this is the satchel, Martin. Keep the straps drawn +tight always. Don't take it off till you give it into Mr. Blick's hands. +His own hands, remember. Don't take it off even at night. When you lie +down, lash it around your neck with spun-yarn.” All this I promised most +faithfully to do. “But,” I said, examining the satchel, which was like +an ordinary small old weather-beaten satchel for carrying books, “where +are the letters, sir?” + +“Sewn into the double,” he answered. “You wouldn't be able to sew so +neatly as that. Would you, now?” + +“Oh, yes, I should, sir,” I replied. “I am a pretty good hand with a +sail-needle. The Oulton fishermen used to teach me the stitches. I can +do herring-bone stitch. I can even put a cringle into a sail.” + +“You're the eighth wonder of the world, I think,” Mr. Jermyn said. “But +choose, now. Choose a kit for yourself. You won't get a chance to change +your clothes till you get to Mr. Blick's if you don't take some from +here. So just look round the room here. Take whatever you want.” + +I felt myself to have been fairly well equipped by the stranger who had +made me change my clothes in the alley. But I knew how cold the Channel +may be even in June; so I chose out two changes of thick underwear. +Weapons I had no need for, with the armory already in my belt; but a +heavy tarred jacket with an ear-flap collar was likely to be useful, so +I chose that instead. It was not more than ten sizes too large for me; +that did not matter; at sea one tries to keep warm; appearances are not +much regarded. Last of all, when I had packed my satchel, I noticed +a sailor's canvas “housewife” very well stored with buttons, etc. I +noticed that it held what is called a “palm,” that is, the leather +hand-guard used by sail-makers for pushing the needle through sail +cloth. It occurred to me, vaguely, that such a “housewife” would be +useful, in case my clothes got torn, so I stuffed it into my satchel +with the other things. I saw that it contained a few small sail-needles +(of the kind so excellent as egg-borers) as well as some of the strong +fine sail-twine, each thread of which will support a weight of fifty +pounds. I put the housewife into my store with a vague feeling of being +rich in the world's goods, with such a little treasury of necessaries; I +had really no thought of what that chance impulse was to do for me. + +“Are you ready?” Mr. Jermyn asked. + +“Yes, sir. Quite ready.” + +“Take this blank drawing-book,” he said, handing me a small pocket-book, +in which a pencil was stuck. “Make a practice of drawing what you see. +Draw the ships. Make sketches of the coast. You will find that such +drawings will give you great pleasure when you come to be old. They will +help you, too, in impressing an object on your mind. Drawing thus will +give you a sense of the extraordinary wonder of the universe. It will +teach you a lot of things. Now let's be off. It's time we were on +board.” + +When we went out of the house we were joined by three or four seamen who +carried cases of bottles (probably gin bottles). We struck off towards +the ship together at a brisk pace, singing one of those quick-time songs +with choruses to which the sailors sometimes work. The song they sang +was that very jolly one called “Leave her, Johnny.” They made such a +noise with the chorus of this ditty that Mr. Jermyn was able to refresh +my memory in the message to be given to Mr. Blick. + +The rain had ceased before we started. When we came into the square, we +saw that cressets, or big flaming port-fires, had been placed along +the wharf, to give light to some seamen who were rolling casks to the +barquentine. A little crowd of idlers had gathered about the workers to +watch them at their job; there may have been so many as twenty people +there. They stood in a pretty strong, but very unsteady light, by which +I could take stock of them. I looked carefully among them for the figure +of a young man in a grey Spanish hat; but he was certainly not there. +The barquentine had her sails loosed, but not hoisted. Some boats were +in the canal ahead, ready to tow her out. She had also laid out a +hawser, by which to heave herself out with her capstan. I could see at +a glance that she was at the point of sailing. As we came up the +plank-gangway which led to her deck we were delayed for a moment by a +seaman who was getting a cask aboard. + +“Beg pardon, sir,” he said to Mr. Jermyn. “I won't keep you waiting +long. This cask's about as heavy as nitre.” + +“What 'a' you got in that cask, Dick?” said the boatswain, who kept a +tally at the gangway. + +“Nitre or bullets, I guess,” said Dick, struggling to get the cask on to +the gang plank. “It's as heavy as it knows how.” + +“Give Dick a hand there,” the boatswain ordered. A seaman who was +standing somewhere behind me came forward, jogging my elbow as he +passed. In a minute or two they had the cask aboard. + +“It's red lead,” said the boatswain, examining the marks upon it. “Sling +it down into the 'tweendecks.” + +After this little diversion, I was free to go down the gangway with +Mr. Jermyn. The captain received us in the cabin. He seemed to know my +“uncle Blick,” as he called him, very well indeed. I somehow didn't like +the looks of the man; he had a bluff air; but it seemed to sit ill +upon him. He reminded me of the sort of farmer who stands well with his +parson or squire, while he tyrannizes over his labourers with all the +calculating cowardly cruelty of the mean mind. I did not take to Captain +Barlow, for all his affected joviality. + +However, the ship was sailing. They showed me the little trim cabin +which was to be mine for the voyage. Mr. Jermyn ran ashore up the +gangway, after shaking me by the hand. He called to me over his shoulder +to remember him very kindly to my uncle. A moment later, as the hawsers +were cast off, the little crowd on the wharf called out “Three cheers +for the Gara barquentine,” which the Gara's crew acknowledged with three +cheers for Pierhead, in the sailor fashion. We were moving slowly under +the influence of the oared boats ahead of us, when a seaman at the +forward capstan began to sing the solo part of an old capstan chanty. +The men broke in upon him with the chorus, which rang out, in its sweet +clearness, making echoes in the city. I ran to the capstan to heave with +them, so that I, too, might sing. I was at the capstan there, heaving +round with the best of them, until we were standing out to sea, beyond +the last of the fairway lights, with our sails trimmed to the +strong northerly wind. After that, being tired with so many crowded +excitements, which had given me a life's adventures since supper-time, I +went below to my bunk, to turn in. + +I took off my satchel, intending to tie it round my neck after I had +undressed. Some inequality in the strap against my fingers made me hold +it to the cabin lamp to examine it more closely. To my horror, I saw +that the strap had been nearly cut through in five places. If it had not +been of double leather with an inner lining of flexible wire, any one +of those cuts would have cut the thong clean in two. Then a brisk twitch +would have left the satchel at the cutter's mercy. It gave me a lively +sense of the craft of our enemies, to see those cuts in the leather. I +had felt nothing. I had suspected nothing. Only once, for that instant +on the wharf, when we stopped to let Dick get his barrel aboard, had +they had a chance to come about me. Yet in that instant of time they had +suspected that that satchel contained letters. They had made their bold +attempt to make away with it. They had slashed this leather in five +places with a knife as sharp as a razor. But had it been on the wharf, +that this was done? I began to wonder if it could have been on the +wharf. Might it not have been done when I was at the capstan, heaving +round on the bar? I thought not. I must have noticed a seaman doing such +a thing. It would have been impossible for any one to have cut the strap +there; for the capstan was always revolving. The man next to me on the +bar never took his hands from the lever, of that I was certain. The men +on the bar behind me could not have reached me. Even if they had reached +me the mate must have noticed it. I knew that sailors were often clever +thieves; but I did not believe that they could have been so clever under +the mate's eye. If it had not been done at the capstan it could not have +been done since I came aboard; for there had been no other opportunity. +I was quite convinced, after a moment's thought, that it had been done +on the wharf before I came aboard. Then I wondered if it had been done +by common shore thieves, or “nickers,” who are always present in our +big seaport towns, ready to steal whenever they get a chance. But I was +rather against this possibility; for my mind just then was much too full +of Aurelia's party. I saw their hands in it. It would have needed very +strong evidence to convince me that they were not at the bottom of this +last attack, as they had doubtless been in the attack under the inn +balcony. + +Thinking of their cunning with some dismay, I went to my door to secure +it. I was in my stockinged feet at the moment, as I had kicked my +boots off on coming into the cabin. My step, therefore, must have been +noiseless. Opening the door smartly, half-conscious of some slight noise +on the far side, I almost ran into Captain Barlow, who was standing +without. He showed a momentary confusion, I thought, at seeing me thus +suddenly. It was a bad sign. To me, in my excited nervous state, it was +a very bad sign. It convinced me that he had been standing there, trying +to spy upon me through the keyhole, with what purpose I could guess only +too well. His face changed to a jovial grin in an instant; but I felt +that he was searching my face narrowly for some sign of suspicion. + +“I was just coming in to see if you wanted anything,” he said. + +“No. Nothing, thanks,” I answered. “But what time's breakfast, sir?” + +“Oh, the boy'll call you,” he answered. “Is that your school satchel? +Hey? What you carry your books in? Let's see it?” + +“Oh,” I said, as lightly as I could, feeling that he was getting on +ticklish ground. “I've not unpacked it yet. It's got all my things in +it.” + +By this time he was well within my cabin. “Why,” he said, “this strap's +almost cut in two. Does your master let you bring your satchel to school +in that state? How did it come to be cut like that? Hey?” + +I made some confused remark about its having always been in that state; +as it was an old satchel which my father used for a shooting-bag. I had +never known boys to carry books in a satchel. That kind of school was +unknown to me. + +“Well,” he said, fingering the strap affectionately, as though he was +going to lift it off my head, “you let me take it away with me. I've got +men in this ship, who can mend a cut leather strap as neat as you've no +idea of. They'd sew up a cut like them so as you'd hardly know it had +been cut.” + +I really feared that he would have the bag away from me by main force. +But I rallied all my forces to save it. “I'm lagged now,” I said. “I +haven't undone my things. I'll give it to you in the morning.” + +It seemed to me that he looked at me rather hard when I said this; but +he evidently thought “What can it matter? Tomorrow will serve just as +well.” So he just gave a little laugh. “Right,” he said. “You turn in +now. Give it to me in the morning. Good night, boy.” + +“Good night,” I said, as he left the cabin, adding, under my breath, +“Good riddance, too. You won't find quite so much when you come to +examine this bag by daylight.” After he had gone--but not at once, as I +wished not to make him suspicious,--I locked my cabin-door. Then I hung +my tarred sea-coat on the door-hook, so that the flap entirely covered +the keyhole. There were bolts on the door, but the upper one alone could +be pushed home. With this in its place felt secure from spies. Yet not +too secure. I was not certain that the bulkheads were without crannies +from which I could be watched. The crack by the door-hinge might, for +all I knew, give a very good view of the inside of the cabin. Thinking +that I might still be under observation I decided to put off what I had +to do until the very early morning, so I undressed myself for bed. I +took care to put out the light before turning in, so that I might not +be seen lashing the satchel round my neck with a length of spunyarn. I +slept with my head upon it. + + + +CHAPTER XII. BRAVE CAPTAIN BARLOW + +Very early the next morning, at about half-past four, a little before +sunrise, I woke up with a start, wondering where I was. Looking through +my little scuttle port, I could see the flashing of bright waves, +which sometimes dowsed my window with a shower of drops. The ship +was apparently making about three knots an hour, under all her sails. +Directly I woke, I turned out of my bunk to do what I had to do. After +dressing, I took my sail-making tools from my housewife. I had resolved +to cut the letters from their hiding-place so that I might make them +up into tiny rolls, small enough to hide in my pistol cartridges. Very +carefully I cut the threads which bound the leather flaps of the satchel +together. I worked standing up, with the satchel in my bunk. I could +hardly have been seen from any point. In a few moments the letters were +in my hands. They were small sheets of paper, each about four inches +square. They were nine in number, all different. They were covered with +a neat cipher very different from the not very neat, not quite formed +hand of the Duke himself. What the cipher was, I did not know. It was +one of the many figure ciphers then in use. I learned long afterwards +that the figures which frequently occurred in them stood for King +James II. Such as they were, those cipher letters made a good deal of +difference to many thousands of people then living contentedly at home. + +As soon as I had removed them, I rolled them up very carefully into +pistol cartridges from which I drew the charges. I was just going to +throw away the powder, when I thought, “No, I'll put the powder back. +It'll make the fraud more difficult to detect.” So I put the powder back +with great care. Then I searched my mind for something with which to +seal up the cartridge wads over the powder. I could think of nothing at +all, till I remembered the tar-seams at my feet. I dug up a fragment of +tar-seam from the dark corners of the cabin under my bunk. Then I lit my +lamp with my little pocket tinder-box, so that I could heat the tar as I +needed it. It took me a long time to finish the cartridges properly; but +I flatter myself that I made neat jobs of them. I was trained to neat +habits by my father. The Oulton seamen had given me a taste for doing +clever neat work, such as plaits or pointing, so that I was not such a +bungler at delicate handicraft as most boys of my age. I even took the +trouble to hide the tar marks on my wads by smearing wetted gunpowder +all over them. When I had hidden all the letters, I wrote out a few +pencilled notes upon leaves neatly cut from my pocket-book. I wrote a +varying arrangement of ciphers on each leaf, in the neatest hand I could +command. I always made neat figures; but as I had not touched a pen for +nearly a month, I was out of practice. Still, I did very creditably. I +am quite sure that my neat ciphers gave the usurper James a very trying +week of continual study. I daresay the whole privy council puzzled over +those notes of mine. I felt very pleased with them when they were done. + +I had not much more than a half-hour left to me when I finished writing +them out. The ship's bells told me that it was seven o'clock. Cabin +breakfast, as I knew very well, would be at eight. I could expect to +be called at half past seven. I put the two flaps of the satchel evenly +together, removing all traces of the thread used in the earlier sewing. +Then I very trimly sewed the two flaps with my sail-needle, using all +my strength to make secure stitches. I used some brown soap in the +wash-stand as thread wax, to make the sewing more easy. “There,” I +thought, “no one will suspect that this was sewn by a boy.” When I had +finished, I thought of dirtying the twine to make the work look old; but +I decided to let well alone. I might so easily betray my hand by trying +to do too much. The slight trace of the soap made the work look old +enough. But I took very great care to remove all traces of my work +in the cabin. The little scraps of thread which I had cut out of the +satchel I ate, as I could see no safer means of getting rid of them. I +cannot say that they disagreed with me, though they were not very easy +to get down. My palm, being a common sea-implement, not likely to +seem strange in a ship's cabin, I hid in a locker below my bunk. My +sail-needles I thrust at first into the linings of the pockets of my +tarred sea-coat. On second thoughts, I drove them into the mattress of +my bunk. My hank of twine I dropped on deck later, when I went out to +breakfast. Having covered all traces of my morning's work, I washed with +a light heart. When some one came to my cabin-door to call me, I cried +out that I would be out in a minute. + +When the breakfast bell rang, I walked aft to the great cabin, with my +satchel over my shoulder. The captain asked me how I had slept; so +I said that I had slept like a top, until a few minutes before I was +called. + +“That's the way with you young fellows,” he said. “When you come to be +my age you won't be able to do that.” Presently, as we were sitting down +to breakfast, he began his attack upon the satchel. “You still got your +satchel, I see,” he said. “Do you carry it about with you always? Or are +you pretending to be a military man with a knapsack?” + +I looked a little uncomfortable at this; but not from the reason which +flashed through his mind. I said that I liked carrying it about, as it +served instead of a side coat-pocket, which was perfectly true. + +“By the way,” he said; “you must let me take that beloved satchel after +breakfast, so that I can get the strap sewn up for you.” + +It came into my mind to look blank at this. I stammered as I said that I +didn't mind the straps being cut, because there was a wire heart to the +leather which would hold till we got to England, when I could put on a +new strap for myself. + +“Oh, nonsense,” he said, serving out some of the cold bacon from the +dish in front of him. “Nonsense. What would your uncle say if you landed +slovenly like that? Besides, now you're at sea you're a sailor. Sailors +don't wear things like that at meals any more than they wear their +hats.” + +After this, I saw that there was no further chance of retaining the +satchel, so I took it from my neck, but grudgingly, as though I hated +doing so. I heard no more about it till after breakfast, when he made a +sudden playful pounce upon it, as it lay upon the chair beside me, at an +instant when I was quite unprepared to save it. + +“Aha,” he cried, waving his booty. “Now then. Now.” + +I knew that he would expect a passionate outcry from me, nor did I +spare it; because I meant him to think that I knew the satchel contained +precious matters. + +“No, no,” I cried. “Let me have it. I don't want it mended.” + +“What?” he said. “Not want it mended? It must be mended.” + +At this I made a sort of playful rush to get it. He dodged away from me, +laughing. I attacked again, playing my part admirably, as I thought, +but taking care not to overdo it. At last, as though fearing to show too +great an anxiety about the thing, I allowed him to keep it. I asked him +if he would be able to sew the leather over the wire heart. + +“Why, yes,” he said. I could see that he smiled. He was thinking that I +had stopped struggling in order to show him that I set no real value on +the satchel. He was thinking that he saw through my cunning. + +“Might I see you sew it up?” I said. “I should like to learn how to sew +up leather.” + +He thought that this was another sign of there being letters in the +satchel, this wish of mine to be present when the sewing was done. + +“Why, yes,” he said. “I'll do it here. You shall do it yourself if you +like. I will teach you.” So saying, he tossed me an orange from his +pocket. “Eat that,” he said, “while I go on deck to take the sights.” + +He left the cabin, swinging the satchel carelessly in his left hand. I +thought to myself that I had better play anxiety; so, putting the orange +on the table, I followed him into the 'tweendecks, halting at the door, +as though in fear about the satchel's fate. Looking back, he saw me +there. My presence confirmed him in his belief that he had got my +treasure. He waved to me. “Back in a minute,” he said. “Stay in the +cabin till I come back. There's a story-book in the locker.” + +I turned back into the cabin in a halting, irresolute way which no doubt +deceived him as my other movements had deceived him. When I had shut the +door, I went to the locker for the story-book. + +Now the story-book, when I found it, was not a story-book, but a little +thick book of Christian sermons by various good bishops. I read one of +them through, to try, but I did not understand it. Then I put the book +down with the sudden thought: “This Captain Barlow cannot read. He +thinks that these sermons are stories. Now who is it in this ship to +whom the letters will be shown? Or can there be no one here? Is he going +to steal the letters to submit them to somebody ashore?” + +I was pretty sure that there was somebody shut up in the ship who was +concerned in the theft with Barlow. I cannot tell what made me so sure. +I had deceived the captain so easily that I despised him. I did not give +him credit for any intelligence whatsoever. Perhaps that was the reason. +Then it came over me with a cold wave of dismay that perhaps the woman +Aurelia was on board, hidden somewhere, but active for mischief. I +remembered that scrap of conversation from the inn-balcony. I wondered +if that secret mission mentioned then was to concern me in any way. What +was it, I wondered, that was put into her pocket by her father as she +stood crying there, just above me? If she were on board, then I must +indeed look to myself, for she was probably too cunning a creature to +be deceived by my forgeries. The very thought of having her in the ship +with me was uncomfortable. I felt that I must find some more subtle +hiding-place for my letters than I had found hitherto. I may have +idealized the woman, in my alarm, into a miracle of shrewdness. At +any rate I knew that she would be a much more dangerous opponent than +Captain Barlow, the jocular donkey who allowed himself to be fooled by +a schoolboy who was in his power. I knew, too, that she would probably +search me other letters, whether my ciphered blinds deceived her or not. +She was not one so easily satisfied as a merchant skipper; besides, she +had now two scores against me, as well as excellent reason to think me a +sharp young man. + +Presently, after half an hour's absence, the captain came back with the +satchel, evidently very pleased with himself. He seemed to find pleasure +in the sight of my pretended distress. “Why,” he said, with a grin; +“you've not eaten your orange.” + +“No, sir,” I said, “I'm not very hungry just after breakfast.” + +“Why, then,” he answered, “you must keep it for your dinner. Look how +nice I've mended your strap for you.” + +“Thank you very much, sir,” I said. “But thought that you were going to +do it here. You were going to teach me how to do it.” + +“Well, it's done now, isn't it?” he replied. “It's done pretty good, +too. I'll teach you how to sew some other time. I suppose they don't +learn you that, where you go to school?” + +“No, sir,” I said, “they don't.” + +“Ah,” he said, picking up the book. “You're a great one for your book, I +see. There's very good reading in a book like that.” + +“Yes,” I said, looking at the mended strap. “There is. How very neatly +you've mended the strap, sir. Thank you very much.” + +He looked at me with a look which said, very plainly, “You've got a fine +nerve, my lad, to pretend in that way.” + +I could see from his manner during the next few minutes that he wished +to keep me from examining the satchel flap. No doubt he thought that I +was on tenter-hooks all the time, to look to see if the precious letters +had been disturbed. At last, in a very easy way, after slinging the +strap round my shoulder, I pulled out my handkerchief, intending to put +it into the satchel as into an extra pocket. + +“I'm going up on deck, sir,” I said. “May I take the book with me?” + +As he said that I might, I swiftly opened the satchel, to pop the book +in. I could feel that he watched my face mighty narrowly all the time. +No doubt I looked guilty enough to convince him of his cleverness. I had +no more than a second's peep at the flap, but that was quite enough to +show me that it had been tampered with. I had finished off my work that +morning with an even neatness. The bold Captain Barlow had left two ends +of thread sticking out from the place where he had ended his stitch. +Besides, my thread had been soaped, to make it work more easily. The +thread in the flap now was plainly not soaped; it was fibrous to the +touch, not sleeked down, as mine had been. + +When I went on deck, I found the ship driving fast down Channel, making +an excellent passage. I took up my place by the mizzen-rigging, near +which there were no seamen at work, so that I could puzzle out a new +hiding-place for my letters. I noticed, as I stood there, that some men +were getting a boat over the side. It seemed a queer thing to be doing +in the Channel, so far from the port to which we were bound; but I did +not pay much attention to it at the time, as I was very anxious. I was +wondering what in the world I could do with the pistol cartridges which +I had made that morning. I feared Aurelia. For all that I could tell she +was looking at me as I stood there, guessing, from my face, that I had +other letters upon me. It did not occur to me that my anxiety might be +taken for grief at having the satchel searched. At last it came into +my head that Aurelia, if she were in the ship, would follow up that +morning's work promptly, before I could devise a fresh hiding-place. +At any rate I felt pretty sure that I should not be much out of that +observation until the night. It came into my head that the next attack +would be upon my boots; for in those days secret agents frequently hid +their papers above a false boot-sole, or stitched them into the double +leather where the beckets, or handles, joined the leg of the boot at the +rim. + +Sure enough, I had not been very long on deck when the ship's boy +appeared before me. He was an abject looking lad, like most ship's boys. +I suppose no one would become a ship's boy until he had proved himself +unfit for life anywhere else. Personally, I had rather be a desert +savage than a ship's boy. My experience on La Reina was enough to sicken +me of such a life forever. This barquentine's boy came up to me, as I +have said. + +“Sir,” he said, “can I take away your boots to black, please?” + +“No,” I answered, “my boots don't want blacking. I grease them myself.” + +“Please, sir,” he said, “do let me take them away, sir.” + +“No,” I said. “I grease them myself, thank you.” I thought that this +would end the business; but no such matter. + +“Please, sir,” he said, “I wish you would let me take them away. The +captain'll wale me if I don't. He gave me orders, sir.” + +“Don't call me 'sir,'” I said. “I'll see the captain myself.” + +I walked quickly to the companion-way, below which (listening to us, +like the creature he was) sat the captain, carving the end of a stick. + +“Please, sir,” I said, “I've already greased my boots this morning. I +always grease them.” (I had only had them about twelve hours.) “If I +blacked them they'd get so dry that they would crack.” + +“All right. All right, boy,” he answered. “I forgot you wore +soft-leather boots. They're the kind they buy up to make salt beef of at +the Navy Yard.” He grinned in my face, as though he were pleased; but +a few minutes later, when I had gone forward, I heard him thrashing the +wretched boy, because he had failed to get the boots from me for him. + +I soon found that I was pretty closely watched. If I went forward to the +fo'c's'le, I found myself dogged by the ship's boy, who was blubbering +from his whipping, poor lad, as though his heart would break. In between +his sobs, he tried to tell me the use of everything forward, which was +trying to me, as I knew more than he knew. If I went aft, the mate would +come rolling up, to ask me if I could hear the dog-fish bark yet. If I +went below the captain got on to my tracks at once. He was by far the +worst of the three: the other two were only obeying his orders. I went +into my cabin hoping to get rid of him there; but no, it was no use. +In he came, too, with the excuse that he wished to see if I had enough +clothes on my bunk. It was more worrying than words can tell. All the +time I wondered whether he would end by knocking me senseless so that +he might search my boots at his ease. I had the fear of that strongly on +me. I was tempted, yet feared, to drive him from me by threatening him +with my pistol. His constant dogging of me was intolerable. But had I +threatened him, he would have had an excuse for maltreating me. My +duty was to save the letters, not to worry about my own inconveniences. +Often, since then, I have suffered agonies of remorse at not giving up +the letters meekly. Had I done so, I might, who knows, have saved some +two thousand lives. Well. We are all agents of a power greater than +ourselves. Though I was, it may be, doing wrong then, I was doing wrong +unwittingly. Had things happened only a little differently, my wrong +would have turned out a glorious right. The name of Martin Hyde would +have been in the history books. He watched me narrowly as I took off +my waistcoat (pretending to be too hot), nor did he forget to eye +the waistcoat. “See here,” he said. “Do you know how a sailor folds a +waistcoat? Give it to me now. I'll show you.” He snatched it from my +hands with that rudeness which, in a boorish nature, passes for fun; he +only wished to feel it over so that if any letter were sewn within it he +might hear the paper crackle. The sailor's way of folding a waistcoat, +as shown by him then, was just the way which bent all the cloth in +folds. He seemed to be much disgusted at hearing no crackling as he +folded it. I could have laughed outright at his woeful face, had I been +less anxious. Had he been worth his salt as a spy he would have lulled +all my suspicions to sleep before beginning to search for letters. +Instead of that he went to work as crudely as a common footpad.. + + + +CHAPTER XIII. IT BREEZES UP + +After I had taken off my waistcoat, I went out into the 'tweendecks, +then into the grand cabin, then into the space below the booms. He +followed me everywhere, keeping me under observation, till I was tempted +to tell him where the letters were, so as to have a little peace. At +first he kept telling me stories, or making bad jokes; but very soon +he grew weary of pretending; he became surly. At this point I asked him +which was his cabin. He glowered at me for asking such a question, but +he pointed it out to me. It was a cabin no larger than my own, on +the opposite (that is the port) side of the 'tweendecks. I took the +opportunity (it was a bold stroke, evidently displeasing to him) of +looking in; for to tell the truth I had a suspicion that he slept in the +grand cabin, on the top of the locker. I thought that the stateroom +had another inmate. When I looked into it I expected to find myself in +Aurelia's presence. I did not want to see her; but I wished very eagerly +to know if she were in the ship or not. The stateroom was empty, but the +bunk, which had been slept in, was not yet made up. + +I do not know how much longer he would have dogged me about the ship. +To my great joy he was called from me by the mate, who cried down +the hatchway, bidding him come up at once, as there was “something in +sight.” Captain Barlow evidently wanted me to come on deck with him; +but I was resolute. I said I would stop below to have another try at his +stories. He went on deck surlily, saying something about “You wait,” + or “You whelp,” I could not catch his exact words. He turned at the +hatchway to see where I had gone. I had expected this move, so when +he looked, he saw me entering the grand cabin, just as I had said. I +watched him through the crack in the hinge; for I fully expected him to +return suddenly. As he did not return on the instant, I darted into my +own cabin just long enough to drop the letter cartridges into an old tin +slush-pot which was stowed in the locker below the bunk. I had noted it +in the early morning when I had done my sewing. I pressed the cartridges +into the slush, till they were all hidden. In another instant of time +the pot was back in the locker among the other oddments while I was +back in the cabin hard at work at my sermons. I was conscious that +the captain glanced through the skylight at me. No doubt what he saw +reassured him. For the moment I felt perfectly safe. + +About half an hour later, I heard a great noise of hauling on deck, +followed by the threshing of our sails, as though they had suddenly come +aback. I knew enough of the sea to know that if we were tacking there +would be other orders, while, if the helmsman had let the ship come +aback by accident I should have heard the officers rating him. I heard +neither nor orders; something else was happening. A glance out of the +stern windows showed me that the ship was no longer under way. She was +not moving through the water. It struck me that I had better go on deck +to see what was the matter. When I reached the deck I found that +the barquentine was hove-to (that is, held motionless by a certain +arrangement of the sails) about half a mile from a small full-rigged +ship which had hove-to likewise. The barquentine's boat was rapidly +pulling towards this full-rigged ship, with Captain Barlow sitting +in the stern-sheets. The ship was a man-of-war; for she flew the St. +George's banner, as well as a pennant. Her guns were pointing through +her ports, eight bright brass guns to a broadside. She was waiting +there, heaving in huge stately heaves, for Captain Barlow's message. + +Now I had had alarms enough since I entered the Duke's service; but I +confess this sight of the man-of-war daunted me worse than any of them. +I knew that Captain Barlow had stopped her, so that he might hand over +my letters to her captain; that was easily guessed The next question +was, would the captain insist on taking the messenger to be examined in +person. It was that which scared me worst. I had heard frightful tales +about political prisoners. They were shut up in the Tower dungeons, +away below the level of the Thames. They were examined there by masked +magistrates who wrung the truth from them by the “bootikins,” which +squeezed the feet, or by the thumbscrews, which twisted the thumbs. My +feet seemed to grow red-hot when I thought of that horror. I knew only +too well that my youth would not save me. James the Second was never +moved by pity towards a beaten enemy. I watched the arrival of the boat +at the ship's side, with the perspiration running down my face. I began +to understand, now, what was meant by the words high treason. I saw all +the majesty of the English Navy, all the law, all the noble polity of +England, arrayed to judge a boy to death, for a five minutes' prank. +They would drag me on a hurdle to Tyburn, as soon as torture had made me +tell my tale. + +But enough of my state of mind. I saw Captain Barlow go up the ship's +gangway, where an officer no doubt received him. Very soon afterwards he +came down the gangway again, half followed by some one who seemed to +be ordering him. His boat then shoved off for the barquentine. The +man-of-war got under way again by swinging her great mainyard smartly +about. The smother at her bows gleamed whiter at the very instant, as +she gathered way. It was a blessed sight to me, after my suspense, I +assure you; but I did not understand it till later. I learned later +on that Captain Barlow was one of a kind of men very common in those +troublous times. He was hedging, or trimming. He was quite willing to +make money by selling the Duke's plans to the King; but he had the sense +to see that the Duke's party might succeed, in which case the King's +favour would not be worth much. So his treason to the Duke stopped short +of the betrayal of men attached in any way to the Monmouth party. He +would betray letters, when he could lay his hands on them unobserved; +but he was not going to become an open enemy to the Duke until he knew +that the Duke's was the losing side; then he would betray men fast +enough. Until then, he would receive the trust of both factions, in +order to betray a portion of the confidence received from them. + +The day dragged by for me somehow, uncomfortably, under the captain's +eye. It was one of the longest days I have ever known. It sickened me +utterly of the life of adventure to which I now seemed pledged. I vowed +that if I had the chance I would write to my uncle from Mr. Blick's +house, begging to be received back. That seemed to be the only way of +escape possible to me. It did not seem hopeful; but it gave me some +solace to think of it. I longed to be free from these terrors. You +don't know what an adventurous life is. I will tell you. It is a life of +sordid unquiet, pursued without plan, like the life of an animal. Have +you seen a dog trying to cross a busy street? There is the adventurer. +Or the rabbit on the cliff, in his state of continual panic; he, too, +lives the adventurous life. What does the world owe to the adventurer? +But there. I become impatient. One patient hero in his garret is worth +all these silly fireworks put together. + +One thing more happened on that day. The breeze freshened all the +afternoon till by bedtime it blew what is called a fresh gale. Captain +Barlow drove his ship till she shook to her centre, not because he liked +(like many sailors) to show his vessel's paces; but because he sat at +his bottle too long after dinner. He was half drunk by supper time, too +drunk to take the sail off her, so we drove on down Channel, trusting to +the goodness of the gear. There would have been a pretty smash-up if we +had had to alter our course hurriedly. As it was we were jumping like a +young colt, in a welter of foam, with two men at the tiller, besides a +gang on the tackles. I never knew any ship to bound about so wildly. I +passed the evening after supper on deck, enjoying the splendour of that +savage leaping rush down Channel, yet just a little nervous at the sight +of our spars buckling under the strain. The captain was drunk before +dark; we could hear him banging the table with his bottle. The mate, who +was on the poop with me, kept glancing from the spars to the skylight; +he was getting frightened at the gait we were going. “Young man,” he +said, “d'ye know the sailor's catechism?” + +“No, sir,” I answered. “Well,” he said, “it's short but sweet, like a +ration of rum. What is the complete duty of a sailorman? You don't know? +It's this. OBEY ORDERS, IF YOU BREAK OWNERS. My orders are not to take +off sail till Mr. drunken Barlow sees fit. You'll see a few happenings +aloft just now if he don't see fit soon.” Just at that instant she gave +a lurch which sent one of the helmsmen flying. The mate leaped to his +place with an angry exclamation. “Another man to the helm,” he cried. +“You, boy. Run below. Tell the captain she'll be dismasted in another +five minutes.” He was in the right of it. A blind man could have told +that the ship was being over-driven. I ran down, as eager as the mate to +put an end to the danger. + +When I went below, I found the captain in my cabin, rummaging +everywhere. He had flung out the contents of the lockers, my bedclothes, +everything, in a jumble on the deck, which, in a drunken aimless way he +was examining by the light of a couple of dip candles, stuck to the edge +of the bunk. It was not a time to mind about that. “Sir,” I said, “the +ship is sinking. Come on deck, sir; take the sail off. The mate says the +ship is sinking.” + +“Eh,” said the captain furiously. “You young spy. I command this ship. +What's the sail got to do with you?” He glared at me in drunken anger. + +“You young whelp,” he cried, grabbing me by the collar. “Where are your +letters? Eh? Where've you hid your letters?” + +At that instant, there came a more violent gust in the fierceness of +wind which drove us. The ship gave a “yank;” there is no other word to +express the frightful shock of her movement. She lay down on her lee +beam ends with a crash of breaking crockery. Casks broke loose in the +hold; gear fell from aloft; the captain was flung under me against the +ship's side. The deck beneath us sloped up like a roof. In the roar +of water rushing down the hatch I remember thinking that the Day of +Judgment was come. Yells on deck mingled with all the uproar; I heard +something thud like a sledge-hammer on the ship's side. The captain +picked himself up holding his head, which was all one gore of blood from +the crack against the ship's side. “Beam ends,” he said stupidly. “Beam +ends. Yes. Yes.” He was dazed; he did not know what he said; but some +sort of sailor's instinct told him that he was wanted on deck. At any +rate he went out, pulling himself up the steep deck with a cleverness +which I had not expected. He left me clutching the ledge of the bunk, +staring up at the door away above me, while the wreck of my belongings +banged about at my feet. I thought it was all over with the ship; but I +was not scared at the prospect of death; only a little sickish from +the shock of that sudden sweeping over. I found a fascination in the +horrible open door, the black oblong hole in the air through which the +captain had passed. I waited for the sea to pour down it. I expected +to see a clear mass of water with fish in it; something quite calm, +something beautiful, not the noisy horror of the sea outside. I suppose +I waited like that for a full minute before the roar of the squall grew +less. Then I told myself that I must go on deck; that the danger would +be less, looking it in the face, than down there in the cabin. It +was not pleasant to go on deck, any more than it is pleasant to go +downstairs at two in the morning to look for burglars, but it was better +to be moving than staying still. I clenched my fist upon the only dip +which remained alight (the other was somewhere in the jumble under my +feet). Then, catching hold of the door-hook I pulled myself up to the +door, where I steadied myself for a moment. While I stood there I had +a horrible feeling of the ship having died under my feet. She had been +leaping so gallantly only five minutes before. Now she lay with her +heart broken, while the seas beat her with great thumps. + +Two battle-lanterns lit the after 'tweendecks. There was a great heap +of staved in casks, slopping about in an inch or two of water, all along +that side, thrown there by the smash. I could hear the men yelling on +deck. Captain Barlow was swearing in loud shouts. I could hear all this +in the lull of the squall. I heard more than that, as I stood listening. +I heard the faint crying out of a woman's voice from the steward's +pantry (next door to the captain's cabin) on the opposite side, across +the steep, tipped up slippery decks. At first I thought it must be +the poor cat; but as the wind passed, letting me hear more clearly, I +recognized that it was a woman's voice, crying out there in the darkness +with a note of pain. I did not think of Aurelia. She never entered my +head. All that I thought was “Poor creature! What a place for a woman!” + The ship was jerking, you might almost call it gasping, as the seas +struck her; it was no easy job to climb along that roof-slope of the +deck with nothing to hold on by. I got across somehow, partly by luck, +partly by fingernails. I even managed to open the pantry door, which was +another difficulty, as it opened inwards, into the cabin. As I opened +it, a suck of wind blew out my light. There I was in the dark, with a +hurt woman, in a ship which for all I knew, might sink with all hands +in twenty seconds. It is queer; I didn't mind the ship sinking. What I +disliked was being in the dark with an unknown somebody who whimpered. + +“Are you much hurt?” I asked. “Hold on a minute. I'll strike a light.” + I shut myself into the cabin, so as to keep out the draught. My feet +kicked among the steward's crockery. It was as dark in that cubby-hole +as in a grave. The unknown person, probably fearing me, thinking me some +rough drunken sailor, was crying out now more in terror than in pain. +She was begging me not to hurt her. I probably frightened her a good +deal by not replying. The tinder box took up all my attention for a +good couple of minutes. A tinder box is not a thing to get light by +hurriedly. You try some day, to see how quickly you can light a candle +by one. When I got the candle lit, I thought of the battle-lanterns +swinging outside all the time. I might have saved myself all that +trouble by using a little common sense. Well. Wait till you stand as I +stood, with your heart in your boots, down in a pit of death, you'll see +how much common sense will remain in your fine brains. + +When the flame took hold of the wick, so that I could look about me, I +saw the lady Aurelia lying among the smashed up gear to leeward. She had +been lying down, reading in a sort of bunk which had been rigged up for +her on the locker-top. The shock had flung her clean out of the bunk +on to the deck. At the same moment an avalanche of gear had fetched to +leeward. A cask had rolled on to her left hand, pinning her down to +the deck, while a box of bottles had cut the back of her head. A more +complete picture of misery you could not hope to see. There was all +the ill-smelling jumble of steward's gear, tumbled in a heap of smash, +soaking in the oil from the fallen lamp. There was a good deal of blood +about. Aurelia was lying in all the debris half covered with salted fish +from one of the capsized casks. They looked like huge leaves. She seemed +to have been buried under them, like a babe in the wood. She grew calm +when she saw me. “There are candles under the bunk,” she said. “Light +two or three. Tell me what has happened.” + +I did not answer till I had lighted three or four more candles. “The +ship's on her beam ends,” I said. “It's the captain's fault. But never +mind that. I must get you out. Are you badly hurt, do you think?” + +“I'm all right,” she said with a gasp. “But it's being pinned in here. I +thought I was going to be pinned down while I was being drowned.” + +“Shut your eyes, please,” I said. “Bite your lip. It'll hurt, I'm +afraid, getting this cask off your hand. Are you ready. Now.” I did it +as gently as I could; but it made me turn all cold to think of the hand +under all that weight. + +“Can you withdraw your hand, now?” I asked, tilting the cask as far up +as I could. + +“No,” she said. “Look out. I'll roll out.” In another two seconds she +was sitting up among the crockery with her face deathly white against +the bulkhead; she had fainted. There was a water-carafe on a bracket up +above my head. I splashed her face with water from it till she rallied. +She came to herself with a little hysterical laugh, at the very instant +when something giving way aloft let the ship right herself again. “Hold +on a minute,” I said. “Take this water. Now drink a little. I'll be back +in a moment.” The ship was rolling drunkenly in the trough of the sea; +but I made a nimble rush to the cabin, where the captain's cruet of +brandy bottles still swung from a hook in the beams. I ran back to her +with a bottle of brandy. There were a few unbroken mugs in the pantry, +so I gave her a drink of brandy, which brought the colour back to her +cheeks. While she sat there, in the mess of gear which slid about as the +ship rolled, I got a good big jug of water from the scuttle-butt in the +'tweendecks. I nipped on deck with it to ask the mate for some balsam, +an excellent cure for cuts which most sailors carry to sea with them. +There was mess enough on deck in all conscience. I found the foretopmast +gone over the side, in a tangle of torn rope at which all hands were +furiously hacking. The mate was on the fo'c'sle hacking at some gear +with a tomahawk. I did not see the captain. + +“Mr. mate,” I cried. “I want some balsam, quick.” + +“Get out of this,” he shouted. “Get out of this. I can't attend to your +hurts. Don't come bothering here.” + +“It's for the lady,” I said, “the lady down below.” + +“In my chest. Look in my chest till,” he said. “Now stand dear. I've +trouble enough without ladies in the case. Are you all clear, you, aft +there?” + +“All gone here, sir,” the men shouted back. “Shall we sling a bowline +over the foot?” + +“No,” he shouted. “Look out. She's going.” + +For just a second I saw the mass of spar all tangled up with sail rise +up on a wave as it drifted past. I found myself wondering why we had all +been in the shadow of death only a couple of minutes before. There was +no thought of danger now. I ran below for the balsam, which I found +without difficulty. + + + +CHAPTER XIV. A DRINK OF SHERBET + +I took what handkerchiefs I could find into the pantry with me. “There's +no danger,” I said. “The ship's all right. How are you now? Let me give +you some more brandy.” I gave her a little more brandy; then I helped +her on to the top of the locker. Pouring out some water into the basin I +bathed the cut on her head. It was a clean long cut which would probably +have gone through the bone had not her hair been so thick. I dressed it +as well as I could with balsam, then bound it tightly up with a white +handkerchief. The hand was a good deal more, difficult to manage; it +was nastily crushed; though no bones were broken. The wrist was so much +swollen that I had to cut open the sleeve of her man's riding jacket. +Then I bathed the hand with cold water mixed with vinegar (which I had +heard was cooling) till I felt that the time had come to bandage it, so +that the patient might lie down to rest. She had been much shaken by her +fall. I don't think it ever once occurred to me to think of her as my +enemy. I felt too much pity for her, being hurt, like that. “Look here,” + I said. “You'll have to wear that arm in a sling. I'll bandage it up for +you nicely.” She bore my surgery like the hero she was; it didn't look +very wonderful when it was done; but she said that the pain was a good +deal soothed. That was not the end though. I had to change cabins +with her, since I could not let a hurt woman sleep in that bunk in the +pantry; she might so easily be flung from it a second time. So I shifted +her things into my cabin, where I made all tidy for her. As for the +precious slush can, I stowed that carefully away, at the back of some +lumber in one of the pantry lockers, where it would not be found. +Altogether, it took me about twenty minutes to make everything ready, +by which time the little accident on deck had been forgotten, except by +those who had to do the work of sending up a new topmast; a job which +kept all hands busy all night. The ship was making a steady three knots. +under her reduced sail when I helped Aurelia across to her new room. +There was no more thought of danger. + +As I paused at the cabin door, to ask if there was anything more which I +could do for her, the lady turned to me. + +“What is your name?” she asked. I am ashamed to say that I hesitated, +being half inclined to give her a false name; for my time of secret +service had given me a thorough distrust of pretty nearly everybody. She +noticed my hesitation. “As a friend to another friend,” she added. “Life +isn't all the King's service.” + +“My name is Martin Hyde,” I said. + +“Mine is Aurelia,” she replied, “Aurelia Carew. Will you remember that?” + I told her that I should certainly remember that. “We seem to have met +before,” she said, “more than once.” + +“Yes,” I answered, smiling. She, too, smiled, but she quickly became +grave again. + +“Mr. Martin Hyde,” she said, with a little catch in her voice, “we two +are in opposite camps. But I don't know. After this, it's difficult. +I warn you.” Here she stopped, quite unable to go on. “I can't,” she +continued, more to herself than to me, “I can't. They oughtn't to have +put this on me. They oughtn't. They oughtn't.” She laid her unhurt hand +on my shoulder for a moment. “Let me warn you,” she said earnestly, +“that you're in danger.” + +“In danger from you?” I asked. + +“Don't ask me more,” she said, “I hate myself for telling you even that. +Oh, it's terrible to have to do it. Go now. Don't ask me more. But I had +to warn you. But I can't do it myself.” I did not know what to make of +this; but I gathered that her task (whatever it was) from which she had +shrunk so bitterly in the Dutch town only the night before, was now to +be deputed to another, probably to the captain, perhaps to the Dartmouth +justices. I did not like the thought; but I thanked her for warning me, +it was generous of her to warn me. I took out the dagger with which she +had tried to stab me. “You said we were in opposite camps, Miss Carew,” + I said. “But I wouldn't like to keep this. I mean I wouldn't like to +think that we were enemies, really.” I daresay I said other foolish +things as well, at the same time. + +“Yes, keep it,” she said. “I couldn't bear to have it again. But be +warned. Don't trust me. While we're in opposite camps you be warned. For +I'm your enemy, then, when you least expect it.” + +Nothing much happened the next day until the evening, by which time +we were off the Isle of Wight. With the aid of the mate, I doctored +Aurelia's hand again; that was the only memorable event of the day. In +the evening, the captain (who had been moody from his drunkenness of +the night before) asked me to sing to him in the great cabin. I was +surprised at the request; but I knew a few ballads, so I sang them to +him. While I was singing, Aurelia entered the cabin; she sat down on +one of the lockers below the great window. She looked very white, in the +gloom there. She did not speak to me; but sat there restlessly, coughing +in a dry hacking way, as though one of her ribs had been broken in the +fall. I lowered my voice when I noticed this, as I was afraid that +my singing might annoy her; I thought that she was suffering from her +wound. The captain told me to pipe up; as he couldn't hear what my +words were. I asked Aurelia if my singing worried her; but instead of +answering she left the cabin for a few minutes. When she came back, she +sat with her face in her hand, seemingly in great pain. I sang all the +ballads known to me. When I had finished, the captain grunted a note of +approval. “Well,” he said, “so there's your ballads. That's your treat. +Now you shall have mine.” A little gong hung in the cabin. He banged +upon it to summon his boy, who came in trembling, as he always did, +expecting to be beaten before he went out. “Bring in a jug of cool +water,” he said. “Then fetch them limes I bought.” As the boy went +out, the captain turned to me with a grin. “Did you ever drink Turk's +sherbet?” he said. + +“No,” I answered. “I've never even heard of it. What is it?” + +“Why,” he said, “it's a drink the heathen Turks make out of citron. A +powder which fizzes. I got some of it last autumn when I made a voyage +to Scanderoon. It's been too cold ever since to want to drink any, as +it's a summer drink mostly. Now you shall have some.” He took down some +tumblers from the rack in which they stood. “Here's glasses,” he said. +“Now the sherbet is in this bottle here.” He produced a pint glass +bottle from one of the lockers. It was stopped with a wooden plug, +carved in the likeness of a Turk's head. It was about three parts full +of a whitish powder. A label on the side of the bottle gave directions +for its preparation. + +When the boy returned with his tray, the captain squeezed the juice of +half a lime into each of the three tumblers. “That's the first thing,” + he said. “Lime juice. Now the water.” He poured water into each glass, +till they were nearly full. “White of egg is said to make it better,” + he said to me. “But at sea I guess we must do without that. Now then. +You're the singer, so you drink first. Be ready to drink it while it +fizzes; for then it's at its best. Are you ready?” I was quite ready, so +the captain filled his spoon with the soft white powder. Glancing round +at Aurelia I saw that she had covered her eyes with her hand. “Won't +Miss Carew drink first?” I asked. + +“I don't want any,” she said in a low voice. Before I could speak +another word the captain had poured his heaped spoonful of powder into +my glass. “Stir it up, boy,” he cried. “Down with it while it fizzes.” + Aurelia rose to her feet, catching her breath sharply. + +I remember a pleasant taste, as though all of the fruits of the world +had been crushed together into a syrup; then a mist surged all about me, +the cabin became darker, the captain seemed to grow vast, till his body +filled the room. My legs melted from me. I was one little wavering +flame blowing about on great waves. Something was hard upon my head. +The captain's hand (I could feel) was lifting my eyelid. I heard him say +“That's got him.” Instantly a choir of voices began to chant “That's got +him,” in roaring, tumultuous bursts of music. Then the music became, as +it were, present, but inaudible; there were waves of sound all round me, +but my ears were deafened to them. I had been put out of action by some +very powerful drug, I remember no more of that evening's entertainment. +I was utterly unconscious. + +I came to, very sick, some time in the night. I was in the bunk in the +pantry; but far too helpless in my misery to rise, or to take an account +of time. I lay half-conscious till the morning, when I fell into a deep +sleep, which lasted, I may say, till the evening; for I did not feel +sufficiently awake to get up until about half-past five. When I did +get up, I felt so tottery that I could hardly keep my feet. Someone, I +supposed that it was Aurelia, had placed a metal brandy flask, with a +paper roll containing hard-boiled eggs, on my wash-hand-stand. I took a +gulp of the brandy. In the midst of my sickness I remember the shame of +it; the shame of being drugged by those two; for I knew that I had been +drugged; the shame of having given up like that, at the moment when I +had the cards in my hand; all the cards. I was locked into the +pantry; all my clothes were gone. I found myself dressed in a sailor's +serge-shirt. All my other property had vanished. I remember crying as +I shook at the door to open it; it was too strong for me, in my weak +state. As I wrestled with the door, I heard the dry rattling out of the +cable. We had come to anchor; we were in Dartmouth; perhaps in a few +minutes I should be going ashore. Looking through the port-hole, I saw +a great steep hill rising up from the water, with houses clinging to its +side, like barnacles on the side of a rock. I could see people walking +on the wharf. I could see a banner blowing out from a flagstaff. + +A few more gulps of brandy brought me to myself I was safe anyhow; +my cartridges had not been found. I dropped them one by one into the +metal-flask. Whatever happened, no one would look for them there. Then +I banged at the door again, trying to make people hear. Nobody paid +any attention to me; I might have spared myself the trouble. Long +afterwards, I learned that I was detained while Captain Barlow spoke to +a magistrate about me, asking if I might be “questioned,” that is, put +to the thumbscrews, till it could be learned whether I carried a verbal +message to my uncle, Mr. Blick. The magistrate to whom he first applied +was one of the Monmouth faction as it happened, so my thumbs escaped; +but I had a narrow escape later, as you shall hear. About an hour after +the ship came to anchor, the cabin-door was opened by a sailor, who +flung in an armful of clothes to me, without speaking a word. They were +mostly not my own clothes; the boots were not mine; my own boots, I +guessed, had been cut to pieces in the letter-hunt. All the clothes +which were mine had had the seams ripped up. All my cartridges had been +taken. About half of my money was gone. The only things untouched were +the weapons in the belt. I laughed to myself to think how little reward +they had had for all their baseness. They had stooped to the methods of +the lowest kind of thieves, yet they had failed. They had not found my +letters. My joy was not very real; I was too wretched for that. Looking +back at it all long after, I think that the hardest thing to bear was +Aurelia's share in the work. I had not thought that Aurelia would join +in tricking me in that way. But while I thought bitterly of her deceit, +I thought of her tears on the balcony in the Dutch city. After all, she +had been driven into it by that big bully of a man. I forgave her when I +thought of him; he was the cause of it all. A brute he must have been to +force her into such an action. Presently the mate came down with orders +to me to leave the ship at once. I asked him for my own clothes; but he +told me sharply to be thankful for what I had, since I'd done no work +to earn them; by work he meant the brainless manual work done by people +like himself. So going on deck I called a boatman, who for twopence put +me ashore on the Kingswear side of the river. He gave me full directions +for finding Mr. Blick's house, telling me that in another five minutes I +should come to it, if I followed my nose. As I started from the +landing place I looked back at the barquentine, where I had had so +many adventures. She was lying at anchor at a little distance from the +Dartmouth landing place, making a fair show, under her flag, in spite of +her jury foretopmast. As I looked, the boatman jogged my elbow, pointing +across the river to the strip of road which edges the stream. “A young +lady waving to you,” he said. Sure enough a lady was waving to me. I +supposed that it was Aurelia, asking pardon, trying to show me that we +parted friends. I would not wave at first; I was surly; but after +about a minute I waved my hat to her. Then I set off up the road to Mr. +Blick's. Ten minutes later, I was in Mr. Blick's house, telling him all +that I have now told you. + +Mr. Blick kept me in his house for a day or two less than four weeks, +when business took him to Exeter. I went with him; for he gave out that +he was taking me to school there, as his dead sister had wished. His +real reason was to pass the word through the country that King Monmouth +was coming. He was one of the few men in full knowledge of the Duke's +plans; but as we went about from town to town, spreading the word among +the faithful, I saw that the Duke was expected by vast numbers of the +country folk. Our clients were not much among the gentry; they hung by +themselves, as, in this country, they always will, in times of popular +stir. But among the poorer people, such as small farmers, or common +labouring men, we were looked for as men sent from on high. At more than +one little quiet village, when we went into the inn-parlour, we saw the +men looking at us, half frightened, half expectant, as though we, being +strangers, must needs have news of the King for whom they longed. Often +some publican or maltster would tell us that Gyle (their name for the +unfortunate Argyle, then a defeated man in Scotland, if not already put +to death for his rebellion) was taken, looking at us carefully as he +spoke, for fear lest we should be of the wrong side. Then, if we seemed +sympathetic, he would tell us how perhaps another would have better luck +elsewhere. After that, we would tell our news. It was dangerous work, +though, carrying that message across the country. In many of the towns +we found guards of the Devon red regiment of militia. I am quite sure +that if Mr. Blick had not had me by his side, as an excellent excuse +for travelling to Exeter, he would have been lodged in gaol as a +suspicious character. The soldiers had arrested many travellers already; +the gaols were full. King James's great man in those parts, the Earl of +Albemarle, knew very well that something was in the air; but as he was a +great lord the hearts of the poor were hidden from him. He had no +guess of what was planning. In a way, the Duke's affairs were very well +planned. The eastern end of Devon, all Somerset, with the western end of +Dorset, were all ripe to rise, directly he appeared. They knew that he +was coming; they were prepared to join him; they knew at about what time +he would come, at about a fortnight from hay-harvest. Already, quite +unknown to the authorities, we had men picked out to carry the news +of the landing to different parts of the country. So far, I think, the +Duke's affairs were well planned. But though we had all this enthusiasm +in three counties, besides promises of similar risings in London, we +were in no real case to take the field. Our adherents, however numerous, +however brave, were only a mob, when all is said; they were not an army. +The Duke thought that the regular army, or at least some regiments of +it, would desert to him, as happened some years later, when the great +Prince William did what my master attempted. But my master forgot that +he had neither the arms nor the officers to make his faction a likely +body for regular troops to join. + + + +CHAPTER XV. THE ROAD TO LYME + +We spread the tidings as far as Exeter, where Mr. Blick made some +pretence of handing me over to a schoolmaster, one Hubble, a red-faced, +cheery clergyman, one of the most ardent rebels on our side. Indeed, the +clergymen everywhere supported us, as defenders of the Protestant faith, +which that dastard James would have destroyed. Mr. Hubble made some +excuse for not taking me in at the instant; but gave us letters of +introduction to people in towns further on, so that we could pass the +militia without difficulty, to give the news in western Dorset. So after +waiting for a little while in Exeter, gathering all the news we could of +the whereabouts of the troops of militia, we pushed on eastward, by way +of Sidmouth, to the big town of Dorchester. As we came east, we found +the militia very much more suspicious than they had been on the western +side of Exeter. At every little town we found a strong guard so placed +that no one could enter without passing under the captain's eye. We were +brought before militia captains some two or three times a day. Sometimes +we were searched; sometimes, if the captain happened to be drunk, we +were bullied with threats of the gaol. Mr. Blick in these cases always +insisted on being brought before the magistrate, to whom he would tell +a fine indignant tale, saying what a shame it was that he could not +take his orphan nephew peaceably to school, without being suspected of +complicity in a rebellion. He would then show Mr. Hubble's letters, +or some other papers signed by the Dartmouth magistrates. These always +cleared our characters, so that we were allowed to proceed; but I did +not like the way in which our descriptions were taken. Once on our +journey, shortly after we had left Sidmouth, where the soldiers had been +very suspicious, we turned out of the highway to leave word at a town +called Seaton. We spread the watchword at several villages near the +sea, before we came to Seaton, so that we were rather late in arriving. +Thinking no wrong, we put up at one of the inns in Seaton, intending to +pass the night there. We were at supper in our inn, when some yeomanry +rode up to the door, to ask the landlord if an elderly man had passed +that way with a boy. The landlord, who was a good deal scared by the +soldiers, showed the captain in to us at once. We were quite as much +scared to see him as the landlord had been. The captain of the soldiers +was the very man who had given us such a searching examination in +Sidmouth that morning. + +“Well,” he said to Mr. Blick, “I thought you were going to Dorchester. +What brings you here?” “Sir,” said Mr. Blick, “we've been so much +interrupted by soldiers that we hoped to travel away from the +main-roads.” + +“Well, sir,” said the captain, “I've had you watched. Since you left +Sidmouth, you've been into every inn upon the road, listening to a lot +of seditious talk about Argyle. That's not my point, though. You gave +out to me that you were going to Dorchester. Instead of that you slink +off the Dorchester road at the first opportunity. You will have to +explain yourself to my superiors. You're under arrest.” + +“Sir,” said Mr. Blick, “I am sorry that you should think ill of me. We +will gladly come with you to answer for our conduct to the authorities. +But while the horses are being saddled, perhaps you will join us at +supper. Landlord, bring a couple of bottles more. The captain sups with +us.” + +But though the captain drank his couple of bottles of port, he did not +become any gentler with us. As soon as supper was over we had to ride on +again, with the troopers all round us. + +“Sir,” said Mr. Blick, “may I ask you where we are going with you?” + +“Axminster,” said the captain. + +“Well. That's on my way,” said Mr. Blick. + +“It'll probably end your way, for some time,” said the captain. + +“I'm perfectly willing to abide by the decision of the authorities,” Mr. +Blick answered calmly. “But what is the meaning of all these soldiers +everywhere? I've asked the people; but nobody seems able to give a +straight answer.” + +“I think you know what the soldiers mean well enough,” answered the +captain. “If you hadn't known you wouldn't have turned out of the +highway.” + +At about midnight we reached Axminster. We were taken before a couple +of officers who sat at work by candlelight over a mass of papers, in +an upper chamber of an inn. They had a wild air of having been without +sleep for some time. Their muddy riding boots were drying in front of +the fire. They had a map of the countryside before them, all stuck about +with little flags, some red, some yellow, to show where the different +troops of militia were stationed. After saluting these officers, +the captain made his report about us, saying that we were suspicious +persons, who had started from Sialmouth, towards Dorchester. He had +waited to receive word from the troops stationed along the highway of +our arrival at various points upon the road; but, failing to hear about +us, he had searched for us, with the result that he had found us at +Seaton, some miles out of our way. The officers questioned us closely +about our plans, making notes of what we said. They kept referring to a +book of letters, as though to verify what we said. Mr. Blick's answers +made them take a favourable view of us; but they told him in a friendly +way that the officer had done right to arrest us. They complimented +the captain on his zeal. Meanwhile, they said, since we were going to +Dorchester, we could not object to going with a military escort. A troop +of cavalry was to start in a couple of hours; we could go with that. + +We were in Dorchester for a few days, always under the eye of the +soldiers. It was a bustling, suspicious time full of false alarms. Mr. +Blick told me that the message “King Golden Cap. After six one,” meant +that the Duke was to be expected off Golden Cap, a cliff a few miles +from Lyme Regis, any day after the first of the sixth month. He was +on tenter-hooks to be in Lyme to greet him on his arrival; but this he +could not hope to do. We were watched too carefully to be able to get +away to a place upon the sea-coast. We had to be very careful how we +sent our secret message abroad into the country. I have never known a +time so full of alarms. People would ride in to the town at night with +word that Monmouth was landed, or that there was fighting all along the +coast, or that King James was dead. The drums would beat; the cavalry +would come out clattering. People would be crying out. The loyal would +come to their doorsteps ready to fly further inland. Every night, if +one lay awake, one could hear the noise of spades in back gardens where +misers were burying their money. Then, every day, one would see the +troopers coming in, generally two at a time, with a suspected man led by +a cord knotted to his two thumbs. Dorchester gaol was full of suspected +people, who were kept in prison indefinitely, without trial, in very +great discomfort. King James was afraid, he did not really know of what, +so he took measures not so much to prevent trouble as to avenge his own +fear. Mr. Blick used to send me to the prison every morning with loaves +of fresh bread for the prisoners. + +At last, after midnight, in the night of the 11th of June, a memorable +day for the West, riders came in with news which destroyed the night's +rest of the town. Monmouth had landed at Lyme the evening before, after +sailing about in sight of the town all day. That was news indeed. It +made a strange uproar in the streets. The trumpets blew from every +inn-door to summons the billeted soldiers. Officers ran about bawling +for their sergeants; the sergeants hurried about with lanterns, rousing +the men from where they slept. All the streets were full of cavalry men +trying to form in the crowd. At last, when they were formed, a trumpet +sounded, making everyone keep silence. Then in the stillness an officer +shouted out an order, which no one, save a soldier, could understand. +Instantly the kettle-drums began to pound; the swords jingled; the +horses whinnied, tossing up their heads. The soldiers trotted off +smartly towards Bridport, leaving the town strangely quiet, strangely +scared, to discuss the great news from Lyme. + +I was watching the crowd at my bed-room window when the horsemen trotted +off. While I stood looking at them, Mr. Blick ran upstairs, bidding me +to come down at once, as now there was a chance to get to Lyme. “Come +quick,” he said. “The troops are gone. We must follow on their tracks. +It'll be too late later in the morning.” In less than twenty minutes we +were trotting after the soldiers at a good pace, passing some scores +of men on foot who were hurrying, as they said, to see the battle. Mr. +Blick wore a sword which clattered as he rode. The people hearing the +noise thought that he was an officer, perhaps a colonel, riding with his +servant. Many of the men asked him where the battle was to be, whether +it would begin before daylight, whether Monmouth was come with the +French, all sorts of questions, to which we answered at random. In the +light summer night we had a fair view of things. When we dismounted to +lead our horses up or down the steep hills of that road, the straggling +sight-seers came all round us as we walked, to hear what we had to tell. +We could see their faces all about us, strange in the dusk, like ghosts, +not like real men. At the top of one hill, Mr. Blick warned them to look +out for themselves. He told them that before morning the highway would +be patrolled by troops who would take them in charge as suspicious +characters trying to join Monmouth, which actually happened the next day +when the militia officers realized that war had begun. His words scared +off a number of them; but many kept on as they were going, to see the +great battle, which, they said, would begin as soon as it was light. + +When the sun began to peep, we turned off the highway in order to avoid +Bridport, which we passed a little after dawn. A few miles further on +we felt that we could turn into the road again as we were safe from +the militia at that distance. Then, feeling happy at the thought of +the coming contest, which, we felt sure, would be won by our side, +we pressed our tired nags over the brook towards the steep hill which +separates Charmouth from Lyme. + +It was early morning, about five o'clock, when we came to Charmouth; +but the little town was as busy as though it were noon on fair-day. The +street was crowded. People were coming in from all the countryside. A +man was haranguing the crowd from a horseless waggon drawn up at an inn. +The horses had no doubt been pressed into Monmouth's service some hours +before. I should think that there must have been three hundred people +listening to the orator. Men, already half drunk, with green boughs in +their hats, were marching about the town in uneven companies, armed +with clubs torn from the hedges. Weeping women followed them, trying to +persuade their sons or husbands to come home. Other men were bringing +out horses from private stables. People were singing. One man, leaning +out of a window, kept on firing his pistol as fast as he could load. +Waving men cheered from the hill above. The men in the town cheered +back. There was a great deal of noisy joking everywhere. They cheered us +as we rode through them, telling us that Monmouth had arms for all. One +poor woman begged Mr. Blick to tell her man to come home, as without him +the children would all starve. The crowd groaned at her; but Mr. Blick +stopped them, calling the husband, who was in a sad state of drunken +vainglory, to leave the ranks in which he tried to march. “We don't want +fathers of families,” he cried. “We want these tight young bachelors. +They're the boys.” Indeed, the tight young bachelors felt that this was +the case, so the woman got her man again; lucky she was to get him. As +far as I could judge, the crowd imagined us to be great officers; at +any rate our coming drew away the listeners from the waggon. They came +flocking to our heels as though we were the Duke himself. A drummer beat +up a quickstep; the crowd surged forward. We marched across the fields +to Lyme, five hundred strong. One of the men, plucking a sprig of +hawthorn from the hedge, asked me to wear it in my hat as the Duke's +badge, which I did. He called me “Captain.” “Captain,” he said. “We had +a brush with them already, this morning, along the road here. Two on 'em +were killed. They didn't stay for no more.” So fighting had begun then, +the civil war had taken its first fruits of life. There could be no more +shillyshallying; we had put our hands to a big business. In spite of +the noise of the march, my spirits were rather dashed by the thought +of those two men, lying dead somewhere on the road behind us, killed by +their own countrymen. + +We are said to be a sober people; but none of those who saw Lyme that +morning would have had much opinion of our sobriety. Charmouth had been +disorderly; Lyme was uproarious. Outside the town, in one of the fields +above the church, we were stopped by a guard of men who all wore white +scarves on their arms, as well as green sprays in their hats. They +stopped us, apparently, because their captain wished to exercise them +in military customs. They were evidently raw to the use of arms. They +handled their muskets like spades. “Be you for Monmouth, masters?” they +asked us, grinning. When we said that we were, this very unmilitary +guard told us to pass on. “Her've got arms for all,” they said. “The +word be 'Fear nothing but God.'” Some of them joked with friends among +our party. They waved their muskets to us. + + + +CHAPTER XVI. THE LANDING + +Inside the town, there was great confusion. Riotous men were foraging, +that is, plundering from private houses, pretending that they did so at +the Duke's orders. The streets were full of people, nearly all of them +men, the green boughs in their hats. On the beach two long lines of +men with green scarves on their arms were being drilled by an officer. +Horses were picketed in a long line up the main street; they were +mostly very poor cart-stock, ill-provided, as I learned afterwards, +with harness. Men were bringing hay to them from whatever haystack was +nearest. From time to time, there came a loud booming of guns, above +the ringing of the church bells. Three ships in the bay, one of them +La Reina, were firing salutes as they hoisted their colours. It was all +like a very noisy fair or coronation day. It had little appearance of an +armed invasion. We found the Duke busy with Mr. Jermyn enlisting men in +a field above the town. + +“That's not Mr. Jermyn. That's Lord Grey,” Mr. Blick said, on hearing me +exclaim. “Mr. Jermyn's only the name he goes by. He's my Lord now, you +must remember.” + +Just then the Duke caught sight of us riding up. He took us for local +gentry, coming in to volunteer. He came smiling to welcome us. It must +have been a shrewd disappointment to him to find that we were not what +he thought. All his hopes were in the gentry, poor man. By the time we +were on our feet with our hats off he had turned his back upon us +as though to speak to Lord Grey, but really, I believe, to hide his +chagrin. When he turned to us again both of them welcomed us, saying +that there was work enough for all, in enlisting men, making out +billets, etc. So without more ado we gave our horses to the ostlers at +an inn. Mr. Blick at once began to blarney the standers-by into joining, +while I, sitting at a little table, in the open air, wrote out copies of +a letter addressed to the local gentry. My copies were carried from Lyme +by messengers that afternoon but, alas for my master, they did not bring +many gentry to us. + +Now while I was writing at the table, under the great flapping standard, +with the Duke, in his purple coat, walking about in front of me, I had a +pretty full view of the crowd which ringed us in. We were circled about +by a crowd of gaping admirers; from whom, every minute, Mr. Blick, or +the Duke, or Lord Grey, would select a sheepish grinning man to serve +under our colours. Among the crowd I noticed a little old lame man with +a long white beard. He was a puppet-man, who was making the people laugh +by dancing his puppets almost under the Duke's nose. As he jerked the +puppet-strings, he played continually on his pan-pipes the ribald tune +of “Hey, boys, up go we,” then very popular. The Duke spoke to him once; +but he did not answer, only bowed very low, with his hat off, which made +the people think him an idiot or a jester. They laughed heartily at him. +After a bit, it occurred to me that this old puppet-shaker always crept +into the ring (with his hat off to receive alms) whenever the Duke spoke +aside to Lord Grey, or to some other officer. I watched him narrowly to +make sure, because something in his manner made me suspect that he was +trying to catch what our leaders said to each other. I tried to recall +where I had seen the old man; for I had seen him before. He had been at +Exeter on the day we set out for Sidmouth, so much I remembered clearly; +but looking at him carefully, with my head full of memories of faces, +it seemed to me that he had been at Dorchester also. Surely an old man, +lame in the left leg like this man, had gone down a narrow lane in +front of me in Dorchester. I had not thought of it in Dorchester; but I +thought of it now, with a feeling that it was strange to meet again thus +in Lyme. I took good stock of the man, wondering if he were a spy. +He was a dirty old man enough. His dirty fingers poked through ragged +mittens. His cheeks were all swathed up in a woollen comforter. I made +the mistake of looking at him so hard that I made him look at me. Seeing +that I was staring at him, with a face full of suspicion, he walked +boldly up to me, holding out his hat for my charity. We stared at +each other, while he blew a blast on his pan-pipes, at which everybody +laughed. + +“Come, come, boy,” said Lord Grey to me, “we want those letters done. +Never mind about the puppets. Here, old man” (giving him a penny), “you +take yourself off now. Or are you going to enlist?” + +The people laughed again at this, while the old man, after a flourish of +his hat to me, piped up lively quickstep, called “Jockeys to the Fair.” + +He disappeared after this. I did not see him again until our troubles +began, later in the morning. I was finishing off the last of my letters, +when some of our scouts rode in to make a grave report to the Duke. They +had ridden in pretty hard, their horses were lathered all over. They +themselves were in an internal lather; for they had just had their first +sight of war. They had come into touch (so they declared) with the +whole of Albemarle's militia, marching out to attack them. On being +questioned, it turned out that they had heard this from an excited +labourer who had run to them with the news, as they stood guard in +a roadside field a few miles out of Lyme. They themselves had seen +nothing, but the news seemed so probable that the Duke acted on it. He +sent me off at once with a message to a clever, handsome gentleman who +was in charge of the cavalry in the street. It was in giving the message +that I saw the old man again. He was them limping up the street on the +Sidmouth road, going fast, in spite of his lameness. I gave my message +to the captain, who commanded his trumpeter to call to arms. The +trumpeter blew nobly; but the sight of the confusion afterwards showed +me how little raw troops can be trusted. There was a hasty scramble for +horses rather than a setting forth. Some men quarreled over weapons; +others wrestled with harness; others ran about wildly, asking what was +happening, was it to be a battle, what did blowing on the trumpet mean? +Some few, thinking the worst, got wisdom in those few moments. They took +horses from the ranks, but instead of forming up with the regiments, +they galloped off home, having had enough of soldiering at the first +order. The foot behaved rather better, knowing, perhaps, that if they +fought they would be behind hedges, in some sort of shelter. Even so, +they seemed a raw lot of clumsy bumpkins as they marched up. Many of +them were in ploughmen's smock-frocks; hardly any of them had any +sense of handling their guns. They had drums with them, which beat up +a quickstep, giving each man of them a high sense of his importance, +especially if he had been drinking. People in the roadway cheered them, +until they heard that there was to be a battle. Those who were coming in +to join us found it a reason for hesitation. + +After a lot of confusion, the army drew out of Lyme along the Sidmouth +road, followed by a host of sightseers. Some of the best mounted rode +on ahead at a trot, under the handsome man, Mr. Fletcher, who was their +captain. I followed on with the foot-soldiers, who marched extremely +slowly. They halted at their own discretion; nor did they seem to +understand that orders given were to be obeyed. What they liked, poor +fellows, was to see the women admiring them. The march up the hill +out of Lyme was a long exhibition of vanity, the women waving their +handkerchiefs, the men putting on all sorts of airs, jetting like +gamecocks. When we got up to the top of the hill, I saw the old lame +puppet-man, sitting on the edge of the wild, unenclosed, gorse-covered +common-land which stretches away towards the town of Axminster. He was +watching us with deep interest. Our men were spreading out into line +upon this common. The horse was ranging on, bobbing about, far ahead. +The foot were looking about eagerly as they got out of the ranks in +which they had marched; but they could see no trace of any enemy. +I caught sight of the Duke four hundred yards away, a little figure +sitting alone on his horse, in front of half a dozen others. They were +all scanning the country, all the way round. Presently I called out that +I saw the enemy. Half a dozen cavalry were riding up a combe far off. +But they were our own men, not the militia. They were some of our scouts +riding off as “feelers” to spy out Albemarle's position. All the time +that we were up there on the hill, the little old man portered about +among the men, now listening to what they had to say, now asking the +soldiers to look at his pretty puppets. When the returning scouts +brought word that no troops were near us, so that we were free to march +back again, he was still there, packing up his puppets in tarred canvas, +as though about to march off to the next market-town. We marched past +him, as he sat in the heather. I passed quite close to him, staring at +him hard, for to tell the truth he was on my mind. I was suspicious of +him. He took off his hat to me, with a smile; but he did not speak. Then +my troops swung round, down the hill, leaving him alone there, watching +the men pass. + +Other things put him out of my mind during the afternoon. I was kept +busy writing orders to scouts; for we were sending out scouts in every +direction, partly to protect us from surprise, partly to direct new +recruits to our headquarters. Mr. Blick, who knew the ground dictated +the letters, helped by Mr. Fletcher, who studied a big map with great +attention; I was writing all that afternoon. Lyme grew noisier during +the day, as the recruits became more drunk. Many steady men turned away +from us when they saw our disorder. I myself had been brought up to +abhor drunkenness. I found the state of drunken uproar very terrible. I +feared that such an army would never achieve any great deed. I thought +that such sin would be punished. Our soldiers were not behaving like +knights sworn to a good cause; but like boors at a fair. That day we +lost our only good officer, Mr. Fletcher. + +I have spoken of this gentleman. He was in command of the horse under +Lord Grey. He was a much better soldier than my Lord; a better officer, +too; a better man. Now in the day's confusion, with everything topsy +turvy, the Duke's messenger, “Old Dare,” rode into Lyme from Taunton, +where he had galloped the day before to spread the news of our arrival. +This Dare was a quick-tempered, not very clever, popular man with a +great deal of influence in the countryside. On his way back to us from +Taunton, someone lent, or gave, him a very fine horse. It may have been +meant as a gift to the Duke; I do not know. Anyhow Old Dare rode in on +this horse with letters from Taunton, which he handed to Mr. Fletcher to +give to the Duke. Fletcher, our cavalry commander, had as yet no horse; +so seeing the splendid charger on which Old Dare rode, he ordered Old +Dare to give it up to him. He was the real commander of the army, with +a military right, if no real right, to take what horse he liked from +any subordinate officer. But Old Dare, like so many of our men, had no +knowledge of what soldier's discipline meant. He saw, in Fletcher, a +gentleman with whom he had lived as an equal for the last fortnight. He +was not going to give up his horse like that; not he. Fletcher (speaking +sharply) told him to obey without further words, at which Dare in a +sudden flush of temper struck him with his riding switch. Fletcher +was not a patient man. He could not let an act of gross mutiny pass +unpunished, nor would he suffer an insult. He shot Dare dead upon +the spot, in full view of some hundreds of us. It was all done in an +instant. There was Dare lying dead, never to stir again. There was +Fletcher, our only soldier, with a smoking pistol in his hand, thinking +that he had taught the army a lesson in obedience. There was the +army all about him, flocking round in a swarm, not looking at it as a +military punishment but as a savage murder, for which he deserved to be +hanged. Then the Duke hastened up to make things quiet, before the army +avenged their friend. He drew Fletcher aside, though the people murmured +at him for speaking to a murderer. He was unnerved by Fletcher's act. He +had no great vitality. Sudden crises such as this unnerved him, by +using up his forces. A crisis of this kind (a small thing in a great +rebellion) was often enough to keep his brain from considering other, +more important, more burning questions concerning the entire army. The +end of this business was as unhappy as its beginning. Fletcher, our only +soldier, was sent aboard the frigate in which the Duke had sailed from +Holland. When the tide served, she set sail with him for Corunna in +Spain. With him she carried all our hopes of success, together with a +quantity of stores which would have been of use later in the expedition. +As I left the Cobb, or pier, which makes Lyme harbour, I saw the little +lame puppet-man turning away from the beach with a company of men who +wore our green boughs. For a few steps I hurried towards him, so that I +might overhear what he was saying; I made so sure that he was a spy. Mr. +Blick, to whom I told my fears, bade me not to worry myself. “Why, boy,” + he said, “there are five hundred spies in Lyme; but they can't hurt us. +Before they can get off to tell our enemies all about us there won't +be any enemies left. We shall be marching at once. We shall drive +everything before us.” He spoke with such confidence that I believed +him; yet the old man troubled me, for all that. When you see a face +continually, at a time when you are excited, you connect the face with +your excitement; it troubles your nerves. + +The day wore by with all the unreality of a day of confusion. I was kept +at work until the light was gone; then served at the Duke's table while +he supped, then snatched a hurried supper while he talked with his +officers. After supper, I had to go from billet to billet, looking for +people whom the officers wished to see. Something very important was in +the air. The discussion in the inn's great room was the first serious +council of the war. About eleven o'clock, Lord Grey came out of the +room, telling me to follow him. We went out into the street, where +presently our men began to fall in, four or five abreast, about a +hundred ranks of them. A few cavalry came, too, but not enough, I heard +Lord Grey say, not enough to do any good with. In spite of all the +efforts of those who loved us (by efforts I mean the robbing of +farm-stables) we were very short of horses. Those which we had were not +good; they were cart, not saddle-horses, unused to the noise of guns. +Still, such as they were, they formed up in the street ahead of the +foot. The force took a long time to form; for the men kept saying that +they had forgotten something, their powder-horn, their cartridges, their +guns, even. Then they had to run back to their billets to fetch whatever +it was, while those who remained behind, puzzled at the movement so late +at night, when they wished to sleep, began to get nervous. They began to +ask where it was that we were going, was it to Axminster, or to Bridport. + + + +CHAPTER XVII. A VOICE AT DAWN + +Word was passed about that we were going to surprise the militia at +Bridport at dawn. We were told to keep quiet on the march, after passing +Charmouth, as the night was so still that we should be heard far off. We +did not know how near the Bridport outposts might come to us under cover +of the night. “You come with us, Martin,” said Lord Grey: “Take a horse. +If we win Bridport you'll have to gallop back with the news.” I was +made a little nervous by the thought of going into battle so soon; but +gulping down my fears I mounted a marsh-mare which stood near the inn +door. I hoped sincerely that no militia bullet would find any part of +either of us. Then the drums began to play us out of the town with their +morning roll. A fife whined out, going down to our marrows with its +shrillness. Lights showed at the windows. We saw dark heads framed in +yellow patches. People called to us. In the door of the great inn stood +Monmouth; his face seemed very white in the glare of the torches. He +raised his hand to us as we passed him. The last thing I noticed of the +town, for I rode in the rear with Lord Grey, were the ranks passing the +lamp on the town hall. They came up to it in waves, their cloaks showing +in glimmer for an instant. Then they passed on into the night, sliding +forwards slowly with a steady roll, like the moving of waves to the +shore. + +We were a long time riding; so long that the dawn was on us by the time +we were within shot of the enemy. I don't remember very much about the +ride, except that it was unreal, very unreal; for the mists came down, +blotting the world from us, so that we rode in a swirl of cold grey, +amid a noise of dropping. When we got to the top of the long hill after +Chideock I was bidden halt at a cross-roads, with a waggon full of +ammunition, while the force moved on to the attack. The hills were +showing up clearly above the mist; but the valley lay like a sea, a +great grey formless level, like some world of the ghosts. The troops +passed down in it, moving pretty briskly, lest the mist should lift +before they were in position. Most of them knew the country, so that +they could well walk confidently; but their quickness had something +nervous in it, as though they were ill at ease. Very soon they were out +of sight, out of hearing, swallowed up in the fog. + +I waited a long time (as it seemed) up there at the cross-roads. After a +long wait I rode a little down the hill, from sheer anxiety. I pulled +up in a bank of cloud, through which I could see dimly, in the growing +light, for about a dozen yards. I was leaning well forward, listening +for the sound of shooting, when something made me look down. Someone +was standing at my side, slipping something into my pocket. It gave me a +start. I clutched at the person. It was the old lame puppet-man who +had been at Lyme the day before. “Latter for ee,” he said in a whisper. +“Read en, unless you'm a fool.” His hand pressed lightly on my bridle +hand for an instant; then he ducked sideways swiftly into the wilderness +of ferny gorse at the side of the road, where I could not hope to +follow him, even if the mist had not hidden him. Something in the voice, +something in the lightness of the touch startled me into the knowledge. +As he ducked, it came over me that this old man was Aurelia disguised, +come to spy upon us, but bent, also, on giving me a warning, some little +kind word of advice, at the beginning of my lord's war. I ought to have +recognized her before. I had been blind. She had been under my eyes the +whole day, yet I had never once suspected, no one, of all that army, had +suspected. She had been disguised by a master-hand. She had played her +part like a great actress. It was terrible to think of the risk she was +running. One man's suspicion, in a time of war, would have been enough +to give her to a horrible death. I tried to follow her into the jungle +into which she had vanished; but my horse would not face the furze. I +tried hard to see her, but it was no use; the tangle was too thick; she +had gone. I called out to her softly; but I got no answer; only, at some +little distance away, I heard a twig snap under a passer's foot. + +In a momentary clearing of the mist, I pulled out my letter. It was +written in a fine, firm hand, with signature. It was a short, purposeful +letter, which kept sharply to the point. It only contained two lines. +“Your Duke's cause is hopeless. He has no possible chance. Take the +Axminster road to safety.” That was the whole letter. It gave me a +feeling of uneasiness; but it did not tempt me to desert. I thought that +if I deserted I might very well be tortured into betraying all that I +knew of the Duke's plans, while I doubted very much whether the Duke's +body-servant would find mercy from the merciless, frightened King. What +was I to do, even if I escaped from the King's party? I was too young +for any employment worthy of my station in life. I had neither the +strength nor the skill for manual labour. Who would employ a boy of my +age on a farm or in a factory? All that I could hope would be to get +away to sea, to a life which I had already found loathsome. As to going +back to my uncle's house, I doubt if I would have gone, even had I had +the certainty of getting to it safely. When a boy has once taken to an +adventurous life, nothing but very ill health will drive him back to +home-life. Yet there was the thought of Aurelia. Somehow the thought +of her was a stronger temptation than any fear of defeat. I would have +liked to have seen that old enemy of mine again. + +I was thinking over the letter, wondering what would come to the Duke's +cause, when the valley below me began to ring with firing. A heavy +fire had begun there. It thundered in a long roll, which died down, +momentarily, into single sputterings through which one could hear +shouting. About twenty minutes after the beginning of the shots, when +all the party on the hill-top were edging nearer to the battle, taking +a few steps at a time, on tenter-hooks to be engaged, we heard a great +gallop of horses' hoofs coming to us at full tilt. At first we +were scared by this, for the noise was tremendous, too great, we +inexperienced soldiers thought, to be caused by our little troop of +cavalry. We thought that it was the Bridport militia charging down on +us, after destroying our friends. The mist by this time was all blowing +clear, though wisps of it clung along the hedgerows in unreal rolling +folds. The day above was breaking in the sultry blue summer dimness. We +could see, I suppose, for a quarter of a mile, straight down the road. + +We had swung round, facing towards Lyme, when the noise of the hoofs +first came to us. When the turn of the road showed us a squad of cavalry +coming to us at the charge, led by half a dozen riderless horses, we +waited for no more. We spurred up our nags in a panic, till we, too, +were going full tilt for Lyme, shouting out as we went any nonsense +which came to our heads. We were in a panic fear; I believe that the +horses in some way felt it too. We galloped back to Chideock as though +we were chased by witches, while the gun-firing at Bridport steadily +grew less, till at last it stopped altogether. At Chideock, some of the +cavalry came up with us. They were our own men, our own troop of horse, +not an enemy after all. The riderless horses were a few of the militia +charges which had been seized from a cavalry outpost to the west of the +town. We had bolted from our own crazy terror. But we were not the only +fleers. Our cavalry had bolted first, at the first volley outside the +town. It is unjust to say that they were afraid. Lord Grey was not a +coward; our men had stout hearts enough; but they had not reckoned +on the horses. The first discharge of guns scared the horses almost +frantic. They swung about out of action in a couple of seconds. Another +volley made them all bolt. It was when they were bolting that the men +began to grow alarmed. Fear is a contagious thing; it seems to pass +from spirit to spirit, like a flame along a powder train, till perhaps +a whole army feels it. Our horsemen pulled up among us in Chideock in +as bad a scare as you ever saw; it was twenty minutes before they dared +walk back to find out what had happened to the foot at Bridport, after +their retreat. + +Our foot came back very angry with the horse. They had fired away a lot +of powder to very little purpose, before orders reached them, bidding +them retire. They had not wished to retire; but at last they had done +so sullenly, vowing to duck Lord Grey for deserting them. We had +taken about a dozen horses without harness, instead of the two hundred +equipped chargers which we had promised ourselves. + +We had killed a few of the militia, so everybody said; but in the +confusion of the powder-smoke who could say how many? They were certain +that none of our own men had been killed; but in a force so newly +raised, who could say for certain which were our own men? As a matter +of fact several of our men had been taken by the royalists, which is as +much as to say that they had been killed. Altogether the affair had +been a hopeless failure from the very beginning. The foot had learned to +despise the horse. The horses had learned to be afraid of gun-fire. The +cavalrymen had learned to despise Lord Grey. The militia had learned to +despise us. The only valuable lesson that our men had learned was that +a battle was not so terrible a thing. You knelt down, fired your gun, +shouted, borrowed your neighbour's drinking bottle, took a long swig, +then fired again, with more shouting, till somebody clapped you on the +shoulder with orders to come away. But this lesson, precious as it was +did not console our men for their beating. They were cross with the long +night-march as well as with Lord Grey's desertion. We dragged our +way back to Lyme very slowly, losing a good fifty of our number by +desertion. They slipped away home, after falling out of the ranks to +rest. They had had enough of fighting for the Duke; they were off home. +The officers were strict at first, trying to stop these desertions; but +the temper of the men was so bad that at last they gave it up, hoping +that some at least would stay. That was another evil consequence of +fighting for the crown with an undisciplined mob; they could sustain +defeat as ill as they could use victory. We did not trail into Lyme +until after noon; for we marched like snails, fearing that the militia +would follow us. When we got into camp, the men flung their arms from +them, careless of the officer's orders. All that they wanted was sleep +(we had eaten a late breakfast at Charmouth), they were not going to +do any more soldier's foolery of drill, or sentry-go. As for Lord Grey, +whom everybody called a coward, the Duke could not cashier him, because +he was the best officer remaining to us. Poor Fletcher, who might have +made something of our cavalry, was by this time far away at sea. The +other officers had shown their incapacity that morning. For my own part, +I chose out a snug billet on a hearthrug in the George Inn, where I +slept very soundly for several hours. While I slept, the Duke held a +melancholy council to debate what could be done. + +They say that he ought to have marched that morning to Exeter, where +Lord Albemarle's militia (all of them ripe for rebellion) would have +joined him. + +Exeter or Bristol, one or the other, would have been a fine plume in +his cap, a strong, fortified town, full of arms, where he could have +established himself firmly. I do not know why he decided against +marching to Exeter. He may have had bad reports of troops being on the +road waiting for him; or he may have thought that his friends (who +were plentiful on the Bristol road) would rally to him as soon as he +appeared. He was deceived by those protesting gentry, his friends, who +had welcomed him so warmly only a few months before. He thought that all +the countryside was ready to join him. He had been deceived, as perhaps +a cleverer man would have been deceived, by the warmth of his welcome +on his earlier visit. An Englishman is always polite to a Duke when he +meets him in a friendly gathering. But when the Duke says, “Lend me all +your ready money, together with your horses, or rather give them to me, +since I am the King,” his politeness leaves him; he gets away to London +to warn the police as fast as his horse will take him. Thus it was with +the Duke's friends scattered about along the main-road from Lyme to +Bristol. + +I know not who persuaded the Duke to march; probably it was Grey; it may +have been Venner; it may have been a momentary mad resolution caused +by a glass of wine. They say that he was solemn about it, as though he +expected to fail. Perhaps he would have gone back to Holland if the ship +had been still in the harbour, but of course she had gone away. He would +not go in La Reina; for she was sluggish from barnacles, having been +long un-careened. The Channel at this time was full of ships looking for +him; how he escaped them when he sailed from Holland I cannot think. He +hesitated for a long time, poor man, before deciding; no man could have +acted more like a Stuart, at such a time. When the decision was made he +gave word to start early on the following morning. But this I did not +know till one A.M, when Lord Grey routed me out from my berth on the +hearth-rug, so that I might go from house to house, calling up our +officers. + +I suppose that all our officers were out of bed by two o'clock, yet +it took them eight hours to get their men together, into some sort of +order. We were hardly ready for the road at ten A.M. when the drums +beat up to play us out of the town. As I was the Duke's servant, I was +allowed to ride by my master; I daresay people thought that I was the +young Prince. We marched up the hill gaily, with a multitude flocking +all about us, but there were many of that crowd who looked doubtfully +at my master's sad face, thinking that he looked over-melancholy for a +conquering king. + +We marched out of Lyme into a valley, through a sort of suburb called +Uplyme. After that we marched steadily up hill, a long climb of two +miles, having a great view of the countryside on our left hand. Our +right was shut from us by a wooded hill. It was a warm, sunny June day: +the grass just ripe for hay harvest; the country at its best; everything +at its full flower, so that you wondered at the world's abundance. We +sent out scouts, when we were about a mile from Lyme; but when we were +at the top of the hill we could see for ourselves, without putting +scouts abroad. We could see horsemen on the high ground away to the +left, two or three hundred of them. Besides these there were some +companies of foot drawn up in good order in the fields outside +Axminster, at some distance from the town. When this army caught sight +of us, it began to file off towards the town, as though to dispute it +with us, so our advanced guard pushed on to drive them out of it. +The sight of so many men in order, was a very moving one. To see them +advance their colours, to see the light on the shifting steel, to hear +the low beating hum of the feet was stirring to the heart. Word ran +along the line that there was going to be a battle. Our foot left the +road, so as to spread out into line in the open, where they could take +up positions behind hedges. I was sent back to the rear at this instant, +to order up the ammunition waggons, so that I missed some part of the +operations; but I shall never forget how confidently our men spread out; +they marched as though they were going into the fields for partridges. +The drums began again, to hearten them, but there was no need for drums +in that company; they began to sing of their own accord, making a noise +which drowned the drums altogether. I gave my orders to the ammunition +waggons, which were blocked in a jumble of sightseers, camp-followers, +etc., etc., so that they could hardly move. The drivers got me to charge +my horse through the mob to make a path, which I did, with a good deal +of pain to myself, for the people thus thrust aside struck at me. The +drivers struck out at them in return; we had a little fight of our own, +while Axminster was being won. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. I SPEAK WITH AURELIA + +The next thing which I remember was coming out of the mob with the +waggons just behind me, going at a smart pace to a position on the +army's right. The road was pretty full of all sorts of people; but as +we shouted for them to clear the way, they made a lane for us. I saw the +Duke's little clump of staff-officers on a pitch of rising ground, but +there was no firing; only a noise of many voices singing. Just as we +were about to turn off the road into the fields behind our right wing, +I saw the little old lame puppet-man sitting on a donkey by the ditch +at the side of the road. I shouted to the drivers to pass on, which they +did, at full tilt, while I drew rein by the old man's side. “Aurelia,” I +said, “this is no place for you. Do get away from here before they find +you out.” + +“Why,” she said, very calmly, in the broad burring man's voice which +she imitated so exactly. “I be come 'ere to find you out. You'm going to +your death, boy. You get out of this 'ere army afore you're took. I +tell ee thy Duke be a doomed man. Look at en's face. Why, boy, there be +eleven thousand soldiers a-marching to put er down. You've only a got +a quarter of that lot. Come out of en, boy. Do-an't ee be led wrong.” I +was touched by her kind thought for me; she was risking her life for +me for the second time, but in the hurry of the moment I could not put +words together to thank her. + +“Aurelia,” I said, “I can't talk to you now. Only get out of this. Don't +stay here. I'm all right.” + +“No, Martin,” she said, in her ordinary voice, “you're not all right. +Come out of this. Slip away tonight to Newenham Abbey. It be over there, +not more than a couple of miles. Oh, come, come. I can't bear to see you +going away to certain death. I KNOW that this force cannot win.” + +“Yes, Aurelia,” I answered. “But I'm not going to be a hang-back for all +that. I'm not going to be a coward. You risk a horrible death, only to +tell me not to do the same. You wouldn't give up a cause you believed +in, merely because it was dangerous. I'll stick by my master, Aurelia. +Don't try to tempt me.” + +She would have said more; she would perhaps have persuaded me from my +heroics, had not the guns begun firing. That broke the spell with a +vengeance; nothing could be done after that. I shook up my horse, hardly +pausing to say “God bless you.” In another minute she was out of sight, +while I was cantering off to the extreme right wing with the Duke's +orders to his officers to cut in on the road to Chard. As I rode along, +behind the scattered line of our men, I could see the rolls of smoke +from the firing on the left. The men on the right were not firing, but +being raw troops they were edging little by little towards the firing, +in which I do not doubt they longed to be, for the sake of the noise. +They say now that the Duke threw away this battle at Axminster. He could +have cut Albemarle's troops to pieces had he chosen to do so. They made +a pretty bold front till we were within gunfire of them, when they all +scattered off to the town pell-mell. While they were in the town, we +could have cut them off from the Chard road, which would have penned +them in while we worked round to seize the bridges. After that, one +brisk assault would have made the whole batch of them surrender. Some of +our officers galloped from our right wing (where I was) to see how the +land lay, before leading off their men as I had brought them word. A +few of them fired their pistols, when they came to the road, which was +enough to make the right wing double forward to support them without +orders. In a minute about a thousand of us were running fast after our +officers, while the Duke's aides charged down to stop us. He had decided +not to fight, probably thinking that it would do his cause no good by +killing a lot of his subjects so early in his reign. We know now that +had he made one bold attack that morning, the whole of Albemarle's +force, with the exception of a few officers, would have declared for +him. In other words we should have added to our army about a thousand +drilled armed men who knew the country through which we were to pass. +By not fighting, we discouraged our own army, who grumbled bitterly when +they found their second battle as ineffectual as the fight at Bridport. + +I remember next that I saw the whole of Albemarle's troops flying for +their lives along the Chard road, flinging away their weapons as they +ran. They had the start of us; but a resolute captain could have brought +them to a stand, by pushing forward his cavalry. However “a bridge of +gold to a flying foe” is a good saying. We let them go. When our cavalry +advanced (to keep them on the move, not to fight with them) they passed +the time in collecting what the militia had flung away; about four +thousand pounds' worth of soldiers' stores, chiefly uniforms. I went +forward with the horse on that occasion. I picked up altogether about a +dozen muskets, which I gave to some of our men who were armed only with +clubs. Then I rode back to report myself ready for service to my master, +who was getting ready for camp, thinking that his men had done enough +for one day. + +It was a sad waste of time. A rough camp was formed. We went no further +for that time. About half a precious day was wasted, which might have +brought us nearly to Taunton under a resolute man, sworn to conquer. +Some of our men went out to forage, which they did pretty roughly. It +was theft with violence, coloured over by some little touch of law. +The farmers who were unpopular thereabouts had their cattle driven off; +their ricks carted off; their horses stolen; their hen-roosts destroyed. +We were like an army of locusts, eating up everything as we passed. Our +promises to pay, when the King came to his own, were really additional +insult; for the people robbed knew only too well how Stuart kings kept +their promises. One strange thing I saw that night. The men who were +cooking their newly stolen beef at the camp-fires kept crying out for +camp-kettles in which to boil the joints. We had no camp-kettles; but an +old man came forward to the Duke's quarters to ask if he might show the +men how to cook their meat without kettles. The Duke at once commanded +him to show us how this might be done. Like most useful inventions, it +was very simple. It was one of those things which are forgotten as life +becomes civilised, but for want of which one may perish when one returns +to barbarity, as in war. The old man began by placing stout poles +in tripods over the camp-fires, lashing them firmly at the top with +faggot-binders. Then he took the hide of one of the slaughtered cattle, +gathering it up at the corners, so as to form a sort of bag. He cut some +long narrow strips from the hide of the legs, with which to tie the four +corners together. Then he lashed the four corners to the tripod, so that +the bag hung over the fire. + +“There,” he said. “There is your kettle. Now put water into en. Boil +thy victuals in er. That be a soldier's camp-kettle. You can carry your +kettle on your beef till you be ready for en.” + +Indeed, it proved to be a very good kind of a kettle after one got +used to the nastiness of it, though the smell of burning hair from the +kettles was disgusting. To this day, I have only to singe a few hairs +in a candle to bring back to my mind's eye that first day in camp at +Axminster, the hill, the valley ringed in by combes, the noise of the +horses, the sputtering of the fires of green wood, the many men passing +about aimlessly, wondering at the ease of a soldier's life after the +labour of spring ploughing. It was a wonderful sight, that first camp +of ours; but the men for the most part grumbled at not fighting; they +wanted to be pushing on, to seize the city of Bristol, instead of +camping there. How did they know, they said, that the weather would +keep fine? How were we to march with all our ten baggage waggons if the +weather turned wet, so that the roads became muddy? The roads in those +parts became deep quagmires in rainy weather. A light farmer's market +cart might go in up to the axles after a day's steady rain. To march +through such roads would break the men's hearts quicker than any +quantity of fighting, however disastrous. Thus they grumbled about the +camp-fires, while I bustled over the Duke's dinner, in the intervals of +running errands for the colonel. + +That evening, after the summer dusk had come, but before the army had +settled to sleep, I heard an old man, one of our cavalrymen, talking to +another trooper. “Ah,” he said, “I was fighting in the old wars under +Oliver. I've seen wars enough. You mark my words, boy, this army won't +do much. We've not got enough men, for one thing. We could have had +fourteen thousand or more if he'd thought to bring muskets for en. We've +not got cavalry, that's another thing. When us do come face to face with +all the King's men us shall be sore put to it for want of a few trusty +horses. Horsemen be the very backbones of armies in the field. Then, +boy, we not got any captains, that's worst of all. The Duke's no +captain. If he'd been a captain her'd have fought this morning. Them +others aren't captains neither, none of them. Besides, what are they +doing sitting down in camp like this when we ought to be marching? +Us ought to be marching. Marching all night, never setting down once, +marching in two armies, one to Exeter, one to Bristol. Us'd 'ave the two +towns by late tomorrow night if us was under old Oliver. It'll take us +a week to get to Bristol at this rate. By that time it will be full of +troops, as well as secured by ships. As for us, by that time we shall +have troops all round us, not to speak of club-men.” + +“Ah,” said the younger man. “What be club-men, gaffer?” + +“You'll know soon enough what club-men are,” the old man answered, “if +there's any more of this drunken dirty robbery I saw this afternoon. +Those thieves who stole the farmer's cattle would have been shot in +Oliver's time. They'd have cast lots on a drum in sight of all on us, +drawn up. The men who got the low numbers would have been shot. The +captains would have pistolled them where they stood. If this robbing +goes on, all the farmers will club together to defend themselves, making +a sort of second army for us to fight against. That is what club-men +means. It's not a nice thing to fight in a country where there are +club-men all round you. No, boy. So what with all this, boy, I be going +to creep out of this 'ere army. I do-an't like the look of things, nor +I do-an't like the way things are done. If you take a old man's advice +you'll come too.” + +“Noa,” said the honest oaf, “I be agoin' to vight. I be a-goin' to +London town to be a girt sol-dier.” + +“Ah,” said the old man, shortly, “you be a vule, Tummas. Wish ee good +day, maister.” Then the old man turned sharply on his heel to leave the +camp, which he did easily enough, for he knew several of the sentries. +Even if he had not known them, it would have made little difference, +because our sentries were so lax that the camp was always swarming with +strangers. Women came to see their husbands or sweethearts. Boys came +out of love of mischief. Men came out of curiosity, or out of some wish +to see things before they decided which side to take. Our captains were +never sure at night how many of their men would turn up at muster the +next morning. + +After the old man had deserted, I sat down on the high ground above the +camp, in the earthen battery where our four little guns were mounted. I +was oppressed with a sad feeling that we were all marching to death. The +old man's words, “we shall have troops all round us,” rang in my head, +till I could have cried. My mind was full of terrible imaginings. I +saw our army penned up in a little narrow valley where the roads were +quagmires, so that our guns were stuck in the mud, our horses up to +their knees, our men floundering. On the hills all round us I saw +the King's armies, fifty thousand strong, marching to music under the +colours, firing, then wheeling, forming with a glint of pikes, bringing +up guns at a gallop, shooting us down, while we in the mud tried to +form. I knew that the end of it all would be a little clump of men round +the Duke, gathered together on a hillock, holding out to the last. The +men would be dropping as the shot struck them. The wounded would waver, +letting their pike-points drop. Then' there would come a whirling of +cavalry, horses' eyes in the smoke, bright iron horse-shoes gleaming, +swords crashing down on us, an eddy of battle which would end in a hush +as the last of us died. I saw all these pictures in my brain, as clearly +as one sees in a dream. You must not wonder that I looked over the misty +fields towards Newenham Abbey with a sort of longing to be there, well +out of all the war. It was only a mile from me. I could slip away so +easily. I was not bound to stay where I was, to share in the misery +caused by my leader's want of skill. Then I remembered how my father had +believed in the right of the Duke's cause. He would have counselled me +to stay, I thought. It seemed to me, in the dusk of the night, that my +father was by me, urging me to stay. The thought was very blessed; it +cleared away all my troubles as though they had not been. I decided +to look no more towards Newenham; but to go on by the Duke's side to +whatever fortune the wars might bring us. Somehow, the feeling that my +father was by me, made me sure that we were marching to victory. I went +to my quarters comforted, sure of sleeping contentedly. + +Like the rest of us, I had to sleep in the open, without any more +shelter than a horse-cloth. Even the Duke was without a tent that night. +He slept in camp with us, to set an example to his men, though he might +well have gone to some house in the town. I liked the notion of sleeping +out in the open. In fine warm summer weather, when the dew is not too +heavy, it is pleasant, until a little before the dawn, when one feels +uneasy, for some reason, as though an enemy were coming. Perhaps our +savage ancestors, the earliest ancient Britons, who lived in hill-camps, +high up, with their cattle round them, expected the attacks of their +enemies always at a little before the dawn; so that, in time, the +entire race learned to be wakeful then, lest the enemy should catch the +slumberers, with flint-axe heads in the skull. It may be that to this +day we feel the fear felt by so many generations of our ancestors. On +this first night in camp, I found that many of the men were sleeping +uneasily, for they did not know the secret of sleeping in the open. They +did not know that to sleep comfortably in the open one must dig a little +hole in the ground, about as big as a porridge bowl, to receive one's +hipbone. If you do this, you sleep at ease, feeling nothing of the +hardness of the bed. If you fail to do it, you wake all bruised, after a +wretched night's tumbling; you ache all the next day. + +After grubbing up a hollow with my knife, I swathed myself in my blanket +with a saddle for pillow. I watched the stars for a while, as they +drifted slowly over me. The horses stamped, shaking their picket-ropes. +The sentries walked their rounds, or came to the camp-fires to call +their reliefs. The night was full of strange noises. The presence of so +many sleeping men was strange. It was very beautiful, very solemn. It +gave one a kind of awe to think that thus so many famous armies had +slept before the battles of the world, before Pharsalia, before Chalons, +before Hastings. Presently the murmuring became so slight that I fell +asleep, forgetting everything, only turning uneasily from time to time, +to keep the cool night wind from blowing on my cheeks so as to wake me. + +It must have been two in the morning when I was wakened by some armed +men, evidently our sentries, who rolled me over without ceremony. + +“Wake up, young master,” they said, grinning. “You'm wanted. You be to +get up to go a errand. You be a soldier now. You does your sleeping in +peace-times when you be a soldier,” I sat up blinking my eyes, in the +early light, thinking how nice t'other forty winks would be. + +“Heigho,” I yawned. “All right. I'm awake. What is it? What's the +matter?” + +“Lord Grey be a wanting you, young master,” said one of the men. “Down +there, where them horses be in the road.” I picked myself up at that, +wishing for a basin of water into which I might shove my head. + +“Yes, yes,” I said. “Thank you. I'll go down.” I left my blanket where +it was, as I expected to be back in a few minutes. I walked down hill +out of the camp to the road where the horses stood; there were four +horses, two of them mounted. The mounted men were regular country +bumpkins, with green sprays in their hats, like the rest of our men; but +their horses were pretty good, much better than most of those we had. +One of them was a stocky old cob, which was no doubt to be mine. +The other was a beast with handsome harness for Lord Grey. “Alas,” I +thought. “No more sleep for me. I've got to ride. I wonder where we are +going.” The men touched their hats to me; for as I was in the Duke's +retinue I was much respected. Some of them no doubt thought I was a +princeling or little lord. + +“Where are we going?” I asked the troopers. + +“Going scouting out towards Colyton yonder, sir,” said one of them. “Us +be to pick up his Lordship in the town.” + + + +CHAPTER XIX. I MEET THE CLUB MEN + +I wondered when I was to get breakfast; but I knew Lord Grey well enough +to know that he was not a man to go willingly without food for more than +a few hours at a time. Breakfast I should have presently, nor would it +be skin-boiled beef, smelling of singed hair. So I mounted my cob with +a good will. The first trooper rode by my side, the other waited for a +moment to examine the feet of Lord Grey's charger. He trotted after +us, leading the riderless horse, some fifty yards behind us. We trotted +smartly through Axminster, where we set the dogs barking. People sprang +from their beds when they heard us, fearing that we were an army coming +to fight. We cantered out of the town over the river, heading towards a +hilly country, which had few houses upon it. I looked back after leaving +Axminster, to see if Lord Grey wanted me. He had mounted his horse +somewhere in the town; but he was now a couple of hundred yards behind +us, riding' with a third man, whom I judged to be Colonel Foukes, by his +broad white regimental scarf. After we had gone a few miles, we came to +a cross-roads where my guide bade me halt to wait for orders. The others +had pulled up, too. I could see Lord Grey examining a map, while his +horse sidled about across the road. The trooper who had been riding with +him, joined us after a while, telling us to take the road to our right, +which would take us, he said, towards Taunton. We were to keep our eyes +skinned, he said, for any sign of armed men coming on the high-road from +Honiton, so as to threaten our left flank. The gentlemen were going to +scout towards the sea. At eight o'clock, if we had seen no trace of any +armed force coming, we were to make for Chard, where we should find the +Duke's army. We were to examine the roads for any signs of troops having +passed recently towards Taunton. We were to enquire of the country +people, if troops were abroad in that countryside, what troops they +might be, how led, how equipped, etc. If we came across any men anxious +to join the Duke we were to send them on to Chard or Ilminster, on the +easterly road to Taunton. We were to ride without our green boughs, he +said; so before starting on our road we flung them into the ditches. +Lord Grey waved his hand to us, as he turned away with his friend. We +took off our hats in reply, hardly in a soldierly salute; then we set +off at a walk along the Taunton road. It is a lonely road leading up to +the hills, a straight Roman road, better than any roads laid in England +at that time; but a road which strikes horror into one, the country +through which it runs is so bleak. + +By about six o'clock (according to one of the troopers, who judged by +the height of the sun) we were in a clump of firs high up on a hill, +looking over a vast piece of eastern Devon. We had scouted pretty +closely all round Honiton, examining the country people, without hearing +of any troops. We were now looking out for some gleam upon a road, some +rising of dust over a hedge, some scattering of birds even, any sign +of men advancing, which might be examined more closely. The morning was +bright; but the valleys had mist upon them, which would soon turn to the +quivering blue June heat-haze. The land lay below us, spread out in huge +folds; the fields, all different colours, looked like the counties on a +map; we could see the sea, we could see the gleam of a little river. We +could see Axminster far to the east of us; but the marching army was out +of sight, somewhere on the Chard high-road. After scanning pretty well +all around us, I caught sight of moving figures on the top of one of the +combes to south of us. We all looked hard at the place, trying to make +out more of them. They were nearly a mile from us. They seemed to be +standing there as sentries. At first we thought that they must be people +with Lord Grey; but as we could see no horses we decided that they could +not be. One of the men said that as far as he'd heard tell like, +the combe on which they stood was what they call a camp, where soldiers +lived in the old time. He didn't know much more about it; but he said +that he thought we ought to examine it, like, before riding on to some +inn where we could breakfast. + +The other man seemed to think so, too; but when we came to talk over +the best way of doing our espials, we were puzzled. We should be seen at +once if we went to them directly. We might be suspected if we approached +them on horseback. If the men went, they might be detained, because, for +all that we knew, the combe might be full of militia. So I said I had +better go, since no one would suspect a boy. To this the men raised a +good many objections, looking at each other suspiciously, plainly asking +questions with their raised eyebrows. I thought at the time that they +were afraid of sending me into a possible danger, because I was a +servant attached to the Duke's person. However, when I said that I would +go on foot, taking all precautions, they agreed grudgingly to let me go. + +I crept along towards this combe on foot, as though I were going bird's +nesting. I beat along by the hedges, keeping out of sight behind them, +till I was actually on the combe's north slope, climbing up to the old +earthwork on the top. I took care to climb the slope at a place where +there was no sentry, which was, of course, not only the steepest bit of +the hill but covered with gorse clumps, through which I could scarcely +thrust my way. Up towards the top the gorse was less plentiful; there +were immense foxgloves, ferns, little marshy tufts where rushes grew, +little spots of wet bright green moss. Yellow-hammers drawled their +pretty tripping notes to me, not starting away, even when I passed close +to them. All the beauty of June was on the earth that day; the beauty of +everything in that intense blue haze was wonderful. + +The top of the combe was very steep, steeper than any of the ascent, +because it had been built up like an outer wall by the savages who once +lived there with their cattle. I could see just the bare steep wall +of the rampart standing up in a dull green line of short-grassed turf +against the sky, now burning with the intense blue of summer. One hard +quick scramble, with my fingernails dug into the ground, brought my head +to the top of the rampart, beyond which I could see nothing but +great ferns, a forest of great ferns, already four or five feet high, +stretching away below, into the cup of the camp or citadel. I did not +dare to stand up, lest I should be seen. I burrowed my way among the +ferns over the wall into the hollow, worming my way towards the edge of +the fern clump so that I could see. In a minute, I was gazing through +the fern-stems into the camp itself; it was a curious sight. + +About fifty people (some of them women) were sitting about a hollow +in the ground, which I guessed to be a sort of smokeless fireplace or +earth-oven. Everywhere else, all over the hollow of the camp, which +must have been a full three hundred yards across, were various kinds of +farm-stock, mostly cattle, though there were many picketed horses, too. +At first I thought that I had climbed into a camp of gipsies, which gave +me a scare; for gipsies then were a wild lot, whom wise folk avoided. +Then, as I glanced about, I saw a sentry standing not thirty yards from +me, but well above me, on the rampart top. He was no gipsy he was an +ordinary farmer's lad, with the walk of a ploughman. His sleeves, which +were rolled back, showed me a sun-burnt pair of arms, such as no gipsy +ever had. What puzzled me about him was his heavy double-barrelled +pistol, which he carried in his right hand, with something of a military +cock, yet as though awed by it. He was not over sure of that same +pistol. I could see that he confounded it in some way with art-magic. + +Then I remembered what the old soldier had said the night before about +club men. This camp must be a camp of club men, I thought. They had come +there to protect their stock from the rapine of our vile pillagers, who +had spread such terror amongst the farmers the day before. Perched up +on the combe, with sentries always on the look-out, they could see the +Duke's raiders long before they came within gunshot. If an armed force +had tried to rush the camp, after learning that the beasts were shut up +within it (which, by the way, no man could possibly suspect until he +saw them from the rampart top), the few defenders clubbed together there +could have kept them out without difficulty; for there was only one +narrow entrance to the camp, so constructed that any one entering by it +could be shot at from three sides, if not from all four. I looked about +me carefully from my hiding-place, till I decided that I could get a +better view from another part of the fern clump. I began to wriggle +through the thick, sweet-scented stalks, towards the heart of the camp, +going with infinite care, so as not to break down the fern into a path. +I hoped to make no more stir among the fern-tops than would be made by +one of the many pigs scattering about in the enclosure. + +While I was crawling along in this way, I suddenly heard a curious +noise from an intensely thick part of the fern in front of me. It was a +clinking noise, followed by a sort of dry rasping, as though a very big +person were gritting his teeth very hard. It stopped suddenly, but soon +began again. I thought that it must be some one mending harness with +a file, or perhaps some old sheep or cow, with the remnants of a bell +about her neck, licking a stone for salt. As was in an adventure, +I thought that I would see it out to the end; for I was enjoying my +morning. In spite of the want of breakfast I felt very like a red Indian +or a pirate, creeping through the jungle to the sack of a treasure +train. So I wormed on towards the noise. As I came near to it, I went +more cautiously, because in one of the pauses of the noise, I heard a +muttered curse, which told me that the unseen noise-maker was a man. If +I had been wise I should have stopped there; for I had learned all that +I came out to learn. But I was excited now. I wished to see everything, +before creeping away unseen to make my report. Perhaps I wished to see +something which had nothing to do with the club men, a private main +of cocks, say, or a dog, or bull-baiting, carried on with some of the +squire's creatures, but without his knowledge. I had a half wish that I +might have something of the kind to report; because in my heart I longed +to say nothing to any of the Duke's party which might lead to the ruin +of these poor people who were trying so hard to protect their property. + +A few feet further on, I was wishing most heartily that I had never +left my room in London. It was like this. In the very heart of the fern +clump, where the ferns were tallest, a little spring bubbled out of +the ground, at the rate, I suppose, of a pint of water in a minute. The +ferns grew immensely thick there; but someone had thinned out a few of +the roots from the ground, leaving the uprooted plant with the ferns +still living, to form a rough kind of thatch above a piece of earth big +enough for a man's body. In the scented shade of this thatch, with +the side of his face turned towards me, a big, rough, bearded man sat, +filing away some bright steel irons which were riveted on his ankles. He +swore continually in a low whisper as he worked, not even pausing in his +curses when he spat on to the hollow scraped in the irons by his file. +He was the fiercest looking savage of a man I have ever seen. His face +had a look of stern, gloomy cruelty which I shall never forget. His +general appearance was terrible; for he had a face burnt almost black by +the sun (some of it may have been mud) with a nasty white scar running +irregularly all down his left cheek, along the throat to the shoulder. +He was not what you might call naked, a naked man, such as I have seen +since in the hot countries, would have looked a nobleman beside him. He +wore a pair of dirty linen knickerbockers, all frayed into ribbons at +the knees, a pair of strong hide slippers bound to his ankles by strips +of leather, a part of a filthy red shirt without sleeves, a hat stolen +from a scarecrow, nothing else whatever, except the mud of many days' +gathering. His shirt was torn all down the back in a great slit which +he had tried to secure by what the sailors call “Bristol buttons,” i.e. +pieces of string. The red flannel hung from him so as to show his back, +all criss-crossed with flogging scars. I knew at once from the irons +that he was a criminal escaped from gaol; but the criss-crossed scars +taught me that he was a criminal of the most terrible kind, probably one +who had shipped into the Navy to avoid hanging. + +I took in a view of him before he saw me. His image was stamped on my +brain in less than ten seconds. In the eleventh second, I was lying on +my back in the gloom of the fern-growth, with this great ruffian on my +chest, squeezing me by my windpipe. I cannot say that he spoke to me. It +was not speech. It was the snarling wild beast gurgle which passes for +speech in the slums of our great cities, as though all the filth of a +low nature were choking in the throat at once. He was on me too quickly +for me to cry out. I could only lie still, cackling for breath, while +the fierce face glowered down on me. I understood him to say that he +would have my windpipe out if I said a word. I suppose he saw that I was +only a very frightened boy; for his clutch upon me relaxed, after a few +awful, gasping moments. When he loosed his hold, his great hand pawed +over my throat till he had me by the scruff of the neck. He drew me over +towards the spring, as one would draw a puppy. Then, still crouching in +the fern, he hurried me to a single stunted sloe-bush which grew there. +“Go down, you,” he said, giving me a shove towards the bush. “Down th' +'ole.” + +Just behind the sloe-bush, under a fringe of immense ferns, was an +opening in the earth, about eighteen inches high, by two feet across. +It was like a large rabbit or fox earth, except that the mouth of it was +not worn bare. I did not like the thought of going down th' 'ole; but +with this great griping fist on my nape there was not much sense in +saying so. I wormed my way in, helped on by prods from the file. It was +a melancholy moment when my head passed beyond the last filtering of +light into the tomb's blackness, where not even insects lived. After a +moment of scrambling I found that the passage was big enough for me to +go on all fours. It was a dry passage, too, which seemed strange to me; +but on reaching out with my hand I felt that the walls were lined with +well laid stones, unmortared. The roof above me was also of stone. You +may wonder why I did not shoot this ruffian with my pistol. You boys +think that if you had a pistol you would shoot any one who threatened +you. You would not. When the moment comes, it is not so easily disposed +of. Besides, a filthy, cursing pirate on your throat checks your natural +calm most strangely. + +The passage led into the swell of the rampart for about twenty yards, +where it opened into a dimly lighted chamber about four feet high. A +little blink of light came through a rabbit hole, at the end of which +I saw a spray of gorse with the sunlight on it. I could see by the dim +light that the chamber was built of unmortared stones, very cleverly +laid. The floor of it was greasier than the passage had been, but still +it was not damp. On one side it had a bed of heather stalks, on the +other there was something dark which felt like cold meat. The man came +grunting in behind me, clinking his leg-irons. After groping about in a +corner of the room he lighted a stinking rushlight by means of a tinder +box. + + + +CHAPTER XX. THE SQUIRE'S HOUSE + +“There,” he said, not unkindly, “there's a nice little 'ome for yer. Now +you, tell me wot you were doing spying on me. First of all, 'ave you +any money?” He did not wait for me to answer, but dug his hands into my +pockets at once, taking every penny I had, except a few shillings +which were hidden in my belt. He did not see my belt, as I had taken to +wearing it next my skin, since I began to follow the wars. I feared from +the greed which showed in all his movements that he vas going to strip +me; but he did not do so, thinking, no doubt, that none of my clothes +would fit his body. + +“Well,” he said, in his snarling beast voice, “wot's up 'ere, with all +these folk brought their beasts 'ere?” + +I told him that the Duke had come co fight for the crown of England, +with the result, as I supposed, that the country people dared not trust +their live-stock at home, for fear of having them pillaged. He seemed +pleased at the news; but being an utter wild beast, far less civilized +than the lowest savage ever known to me, he showed his pleasure by +hoping that the rich (whom he cursed fluently) might have their heads +pulled off in the war, while as for the poor (the farmers close by us) +he hoped that they might lose every beast they owned. “Do 'era good,” + he said. “Now,” he went on, “are you come spying 'ere along of the +farmers?” + +“No,” I said, “I am a servant of the Duke's, riding out to look for the +militia.” + +“Ah,” he said. “Are yer, cocky? 'Ow'm I to know that?” + +“Well,” I said, “Look at my hands. Are they the hands of a farmer?” + +“No,” he said. “No, Mister stuck-up flunkey, they ain't. I s'pose yet +proud of yet 'ands. I'll 'ave yer wait at table on me.” He seemed to +like the notion: for he repeated it many times, while he dug out hunks +of cold ham with his file, from the meat which I had felt as I crawled +in + + “'Ow proud I dig + A'unk a cold pig” + +he sang, as he gulped the pieces down. It was partly a nightmare, partly +very funny. I was not sure if he was mad, probably he was mad, but being +down in the burrow there, in the half darkness, hearing that song, made +me feel that I was mad; it was all a very terrible joke; perhaps madness +affects people like that. At last I spoke to him again. + +“Sir,” I said, “I've been up since two this morning. Give me a hunk of +cold pig, too. I'm half-starved.” + +“'Elp yourself, can't yer?” he snarled. “Oo'm I to wait on yer?” Then, +very cunningly, he put in, “'Ave you got a knife on yer?” + +“No,” I said cautiously, “I've got no knife,” which was a lie; I did not +wish my knife to go the same way as the money. He gave me some cold +pig, very excellent ham it was, too, for which I was very thankful. He +watched my greediness with satisfaction. I ate heartily when I saw that +my confident way with him had made him more tender towards me. + +“Yes,” he snorted. “Per'aps you ain't been lying to me after all. Now +'ow long will these blokes be up the 'ill 'ere?” I did not know that; +but I supposed that they would go home directly the Duke's army had got +as far, say, as Taunton. “But,” I added, “the Duke may be beaten. If +he's beaten, all this part will be full of troops beating every bush for +the rebels.” He swore at this; but his curses were only designed to hide +his terror. + +“Could a fellow get to sea,” he said in a whining tone. “Could a poor +fellow in trouble slip away to sea, now, at one of these seaport towns? +Boy, I been livin' like a wild beast all the way from Bristol, this two +months. I didn't kill the feller; not dead. The knife only went into 'im +a very little way, not more'n a inch. I was raised near 'ere at a farm. +So I knowed of this 'ere burrow. I got 'ere two days ago, pretty near +dead. Now I been penned up from the sea by these farmers comin' 'ere, +doin' swottin' sentry-go all round me. I tell yer, I'll cut up sour, if +they pen me in, now I'm so near got away. I been with Avery. They call +Avery a pirate. They said I was a pirate. It's 'anging if they ketch +me. Do yer think I could get away to Lyme or some place, to get took +into a ship?” I told him, no; because I knew from what Lord Grey had +told me, that the Channel was full of men-of-war searching every +ship which hove in sight; besides, he did not look to me to be a very +promising hand for a captain to take aboard. + +“All the same,” he said, “I got to risk it. You say there may be troops +coming?” + +“As for that,” I answered, “the troops may be here at any moment from +Exeter or Honiton. They've arrested hundreds of people everywhere +around. You'd better stay in the burrow here.” He did not pay much +attention to what I said. He cursed violently, as though he were a +bag-pipe full of foul words being slowly squeezed by some player. At +last he crawled to the passage, foaming out incoherently that he would +show them, he would, let them just wait. + +“You stay 'ere,” he said. “If I find you follerin' me, I'll mash your 'ed +into that much slobber.” He showed me a short piece of rope which he had +twisted, sailor fashion, so as to form a handle for a jagged piece of +flint, which, as I could see, had been used on some one or something +quite recently. + +“Mogador Jack,” he said, “'e don't like people follerin' 'im.” With that +he left me alone in the burrow, wondering, now that it was over, why he +had not killed me. He left me quite stunned; his sudden coming into my +life had been so strange. It was unreal, like a dream, to have been +in an ancient Briton's burial-chamber with a mad old pirate who had +committed murder. But now that he had gone, I was eager to go, too, if +it could be managed. I would not stay there till the brute came back, in +spite of that flint club. After waiting some little time, during which, +I felt sure, he was waiting for me at the door of the burrow, I took +out my pistol. I examined the charge to see that all was well; then very +cautiously, I began to crawl up the passage, with my pistol in my hand. + +I waited for some minutes near the door, trying to convince myself by +the lie of the shadows outside that he was crouched there, ready for me. +But it seemed safe. I could see no shadow at all except the tremulous +fern-shadows. At last I took off my coat as a blind. I flung it through +the doorway, with some force, to see if it would draw him from his +hiding. Nothing happened. The ruffian did not pounce upon it. I took +a few long breaths to hearten me; it was now or never. I shut my eyes, +praying that the first two blows might miss my head, so that I should +have time to fire. Then, on my back, with my pistol raised over my head, +I forced myself out with every muscle in my body. I leaped to my feet on +the instant, quickly glancing round for the madman, swinging my pistol +about with my finger hard on the trigger. He was not there, after all. +I might have spared myself the trouble. I was alone there in the fern, +within earshot of a murmur of voices, talking excitedly. I was not going +to spy into any more secrets. I was going to get out of that camp cost +what it might. I made one rush through the fern in the direction of the +rampart, shoving the stalks aside, as a bull knocks through jungle in +Campeachy. In thirty steps I was clear of the fern, charging slap into a +group of people who were giving brandy to the sentry, whom I had passed +but a little while before. He was bleeding from a broken wound on his +pretty hard Saxon skull. He was not badly hurt, for he was swearing +lustily; but he had been stunned just long enough for my pirate man to +strip him. He was dressed now in a pair of leather gaiters, all the rest +of his things had been taken, the pistol with them, I saw all this at +a glance, as I charged in among them. I took it all in, guessing in one +swift gleam of comprehension, exactly what had happened there, as my +pirate made his rush for freedom. There was no time to ask if my guess +were right or not. + +“Out of my way,” I shouted, shoving my pistol towards the nearest of the +group. “Out of my way, or I shall fire.” They made way for me. I charged +down hill by the way I had come. Some one cried “Stop en.” Another +shouted “Shoot en, maister.” There came a great bang of a gun over my +head. But I was going down hill like a rabbit, into the gorse, into the +bracken, into the close cover of the heath. Glancing back, I saw a dozen +excited people rushing down the rampart after me. Some flung stones; +some ran to catch horses to chase me. But I had the start of them. I was +down the hill, over the hedge, in the lane, in no time. There, a hundred +yards away, I saw my friends the troopers leading my cob. I shouted to +them. They heard me. They came up to me at a gallop. In ten seconds more +we were sailing away together. + +“You been getting into scrapes, master,” said one of the troopers. “You +doan't want to meddle with the folk in these parts.” + +“No,” said the other, with a touch of insolence in his voice. “So your +master may find, one of these fine days.” Being mindful of the Duke's +honour, I told the man to mind his own business, which he said he meant +to do, without asking my opinion. After that we rode on together a +little heated, till we were out of sight of the combe, where I had had +such a startling adventure. + +After another hour of riding, we pulled up at the garden gate of an old +grey handsome house which stood at some distance from the road. I asked +one of the troopers who lived in this house. He said that it was an old +Abbey, which belonged to Squire; but that we were to leave word there +of the Duke's movements, “for Squire be very 'tached to the Protestants; +besides he'll give us a breakfast. Sure to.” We left our horses at the +gate while we walked up to the house. A pretty girl, who seemed to know +one of the men, told us to come in, while she got breakfast for us. +“Squire,” she said, “would be glad to hear what was going on; for he was +that given up to the soldiers we couldn't hardly believe.” We were +shown down a long flagged corridor to a little cool room which looked as +though it had once been the abbot's cell. It had a window in it, looking +out upon a garden in full flower, a little rose garden, covered with +those lovely bushes of old English red single roses, the most beautiful +flower in the world. The window was large, but the space of it was +broken up by stone piers, so that no pane of glass was more than six +inches wide. I mention this now, because of what happened later. There +was not much furniture in the room; but what there was was very good. +There was an old Dutch pewter jug, full of sweet-williams, on the +table. On the wall' there was a picture of a Spanish gentleman on a +cream-coloured, fat handsome little horse. Together they looked very +like Don Quixote out for a ride with his squire. The two troopers left +me in this room, while they went off to the kitchen. Presently the +servant came in again, bringing me a noble dish of breakfast, a pigeon +pie, a ham, a jar of preserved quince, a honeycomb, a great household +loaf, newly baked, a big quart jug full of small beer. I made a very +honest meal. After eating, I examined the room. There was tapestry over +one part of the wall. It concealed a little low door which led to what +had once been the abbot's fishpond, now a roofed-in bath-house, where +one could plunge into eight feet or so of (bitterly cold) spring water. +This bath-house was some steps lower than the little dining room. It +was lighted by a skylight directly over the bath. It had no other window +whatever. After examining the bath, wishing that I had known of it +before eating, I went back to the dining room, where the servant was +clearing away the food. + +“I hope you enjoyed your breakfast, sir,” she said. + +“Yes, thank you, very much indeed,” I answered. + +“Squire will be down d'reckly, sir,” she said. “If you will please to +make yourself at home.” I made myself at home, as she desired, while +she, after a few minutes, took away the soiled plates, leaving all the +other things on the side-board, ready for dinner. I noticed that she +smiled in a rather strange way as she drew to the door behind her. + +I loitered away about half an hour, waiting for the squire to come. As +he did not come, I turned over the books on the shelves, mostly volumes +of plays, the Spanish Tragedy, the Laws of Candy, Love Lies a Bleeding, +etc., four plays to a volume in buckram covers. I was just getting +tired of All for Love, when I heard a footstep in the passage outside. +I thought that I would ask the passenger, whoever it might be, for +how much longer the squire would keep me waiting. I was anxious about +getting back to the army. It was dangerous to straggle too far from the +Duke's camps when unbeaten armies followed on both his wings. So I went +to the door to learn my fate at once. To my great surprise I found that +I could not open it. It was locked on the outside. The great heavy +iron lock had been turned upon me. I was a prisoner in the room there. +Thinking that it had been done carelessly, I beat upon the door to +attract the man who passed down the passage, calling to him to turn the +key for me so that I might get out. The footsteps did not pause. They +passed on, down the corridor, as though the man were deaf. After that +a fury came upon me. I beat upon the door for five minutes on end, till +the house must have rung with the clatter; but no one paid any attention +to me, only, far away, I heard a woman giggling, in an interval when I +had paused for breath. The door was a heavy, thick oak door, bound with +iron. The lock was a bar of steel at least two inches thick; there was +no chance of getting it open. Even firing into the lock with my little +pistol would not have helped me; it would only have jammed the tongue of +steel in its bed. I soon saw the folly of trying to get out by the door; +so I turned to the window, which was more difficult still, or, if not +more difficult, more tantalizing, since it showed me the free garden +into which one little jump would suffice to carry me. But the closely +placed piers of stone made it impossible for me to get through the +window. It was no use trying to do so. I should only have stuck fast, +midway. I began at once to pick out the mortar of the pier stones with +my knife point. It was hopeless work, though, for the old monks had used +some cement a good deal harder than the stones which it bound together. +I could only dig away a little dust from its surface. That way also was +barred to me. Then I went down to the bathing-chamber, hoping that there +would be some way of escape for me there. I hoped that the escape pipe +of the bath might be a great stone conduit leading to a fish-pond in +the garden. It was nothing of the sort. It was a little miserable leaden +pipe. I beat all round the walls, praying for some secret door, but +there was nothing of any use to me, only a little iron ventilator high +up, big enough to take my head, but nothing more. As for the skylight +over the bath, it was beyond my reach, high up. For the moment I could +see no means of getting to it. I went back to the dining room to give +another useless pounding to the door. My head was full of miserable +forebodings; but as yet I suspected merely that I had been caught by +some sudden advance of militia. Or perhaps the squire had laid plans +to get information from one who knew the Duke. Perhaps I had been lured +away specially by one hungry for the King's good opinion. Or could it be +Aurelia? Whatever it was, I was trapped, that was the terrible thing. I +was shut up there till my enemy, whoever it was, chose to deal with me. +I was in arms against the ruling King of England; everybody's hand would +be against me, unless my own hands helped me before my enemies came. +My first thought was to get the table down the steps, to make a bridge +across the bath, from which I could reach the skylight. This I could not +do at first; for being much flustered, I did not put the table-leaves +down. Until I knocked them down in my hurry they kept me from dragging +the table from the dining room. When I got it at last into the +bath-room, I found that it would not stretch across the water: the legs +were too close together, as I might have seen had I kept my wits about +me. I could think of no other way of getting out. + +I went back disheartened to the dining room, dragging my coat behind +me. The first thing which I saw was a letter addressed to me in a hand +already known to me. The letter lay on the floor on the space once +covered by the table. As it had not been there when I dragged the table +downstairs, someone must have entered the room while I was away. I +opened the letter in a good deal of flurry. It ran as follows: + +“Dear Martin Hyde:--As you will not take a sincere friend's advice, you +have to make the best of a sincere adviser's friendship. You did me a +great service. Let me do you one. I hope to keep you an amused prisoner +until your captain is a beaten man. By about three weeks from this 26th +of June we shall hope to have made you so much our friend that you will +not think of leaving us. May I make a compact with you? Please do not +shoot me with that pistol of yours when I bring you some supper tonight. +That is one part of it. The other is this. Let us be friends. We know +all about you. I have even talked to Ephraim about you. So let us make +it up. We have been two little spit fires. At any rate you have. Let us +be friends. What sorts of books do you like to read? I shall bring you +some story-books about ghosts, or about red Indians. Which do you like +best? I like red Indians myself. I suppose you, being a man, like ghosts +best. Your sincere friend Aurelia Carew. Who by the by thinks it best +to warn you that you had not better try to get up the chimney, as it is +barred across. She hopes that the table did not fall into the bath.” + + + +CHAPTER XXI. MY FRIEND AURELIA AND HER UNCLE + +It was a friendly letter, which relieved me a good deal from my +anxieties; but what I could not bear was the thought that the Duke would +think me a deserter. I made up my mind that I would get away from that +house at the first opportunity, so as to rejoin the Duke, to whom I felt +myself pledged. But in the meantime, until I could get away, I resolved +to make the best of my imprisonment. I was nettled by Aurelia's tone of +superiority. I would show her, as I had shown her before, that my wits +were just as nimble as hers. A few minutes after the letter had been +read, she held a parley with me through the keyhole. + +“Mr. Martin Hyde. Are you going to shoot me?” + +“No, Miss Carew, though I think you deserve it.” + +“You won't try to get away if I open the door?” + +“I mean to get away as soon as ever I get half a chance.” + +“I've got three men with me at the door here.” + +“Oh. Very well. But you just wait till I get a chance.” + +“Don't be so bloodthirsty, Mr. Martin Hyde. Now, I'm coming in to talk +with you. No pistols, mind. Not one.” + +“I've promised I won't shoot. You might believe a fellow. But I mean to +get away, remember. Just to show you.” + +She opened the door after that, a brown, merry Aurelia, behind whom I +could see three men, ready to stop any rush. They closed the door behind +her after she had entered. + +“Well,” she said, smiling. “Will you not shake hands with me, Martin +Hyde?” + +“Yes,” I said, “I will shake hands. But you played a very mean trick, I +think. There.” + +“You mustn't think me mean,” she answered. “I don't like mean people. +Now promise me one thing. You say you are going to run away from us. You +won't run away from me when I am with you, will you?” + +“No,” I said, after thinking this over, to see if it could be twisted +into any sort of trap, likely to stop my escape. “I will not. Not while +I am with you.” + +“That's right,” she said. “We can go out together, then. Now you've +promised, suppose we go out into the garden.” + +We went into the garden together, talking of every subject under the sun +but the subject nearest to our hearts at the moment. I would not speak +of her capture of me; she would not speak of the Duke's march towards +Taunton. There was some constraint whenever we came near those subjects. +She was a very merry, charming companion; but the effect of her talk +that morning was to make me angry at being trapped by her. I looked over +the countryside for guiding points in case I should be able to get away. +Axminster lay to the southeast, distant about six miles; so much I could +reckon from the course of our morning's ride. I could not see Axminster +for I was shut from it by rolling combes, pretty high, which made a +narrow valley for the river. To the west the combes were very high, +strung along towards Taunton in heaps. Due east, as I suspected, quite +near to us, was Chard, where by this time the Duke must have been +taking up his position. Taunton I judged (from a mile-stone which we had +passed) to be not much more than a dozen miles from where I was. I have +always had a pretty keen sense of position. I do not get lost. Even in +the lonely parts of the world I have never been lost. I can figure out +the way home by a sort of instinct helped by a glimpse at the sun. When +I go over a hill I have a sort of picture-memory of what lies behind, +to help me home again, however tortuous my path is on the other side. So +the few glimpses which I could get of the surrounding country were real +helps to me. I made more use of them than Aurelia suspected. + +We were much together that day. Certainly she did her best to make my +imprisonment happy. In the evening she was kinder; we were more at ease +together; I was able to speak freely to her. + +“Aurelia,” I said, “you risked your life twice to warn me.” + +“That's not quite true, Martin,” she said. “I am a government spy, +trusted with many people's lives. I had other work to do than to warn a +naughty boy who wanted to see what the ghosts were.” I was startled at +her knowing so much about me; she laughed. + +“Well,” she said, “I like you for it. I should have wanted to see them +myself. But the ghost-makers are scattered far enough now.” + +“All the same, Aurelia,” I said, “I thank you for what you did for me. I +wish I could do something in return.” She laughed. + +“Well,” she said, “you were very kind in the ship. You were a good enemy +to me then. Weren't you?” + +“Yes,” I said, “I beat you properly on the ship. I carried the Duke's +letters in my pistol cartridges, where you never suspected them. The +letters which were in the satchel I forged myself after I got on board. +If you'd not been a silly you'd have seen that they were forged.” + +“So that was why,” she said. “Those letters gave everybody more anxious +work than you've any notion of. Oh, Martin, though, I helped to drug you +to get those letters. It was terrible. Terrible. Will you ever forgive +me?” + +“Why, yes, Aurelia,” I said. “After all, it was done for your King. Just +as I mean to run away from here to serve mine. All is fair in the King's +service. Let us shake hands on that.” We shook hands heartily, looking +into each other's eyes. + +“By the way,” I said, “where did you get to that day in Holland, when I +got the letters from you?” + +“Ah,” she answered, “you made me like a wildcat that day. I nearly +killed you, twice. You remember that low parapet on the roof? I was +behind that, waiting for you with a loaded pistol. You were all very +near your deaths that morning. In the King's service, of course. +For just a minute, I thought that you would climb up to examine that +parapet. What a crazy lot you all were not to know at once that I was +there! Where else could I have been?” + +“Well,” I answered, “I beat you in the ride, didn't I? You thought +yourself awfully clever about that horse at the inn. Well, I beat +you there. I beat you in the race. I beat you with my letters to the +Dutchman. I beat you over those forgeries.” + +“Yes, indeed,” she said. “I can beat all the men in your Duke's service. +Every one. Even clever Colonel Lane. Even Fletcher of Saltoun. But a +boy is so unexpected, there's no beating a boy, except with a good +birch rod. You beat me so often, Martin, that I think you can afford to +forgive me for tricking you once in bringing you here.” + +“I shall beat you in that, too, Miss Carew,” I said; “for I mean to get +away from you as soon as I can.” + +“So you say,” she said. “But we have club men walking all round this +house all night, as well as sentries by day, guarding the stock. +Your gang of marauders will find a rough welcome if they come for +refreshments here.” + +Even as she spoke, there came a sudden crash of fire-arms from the +meadows outside the garden. About a dozen men came hurrying out of the +house with weapons in their hands, among them a big, fierce-looking +handsome man, who drew his sword as he ran. + +“That is my uncle, Travers Carew,” said Aurelia. “He owns this property. +He wants to meet you.” There came another splutter of fire-arms from the +meadows. “Come,” she said. “We'll see what it is. It is the Duke's men +come pillaging.” + +We ran through a gate in the wall into an apple-orchard, where the Carew +men were already dodging among the trees towards the enemy. There was +a good deal of shouting, but the tide of battle, as they call it, the +noise of shots, the trampling of horses, had already set away to the +left, where the enemy were retreating, with news, as I heard later, that +the militia held the Abbey in force. The Carew men came back in a few +minutes with a prisoner. He had been captured while holding the horses +of two friends, who had dismounted to drive off some of the Carew +cattle. He said that the attack had been made by a party of twenty of +the Duke's horse, sent out to bring in food for the march. They had +scattered at the first discharge of fire-arms, which had frightened them +horribly, for they had not expected any opposition. The frightened men +never drew rein till they galloped their exhausted horses into Chard +camp, where they gave another touch of dejection to the melancholy Duke. +As for the prisoner, he was sent off under guard to Honiton gaol; I +don't know what became of him. He was one of more than three thousand +who came to death or misery in that war. They said that he was a young +farmer, in a small way, from somewhere out beyond Chideock. The war +had been a kind of high-spirited frolic for him; he had entered into it +thoughtlessly, in the belief that it would be a sort of pleasant ride to +London, with his expenses paid. Now he was ended. When he rode out with +bound hands from the Carew house that evening, between two armed riders, +he rode out of life. He never saw Chideock again, except in the grey +light of dawn, after a long ride upon a hurdle, going to be hanged +outside his home. Or perhaps he was bundled into one of the terrible +convict ships bound for Barbadoes, with other rebels, to die of +small-pox on the way, or under the whip in the plantations. + +After this little brush, with its pitiful accompaniment, which filled +me full of a blind anger against the royal party, so much stronger, yet +with so much less right than ours, I was taken in to see Sir Travers +Carew. He had just sent off the prisoner to Honkon, much as he would +have brushed a fly from his hand. He had that satisfaction with himself, +that feeling of having supported the right, which comes to all those who +do cruel things in the name of that code of unjust cruelty, the criminal +law. He looked at me with rather a grim smile, which made me squirm. + +“So,” he said, “this is the young rebel, is it? Do you know that I could +send you off to Honiton gaol with that poor fellow there?” This made my +heart die; but something prompted me to put a good face on it. + +“Sir,” I said, “I have done what my father thought right. I don't wish +to be treated better than any other prisoner. Send me to Honiton, sir.” + +“No,” he said, looking at me kindly. “I shall not send you to Honiton. +You are not in arms against the King's peace, nor did you come over from +Holland with the Duke. I can't send you to Honiton. Besides, I knew your +father, Martin. I was at college with him. He was a good friend of +mine, poor fellow. No, sir, I shall keep you here till the Duke's crazy +attempt is knocked on the head. I think I can find something better for +you to do than that fussy old maid, your uncle, could. But, remember, +sir. You have a reputation for being a slippery young eel. I shall take +particular pains to keep you from slipping out of my hands. But I do not +wish to use force to your father's son. Will you give me your word not +to try to escape?” + +“No,” I answered, sullenly. “I won't. I mean to get away directly I +can.” + +“Come,” he said kindly, “we tricked you rather nastily. But do you +suppose, Martin, that your father, if he were here, would encourage your +present resolutions? The Duke is coming (nearly unprepared) to bring a +lot of silly yokels into collision with fully trained soldiers ten times +more numerous. If the countryside, the gentry, the educated, intelligent +men, were ready for the Duke, or believed in his cause, they would join +him. They do not join him. His only adherents are the idle, ignorant, +ill-conditioned rogues of this county, who will neither fight nor obey, +when it comes to the pinch. I do not love the present King, Martin, but +he is a better man than this Duke. The Duke will never make a king. He +may be very fit for court-life; but there is not an ounce of king in +him. If the Duke succeeds, in a year or two he will show himself so +foolish that we shall have to send for the Prince of Orange, who is a +man of real, strong wisdom. We count on that same prince to deliver us +from James, when the time is ripe. It is not ripe, yet. I am telling you +bitter, stern truth, Martin. Now then. Let me have your promise not to +continue in the service of this doomed princeling, your master. Eh? What +shall it be?” + +“No,” I said, “that's desertion.” + +“Not at all,” he answered. “It is a custom of war. Come now. As a +prisoner of war, give me your parole.” + +“You said just now that I was not a prisoner of war,” I answered. + +“Very well, then,” he said. “I am a magistrate. I commit you add +suspected person. Hart! Hart!” (Here he called in a man-servant.) “Just +see that this young sprig keeps out of mischief. Think it over, Mr. +Martin. Think it over.” + +In a couple of minutes I was back in my prison cells, locked in for the +night, with neither lamp nor candle. A cot had been made up for me in a +corner of the room. Supper was laid for me on the table, which had been +brought back to its place. There was nothing for it but to grope to bed +in the twilight, wondering how soon I could get away to what I still +believed to be a righteous cause in which my father wished me to fight. +I slept soundly after my day of adventure. I dreamed that I rode into +London behind the Duke, amid all the glory of victory, with the people +flinging flowers at us. But dreams go by contraries, the wise women say. + +I was a full fortnight, or a little more, a prisoner in that house. +They treated me very kindly. Aurelia was like an elder sister. Old Sir +Travers used to jest at my being a rebel. But I was a prisoner, shut +in, watched, kept close. The kindness jarred upon me. It was treating +me like a child, when I was no longer a child. I had for some wild weeks +been doing things which few men have the chance of doing. Perhaps, if I +had confided all that I felt to Aurelia, she would have cleared away my +troubles, made me see that the Duke's cause was wrong, that my father +would wish his son well out of civil broils, however just, that I had +better give the promise that they asked from me. But I never confided +really fully in her. I moped a good deal, much worried in my mind. I +began to get a lot of unworthy fancies into my head, silly fancies, +which an honest talk would have scattered at once. I began to think from +their silence about the Duke's doings that his affairs were prospering, +that he was conquering, or had conquered, that I was being held by this +loyalist family as a hostage. It was silly of me; but although in many +ways I was a skilled man of affairs, I had only the brain of a child, I +could not see the absurdity of what I came to believe. It worried me so +much that at the end of my imprisonment I became very feverish; really +ill from anxiety, as prisoners often are. I refused food for the latter +part of one day, hoping to frighten my captors. They did not notice it, +so I had my pains for nothing. + +I went to bed very early; but I could not sleep. I fidgeted about till +I was unusually wakeful. Then I got out of bed to try if there was a +way of escape by the old-fashioned chimney, barred across as it was, +at intervals, by strong old iron bars. I had never thought the chimney +possible, having examined it before, when I first came to that house; +but my fever made me think all things possible; so up I got, hoping that +I should have light enough to work by. + + + +CHAPTER XXII. THE PRIEST'S HOLE + +It was too dark to do much that night, but I spent an hour in picking +mortar from the bricks into which the lowest iron bar had been let. +After a brief sleep I woke in the first of the light (at about one +o'clock) ready to go at it again. My fever was hot upon me. I don't +think that I was quite sane that day; but all my reason seemed to burn +up into one bright point, escape, escape at all costs, then, at the +instant. I must tell you that the chimney, like most old chimneys, was +big enough for a big boy to scramble up, in order to sweep it. For some +reason, the owners of the house had barred the chimney across so that +this could not be done. They swept it, probably, in the effective +old-fashioned way by shooting a blank charge of powder from a +blunderbuss straight up the opening. The first two iron bars were so +placed that it was only necessary to remove one to make room for my +body. Further up there were others, more close together. The fire had +not been lighted for many years; there was no soot in the passage. There +was a jackdaw's nest high up. I could see the old jackdaw looking down +at me. Up above her head was a little square of sky. I did not doubt +that when I got to the top I should be able to scramble out of that +square on to the leads, then down by a water-spout, evading the +sentries, over the garden wall to freedom. After half an hour of mortar +picking I got one end of the lowest iron bar out of its socket. Then I +picked out the mortar from the other end, working the bar about like a +lever, to grind the fulcrum into dust. Soon I had the bar so loose that +I was able to thrust it to one side, leaving a passage big enough for my +body. + +I was very happy when this was done. I went back to the room to make up +a packet of food to take with me. This I thrust into an inner pocket, +before launching out up the hole. When I had cleaned up the mess of +mortar, I started up the chimney, carefully replacing the bar behind +me. Soon I was seven or eight feet above the room, trying to get at the +upper bars. I was scrambling about for a foothold, when I noticed, to +my left, an iron bar or handle, well concealed from below by projecting +bricks. I seized hold of it with my left hand, very glad of the support +it offered, when, with a dull grating noise, it slid downwards under my +weight, drawing with it the iron panel to which it was clamped. I had +come upon a secret chamber in the chimney; there at my side was an +opening big enough for a man's body. I was pretty well startled by it, +not only by the suddenness of the discovery, but from the fear I had +lest it should lead to some inhabited room, where my journey would be +brought to an end. I peered into it well, before I ventured to enter. +It was a little low room, about five feet square, lit by two loopholes, +which were concealed from outside by the great growth of ivy on the side +of the house. I clambered into it with pleasure, keeping as quiet as I +could. It was a dirty little room, with part of its floor rotten from +rain which had beaten in through the loopholes. It had not been used for +a great while. The pallet bed against the wall was covered with rotten +rags, dry as tinder. There were traces of food, who could say how +ancient, in a dish by the bed. There was a little crucifix, with a +broken neck-chain, lying close to the platter. Some priest who had used +this priest-hole years before had left it there in his hurry; I wondered +how. Something of the awe which had been upon him then seemed to linger +in the place. Many men had lain with beating hearts in that room; the +room seemed to remember. I have never been in a place which made one's +heart move like that room. Well. The priest's fears were dead as the +priest by this time. Nothing but the wreck of his dinner, perhaps the +last he ever ate, remained to tell of him, beside the broken symbol of +his belief. I shut-to the little panel-door by which I had entered, so +that I might not have the horrible fancy that the old priest's shaven +head was peering up the chimney at me, to see what I was doing in his +old room, long since given over to the birds. + +As I expected, there was a way of escape from the hiding-place. A big +stone in the wall seemed to project unnecessarily; the last comer to +that room had shut the door carelessly; otherwise I might never have +found it. Seeing the projecting stone, I took it for a clue feeling all +round it, till I found that underneath it there was a groove for finger +tips. The stone was nothing more than a large, cunningly fashioned +drawer, which pulled out, showing a passage leading down, down, along +narrow winding steps, just broad enough for one man to creep down at a +time. The stairs were more awesome than the room, for they were dark. I +could not see where they led; but I meant to go through this adventure, +now that I had begun it. So down I crept cautiously, clinging to the +wall, feeling with my feet as I went, lest there should be no step, +suddenly, but a black pit, far down, into which a man might fall +headlong, on to who knows what horrors. I counted the steps. I thought +that they would never end. There were thirty-seven altogether. They +brought me to a dark sort of room, with damp earth for its floor, upon +which water slowly dropped from some unseen stalactite. I judged that +I must be somewhere under the bath-chamber, not more than ten feet from +the abbot's old fish-pond. If there was a way out I felt that it must +be to my left, under the garden; not to my right, which would lead back +under the body of the house. + +Very cautiously I felt along to my left, till I found that there was +indeed a passage; but one so low that I had to stoop to get along it. A +few steps further brought me with a shock against a wall, a sad surprise +to me, for I thought that I was on the road to safety. When I recovered +from my fear I felt along the wall till I found that the passage +zigzagged like a badger's earth. It turned once sharply to the right, +going up a couple of steps, then again sharply to the left, going up a +few more steps, then again to the right up one step more, to a broader +open stretch, lit by one or two tiny chinks, more cheering to me than +you can imagine. I guessed that I was passing at last under the garden, +having gone right below the house's foundations. The chinks of light +seemed to me to come from holes worn in the roof by rabbits or rats. +They were pleasant things to see after all that groping in the blackness +of night. On I went cautiously, feeling my way before me, till suddenly +I stopped dead, frightened terribly, for close to me, almost within +touch as it seemed, some men were talking to each other. They were +evidently sitting just above my head, in the cool morning, watching +for me to come through my window, as I suppose. They were some of Sir +Travers's sentries. A moment's thought told me that I had little to +fear from them, if I moved quietly in my burrow. However, as my walk was +often noisy, through stumblings on stones, I waited till they moved off, +which was not for some minutes. One of the men was asking the other what +was the truth about the Duke. + +“Why,” his mate answered, “they say as he got beat back coming towards +London. They say he be going to Bridgewater, now, to make it a castle, +like; or perhaps he be a coming to Taunton. They say he have only a mob, +like, left to en, what with all this rain. But I do-an't know. He be +very like to come here agen; so as us'll have to watch for our stock.” + +“Ah?” said the first. “They did say as there was soldiers come to +Evilminster. So as to shut en off, like. I seed fires out that way, +myself, like camp-fires, afore it grew light. They do say the soldiers +be all for the Duke.” + +“Yes,” the other answered, “he be very like to win if it come to a +battle. He'd a got on to London, I dare-say, if the roads had but been +dry.” + +“What do ee say to a bit of tobaccy, master?” said the first, after a +pause. + +“Why, very well,” said the other. At this instant, without any warning, +something in the wall of my passage gave way, some bit of rotten mortar +which held up a stone, or something of the sort. At any rate, a stone +fell out, with a little rush of rotten plaster, making a good deal of +noise, though of course it seemed more to me than to the men outside. + +“What ever in the world was that?” said one of them. + +“I dunno,” said the other. “It seemed to come from down below somewhere, +under the earth, like. Do you think as it could be a rabbit?” + +“It did sound like a stone falling out of a wall,” came the answer. “I +dunno. Where could it a come from?” + +They seemed to search about for some trace of a rabbit; but not finding +any, they listened for another stone to fall. + +“I tell you what I think,” said the first man. “I believe as there be +underground passages all over these here gardens. Some of them walks +sound just as hollow as logs if you do stamp on 'em. There was very +queer doings here in the old monks' time; very queer. Some day I mean to +grub about a bit, master. For my old grandmother used always to say as +the monks buried a lot of treasure hereabouts in the old time.” + +“Ah?” said the other. “Then shall us get a spade quiet like, to see if +it be beneath.” The other hesitated, while my heart sank. I very nearly +went back to my prison, thinking that all was over. + +“No,” said his comrade. “Us'll ask Sir Travers first. He do-an't like +people grubbing about. Some of his forefathers as they call them weren't +very good, I do hear, neither. He do-an't want none of their little +games brought to light, like.” + +After this, the men moved off, to some other part of their beat. I went +on along the passage quickly, till suddenly I fell with a crash down +three or four steps into a dirty puddle, knocking my head as I fell. I +could see no glimmer of light from this place; but I groped my way out, +up a few more steps further on into a smaller, dirtier passage than the +one which I had just left. After this I had to crawl like a badger in +his earth, with my back brushing against the roof, over many masses of +broken brickwork most rough to the palms of my hands. All of a sudden +I smelt a pleasant stable-smell. I heard the rattle of a halter drawn +across manger bars. I heard a horse paw upon the ground quite close to +me. A dim, but regular chink of light showed in front of me, level with +my head as crawled. Peering through it, I saw that I was looking into a +stable, almost level with the floor; the passage had come to an end. + +By getting my fingers into the crack through which I peered, I found +that I could swing round some half a dozen stones, which were mortared +together, so as to form a revolving door. It worked with difficulty, +as though no one had passed through by that way for many years; but +it worked for me, after a little hard pushing. I scrambled through the +narrow opening into a roomy old stable, where some cart-horses peered +at me with wonder, as I rose to my feet. After getting out, I shut to +my door behind me, so firmly that I could not open it again; there must +have been some spring or catch which I could not set to work. Two steps +more took me out of the horses' stalls into the space behind, where, on +a mass of hay, lay a carter, fast asleep, with the door-key in his hand. +By his side lay a pitchfork. He was keeping guard there, prepared to +resist Monmouth's pillagers. + +He slept so heavily that I was tempted to take the key from his hand. +Twice I made little half steps forward to take it; but each time +something in the man's look daunted me. He was a surly-looking man who, +if roused suddenly, in a locked stable, might lay about him without +waiting to see who roused him. He stirred in his sleep as I drew near +him for the second time; so I gave up the key as a bad job. The loft +seemed to be my only chance; as there was only this one big locked +double door upon the lower floor, I clambered up the steep ladder to the +loft, hoping that my luck there might be better, but resolved, if the +worst came, to hide there in the hay until the carter took the horses to +work, leaving the doors open. + +I had hardly set my foot upon the loft floor, when one of the horses, +hearing some noise outside, or being moved by some evil spirit, whinnied +loudly, rattling his halter. The noise was enough to arouse an army. It +startled the carter from his bed. I heard him leap to his feet with an +oath; I heard him pad round the stable, talking to the horses in turn; I +heard him unlock the door to see what was stirring. I stood stock-still +in my tracks, not daring to stir towards the cover of the hay at the +farther end of the loft. I heard him walk slowly, grunting heavily, +to the foot of the ladder, where he stopped to listen for any further +signal. If he had come up he must have caught me. I could not have +escaped. But though he seemed suspicious he did not venture further. He +walked slowly back to his bed, grunting discontentedly. In a few minutes +he was sound asleep again; for farming people sleep like sailors, as +though sleep were a sort of spirit muffling them suddenly in a thick +felt blanket. After he had gone off to sleep, I took off my boots, in +order to put them on under my stockings, for the greater quiet which +that muffling gives to the tread. Then I peered about the loft for a way +of escape. + +There were big double doors to this upper loft, through which the hay +could be passed from a waggon standing near the wall. These doors were +padlocked on the inside; there was no opening them; the staples were +much too firm for me to remove without a crowbar. The other openings in +the walls were mere loophole slits, about four feet long but only a few +inches broad. There were enough of these to make the place light. By +their light I could see that there was no way of escape for me except +by the main door. I was almost despairing of escape from this prison of +mine, when I saw that the loft had a hayshoot, leading downwards. When +I saw it I fondly hoped that it led to some outer stable or cart-shed, +separated from that in which the carter slept. A glance down its smooth +shaft showed me that it led to the main stable. I could see the heads +of the meditative horses, bent over the empty mangers exactly as if they +were saying grace. Beyond them I saw the boots of the carter dangling +over the edge of the trusses of hay on which he slept. I stepped back +from this shaft quickly because I thought that I might be seen from +below. My foot went into the nest of a sitting hen, right on to the +creature's back. Up she started, giving me such a fright that I nearly +screamed. She flew with a cackling shriek which set all the blackbirds +chippering in the countryside. Round the loft she scattered, calling +her hideous noise. Up jumped the carter, down came his pitchfork with +a thud. His great boots clattered over the stable to the ladder. Clump, +clump, he came upstairs, with his pitchfork prongs gleaming over his +head like lanceheads. I saw his head show over the opening of the loft. +There was not a second to lose. His back of course was still towards me, +as the ladder was mercifully nailed to the wall. Before he turned I slid +over the mouth of the shaft down into the hayrack of the old brute who +had whinnied. I lit softly; but I certainly shocked that old mare's +feelings. In a second, before she had time to kick, I was outside her +stall, darting across the stable to the key, which lay on the truss of +hay, mercifully left there by its guardian. In another second the lock +had turned. I was outside, in the glorious open fields again. Swiftly +but silently I drew the key out of the lock. One second more sufficed +to lock that door from without. The carter was a prisoner there, locked +safely in with his horses. I was free. The key was in my pocket. Yonder +lay the great combes which hid Taunton from me. I waved my hat towards +them; then, with a wild joyous rush, I scrambled behind the cover of the +nearest hedge, along which I ran hard for nearly a quarter of a mile. + +I stopped for a few minutes to rest among some ferns, while I debated +how to proceed. I changed the arrangement of my stockings; I also dusted +my very dirty clothes, all filthy from that horrid passage underground. +“Now,” I said to myself, “there must be many ways to Taunton. One way, +I know, leads along this valley, past Chard there, where the houses are. +The other way must lie across these combes, high up. Which way shall I +choose, I wonder?” A moment's thought showed me that the combes would +be unfrequented, while the valley road, being the easy road, which (as I +knew) the Duke's army had chosen, would no doubt be full of people, some +of them (perhaps) the King's soldiers, coming up from Bridport. If I +went by that road my pursuers would soon hear of me, even if I managed +to get past the watchers on the road. On the other hand, Aurelia would +probably know that I should choose the combe road. Still, even if she +sent out mounted men, she would find me hard to track, since the combes +were lonely, so lonely that for hours together you can walk there +without meeting anybody. There would be plentiful cover among the combes +in case I wished to lie low. Besides, I had a famous start, a five +hours' start; for I should not be missed until eight o'clock. It could +not then have been much more than half-past two. In five hours an active +boy, even if he knew not the road, might put some half a dozen miles +behind him. I say only half a dozen miles, because the roads were the +roughest of rough mud-tracks, still soft from the rains. As I did not +know the way, I knew that I might count on going wrong, taking wrong +turns, etc. As I wished to avoid people, I counted on travelling most +of the way across country, trusting to luck to find my way among the +fields. So that, although in five hours I should travel perhaps ten or +twelve miles, I could not count on getting more than six miles towards +Taunton. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. FREE + +For the first hour or two, as no one would be about so early, I thought +it safe to use the road. I put my best foot foremost, going up the great +steep combe, with Chard at my back. + +The road was one of the loneliest I have ever trodden. It went winding +up among barren-looking combes which seemed little better than waste +land. There were few houses, so few that sometimes, on a bit of rising +ground, when the road lifted clear of the hedges, one had to look about +to see any dwelling of men. There was little cultivation, either. It was +nearly all waste, or scanty pasture. A few cows cropped by the wayside +near the lonely cottages. A few sheep wandered among the ferns. It was +a very desolate land to lie within so few miles of England's richest +valleys. I walked through it hurriedly, for I wished to get far from my +prison before my escape was discovered. No one was there to see me; +the lie of the valley below gave me my direction, roughly, but closely +enough. After about an hour of steady, fairly good walking, I pulled up +by a little tiny brook for breakfast. I ate quickly, then hurried on, +for I dared not waste time. I turned out of the narrow cart-tracks into +what seemed to be a highroad. + +I dipped down a hollow, past a pond where geese were feeding, then +turned to a stiff steep hill, which never seemed to end for miles. The +country grew lonelier at every step; there were no houses there; only +a few rabbits tamely playing in the outskirts of the coverts. A jay +screamed in the clump of trees at the hill-top; it seemed the proper +kind of voice for a waste like that. Still further on, I sat down to +rest at the brink of the great descent, which led, as I guessed, as I +could almost see, to the plain where Taunton lay, waiting for the Duke's +army to garrison her. There were thick woods to my right at this point, +making cover so dense that no hounds would have tried to break through +it, no matter how strong a scent might lead them. It was here, as I sat +for a few minutes to rest, that a strange thing happened. + +I was sitting at the moment with my back to the wood, looking over +the desolate country towards a tiny cottage far off on the side of the +combe. A big dog-fox came out of the cover from behind me, so quietly +that I did not hear him. He trotted past me in the road; I do not think +that he saw me till he was just opposite. Then he stopped to examine me, +as though he had never seen such a thing before. He was puzzled by me, +but he soon decided that I was not worth bothering about, for he made +no stay. He padded slowly on towards Chard, evidently well-pleased with +himself. Suddenly he stopped dead, with one pad lifted, a living image +of alert tension. He was alarmed by something coming along the road by +which I had come. He turned his head slightly, as though to make sure +with his best ear. Then with a single beautiful lollopping bound he +was over the hedge to safety, going in that exquisite curving rhythm of +movement which the fox has above all English animals. For a second, I +wondered what it was that had startled him. Then, with a quickness of +wit which would have done credit to an older mind, I realized that there +was danger coming on the road towards me, danger of men or of dogs, +since nothing else in this country frightens a fox. It flashed in upon +me that I must get out of sight at once; before that danger hove in view +of me. I gave a quick rush over the fence into the tangle, through which +I drove my way till I was snug in an open space under some yew trees, +surrounded on all sides by brambles. I shinned up one of the great yew +trees, till I could command a sight of the road, while lying hidden +myself in the profuse darkness of the foliage. Here I drew out my +pistol, ready for what might come. I suppose I had not been in my +hiding-place for more than thirty seconds, when over the brow of the +hill came Sir Travers Carew, at a full gallop, cheering on a couple of +hounds, who were hot on my scent. Aurelia rode after him, on her famous +chestnut mare. Behind her galloped two men, whom I had not seen before. +In an instant, they were swooped down to the place where the dog-fox had +passed. The hounds gave tongue when they smelt the rank scent of their +proper game; they were unused to boy-hunting. They did not hesitate an +instant, but swung off as wild as puppies over the hedge, after the fox. +The horsemen paused for a second, surprised at the sudden sharp turn; +but they followed the hounds' lead, popping over the fence most nimbly, +not waiting to look for my tracks in the banks of the hedge. They +streamed away after the fox, to whom I wished strong legs. I knew that +with two young hounds they would never catch him, but I hoped that he +would give them a good run before the sun killed the scent. I looked +at the sun, now gloriously bright over all the world, putting a bluish +glitter on to the shaking oak leaves of the wood. How came it that they +had discovered my flight so soon since it could not be more than six +o'clock, if as much? I wondered if it had been the old carter, who had +never really seen me. It might have been the old carter; but doubtless +he drummed for a good while on the door of the stable before anybody +heard him. Or it might have been one of the garden sentries. One of the +sentries might well have peeped in at the window of my room to make sure +that I was up to no pranks. He could have seen from the window that my +bed was empty. If he had noticed that, he could have unlocked my door to +make sure, after which it would not have taken more than a few minutes +to start after me. I learned afterwards that the sentry had alarmed the +house at a little before five o'clock. The carter, being only half-awake +when he came after me, suspected nothing till the other farm-hands came +for the horses, at about six o'clock, when, the key being gone, he had +to break the lock, vowing that the rattens had took his key from him in +the night. My disappearance puzzled everybody, because I had hidden my +tracks so carefully that no one noticed at first how the chimney bars +had been loosened. No one in that house knew of the secret room, so that +the general impression was that I had either squeezed myself through the +window, or blown myself out through the keyhole by art-magic. The hounds +had been laid along the road to Chard, with the result that they had hit +my trail after a few minutes of casting about. + +Now that they were after me, I did not know what to do. I dared not +go on towards Taunton; for who knew how soon the squire would find his +error, by viewing the fox? He was too old a huntsman not to cast back +to where he had left the road, as soon as he learned that his hounds +had changed foxes. I concluded that I had better stay where I was, +throughout that day, carefully hidden in the yew-tree. In the evening +I might venture further if the coast seemed clear. It was easy to make +such a resolution; but not so easy to keep to it; for fifteen hours is a +long time for a boy to wait. I stayed quiet for some hours, but I heard +no more of my hunters. I learned later that they had gone from me, in +a wide circuit, to cut round upon the Taunton roads, so as to intercept +me, or to cause me to be intercepted in case I passed by those ways. +The hounds gave up after chasing the fox for three miles. The old squire +thought that they stopped because the sun had destroyed the scent. With +a little help from an animal I had beaten Aurelia once more. When I grew +weary of sitting up in the yew tree, clambered down, intending to push +on through the wood until I came to the end of it. It was mighty +thick cover to push through for the first half mile; then I came to a +cart-track, made by wood-cutters, which I followed till it took me out +of the wood into a wild kind of sheep-pasture. It was now fully nine +in the evening, but the country was so desolate it might have been +undiscovered land. I might have been its first settler, newly come there +from the seas. It taught me something of the terrors of war that day's +wandering towards Taunton. I realized all the men of these parts had +wandered away after the Duke, for the sake of the excitement, after +living lonely up there in the wilds. Their wives had followed the army +also. The while population (scanty as it was) had moved off to look for +something more stirring than had hitherto come to them. I wandered +on slowly, taking my time, getting my direction fairly clear from the +glimpses which I sometimes caught of the line of the highway. At a +little after noon I ate the last of my victuals near a spring. I rested +after my dinner, then pushed on again, till I had won to a little +spinney only four miles from Taunton, where my legs began to fail under +me. + +I crept into the spinney, wondering if it contained some good shelter in +which I could sleep for the night. I found a sort of dry, high pitched +bank, with the grass all worn off it, which I thought would serve my +turn, if the rain held off. As for supper, I determined to shoot a +rabbit with my pistol. For drink, there was a plenty of small brooks +within half a mile of the little enclosure. After I had chosen my camp, +I was not very satisfied with it. The cover near by was none too thick. +So I moved off to another part where the bushes grew more closely +together. As I was walking leisurely along, I smelt a smell of something +cooking, I heard voices, I heard something clink, as though two tin cups +were being jangled. Before I could draw back, a man thrust through the +undergrowth, challenging me with a pistol. Two other men followed him, +talking in low, angry tones. They came all round me with very murderous +looks. They were the filthiest looking scarecrows ever seen out of a +wheat-field. + +“Why,” said one of them, lowering his pistol, “it be the Duke's young +man, as we seed at Lyme.” They became more friendly at that; but still +they seemed uneasy, not very sure of my intentions. + +“Where is the Duke?” I asked after a long awkward pause. “Is he at +Taunton?” They looked from one to the other with strange looks which I +did not understand. + +“The Duke be at Bridgewater,” said one of them in a curious tone. “What +be you doing away from the Duke?” + +“Why,” I said, “I was taken prisoner. I escaped this morning.” + +“Yes?” they said with some show of eagerness. “Be there many soldiers +hereaway, after us?” + +“No. Not many,” I said. “Are you coming from the Duke?” + +“Yes,” said one of them, “we left en at Bridgewater. We have been having +enough of fighting for the crown. We been marching in mud up to our +knees. We been fighting behind hedges. We been retreating for the last +week. So now us be going home, if us can get there. Glad if we never +sees a fight again.” + +“Well,” I said, “I must get to the Duke if I can. How far is it to +Bridgewater?” + +“Matter of fifteen mile,” they said, after a short debate. “You'll never +get there tonight. Nor perhaps tomorrow, since we hear the soldiers be a +coming.” + +“I'll get some of the way tonight,” I said; but my heart sank at the +thought; for I was tired out. + +“No, young master,” said one of the men kindly, “you stop with us for +tonight. Come to supper with us. Us 'ave rabbits on the fire.” Their +fortnight of war had given them a touch of that comradeship which +camp-life always gives. They took me with them to their camp-fire, where +they fed me on a wonderful mess of rabbits boiled with herbs. The men +had bread. One of them had cider. Our feast there was most pleasant; or +would have been, had not the talk of these deserters been so melancholy. +They were flying to their homes like hunted animals, after a fortnight +of misery which had altered their faces forever. They had been +in battle; they had retreated through mud; they had seen all the +ill-fortune of war. They did all that they could to keep me from my +purpose; but I had made up my mind to rejoin my master; I was not to be +moved. Before settling down to sleep for the night I helped the men to +set wires for rabbits, an art which I had not understood till then, +but highly useful to a lad so fated to adventurous living as myself. We +slept in various parts of the spinney, wherever there was good shelter; +but we were all so full of jangling nerves that our sleep was most +uneasy. We woke very early, visited our wires, then breakfasted heartily +on the night's take. The men insisted on giving me a day's provision +to take with me, which I took, though grudgingly, for they had none too +much for themselves, poor fellows. Just before we parted I wrote a note +to Sir Travers, on a leaf of my pocketbook. “Dear Sir Travers,” I wrote, +“These men are well-known to me as honest subjects. They have had great +troubles on their road. I hope that you will help them to get home. +Please remember me very kindly to your niece.” After folding this +very neatly I gave the precious piece of impudence to one of the men. +“There,” I said, “if you are stopped, insist on being carried before Sir +Travers. He knows me. I am sure that he will help you as far as he +can.” For this the men thanked me humbly. I learned, too, that it was of +service to them. It saved them all from arrest later in the same day. + +Having bidden my hosts farewell, I wandered on, keeping pretty well in +cover. I saw a patrol of the King's dragoons in one of the roads near +which I walked. The nets were fast closing in on my master: there were +soldiers coming upon him from every quarter save the west, which was +blocked too, as it happened, by ships of war in the Channel. This +particular patrol of dragoons caught sight of me. I saw a soldier +looking over a gate at me; but as I was only a boy, seemingly out for +birdsnests, he did not challenge me, so that by noon I was safe in +Taunton. I have no clear memory of Taunton, except that it was full of +people, mostly women. There were little crowds in the streets, little +crowds of women, surrounding muddy, tired men who had come in from the +Duke. People were going about in a hurried, aimless way which showed +that they were scared. Many houses were shut up. Many men were working +on the city walls, trying to make the place defensible. If ever a town +had the fear of death upon it that town was Taunton, then. As far as I +could make out it was not the actual war that it feared; though that +it feared pretty strongly, as the looks on the women's faces showed. It +feared that the Duke's army would come back to camp there, to eat them +all up, every penny, every blade of corn, like an army of locusts. +Sometimes, while I was there, men galloped in with news, generally +false, like most warmews, but eagerly sought for by those who even now +saw their husbands shot dead in ranks by the fierce red-coats under +their drunken Dutch general. Sometimes the news was that the army was +pressing in to cut off the Duke from Taunton; that the dragoons were +shooting people on the road; that they were going to root out the whole +population without mercy. At another time news came that Monmouth was +marching in to music, determined to hold Taunton till the town was a +heap of cinders. Then one, bloody with his spurred horse's gore, cried +aloud that the King was dead, shot in the heart by one of his brother's +servants. Then another came calling all to prayer. All this uproar +caused a hurrying from one crowd to another. Here a man preached +fervently to a crowd of enthusiasts. Here men ran from a prayer-meeting +to crowd about a messenger. Bells jangled from the churches; the noise +of the picks never ceased in the trenches; the taverns were full; the +streets swarmed; the public places were now thronged, now suddenly +empty. Here came the aldermen in their robes, scared faces among the +scarlet, followed by a mob praying for news, asking in frenzy for +something certain, however terrible. There several in a body clamoured +at a citizen's door in the like fever of doubt. There was enough agony +of mind in Taunton that day to furnish out any company of tragedians. +We English, an emotional people by nature, are best when the blow has +fallen. We bear neither doubt nor rapture wisely. Our strength is shown +in troublous times in which other people give way to despair. + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. THE END + +Among all the confusion, I learned certainly from some deserters that +the Duke was at Bridgewater, waiting till his men had rested, before +trying to break through to the north, to his friends in Chester. He had +won a bad name for himself among his friends. Nobody praised him. The +Taunton people, who had given him such a splendid welcome ten days +before, now cursed him for having failed; they knew too well what sort +of punishment was sure to fall upon them, directly the fighting came to +an end. Somehow all their despairing talk failed to frighten me. I was +not scared by all the signs of panic in the streets. I was too young to +understand fully; but besides that I was buoyed up by the belief that +I had done a fine thing in escaping from prison in order to serve the +cause dear to my heart. My heart told me that I was going to a glorious +victory in the right cause. I cannot explain it. I felt my father in my +heart urging me to go forward. I would not have drawn back for all the +King's captains in a company riding out against me together. I felt that +these people were behaving absurdly; they should keep a brave patient +face against their troubles. Tomorrow or the next day would see us in +triumph, beating our enemies back to London, to the usurper's den in +Whitehall. + +It drew towards sunset before I had found a means to get to Bridgewater. +The innkeepers who in times of peace sent daily carriers thither, with +whom a man could travel in comfort for a few pence, had now either lost +their horses, or feared to risk them. No carriers had gone either to +Bridgewater or to Bristol since the Duke marched in on the fourth day +of his journey; nor had the carriers come in as usual from those places; +the business of the town was at a standstill. I asked at several inns, +but that was the account given to me. There was no safety on the roads. +The country was overrun by thieves, who stole horses in the name of the +Duke or of the King; nothing was safe anywhere. The general hope of the +people was for Monmouth to be beaten soon, or to be victorious soon. +They had lost quite enough by him; they wanted the rebellion over. + +At last, just when I had begun to think the thing hopeless, I found an +honest Quaker about to ride to Bridgewater with a basket of Bibles for +the Duke's men. He did not ask me what my business at Bridgewater +might be; but he knew that no one would want to go there at such a time +without good cause. “Well,” he said, “if you can ride small, you shall +ride behind me, but it will be slow riding, as the horse will be heavily +laden.” He was going to start at eight o'clock, so as to travel +all night, when the marauders, whether deserters from the Duke or +ill-conditioned country people, were always less busy. I had time to +get some supper for myself in the tavern-bar before starting. Just as +we were about to ride off together, when we were in the saddle, waiting +only till some carts rolled past the yard-door, I had a fright, for +there, coming into the inn yard, was one of the troopers who had +beguiled me from the Duke's army that day at Axminster. I had no doubt +that he was going from inn to inn, asking for news of me. We began to +move through the yard as he came towards us; the clack of the horse's +feet upon the cobbles made him look up; but though he stared at me hard, +he did so with an occupied mind; he was in such a brown study (as it is +called) that he never recognized me. A minute later, we were riding out +of town past the trench-labourers, my heart going pit-a-pat from the +excitement of my narrow escape. I dared not ask the Quaker to go fast, +lest he should worm my story from me, but for the first three miles I +assure you I found it hard not to prod that old nag with my knife to +make him quicken his two mile an hour crawl. Often during the first +hours of the ride I heard horses coming after us at a gallop. It was +all fancy; we were left to our own devices. My pursuers, I found, +afterwards, were misled by the lies of the landlord at the inn we had +left. We were being searched for in Taunton all that fatal night, by +half a dozen of the Carew servants. + +Bridgewater had not gone to bed when we got there. The people were out +in the streets, talking in frightened clumps, expecting something. After +thanking the Quaker for his kindness in giving me a lift I asked at one +of these clumps where I could find the Duke. I was feeling so happy +at the thought of rejoining my master, after all my adventures, that I +think I never felt so happy. + +“Where can I find the Duke?” I asked. “I'm his servant, I must find +him.” + +“Find him?” said one of the talkers. “He's not here. He's marched out, +sir, with all his army, over to Sedgemoor to fight the King's army. It's +a night attack, sir.” + +I was bitterly disappointed at not having reached my journey's end; but +there was a stir in the thought of battle. I asked by which road I could +get to the place where the battle would be. The man told me to turn to +the right after crossing the river. “But,” said he, “you don't want to +get mixed up in the fighting, master. There be thousands out there on +the moor. A boy would be nowhere among all them.” + +“Yes,” said another. “Better stay here, sir. If the Duke wins he'll be +back afore breakfast. If he gets beat, you'd be best out of the way.” + +This was sound advice; but I was not in a mood to profit by it. +Something told me that the battle was to be a victory for us; so I +thanked the men, telling them that I would go out over the moor by the +road they had mentioned. As I moved away, they called out to me to mind +myself, for the King's dragoons were on the moor, as a sort of screen +in front of their camp. By the road they had mentioned I might very well +get into the King's camp without seeing anything of my master. One of +them added that the battle would begin, or might begin, long before I +got there, “if the mist don't lead en astray, like.” + +It took me some few minutes to get out of the gates across the river; +for there was a press of people crowded there. It was as dark as +a summer night ever is, that is, a sort of twilight, when I passed +through, but just at the gates were two great torches stuck into rings +in the wall. The wind made their flames waver about uncertainly, so that +sometimes you could see particular faces in the crowd, all lit in muddy +gold light for an instant, before the wavering made them dark again. +Several mounted men were there, trying to pass. Among them, in one +sudden glare, I saw Aurelia on her Arab, reined in beside Sir Travers, +whose horse was kicking out behind him. I passed them by so close that +I touched Aurelia's riding habit as I crept out of the press. They were +talking together, just behind me, as I crept from the town over the +bridge above which the summer mists clung, almost hiding the stream. +Aurelia was saying “I only hope we may be in time.” “Yes, poor boy,” + said Sir Travers. “It will be terrible if we are too late.” It gave me a +pang to hear them, for I knew that they were talking about me. + +I crept into the shelter of the bridge parapet while they rode on past +me. The mist hid them from me. The town was dark above the mist like +a city in the clouds. The stars were dim now with the coming of day. +A sheep-bell on the moor made a noise like a nightbird. A few ponies +pastured on the moor trotted away, lightly padding, scared, I suppose, +by the two riders. Then, far away, but sounding very near at hand, for +sound travels very strangely in mist, so strangely that often a very +distant noise will strike loudly, while it is scarcely heard close to, +there came a shot. Almost instantly, the air seemed full of the roar +of battle. The gun-fire broke out into a long irregular roar, a fury +of noise which roused up the city behind me, as though all the citizens +were slamming their doors to get away from it. I hurried along the road +towards the battle, praying, as I went, that my master might conquer, +that the King's troops had been caught asleep, that when I got there, +in the glory of dawn, I might find the Duke's army returning thanks in +their enemy's camp. I pressed on along the rough moor road until the +dawn came over the far horizon, driving the mists away, so that I could +see what was doing there. + +I saw a great sweep of moorland to my left, with a confused crowd of +horsemen scattering away towards a line of low hills some miles beyond. +They were riding from the firing, which filled all the nearer part of +the moor with smoke, among which I saw moving figures, sudden glimpses +of men in rank, sudden men on horseback, struggling with their horses. +The noise was worse than I had expected; it came on me with repeated +deafening shocks. I could hear cries in the lulls when the firing +slackened; then the uproar grew worse again, sounds of desperate thuds, +marking cannon shot. I heard balls going over my head with a shrill +“wheep, wheep,” which made me duck. A small iron cannon ball spun into +the road like a spinning top, scattering the dust. It wormed slowly past +me for a second, then rose up irregularly in a bound, to thud into the +ditch, where it lay still. I saw cannon coming up at a gallop, with many +horses, on the bare right flank of the battle. Another ball came just +over my head, with a scream which made my heart quite sick. I sat down +cowering under a ruined thorn-tree by the road, crying like a little +child. It must have been a moment after that when I saw a man staggering +down the road towards me, holding his side with both hands. He fell +into the road, dead, not far from me. Then others came past, some so +fearfully hurt that it was a miracle that they should walk. They came +past in a long horrible procession, men without weapons, without hands, +shot in the head, in the body, lacerated, bleeding, limping, with white +drawn faces, tottering to the town which they would never see again. I +shut my eyes, crouching well under the tree, while this fight went +on. It was nothing but a time of pain, a roaring, booming horror with +shrieks in it. I don't know how long it lasted. I only know that the +shooting seemed suddenly to pass into a thunder of horse-hoofs as +the King's dragoons came past in a charge. Right in front of me they +galloped, hacking at the fleers, leaning out from their saddles to cut +at them, leaning down to stab them, rising up to reach at those who +climbed the banks. Under that tide of cavalry the Duke's army melted. +They fought in clumps desperately. They flung away their weapons. They +fled. They rushed down desperately to meet death. It was all a medley of +broken noises, oaths, stray shots, cries, wounded men whimpering, hurt +horses screaming. The horses were the worst part of it. Perhaps you +never heard a horse scream. + +That morning's work is all very confused to me. I remember seeing men +cut down as they ran. I remember a fine horse coming past me lurching, +clattering his stirrups, before leaping into the river. I remember the +stink of powder over all the field; the strange look on the faces of +the dead; the body of a trumpeter, kneeling against a gorse-bush, shot +through the heart, with his trumpet raised to his lips, the litter +everywhere, burnt cartridges, clothes, belts, shot, all the waste of +war. They are in my mind, those memories, like scattered pictures. The +next clear memory in my mind, is of a company of cavalry in red coats, +under a fierce, white-faced man, bringing in a string of prisoners to +the King's camp. A couple of troopers jumped down to examine me. One had +the face of a savage; the other was half drunk. “You're one of them,” + they said. “Bring him on.” They twisted string about my thumbs. I +was their prisoner. They dragged me into the King's camp, where the +white-faced man sat down at a table to judge us. + +I will not talk of that butchery. The white-faced man has been judged +now, in his turn; I will say no more of him. When it came to my turn, he +would hear no words from me; I was a rebel, fit for nothing but death. +“Pistol him” was all the sentence passed on me. The soldiers laid hands +on me to drag me away, to add my little corpse to the heap outside. One +of the officers spoke up for me. “He's only a boy,” he said. “Go easy +with the boy. Don't have the poor child killed.” It was kindly spoken; +but quite carelessly. The man would have pleaded for a cat with just as +much passion. It was useless, anyway, for the colonel merely repeated +“Pistol him,” just as one would have ordered a wine at dinner. +“Burgundy.” “No, the Burgundy here is all so expensive.” “Never mind, +Burgundy.” So I was led away to stand with the next batch of prisoners +lined against a wall to be shot. My place was at the end of a line, +next to a young sullen-looking man black with powder. I did not feel +frightened, only hopeless, quite hopeless, a sort of dead feeling. I +remember looking at the soldiers getting ready to shoot us. I wondered +which would shoot me. They seemed so slow about it. There was some +hitch, I think, in filling up the line; a man had proved his innocence +or something. + +Then, the next instant, there was Aurelia dragging the white-faced man +from his table. I dimly remember him ordering me to be released, while +Sir Travers Carew gave me brandy. I remember the young sullen-looking +man's face; for he looked at me, a look of dull wonder, with a sort +of hopeless envy in it, which has wrung my heart daily, ever since. +“Mount,” said Aurelia. “Mount, Martin. For God's sake, Uncle Travers, +let us get out of this.” They were on both sides of me each giving me an +arm in the saddle, as we rode out of that field of death through Zoyland +village towards the old Abbey near Chard. + +I shall say little more, except that I never saw my master again. When +they led him to the scaffold on Tower Hill I was outward bound to +the West Indies, as private secretary to Sir Travers, newly appointed +Governor of St. Eulalie. We had many of Monmouth's men in St. Eulalie +after the Bloody Assizes; but their tale is too horrible to tell here. +You will want to know whether I ever saw Aurelia again. Not for some +years, not very often for nine years; but since then our lives have been +so mingled that when we die it will be hard to say which soul is which, +so much our spirits are each other's. So now, I have written a long +story. May we all tell our tales to the end before the pen is taken from +us. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Martin Hyde, The Duke's Messenger, by +John Masefield + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARTIN HYDE, THE DUKE'S MESSENGER *** + +***** This file should be named 1274-0.txt or 1274-0.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/7/1274/ + +Produced by Aaron Cannon + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/1274-0.zip b/old/1274-0.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..03b16ab --- /dev/null +++ b/old/1274-0.zip diff --git a/old/1274-h.zip b/old/1274-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..07fbd1d --- /dev/null +++ b/old/1274-h.zip diff --git a/old/1274-h/1274-h.htm b/old/1274-h/1274-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b76ece8 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/1274-h/1274-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,8278 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> + +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> + <head> + <title> + Martin Hyde, by John Masefield + </title> + <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal; + margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; + text-align: right;} + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +</style> + </head> + <body> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + +Project Gutenberg's Martin Hyde, The Duke's Messenger, by John Masefield + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Martin Hyde, The Duke's Messenger + +Author: John Masefield + +Release Date: August 24, 2008 [EBook #1274] +Last Updated: March 16, 2018 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARTIN HYDE, THE DUKE'S MESSENGER *** + + + + +Produced by Aaron Cannon, and David Widger + + + + + +</pre> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <h1> + MARTIN HYDE + </h1> + <h2> + THE DUKE'S MESSENGER + </h2> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h2> + by John Masefield + </h2> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <blockquote> + <p class="toc"> + <big><b>CONTENTS</b></big> + </p> + <p> + <br /> <a href="#link2H_4_0001"> <b>MARTIN HYDE</b> </a><br /><br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0001"> CHAPTER I. </a> I LEAVE HOME <br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0002"> CHAPTER II. </a> I LEAVE HOME AGAIN + <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0003"> CHAPTER III. </a> I LEAVE + HOME A THIRD TIME <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0004"> CHAPTER IV. </a> I + LEAVE HOME FOR THE LAST TIME <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0005"> CHAPTER + V. </a> I GO TO SEA <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0006"> + CHAPTER VI. </a> THE SEA! THE SEA! <br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0007"> CHAPTER VII. </a> LAND RATS AND WATER + RATS <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0008"> CHAPTER VIII. </a> I + MEET MY FRIEND <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0009"> CHAPTER IX. </a> I + SEE MORE OF MY FRIEND <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0010"> CHAPTER X. + </a> SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0011"> + CHAPTER XI. </a> AURELIA <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0012"> + CHAPTER XII. </a> BRAVE CAPTAIN BARLOW <br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0013"> CHAPTER XIII. </a> IT BREEZES UP <br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0014"> CHAPTER XIV. </a> A DRINK OF SHERBET + <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0015"> CHAPTER XV. </a> THE ROAD + TO LYME <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0016"> CHAPTER XVI. </a> THE + LANDING <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0017"> CHAPTER XVII. </a> A + VOICE AT DAWN <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0018"> CHAPTER XVIII. </a> I + SPEAK WITH AURELIA <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0019"> CHAPTER XIX. </a> I + MEET THE CLUB MEN <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0020"> CHAPTER XX. </a> THE + SQUIRE'S HOUSE <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0021"> CHAPTER XXI. </a> MY + FRIEND AURELIA AND HER UNCLE <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0022"> CHAPTER + XXII. </a> THE PRIEST'S HOLE <br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0023"> CHAPTER XXIII. </a> FREE + <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0024"> CHAPTER XXIV. </a> THE + END <br /><br /> + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="link2H_4_0001" id="link2H_4_0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <h1> + MARTIN HYDE + </h1> + <h2> + THE DUKE'S MESSENGER + </h2> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0001" id="link2HCH0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER I. I LEAVE HOME + </h2> + <p> + I was born at Oulton, in Suffolk, in the year 1672. I know not the day of + my birth, but it was in March, a day or two after the Dutch war began. I + know this, because my father, who was the clergyman at Oulton, once told + me that in the night of my birth a horseman called upon him, at the + rectory, to ask the way to Lowestoft. He was riding from London with + letters for the Admiral, he said; but had missed his way somewhere beyond + Beccles. He was mud from head to foot (it had been a wet March) but he + would not stay to dry himself. He reined in at the door, just as I was + born, as though he were some ghost, bringing my life in his saddle bags. + Then he shook up his horse, through the mud, towards Lowestoft, so that + the splashing of the horse's hoofs must have been the first sound heard by + me. The Admiral was gone when he reached Lowestoft, poor man, so all his + trouble was wasted. War wastes more energy, I suppose, than any other form + of folly. I know that on the East Coast, during all the years of my + childhood, this Dutch war wasted the energies of thousands. The villages + had to drill men, each village according to its size, to make an army in + case the Dutch should land. Long after the war was over, they drilled + thus. I remember them on the field outside the church, drilling after + Sunday service, firing at a stump of a tree. Once some wag rang the + alarm-bell at night, to fetch them out of their beds. Then there were the + smugglers; they, too, were caused by the war. After the fighting there was + a bitter feeling against the Dutch. Dutch goods were taxed heavily (spice, + I remember, was made very dear thus) to pay for the war. The smugglers + began then to land their goods secretly, all along the coast, so that they + might avoid the payment of the duty. The farmers were their friends; for + they liked to have their gin cheap. Indeed, they used to say that in an + agueish place like the fens, gin was a necessity, if one would avoid + fever. Often, at night, in the winter, when I was walking home from + Lowestoft school, I would see the farmers riding to the rendezvous in the + dark, with their horses' hoofs all wrapped up in sacks, to make no noise. + </p> + <p> + I lived for twelve years at Oulton. I learned how to handle a boat there, + how to swim, how to skate, how to find the eggs of the many wild fowl in + the reeds. In those days the Broad country was a very wild land, half of + it swamp. My father gave me a coracle on my tenth birthday. In this little + boat I used to explore the country for many miles, pushing up creeks among + the reeds, then watching, in the pools (far out of the world it seemed) + for ruffs or wild duck. I was a hardy boy, much older than my years, like + so many only children. I used to go away, sometimes, for two or three days + together, with my friend John Halmer, Captain Halmer's son, taking some + bread, with a blanket or two, as my ship's stores. We used to paddle far + up the Waveney to an island hidden in reeds. We were the only persons who + knew of that island. We were like little kings there. We built a rough + sort of tent-hut there every summer. Then we would pass the time there + deliciously, now bathing, now fishing, but always living on what we + caught. John, who was a wild lad, much older than I, used to go among the + gipsies in their great winter camp at Oulton. He learned many strange + tricks from them. He was a good camp-companion. I think that the last two + years of my life at Oulton were the happiest years of my life. I have + never cared for dry or hilly countries since. Wherever I have been in the + world, I have always longed for the Broads, where the rivers wander among + reeds for miles, losing themselves in thickets of reeds. I have always + thought tenderly of the flat land, where windmills or churches are the + only landmarks, standing up above the mist, in the loneliness of the fens. + But when I was nearly thirteen years old (just after the death of Charles + the Second) my father died, leaving me an orphan. My uncle, Gabriel Hyde, + a man about town, was my only relative. The vicar of Lowestoft wrote to + him, on my behalf. A fortnight later (the ways were always very foul in + the winter) my uncle's man came to fetch me to London. There was a sale of + my father's furniture. His books were sent off to his college at Cambridge + by the Lowestoft carrier. Then the valet took me by wherry to Norwich, + where we caught a weekly coach to town. That was the last time I ever + sailed on the Waveney as a boy, that journey to Norwich. When I next saw + the Broads, I was a man of thirty-five. I remember how strangely small the + country seemed to me when I saw it after my wanderings. But this is away + from my tale. All that I remember of the coach-ride was my arrival late at + night at the London inn, a dark house full of smells, from which the valet + led me to my uncle's house. + </p> + <p> + I lay awake, that first night, much puzzled by the noise, fearing that + London would be all streets, a dismal place. When I fell asleep, I was + waked continually by chiming bells. In the morning, early, I was roused by + the musical calling made by milkmen on their rounds, with that morning's + milk for sale. At breakfast my uncle told me not to go into the street + without Ephraim, his man; for without a guide, he said, I should get lost. + He warned me that there were people in London who made a living by seizing + children (“kidnapping” or “trepanning” them, as it was called) to sell to + merchant-captains bound for the plantations. “So be very careful, Martin,” + he said. “Do not talk to strangers.” He went for his morning walk after + this, telling me that I might run out to play in the garden. + </p> + <p> + I went out of doors feeling that London must be a very terrible place, if + the folk there went about counting all who met them as possible enemies. I + was homesick for the Broads, where everybody, even bad men, like the worst + of the smugglers, was friendly to me. I hated all this noisy city, so full + of dirty jumbled houses. I longed to be in my coracle on the Waveney, + paddling along among the reeds, chucking pebbles at the water-rats. But + when I went out into the garden I found that even London held something + for me, not so good as the Broads, perhaps, but pleasant in its way. + </p> + <p> + Now before I go further, I must tell you that my uncle's house was one of + the old houses in Billingsgate. It stood in a narrow, crowded lane, at the + western end of Thames Street, close to the river. Few of the houses + thereabouts were old; for the fire of London had nearly destroyed that + part of the city, but my uncle's house, with a few more in the same lane, + being built of brick, had escaped. The bricks of some of the houses were + scorched black. I remember, also, at the corner house, three doors from my + uncle's house, the melted end of a water pipe, hanging from the roof like + a long leaden icicle, just as it had run from the heat eighteen years + before. I used to long for that icicle: it would have made such fine + bullets for my sling. I have said that Fish Lane, where my uncle lived, + was narrow. It was very narrow. The upper stories of the houses opposite + could be touched from my bed-room window with an eight-foot fishing rod. + If one leaned well out, one could see right into their upper rooms. You + could even hear the people talking in them. + </p> + <p> + At the back of the house there was a garden of potherbs. It sloped down to + the river-bank, where there were stairs to the water. The stairs were + covered in, so as to form a boat-house, in which (as I learned afterwards) + my uncle's skiffs were kept. You may be sure that I lost no time in + getting down to the water, after I had breakfasted with my uncle, on the + morning after my arrival. + </p> + <p> + A low stone parapet, topped by iron rails, shut off the garden from the + beach. Just beyond the parapet, within slingshot, as I soon proved, was + the famous Pool of London, full of ships of all sorts, some with flags + flying. The mild spring sun (it was early in April) made the sight + glorious. There must have been a hundred ships there, all marshalled in + ranks, at double-moorings, head to flood. Boats full of merchandise were + pulling to the wharves by the Custom House. Men were working aloft on the + yards, bending or unbending sails. In some ships the sails hung loose, + drying in the sun. In others, the men were singing out as they walked + round the capstan, hoisting goods from the hold. One of the ships close to + me was a beautiful little Spanish schooner, with her name La Reina in big + gold letters on her transom. She was evidently one of those very fast + fruit boats, from the Canary Islands, of which I had heard the seamen at + Oulton speak. She was discharging oranges into a lighter, when I first saw + her. The sweet, heavy smell of the bruised peels scented the river for + many yards. + </p> + <p> + I was looking at this schooner, wishing that I could pass an hour in her + hold, among those delicious boxes, when a bearded man came on deck from + her cabin. He looked at the shore, straight at myself as I thought, + raising his hand swiftly as though to beckon me to him. A boat pushed out + instantly, in answer to the hand, from the garden next to the one in which + I stood. The waterman, pulling to the schooner, talked with the man for a + moment, evidently settling the amount of his fare. After the haggling, my + gentleman climbed into the boat by a little rope-ladder at the stern. Then + the boatman pulled away upstream, going on the last of the flood, within + twenty yards of where I stood. + </p> + <p> + I had watched them idly, attracted, in the beginning, by that sudden + raising of the hand. But as they passed me, there came a sudden puff of + wind, strong enough to flurry the water into wrinkles. It lifted the + gentleman's hat, so that he saved it only by a violent snatch which made + the boat rock. As he jammed the hat down he broke or displaced some string + or clip near his ears. At any rate his beard came adrift on the side + nearest to me. The man was wearing a false beard. He remedied the matter + at once, very cleverly, so that I may have been the only witness; but I + saw that the boatman was in the man's secret, whatever it was. He pulled + hard on his starboard oar, bringing the boat partly across the current, + thus screening him from everybody except the workers in the ships. It must + have seemed to all who saw him that he was merely pulling to another arch + of London Bridge. + </p> + <p> + I was not sure of the man's face. It seemed handsome; that was all that I + could say of it. But I was fascinated by the mystery. I wondered why he + was wearing a false beard. I wondered what he was doing in the schooner. I + imagined all sorts of romantic plots in which he was taking part. I + watched his boat go through the Bridge with the feeling that I was sharing + in all sorts of adventures already. There was a fall of water at the + Bridge which made the river dangerous there even on a flood tide. I could + see that the waves there would be quite enough for such a boat without the + most tender handling. I watched to see how they would pass through. Both + men stood up, facing forwards, each taking an oar. They worked her + through, out of sight, in a very clever fashion; which set me wondering + again what this handsome gentleman might be, who worked a boat so well. + </p> + <p> + I hung about at the end of the garden until dinner time, hoping that they + would return. I watched every boat which came downstream, finding a great + pleasure in the watermen's skill, for indeed the water at the Bridge was + frightful; only a strong nerve could venture on it. But the boat did not + come back, though one or two other boats brought people, or goods, to the + stairs of the garden beside me. I could not see into the garden; that + party wall was too high. + </p> + <p> + I did not go indoors again till Ephraim came to fetch me, saying that it + was time I washed my hands for dinner. I went to my room; but instead of + washing my hands, I leaned out of the window to watch a dancing bear which + was sidling about in the lane, just below, while his keeper made a noise + on the panpipes. A little crowd of idlers was gathered round the bear. + Some of them were laughing at the bear, some at his keeper. I saw two boys + sneaking about among the company; they were evil-looking little ruffians, + with that hard look in the eyes which always marks the thoroughly wicked. + As I watched, one of them slipped his hand into a man's pocket, then + withdrew it, passing something swiftly to his companion, who walked + unconcernedly away. I ran out of doors at once, to the man who had been + robbed. + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” I said, when he had drawn away from the little crowd. “Have you not + been robbed of something?” + </p> + <p> + He turned to look down on me, searching his pockets with both hands. It + gave me a start to see him, for he was the bearded man who had passed me + in the boat that morning. You may be sure that I took a good note of him. + He was a handsome, melancholy-looking man, with a beard designed to make + him look fairer than he really was. + </p> + <p> + “Robbed of something?” he repeated in a quiet voice. “Yes, I have been + robbed of something.” It seemed to me that he turned pale, when he found + that he had been robbed. “Did you see it?” he asked. “Don't point. Just + describe him to me. No. Don't look round, boy. Tell me without looking + round.” + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” I said, “do you see two little boys moving about among the people + there?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he said. + </p> + <p> + “It's the boy with the bit of broken pipe in his hat who has the, whatever + it was, sir, I'm sure. I saw it all.” + </p> + <p> + “I see,” he said. “That's the coveter. Let this be a warning to you, boy, + never to stop in a crowd to watch these street-performers. Where were you, + when you saw it?” + </p> + <p> + “Up above there, sir. In that house.” + </p> + <p> + “In Mr. Hyde's house. Do you live there?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Since when? Not for long, surely?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir. Only since yesterday. I'm Mr. Hyde's nephew.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah! Indeed. And that is your room up there?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Where do you come from then? You've not been in town before. What is your + father?” + </p> + <p> + “My father's dead, sir. I come from Oulton. My father was rector there.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” he said quietly. “Now give this penny to the bear-ward.” + </p> + <p> + While I was giving the penny to the keeper, the strange man edged among + the lookers-on, apparently watching the bear's antics, till he was just + behind the pickpocket's accomplice. Watching his time, he seized the boy + from behind by both wrists. + </p> + <p> + “This boy's a pickpocket,” he cried aloud. “Stop that other boy. He's an + accomplice.” The other boy, who had just taken a purse, started to run, + letting the booty drop. A boatman who was going towards the river, tripped + him up with an oar so that he fell heavily. He lay still where he had + fallen (all the wind was knocked out of him) so that he was easily + secured. The boy who had been seized by the bearded man made no attempt to + get away. He was too firmly held. Both boys were then marched off to the + nearest constable where (after a strict search), they were locked into a + cellar till the morrow. The crowd deserted the bear-ward when the cry of + pickpockets was raised. They followed my mysterious friend to the + constable's house, hoping, no doubt, that they would be able to crowd in + to hear the constable bully the boys as he searched them. One or two, who + pretended to have missed things, managed to get in. The bearded man told + me to come in, as he said that I should be needed as a witness. The others + were driven out into the street, where, I suppose, their monkey-minds soon + found other game, a horse fallen down, or a drunken woman in the gutter, + to divert their idleness. Such sights seem to attract a London crowd at + once. + </p> + <p> + The boys were strictly searched by the constable. The booty from their + pockets was turned out upon the table. + </p> + <p> + “Now, sir,” said the constable to the bearded man, after he had made a + note of my story. “What is it they 'ad of you, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “A shagreen leather pocket-book,” said the man. “There it is.” + </p> + <p> + “This one?” said the constable. + </p> + <p> + “Yes.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh,” said the constable, opening the clasps, so that he could examine the + writing on the leaves. “What's inside?” + </p> + <p> + “A lot of figures,” said the man. “Sums. Problems in arithmetic.” + </p> + <p> + “Right,” said the constable, handing over the book. + </p> + <p> + “Here you are, sir. What name, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “Edward Jermyn.” + </p> + <p> + “Edward German,” the constable repeated. + </p> + <p> + “Where d' you live, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “At Mr. Scott's in Fish Lane.” + </p> + <p> + “Right, sir,” said the constable, writing down the address, “You must + appear tomorrow at ten before Mr. Garry, the magistrate. You, too, young + master, to give your evidence.” + </p> + <p> + At this the boys burst out crying, begging us not to appear, using all + those deceptive arts which the London thieves practise from childhood. I, + who was new to the world's deceits, was touched to the marrow by their + seeming misery. The constable roughly silenced them. “I know you,” he + said. “I had my eye on you two ever since Christmas. Now you'll go abroad + to do a bit of honest work, instead of nickin' pockets. Stow your + blubbering now, or I'll give you Mogador Jack.” He produced “Mogador + Jack,” a supple shark's backbone, from behind the door. The tears stopped + on the instant. + </p> + <p> + After this, the bearded man showed me the way back to Fish Lane, where + Ephraim, who was at the door, looking out for me, gave me a shrewd + scolding, for venturing out without a guide. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Jermyn silenced him by giving him a shilling. The next day, Mr. Jermyn + took me to the magistrate's house, where the two thieves were formally + committed for trial. Mr. Jermyn told me that they would probably be + transported for seven years, on conviction at the Assizes; but that, as + they were young, the honest work abroad, in the plantations, might be the + saving of them. “So do not be so sad, Mr. Martin,” he said. “You do not + know how good a thing you did when you looked out of the window yesterday. + Do you know, by the way, how much my book is worth?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” I said. + </p> + <p> + “Well. It's worth more than the King's crown,” he said. + </p> + <p> + “But I thought it was only sums, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he said, with a strange smile. “But some sums have to do with a + great deal of money. Now I want you to think tonight of something to the + value of twenty pounds or so. I want to give you something as a reward for + your smartness. Don't decide at once. Think it over. Here we are at our + homes, you see. We live just opposite to each other.” + </p> + <p> + We were standing at this moment in the narrow lane at my uncle's door. As + he spoke, he raised his hand in a farewell salute with that dignity of + gesture which was in all his movements. On the instant, to my surprise, + the door of the house opposite opened slowly, till it was about half open. + No one opened it, as I could see; it swung back of itself. After my friend + had stepped across the threshold it swung to with a click in the same + mysterious way. It was as though it had a knowledge of Mr. Jermyn's mind, + as though the raised hand had had a magical power over it. When I went + indoors to my uncle's house I was excited. I felt that I was in the + presence of something romantic, something mysterious. I liked Mr. Jermyn. + He had been very kind. But I kept wondering why he wore a false beard, why + his door opened so mysteriously, why he valued a book of sums above the + worth of a King's crown. As for his offer of a present, I did not like it, + though he had not given me time to say as much. I remembered how indignant + the Oulton wherrymen had been when a gentleman offered them money for + saving his daughter's life. I had seen the man robbed, what else could I + have done? I could have done no less than tell him. I resolved that I + would refuse the gift when next I saw him. + </p> + <p> + At dinner that day, I was full of Mr. Jermyn, much to my uncle's + annoyance. + </p> + <p> + “Who is this Mr. Jermyn, Martin?” he asked. “I don't know him. Is he a + gentleman?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, uncle.” + </p> + <p> + “Do you know him, Ephraim?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir. I know him by sight, sir. Gentleman who lives over the way, Mr. + Hyde.” + </p> + <p> + “That's Mr. Scott's, though.” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir. Mr. Jermyn's been there ever since February.” + </p> + <p> + “But the house is empty.” + </p> + <p> + “The lower floor is furnished, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Do you know anything of him? Do you know his man?” + </p> + <p> + “They say he's in the fruit way, sir. In the Spanish trade. His men are + Spaniards. They do say he's not quite to be trusted.” + </p> + <p> + “Who says this?” my uncle asked. + </p> + <p> + “I don't like to mention names, sir,” Ephraim said. + </p> + <p> + “Quite right. Quite right. But what do they say?” + </p> + <p> + “Very queer things goes on in that 'ouse,” said Ephraim. “I don't 'ardly + like to say. But they think 'e raises the devil, sir. Awful noises goes on + there. I seen some things myself there, as I don't like to talk of. Well. + I saw a black bird as big as a man stand flapping in the window. Then I + seen eyes glaring out at the door. They give the 'ouse a bad name, sir; + everyone.” + </p> + <p> + “H'm,” said my uncle. “What's he like, Martin, this Mr. Jermyn?” + </p> + <p> + “A tall man, with a beard,” I answered. I thought it wrong to mention that + I knew the beard to be false. “He's always stroking the bridge of his nose + with his hand.” + </p> + <p> + “Ha,” my uncle said, as though recognizing the trait. “But with a beard, + you tell me?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir. With a beard.” + </p> + <p> + “H'm,” he answered, musing, “I must have a look at this Mr. Jermyn. + Remember, Martin, you're to have nothing more to do with him, till I know + a little more of what he is. You understand?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, uncle.” + </p> + <p> + “One cannot be too careful in this town. I won't allow you in the streets, + Martin. No matter who has his pockets picked. I told you that before.” + </p> + <p> + “Please, uncle, may I go on the river, then, if I'm not to go into the + street? I'm used to boats.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes. You may do that. But you're not to go on board the ships, mind.” + </p> + <p> + “Beg pardon, sir,” Ephraim put in. “The fall at the Bridge is very risky, + sir.” + </p> + <p> + “It is?” said my uncle, testily. “Then of course you can't go in a boat, + Martin. You must play in the garden, or read.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER II. I LEAVE HOME AGAIN + </h2> + <p> + I thought Ephraim a pig for putting in that word about the fall. Though I + had only known Ephraim for a few days I disliked him perhaps as much as he + disliked me. He was angry (I could feel it) at having a boy in the house, + after many years of quiet alone with my uncle. I know that when he had + occasion to speak to me, he always went away muttering about my being a + charity brat who ought to be in the poor-house. Still, like most servants, + he vented most of his malice indirectly, as in this hint of his about the + river. I rose up from the dinner-table full of rebellion. I would go on + the river, I said to myself, fall or no fall. I would see more of Mr. + Jermyn, too. I would find out what went on in that house. I would find out + everything. In all this, of course, I was very wrong, but having made sure + that I was being treated unjustly I felt that I was only doing right in + rebelling. So after waiting till Ephraim was in the pantry, washing up the + dinner-things with the housemaid, I slipped down the garden to the + boat-house. The door was padlocked, as I had feared; but with an old + hammer-head I managed to pry off the staple. I felt like a burglar when + the lock came off in my hand. I felt that I was acting deceitfully. Then + the thought of Ephraim came over me, making me rebellious to my + finger-tips. I would go on the river, I said to myself, I would go aboard + all the ships in the Pool. I would show them all that I could handle a + boat anywhere. So in a moment my good angel was beaten. I was in the + boat-house, prying at the staple of the outer door, like the young rogue + that I was. Well, I paid a heavy price for that day of disobedience. It + was the most dearly bought day's row I ever heard of. + </p> + <p> + It took me a few moments to open the outer door. Then, with a thrill of + pleasure, such as only those who love the water can fed, I thrust out into + the river, on to the last of the ebb, then fast ebbing. The fall under the + bridge at that state of the tide was truly terrifying. It roared so loudly + that I could hear nothing else. It boiled about the bridge piers so + fiercely that I was scared to see it. I had seen the sea in storm; but + then one does not put to sea in a storm. This waterfall tumbled daily, + even in a calm. I shuddered to think of small boats, caught in the current + above it, being drawn down, slowly at first, then with a whirl, till all + was whelmed in the tumble below the arches. I saw how hatefully the back + wash seemed to saunter back to the fall along the banks. I thought that if + I was not careful I might be caught in the back wash, drawn slowly along + it by the undertow, till the cataract sank me. As I watched the fall, + fascinated, yet scared by it, there came a shooting rush, with shouts of + triumph. A four-oared wherry with two passengers shot through the arch + over the worst of the water into the quiet of the midstream. They waved to + me, evidently very pleased with their exploit. That set me wondering + whether the water were really as bad as it looked. My first feat was to + back up cautiously almost to the fall, till my boat was dancing so + vigorously that I was spattered all over. Standing up in the boat there, I + could see the oily water, like a great arched snake's back, swirl past the + arch towards me, bubbleless, almost without a ripple, till it showed all + its teeth at once in breaking down. The piers of the arches jutted far out + below the fall, like pointed islands. I was about to try to climb on the + top of one from the boat, a piece of madness which would probably have + ended in my death, but some boys in one of the houses on the bridge began + to pelt me with pebbles, so that I had to sheer off. I pulled down among + the shipping, examining every vessel in the Pool. Then I pulled down the + stream, with the ebb, as far as Wapping, where I was much shocked by the + sight of the pirates' gallows, with seven dead men hung in chains together + there, for taking the ship Delight, so a waterman told me, on the Guinea + Coast, the year before. I left my boat at Wapping Stairs, while I went + into a pastry-cook's shop to buy cake; for I was now hungry. The + pastry-cook was also a vintner. His tables were pretty well crowded with + men, mostly seafaring men, who were drinking wine together, talking of + politics. I knew nothing whatever about politics, but hearing the Duke of + Monmouth named I pricked up my ears to listen. My father had told me, in + his last illness, when the news of the death of Charles the Second reached + us, that trouble would come to England through this Duke, because, he + said, “he will never agree with King James.” Many people (the Duke himself + being one of them) believed that this James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, was + the son of a very beautiful woman by Charles the Second, who (so the tale + went) had married her in his wanderings abroad, while Cromwell ruled in + England here. I myself shall ever believe this story. I am quite sure, + now, in my own mind, that Monmouth was our rightful King. I have heard + accounts of this marriage of Charles the Second from people who were with + him in his wanderings. When Charles the Second died (being poisoned, some + said, by his brother James, who wished to seize the throne while Monmouth + was abroad, unable to claim his rights) James succeeded to the crown. At + the time of which I write he had been King for about two months. I did not + know anything about his merits as a King; but hearing the name of Monmouth + I felt sure, from the first, that I should hear more of what my father had + told me. + </p> + <p> + One of the seamen, a sour-looking, pale-faced man, was saying that Holland + was full of talk that the Duke was coming over, to try for the Kingdom. + Another said that it wasn't the Duke of Monmouth but the Duke of Argyle + that was coming, to try, not for England, but for Scotland. A third said + that all this was talk, for how could a single man, without twenty friends + in the world, get through a cruising fleet? “How could he do anything, + even if he did land?” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” said another man. “They say that the West is ready to rally around + him. That's what they say.” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” said the first, raising his cup. “Here's to King James, I say. + England's had enough of civil troubles.” The other men drank the toast + with applause. It is curious to remember how cautious people were in those + troublous days. One could never be sure of your friend's true opinion. It + was a time when there were so many spies abroad that everybody was + suspicious of his neighbour. I am sure that a good half of that company + was disloyal; yet they drank that toast, stamping their feet, as though + they would have shed their blood for King James with all the pleasure in + life. “Are you for King James, young waterman?” said one of the men to me. + “Yes,” I said, “I am for the rightful King.” At this they all laughed. One + of the men said that if there were many like me the Duke of Monmouth might + spare himself the trouble of coming over. + </p> + <p> + I finished my cake quietly, after that. Then, as the tide was not yet + making, to help me back up the river, I wandered into Wapping fields, + where a gang of beggars camped. They were a dirtier, more troublesome + company than the worst of the Oulton gipsies. They crowded round me, + whining about their miseries, with the fawning smiles of professional + beggars. There were children among them who lied about their wants as + glibly as their parents lied. The Oulton beggars had taught me to refuse + such people, as being, nearly always, knaves; so I said that I had nothing + for them. I felt the hands of these thieves lightly feeling the outsides + of my pockets for something worth taking. One of them with a sudden thrust + upon me snatched my handkerchief. He tossed it to a friend. As he started + to run from me, a young man with an evil, weak face pushed me backwards + with a violent shove. I staggered back, from the push, to fall over a boy + who had crouched behind me there, ready to upset me. When I got up, rather + shaken from my fall, the dirty gang was scattering to its burrow; for they + lived, like beasts, in holes scratched in the ground, thatched over with + sacks or old clothes. I hurried back toward Wapping in the hope of finding + a constable to recover my handkerchief for me. The constable (when I found + him) refused to stir until I made it worth his while. Sixpence was his + fee, he said, but he was sure that a handsome young gentleman like myself + would not grudge a sixpence to recover a handkerchief. On searching for my + purse (in which I had about two shillings) I found that that had gone, + too, “nicked” by these thieves. I told the Constable that my purse had + been stolen. + </p> + <p> + “Oh,” he said. “How much was in it?” I told him. + </p> + <p> + “Could you describe the man who took it?” + </p> + <p> + “No.” I said. “I did not see the man take it.” + </p> + <p> + “Then how do you know that anybody took it?” + </p> + <p> + Of course I did not know that anybody had taken it but thought it highly + probable. “That won't do here,” he said, settling down in his chair to his + tobacco. “I'll look into it. If I hear of it, why, next time you come + here, you shall have it.” + </p> + <p> + “But my handkerchief,” I said. + </p> + <p> + “Sixpence is my fee,” the brute answered. “Do you want to rob a poor man + of his earnings? Why, what a rogue you must be, young master.” I tried to + move him to recover my handkerchief, but without success. At last, growing + weary of the sound of my pipe, as he said, he rounded on me. + </p> + <p> + “If you don't run away 'ome,” he said, “I'll commit you for a nuisance. + Think I'm goin' to be bothered by yer. Be off, now.” + </p> + <p> + At that, I set off down to the river. There I found two dirty little boys + in my uncle's boat, busy with the dipper, trying to fill her with water. I + boxed the ears of one of them, when the other, coming behind me, hit me + over the head with the stretcher. I turned sharply, giving him a punch + which made his nose bleed. The other, seeing his chance (my back being + turned) promptly soused me with the dipper. I saw that I would have to + settle one of them at a time, so, paying no attention to the dipper, I + followed up my blow on the nose with one or two more, which drove the + stretcher-boy out of the boat. The other was a harder lad; who would, + perhaps, have beaten me, had not a waterman on the stairs taken my part. + He took my enemy by the ear. “Get out of that,” he said, giving him a + kick. “If I catch you messing boats again, I'll give you Mogador Jack.” I + pushed off from the stairs then, glad to get away with both oars. My + enemies, running along the banks, flung stones at me as long as I was in + range. If I had had my sling with me, would have warmed their legs for + them. When was out of range of their shot, I laid in my oars, so that I + could bail. The boys had poured about six inches of water into the boat. + If the plug had been less tightly hammered in, they would no doubt have + sunk her at her painter by pulling it out. Then should have been indeed in + difficulty. It took me about twenty minutes to bail the boat clear. As I + bailed her, I thought that Londoners must be the most unpleasant people in + the world, since, already, in two days, I had met so many knaves. It did + not occur to me at the time that I was a young knave, too, to be out in a + stolen boat, against orders. I never once thought how well I had been + served for my disobedience. + </p> + <p> + I had an uncomfortable journey upstream, for I was very wet from my + sousing. I loitered at the Tower to watch the garrison drilling with the + big guns. Then I loitered about among the ships, reading their names, or + even climbing their gangways to look at their decks. I lingered a long + time at the schooner La Reina, partly because she was much the prettiest + ship in the Pool, but partly because I was beginning to dread Ephraim. I + wondered whether Mr. Jermyn was on board of her. I was half tempted to + climb aboard to find out. I clambered partly up her gangway, so that I + could peer over the rail. To my surprise, I found that her hatches were + battened down as in ships ready for the sea. Her cargo of oranges, that + had smelt so sweetly, must have been a blind, for no ship, discharging + cargo the day before, could be loaded, ready for sea, within twenty-four + hours. Indeed, she was in excellent trim. She was not too light to put to + sea. No doubt, I said to myself, she has taken in ballast to equal the + weight of oranges sent ashore. But I knew just enough of ships to know + that there was some mystery in the business. The schooner could not be the + plain fruit-trader for which men took her. As I looked over her rail, + noting this, I said to myself that “here is another mystery with which Mr. + Jermyn has to do.” I felt a thrill of excitement go through me. I was + touching mysterious adventure at half a dozen different points. I felt + inclined to creep to the hatchway of the little cabin, to listen there if + any plots were being hatched. It was getting duskish by this time, it must + have been nearly seven o'clock. Two men came up the cabin hatch together. + One of them was Mr. Jermyn, the other a shorter fellow, to whom Mr. Jermyn + seemed extremely respectful. I wished not to be seen, so I ducked down + nimbly into my boat, drawing her forward by a guess-warp, till I could row + without being heard by them. I heard Mr. Jermyn calling to a waterman; so + very swiftly I paddled behind other ships in the tier, without being + observed. Then I paddled back to my uncle's boat-house, the door of which, + to my horror, was firmly fastened against me. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER III. I LEAVE HOME A THIRD TIME + </h2> + <p> + I must have made some little noise at the door, trying to get in. At any + rate, Ephraim, who was waiting for such a signal, came forward with a + churlish glee to rate me. + </p> + <p> + “So you're come back, Mr. Martin,” he said. “These are nice carryings-on + for a young gentleman.” I thought that I might as well be hanged for a + sheep as for a lamb. Ephraim's tone jarred me, so I told him to shut up, + as I didn't want any of his jaw. This rather staggered him, so I told him + further to open the boat-house, instead of standing like a stock, as I + wanted to moor the boat. He opened the door for me, glowering at me + moodily. “Mr. Hyde shall know of this,” he said when all was secured. He + caught me by the arm to drag me out of the boat-house; so I, expecting + this, rapped him shrewdly with the stretcher on the elbow. I thought for a + moment that he would beat me. I could see his face very fierce in the + dusk. I heard his teeth gritting. Then fear of my uncle restrained him. + All that he said was, “If I 'ad my way I'd 'ave it out of you for this. A + good sound whippin's what you want.” + </p> + <p> + “Is it?” I asked contemptuously. “Lock the door.” + </p> + <p> + Ephraim left me in the sitting-room while he made his report to my uncle. + It was not a long report. He returned in a few minutes to say that I was + to be locked into my room without supper. “Mr. 'Ide is in a fine taking,” + he said. “Per'aps 'e'll knock some of your pride out of you.” I made no + answer, but let him march me to my room, to the execution of the sentence. + “There,” he said, through the door, as he turned the key on me. “Per'aps + that'll bring you to your senses.” + </p> + <p> + “Ephraim the stiff-neck!” I answered loudly; “Old Ephraim Stiff-neck! + Stiff-neck!” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” he answered, clumping down the corridor. He was thinking how small I + should sing when, in the morning, he gave me the option of apologizing to + him, or going without breakfast. + </p> + <p> + It was pretty dark by this time. Fish Lane was as quiet as a country road. + No one was stirring there. I thought that, as my uncle would shortly go to + supper, I might soon venture out by the window, high up as it was, to buy + myself some food in the town. I liked the notion; but when I came to look + down from the window it seemed a giddy height from the pavement. Going + down would be easy; but getting back would be quite another matter. + Thinking it over, I remembered that I had seen a short gardener's ladder + hooked to the garden wall. If I could make a rope, by which to let myself + down, I could, I thought, make use of this ladder to get back by, for it + would cover nearly half the height to my window sill, a full thirty feet + from the ground. If, by standing on the upper rungs, could reach within + five yards of the window, I knew that I should be able to scramble up so + far by a rope. There was no difficulty about a rope. I had a good eighteen + yards of choice stout rope there in the room with me, the lashings of my + two trunks. I was about to pay this out into the lane, when I thought that + would be far more effective if I fashioned a ladder for myself, using the + two trunk lashings as the uprights. This was a glorious thought. I tied + the lashings together behind the wooden bed-post which was to be my + support in midair. Then I rummaged out a hank of sailor's spunyarn, a kind + of very strong tarred string, with which to make my steps, or rungs, did + not do this very well, for I was working in the dark, but you may be sure + that I made those steps with all my strength, since my bones were to + depend upon them. I ran short of spunyarn before I had finished, so my + last three steps were made of the fire-irons. They made a good finish to + the whole; for, being heavy, they kept the ladder steady. At least thought + that they would keep the ladder steady, in the innocence of my heart. + </p> + <p> + I was so excited, when I finished the tying of the tongs, that I almost + forgot to take some money from the little store which I kept locked up in + my trunk. A shilling would be ample, I thought; but I took rather more + than that, so as to be on the safe side. I took the precaution, before + leaving, of bolting my door from the inside, lest Ephraim should visit me + in my absence. + </p> + <p> + Then, having tested all my knots, I paid out my ladder from the window. No + one was within sight along the lane. Downstairs they were at supper, for I + heard the dining-room bell ring. Very cautiously I swung myself over the + window ledge on my adventure. Now a rope ladder is an unsteady thing at + the best of times; but when I swung myself on to this one it jumped about + like a wild colt, banging the fire-irons against the wall, making noise + enough to raise the town. I had to climb down it on the inner side, or I + should have had Ephraim out to see what the matter was. Even so, my heart + was in my mouth, with fright, as I stepped on to the pavement. After + making sure that no one saw, I hooked up the lower ends of my ladder as + far as I could reach, so that a passer-by might run less chance of seeing + them. Then I scuttled off to the delights of Eastcheap, thinking what + glorious sport I could have with this ladder in time to come. I thought of + the moonlight adventures on the river, skulking along in my boat, like a + pirate on a night attack. I thought how, perhaps, I should overhear gangs + of highwaymen making their plans, or robbers in their dens, carousing + after a victory. It seemed to me that London might be a wonderful place, + to one with such a means of getting out at night. + </p> + <p> + I ate a good supper at a cook-shop, sauntered about the streets for + awhile, then sauntered slowly home, after buying a tinder box, with which + to light my candies. I found my ladder dangling unnoticed, so I nimbly + climbed to my room, pulling it up after me, like the savages in Polynesia. + I lit my candles, intending to read; but I found that I was far too well + inclined to mischief to pay much heed to my book. Casting about for + something to do, I thought that I would open a little locked door which + led to some (apparently disused) room beyond my own. I had some difficulty + in breaking the lock of this door; but a naughty boy is generally very + patient. I opened it at last, with some misgivings as to what my uncle + might say on the morrow, though with the feeling that I was a sort of + conspirator, or, shall we say, a man haunting a house, playing ghost, + coming at night to his secret chamber. I was disappointed with the room. + Like my own room, it was nothing more than a long, bare attic. It had a + false floor, like many houses of the time, but there was no thought of + concealment here. Half a dozen of the long flooring planks were stored in + a stack against the wall, so that anyone could see what lay in the hollow + below. There was nothing romantic there. A long array of docketed, + ticketed bundles of receipts filled more than half the space. I suppose + that nearly every bill which my uncle had ever paid lay there, gathering + dust. The rest of the space was filled with Ephraim's dirty old account + books, jumbled higgledy-piggledy with collections of printed, unbound + sermons, such as used to be sold forty years before, in the great Puritan + time. I examined a few of the sermons, hoping to find some lighter fare + among them. I examined also a few of the old account books, in the same + hope. Other rubbish lay scattered in the corners of the room; old + mouse-eaten saddle-bags mostly. There were one or two empty baskets, which + had once been lined with silk. In one of them, I can't think why, there + was an old empty, dusty powder-horn, the only thing in that room at all to + my taste. I stuck it into my belt with a scrap of spunyarn, feeling that + it made me a wonderful piratical figure. If I had had a lantern I should + have been a very king there. + </p> + <p> + As I sat among the rubbish there, with my pistol (a sailmaker's fid) in my + belt, it occurred to me that I would sit up till everyone had gone to bed. + Then, at eleven or twelve o'clock, I would, I thought, creep downstairs, + to explore all over the house, down even to the cellars. It shocked me + when I remembered that I was locked in. I dared not pick the lock of that + door. My scheme (after all) would have to wait for another night, when the + difficulties would be less. That scheme of mine has waited until the + present time. Though I never thought it, that was the last hour I was to + spend in my uncle's house. I walked past it, only the other day, thinking + how strange my life has been, feeling sad, too, that I should never know + to what room a door at the end of the upper passage led. Well, I never + shall know, now. I was a wild, disobedient young rogue. Read on. + </p> + <p> + When I decided not to pick the lock of my door I thought of the mysterious + Mr. Jermyn as an alternative excitement. I crept to my window to look out + at the house, watching it with a sort of terrified pleasure, half + expecting to see a ghost flapping his wings, outside the window. + </p> + <p> + I was surprised to see that the window of the upper floor (which I knew to + be uninhabited) was open. I watched it, (it was just opposite) hoping that + something would happen. Presently two men came quickly up the lane from + the river. As they neared the house they seemed to me to shuffle in their + walk rather more than vas necessary. It must have been a signal, for, as + they came opposite the door, I saw it swing back upon its hinges, as it + had swung that morning, with Mr. Jermyn. Both men entered the house + swiftly, just as the city churches, one after the other, chimed half-past + nine o'clock. Almost directly afterwards I got the start of my life. I was + looking into the dark upper room across the lane, expecting nothing, when + suddenly, out of the darkness, so terribly that I was scared beyond + screaming, two large red eyes glowed, over a mouth that trembled in fire. + I started back in my seat, sick with fright, but I could not take my eyes + away. I watched that horrid thing, with my hair stiffening on my head. + Then in the room below it, the luminous figure of an owl gleamed out. That + was not the worst, either. I heard that savage, “chacking” noise which + brown owls make when they are perched. This great gleaming owl, five times + greater than any earthly owl, was making that chacking noise, as though it + would soon spread its wings, to swoop on some such wretched mouse as + myself. I could see its eyes roll. I thought I saw the feathers stiffen on + its breast. Then, as the sweat rolled down my face, both the horrible + things vanished as suddenly as they had appeared. They were gone for more + than a minute, then they appeared again, only to disappear a second time. + They were exactly alike at each appearance. Soon my horror left me, for I + saw that the things disappeared at regular intervals. I found that I could + time each reappearance by counting ninety slowly from the instant the + things vanished. That calmed me. “I believe they're only clock-work,” I + said to myself. A moment later I saw Mr. Jermyn's head in sharp outline + against the brightness of the owl. He seemed to be fixing something with + his hand. It made me burst into a cackle of laughter, to find how easily I + had been scared. “Why, it's only clock-work,” I said aloud. “They're + carved turnips with candles inside them, fixed to a revolving pole, like + those we used to play with at Oulton, on the 5th of November.” My fear was + gone in an instant. I thought to myself how fine it would be if I could + get into that house, to stop the works, in revenge for the scare they had + given me. I wondered how I could do that. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0004" id="link2HCH0004"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER IV. I LEAVE HOME FOR THE LAST TIME + </h2> + <p> + I was thoroughly ripe for mischief of any kind; my scare had driven away + all desire for sleep. I looked at the window, wondering if it would be + best to go down my ladder again, to get the ladder in the garden. I was + about to do thus, when I remembered the planks in the box-room. How + splendid it would be, I thought, if I could get a couple of those long + planks across the lane as a sort of bridge. They were strong, thick planks + not likely to sag in the middle if I could only get them across. Getting + them across was the difficulty; for though I was strong for my age, I + found the first plank very contrary. After blowing out my candles I fixed + one end of the board under my heavy four-post bed, pointing the other end + out through the window, slanting upwards. Straddling across it, I very + gingerly edged it out, a hand's breadth at a time, till I had some ten + feet wagging about in the air over the lane. It was as much as I could do + unaided, to aim the thing. It seemed to have a wild, contrary kind of life + in it. Once or twice I came near to dropping it into the lane, which would + have been the end of everything. When I got it across, the end caught on + the window ledge for about ten perilous minutes. + </p> + <p> + I was quite tired out before I got it properly across with two feet of the + end in the other house. I did not at all look forward to the job of + getting it back again after my trip. One plank was hardly safe, I thought; + so I slid a second over it, without much trouble. It seemed firm enough + then for anybody, no matter how heavy. So carefully I straddled across it, + hopping forward a little at a time, as though I were playing leap-frog. + When once I had started, I was much too nervous to go back. My head was + strong enough. I was well used to being high up in trees. But the danger + of this adventure made me dizzy. At every hop the two planks clacked + together. I could feel the upper plank shaking out behind me a little to + one side of the other. Then a tired waterman shambled slowly up from the + river, carrying his oars. He passed underneath me, while I was in mid-air. + It was lucky for me, I thought, that few people when walking look above + their own heads. He passed on without seeing me. I waited up aloft till he + had gone, feeling my head grow dizzier at each second. I was, I trust, + truly thankful when I was able to dive down over the window-sill into the + strange house. When I had rested for a moment, I felt that it was not so + difficult after all. “Going back,” I said to myself, “will be much less + ticklish.” Turning my head, I saw the eyes of the devil-face glaring at + me. They smelt very strongly of kitchen tallow. + </p> + <p> + I was not in the least frightened. I crept cautiously along the floor, on + tip-toe, to examine the contrivance. A hollow shaft of light wood, a sort + of big wooden pipe, led down through the floor, probably to the + ground-floor or basement, much as a mast goes down through a ship's decks + into the hold. It was slowly revolving, being worked by some simple, not + very strong mill-contrivance downstairs. A shelf had been fixed up inside + the pipe. On the shelf (as I could see by looking in) was a tallow candle + in a sconce. Two oval bits of red glass, let into the wood, made the eyes + of this lantern-devil. The mouth was a smear of some gleaming stuff, + evidently some chemical. This was all the monster which had frightened me. + The clacking noise was made by the machine which moved it round. As for + the owl, that was probably painted with the same chemical. People were + more superstitious then than now. I have no doubt that an ignorant person + like Ephraim, who had lived all his life in London, had been scared out of + his wits by this machine. Like most ignorant people, he probably reckoned + the thing as devilish, merely because he did not understand it. One or two + neighbours, a housemaid or so, perhaps, had seen it, too. On the strength + of their reports the house had gotten a bad name. The two unoccupied + floors had failed to get tenants, while Mr. Jermyn, the contriver of the + whole, had been left alone, as no doubt he had planned. I thought that + Londoners must be a very foolish people to be so easily misled. Now that I + am older, I see that Londoners often live in very narrow grooves. They are + apt to be frightened at anything to which they have not been accustomed; + unless, of course, it is a war, when they can scream about themselves so + loudly that they forget that they are screaming. + </p> + <p> + I examined the machine critically, by its own candle, which I removed for + the purpose. I meant to fix up one very like it in Ephraim's bed-room as + soon as I found an opportunity. Then I looked about the room for some + other toy, feeling in a fine state of excitement with the success of my + adventure. The room was quite bare. But for this ghost-machine, there was + nothing which could interest me, except a curious drawing, done with a + burnt stick on the plaster of the wall, of a man-of-war under sail. After + examining this drawing, I listened carefully at the door lest my faint + footsteps should have roused someone below. I could hear no one stirring; + the house was silent. “I must be careful,” I said to myself. “They all may + have gone to bed.” Understand, I did not know then what I was doing. I was + merely a wrong-headed boy, up to a prank, begun in a moment of rebellion. + When I paused in the landing, outside the ghost-room, shading the candle + with my hand, I was not aware that I was doing wrong. I was only thinking + how fine it would be to find out about Mr. Jermyn, before crawling back, + over the plank, to my bed. I wanted to steal about these deserted floors, + like a conspirator; then, having, perhaps, found out about the mystery, to + go back home. It did not enter my head that I might be shot as a burglar. + My original intention, you must remember, had only been to stop the works + of the ghost. It was later on that my intention became criminal, instead + of merely boyish, or, in other words, crack-brained. As to stopping the + ghost, I could not stop the revolving pipe. I could do no more than take + away the light from the ghost-face. As for the owl on the lower floor, + when I came to it, could not do so much, for it was a great big picture on + board, done in some shining paint. I had nothing with which I could smear + it over, nor could I reach the head. As for stopping the machine, that I + dared not attempt to do, lest I should bring someone up to me, from the + works, wherever they were. Standing by the ghost of the owl, hearing the + chack-chack of the machine at intervals below me, I became aware of voices + in the room downstairs. When the chack-chack stopped, I could hear men + talking. I could hear what they said, for they were talking in the + ordinary tone of conversation. There was an open space as it happened, all + around the great pipe, where it passed through the floor. I could peep + through this into the room below, getting a good sight of what was going + on. It was very wicked of me, for there is nothing quite so contemptible + as an eavesdropper, but I could not resist the temptation to look down. + When once I had looked down I am ashamed to say that I listened to what + the men were saying. But first of all, I put out my candle, lest anyone + looking up should see the light through the open space. + </p> + <p> + At the head of the table, there was a very handsome man, dressed all in + black, as though in mourning. His beauty was so great that afterwards it + passed into a proverb. Later in the year, when I saw this gentleman nearly + every day, I noticed that people (even those who did not know who he was) + would look after him when he passed them. I will say only this about his + handsomeness. It was a bodily kind of beauty, of colour rather than of + form; there was not much character in it. Had he lived, I daresay he would + have become ugly like the rest of his family, none of whom, except his + great-great-grandmother, was accounted much for looks. + </p> + <p> + Next to this handsome man, on the right, sat Mr. Jermyn, looking fifteen + years younger without his false beard. Then came a very black-looking man, + with a face all eyebrows. Then a soldier in uniform. Then a little, wiry + man, who jumped about as though excited—I could only see him when he + jumped: he had an unpleasant, saturnine face, which frightened me. That, + as far as I could see, was the whole company. When I first began to + listen, the man in uniform was speaking to the handsome man at the head of + the table. I knew at once, when he said Your Majesty, that he was talking + to James, the Duke of Monmouth, of whom I had heard that afternoon. + </p> + <p> + “No, your Majesty,” he said. “No, your Majesty,” he repeated, “I can't + answer for the army. If things had been different in February” (he meant, + “if you had been in England when Charles II died”) “there would have been + another King in England. As it is, I'm against a rising.” + </p> + <p> + “Don't you think his Majesty could succeed by raising an army in the + West?” said Mr. Jermyn. “The present usurper (he meant James II) is a + great coward. The West is ripe to rebel. Any strong demonstration there + would paralyse him. Besides, the army wouldn't fire on their own + countrymen. We'd enough of that in the Civil War. What do you think of a + Western rising?” + </p> + <p> + The soldier smiled. “Ah no,” he said. “No, your Majesty. Whatever you do, + Sire, don't do it with untrained men. A rising in the West would only put + you at the head of a mob. A regiment of steady trained men in good + discipline can destroy any mob in twenty minutes. No, your Majesty. No. + Don't try. it, Sire.” + </p> + <p> + “Then what do you advise, Lane?” said the Duke. + </p> + <p> + “I would say wait, your Majesty. Wait till the usurper, the poisoner, + commits himself with the Papists. When he's made himself thoroughly + unpopular throughout the country, then sound a few regiments. It's only a + matter of a year or two. If you'll wait for a year or two you'll see + yourself invited over. Besides, a sudden rising in the West must fail, + sir. Your Majesty would be in between two great garrisons, Bristol and + Portsmouth. We can't be sure that either would be true to us.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” the Duke answered. “Yes, Lane. But as I plan it, the army will be + tempted north. Argyle will make a strong feint in Scotland, with the great + clans, just when the Western gentry declare for us.” + </p> + <p> + “I take it,” Lane answered, “that Argyle has sounded the clans. He knows, + I suppose, what force of drilled men will rally to him. You know nothing, + sir, about the West. You know that many men are for you; but you know not + how many nor how good. You will need mounted men, sir, if you are to dash + down upon London with any speed. You cannot raise cavalry in a week. All + that you will get in the West will be squireens, or dashing young farmers, + both kinds unaccustomed to being ordered; both kinds totally unfitted for + war.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said the saturnine little man. “But a rising in the West would have + this natural effect. Argyle will draw troops to the north, as his Majesty + has explained. Very well, then. Let Devon declare for the King, the + business will be done. The usurper will not dare to send the few troops + left to him out of the capital, lest the town should rise on him.” + </p> + <p> + “Very true. True. A good point,” said the man with the eyebrows. + </p> + <p> + “I think that disposes of your argument, Lane,” said the Duke, with a + smile. + </p> + <p> + “It's a supposition, sir, against a certainty. I've told you of a military + danger. Falk, there, only tells you of a bare, military possibility.” + </p> + <p> + “But it's as certain as anything can be,” said the man with the eyebrows. + “You can see. That's just what must happen.” + </p> + <p> + “It is what may happen if you wait for a year or two, your Majesty,” Lane + replied. “But a newly crowned King is always popular. I doubt if you will + find public opinion so much on your side, your Majesty. No for a year or + two, till he's made himself disliked. They've settled down now to this + usurper. They'll resent an interruption. The trades-men will resent an + interruption.” + </p> + <p> + “I think you over-rate the difficulties, Lane,” said Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said the Duke, “I'm a great believer in putting a matter to the + test. Much must necessarily be left to chance. If we wait, we may not find + public opinion turning against our enemies. We may even lose the good + opinion of the West by waiting. Besides, by waiting, Lane, we should lose + the extraordinary: help of Argyle's diversion in the north.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” the others said in chorus. “We mustn't lose that. A rising this + early summer, when the roads are good. A rising as soon as Argyle is + ready.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, your Majesty,” said Lane, shaking his head. “I see you're resolved. + You shall not find me backward when the time comes, for all my doubts at + this meeting. To your Majesty's happy success.” They all drank the toast; + but I noticed that Mr. Lane looked melancholy, as though he foresaw + something of what actually happened in that terrible June. + </p> + <p> + “Very good,” said the Duke, “I thank you, gentlemen. Now, Jermyn. We two + shall have to be off to the Low Countries in another half hour. How about + messengers to the West? You, Lane, are tied here to your regiment. Falk, + how about you, Falk?” + </p> + <p> + “No, your Majesty,” said Falk. “There's danger in sending me. I'm + suspected. I'm known to be in your interests.” + </p> + <p> + “You, then, Candlish,” said the Duke to the man with the eyebrows. + </p> + <p> + “Not me, Sire,” said Candlish. “I can't disguise myself. I'm stamped by + nature for the paths of virtue.” + </p> + <p> + “It would be a good thing,” said Falk, “if we could get some Western + carrier.” + </p> + <p> + “The Western carriers are all watched,” Lane replied. “They are followed, + wherever they go, as on as they arrive at their inns here.” + </p> + <p> + “Haven't you found some more gipsies, Falk?” Candlish asked. “The last + gipsy we had was very good.” + </p> + <p> + “He was caught by a press-gang,” said Falk, “Gipsies aren't to be trusted, + though. They would sell us at once if they had the chance. Ramon was an + exception.” + </p> + <p> + Mr. Jermyn had risen at the Duke's last speech as though to put on his + coat, ready to leave the house.. The Duke was listening to the + conversation, making 'idle sketches, as he listened, on the paper before + him, I think I hardly realised, as I craned over the open space, that I + had been listening to a conversation which would have condemned all + present to death for treason. I repeated to myself, in a dazed sort of + way, that the West was ready to rise. “King James is an usurper,” I said + softly. “These men are going to rebel against him. There's going to be a + civil war in England about it.” I had hardly repeated this to myself, when + it came over me with a shock that I was in terrible personal danger. The + men were just leaving the house. They would probably look up, on leaving, + to see what sort of a night it was. They would see my wonderful bridge. It + would be all over with me then. I was so I could hardly stand up. I took a + few cautious steps towards the door, saying to myself that I would never + again be disobedient if I might escape this once. I was at the door, just + about to open it, when I heard a step upon the landing just outside, + coming towards me. I gave up hope then; but I had just sense enough to + step to my left, so that, when the door should open (if the stranger + entered) it might, possibly, screen me from him. Then I heard the Duke's + voice from down below calling to Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “Jermyn,” he called. “Bring down my books, will you. They're on my bed. + What are you doing up there?” + </p> + <p> + “Just seeing to the ghosts, your Majesty. I won't keep you waiting.” + </p> + <p> + “I'll come, too,” he answered. “I'd like to see your ghosts again.” Then I + heard Mr. Jermyn loitering at the stair-head while the Duke left the + council-room. My hair was rising on my scalp; there was cold sweat on my + forehead; it was as much as I could do to keep my teeth from chattering. I + heard the Duke's feet upon the stairs; there were eleven stairs, I counted + them. Presently I heard him say, “Now, Jermyn.” Then came Jermyn's answer + of “This way, your Majesty.” He flung the door wide open, so that the Duke + might enter. The two men passed into the room to examine the horrible owl. + The Duke chuckled as the machine moved round to him. “How bright he + keeps,” he said. “Yes,” Jermyn answered. “He won't need painting for a + long while yet.” “No,” the Duke answered, “I hear, Jermyn, he's given you + a most uncanny reputation.” “Yes,” said Jermyn, “the house has a bad name. + What in the world is this?” In walking round the owl his foot had struck + upon the unlucky tin candle-sconce which I had brought from the room + above. “Sounds like a tin candle-stick,” said the Duke. “Yes,” said Mr. + Jermyn, groping. “That's what it is. Now how in the world did it get here? + It's the candle-stick from the dragon's head in the room above.” “Are you + sure, Jermyn?” the Duke asked, in a voice which showed that he was + agitated. “Yes, sir. Quite sure. But no one's been up there.” “There must + be a spy,” said the Duke. The two voices spoke together for a moment in + whispers. I could not hear what they said; but a moment later I heard the + rasping, clinking noise of two swords being drawn. “Come out of that,” + said Mr. Jermyn's voice. I felt that I was discovered; but I dared not + stir from my covert. I heard the two men walking swiftly to the door. A + hand plucked it from in front of me. I shrank back into the wall, covering + my eyes with my hands, so that I should not see the two long sword-blades + pointing at my throat. “Make no sound. Make no sound, now,” said the Duke, + pressing his sword-point on my chest, so that I could feel it thrust hard + upon me, as though it needed very little force to send it through. I made + no sound. + </p> + <p> + “Who are you?” said Mr. Jermyn, backing to the opening in the floor. “Kill + him if he moves, sir. Candlish, Candlish. Bring a light. Bring a light. + We've caught a moth.” + </p> + <p> + I tried to swallow, but my throat seemed choked with dust. I heard the + people downstairs bustling out of the room with candles. I tried to speak; + but I could not. I was too much scared. I stood pressed hard against the + wall, with the Duke's sword-point still in place. + </p> + <p> + “Bring it in here, Candlish,” said Mr. Jermyn. There came a clattering + noise from the window. Mr. Jermyn had released some heavy rolled up + curtain-blinds, which covered the whole window. There was no chance, now, + of being seen from the street, or from my uncle's house. Candlish entered + carrying a candle. + </p> + <p> + The others followed at his heels. + </p> + <p> + “A boy. Eh?” he said. + </p> + <p> + “What do you do here?” the Duke asked, staring hard at me. + </p> + <p> + “He's frightened out of his wits, sir,” said Lane. “We aren't going to + hurt you, boy, if you'll only tell the truth.” + </p> + <p> + “Why,” said Mr. Jermyn. “It's Martin Hyde, nephew to old Hyde across the + way.” + </p> + <p> + “But he's overheard us,” put in Falk. “He's overheard us.” + </p> + <p> + “Come on downstairs. Bring him with you,” said the Duke. Lane took me by + one arm. Mr. Jermyn took me by the other. They marched me downstairs to + the council-room. + </p> + <p> + “Here, boy,” said Candlish, not unkindly. “Drink this wine.” He made me + swallow a glass of Burgundy, which certainly did me a great deal of good. + I was able to speak after drinking it. + </p> + <p> + “Now, Mr. Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn. “How do you come to be in this house?” + </p> + <p> + “Take your time, boy,” said Lane. + </p> + <p> + “He's not a London boy?” said the Duke to Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” he answered in a whisper. “Just come here from the country.” + </p> + <p> + “Please, your Majesty,” I began. + </p> + <p> + “So you're a young rebel,” said the Duke. “That shows he overheard us,” + said Falk. + </p> + <p> + “Let him alone, Falk,” the Duke said. + </p> + <p> + “He'll tell the truth. No use in frightening him.” + </p> + <p> + “Please, your Majesty,” I said again, “I was locked up in my room for + taking my uncle's boat this afternoon.” One of two of them smiled when I + said this: it gave me confidence. + </p> + <p> + “But how did you get into this house?” Mr. Jermyn asked. + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir,” I answered, “I saw your upper window open. So I laid a + couple of planks across the lane from my window. Then I just straddled + across, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Are you used to burglary, may I ask?” said the Duke. + </p> + <p> + “No, your Majesty. But I saw the ghosts. I wanted to see how they were + made.” + </p> + <p> + “Well. That's one for you, Jermyn,” said Lane. “Your ghosts haven't + frightened this one.” + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” I answered. “They frightened me horribly. I wanted to be revenged + for that. But after a bit I was sure they were only clockwork. I wanted to + stop them. I did stop the devil upstairs, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “So you stopped the devil upstairs,” the Duke said. “What did you do + then?” + </p> + <p> + “I came down to this room, sir. I looked at the owl. But I couldn't see + how to stop the owl, sir. I saw you all sitting round the room. I'm afraid + I listened, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “That was not a gentlemanly thing to do,” said Lane. “Was it now?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “You understood all that was said. Eh, boy?” said Candlish. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir. I understood it all.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, young man,” said Falk. “You'll be sorry you did.” + </p> + <p> + “Be quiet, Falk,” said the Duke. “No one shall bully the boy. What's your + name, boy?” + </p> + <p> + “Martin Hyde, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “A very smart lad too, sir,” said Jermyn. “He saved my book of cipher + correspondence yesterday. We should have been in trouble if that had got + into the wrong hands.” + </p> + <p> + “You understand,” said the Duke, “that what you have heard might get us + all, perhaps many more besides ourselves, into very terrible danger if + repeated?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, your Majesty, I understand,” I answered. “Lock him into the pantry, + Jermyn,” said the Duke, “while we decide what to do with him. Go with Mr. + Jermyn, boy. We sha'n't hurt you. Don't be frightened. Give him some + oranges, Jermyn.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0005" id="link2HCH0005"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER V. I GO TO SEA + </h2> + <p> + Mr. Jermyn led me to the pantry (a little room on the ground floor), where + he placed a plate of oranges before me. + </p> + <p> + “See how many you can eat,” he said. “But don't try to burgle yourself + free. This is a strong room.” He locked the heavy door, leaving me alone + with a well-filled pantry, which seemed to be without a window. A little + iron grating near the ceiling served as a ventilator. There was no chance + of getting out through that. The door was plated with iron. The floor was + of concrete. I was a prisoner now in good earnest. I was no longer + frightened; but I had had such scares that night that I had little stomach + for the fruit. I was only anxious to be allowed to go back to my bed. I + heard a dull noise in the upper part of the house, followed by the falling + of a plank. “There goes my bridge,” I thought. “Are they going to be so + mean as to call my uncle out of bed, to show him what I've been doing?” I + thought that perhaps they would do this, as my uncle (for all that I knew) + might be in their plot. “Well,” I said to myself, “I shall get a good + thrashing. Perhaps that brute Ephraim will be told to thrash me. But + thrashing or no, I've had enough of going out at night. I'll ask my uncle + not to thrash me, but to put me into the Navy. I should love that. I know + that I shall never get on in London.” This sudden plan of the Navy, about + which I had never before thought, seemed to me to be a good way of getting + out of my deserts. I felt sure that my uncle would be charmed to be rid of + me; while I knew very well that boys of that generation often entered the + Navy, in the care of the captains, as naval cadets (or, as they were then + called, “captain's servants”) at the ages of eight or nine. I wondered why + the debate lasted so long. Naturally, in that gloomy little prison, lit by + a single tallow candle, with all my anxieties heavy on my mind, the time + passed slowly. But they were so long in making up their minds that it + seemed as though they had forgotten me. I began to remember horrible tales + of people shut up in secret rooms until they starved to death, or till the + rats ate them. I remembered the tale of the nun being walled up in a vault + of her convent, brick by brick, till the last brick shut off the last + glimmer of the bricklayer's lantern, till the last layer of mortar made + for her the last sound she would hear, the patting clink of the trowel on + the brick, before it was all horrible dark silence for ever. I wondered + how many people had been silenced in that way. I wondered how long I + should live, if that was what these men decided. + </p> + <p> + My fears were ended by the opening of the door. “Come on,” said Mr. Lane. + “This way,” He led me back to the council-room, where all the conspirators + sat at their places by the table. I noticed that Mr. Jermyn (cloaked now, + as for travel) was wearing his false beard again. + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Hyde,” the Duke said. “I understand that you are well disposed to my + cause.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, your Majesty,” I answered; though indeed I only followed what my + father had told me. I had no real knowledge about it, one way or the + other. I knew only what others had told me. Still, in this instance, as + far as I have been able to judge by what I learned long afterwards, I was + right. The Duke had truly a claim to the throne; he was also a better man + than that disgraceful king who took his place. + </p> + <p> + “Very well, Mr. Hyde,” the Duke answered. “Have you any objections to + entering my service?” + </p> + <p> + I was not very sure of what he meant; it came rather suddenly upon me, so + I stammered, without replying. + </p> + <p> + “His Majesty means, would you like to join our party?” said Mr. Lane. “To + be one of us. To serve him abroad.” + </p> + <p> + I was flushed with pleasure at the thought of going abroad, among a + company of conspirators. I had no knowledge of what the consequences might + be, except that I should escape a sound whipping from my uncle or from + Ephraim. I did not like the thought of living on in London, with the + prospect of entering a merchant's office at the end of my boyhood. I + thought that in the Duke's service I should soon become a general, so that + I might return to my uncle, very splendidly dressed, to show him how well + I had managed my own life for myself. I thought that life was always like + that to the adventurous man. Besides I hoped that I should escape school, + the very thought of which I hated. Looking at the matter in that secret + council-room, it seemed so very attractive. It seemed to give me a pathway + of escape, whichever way I looked at it, from all that I most disliked. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, your Majesty,” I said, “I should very much like to enter your + service.” + </p> + <p> + “You understand, Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn, “that we are engaged in a very + dangerous work. It is so dangerous that we should not be justified in + allowing you to go free after what you have heard tonight. But its very + danger makes it necessary that we should tell you something of what your + work under his Majesty will be, before you decide finally to throw in your + lot with us. It is one thing to be a prisoner among us, Hyde; but quite + another to be what is called a rebel, engaged in treasonable practices + against a ruling King.” + </p> + <p> + “Still,” said Lane, “don't think that your imprisonment with us would be + unpleasant. If you would rather not join us, you have only to say so. We + shall then send you over to Holland, where you will, no doubt, find plenty + of boats with which to amuse yourself. You will be kept in Holland till a + certain much-wished event takes place, about the middle of June. After + that you will be brought back here to your uncle who, by that time, will + have forgiven you.” + </p> + <p> + “That's a very pretty ladder you made,” said the Duke. “You've evidently + lived among sailors.” + </p> + <p> + “Among fishermen mostly, your Majesty,” I said “My father was rector in + the Broads country.” I knew from his remark that someone had been across + to my uncle's house to remove all traces of my bridge. My ladder, I knew, + would now be dangling from my window, to show by which way I had escaped. + </p> + <p> + “We want you, Hyde,” Mr. Jermyn said. “That is—we shall want you in + the event of your joining us, to be our messenger to the West. You will + travel continually from Holland to the West of England, generally to the + country near Taunton, but sometimes to Exeter, sometimes still further to + the West. You will carry letters sewn into the flap of your leather + travelling satchel. You will travel alone by your own name, giving out, in + case any one should ask you, that you are going to one of certain people, + whose names will be given to you. There will be no danger to yourself; for + the persons to whom you will be sent are not suspected; indeed one of them + is a clergyman. We think that a boy will have less difficulty in getting + about the country in its present state than any man, provided, of course, + that you travel by different routes on each journey. If, however, by some + extraordinary chance, you should be caught with these letters in your + wallet, we shall take steps to bring you off; for we have a good deal of + power, in one way or another, by which we get things done. Still, it may + well fall out, Hyde, in spite of all our care, that you will come into the + hands of men with whom we have no influence. If you should, (remember, it + is quite possible) you will be transported to serve in one of the + Virginian or West Indian plantations. That will be the end of you as far + as we are concerned. We shan't be able to help you then. If you think the + cause is right, join us, provided that you do not think the risks too + great.” + </p> + <p> + “If all goes well,” said the Duke, “if the summer should prove prosperous, + I may be able to reward a faithful servant, even if he is only a boy.” + </p> + <p> + “I will serve your Majesty gladly,” I answered. “I should like to join + your service.” + </p> + <p> + “Very well then, Jermyn,” he said, rising swiftly on his way to the door; + “bring him on board at once.” + </p> + <p> + “We're off to Holland tonight, in the schooner there,” said Mr. Jermyn. + “So put these biscuits in your pocket. Give him another glass of wine, + Falk. Now, then. Good-bye, Lane. Good-bye everybody.” + </p> + <p> + “Good-bye,” they said. “Good-bye, boy.” In another minute we were in the + narrow road, within earshot of the tumbling water, going down to the + stairs at the lane end, to take boat. The last that I saw of my uncle's + house was the white of my ladder ropes, swinging about against the + darkness of the bricks. + </p> + <p> + “Remember, Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn in a low voice, “that his Majesty is + always plain Mr. Scott. Remember that. Remember, too, that you are never + to speak to him unless he speaks to you. But you won't have much to do + with him. Were you ever at sea, before?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir. Only about the Broads in a coracle.” + </p> + <p> + “You'll find it very interesting, then. If you're not seasick. Here we are + at the boat. Now, jump in. Get into the bows.” + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Scott” was already snug under a boat-cloak in the sternsheets. As + soon as we had stepped in, the boatman shoved off. The boat rippled the + water into a gleaming track as she gathered way. We were off. I was on my + way to Holland. I was a conspirator, travelling with a King. There ahead + of me was the fine hull of the schooner La Reina, waiting to carry us to + all sorts of adventure, none of them (as I planned them then) so strange, + or so terrible, as those which happened to me. As we drew up alongside + her, I heard the clack-clack of the sailors heaving at the windlass. They + were getting up the anchor, so that we might sail from this horrible city + to all the wonderful romance which awaited me, as I thought, beyond, in + the great world. Five minutes after I had stepped upon her deck we were + gliding down on the ebb, bound for Holland. + </p> + <p> + “Hyde,” said Mr. Jermyn, as we drew past the battery on the Tower + platform, “do you see the high ground, beyond the towers there?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir,” I said. + </p> + <p> + “Do you know what that is?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “That's Tower Hill,” he answered, “where traitors, I mean conspirators + like you or me, are beheaded. Do you know what that means?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir,” I replied. “To have your head cut off.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he said. “With all that hill black with people. The scaffold hung + with black making a sort of platform in the middle. Then soldiers, with + drums, all round. You put your head over a block, so that your neck rests + on the wood. Then the executioner comes at you with an axe. Then your head + is shown to the people. 'This is the head of a traitor.' We may all end in + that way, on that little hill there. You must be very careful how you + carry the letters, Hyde.” + </p> + <p> + After this hint, he showed me a hammock in the schooner's 'tweendecks, + telling me that I should soon be accustomed to that kind of bed. “It is a + little awkward at first,” he said, “especially the getting in part; but, + when once snugly in, it is the most comfortable kind of bed in the world.” + After undressing by the light of a huge ship's lantern, which Mr. Jermyn + called a battle-lantern, I turned into my hammock, rather glad to be + alone. Now that I was pledged to this conspiracy business, with some + knowledge of what it might lead to, I half wished myself well out of it. + The 'tweendecks was much less comfortable than the bedroom which I had + left so gaily such a very little time before. I had exchanged a good + prison for a bad one. The smell of oranges, so near to the hold in which + they were stored, was overpowering, mixed, as it was, with the horrible + ship-smell of decaying water (known as bilge-water) which flopped about at + each roll a few feet below me. My hammock was slung in a draught from the + main hatchway. People came down the hatchway during the night to fetch + coils of rope or tackles. Tired as I was, I slept very badly that first + night on board ship. The schooner seemed to be full of queer, unrelated + movements. The noise of the water slipping past was like somebody talking. + The striking of the bells kept me from sleeping. I did not get to sleep + till well into the middle watch (about two in the morning) after which I + slept brokenly until a rough voice bawled in my ear to get up out of that, + as it was time to wash down. + </p> + <p> + I put my clothes on hurriedly, wondering where I should find a basin in + which to wash myself. I could see none in the 'tweendecks; but I supposed + that there would be some in the cabins, which opened off the 'tweendecks + on each side. Now a 'tweendecks (I may as well tell you here) is nothing + more than a deck of a ship below the upper deck. If some of my readers + have never been in a ship, let them try to imagine themselves descending + from the upper deck—where all the masts stand—by a ladder + fixed in a square opening known as a hatchway. About six feet down this + ladder is the 'tweendecks, a long narrow room, with a ceiling so low that + unless you bend, you bump your head against the beams. + </p> + <p> + If you will imagine a long narrow room, only six feet high, you will know + what a 'tweendecks is like. Only in a real 'tween-decks it is always + rather dark, for the windows (if you care to call them so) are thick glass + bull's-eyes which let in very little light. A glare of light comes down + the hatchways. Away from the hatchways a few battle-lanterns are hung, to + keep up some pretence of light in the darkest corners. At one end of this + long narrow room in La Reina a wooden partition, running right across from + side to side, made a biggish chamber called “the cabin,” where the + officers took their meals. A little further along the room, one on each + side of it, were two tiny partitioned cabins, about seven feet square, in + which the officers slept, two in each cabin one above the other, in + shelf-beds, or bunks. My hammock had been slung between these cabins, a + little forward of them. When I turned out, I saw that the rest of the + 'tweendecks was piled with stores of all kinds, lashed down firmly to + ringbolts. Right forward, in the darkness of the ship's bows, I saw other + hammocks where the sailors slept. + </p> + <p> + I was wondering what I was to do about washing, when the rough man who had + called me a few minutes before came down to ask me why I was not up on + deck. I said that I was wondering where I could wash myself. + </p> + <p> + “Wash yourself,” he said. “You haven't made yourself dirty yet. You don't + wash at sea till your work's done for the day. Why, haven't you lashed + your hammock yet?” + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir,” I said, “I don't know how.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, for once,” he said, “I'll show you how. Tomorrow you'll do it for + yourself.” + </p> + <p> + “There,” he said, when he had lashed up the hammock, by what seemed to me + to be art-magic, “don't you say you don't know how to lash a 'ammick. I've + showed you once. Now shove it in the rack there. Up on deck with you.” + </p> + <p> + I ran up the ladder to the deck, thinking that this was not at all the + kind of service which I had expected. When I got to the deck I felt + happier; for it was a lovely bright morning. The schooner was under all + sail, tearing along at what seemed to me to be great speed. We were out at + sea now. England lay behind us, some miles away. I could see the windows + gleaming in a little town on the shore. Ships were in sight, with rollers + of foam whitening under them. Gulls dipped after fish. The clouds drove + past. A fishing boat piled with fish was labouring up to London, her sails + dark with spray. On the deck of the schooner some barefooted sailors were + filling the wash-deck tubs at a hand-pump. One man was at work high aloft + on the topsail yard, sitting across the yard with his legs dangling down, + keeping his seat (as I thought) by balance. I found the scene so + delightful that I gazed at it like a boy in a trance, was still staring, + when the surly boor who had called me (he was the schooner's mate it + seemed) came up behind me. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” he said, in the rough, bullying speech of a sailor, “do ye see + it?” + </p> + <p> + “See what, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “What you're looking at.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir,” I answered. + </p> + <p> + “Then you got no butter in your eyes, then. Why ain't you at work?” + </p> + <p> + “What am I to do, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “Do,” he said. “Ain't you Mr. Scott's servant?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Then get a bucket of fresh water out of the cask there. Take this + scrubber. You'll find some soap in the locker there. Now scrub out the + cabin as quick as you know how.” + </p> + <p> + He showed me down to the cabin. It was a dingy, dirty little room about + twelve feet square over all, but made, in reality, much smaller by the + lockers which ran along each side. + </p> + <p> + It was lighted by two large wooden ports, known as “chase ports,” through + which the chase guns or “stern-chasers pointed. Only one gun (a long three + pounder on a swivel) was mounted; for guns take up a lot of room. With two + guns in that little cabin there would not have been room enough to swing a + cat. You need six feet for the proper swinging of a cat, so a man-of-war + boatswain told me. The cat meant is the cat of nine tails with which they + used to flog seamen. To flog properly one needs a good swing, so my friend + said. + </p> + <p> + “There you are,” said the mate of the schooner. “Now down on your knees. + Scrub the floor here. See you get it mucho blanco.” + </p> + <p> + He left me feeling much ashamed at having to work like a common ship's + boy, instead of like a prince's page, which is what I had thought myself. + Like many middle-class English boys I had been brought up to look on + manual work as degrading. I was filled with shame at having to scrub this + dirty deck. I, who, only yesterday, had lorded it over Ephraim, as though + I were a superior being. You boys who go to good schools try to learn a + little humbleness. You may think your parents very fine gentlefolk; but in + the world, outside a narrow class, the having gentle parents will not help + one much. It may be that you, for all your birth, have neither the + instincts nor the intellect to preserve the gentility your parents made + for you. You are no gentleman till you have proved it. Your right level + may be the level of the betting publican, or of the sneak-thief, or of + things even lower than these. It is nothing to be proud of that your + parents are rich enough to keep your hands clean of joyless, killing toil, + at an age when many better men are old in slavery. Try to be thankful for + it; not proud. Leisure is the most sacred thing life has. A wise man would + give his left hand for leisure. You that have it given to you by the mercy + of gentle birth, regard it as a trust; make noble use of it. Many great + men waste half their energies in the struggle for that which you regard, + poor fools, as your right, as something to brag of. + </p> + <p> + I had never scrubbed a floor in my life; but I had seen it done, without + taking much account of the art in it. I set to work, feeling more degraded + each moment, as the hardness of the deck began to make my knees sore. When + I had done about half of the cabin (in a lazy, neglectful way, leaving + patches unscrubbed, only just wetted over, so as to seem clean to a chance + observer) I thought that I would do no more; but wait till Mr. Jermyn came + to me. I would tell him that I wished to go home, that I was not going to + be a common sailor, but a trusted messenger, with a lot more to the same + tune, meaning, really, that I hated this job of washing decks like poison. + I dare say, if the truth were known, the sudden change in my fortunes had + made me a little homesick. But even so, I was skulking work which had been + given to me. What was worse, I was being dishonest. For I was pretending + to do the work, even when I took least trouble with it. At last I took it + into my head to wet the whole floor with water, meaning to do no more to + it. While I was doing this the mate came into the cabin. + </p> + <p> + “Look here,” he said. “I've been watching you. You ain't working. You're + skulking. You ain't trying to wash that deck. You're making believe, + thinking I won't know any different. Don't answer me. I know what you're + doing. Now then. You go over every bit of that deck which you've just + slopped at. Do it over. I'm going to stand here till it's done.” + </p> + <p> + It was in my mind to be rebellious; but this man did not look like a good + man to rebel from. He was a big grim sailor with a length of rope in his + hand. He called it his “manrope.” “You see my manrope,” he said. “His + name's Mogador Jack. He likes little skulks like you.” Afterwards I + learned that a manrope is the rope rail at a ship's gangway, or + (sometimes) a length of rope in the gangway-side for boatmen to catch as + they came alongside the ship. I did not like the look of Mogador Jack, so + I went at my scrubbing with all my strength, keeping my thoughts to + myself. My knees felt very sore. My back ached with the continual bending + down. I had had no food that morning, either, that was another thing. + “Spell, oh,” said the man at last. “Straighten your back a bit. Empty your + bucket over the side. No. Not through the sternport. Carry in on deck. + Empty it there. Then fill it again. Lively, too. It'll be breakfast time + before you've done. You've got to have this cabin ready by eight bells.” + </p> + <p> + I will not tell you how I finished the deck. I will say only this, that at + the end I began to take a sort of pride or pleasure in making the planks + white. Afterwards, I always found that there is this pleasure in manual + work. There is always pleasure of a sort in doing anything that is not + very easy. “There,” the mate said. “Now lay the table for breakfast. + You'll find the things in them lockers. Lay for three places. Don't break + the ship's crockery while you're doing it.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0006" id="link2HCH0006"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VI. THE SEA! THE SEA! + </h2> + <p> + He left me, then, as he had to watch the men on deck. I felt, when he went + on deck, that the morning had been a nightmare; but now I was to be + flunkey well as slave, a new humiliation. I did not think how many times I + had humiliated others by letting them do such things for me. I had done so + all my life without a thought. Now, forsooth, I was at the point of tears + at having to do it for others, even though one of the others was my + rightful King. Grubbing about among the lockers, I found a canvas + table-cloth, which had once been part of a sail. I spread this cloth with + the breakfast gear, imitating the arrangements made at home at Oulton. The + mate came down some minutes after I had finished. He caught me sitting + down on the top of the lockers, looking out at the ships through the open + port. + </p> + <p> + “Here,” he said roughly. “You've got to learn manners, or I'll have to + teach you. Remember this once for all, my son. No one sits in the cabin + except a captain or a passenger. You'll take your cap off to the cabin + door before I've done with you. Nor you don't sit down till your work's + done. That's another thing. Why ain't you at work?” + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir,” I said, “I've laid the table. What else am I to do?” + </p> + <p> + “Do,” he said. “Give the windows a rub. Then clean your hands, ready to + wait at table. No. Hold on. Have you called Mr. Scott yet?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir. I didn't know I had to.” + </p> + <p> + “My,” he answered. “Have you any sense at all? Go call them. No. Get their + hot water first at the galley.” + </p> + <p> + I suppose I stared at him; for I did not know that this would be a duty of + mine. “Here. Don't look at me like that,” he said. “You make me forget + myself.” He went to the locker, in which he rummaged till he produced a + big copper kettle. “Here's the hot water can,” he said. “Nip with it to + the galley, before the cook puts his fire out. On deck, boy. Don't you + know where the galley is?” + </p> + <p> + I did not know where the galley was in this particular ship. I thought + that it would probably be below decks, round a space of brick floor to + prevent fire. But as the mate said “on deck” I ran on deck at once. I ran + on deck, up the hatch, so vigorously, that I charged into a seaman who was + carrying a can of slush, or melted salt fat used in the greasing of ropes. + I butted into him, spattering the slush all over him, besides making a + filthy mess of grease on the deck, then newly cleansed. The seaman, who + was the boatswain or second mate, boxed my ears with a couple of cuffs + which made my head sing. “You young hound,” he said, “Cubbadar when your + chief passes.” I went forward to the galley, crying as if my heart would + break, not only at the pain of the blows, which stung me horribly, but at + the misery of my life in this new service, that had seemed so grand only + seven or eight hours before. At the galley door was the cook, a morose + little Londoner with earrings in his ears. “Miaow, Miaow,” he said, + pretending to mimic my sobs. “Why haven't you come for this 'ot water + before? 'Ere 'ave I been keepin' my fire lit while you been enjoyin' a + stuffin' loaf down in that there cabin.” I was too miserable to answer + him. I just held out my kettle, thinking that he would fill it for me. + “Wot are you 'oldin' out the kettle for?” he asked. “Think I'm goin' to do + yer dirty work? Fill it at the 'ob yourself.” I filled it as he bade me, + choking down my tears. When I had filled it, I hurried back to the + 'tweendecks, hoping to hide my misery down in the semi-darkness there. I + did not pass the second mate on my way back; but I passed some of the + seamen, to whom a boy in tears was fair game. One asked me what I meant by + coming aft all salt, like a head sea, making the deck wet after he'd + squeegeed it down. Another told me to wait till the second mate caught me. + “I'd be sorry then,” he said, “that ever I spilt the slush;” with other + sea-jests, all of them pretty brutal. It is said that if a strange rook + comes to a rookery the other rooks peck it to death, or at any rate drive + it away. I know not if this be true of rooks (I know that sparrows will + attack owls or canaries, whenever they have a chance), but it is true + enough of human beings. We all hate the new-comer, we are all suspicious + of him, as of a possible enemy. The seamen did to me what school-boys do + to the new boy. I did not know then that there is no mercy for one + sensitive enough to take such “jests” to heart. At sea, the rough, ready + tom-fool boy is the boy to thrive. Such an one might have spilt all the + slush in the ship, without getting so much as a cuff. I was a merry boy + enough, but I was sad when I made my first appearance. The sailors saw me + crying. If I had only had the wit to dodge the bosun's blows, the matter + of the slush would have been turned off with a laugh, since he only struck + me in the irritation of the moment. He would have enjoyed chasing me round + the deck. If I had only come up merrily that is what would have happened. + As it was I came up sad, with the result that I got my ears boxed, which, + of course, made me too wretched to put the cook in a good temper; a cause + of much woe to me later. The seamen who saw me crying at once put me down + as a cry-baby, which I really was not; so that, for the rest of my time in + the ship I was cruelly misjudged. I hope that my readers will remember how + little a thing may make a great difference in a person's life. I hope that + they will also remember how easy it is to misjudge a person. It will be + well for them if, as I trust, they may never experience how terrible it + feels to be misjudged. + </p> + <p> + After I had called the two gentlemen, I gave the glass bull's-eyes in the + swing ports a rub with a cloth. I was at work in this way when the two + gentlemen entered. Mr. Jermyn smiled to see me with my coat off, rubbing + at the glass. He also wished me good morning, which Mr. Scott failed to + do. Mr. Scott took no notice of me one way or the other; but sat down at + the locker, asking when breakfast would be ready. “Get breakfast, boy,” + Mr. Jermyn said. At that I put my glass-rag into the locker. I hurried off + to the galley to bring the breakfast, not knowing rightly whether it would + be there or in another place. The cook, surly brute, made a lot of + offensive remarks to me, to which I made no answer. He was glad to have + someone to bully, for he had the common man's love of power, with all his + hatred of anything more polished than himself. I took the breakfast aft to + the cabin, where, by this time, the ship's captain was seated. I placed + the dish before Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “Why haven't you washed your hands, boy?” he asked, looking at my hands. + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir, I haven't had time.” + </p> + <p> + “Wash them now, then. Don't come to wait at table with hands like that + again. I didn't think you were a dirty boy.” + </p> + <p> + I was not a dirty boy; but, having been at work since before six that + morning, I had had no chance of washing myself. I could not answer; but + the injustice of Mr. Jermyn's words gave me some of the most bitter misery + which I have known. For brutal, thoughtless injustice, it is difficult to + beat the merchant ship. I stole away to wash myself, very glad of the + chance to get away from the cabin. When I was ready, it was time to clear + the breakfast things to the galley, to wash them with the cook. Luckily, I + had overheard Mr. Jermyn say “how well this cook can devil kidneys.” I + repeated this to the cook, who was pleased to hear it. It made him rather + more kind in his manner to me. He did not know who Mr. Scott really was. + He asked me a lot of questions about what I knew of Mr. Scott. I replied + that I'd heard that he was a Spanish merchant, a friend of Mr. Jermyn's. + As for Mr. Jermyn, he knew' an uncle of mine. I had helped him to recover + his pocket-book; that was all that I knew of him; that was why he had + given me my present post as servant. More I dared not say; for I + remembered the Duke's sharp sword on my chest. We talked thus, as we + washed the dishes; the cook in a sweeter mood (having had his morning dram + of brandy); I, myself, trying hard to win him to a good opinion of me. I + asked him if I might clean his copper for him; it was in a sad state of + dirt. “You'll have work enough 'ere, boy,” he said, tartly, “without you + running round for more. You mind your own business.” After this little + snap at my head (no thought of thanks occurred to him) he prepared + breakfast for us, out of the remains of the cabin breakfast. I was much + cheered by the prospect of food, for nearly three hours of hard work had + given me an appetite. At a word from the cook, I brought out two little + stools from under the bunk. Then I placed the “bread-barge,” or wooden + bowl of ship's biscuits, ready for our meal, beside our two plates. + </p> + <p> + Breakfast was just about to begin, when my enemy, the boatswain, appeared + at the galley door. “Here, cook,” he said, “where's that limb of a boy? + Oh, you're there, are you? Feeding your face. Get a three-cornered scraper + right now. You'll scrape up that slush you spilled, before you eat so much + as a reefer's nut.” I had to go on deck again for another hour, while I + scraped up the slush, which was, surely, spilled as much by himself as by + me, since he was not looking where he was going any more than I was. I got + no breakfast. For after the grease was cleaned I was sent to black the + gentlemen's boots; then to make up their beds; then to scrub their cabin + clean. After all this, being faint with hunger, I took a ship's biscuit + from the locker in the cabin to eat as I worked. I did not know it; but + this biscuit was what is known as “captain's bread,” a whiter (but less + pleasant) kind of ship's biscuit, baked for officers. As I was eating it + (I was polishing the cabin door-knobs at the time) the captain came down + for a dram of brandy. He saw what I was eating. At once he read me a + lecture, calling me a greedy young thief. Let me not eat another cabin + biscuit, he said, or he'd do to me what they always did to thieves:—drag + them under the ship from one side to another, so that the barnacles would + cut them (as he said) into Spanish sennet-work. When I answered him, he + lost his temper, in sailor fashion, saying that if I said another word + he'd make me sick that ever I learned to speak. + </p> + <p> + I will not go into the details of the rest of that first day's misery. I + was kept hard at work for the whole time of daylight, often at work beyond + my strength, always at work quite strange to me. Nobody in the ship, + except perhaps the mate, troubled to show me how to do these strange + tasks; but all swore at me for not doing them rightly. What I felt most + keenly was the injustice of their verdicts upon me. I was being condemned + by them as a dirty, snivelling, lying, thieving young hound. They took a + savage pleasure in telling me how I should come to dance on air at + Cuckold's Haven, or, in other words, to the gallows, if I went on as I had + begun. Whereas (but for my dishonest moment in the morning) I had worked + like a slave since dawn under every possible disadvantage which hasty men + could place in my way. After serving the cabin supper that night I was + free to go to my hammock. There was not much to be glad for, except the + rest after so much work. I went with a glad heart, for I was tired out. + The wind had drawn to the east, freshening as it came ahead, so that there + was no chance of our reaching our destination for some days. I had the + prospect of similar daily slavery in the schooner at least till our + arrival. My nights would be my only pleasant hours till then. The noise of + the waves breaking on board the schooner kept me awake during the night, + tired as I was. It is a dreadful noise, when heard for the first time. I + did not then know what a mass of water can come aboard a ship without + doing much harm. So, when the head of a wave, rushing across the deck, + came with a swish down the hatch to wash the 'tweendecks I started up in + my hammock, pretty well startled. I soon learned that all was well, for I + heard the sailors laughing in their rough, swearing fashion as they piled + a tarpaulin over the open hatch-mouth. A moment later, eight bells were + struck. Some of the sailors having finished their watch, came down into + the 'tweendecks to rest. Two of them stepped very quietly to the chest + below my hammock, where they sat down to play cards, by the light of the + nearest battle-lantern. If they had made a noise I should probably have + fallen asleep again in a few minutes; for what would one rough noise have + been among all the noise on deck? But they kept very quiet, talking in low + voices as they called the cards, rapping gently on the chest-lid, opening + the lantern gently to get lights for their pipes. Their quietness was like + the stealthy approach of an enemy, it kept a restless man awake, just as + the snapping of twigs in a forest will keep an Indian awake, while he will + sleep soundly when trees are falling. I kept awake, too, in spite of + myself (or half awake), wishing that the men would go, but fearing to + speak to them. At last, fearing that I should never get to sleep at all, I + looked over the edge of the hammock intending to ask them to go. I saw + then that one of them was my enemy the boatswain, while the other was the + ship's carpenter, who had eaten supper in the galley with me, at the + cook's invitation. As these were, in a sense, officers, I dared not open + my mouth to them, so I lay down again, hoping that either they would go + soon, or that they would let me get to sleep before the morning. As I lay + there, I overheard their talk. I could not help it. I could hear every + word spoken by them. I did not want their talk, goodness knows, but as I + could not help it, I listened. + </p> + <p> + “Heigho,” said the boatswain, yawning. “I sha'n't have much to spend on + Hollands when I get there. Them rubbers at bowls in London have pretty + near cleaned my purse out.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah, come off,” said the carpenter. “You can always get rid of a coil of + rope to someone, on the sly, you boatswains can. A coil of rope comes to a + few guilders. Eh, mynheer?” + </p> + <p> + “I sold too many coils off this hooker,” said the boatswain. “I run the + ship short.” + </p> + <p> + “Who sleeps in the hammock there?” the carpenter asked. + </p> + <p> + “The loblolly boy for the cabin,” the boatswain answered. “Young clumsy + hound. I clumped his fat chops for him this morning.” + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Jermyn's boy?” said the carpenter, sinking his voice. “There's + something queer about that Mr. Jermyn. 'E wears a false beard. That Mr. + Scott isn't all what he pretends neither.” + </p> + <p> + “I don't see how that can be,” the boatswain said, “I wish I'd a drink of + something. I'm as dry as foul block.” + </p> + <p> + “There'd be more'n a dram to us two, if Mr. Scott was what I think,” said + the carpenter. “I'm going to keep my eye on that gang.” + </p> + <p> + “Keep your eye on the moon,” said the boatswain. + </p> + <p> + “I tell you what'd raise drinks pretty quick.” + </p> + <p> + “What would?” + </p> + <p> + “That loblolly boy would.” + </p> + <p> + “Eh?” said the carpenter. “Go easy, Joe. He may be awake.” + </p> + <p> + “Not he,” said the boatswain, carelessly glancing into my hammock, where I + lay like all the Seven Sleepers condensed. “Not he. Snoring young hound. + Do him good to raise drinks for the crowd.” + </p> + <p> + “Eh,” said the carpenter, a quieter, more cautious scoundrel than the + other (therefore much more dangerous). “How would a boy like that?” He + left his sentence unfinished. + </p> + <p> + “Sell him to one of these Dutch East India merchants,” said the boatswain. + “There's always one or two of them in the Canal, bound for Java. A likely + young lad like that would fetch twenty pounds from a Dutch skipper. A + white boy would sell for forty in the East. Even if we only got ten, + there'd be pretty drinking while it lasted.” + </p> + <p> + This evidently made an impression on the carpenter, for he did not answer + at once. “Yes,” he said presently. “But a lad like that's got good + friends. He don't talk like you or I, Joe.” + </p> + <p> + “Friends in your eye,” said the other. “What's a lad with good friends + doing as loblolly boy?” + </p> + <p> + “Run away,” the carpenter said. “Besides, Mr. Jermyn isn't likely to let + the lad loose in Haarlem.” + </p> + <p> + “He might. We could keep a watch,” the boatswain answered. “If he goes + ashore, we could tip off Longshore Jack to keep an eye on him. Jack gets + good chances, working the town.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said the other. “I mean to put Longshore Jack on to this Mr. + Jermyn. If I aren't foul of the buoy there's money in Mr. Jermyn. More + than in East Indian slaves.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh,” the boatswain answered, carelessly, “I don't bother about my + betters, myself. What d'ye think to get from Mr. Jermyn?” + </p> + <p> + The carpenter made no answer; but lighted his pipe at the lantern, + evidently turning over some scheme in his mind. After that, the talk ran + on other topics, some of which I could not understand. It was mostly about + the Gold Coast, about a place called Whydah, where there was good trading + for negroes, so the boatswain said. He had been there in a Bristol brig, + under Captain Travers, collecting trade, i.e. negro slaves. At Whydah they + had made King Jellybags so drunk with “Samboe” (whatever Samboe was) that + they had carried him off to sea, with his whole court. “The blacks was mad + after,” he said, “the next ship's crew that put in there was all set on + the beach. I seed their bones after. All picked clean. But old King + Jellybags fetched thirty pound in Port Royal, duty free.” He seemed to + think that this story was something laugh at. + </p> + <p> + I strained my ears to hear more of what they said. I could catch nothing + more relating to myself. Nothing more was said about me. They told each + other stories about the African shore, where the schooners anchored in the + creeks, among the swamp-smells, in search of slaves or gold dust. They + told tales of Tortuga, where the pirates lived together in a town, + whenever they were at home after a cruise. “Rum is cheaper than water + there,” the bo'sun said. “A sloop comes off once a month with stores from + Port Royal. Its happy days, being in Tortuga.” Presently the two men crept + aft to the empty cabin to steal the captain's brandy. Soon afterwards they + passed forward to their hammocks. + </p> + <p> + When they had gone, I lay awake, wondering I was to avoid this terrible + danger of being sold to the Dutch East India merchants. I wondered who + Longshore Jack might be. I feared that the carpenter suspected our party. + I kept repeating his words, “There's money in Mr. Jermyn,” till at last, + through sheer weariness, I fell asleep. In the morning, as cleared away + breakfast, from the cabin-table, I told Mr. Jermyn all that I had heard. + The Duke seemed agitated. He kept referring to an astronomical book which + told him how his ruling planets stood. “Yes,” he kept saying, “I've no + very favourable stars till July. I don't like this, Jermyn.” Mr. Jermyn + smoked a pipe of tobacco (a practise rare among gentlemen at that time) + while he thought of what could be done. At last he spoke. + </p> + <p> + “I know what we'll do, sir. We'll sell this man as carpenter to the Dutch + East India man. We'll give the two of them a sleeping draught in their + drink. We'll get rid of them both together.” + </p> + <p> + “It sounds very cruel,” said the Duke. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said Mr. Jermyn, “it is cruel. But who knows what the sly man may + not pick up? We're playing akes, we two. We've got many enemies. One word + of what this man suspects may bring a whole pack of spies upon us. + Besides, if the spies get hold of this boy we shall have some trouble.” + </p> + <p> + “The boy's done very well,” said the Duke. + </p> + <p> + “He's got a talent for overhearing,” Mr. Jermyn answered. “Well, Martin + Hyde. How do you like your work?” + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” I answered, “I don't like it at all.” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” he said, “we shall be in the Canal to-night, now the wind has + changed. Hold out till then, think, sir,” he said, turning to the Duke, + “the boy has done really very creditably. The work is not at all the work + for one of his condition.” + </p> + <p> + The Duke rewarded me with his languid beautiful smile. + </p> + <p> + “Who lives will see,” he said. “A King never forgets a faithful servant.” + </p> + <p> + The phrase seemed queer on the lips of that man's father's son; but I + bowed very low, for I felt that I was already a captain of a man-of-war, + with a big blazing decoration on my heart. Well, who lives, sees. I lived + to see a lot of strange things in that King's service. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0007" id="link2HCH0007"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VII. LAND RATS AND WATER RATS + </h2> + <p> + I will say no more about our passage except that we were three days at + sea. Then, when I woke one morning, I found that we were fast moored to a + gay little wharf, paved with clean white cobbles, on the north side of the + canal. Strange, outlandish figures, in immense blue baggy trousers, + clattered past in wooden shoes. A few Dutch galliots lay moored ahead of + us, with long scarlet pennons on their mastheads. On the other side of the + canal was a huge East Indiaman, with her lower yards cockbilled, loading + all three hatches at once. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was so + bright that all the scene had thrice its natural beauty. The clean neat + trimness of the town, the water slapping past in the canal, the ships with + their flags, the Sunday trim of the schooner, all filled me with delight, + lit up, as they were, by the April sun. I looked about me at my ease, for + the deck was deserted. Even the never-sleeping mate was resting, now that + we were in port. While I looked, a man sidled along the wharf from a + warehouse towards me. He looked at the schooner in a way which convinced + me that he was not a sailor. Then, sheltering behind a bollard, he lighted + his pipe. + </p> + <p> + He was a short, active, wiry man, with a sharp, thin face, disfigured by a + green patch over his right eye. He looked to me to have a horsey look, as + though were a groom or coachman. After lighting his pipe, he advanced to a + point abreast of the schooner's gang-way, from which he could look down + upon her, as she lay with her deck a foot or two below the level of the + wharf. + </p> + <p> + “Chips aboard?” he asked, meaning, “Is the carpenter on board?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I said. “Will you come aboard?” + </p> + <p> + He did not answer, but looked about the ship, as though making notes of + everything. Presently he turned to me. + </p> + <p> + “You're new,” he said. “Are you Mr. Jermyn's boy?” I told him that I was. + </p> + <p> + “How is Mr. Jermyn keeping?” he asked. “Is that cough of his better?” This + made me feel that probably the man knew Mr. Jermyn. “Yes,” I said. “He's + got no cough, now.” “He'd a bad one last time he was here,” the man + answered. For a while he kept silent. He seemed to me to be puzzling out + the relative heights of our masts. Suddenly he turned to me, with a very + natural air. “How's Mr. Scott's business going?” he asked. “You know, eh? + You know what I mean?” I was taken off my guard. I'm afraid I hesitated, + though I knew that the man's sharp eyes noted every little change on my + face. Then, in the most natural way, the man reassured me. “You know,” he + said. “What demand for oranges in London?” I was thankful that he had not + meant the other business. I said with a good deal too much of eagerness + that there was, I believed, a big demand for oranges. “Yes,” he said, “I + suppose so many young boys makes a brisk demand.” I was uneasy at the + man's manner. He seemed to be pumping me, but he had such a natural easy + way, under the pale mask of his face, that I could not be sure if he were + in the secret or not. I was on my guard now, ready for any question, as I + thought, but eager for an excuse to get away from this man before I + betrayed any trust. “Nice ship,” he said easily. “Did you join her in + Spain?” “No,” I answered. “In London.” “In London?” he said. “I thought + you'd something of a Spanish look.” “No,” I said. “I'm English. Did you + want the carpenter, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he answered. “I do. But no hurry. No hurry, lad.” Here he pulled + out a watch, which he wound up, staring vacantly about the decks as he did + so. “Tell me, boy,” he said gently. “Is Lane come over with you?” To tell + the truth, it flashed across my mind, when he pulled out his watch, that + he was making me unready for a difficult question. I was not a very bright + boy; but I had this sudden prompting or instinct, which set me on my + guard. No one is more difficult to pump than a boy who is ready for his + questioner, so I stared at him. “Lane?” I said, “Lane? Do you mean the + bo'sun?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” he said. “The Colonel. You know? Eh?” + </p> + <p> + “No.” I said. “I don't know.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh well,” he answered. “It's all one. I suppose he's not come over.” At + this moment the mate came on deck with the carpenter, carrying a model + ship which they had been making together in their spare time. They nodded + to the stranger, who gave them a curt “How do?” as though they had parted + from him only the night before. The mate growled at me for wasting time on + deck when I should be at work. He sent me down to my usual job of getting + the cabin ready for the breakfast of the gentlemen. As I passed down the + hatchway, I heard the carpenter say to the stranger, “Well. So what's the + news with Jack?” It flashed into my mind that this man might be his + friend, the “Longshore Jack” who was to keep an eye upon me as well as + upon Mr. Jermyn. It gave me a most horrid qualm to think this. The man was + so sly, so calm, so guarded, that the thought of him being on the look-out + for me, to sell me to the Dutch captains, almost scared me out of my wits. + The mate brought him to the cabin as I was laying the table. “This is the + cabin,” he was saying, “where the gentlemen messes. That's our + stern-chaser, the gun there.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh,” said the stranger, looking about him like one who has never seen a + ship before. “But where do they sleep? Do they sleep on the sofa (he meant + the lockers), there?” + </p> + <p> + “Why, no,” said the mate. “They sleep in the little cabins yonder. But we + musn't stay down here now. I'm not supposed to use this cabin. I mustn't + let the captain see me.” So they went on deck again, leaving me alone. + When the gentlemen came in to breakfast, I had to go on deck for the + dishes. As I passed to the galley, I noticed the stranger talking to the + carpenter by the main-rigging. They gave me a meaning look, which I did + not at all relish. Then, as I stood in the galley, while the cook dished + up, I noticed that the stranger raised his hand to a tall, lanky, + ill-favoured man who was loafing about on the wharf, carrying a large + black package. This man came right up to the edge of the wharf, directly + he saw the stranger's signal. It made me uneasy somehow. I was in a + thoroughly anxious mood, longing to confide in some one, even in the + crusty cook, yet fearing to open my mouth to any one, even to Mr. Jermyn, + to whom I dared not speak with the captain present in the room. Well, I + had my work to do, so I kept my thoughts to myself. I took the dishes down + below to the cabin, where, after removing the covers, I waited on the + gentlemen. + </p> + <p> + “Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn. “This skylight over our heads makes rather a + draught. We can't have it open in the morning for breakfast. + </p> + <p> + “Did you open it?” the captain asked. “What made you open it?” + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir, I didn't open it.” + </p> + <p> + “Then shut it,” said the captain. “Go on deck. The catch is fast outside.” + </p> + <p> + I ran very nimbly on deck to shut the skylight, but the catch was very + stiff; it took me some few moments to undo. I noticed, as I worked at it, + that the deck was empty, except for the lanky man with the package, who + was now forward, apparently undoing his package on the forehatch. I + thought that he was a sort of pedlar or bumboatman, come to sell onions, + soft bread, or cheap jewellery to the sailors. The carpenter's head showed + for an instant at the galley-door, He was looking forward at the pedlar. + The hands were all down below in the forecastle, eating their breakfast. + The other stranger seemed to have gone. I could not see him about the + deck. At last the skylight came down with a clatter, leaving me free to go + below again. As I went down the hatchway, into the 'tweendecks gloom, I + saw a figure apparently at work among the ship's stores lashed to the deck + there. I could not see who it was; it was too dark for that but the thing + seemed strange to me. I guessed that it might be my enemy the boatswain, + so I passed aft to the cabin on the other side. + </p> + <p> + Soon after that, it might be ten minutes after, while the gentlemen were + talking lazily about going ashore, we heard loud shouts on deck. + </p> + <p> + “What's that?” said the captain, starting up from his chair. + </p> + <p> + “Sounds like fire,” said Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “Fire forward,” said the captain, turning very white. “There's five tons + of powder forward.” + </p> + <p> + “What?” cried the Duke. + </p> + <p> + At that instant we heard the boatswain roaring to the men to come on deck. + “Aft for the hose there, Bill,” we heard. Feet rushed aft along the deck, + helter-skelter. Some one shoved the skylight open with a violent heave. + Looking up, we saw the carpenter's head. He looked as scared as a man can + be. + </p> + <p> + “On deck,” he cried. “We're all in a blaze forward. The lamp in the + bo'sun's locker. Quick.” + </p> + <p> + “Just over the powder,” the captain said, rushing out. + </p> + <p> + “Quick, sir,” said Jermyn to the Duke. “We may blow up at any moment.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” said the Duke, rising leisurely. “Not with these stars. Impossible.” + </p> + <p> + All the same, the two men followed the captain in pretty quick time. Mr. + Jermyn rushed the Duke out by the arm. I was rushing out, too, when I saw + the Duke's hat lying on the lockers. I darted at it, for I knew that he + would want it, with the result that my heel slipped on a copper nail-head, + which had been worn down even with the deck till it was smooth as glass. + Down I came, bang, with a jolt which shook me almost sick. I rose up, + stupid with the shock, so wretched with the present pain that the fire + seemed a little matter to me. Indeed, I did not understand the risk. I did + not know how a fire so far forward could affect the cabin. + </p> + <p> + A couple of minutes must have passed before I picked up the hat from where + it lay. As I hurried through the 'tweendecks some slight noise or movement + made me turn my head. Looking to my right. I saw the horsey man, the + stranger, rummaging quickly in the lockers of the Duke's cabin, As I + looked, I saw him snatch up something like a pocketbook or pocket case, + with a hasty “Ah” of approval. At the same moment, he saw me watching him. + </p> + <p> + “Where's Mr. Scott?” he cried, darting out on me. “We may all blow up in + another moment.” + </p> + <p> + “He's on deck,” I said. “Hasn't he gone on deck?” + </p> + <p> + “On deck?” said the man. “Then on deck with you, too.” He pushed me up the + hatch before him. “Quick,” he cried. “Quick. There's Mr. Scott forward. + Get him on to the wharf. + </p> + <p> + He gave me a hasty shove forward, to where the whole company was working + in a cloud of smoke, passing buckets from hand to hand. A crowd of + Dutchmen had gathered on the wharf. Everybody was shouting. The scene was + confused like a bad dream. I caught sight of the pedlar man at the gangway + as the stranger thrust me forward. In the twinkling of an eye the stranger + passed something to him with the quick thrust known as the thieves' pass. + I saw it, for all my confusion. I knew in an instant that he had stolen + something. The pedlar person was an accomplice. As likely as not the fire + was a diversion. I rushed at the gangway. The pedlar was moving quickly + away with his hands in his pockets. It all happened in a moment. As I + rushed at the gangway, with some wild notion of stopping the pedlar, the + horsey man caught me by the collar. + </p> + <p> + “What,” he said, in a loud voice. “Trying to desert, are you? You come + forward where the danger is.” He ran me forward. He was as strong as a + bull. + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Jermyn,” I cried. “Mr. Jermyn. This man's a thief.” + </p> + <p> + The man twisted my collar on to my throat till I choked. “Quiet, you,” he + hissed. + </p> + <p> + Then Mr. Jermyn dropped his bucket to attend to me. + </p> + <p> + “A thief,” I gasped. “A thief.” Mr. Jermyn sprang aft, with his eyes on + the man's eyes. The stranger flung me into Mr. Jermyn's way, with all the + sweep of his arm. As I went staggering into the fore-bitts (for Mr. Jermyn + dodged me) the man took a quick side step up the rail to the wharf. I + steadied myself. Mr. Jermyn, failing to catch the man before he was off + the ship, rushed below to see what was lost. The crowd of workers seemed + to dissolve suddenly. The men surged all about me, swearing. The fire was + out. Remember, all this happened in thirty seconds, from the passing of + the stolen goods to the stranger's letting go my throat. The very instant + that I found my feet against the bitts, I jumped off the ship on to the + wharf. There was the stranger running down the wharf to the right, full + tilt. There was the lanky pedlar slouching quickly away as though he were + going on an errand, with his black box full of groceries. + </p> + <p> + “That's the man, Mr. Scott,” I cried. “He's got it.” + </p> + <p> + The captain (who, I believe, was a naval officer in the Duke's secret) was + up on the wharf in an instant. I followed him, though the carpenter + clutched at me as I scrambled up. I kicked out behind like a donkey. I + didn't kick him, but some one thrust the carpenter aside in the hurry so + that I was free. In another seconds I was past the captain, running after + the pedlar, who started to run at a good speed, dropping his box with a + clatter. Half a dozen joined in the pursuit. The captain had his sword + out. They raised such a noise behind me that I thought the whole crew was + at my heels. The pedlar kept glancing behind; he knew very little about + running. He doubled from street to street, like a man at his wits' ends. I + could see that he was blown. When he entered into that conspiracy, he had + counted on the horsey man diverting suspicion from him. Suddenly, after + twisting round a corner, he darted through a swing door into a stone-paved + court, surrounded by brick walls. I was at his heels at the moment or I + should have lost him there. I darted through the swing door after him. I + went full sprawl over his body on the other side. He had, quite used up, + collapsed there. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0008" id="link2HCH0008"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VIII. I MEET MY FRIEND + </h2> + <p> + “Give it me,” I said. “Give it me, Longshore Jack. Before they catch us.” + To my horror, I saw that the creature was a woman in a man's clothes. She + took me for one of her gang. She was too much frightened to think things + out. “I thought you were one of the other lot,” she gasped, as she handed + me a pocketbook. + </p> + <p> + “Didn't he get the letters, too?” I asked at a venture. “No,” she said, + sitting up, now, panting, to take a good look at me. I stared at her for a + moment. I, myself, was out of breath. + </p> + <p> + “They're going,” I said, hearing the noise of the pursuit passing away in + the check. “I'll just spy out the land.” I opened the door till it was an + inch or two ajar, so that I could see what was going on outside. “They're + gone,” I said again, still keeping up the pretence of being on her side. + As I said it, I glanced back to fix her features on my memory. She had a + pale, resolute face with fierce eyes, which seemed fierce from pain, not + from any cruelty of nature. It was a pleasant face, as far as one could + judge of a face made up to resemble a dirty pedlar's face. + </p> + <p> + Seeing my look, she seemed to watch me curiously, raising herself up, till + she stood unsteadily by the wall. “When did you come in?” she said, + meaning, I suppose, when did I join the gang. + </p> + <p> + “Last week,” I answered, swinging the door a little further open. + Footsteps were coming rapidly along the road. I heard excited voices, I + made sure that it was the search party going back to the schooner. + </p> + <p> + “Digame, muchacho,” she said in Spanish. It must have been some sort of + pass-word among them. Seeing by my face that I did not understand she + repeated the words softly. Then at that very instant she was on me like a + tigress with a knife. I slipped to one side instinctively. I suppose I + half saw her as the knife went home. She grabbed at the pocket-book, which + I swung away from her hand. The knife went deep into the door, with a + drive which must have jarred her to the shoulder. “Give it me,” she + gasped, snatching at me like a fury. I dodged to one side, up the court, + horribly scared. She followed, raving like a mad thing, quite ghastly + white under her paint, wholly forgetful that she was acting a man's part. + When once we were dodging I grew calmer. I led her to the end of the + court, then ducked. She charged in, blindly, against the wall, while I + raced to the door, very pleased with my success. I did not hear her follow + me, so, when I got to the door, I looked back. Just at that instant, there + came a smart report. The creature had fired at me with a pistol; the + bullet sent a dozen chips of brick into my face. I went through the door + just as the shot from the second barrel thudded into the lintel. Going + through hurriedly I ran into Mr. Jermyn, as he came round the corner with + the captain. “I've got it,” I said. “Look out. She's in there.” + </p> + <p> + “Who?” they said. “The thief? A woman?” They did not stay, but thrust + through the door. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Jermyn dragged me through with them. “You say you've got it, Martin?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I answered, handing him the book. “Here it is.” + </p> + <p> + “That's a mercy,” he said. “Now then, where's the thief?” + </p> + <p> + I had been out of the court, I suppose thirty seconds; it cannot have been + more. Yet, when I went back with those two men, the woman had gone, as + though she had never been there. “She's over the wall,” cried the captain, + running up the court. But when we looked over the wall there was no trace + of her, except some slight scratches upon the brick, where her toes had + rested. On the other side of the wall was a tulip bed full of rows of late + flowering tulips, not yet out. There was no footmark on the earth. Plainly + she had not jumped down on the other side. “Check,” said captain. “Is she + in one of the houses?” + </p> + <p> + But the houses on the left side of the court (on the other side the court + had no houses, only brick walls seven feet high) were all old, barred in, + deserted mansions, with padlocks on the doors. She could not possibly have + entered one of those. + </p> + <p> + “They're old plague-houses,” said Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “They've been deserted twenty years now, since the great sickness.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes?” said the captain, carelessly. “But where can she have got to?” + </p> + <p> + “Well. It beats me,” Mr. Jermyn replied. “But perhaps she ran along the + wall to the end, then jumped down into the lane. That's the only thing she + could have done. By the way, boy, you were shot at. Were you hit?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I answered. “But I got jolly near it. The bullet went just by me.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” he said. “Take this. You'll have to be armed in future.” + </p> + <p> + He handed me a beautiful little double-barrelled pocket pistol. “Be + careful,” he said. “It's loaded. Put it in your pocket. You musn't be seen + carrying arms here. That would never do.” + </p> + <p> + “Boy,” said the captain. “D'ye think you could shin up that water-spout, + so as to look over the parapet there, on to the leads of the houses?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I said. “I think I could, from the top of the wall.” + </p> + <p> + “Why,” Mr. Jermyn said. “She couldn't have got up there.” + </p> + <p> + “An active woman might,” the captain said. “You see, the water-spout is + only six feet long from the wall to the eaves. There's good footing on the + brackets. It's three quick steps. Then one vigorous heave over the + parapet. There you are, snug as a purser's billet, out of sight.” + </p> + <p> + “No woman could have done it,” Mr. Jermyn said. “Besides, look here. We + can't go further in the matter. We've recovered the book. We must get back + to the ship.” + </p> + <p> + So the scheme of climbing up the water pipe came to nothing. We walked off + together wondering where the woman had got to. Long afterwards I learned + that she heard all that we said by the wall there. While we talked, she + was busy reloading her pistol, waiting. At the door of the court we paused + to pull out her knife from where it stuck. It was a not very large + dagger-knife, with a small woman's grip, inlaid with silver, but bound at + the guard with gold clasps. The end of the handle was also bound with + gold. The edge of the broad, cutting blade curved to a long sharp point. + The back was straight. On the blade was an inscription in Spanish, “Veneer + o Morir” (“To conquer or die”), with the maker's name, Luis Socartes, + Toledo, surrounded by a little twirligig. I have it in my hand as I write. + I value it more than anything in my possession. It serves to remind me of + a very remarkable woman. + </p> + <p> + “There, Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn. “There's a curiosity for you. Get one of + the seamen to make a sheath for it. Then you can wear it at your back on + your belt like a sailor.” + </p> + <p> + As we walked back to the ship, I told Mr. Jermyn all that I had seen of + the morning's adventure. He said that the whole, as far as he could make + it out, had been a carefully laid plot of some of James the Second's + spies. He treated me as an equal now. He seemed to think that I had saved + the Duke from a very dreadful danger. The horsey man, he said, was + evidently a trusted secret agent, who must have made friends with the + carpenter on some earlier visit of the schooner. He had planned his raid + on the Duke's papers very cleverly. He had arrived on board when no one + was about. He had bribed the carpenter (so we conjectured, piecing the + evidence together) to shout fire, when we were busy at breakfast. Then, + when all was ready, this woman, whoever she was, had gone forward to the + bo'sun's locker, where she had set fire to half a dozen of those + fumigating chemical candles which she had brought in her box. The candles + at once sputtered out immense volumes of evil smelling smoke. The + carpenter, watching his time, raised the alarm of fire, while the horsey + man, hidden below, waited till all were on deck to force the spring-locks + on the Duke's cabin-door. When once he had got inside the cabin, he had + worked with feverish speed, emptying all the drawers, ripping up the + mattress, even upsetting the books from the bookshelf, all in about two + minutes. Luckily the Duke kept nearly all his secret papers about his + person. The pocket-book was the only important exception. This, a very + secret list of all the Western gentry ready to rise, was locked in a + casket in a locked drawer. + </p> + <p> + “It shows you,” said Mr. Jermyn, “how well worked, that he did all this in + so little time. If you hadn't fallen on the nail, Martin, our friends in + the West would have fared badly. It was very clever of you to bring us out + of the danger.” When we got back aboard the schooner, we found, as we had + expected, that the men in league with the horsey man had deserted. Neither + carpenter nor boatswain was to be found. Both had bolted off in pursuit of + the horsey man at the moment of alarm, leaving their chests behind them. I + suppose they thought that the plot had succeeded. I dare say, too, that + the horsey man, who was evidently well known to them both, had given them + orders to desert in the confusion, so that he might suck their brains at + leisure elsewhere. Altogether, the morning's work from breakfast time till + ten was as full of moving incident as a quiet person's life. I have never + had a more exciting two hours. When I sat down to my own breakfast (which + I ate in the cabin among the gentlemen) I seemed to have grown five years + older. All three men made much of me. They brought out all sorts of + sweetmeats for me, saying I had saved them from disaster. The Duke was + especially kind. “Why, Jermyn,” he said, “we thought we'd found a clever + messenger; but we've found a guardian angel.” He gave me a belt made of + green Spanish leather, with a wonderfully wrought steel clasp. “Here,” he + said. “Wear this, Martin. Here's a holster on it for your pistol. These + pouches hold cartridges. Then this sheath at the back will hold your + dagger, the spoils of war.” + </p> + <p> + “There,” said the captain. “Now I'll give you something else to fit you + out. I'll give you a pocket flask. What's more, I'll teach you how to make + cartridges. We'll make a stock this morning.” + </p> + <p> + While he was speaking, the mate came down to tell us how sorry he was that + it was through him that the horsey man was shown over the ship. “He told + me he'd important letters for Mr. Scott,” he said, “so I thought it was + only right to show him about, while you was dressing. The carpenter came + to me. 'This gentleman's got letters for Mr. Scott,' he said. So I was + just taken in. He was such a smooth spoken chap. After I got to know, I + could 'a' bit my head off.” They spoke kindly to the man, who was + evidently distressed at his mistake. They told him to give orders for a + watchman to walk the gangway all day long in future, which to me sounded + like locking the stable door too late. After that, I learned how to make + pistol cartridges until the company prepared to go ashore. The chests of + the deserters were locked up in the lazaret, or store cupboard, so that if + the men came aboard again they might not take away their things. + </p> + <p> + “Before we start,” the Duke said, “I must just say this. We know, from + this morning's work, that the spies of the English court know much more + than we supposed. We may count it as certain that this ship is being + watched at this moment. Now, we must put them off the scent, because I + must see Argyle without their knowledge. It is not much good putting to + sea again, as a blind, for they can't help knowing that we are here to see + Argyle. They have only to watch Argyle's house to see us enter, sooner or + later. I suggest this as a blind. We ought to ride far out into the + country to Zaandam, say, by way of Amsterdam. That's about twenty miles. + Meanwhile Argyle shall come aboard here. The schooner shall take him up to + Egmont; he'll get there this afternoon. He must come aboard disguised + though. At Zaandam, we three will separate, Jermyn will personate me, + remaining in Zaandam. The boy shall carry letters in a hurry to Hoorn; + dummy letters, of course. While I shall creep off to meet Argyle—somewhere + else. If we start in a hurry they won't have time to organize a pursuit. + There are probably only a few secret agents waiting for us here. What do + you say?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said Mr. Jermyn. “I myself should say this. Send the boy on at once + to Egmont with a note to Stendhal the merchant there. They won't suspect + the boy. They won't bother to follow him, probably. Tell Stendhal to send + Out a galliot to take Argyle off the schooner while at sea. The galliot + can land Argyle somewhere on the coast. That would puzzle them rarely. She + can then ply to England, or elsewhere, so that her men won't have a chance + of talking. As for the schooner, she can proceed north to anchor at the + Texel till further orders. At the same time, we could ride south to + Noordwyk; find a barge there going north. Hide in her cabin till she + arrives, say, at Alkmaar. Meet Argyle somewhere near there. Then remain + hidden till it is time to move. We can set all the balls moving, by + sticking up a few bills in the towns.” I did not know what he meant by + this. Afterwards I learned that the conspirators took their instructions + from advertisements for servants, or of things lost, which were stuck up + in public places. To the initiated, these bills, seemingly innocent, gave + warning of the Duke's plan. Very few people in Holland (not more than + thirty I believe) were in the secret of his expedition. Most of these + thirty knew other loyalists, to whom, when the time came, they gave the + word. When the time came we were only about eighty men all told. That is + not a large force, is it, for the invasion of a populous kingdom? + </p> + <p> + They talked it out for a little while, making improvements on Mr. Jermyn's + plan. They had a map by them during some of the time. Before they made + their decision, they turned me out of the cabin, so that I know not to + this day what the Duke did during the next few days. I know only this, + that he disappeared from his enemies, so completely that the spies were + baffled. Not only James's spies, that is nothing: but the spies of William + of Orange were baffled. They knew no more of his whereabouts than I knew. + They had to write home that he had gone, they could not guess where; but + possibly to Scotland to sound the clans. All that I know of his doings + during the next week is this. After about half an hour of debate, the + captain went ashore to one of the famous inns in the town. From this inn, + he despatched, one by one, at brief intervals, three horses, each to a + different inn along the Egmont highway. He gave instructions to the + ostlers who rode them to wait outside the inns named till the gentlemen + called for them. He got the third horse off, in this quiet way, at the end + of about an hour. I believe that he then sent a printed book (with certain + words in it underlined, so as to form a message) by the hand of a little + girl, to the Duke of Argyle's lodging. I have heard that it was a book on + the training of horses to do tricks. There was probably some cipher + message in it, as well as the underlined message. Whatever it was, it gave + the Duke his instructions. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0009" id="link2HCH0009"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER IX. I SEE MORE OF MY FRIEND + </h2> + <p> + After waiting for about an hour in the schooner, I was sent ashore with a + bottle-basket, with very precise instructions in what I was to do. I was + to follow the road towards Haarlem, till I came to the inn near the + turning of the Egmont highway. There I was to leave my bottle-basket, + asking (or, rather, handing over a written request) for it to be filled + with bottles of the very best gin. After paying for this, I was to direct + it to be sent aboard the schooner by the ostler (who was waiting at the + door with a horse) the last of those ordered by the captain. I was then to + walk the horse along the Egmont road, till I saw or heard an open carriage + coming behind. Then I was to trot, keeping ahead of the carriage, but not + far from it, till I was past the third tavern. After that, if I was not + recalled by those in the carriage, I was free to quicken up my pace. I was + then to ride straight ahead, till I got to Egmont, a twenty mile ride to + the north. There I was to deliver up my horse at the Zwolle-Haus inn, + before enquiring for M. Stendhal, the East India merchant. To him I was to + give a letter, which for safety was rolled into a blank cartridge in my + little pistol cartridge box. After that, I was to stay at M. Stendhal's + house, keeping out of harm's way, till I received further orders from my + masters. + </p> + <p> + You may be sure that I thought myself a fine figure of gallantry as I + stepped out with my bottle-basket. I was a King's secret agent. I had a + King's letter hidden about my person. I was armed with fine weapons, which + I longed to be using. I had been under fire for my King's sake. I was also + still tingling with my King's praise. It was a warm, sunny April day; that + was another thing to fill me with gladness. Soon I should be mounted on a + nag, riding out in a strange land, on a secret mission, with a pocket full + of special service money. Whatever I had felt in the few days of the + sea-passage was all forgotten now. I did not even worry about not knowing + the language. It would keep me from loitering to chatter. My schoolboy + French would probably be enough for all purposes if I vent astray. I was + “to avoid chance acquaintances, particularly if they spoke English.” That + was my last order. Repeating it to myself I walked on briskly. + </p> + <p> + I had not gone more than three hundred yards upon my way, when a lady, + very richly dressed, cantered slowly past me on a fine bay mare. She was + followed by a gentleman in scarlet, riding on a little black Arab. They + had not gone a hundred yards past me when the Arab picked up a stone. The + man dismounted to pick it out, while the lady rode back to hold the horse, + which was a ticklish job, since he was as fresh as a colt. He went + squirming about like an eel. The man had no hook to pick the stone with; + nor could he get it out by his fingers. I could hear him growling under + his breath in some strange language, while the horse sidled about as + wicked as he could be. + </p> + <p> + As I approached, the horse grew so troublesome that the man decided to + take him back to the town, to have the stone pulled there. He was just + starting to lead him back when I came up with them. He asked me some + question in a tongue which I did not know. He probably asked me if I had a + hook. I shook my head. The lady said something to him in French, which + made him laugh. Then he began to lead back the horse towards the town. The + lady, after waving her hand to him, started to ride slowly forward in + front of me. Like most ladies at that time she wore a little black velvet + domino mask over her eyes. All people could ride in those days; but I + remember it occurred to me that this lady rode beautifully. So many women + look like meal-sacks in the saddle. This one rode as though she were a + part of the horse. + </p> + <p> + She kept about twenty yards ahead of me till I sighted the inn, where an + ostler was walking the little nag which I was to ride. She halted at the + inn-door, looking back towards the town for her companion. Then, without + calling to anybody, she dismounted, flinging her mare's reins over a hook + in the wall. She went into the inn boldly, drawing her whip through her + left hand. When I entered the inn-door a moment later, she was talking in + Dutch to the landlord, who was bowing to her as though she were a great + lady. + </p> + <p> + I handed over my bottle-basket, with the letter, to a woman who served the + customers at the drinking bar. Then, as I was going out to take my horse, + the lady spoke to me in broken English. + </p> + <p> + “Walk my horse, so he not take cold,” she said. It was in the twilight of + the passage from the door, so that I could not see her very clearly, but + the voice was certainly like the voice of the woman who had fired at me in + the courtyard. Or was I right? That voice was on my nerves. It seemed to + be the voice of all the strangers in the town. I looked up at her quickly. + She was masked; yet the grey eyes seemed to gleam beyond the velvet, much + as that woman's eyes had gleamed. Her mouth; her chin; the general poise + of her body, all convinced me. She was the woman who had carried away the + book from Longshore Jack. I was quite sure of it. I pretended not to + understand her. I dropped my eyes, without stopping; she flicked me + lightly with her whip to draw my attention. + </p> + <p> + “Walk my horse,” she said again, with a little petulance in her voice. I + saw no way out of it. If I refused, she would guess (if she did not know + already) that I was not there only for bottles of gin. “Oui, + mademoiselle,” I said. “Oui. Merci.” So out I went to where the mare + stood. She followed me to the door to see me take the mare. There was no + escape; she was going to delay me at the door till the man returned. I + patted the lovely creature's neck. I was very well used to horses, for in + the Broad Country a man must ride almost as much as he must row. But I was + not so taken up with this mare that I did not take good stock of the lady, + who, for her part, watched me pretty narrowly, as though she meant never + to forget me. I began to walk the beast in the road in front of the inn, + wondering how in the world I was to get out of the difficulty before the + Duke's carriage arrived. There was the woman watching me, with a satirical + smile. She was evidently enjoying the sight of my crestfallen face. + </p> + <p> + Now in my misery a wild thought occurred to me. I began to time my walking + of the mare so that I was walking towards Sandfoort, while the other + horse-boy was walking with my nag towards Egmont on the other side of the + inn. I had read that in desperate cases the desperate remedy is the only + measure to be tried. While I was walking away from the inn I drew the + dagger, the spoils of war. I drew it very gently as though I were merely + buttoning my waistcoat. Then with one swift cut I drew it nine-tenths + through the girth. I did nothing more for that turn, though I only bided + my time. After a turn or two more, the other horse-boy was called up to + the inn by the lady to receive a drink of beer. No doubt she was going to + question him (as he drank) about the reason for his being there. He walked + up leisurely, full of smiles at the beer, leaving his nag fast to a hook + in the wall some dozen yards from the door. This was a better chance than + I had hoped for; so drawing my dagger, I resolved to put things to the + test. I ripped the reins off the mare close to the bit. Then with a loud + shout followed by a whack in the flank, I frightened that lovely mare + right into them, almost into the inn-door. Before they knew what had + happened I was at my own horse's head swiftly casting off the reins from + the hook. Before they had turned to pursue me, I was in the saddle, going + at a quick trot towards Egmont, while the mare was charging down the road + behind me, with her saddle under her belly, giving her the fright of her + life. + </p> + <p> + An awful thought came to me. “Supposing the lady is not the English spy, + what an awful thing I have done. Even if she be, what right have I to cut + her horse's harness? They may put me in prison for it. Besides, what an + ass I have been. If she is what I think, she will know now that I am her + enemy, engaged on very special service.” Looking back at the inn-door, I + saw a party of people gesticulating in the road. A man was shouting to me. + Others seemed to be laughing. Then, to my great joy, round the turn of the + road came an open carriage with two horses, going at a good pace. There + came my masters. All was well. I chuckled to myself as I thought of the + lady's face, when these two passed her, leaving her without means of + following them. When we were well out of sight of the inn, I rode back to + the carriage to report, wondering how they would receive my news. They + received it with displeasure, saying that I had disobeyed my orders, not + only in acting as I had done; but in coming back to tell them. They bade + me ride on at once to Egmont, before I was arrested for cutting the lady's + harness. As for their own plans, whatever they were, my action altered + them. I do not know what they did. I know that I turned away with a flea + in my ear from the Duke's reproof. I remember not very much of my ride to + Egmont, except that I seemed to ride most of the time among sand-dunes. I + glanced back anxiously to see if I was being pursued; but no one followed. + I rode on at the steady lope, losing sight of the carriage, passing by + dune after dune, rising windmill after windmill, to drop them behind me as + I rode. In that low country, I had the gleam of the sea to my left hand, + with the sails of ships passing by me. The wind freshened as I rode, till + at last my left cheek felt the continual stinging of the sand grains, + whirled up by the wind from the bents. Where the sea-beach broadened, I + rode on the sands. The miles dropped past quickly enough, though I rode + only at the lope, not daring to hurry my horse. I kept this my pace even + when going through villages, where the people in their strange Dutch + clothes hurried out to stare at me as I bucketed by. I passed by acre + after acre of bulb-fields, mostly tulip-fields, now beginning to be full + of colour. Once, for ten minutes, I rode by a broad canal, where a barge + with a scarlet transom drove along under sail, spreading the ripples, + keeping alongside me. The helmsman, who was smoking a pipe as he eyed the + luff of his sail, waved his hand to me, as I loped along beside him. You + would not believe it; but he was one of the Oulton fishermen, a man whom I + had known for years. I had seen that tan-sailed barge many, many times, + rushing up the Waveney from Somer Leyton, with that same quiet figure at + her helm. I would have loved to have called out “Oh, Hendry. How are you? + Fancy seeing you here.” But I dared not betray myself; nor did Hendry + recognize me. After the road swung away from the canal, I watched that + barge as long as she remained in sight, thinking that while she was there + I had a little bit of Oulton by me. + </p> + <p> + At last, far away I saw the church of Egmont, rising out of a flat land + (not unlike the Broad land) on which sails were passing in a misty + distance. I rose in my stirrups with a holloa; for now, I thought, I was + near my journey's end. I clapped my horse's neck, promising him an apple + for his supper. Then, glancing back, I looked out over the land. The + Oulton barge was far away now, a patch of dark sail drawing itself slowly + across the sky. Out to sea a great ship seemed to stand still upon the + skyline. But directly behind me, perhaps a mile away, perhaps two miles, + clearly visible on the white straight ribbon of road, a clump of gallopers + advanced, quartering across the road towards me. There may have been + twenty of them all told; some of them seemed to ride in ranks like + soldiers. I made no doubt when I caught sight of them that they were + coming after me, about that matter of the lady's harness. My first impulse + was to pull up, so that Old Blunderbore, as I had christened my horse, + might get his breath. But I decided not to stop, as I knew how dangerous a + thing it is to stop a horse in his pace after he has settled down to it, + had still three miles to go to shelter. If I could manage the three miles + all would be well. But could manage them? Old Blunderbore had taken the + eighteen miles we had come together very easily. Now I was thankful that I + had not pressed him in the early part of the ride. But Egmont seemed a + long, long way from me. I dared not begin to gallop so far from shelter. I + went loping on as before, with my heart in my mouth, feeling like one + pursued in a nightmare. + </p> + <p> + As I looked around, to see these gallopers coming on, while I was still + lollopping forward, I felt that I was tied by the legs, unable to move. + Each instant made it more difficult for me to keep from shaking up my + horse. Continual promptings flashed into my mind, urging me to bolt down + somewhere among the dunes. These plans I set aside as worthless; for a boy + would soon have been caught among those desolate sandhills. There was no + real hiding among them. You could see any person among them from a mile + away. I kept on ahead, longing for that wonderful minute when I could + hurry my horse, in the wild rush to Egmont town, the final wild rush, on + the nag's last strength, with my pursuers, now going their fastest, + trailing away behind, as their beasts foundered. The air came singing + past. I heard behind me the patter of the turf sent flying by Old + Blunderbore's hoofs. The excitement of the ride took vigorous hold on me. + I felt on glancing back that I should do it, that I should carry my + message, that the Dutchman should see my mettle, before they stopped me. + They were coming up fast on horses still pretty fresh. I would show them, + I said to myself, what a boy can do on a spent horse. + </p> + <p> + Old Blunderbore lollopped on. I clapped him on the neck. “Come up, boy! + Up!” I cried. “Egmont—Egmont! Come on, Old Blunderbore!” The good + old fellow shook his head up with a whinny. He could see Egmont. He could + smell the good corn perhaps. I banged him with my cap on the shoulder. + “Up, boy!” I cried. I felt that even if I died, even if I was shot there, + as I sailed along with my King's orders, I should have tasted life in that + wild gallop. + </p> + <p> + A countryman carrying a sack put down his load to stare at me, for now, + with only a mile to go, I was going a brave gait, as fast as Old + Blunderbore could manage. I saw the man put up his hands in pretended + terror. The next instant he was far behind, wondering no doubt why the + charging squadron beyond were galloping after a boy. Now we were rushing + at our full speed, with half a mile, a quarter of a mile, two hundred + yards to the town gates. Carts drew to one side, hearing the clatter. I + shouted to drive away the children. Poultry scattered as though the king + of the foxes was abroad. After me came the thundering clatter of the + pursuit. I could hear distant shouts. The nearest man there was a quarter + of a mile away. A man started out to catch my rein, thinking that my horse + had run away with me. I banged him in the face with my cap as I swung past + him. In another second, as it seemed, I was pulled up inside the gates. + </p> + <p> + As far as I remember,—but it is all rather blurred now,—the + place where I pulled up was a sort of public square. I swung myself off + Old Blunderbore just outside a tavern. An ostler ran up to me at once to + hold him. So I gave him a silver piece what it was worth I did not know, + saying firmly “Zwolle-Haus. Go on. Zwolle-Haus.” + </p> + <p> + The ostler smiled as he repeated Zwolle-Haus, pointing to the tavern + itself, which, by good luck, was the very house. + </p> + <p> + “M. Stendhal,” I said. “Where is M. Stendhal? Mynheer Stendhal? Mynheer + Stendhal Haus?” + </p> + <p> + The ostler repeated, “Stendhal? Stendhal? Ah, ja. Stendhal. Da.” He + pointed down a narrow street which led, as I could see, to a canal wharf. + </p> + <p> + I thanked him in English, giving him another silver piece. Then off I + went, tottering on my toes with the strangeness of walking after so long a + ride. I was not out of the wood yet, by a long way. At every second, as I + hurried on, I expected to hear cries of my pursuers, as they charged down + the narrow street after me. I tried to run, but my legs felt so funny, it + was like running in a dream. I just felt that I was walking on pillows, + instead of legs. Luckily that little narrow street was only fifty yards + long. It was with a great gasp of relief that I got to the end of it. When + I could turn to my right out of sight of the square I felt that I was + saved. I had been but a minute ahead of the pursuers outside on the open. + Directly after my entrance, some cart or waggon went out of the town, + filling the narrow gateway full, so that my enemies were forced to pull + up. This gave me a fair start, without which I could hardly have won + clear. If it had not been for that lucky waggon, who knows what would have + happened? + </p> + <p> + As it was, I tottered along with drawn pistol to the door of a great house + (luckily for me the only house), which fronted the canal. I must have + seemed a queer object, coming in from my ride like that, in a peaceful + Dutch town. If I had chanced upon a magistrate I suppose I should have + been locked up; but luck was with me on that day. I chanced only on + Mynheer Stendhal as he sat smoking among his tulips in the front of his + mansion. He jumped up with a “God bless me!” when he saw me. + </p> + <p> + “Mynheer Stendhal?” I asked. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he said in good English. “What is it, boy?” + </p> + <p> + “Take me in quick,” I said. “They're after me.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER X. SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT + </h2> + <p> + In another minute, after Mr. Stendhal had read my note, I was skinning off + my clothes in an upper bedroom. Within three minutes I was dressed like a + Dutch boy, in huge baggy striped trousers belonging to Stendhal's son. In + four minutes the swift Mr. Stendhal had walked me across the wharf in + sabots to one of the galliots in the canal, which he ordered under way at + once, to pick up Argyle at sea. So that when my pursuers rode up to Mr. + Stendhal's door in search of me, I was a dirty little Dutch boy casting + off a stern-hawser from a ring bolt. They seemed to storm at Mr. Stendhal; + but I don't know what they said; he acted the part of surprised + indignation to the life. When I looked my last on Mr. Stendhal he was at + the door, begging a search party to enter to see for themselves that I was + not hidden there. The galliot got under way, at that moment, with a good + deal of crying out from her sailors. As she swung away into the canal, I + saw the handsome lady idly looking on. She was waiting at the door with + the other riders. She was the only woman there. To show her that I was a + skilled seaman I cast off the stern-hawser nimbly, then dropped on to the + deck like one bred to the trade. A moment later I was aloft, casting loose + the gaff-topsail. From that fine height as the barge began to move I saw + the horsemen turning away foiled. I saw the lady's leathered hat, making a + little dash of green among the drab of the riding coats. Then an outhouse + hid them all from sight. I was in a sea-going barge, bound out, under all + sail, along a waterway lined with old reeds, all blowing down with a + rattling shiver. + </p> + <p> + Now I am not going to tell you much more of my Holland experiences. I was + in that barge for about one whole fortnight, during which I think I saw + the greater part of the Dutch canals. We picked up Argyle at sea on the + first day. After that we went to Amsterdam with a cargo of hides. Then we + wandered about at the wind's will, thinking that it might puzzle people, + if any one should have stumbled on the right scent. All that fortnight was + a long delightful picnic to me. The barge was so like an Oulton wherry + that I was at home in her. I knew what to do, it was not like being in the + schooner. When we were lying up by a wharf, I used to spend my spare hours + in fishing, or in flinging fiat pebbles from a cleft-stick at the + water-rats. When we were under sail I used to sit aloft in the + cross-trees, looking out at the distant sea. At night, after a supper of + strong soup, we all turned in to our bunks in the tiny cabin, from the + scuttle of which I could see a little patch of sky full of stars. + </p> + <p> + A boy lives very much in the present. I do not think that I thought much + of the Duke's service, nor of our venture for the crown. If I thought at + all of our adventures, I thought of the handsome woman with the grey, + fierce eyes. In a way, I hoped that might have another tussle with her, + not because I liked adventure, no sane creature does, but because I + thought of her with liking. I felt that she would be such a brave, witty + person to have for a friend. I felt sad somehow at the thought of not + seeing her again. She was quite young, not more than twenty, if her looks + did not belie her. I used to wonder how it was that she had come to be a + secret agent. I believed that the sharp-faced horsey man had somehow + driven her to it against her will. Thinking of her at night, before I fell + asleep, I used to long to help her. It is curious, but I always thought + tenderly of this woman, even though she had twice tried to kill me. A + man's bad angel is only his good angel a little warped. + </p> + <p> + On the second of May, though I did not know it then, Argyle set sail for + Scotland, to raise the clans for a foray across the Border. On the same + day I was summoned from my quarters in the barge to take up my King's + service. Late one evening, when it was almost dark night, Mr. Jermyn + halted at the wharf-side to call me from my supper. “Mount behind me, + Martin,” he said softly, peering down the hatch. “It's time, now.” I + thought he must mean that it was time to invade England. You must remember + that I knew little of the rights of the case, except that the Duke's cause + was the one favoured by my father, dead such a little while before. Yet + when I heard that sudden summons, it went through me with a shock that now + this England was to be the scene of a bloody civil war, father fighting + son, brother against brother. I would rather have been anywhere at that + moment than where I was, hearing that order. Still, I had put my hand to + the plough. There was no drawing back. I rose up with my eyes full of + tears to say good-bye to the kind Dutch bargemen. I never saw them again. + In a moment I was up the wharf, scrambling into the big double saddle + behind Mr. Jermyn. Before my eyes were accustomed to the darkness we were + trotting off into the night I knew not whither. + </p> + <p> + “Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn, half turning in his saddle, “talk in a low + voice. There may be spies anywhere.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir,” I answered, meekly. For a while after that we were silent; I + was waiting for him to tell me more. + </p> + <p> + “Martin,” he said at length, “we're going to send you to England, with a + message.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir?” I answered. + </p> + <p> + “You understand that there's danger, boy?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Life is full of danger. But for his King a Christian man must be content + to run risks. You aren't afraid, Martin?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” I answered bravely. I was afraid, all the same. I doubt if any + boy my age would have felt very brave, riding in the night like that, with + danger of spies all about. + </p> + <p> + “That's right, Martin,” he said kindly. “That's the kind of boy I thought + you.” Again we were quiet, till at last he said: + </p> + <p> + “You're going in a barquentine to Dartmouth. Can you remember Blick of + Kingswear?” + </p> + <p> + “Blick of Kingswear,” I repeated. “Yes, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “He's the man you're to go to.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir. What am I to tell him?” + </p> + <p> + “Tell him this, Martin. Listen carefully. This, now. King Golden Cap. + After Six One.” + </p> + <p> + “King Golden Cap. After Six One,” I repeated. “Blick of Kingswear. King + Golden Cap. After Six One.” + </p> + <p> + “That's right,” he said. “Repeat it over. Don't forget a word of it. But I + know you're too careful a lad to do that.” There was no fear of my + forgetting it. I think that message is burned in into my brain under the + skull-bones. + </p> + <p> + “There'll be cipher messages, too, Martin. They're also for Mr. Blick. + You'll carry a little leather satchel, with letters sewn into the flap. + You'll carry stockings in the satchel. Or school-books. You are Mr. + Blick's sister's son, left an orphan in Holland. You'll be in mourning. + Your mother died of low-fever, remember, coming over to collect a debt + from her factor. Your mother was an Oulton fish-boat owner. Pay attention + now. I'm going to cross-examine you in your past history.” + </p> + <p> + As we rode on into the gloom, in the still, flat, misty land, which + gleamed out at whiles with water dykes, he cross-examined me in detail, in + several different ways, just as a magistrate would have done it. I was + soon letter-perfect about my mother. I knew Mr. Blick's past history as + well as I knew my own. + </p> + <p> + “Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn suddenly. “Do you hear anything?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir,” I answered. “I think I do, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “What is it you hear, Martin?” + </p> + <p> + “I think I hear a horse's hoofs, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Behind us?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir. A long way behind.” + </p> + <p> + “Hold on then, boy. I'm going to pull up.” + </p> + <p> + We halted for an instant in the midst of a wide fiat desert, the loneliest + place on God's earth. For an instant in the stillness we heard the trot + trot of a horse's hoofs. Then the unseen rider behind us halted, too, as + though uncertain how to ride, with our hoofs silent. + </p> + <p> + “There,” said Mr. Jermyn. “You see. Now we'll make him go on again.” He + shook the horse into his trot again, talking to him in a little low voice + that shook with excitement. Sure enough, after a moment the trot sounded + out behind us. It was as though our wraiths were riding behind us, + following us home. “I'll make sure,” said Mr. Jermyn, pulling up again. + </p> + <p> + “You're a cunning dog,” he said gently. “You heard that?” Indeed, it + sounded uncanny. The unseen rider had feared to pull up, guessing that we + had guessed his intentions. Instead of pulling up he did a much more + ominous thing, he slowed his pace perceptibly. We could hear the change in + the beat of the horse-hoofs. “Cunning lad,” said Mr. Jermyn. “I've a good + mind to shoot that man, Martin. He's following us. Pity it's so dark. One + can never be sure in the dark like this. But I don't know. I'd like to see + who it is.” + </p> + <p> + We trotted on again at our usual pace. Presently, something occurred to + me. Mr. Jermyn, I said; “would you like me to see who it is? I could slip + off as we go. I could lie down flat so that he would pass against the sky. + Then you could come back for me.” + </p> + <p> + He did not like the scheme at first. He said that it would be too dark for + me to see anybody; but that when we were nearer to the town it might be + done. So we rode on at our quick trot for a couple of more, hearing always + behind us a faint beat of upon the road, like the echo of our own hoofs. + After a time they stopped suddenly, nor did we hear them again. + </p> + <p> + “D'you know what he's done, Martin?” said Mr. Jermyn. + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” I answered. + </p> + <p> + “He's muffled his horse's hoofs with duffle shoes. A sort of thick felt + slippers. He was in too great a hurry to do that before. There are the + lights of the town.” + </p> + <p> + “Shall I get down, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “If you can without my pulling up. Don't speak. But lay your head on the + road. You'll hear the horse, then, if I'm right.” + </p> + <p> + “Then I'll lie still,” I said, “to see if I can see who it is.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes. But make no sign. He may shoot. He may take you for a footpad. I'll + ride back to you in a minute.” + </p> + <p> + He slowed down the horse so that I could slip off unheard on to the turf + by the roadside. When he had gone a little distance, I laid my ear to the + road. Sure enough, the noise of the other horse was faint but plain in the + distance, coming along on the road, avoiding the turf. The turf vas + trenched in many drains, so as to make dangerous riding at night. I lay + down flat on the turf, with my pistol in my hand. I was excited; but I + remember that I enjoyed it. I felt so like an ancient Briton lying in wait + for his enemy. I tried to guess the distance of this strange horse from + me. It is always difficult to judge either distance or location by sound, + when the wind is blowing. The horse hoofs sounded about a quarter of a + mile away. I know not how far they really were. Very soon I could see the + black moving mass coming quietly along the road. The duffle hoof-wraps + made a dull plodding noise near at hand. Nearer the unknown rider came, + suspecting nothing. I could see him bent forward, peering out ahead. I + could even take stock of him, dark though it was. He was a not very tall + man, wearing a full Spanish riding cloak. It seemed to me that he checked + his horse's speed somewhere in the thirty yards before he passed me. Then, + just as he passed, just as I had a full view of him, blackly outlined + against the stars, his horse shied violently at me, on to the other side + of the road. The rider swung him about on the instant to make him face the + danger. I could see him staring down at me, as he bent forward to pat his + horse's neck. I bent my head down so that my face was hidden in the grass. + </p> + <p> + The stranger did not see me. I am quite sure that he did not see me. He + turned his horse back along the road for a few snorting paces. Then with a + sounding slap on his shoulder he drove him at a fast pace along the turf + towards me. I heard the brute whinny. He was uneasy; he was trying to shy; + he was twisting away, trying to avoid the strange thing which lay there. I + hid my head no longer. I saw the horse above me. I saw the rider glaring + down. He was going to ride over me. I saw his face, a grey blur under his + hat. The horse seemed to be right on top of me. I started up to my feet + with a cry. The horse shied into the road, with a violence which made the + rider rock. Then, throwing up his head, he bolted towards the town, half + mad with the scare. Fifty yards down the road he tore past Mr. Jermyn, who + was trotting back to pick me up. We heard the frantic hoofs pass away into + the night, growing louder as the duffle wraps were kicked off. Perhaps you + have noticed how the very sound of the gallop of a scared horse conveys + fear. That is what we felt, we two conspirators, as we talked together, + hearing that clattering alarm-note die away. + </p> + <p> + “Martin,” said Mr. Jermyn. “That was a woman. She chuckled as she galloped + past me.” + </p> + <p> + “Are you sure, sir?” I asked, half-hoping that he might be right. I felt + my heart leap at the thought of being in another adventure with the lady. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he said, “I'm quite sure. Now we must be quick, so as to give her + no time in the town.” When I had mounted, we forced the horse to a gallop + till we were within a quarter of a mile of the walls, where we pulled up + at a cross-roads. + </p> + <p> + “Get down, Martin,” he said. “We must enter the town by different roads. + Turn off here to the right. Then take the next two turns to the left, + which will bring you into the square. I shall meet you there. Take your + time. There's no hurry.” + </p> + <p> + About ten minutes later, I was stopped in a dark quiet alley by a hand on + the back of my neck. I saw no one. I heard no noise of breathing. In the + pitch blackness of the night the hand arrested me. It was like my spine + suddenly stiffening to a rod of ice. “Quiet,” said a strange voice before + I could scream. “Off with those Dutch clothes. Put on these. Off with + those sabots.” I was in a suit of English clothes in less than a minute. + “Boots,” the voice said in my ear. “Pull them on.” They were long leather + knee-boots, supple from careful greasing. In one of them I felt something + hard. My heart leapt as I felt it. + </p> + <p> + It was a long Italian stiletto. I felt myself a seaman indeed, nay, more + than a seaman, a secret agent, with a pair of such boots upon me, + “heeled,” as the sailors call it, with such a weapon. “Go straight on,” + said the voice. + </p> + <p> + As I started to go straight on, there was a sort of rustling behind me. + Some black figure seemed to vanish from me. Whoever the man was that had + brought me the clothes, he had vanished, just as an Indian will vanish + into grass six inches high. Thinking over my strange adventures, I think + that that changing of my clothes in the night was almost the most strange + of all. It was so eerie, that he should be there at all, a part of Mr. + Jermyn's plan, fitting into it exactly, though undreamed of by me. Would + indeed that all Mr. Jermyn's plans had carried through so well. But it was + not to be. One ought not to grumble. + </p> + <p> + A few steps farther on, I came to a public square, on one side of which + (quite close to where I stood) was a wharf, crowded with shipping. I had + hardly expected the sea to be so near, somehow, but seeing it like that I + naturally stopped to look for the ship which was to carry me. The only + barquentine among the ships lay apart from the others, pointing towards + the harbour entrance. She seemed to be a fine big vessel, as far as I + could judge in that light. I lingered there for some few minutes, looking + at the ships, wondering why it was that Mr. Jermyn had not met me. I was + nervous about it. My nerves were tense from all the excitement of the + night. One cannot stand much excitement for long. I had had enough + excitement that night to last me through the week. As I stood looking at + the ships, I began to feel a horror of the wharf-side. I felt as though + the very stones of the place were my enemies, lying in wait for me. I + cannot explain the feeling more clearly than that. It was due probably to + the loneliness of the great empty square, dark as a tomb. Then, expecting + Mr. Jermyn, but failing to meet with him, was another cause for dread. I + thought, in my nervousness, that I should be in a fine pickle if any + enemies made away with Mr. Jermyn, leaving me alone, in a strange land, + with only a few silver pieces in my pocket. Still, Mr. Jermyn was long in + coming. My anxiety was almost more than I could bear. + </p> + <p> + At last, growing fearful that I had somehow missed him at the mouth of the + dark alley, I walked slowly back in my tracks, wishing that I had a + thicker jacket, since it was beginning to rain rather smartly. There was a + great sort of inn on the side of the square to which I walked. It had + lights on the second floor. The great windows of that story opened on to + balconies, in what is, I believe, the Spanish way of building. I remember + feeling bitterly how cheery the warm lights looked, inside there, where + the people were. I stood underneath the balcony out of the rain, looking + out sharply towards the alley, expecting at each instant to see Mr. + Jermyn. Still he did not come. I dared not move from where I was lest I + should miss him. I racked my brains to try to remember if I had obeyed + orders exactly. I wondered whether I had come to the right square. I began + to imagine all kinds of evil things which might have happened to him. + Perhaps that secret fiend of a woman had been too many for him. Perhaps + some other secret service people had waylaid him as he entered the town. + Perhaps he was even then in bonds in some cellar, being examined for + letters by some of the usurper's men. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XI. AURELIA + </h2> + <p> + While I was fretting myself into a state of hysteria, the catch of one of + the great window-doors above me was pushed back. Someone came out on the + balcony just over my head. It was a woman, evidently in some great + distress, for she was sobbing bitterly. I thought it mean to stand there + hearing her cry, so I moved away. As I walked off, the window opened + again. A big heavy-looted man came out. + </p> + <p> + “Stop crying, Aurelia,” the voice said. “Here's the stuff. Put it in your + pocket.” + </p> + <p> + “I can't,” the woman answered. “I can't.” + </p> + <p> + I stopped moving away when I heard that voice. It was the voice of the + Longshore Jack woman who had had those adventures with me. I should have + known her voice anywhere, even choked as it then was with sobs. It was a + good voice, of a pleasant quality, but with a quick, authoritative ring. + </p> + <p> + “I can't,” she said. “I can't, Father.” + </p> + <p> + “Put it in your pocket,” her father said. “No rubbish of that sort. You + must.” + </p> + <p> + “It would kill me. I couldn't,” she answered. “I should hate myself + forever.” + </p> + <p> + “No more of that to me,” said the cold, hard voice with quiet passion. + “Your silly scruples aren't going to outweigh a nation's need. There it is + in your pocket. Be careful you don't use too much. If you fail again, + remember, you'll earn your own living. Oh, you bungler! When I think of—” + </p> + <p> + “I'm no bungler. You know it,” she answered passionately. “I planned + everything. You silly men never backed me up. Who was it guessed right + this time? I suppose you think you'd have come here without my help? + That's like a man.” + </p> + <p> + “Don't stand there rousing the town, Aurelia,” the man said. “Come in out + of the rain at once. Get yourself ready to start.” + </p> + <p> + As the window banged to behind them, a figure loomed up out of the night—two + figures, more. I sprang to one side; but they were too quick for me. + Someone flung an old flour-sack over my head. Before I was ready to + struggle I was lying flat on the pavement, with a man upon my chest. + </p> + <p> + “It's him,” said a voice. “You young rip, where are the letters?” + </p> + <p> + “What letters?” I said, struggling, choking against the folds of the sack. + </p> + <p> + “Rip up his boots,” said another. “Dig him with a knife if he won't + answer.” + </p> + <p> + “Bring him in to the Colonel,” said the first. + </p> + <p> + “I've got no letters,” I said. + </p> + <p> + “Lift him up quick,” said the man who had suggested the knife. “In with + him. Here's the watch.” + </p> + <p> + “Quick, boys,” the leader said. “We mustn't be caught at this game.” + </p> + <p> + Steps sounded somewhere in the square. Hearing them, I squealed with all + my strength, hoping that somebody would come. + </p> + <p> + “Choke him,” said one of the men. + </p> + <p> + I gave one more loud squeal before they jammed the sack on my mouth. To my + joy, the feet broke into a run. They were the feet of the watch, coming to + my rescue. + </p> + <p> + “Up with him,” said the leader among my captors. “Quick, in to the Colonel + with him.” + </p> + <p> + “No, no! Drop it. I'm off. Here's the watch,” cried the other hurriedly. + </p> + <p> + They let me drop on to the pavement after half lifting me. In five seconds + more they were scattering to shelter. As I rose to my feet, flinging off + the flour-sack, I found myself in the midst of the city watch, about a + dozen men, all armed, whose leader carried a lantern. The windows of the + great inn were open; people were thronging on to the balcony to see what + the matter was; citizens came to their house-doors. At that moment, Mr. + Jermyn appeared. The captain of the guard was asking questions in Dutch. + The guardsmen were peering at my face in the lantern light. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Jermyn questioned me quickly as to what had happened. He interpreted + my tale to the guard. I was his servant, he told them. I had been attacked + by unknown robbers, some of whom, at least, were English. One of them had + tried to stifle me with a flour-sack, which, on examination under the + lantern, proved to be the sack of Robert Harling, Corn-miller, Eastry. + Goodness knows how it came to be there; for ship's flour travels in cask. + Mr. Jermyn gave an address, where we could be found if any of the villains + were caught; but he added that it was useless to expect me to identify any + of them, since the attack had been made in the dark, with the victim + securely blindfolded. He gave the leader of the men some money. The guard + moved away to look for the culprits (long before in hiding, one would + think), while Mr. Jermyn took me away with him. + </p> + <p> + As we went, I looked up at the inn balcony, from which several heads + looked down upon us. Behind them, in the lighted room, in profile, in full + view, was the lady of the fierce eyes. I knew her at once, in spite of the + grey Spanish (man's) hat she wore, slouched over her face. She was all + swathed in a Spanish riding cloak. One took her for a handsome young man. + But I knew that she was my enemy. I knew her name now, too; Aurelia. She + was looking down at me, or rather at us, for she could not have made out + our faces. Her face was sad. She seemed uninterested; she had, perhaps, + enough sorrow of her own at that moment, without the anxieties of others. + A big, burly, hulking, handsome person of the swaggering sort which used + to enter the army in those days, left the balcony hurriedly. I saw him at + the window, speaking earnestly to her, pointing to the square, in which, + already, the darkness hid us. I saw the listlessness fall from her. She + seemed to waken up into intense life in an instant. She walked with a + swift decision peculiar to her away from the window, leaving the hulking + fellow, an elderly, dissolute-looking man, with the wild puffy eyes of the + drinker, to pick his teeth in full view of the square. + </p> + <p> + When we left watching our enemies, Mr. Jermyn bade me walk on tiptoe. We + scurried away across the square diagonally, pausing twice to listen for + pursuers. No one seemed to be following. There was not much sense in + following; for the guard was busy searching for suspicious persons. We + heard them challenging passers-by, with a rattle of their halberds on the + stones, to make their answers prompt. We were safe enough from persecution + for the time. We went down a dark street into a dark alley. From the alley + we entered a courtyard, the sides of which were vast houses. We entered + one of these houses. The door seemed to open in the mysterious way which + had puzzled me so much in Fish Lane. Mr. Jermyn smiled when I asked him + how this was done. “Go on in, boy,” he said. “There are many queer things + in lives like ours.” He gave me a shove across the threshold, while the + door closed itself silently behind us. + </p> + <p> + He took me into a room which was not unlike a marine store of the better + sort. There were many sailor things (all of the very best quality) lying + in neat heaps on long oak shelves against the walls. In the middle of the + room a table was laid for dinner. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Jermyn made me eat a hearty meal before starting, which I did. As I + ate, he fidgeted about among some lockers at my back. Presently, as I + began to sip some wine which he had poured out for me, he put something + over my shoulders. + </p> + <p> + “Here,” he said, “this is the satchel, Martin. Keep the straps drawn tight + always. Don't take it off till you give it into Mr. Blick's hands. His own + hands, remember. Don't take it off even at night. When you lie down, lash + it around your neck with spun-yarn.” All this I promised most faithfully + to do. “But,” I said, examining the satchel, which was like an ordinary + small old weather-beaten satchel for carrying books, “where are the + letters, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “Sewn into the double,” he answered. “You wouldn't be able to sew so + neatly as that. Would you, now?” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, yes, I should, sir,” I replied. “I am a pretty good hand with a + sail-needle. The Oulton fishermen used to teach me the stitches. I can do + herring-bone stitch. I can even put a cringle into a sail.” + </p> + <p> + “You're the eighth wonder of the world, I think,” Mr. Jermyn said. “But + choose, now. Choose a kit for yourself. You won't get a chance to change + your clothes till you get to Mr. Blick's if you don't take some from here. + So just look round the room here. Take whatever you want.” + </p> + <p> + I felt myself to have been fairly well equipped by the stranger who had + made me change my clothes in the alley. But I knew how cold the Channel + may be even in June; so I chose out two changes of thick underwear. + Weapons I had no need for, with the armory already in my belt; but a heavy + tarred jacket with an ear-flap collar was likely to be useful, so I chose + that instead. It was not more than ten sizes too large for me; that did + not matter; at sea one tries to keep warm; appearances are not much + regarded. Last of all, when I had packed my satchel, I noticed a sailor's + canvas “housewife” very well stored with buttons, etc. I noticed that it + held what is called a “palm,” that is, the leather hand-guard used by + sail-makers for pushing the needle through sail cloth. It occurred to me, + vaguely, that such a “housewife” would be useful, in case my clothes got + torn, so I stuffed it into my satchel with the other things. I saw that it + contained a few small sail-needles (of the kind so excellent as + egg-borers) as well as some of the strong fine sail-twine, each thread of + which will support a weight of fifty pounds. I put the housewife into my + store with a vague feeling of being rich in the world's goods, with such a + little treasury of necessaries; I had really no thought of what that + chance impulse was to do for me. + </p> + <p> + “Are you ready?” Mr. Jermyn asked. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir. Quite ready.” + </p> + <p> + “Take this blank drawing-book,” he said, handing me a small pocket-book, + in which a pencil was stuck. “Make a practice of drawing what you see. + Draw the ships. Make sketches of the coast. You will find that such + drawings will give you great pleasure when you come to be old. They will + help you, too, in impressing an object on your mind. Drawing thus will + give you a sense of the extraordinary wonder of the universe. It will + teach you a lot of things. Now let's be off. It's time we were on board.” + </p> + <p> + When we went out of the house we were joined by three or four seamen who + carried cases of bottles (probably gin bottles). We struck off towards the + ship together at a brisk pace, singing one of those quick-time songs with + choruses to which the sailors sometimes work. The song they sang was that + very jolly one called “Leave her, Johnny.” They made such a noise with the + chorus of this ditty that Mr. Jermyn was able to refresh my memory in the + message to be given to Mr. Blick. + </p> + <p> + The rain had ceased before we started. When we came into the square, we + saw that cressets, or big flaming port-fires, had been placed along the + wharf, to give light to some seamen who were rolling casks to the + barquentine. A little crowd of idlers had gathered about the workers to + watch them at their job; there may have been so many as twenty people + there. They stood in a pretty strong, but very unsteady light, by which I + could take stock of them. I looked carefully among them for the figure of + a young man in a grey Spanish hat; but he was certainly not there. The + barquentine had her sails loosed, but not hoisted. Some boats were in the + canal ahead, ready to tow her out. She had also laid out a hawser, by + which to heave herself out with her capstan. I could see at a glance that + she was at the point of sailing. As we came up the plank-gangway which led + to her deck we were delayed for a moment by a seaman who was getting a + cask aboard. + </p> + <p> + “Beg pardon, sir,” he said to Mr. Jermyn. “I won't keep you waiting long. + This cask's about as heavy as nitre.” + </p> + <p> + “What 'a' you got in that cask, Dick?” said the boatswain, who kept a + tally at the gangway. + </p> + <p> + “Nitre or bullets, I guess,” said Dick, struggling to get the cask on to + the gang plank. “It's as heavy as it knows how.” + </p> + <p> + “Give Dick a hand there,” the boatswain ordered. A seaman who was standing + somewhere behind me came forward, jogging my elbow as he passed. In a + minute or two they had the cask aboard. + </p> + <p> + “It's red lead,” said the boatswain, examining the marks upon it. “Sling + it down into the 'tweendecks.” + </p> + <p> + After this little diversion, I was free to go down the gangway with Mr. + Jermyn. The captain received us in the cabin. He seemed to know my “uncle + Blick,” as he called him, very well indeed. I somehow didn't like the + looks of the man; he had a bluff air; but it seemed to sit ill upon him. + He reminded me of the sort of farmer who stands well with his parson or + squire, while he tyrannizes over his labourers with all the calculating + cowardly cruelty of the mean mind. I did not take to Captain Barlow, for + all his affected joviality. + </p> + <p> + However, the ship was sailing. They showed me the little trim cabin which + was to be mine for the voyage. Mr. Jermyn ran ashore up the gangway, after + shaking me by the hand. He called to me over his shoulder to remember him + very kindly to my uncle. A moment later, as the hawsers were cast off, the + little crowd on the wharf called out “Three cheers for the Gara + barquentine,” which the Gara's crew acknowledged with three cheers for + Pierhead, in the sailor fashion. We were moving slowly under the influence + of the oared boats ahead of us, when a seaman at the forward capstan began + to sing the solo part of an old capstan chanty. The men broke in upon him + with the chorus, which rang out, in its sweet clearness, making echoes in + the city. I ran to the capstan to heave with them, so that I, too, might + sing. I was at the capstan there, heaving round with the best of them, + until we were standing out to sea, beyond the last of the fairway lights, + with our sails trimmed to the strong northerly wind. After that, being + tired with so many crowded excitements, which had given me a life's + adventures since supper-time, I went below to my bunk, to turn in. + </p> + <p> + I took off my satchel, intending to tie it round my neck after I had + undressed. Some inequality in the strap against my fingers made me hold it + to the cabin lamp to examine it more closely. To my horror, I saw that the + strap had been nearly cut through in five places. If it had not been of + double leather with an inner lining of flexible wire, any one of those + cuts would have cut the thong clean in two. Then a brisk twitch would have + left the satchel at the cutter's mercy. It gave me a lively sense of the + craft of our enemies, to see those cuts in the leather. I had felt + nothing. I had suspected nothing. Only once, for that instant on the + wharf, when we stopped to let Dick get his barrel aboard, had they had a + chance to come about me. Yet in that instant of time they had suspected + that that satchel contained letters. They had made their bold attempt to + make away with it. They had slashed this leather in five places with a + knife as sharp as a razor. But had it been on the wharf, that this was + done? I began to wonder if it could have been on the wharf. Might it not + have been done when I was at the capstan, heaving round on the bar? I + thought not. I must have noticed a seaman doing such a thing. It would + have been impossible for any one to have cut the strap there; for the + capstan was always revolving. The man next to me on the bar never took his + hands from the lever, of that I was certain. The men on the bar behind me + could not have reached me. Even if they had reached me the mate must have + noticed it. I knew that sailors were often clever thieves; but I did not + believe that they could have been so clever under the mate's eye. If it + had not been done at the capstan it could not have been done since I came + aboard; for there had been no other opportunity. I was quite convinced, + after a moment's thought, that it had been done on the wharf before I came + aboard. Then I wondered if it had been done by common shore thieves, or + “nickers,” who are always present in our big seaport towns, ready to steal + whenever they get a chance. But I was rather against this possibility; for + my mind just then was much too full of Aurelia's party. I saw their hands + in it. It would have needed very strong evidence to convince me that they + were not at the bottom of this last attack, as they had doubtless been in + the attack under the inn balcony. + </p> + <p> + Thinking of their cunning with some dismay, I went to my door to secure + it. I was in my stockinged feet at the moment, as I had kicked my boots + off on coming into the cabin. My step, therefore, must have been + noiseless. Opening the door smartly, half-conscious of some slight noise + on the far side, I almost ran into Captain Barlow, who was standing + without. He showed a momentary confusion, I thought, at seeing me thus + suddenly. It was a bad sign. To me, in my excited nervous state, it was a + very bad sign. It convinced me that he had been standing there, trying to + spy upon me through the keyhole, with what purpose I could guess only too + well. His face changed to a jovial grin in an instant; but I felt that he + was searching my face narrowly for some sign of suspicion. + </p> + <p> + “I was just coming in to see if you wanted anything,” he said. + </p> + <p> + “No. Nothing, thanks,” I answered. “But what time's breakfast, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, the boy'll call you,” he answered. “Is that your school satchel? Hey? + What you carry your books in? Let's see it?” + </p> + <p> + “Oh,” I said, as lightly as I could, feeling that he was getting on + ticklish ground. “I've not unpacked it yet. It's got all my things in it.” + </p> + <p> + By this time he was well within my cabin. “Why,” he said, “this strap's + almost cut in two. Does your master let you bring your satchel to school + in that state? How did it come to be cut like that? Hey?” + </p> + <p> + I made some confused remark about its having always been in that state; as + it was an old satchel which my father used for a shooting-bag. I had never + known boys to carry books in a satchel. That kind of school was unknown to + me. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” he said, fingering the strap affectionately, as though he was + going to lift it off my head, “you let me take it away with me. I've got + men in this ship, who can mend a cut leather strap as neat as you've no + idea of. They'd sew up a cut like them so as you'd hardly know it had been + cut.” + </p> + <p> + I really feared that he would have the bag away from me by main force. But + I rallied all my forces to save it. “I'm lagged now,” I said. “I haven't + undone my things. I'll give it to you in the morning.” + </p> + <p> + It seemed to me that he looked at me rather hard when I said this; but he + evidently thought “What can it matter? Tomorrow will serve just as well.” + So he just gave a little laugh. “Right,” he said. “You turn in now. Give + it to me in the morning. Good night, boy.” + </p> + <p> + “Good night,” I said, as he left the cabin, adding, under my breath, “Good + riddance, too. You won't find quite so much when you come to examine this + bag by daylight.” After he had gone—but not at once, as I wished not + to make him suspicious,—I locked my cabin-door. Then I hung my + tarred sea-coat on the door-hook, so that the flap entirely covered the + keyhole. There were bolts on the door, but the upper one alone could be + pushed home. With this in its place felt secure from spies. Yet not too + secure. I was not certain that the bulkheads were without crannies from + which I could be watched. The crack by the door-hinge might, for all I + knew, give a very good view of the inside of the cabin. Thinking that I + might still be under observation I decided to put off what I had to do + until the very early morning, so I undressed myself for bed. I took care + to put out the light before turning in, so that I might not be seen + lashing the satchel round my neck with a length of spunyarn. I slept with + my head upon it. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0012" id="link2HCH0012"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XII. BRAVE CAPTAIN BARLOW + </h2> + <p> + Very early the next morning, at about half-past four, a little before + sunrise, I woke up with a start, wondering where I was. Looking through my + little scuttle port, I could see the flashing of bright waves, which + sometimes dowsed my window with a shower of drops. The ship was apparently + making about three knots an hour, under all her sails. Directly I woke, I + turned out of my bunk to do what I had to do. After dressing, I took my + sail-making tools from my housewife. I had resolved to cut the letters + from their hiding-place so that I might make them up into tiny rolls, + small enough to hide in my pistol cartridges. Very carefully I cut the + threads which bound the leather flaps of the satchel together. I worked + standing up, with the satchel in my bunk. I could hardly have been seen + from any point. In a few moments the letters were in my hands. They were + small sheets of paper, each about four inches square. They were nine in + number, all different. They were covered with a neat cipher very different + from the not very neat, not quite formed hand of the Duke himself. What + the cipher was, I did not know. It was one of the many figure ciphers then + in use. I learned long afterwards that the figures which frequently + occurred in them stood for King James II. Such as they were, those cipher + letters made a good deal of difference to many thousands of people then + living contentedly at home. + </p> + <p> + As soon as I had removed them, I rolled them up very carefully into pistol + cartridges from which I drew the charges. I was just going to throw away + the powder, when I thought, “No, I'll put the powder back. It'll make the + fraud more difficult to detect.” So I put the powder back with great care. + Then I searched my mind for something with which to seal up the cartridge + wads over the powder. I could think of nothing at all, till I remembered + the tar-seams at my feet. I dug up a fragment of tar-seam from the dark + corners of the cabin under my bunk. Then I lit my lamp with my little + pocket tinder-box, so that I could heat the tar as I needed it. It took me + a long time to finish the cartridges properly; but I flatter myself that I + made neat jobs of them. I was trained to neat habits by my father. The + Oulton seamen had given me a taste for doing clever neat work, such as + plaits or pointing, so that I was not such a bungler at delicate + handicraft as most boys of my age. I even took the trouble to hide the tar + marks on my wads by smearing wetted gunpowder all over them. When I had + hidden all the letters, I wrote out a few pencilled notes upon leaves + neatly cut from my pocket-book. I wrote a varying arrangement of ciphers + on each leaf, in the neatest hand I could command. I always made neat + figures; but as I had not touched a pen for nearly a month, I was out of + practice. Still, I did very creditably. I am quite sure that my neat + ciphers gave the usurper James a very trying week of continual study. I + daresay the whole privy council puzzled over those notes of mine. I felt + very pleased with them when they were done. + </p> + <p> + I had not much more than a half-hour left to me when I finished writing + them out. The ship's bells told me that it was seven o'clock. Cabin + breakfast, as I knew very well, would be at eight. I could expect to be + called at half past seven. I put the two flaps of the satchel evenly + together, removing all traces of the thread used in the earlier sewing. + Then I very trimly sewed the two flaps with my sail-needle, using all my + strength to make secure stitches. I used some brown soap in the wash-stand + as thread wax, to make the sewing more easy. “There,” I thought, “no one + will suspect that this was sewn by a boy.” When I had finished, I thought + of dirtying the twine to make the work look old; but I decided to let well + alone. I might so easily betray my hand by trying to do too much. The + slight trace of the soap made the work look old enough. But I took very + great care to remove all traces of my work in the cabin. The little scraps + of thread which I had cut out of the satchel I ate, as I could see no + safer means of getting rid of them. I cannot say that they disagreed with + me, though they were not very easy to get down. My palm, being a common + sea-implement, not likely to seem strange in a ship's cabin, I hid in a + locker below my bunk. My sail-needles I thrust at first into the linings + of the pockets of my tarred sea-coat. On second thoughts, I drove them + into the mattress of my bunk. My hank of twine I dropped on deck later, + when I went out to breakfast. Having covered all traces of my morning's + work, I washed with a light heart. When some one came to my cabin-door to + call me, I cried out that I would be out in a minute. + </p> + <p> + When the breakfast bell rang, I walked aft to the great cabin, with my + satchel over my shoulder. The captain asked me how I had slept; so I said + that I had slept like a top, until a few minutes before I was called. + </p> + <p> + “That's the way with you young fellows,” he said. “When you come to be my + age you won't be able to do that.” Presently, as we were sitting down to + breakfast, he began his attack upon the satchel. “You still got your + satchel, I see,” he said. “Do you carry it about with you always? Or are + you pretending to be a military man with a knapsack?” + </p> + <p> + I looked a little uncomfortable at this; but not from the reason which + flashed through his mind. I said that I liked carrying it about, as it + served instead of a side coat-pocket, which was perfectly true. + </p> + <p> + “By the way,” he said; “you must let me take that beloved satchel after + breakfast, so that I can get the strap sewn up for you.” + </p> + <p> + It came into my mind to look blank at this. I stammered as I said that I + didn't mind the straps being cut, because there was a wire heart to the + leather which would hold till we got to England, when I could put on a new + strap for myself. + </p> + <p> + “Oh, nonsense,” he said, serving out some of the cold bacon from the dish + in front of him. “Nonsense. What would your uncle say if you landed + slovenly like that? Besides, now you're at sea you're a sailor. Sailors + don't wear things like that at meals any more than they wear their hats.” + </p> + <p> + After this, I saw that there was no further chance of retaining the + satchel, so I took it from my neck, but grudgingly, as though I hated + doing so. I heard no more about it till after breakfast, when he made a + sudden playful pounce upon it, as it lay upon the chair beside me, at an + instant when I was quite unprepared to save it. + </p> + <p> + “Aha,” he cried, waving his booty. “Now then. Now.” + </p> + <p> + I knew that he would expect a passionate outcry from me, nor did I spare + it; because I meant him to think that I knew the satchel contained + precious matters. + </p> + <p> + “No, no,” I cried. “Let me have it. I don't want it mended.” + </p> + <p> + “What?” he said. “Not want it mended? It must be mended.” + </p> + <p> + At this I made a sort of playful rush to get it. He dodged away from me, + laughing. I attacked again, playing my part admirably, as I thought, but + taking care not to overdo it. At last, as though fearing to show too great + an anxiety about the thing, I allowed him to keep it. I asked him if he + would be able to sew the leather over the wire heart. + </p> + <p> + “Why, yes,” he said. I could see that he smiled. He was thinking that I + had stopped struggling in order to show him that I set no real value on + the satchel. He was thinking that he saw through my cunning. + </p> + <p> + “Might I see you sew it up?” I said. “I should like to learn how to sew up + leather.” + </p> + <p> + He thought that this was another sign of there being letters in the + satchel, this wish of mine to be present when the sewing was done. + </p> + <p> + “Why, yes,” he said. “I'll do it here. You shall do it yourself if you + like. I will teach you.” So saying, he tossed me an orange from his + pocket. “Eat that,” he said, “while I go on deck to take the sights.” + </p> + <p> + He left the cabin, swinging the satchel carelessly in his left hand. I + thought to myself that I had better play anxiety; so, putting the orange + on the table, I followed him into the 'tweendecks, halting at the door, as + though in fear about the satchel's fate. Looking back, he saw me there. My + presence confirmed him in his belief that he had got my treasure. He waved + to me. “Back in a minute,” he said. “Stay in the cabin till I come back. + There's a story-book in the locker.” + </p> + <p> + I turned back into the cabin in a halting, irresolute way which no doubt + deceived him as my other movements had deceived him. When I had shut the + door, I went to the locker for the story-book. + </p> + <p> + Now the story-book, when I found it, was not a story-book, but a little + thick book of Christian sermons by various good bishops. I read one of + them through, to try, but I did not understand it. Then I put the book + down with the sudden thought: “This Captain Barlow cannot read. He thinks + that these sermons are stories. Now who is it in this ship to whom the + letters will be shown? Or can there be no one here? Is he going to steal + the letters to submit them to somebody ashore?” + </p> + <p> + I was pretty sure that there was somebody shut up in the ship who was + concerned in the theft with Barlow. I cannot tell what made me so sure. I + had deceived the captain so easily that I despised him. I did not give him + credit for any intelligence whatsoever. Perhaps that was the reason. Then + it came over me with a cold wave of dismay that perhaps the woman Aurelia + was on board, hidden somewhere, but active for mischief. I remembered that + scrap of conversation from the inn-balcony. I wondered if that secret + mission mentioned then was to concern me in any way. What was it, I + wondered, that was put into her pocket by her father as she stood crying + there, just above me? If she were on board, then I must indeed look to + myself, for she was probably too cunning a creature to be deceived by my + forgeries. The very thought of having her in the ship with me was + uncomfortable. I felt that I must find some more subtle hiding-place for + my letters than I had found hitherto. I may have idealized the woman, in + my alarm, into a miracle of shrewdness. At any rate I knew that she would + be a much more dangerous opponent than Captain Barlow, the jocular donkey + who allowed himself to be fooled by a schoolboy who was in his power. I + knew, too, that she would probably search me other letters, whether my + ciphered blinds deceived her or not. She was not one so easily satisfied + as a merchant skipper; besides, she had now two scores against me, as well + as excellent reason to think me a sharp young man. + </p> + <p> + Presently, after half an hour's absence, the captain came back with the + satchel, evidently very pleased with himself. He seemed to find pleasure + in the sight of my pretended distress. “Why,” he said, with a grin; + “you've not eaten your orange.” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” I said, “I'm not very hungry just after breakfast.” + </p> + <p> + “Why, then,” he answered, “you must keep it for your dinner. Look how nice + I've mended your strap for you.” + </p> + <p> + “Thank you very much, sir,” I said. “But thought that you were going to do + it here. You were going to teach me how to do it.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, it's done now, isn't it?” he replied. “It's done pretty good, too. + I'll teach you how to sew some other time. I suppose they don't learn you + that, where you go to school?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” I said, “they don't.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” he said, picking up the book. “You're a great one for your book, I + see. There's very good reading in a book like that.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I said, looking at the mended strap. “There is. How very neatly + you've mended the strap, sir. Thank you very much.” + </p> + <p> + He looked at me with a look which said, very plainly, “You've got a fine + nerve, my lad, to pretend in that way.” + </p> + <p> + I could see from his manner during the next few minutes that he wished to + keep me from examining the satchel flap. No doubt he thought that I was on + tenter-hooks all the time, to look to see if the precious letters had been + disturbed. At last, in a very easy way, after slinging the strap round my + shoulder, I pulled out my handkerchief, intending to put it into the + satchel as into an extra pocket. + </p> + <p> + “I'm going up on deck, sir,” I said. “May I take the book with me?” + </p> + <p> + As he said that I might, I swiftly opened the satchel, to pop the book in. + I could feel that he watched my face mighty narrowly all the time. No + doubt I looked guilty enough to convince him of his cleverness. I had no + more than a second's peep at the flap, but that was quite enough to show + me that it had been tampered with. I had finished off my work that morning + with an even neatness. The bold Captain Barlow had left two ends of thread + sticking out from the place where he had ended his stitch. Besides, my + thread had been soaped, to make it work more easily. The thread in the + flap now was plainly not soaped; it was fibrous to the touch, not sleeked + down, as mine had been. + </p> + <p> + When I went on deck, I found the ship driving fast down Channel, making an + excellent passage. I took up my place by the mizzen-rigging, near which + there were no seamen at work, so that I could puzzle out a new + hiding-place for my letters. I noticed, as I stood there, that some men + were getting a boat over the side. It seemed a queer thing to be doing in + the Channel, so far from the port to which we were bound; but I did not + pay much attention to it at the time, as I was very anxious. I was + wondering what in the world I could do with the pistol cartridges which I + had made that morning. I feared Aurelia. For all that I could tell she was + looking at me as I stood there, guessing, from my face, that I had other + letters upon me. It did not occur to me that my anxiety might be taken for + grief at having the satchel searched. At last it came into my head that + Aurelia, if she were in the ship, would follow up that morning's work + promptly, before I could devise a fresh hiding-place. At any rate I felt + pretty sure that I should not be much out of that observation until the + night. It came into my head that the next attack would be upon my boots; + for in those days secret agents frequently hid their papers above a false + boot-sole, or stitched them into the double leather where the beckets, or + handles, joined the leg of the boot at the rim. + </p> + <p> + Sure enough, I had not been very long on deck when the ship's boy appeared + before me. He was an abject looking lad, like most ship's boys. I suppose + no one would become a ship's boy until he had proved himself unfit for + life anywhere else. Personally, I had rather be a desert savage than a + ship's boy. My experience on La Reina was enough to sicken me of such a + life forever. This barquentine's boy came up to me, as I have said. + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” he said, “can I take away your boots to black, please?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I answered, “my boots don't want blacking. I grease them myself.” + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir,” he said, “do let me take them away, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I said. “I grease them myself, thank you.” I thought that this would + end the business; but no such matter. + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir,” he said, “I wish you would let me take them away. The + captain'll wale me if I don't. He gave me orders, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Don't call me 'sir,'” I said. “I'll see the captain myself.” + </p> + <p> + I walked quickly to the companion-way, below which (listening to us, like + the creature he was) sat the captain, carving the end of a stick. + </p> + <p> + “Please, sir,” I said, “I've already greased my boots this morning. I + always grease them.” (I had only had them about twelve hours.) “If I + blacked them they'd get so dry that they would crack.” + </p> + <p> + “All right. All right, boy,” he answered. “I forgot you wore soft-leather + boots. They're the kind they buy up to make salt beef of at the Navy + Yard.” He grinned in my face, as though he were pleased; but a few minutes + later, when I had gone forward, I heard him thrashing the wretched boy, + because he had failed to get the boots from me for him. + </p> + <p> + I soon found that I was pretty closely watched. If I went forward to the + fo'c's'le, I found myself dogged by the ship's boy, who was blubbering + from his whipping, poor lad, as though his heart would break. In between + his sobs, he tried to tell me the use of everything forward, which was + trying to me, as I knew more than he knew. If I went aft, the mate would + come rolling up, to ask me if I could hear the dog-fish bark yet. If I + went below the captain got on to my tracks at once. He was by far the + worst of the three: the other two were only obeying his orders. I went + into my cabin hoping to get rid of him there; but no, it was no use. In he + came, too, with the excuse that he wished to see if I had enough clothes + on my bunk. It was more worrying than words can tell. All the time I + wondered whether he would end by knocking me senseless so that he might + search my boots at his ease. I had the fear of that strongly on me. I was + tempted, yet feared, to drive him from me by threatening him with my + pistol. His constant dogging of me was intolerable. But had I threatened + him, he would have had an excuse for maltreating me. My duty was to save + the letters, not to worry about my own inconveniences. Often, since then, + I have suffered agonies of remorse at not giving up the letters meekly. + Had I done so, I might, who knows, have saved some two thousand lives. + Well. We are all agents of a power greater than ourselves. Though I was, + it may be, doing wrong then, I was doing wrong unwittingly. Had things + happened only a little differently, my wrong would have turned out a + glorious right. The name of Martin Hyde would have been in the history + books. He watched me narrowly as I took off my waistcoat (pretending to be + too hot), nor did he forget to eye the waistcoat. “See here,” he said. “Do + you know how a sailor folds a waistcoat? Give it to me now. I'll show + you.” He snatched it from my hands with that rudeness which, in a boorish + nature, passes for fun; he only wished to feel it over so that if any + letter were sewn within it he might hear the paper crackle. The sailor's + way of folding a waistcoat, as shown by him then, was just the way which + bent all the cloth in folds. He seemed to be much disgusted at hearing no + crackling as he folded it. I could have laughed outright at his woeful + face, had I been less anxious. Had he been worth his salt as a spy he + would have lulled all my suspicions to sleep before beginning to search + for letters. Instead of that he went to work as crudely as a common + footpad.. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0013" id="link2HCH0013"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIII. IT BREEZES UP + </h2> + <p> + After I had taken off my waistcoat, I went out into the 'tweendecks, then + into the grand cabin, then into the space below the booms. He followed me + everywhere, keeping me under observation, till I was tempted to tell him + where the letters were, so as to have a little peace. At first he kept + telling me stories, or making bad jokes; but very soon he grew weary of + pretending; he became surly. At this point I asked him which was his + cabin. He glowered at me for asking such a question, but he pointed it out + to me. It was a cabin no larger than my own, on the opposite (that is the + port) side of the 'tweendecks. I took the opportunity (it was a bold + stroke, evidently displeasing to him) of looking in; for to tell the truth + I had a suspicion that he slept in the grand cabin, on the top of the + locker. I thought that the stateroom had another inmate. When I looked + into it I expected to find myself in Aurelia's presence. I did not want to + see her; but I wished very eagerly to know if she were in the ship or not. + The stateroom was empty, but the bunk, which had been slept in, was not + yet made up. + </p> + <p> + I do not know how much longer he would have dogged me about the ship. To + my great joy he was called from me by the mate, who cried down the + hatchway, bidding him come up at once, as there was “something in sight.” + Captain Barlow evidently wanted me to come on deck with him; but I was + resolute. I said I would stop below to have another try at his stories. He + went on deck surlily, saying something about “You wait,” or “You whelp,” I + could not catch his exact words. He turned at the hatchway to see where I + had gone. I had expected this move, so when he looked, he saw me entering + the grand cabin, just as I had said. I watched him through the crack in + the hinge; for I fully expected him to return suddenly. As he did not + return on the instant, I darted into my own cabin just long enough to drop + the letter cartridges into an old tin slush-pot which was stowed in the + locker below the bunk. I had noted it in the early morning when I had done + my sewing. I pressed the cartridges into the slush, till they were all + hidden. In another instant of time the pot was back in the locker among + the other oddments while I was back in the cabin hard at work at my + sermons. I was conscious that the captain glanced through the skylight at + me. No doubt what he saw reassured him. For the moment I felt perfectly + safe. + </p> + <p> + About half an hour later, I heard a great noise of hauling on deck, + followed by the threshing of our sails, as though they had suddenly come + aback. I knew enough of the sea to know that if we were tacking there + would be other orders, while, if the helmsman had let the ship come aback + by accident I should have heard the officers rating him. I heard neither + nor orders; something else was happening. A glance out of the stern + windows showed me that the ship was no longer under way. She was not + moving through the water. It struck me that I had better go on deck to see + what was the matter. When I reached the deck I found that the barquentine + was hove-to (that is, held motionless by a certain arrangement of the + sails) about half a mile from a small full-rigged ship which had hove-to + likewise. The barquentine's boat was rapidly pulling towards this + full-rigged ship, with Captain Barlow sitting in the stern-sheets. The + ship was a man-of-war; for she flew the St. George's banner, as well as a + pennant. Her guns were pointing through her ports, eight bright brass guns + to a broadside. She was waiting there, heaving in huge stately heaves, for + Captain Barlow's message. + </p> + <p> + Now I had had alarms enough since I entered the Duke's service; but I + confess this sight of the man-of-war daunted me worse than any of them. I + knew that Captain Barlow had stopped her, so that he might hand over my + letters to her captain; that was easily guessed The next question was, + would the captain insist on taking the messenger to be examined in person. + It was that which scared me worst. I had heard frightful tales about + political prisoners. They were shut up in the Tower dungeons, away below + the level of the Thames. They were examined there by masked magistrates + who wrung the truth from them by the “bootikins,” which squeezed the feet, + or by the thumbscrews, which twisted the thumbs. My feet seemed to grow + red-hot when I thought of that horror. I knew only too well that my youth + would not save me. James the Second was never moved by pity towards a + beaten enemy. I watched the arrival of the boat at the ship's side, with + the perspiration running down my face. I began to understand, now, what + was meant by the words high treason. I saw all the majesty of the English + Navy, all the law, all the noble polity of England, arrayed to judge a boy + to death, for a five minutes' prank. They would drag me on a hurdle to + Tyburn, as soon as torture had made me tell my tale. + </p> + <p> + But enough of my state of mind. I saw Captain Barlow go up the ship's + gangway, where an officer no doubt received him. Very soon afterwards he + came down the gangway again, half followed by some one who seemed to be + ordering him. His boat then shoved off for the barquentine. The man-of-war + got under way again by swinging her great mainyard smartly about. The + smother at her bows gleamed whiter at the very instant, as she gathered + way. It was a blessed sight to me, after my suspense, I assure you; but I + did not understand it till later. I learned later on that Captain Barlow + was one of a kind of men very common in those troublous times. He was + hedging, or trimming. He was quite willing to make money by selling the + Duke's plans to the King; but he had the sense to see that the Duke's + party might succeed, in which case the King's favour would not be worth + much. So his treason to the Duke stopped short of the betrayal of men + attached in any way to the Monmouth party. He would betray letters, when + he could lay his hands on them unobserved; but he was not going to become + an open enemy to the Duke until he knew that the Duke's was the losing + side; then he would betray men fast enough. Until then, he would receive + the trust of both factions, in order to betray a portion of the confidence + received from them. + </p> + <p> + The day dragged by for me somehow, uncomfortably, under the captain's eye. + It was one of the longest days I have ever known. It sickened me utterly + of the life of adventure to which I now seemed pledged. I vowed that if I + had the chance I would write to my uncle from Mr. Blick's house, begging + to be received back. That seemed to be the only way of escape possible to + me. It did not seem hopeful; but it gave me some solace to think of it. I + longed to be free from these terrors. You don't know what an adventurous + life is. I will tell you. It is a life of sordid unquiet, pursued without + plan, like the life of an animal. Have you seen a dog trying to cross a + busy street? There is the adventurer. Or the rabbit on the cliff, in his + state of continual panic; he, too, lives the adventurous life. What does + the world owe to the adventurer? But there. I become impatient. One + patient hero in his garret is worth all these silly fireworks put + together. + </p> + <p> + One thing more happened on that day. The breeze freshened all the + afternoon till by bedtime it blew what is called a fresh gale. Captain + Barlow drove his ship till she shook to her centre, not because he liked + (like many sailors) to show his vessel's paces; but because he sat at his + bottle too long after dinner. He was half drunk by supper time, too drunk + to take the sail off her, so we drove on down Channel, trusting to the + goodness of the gear. There would have been a pretty smash-up if we had + had to alter our course hurriedly. As it was we were jumping like a young + colt, in a welter of foam, with two men at the tiller, besides a gang on + the tackles. I never knew any ship to bound about so wildly. I passed the + evening after supper on deck, enjoying the splendour of that savage + leaping rush down Channel, yet just a little nervous at the sight of our + spars buckling under the strain. The captain was drunk before dark; we + could hear him banging the table with his bottle. The mate, who was on the + poop with me, kept glancing from the spars to the skylight; he was getting + frightened at the gait we were going. “Young man,” he said, “d'ye know the + sailor's catechism?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir,” I answered. “Well,” he said, “it's short but sweet, like a + ration of rum. What is the complete duty of a sailorman? You don't know? + It's this. OBEY ORDERS, IF YOU BREAK OWNERS. My orders are not to take off + sail till Mr. drunken Barlow sees fit. You'll see a few happenings aloft + just now if he don't see fit soon.” Just at that instant she gave a lurch + which sent one of the helmsmen flying. The mate leaped to his place with + an angry exclamation. “Another man to the helm,” he cried. “You, boy. Run + below. Tell the captain she'll be dismasted in another five minutes.” He + was in the right of it. A blind man could have told that the ship was + being over-driven. I ran down, as eager as the mate to put an end to the + danger. + </p> + <p> + When I went below, I found the captain in my cabin, rummaging everywhere. + He had flung out the contents of the lockers, my bedclothes, everything, + in a jumble on the deck, which, in a drunken aimless way he was examining + by the light of a couple of dip candles, stuck to the edge of the bunk. It + was not a time to mind about that. “Sir,” I said, “the ship is sinking. + Come on deck, sir; take the sail off. The mate says the ship is sinking.” + </p> + <p> + “Eh,” said the captain furiously. “You young spy. I command this ship. + What's the sail got to do with you?” He glared at me in drunken anger. + </p> + <p> + “You young whelp,” he cried, grabbing me by the collar. “Where are your + letters? Eh? Where've you hid your letters?” + </p> + <p> + At that instant, there came a more violent gust in the fierceness of wind + which drove us. The ship gave a “yank;” there is no other word to express + the frightful shock of her movement. She lay down on her lee beam ends + with a crash of breaking crockery. Casks broke loose in the hold; gear + fell from aloft; the captain was flung under me against the ship's side. + The deck beneath us sloped up like a roof. In the roar of water rushing + down the hatch I remember thinking that the Day of Judgment was come. + Yells on deck mingled with all the uproar; I heard something thud like a + sledge-hammer on the ship's side. The captain picked himself up holding + his head, which was all one gore of blood from the crack against the + ship's side. “Beam ends,” he said stupidly. “Beam ends. Yes. Yes.” He was + dazed; he did not know what he said; but some sort of sailor's instinct + told him that he was wanted on deck. At any rate he went out, pulling + himself up the steep deck with a cleverness which I had not expected. He + left me clutching the ledge of the bunk, staring up at the door away above + me, while the wreck of my belongings banged about at my feet. I thought it + was all over with the ship; but I was not scared at the prospect of death; + only a little sickish from the shock of that sudden sweeping over. I found + a fascination in the horrible open door, the black oblong hole in the air + through which the captain had passed. I waited for the sea to pour down + it. I expected to see a clear mass of water with fish in it; something + quite calm, something beautiful, not the noisy horror of the sea outside. + I suppose I waited like that for a full minute before the roar of the + squall grew less. Then I told myself that I must go on deck; that the + danger would be less, looking it in the face, than down there in the + cabin. It was not pleasant to go on deck, any more than it is pleasant to + go downstairs at two in the morning to look for burglars, but it was + better to be moving than staying still. I clenched my fist upon the only + dip which remained alight (the other was somewhere in the jumble under my + feet). Then, catching hold of the door-hook I pulled myself up to the + door, where I steadied myself for a moment. While I stood there I had a + horrible feeling of the ship having died under my feet. She had been + leaping so gallantly only five minutes before. Now she lay with her heart + broken, while the seas beat her with great thumps. + </p> + <p> + Two battle-lanterns lit the after 'tweendecks. There was a great heap of + staved in casks, slopping about in an inch or two of water, all along that + side, thrown there by the smash. I could hear the men yelling on deck. + Captain Barlow was swearing in loud shouts. I could hear all this in the + lull of the squall. I heard more than that, as I stood listening. I heard + the faint crying out of a woman's voice from the steward's pantry (next + door to the captain's cabin) on the opposite side, across the steep, + tipped up slippery decks. At first I thought it must be the poor cat; but + as the wind passed, letting me hear more clearly, I recognized that it was + a woman's voice, crying out there in the darkness with a note of pain. I + did not think of Aurelia. She never entered my head. All that I thought + was “Poor creature! What a place for a woman!” The ship was jerking, you + might almost call it gasping, as the seas struck her; it was no easy job + to climb along that roof-slope of the deck with nothing to hold on by. I + got across somehow, partly by luck, partly by fingernails. I even managed + to open the pantry door, which was another difficulty, as it opened + inwards, into the cabin. As I opened it, a suck of wind blew out my light. + There I was in the dark, with a hurt woman, in a ship which for all I + knew, might sink with all hands in twenty seconds. It is queer; I didn't + mind the ship sinking. What I disliked was being in the dark with an + unknown somebody who whimpered. + </p> + <p> + “Are you much hurt?” I asked. “Hold on a minute. I'll strike a light.” I + shut myself into the cabin, so as to keep out the draught. My feet kicked + among the steward's crockery. It was as dark in that cubby-hole as in a + grave. The unknown person, probably fearing me, thinking me some rough + drunken sailor, was crying out now more in terror than in pain. She was + begging me not to hurt her. I probably frightened her a good deal by not + replying. The tinder box took up all my attention for a good couple of + minutes. A tinder box is not a thing to get light by hurriedly. You try + some day, to see how quickly you can light a candle by one. When I got the + candle lit, I thought of the battle-lanterns swinging outside all the + time. I might have saved myself all that trouble by using a little common + sense. Well. Wait till you stand as I stood, with your heart in your + boots, down in a pit of death, you'll see how much common sense will + remain in your fine brains. + </p> + <p> + When the flame took hold of the wick, so that I could look about me, I saw + the lady Aurelia lying among the smashed up gear to leeward. She had been + lying down, reading in a sort of bunk which had been rigged up for her on + the locker-top. The shock had flung her clean out of the bunk on to the + deck. At the same moment an avalanche of gear had fetched to leeward. A + cask had rolled on to her left hand, pinning her down to the deck, while a + box of bottles had cut the back of her head. A more complete picture of + misery you could not hope to see. There was all the ill-smelling jumble of + steward's gear, tumbled in a heap of smash, soaking in the oil from the + fallen lamp. There was a good deal of blood about. Aurelia was lying in + all the debris half covered with salted fish from one of the capsized + casks. They looked like huge leaves. She seemed to have been buried under + them, like a babe in the wood. She grew calm when she saw me. “There are + candles under the bunk,” she said. “Light two or three. Tell me what has + happened.” + </p> + <p> + I did not answer till I had lighted three or four more candles. “The + ship's on her beam ends,” I said. “It's the captain's fault. But never + mind that. I must get you out. Are you badly hurt, do you think?” + </p> + <p> + “I'm all right,” she said with a gasp. “But it's being pinned in here. I + thought I was going to be pinned down while I was being drowned.” + </p> + <p> + “Shut your eyes, please,” I said. “Bite your lip. It'll hurt, I'm afraid, + getting this cask off your hand. Are you ready. Now.” I did it as gently + as I could; but it made me turn all cold to think of the hand under all + that weight. + </p> + <p> + “Can you withdraw your hand, now?” I asked, tilting the cask as far up as + I could. + </p> + <p> + “No,” she said. “Look out. I'll roll out.” In another two seconds she was + sitting up among the crockery with her face deathly white against the + bulkhead; she had fainted. There was a water-carafe on a bracket up above + my head. I splashed her face with water from it till she rallied. She came + to herself with a little hysterical laugh, at the very instant when + something giving way aloft let the ship right herself again. “Hold on a + minute,” I said. “Take this water. Now drink a little. I'll be back in a + moment.” The ship was rolling drunkenly in the trough of the sea; but I + made a nimble rush to the cabin, where the captain's cruet of brandy + bottles still swung from a hook in the beams. I ran back to her with a + bottle of brandy. There were a few unbroken mugs in the pantry, so I gave + her a drink of brandy, which brought the colour back to her cheeks. While + she sat there, in the mess of gear which slid about as the ship rolled, I + got a good big jug of water from the scuttle-butt in the 'tweendecks. I + nipped on deck with it to ask the mate for some balsam, an excellent cure + for cuts which most sailors carry to sea with them. There was mess enough + on deck in all conscience. I found the foretopmast gone over the side, in + a tangle of torn rope at which all hands were furiously hacking. The mate + was on the fo'c'sle hacking at some gear with a tomahawk. I did not see + the captain. + </p> + <p> + “Mr. mate,” I cried. “I want some balsam, quick.” + </p> + <p> + “Get out of this,” he shouted. “Get out of this. I can't attend to your + hurts. Don't come bothering here.” + </p> + <p> + “It's for the lady,” I said, “the lady down below.” + </p> + <p> + “In my chest. Look in my chest till,” he said. “Now stand dear. I've + trouble enough without ladies in the case. Are you all clear, you, aft + there?” + </p> + <p> + “All gone here, sir,” the men shouted back. “Shall we sling a bowline over + the foot?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” he shouted. “Look out. She's going.” + </p> + <p> + For just a second I saw the mass of spar all tangled up with sail rise up + on a wave as it drifted past. I found myself wondering why we had all been + in the shadow of death only a couple of minutes before. There was no + thought of danger now. I ran below for the balsam, which I found without + difficulty. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0014" id="link2HCH0014"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIV. A DRINK OF SHERBET + </h2> + <p> + I took what handkerchiefs I could find into the pantry with me. “There's + no danger,” I said. “The ship's all right. How are you now? Let me give + you some more brandy.” I gave her a little more brandy; then I helped her + on to the top of the locker. Pouring out some water into the basin I + bathed the cut on her head. It was a clean long cut which would probably + have gone through the bone had not her hair been so thick. I dressed it as + well as I could with balsam, then bound it tightly up with a white + handkerchief. The hand was a good deal more, difficult to manage; it was + nastily crushed; though no bones were broken. The wrist was so much + swollen that I had to cut open the sleeve of her man's riding jacket. Then + I bathed the hand with cold water mixed with vinegar (which I had heard + was cooling) till I felt that the time had come to bandage it, so that the + patient might lie down to rest. She had been much shaken by her fall. I + don't think it ever once occurred to me to think of her as my enemy. I + felt too much pity for her, being hurt, like that. “Look here,” I said. + “You'll have to wear that arm in a sling. I'll bandage it up for you + nicely.” She bore my surgery like the hero she was; it didn't look very + wonderful when it was done; but she said that the pain was a good deal + soothed. That was not the end though. I had to change cabins with her, + since I could not let a hurt woman sleep in that bunk in the pantry; she + might so easily be flung from it a second time. So I shifted her things + into my cabin, where I made all tidy for her. As for the precious slush + can, I stowed that carefully away, at the back of some lumber in one of + the pantry lockers, where it would not be found. Altogether, it took me + about twenty minutes to make everything ready, by which time the little + accident on deck had been forgotten, except by those who had to do the + work of sending up a new topmast; a job which kept all hands busy all + night. The ship was making a steady three knots. under her reduced sail + when I helped Aurelia across to her new room. There was no more thought of + danger. + </p> + <p> + As I paused at the cabin door, to ask if there was anything more which I + could do for her, the lady turned to me. + </p> + <p> + “What is your name?” she asked. I am ashamed to say that I hesitated, + being half inclined to give her a false name; for my time of secret + service had given me a thorough distrust of pretty nearly everybody. She + noticed my hesitation. “As a friend to another friend,” she added. “Life + isn't all the King's service.” + </p> + <p> + “My name is Martin Hyde,” I said. + </p> + <p> + “Mine is Aurelia,” she replied, “Aurelia Carew. Will you remember that?” I + told her that I should certainly remember that. “We seem to have met + before,” she said, “more than once.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I answered, smiling. She, too, smiled, but she quickly became grave + again. + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Martin Hyde,” she said, with a little catch in her voice, “we two are + in opposite camps. But I don't know. After this, it's difficult. I warn + you.” Here she stopped, quite unable to go on. “I can't,” she continued, + more to herself than to me, “I can't. They oughtn't to have put this on + me. They oughtn't. They oughtn't.” She laid her unhurt hand on my shoulder + for a moment. “Let me warn you,” she said earnestly, “that you're in + danger.” + </p> + <p> + “In danger from you?” I asked. + </p> + <p> + “Don't ask me more,” she said, “I hate myself for telling you even that. + Oh, it's terrible to have to do it. Go now. Don't ask me more. But I had + to warn you. But I can't do it myself.” I did not know what to make of + this; but I gathered that her task (whatever it was) from which she had + shrunk so bitterly in the Dutch town only the night before, was now to be + deputed to another, probably to the captain, perhaps to the Dartmouth + justices. I did not like the thought; but I thanked her for warning me, it + was generous of her to warn me. I took out the dagger with which she had + tried to stab me. “You said we were in opposite camps, Miss Carew,” I + said. “But I wouldn't like to keep this. I mean I wouldn't like to think + that we were enemies, really.” I daresay I said other foolish things as + well, at the same time. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, keep it,” she said. “I couldn't bear to have it again. But be + warned. Don't trust me. While we're in opposite camps you be warned. For + I'm your enemy, then, when you least expect it.” + </p> + <p> + Nothing much happened the next day until the evening, by which time we + were off the Isle of Wight. With the aid of the mate, I doctored Aurelia's + hand again; that was the only memorable event of the day. In the evening, + the captain (who had been moody from his drunkenness of the night before) + asked me to sing to him in the great cabin. I was surprised at the + request; but I knew a few ballads, so I sang them to him. While I was + singing, Aurelia entered the cabin; she sat down on one of the lockers + below the great window. She looked very white, in the gloom there. She did + not speak to me; but sat there restlessly, coughing in a dry hacking way, + as though one of her ribs had been broken in the fall. I lowered my voice + when I noticed this, as I was afraid that my singing might annoy her; I + thought that she was suffering from her wound. The captain told me to pipe + up; as he couldn't hear what my words were. I asked Aurelia if my singing + worried her; but instead of answering she left the cabin for a few + minutes. When she came back, she sat with her face in her hand, seemingly + in great pain. I sang all the ballads known to me. When I had finished, + the captain grunted a note of approval. “Well,” he said, “so there's your + ballads. That's your treat. Now you shall have mine.” A little gong hung + in the cabin. He banged upon it to summon his boy, who came in trembling, + as he always did, expecting to be beaten before he went out. “Bring in a + jug of cool water,” he said. “Then fetch them limes I bought.” As the boy + went out, the captain turned to me with a grin. “Did you ever drink Turk's + sherbet?” he said. + </p> + <p> + “No,” I answered. “I've never even heard of it. What is it?” + </p> + <p> + “Why,” he said, “it's a drink the heathen Turks make out of citron. A + powder which fizzes. I got some of it last autumn when I made a voyage to + Scanderoon. It's been too cold ever since to want to drink any, as it's a + summer drink mostly. Now you shall have some.” He took down some tumblers + from the rack in which they stood. “Here's glasses,” he said. “Now the + sherbet is in this bottle here.” He produced a pint glass bottle from one + of the lockers. It was stopped with a wooden plug, carved in the likeness + of a Turk's head. It was about three parts full of a whitish powder. A + label on the side of the bottle gave directions for its preparation. + </p> + <p> + When the boy returned with his tray, the captain squeezed the juice of + half a lime into each of the three tumblers. “That's the first thing,” he + said. “Lime juice. Now the water.” He poured water into each glass, till + they were nearly full. “White of egg is said to make it better,” he said + to me. “But at sea I guess we must do without that. Now then. You're the + singer, so you drink first. Be ready to drink it while it fizzes; for then + it's at its best. Are you ready?” I was quite ready, so the captain filled + his spoon with the soft white powder. Glancing round at Aurelia I saw that + she had covered her eyes with her hand. “Won't Miss Carew drink first?” I + asked. + </p> + <p> + “I don't want any,” she said in a low voice. Before I could speak another + word the captain had poured his heaped spoonful of powder into my glass. + “Stir it up, boy,” he cried. “Down with it while it fizzes.” Aurelia rose + to her feet, catching her breath sharply. + </p> + <p> + I remember a pleasant taste, as though all of the fruits of the world had + been crushed together into a syrup; then a mist surged all about me, the + cabin became darker, the captain seemed to grow vast, till his body filled + the room. My legs melted from me. I was one little wavering flame blowing + about on great waves. Something was hard upon my head. The captain's hand + (I could feel) was lifting my eyelid. I heard him say “That's got him.” + Instantly a choir of voices began to chant “That's got him,” in roaring, + tumultuous bursts of music. Then the music became, as it were, present, + but inaudible; there were waves of sound all round me, but my ears were + deafened to them. I had been put out of action by some very powerful drug, + I remember no more of that evening's entertainment. I was utterly + unconscious. + </p> + <p> + I came to, very sick, some time in the night. I was in the bunk in the + pantry; but far too helpless in my misery to rise, or to take an account + of time. I lay half-conscious till the morning, when I fell into a deep + sleep, which lasted, I may say, till the evening; for I did not feel + sufficiently awake to get up until about half-past five. When I did get + up, I felt so tottery that I could hardly keep my feet. Someone, I + supposed that it was Aurelia, had placed a metal brandy flask, with a + paper roll containing hard-boiled eggs, on my wash-hand-stand. I took a + gulp of the brandy. In the midst of my sickness I remember the shame of + it; the shame of being drugged by those two; for I knew that I had been + drugged; the shame of having given up like that, at the moment when I had + the cards in my hand; all the cards. I was locked into the pantry; all my + clothes were gone. I found myself dressed in a sailor's serge-shirt. All + my other property had vanished. I remember crying as I shook at the door + to open it; it was too strong for me, in my weak state. As I wrestled with + the door, I heard the dry rattling out of the cable. We had come to + anchor; we were in Dartmouth; perhaps in a few minutes I should be going + ashore. Looking through the port-hole, I saw a great steep hill rising up + from the water, with houses clinging to its side, like barnacles on the + side of a rock. I could see people walking on the wharf. I could see a + banner blowing out from a flagstaff. + </p> + <p> + A few more gulps of brandy brought me to myself I was safe anyhow; my + cartridges had not been found. I dropped them one by one into the + metal-flask. Whatever happened, no one would look for them there. Then I + banged at the door again, trying to make people hear. Nobody paid any + attention to me; I might have spared myself the trouble. Long afterwards, + I learned that I was detained while Captain Barlow spoke to a magistrate + about me, asking if I might be “questioned,” that is, put to the + thumbscrews, till it could be learned whether I carried a verbal message + to my uncle, Mr. Blick. The magistrate to whom he first applied was one of + the Monmouth faction as it happened, so my thumbs escaped; but I had a + narrow escape later, as you shall hear. About an hour after the ship came + to anchor, the cabin-door was opened by a sailor, who flung in an armful + of clothes to me, without speaking a word. They were mostly not my own + clothes; the boots were not mine; my own boots, I guessed, had been cut to + pieces in the letter-hunt. All the clothes which were mine had had the + seams ripped up. All my cartridges had been taken. About half of my money + was gone. The only things untouched were the weapons in the belt. I + laughed to myself to think how little reward they had had for all their + baseness. They had stooped to the methods of the lowest kind of thieves, + yet they had failed. They had not found my letters. My joy was not very + real; I was too wretched for that. Looking back at it all long after, I + think that the hardest thing to bear was Aurelia's share in the work. I + had not thought that Aurelia would join in tricking me in that way. But + while I thought bitterly of her deceit, I thought of her tears on the + balcony in the Dutch city. After all, she had been driven into it by that + big bully of a man. I forgave her when I thought of him; he was the cause + of it all. A brute he must have been to force her into such an action. + Presently the mate came down with orders to me to leave the ship at once. + I asked him for my own clothes; but he told me sharply to be thankful for + what I had, since I'd done no work to earn them; by work he meant the + brainless manual work done by people like himself. So going on deck I + called a boatman, who for twopence put me ashore on the Kingswear side of + the river. He gave me full directions for finding Mr. Blick's house, + telling me that in another five minutes I should come to it, if I followed + my nose. As I started from the landing place I looked back at the + barquentine, where I had had so many adventures. She was lying at anchor + at a little distance from the Dartmouth landing place, making a fair show, + under her flag, in spite of her jury foretopmast. As I looked, the boatman + jogged my elbow, pointing across the river to the strip of road which + edges the stream. “A young lady waving to you,” he said. Sure enough a + lady was waving to me. I supposed that it was Aurelia, asking pardon, + trying to show me that we parted friends. I would not wave at first; I was + surly; but after about a minute I waved my hat to her. Then I set off up + the road to Mr. Blick's. Ten minutes later, I was in Mr. Blick's house, + telling him all that I have now told you. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Blick kept me in his house for a day or two less than four weeks, when + business took him to Exeter. I went with him; for he gave out that he was + taking me to school there, as his dead sister had wished. His real reason + was to pass the word through the country that King Monmouth was coming. He + was one of the few men in full knowledge of the Duke's plans; but as we + went about from town to town, spreading the word among the faithful, I saw + that the Duke was expected by vast numbers of the country folk. Our + clients were not much among the gentry; they hung by themselves, as, in + this country, they always will, in times of popular stir. But among the + poorer people, such as small farmers, or common labouring men, we were + looked for as men sent from on high. At more than one little quiet + village, when we went into the inn-parlour, we saw the men looking at us, + half frightened, half expectant, as though we, being strangers, must needs + have news of the King for whom they longed. Often some publican or + maltster would tell us that Gyle (their name for the unfortunate Argyle, + then a defeated man in Scotland, if not already put to death for his + rebellion) was taken, looking at us carefully as he spoke, for fear lest + we should be of the wrong side. Then, if we seemed sympathetic, he would + tell us how perhaps another would have better luck elsewhere. After that, + we would tell our news. It was dangerous work, though, carrying that + message across the country. In many of the towns we found guards of the + Devon red regiment of militia. I am quite sure that if Mr. Blick had not + had me by his side, as an excellent excuse for travelling to Exeter, he + would have been lodged in gaol as a suspicious character. The soldiers had + arrested many travellers already; the gaols were full. King James's great + man in those parts, the Earl of Albemarle, knew very well that something + was in the air; but as he was a great lord the hearts of the poor were + hidden from him. He had no guess of what was planning. In a way, the + Duke's affairs were very well planned. The eastern end of Devon, all + Somerset, with the western end of Dorset, were all ripe to rise, directly + he appeared. They knew that he was coming; they were prepared to join him; + they knew at about what time he would come, at about a fortnight from + hay-harvest. Already, quite unknown to the authorities, we had men picked + out to carry the news of the landing to different parts of the country. So + far, I think, the Duke's affairs were well planned. But though we had all + this enthusiasm in three counties, besides promises of similar risings in + London, we were in no real case to take the field. Our adherents, however + numerous, however brave, were only a mob, when all is said; they were not + an army. The Duke thought that the regular army, or at least some + regiments of it, would desert to him, as happened some years later, when + the great Prince William did what my master attempted. But my master + forgot that he had neither the arms nor the officers to make his faction a + likely body for regular troops to join. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0015" id="link2HCH0015"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XV. THE ROAD TO LYME + </h2> + <p> + We spread the tidings as far as Exeter, where Mr. Blick made some pretence + of handing me over to a schoolmaster, one Hubble, a red-faced, cheery + clergyman, one of the most ardent rebels on our side. Indeed, the + clergymen everywhere supported us, as defenders of the Protestant faith, + which that dastard James would have destroyed. Mr. Hubble made some excuse + for not taking me in at the instant; but gave us letters of introduction + to people in towns further on, so that we could pass the militia without + difficulty, to give the news in western Dorset. So after waiting for a + little while in Exeter, gathering all the news we could of the whereabouts + of the troops of militia, we pushed on eastward, by way of Sidmouth, to + the big town of Dorchester. As we came east, we found the militia very + much more suspicious than they had been on the western side of Exeter. At + every little town we found a strong guard so placed that no one could + enter without passing under the captain's eye. We were brought before + militia captains some two or three times a day. Sometimes we were + searched; sometimes, if the captain happened to be drunk, we were bullied + with threats of the gaol. Mr. Blick in these cases always insisted on + being brought before the magistrate, to whom he would tell a fine + indignant tale, saying what a shame it was that he could not take his + orphan nephew peaceably to school, without being suspected of complicity + in a rebellion. He would then show Mr. Hubble's letters, or some other + papers signed by the Dartmouth magistrates. These always cleared our + characters, so that we were allowed to proceed; but I did not like the way + in which our descriptions were taken. Once on our journey, shortly after + we had left Sidmouth, where the soldiers had been very suspicious, we + turned out of the highway to leave word at a town called Seaton. We spread + the watchword at several villages near the sea, before we came to Seaton, + so that we were rather late in arriving. Thinking no wrong, we put up at + one of the inns in Seaton, intending to pass the night there. We were at + supper in our inn, when some yeomanry rode up to the door, to ask the + landlord if an elderly man had passed that way with a boy. The landlord, + who was a good deal scared by the soldiers, showed the captain in to us at + once. We were quite as much scared to see him as the landlord had been. + The captain of the soldiers was the very man who had given us such a + searching examination in Sidmouth that morning. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” he said to Mr. Blick, “I thought you were going to Dorchester. + What brings you here?” “Sir,” said Mr. Blick, “we've been so much + interrupted by soldiers that we hoped to travel away from the main-roads.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, sir,” said the captain, “I've had you watched. Since you left + Sidmouth, you've been into every inn upon the road, listening to a lot of + seditious talk about Argyle. That's not my point, though. You gave out to + me that you were going to Dorchester. Instead of that you slink off the + Dorchester road at the first opportunity. You will have to explain + yourself to my superiors. You're under arrest.” + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” said Mr. Blick, “I am sorry that you should think ill of me. We + will gladly come with you to answer for our conduct to the authorities. + But while the horses are being saddled, perhaps you will join us at + supper. Landlord, bring a couple of bottles more. The captain sups with + us.” + </p> + <p> + But though the captain drank his couple of bottles of port, he did not + become any gentler with us. As soon as supper was over we had to ride on + again, with the troopers all round us. + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” said Mr. Blick, “may I ask you where we are going with you?” + </p> + <p> + “Axminster,” said the captain. + </p> + <p> + “Well. That's on my way,” said Mr. Blick. + </p> + <p> + “It'll probably end your way, for some time,” said the captain. + </p> + <p> + “I'm perfectly willing to abide by the decision of the authorities,” Mr. + Blick answered calmly. “But what is the meaning of all these soldiers + everywhere? I've asked the people; but nobody seems able to give a + straight answer.” + </p> + <p> + “I think you know what the soldiers mean well enough,” answered the + captain. “If you hadn't known you wouldn't have turned out of the + highway.” + </p> + <p> + At about midnight we reached Axminster. We were taken before a couple of + officers who sat at work by candlelight over a mass of papers, in an upper + chamber of an inn. They had a wild air of having been without sleep for + some time. Their muddy riding boots were drying in front of the fire. They + had a map of the countryside before them, all stuck about with little + flags, some red, some yellow, to show where the different troops of + militia were stationed. After saluting these officers, the captain made + his report about us, saying that we were suspicious persons, who had + started from Sialmouth, towards Dorchester. He had waited to receive word + from the troops stationed along the highway of our arrival at various + points upon the road; but, failing to hear about us, he had searched for + us, with the result that he had found us at Seaton, some miles out of our + way. The officers questioned us closely about our plans, making notes of + what we said. They kept referring to a book of letters, as though to + verify what we said. Mr. Blick's answers made them take a favourable view + of us; but they told him in a friendly way that the officer had done right + to arrest us. They complimented the captain on his zeal. Meanwhile, they + said, since we were going to Dorchester, we could not object to going with + a military escort. A troop of cavalry was to start in a couple of hours; + we could go with that. + </p> + <p> + We were in Dorchester for a few days, always under the eye of the + soldiers. It was a bustling, suspicious time full of false alarms. Mr. + Blick told me that the message “King Golden Cap. After six one,” meant + that the Duke was to be expected off Golden Cap, a cliff a few miles from + Lyme Regis, any day after the first of the sixth month. He was on + tenter-hooks to be in Lyme to greet him on his arrival; but this he could + not hope to do. We were watched too carefully to be able to get away to a + place upon the sea-coast. We had to be very careful how we sent our secret + message abroad into the country. I have never known a time so full of + alarms. People would ride in to the town at night with word that Monmouth + was landed, or that there was fighting all along the coast, or that King + James was dead. The drums would beat; the cavalry would come out + clattering. People would be crying out. The loyal would come to their + doorsteps ready to fly further inland. Every night, if one lay awake, one + could hear the noise of spades in back gardens where misers were burying + their money. Then, every day, one would see the troopers coming in, + generally two at a time, with a suspected man led by a cord knotted to his + two thumbs. Dorchester gaol was full of suspected people, who were kept in + prison indefinitely, without trial, in very great discomfort. King James + was afraid, he did not really know of what, so he took measures not so + much to prevent trouble as to avenge his own fear. Mr. Blick used to send + me to the prison every morning with loaves of fresh bread for the + prisoners. + </p> + <p> + At last, after midnight, in the night of the 11th of June, a memorable day + for the West, riders came in with news which destroyed the night's rest of + the town. Monmouth had landed at Lyme the evening before, after sailing + about in sight of the town all day. That was news indeed. It made a + strange uproar in the streets. The trumpets blew from every inn-door to + summons the billeted soldiers. Officers ran about bawling for their + sergeants; the sergeants hurried about with lanterns, rousing the men from + where they slept. All the streets were full of cavalry men trying to form + in the crowd. At last, when they were formed, a trumpet sounded, making + everyone keep silence. Then in the stillness an officer shouted out an + order, which no one, save a soldier, could understand. Instantly the + kettle-drums began to pound; the swords jingled; the horses whinnied, + tossing up their heads. The soldiers trotted off smartly towards Bridport, + leaving the town strangely quiet, strangely scared, to discuss the great + news from Lyme. + </p> + <p> + I was watching the crowd at my bed-room window when the horsemen trotted + off. While I stood looking at them, Mr. Blick ran upstairs, bidding me to + come down at once, as now there was a chance to get to Lyme. “Come quick,” + he said. “The troops are gone. We must follow on their tracks. It'll be + too late later in the morning.” In less than twenty minutes we were + trotting after the soldiers at a good pace, passing some scores of men on + foot who were hurrying, as they said, to see the battle. Mr. Blick wore a + sword which clattered as he rode. The people hearing the noise thought + that he was an officer, perhaps a colonel, riding with his servant. Many + of the men asked him where the battle was to be, whether it would begin + before daylight, whether Monmouth was come with the French, all sorts of + questions, to which we answered at random. In the light summer night we + had a fair view of things. When we dismounted to lead our horses up or + down the steep hills of that road, the straggling sight-seers came all + round us as we walked, to hear what we had to tell. We could see their + faces all about us, strange in the dusk, like ghosts, not like real men. + At the top of one hill, Mr. Blick warned them to look out for themselves. + He told them that before morning the highway would be patrolled by troops + who would take them in charge as suspicious characters trying to join + Monmouth, which actually happened the next day when the militia officers + realized that war had begun. His words scared off a number of them; but + many kept on as they were going, to see the great battle, which, they + said, would begin as soon as it was light. + </p> + <p> + When the sun began to peep, we turned off the highway in order to avoid + Bridport, which we passed a little after dawn. A few miles further on we + felt that we could turn into the road again as we were safe from the + militia at that distance. Then, feeling happy at the thought of the coming + contest, which, we felt sure, would be won by our side, we pressed our + tired nags over the brook towards the steep hill which separates Charmouth + from Lyme. + </p> + <p> + It was early morning, about five o'clock, when we came to Charmouth; but + the little town was as busy as though it were noon on fair-day. The street + was crowded. People were coming in from all the countryside. A man was + haranguing the crowd from a horseless waggon drawn up at an inn. The + horses had no doubt been pressed into Monmouth's service some hours + before. I should think that there must have been three hundred people + listening to the orator. Men, already half drunk, with green boughs in + their hats, were marching about the town in uneven companies, armed with + clubs torn from the hedges. Weeping women followed them, trying to + persuade their sons or husbands to come home. Other men were bringing out + horses from private stables. People were singing. One man, leaning out of + a window, kept on firing his pistol as fast as he could load. Waving men + cheered from the hill above. The men in the town cheered back. There was a + great deal of noisy joking everywhere. They cheered us as we rode through + them, telling us that Monmouth had arms for all. One poor woman begged Mr. + Blick to tell her man to come home, as without him the children would all + starve. The crowd groaned at her; but Mr. Blick stopped them, calling the + husband, who was in a sad state of drunken vainglory, to leave the ranks + in which he tried to march. “We don't want fathers of families,” he cried. + “We want these tight young bachelors. They're the boys.” Indeed, the tight + young bachelors felt that this was the case, so the woman got her man + again; lucky she was to get him. As far as I could judge, the crowd + imagined us to be great officers; at any rate our coming drew away the + listeners from the waggon. They came flocking to our heels as though we + were the Duke himself. A drummer beat up a quickstep; the crowd surged + forward. We marched across the fields to Lyme, five hundred strong. One of + the men, plucking a sprig of hawthorn from the hedge, asked me to wear it + in my hat as the Duke's badge, which I did. He called me “Captain.” + “Captain,” he said. “We had a brush with them already, this morning, along + the road here. Two on 'em were killed. They didn't stay for no more.” So + fighting had begun then, the civil war had taken its first fruits of life. + There could be no more shillyshallying; we had put our hands to a big + business. In spite of the noise of the march, my spirits were rather + dashed by the thought of those two men, lying dead somewhere on the road + behind us, killed by their own countrymen. + </p> + <p> + We are said to be a sober people; but none of those who saw Lyme that + morning would have had much opinion of our sobriety. Charmouth had been + disorderly; Lyme was uproarious. Outside the town, in one of the fields + above the church, we were stopped by a guard of men who all wore white + scarves on their arms, as well as green sprays in their hats. They stopped + us, apparently, because their captain wished to exercise them in military + customs. They were evidently raw to the use of arms. They handled their + muskets like spades. “Be you for Monmouth, masters?” they asked us, + grinning. When we said that we were, this very unmilitary guard told us to + pass on. “Her've got arms for all,” they said. “The word be 'Fear nothing + but God.'” Some of them joked with friends among our party. They waved + their muskets to us. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0016" id="link2HCH0016"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVI. THE LANDING + </h2> + <p> + Inside the town, there was great confusion. Riotous men were foraging, + that is, plundering from private houses, pretending that they did so at + the Duke's orders. The streets were full of people, nearly all of them + men, the green boughs in their hats. On the beach two long lines of men + with green scarves on their arms were being drilled by an officer. Horses + were picketed in a long line up the main street; they were mostly very + poor cart-stock, ill-provided, as I learned afterwards, with harness. Men + were bringing hay to them from whatever haystack was nearest. From time to + time, there came a loud booming of guns, above the ringing of the church + bells. Three ships in the bay, one of them La Reina, were firing salutes + as they hoisted their colours. It was all like a very noisy fair or + coronation day. It had little appearance of an armed invasion. We found + the Duke busy with Mr. Jermyn enlisting men in a field above the town. + </p> + <p> + “That's not Mr. Jermyn. That's Lord Grey,” Mr. Blick said, on hearing me + exclaim. “Mr. Jermyn's only the name he goes by. He's my Lord now, you + must remember.” + </p> + <p> + Just then the Duke caught sight of us riding up. He took us for local + gentry, coming in to volunteer. He came smiling to welcome us. It must + have been a shrewd disappointment to him to find that we were not what he + thought. All his hopes were in the gentry, poor man. By the time we were + on our feet with our hats off he had turned his back upon us as though to + speak to Lord Grey, but really, I believe, to hide his chagrin. When he + turned to us again both of them welcomed us, saying that there was work + enough for all, in enlisting men, making out billets, etc. So without more + ado we gave our horses to the ostlers at an inn. Mr. Blick at once began + to blarney the standers-by into joining, while I, sitting at a little + table, in the open air, wrote out copies of a letter addressed to the + local gentry. My copies were carried from Lyme by messengers that + afternoon but, alas for my master, they did not bring many gentry to us. + </p> + <p> + Now while I was writing at the table, under the great flapping standard, + with the Duke, in his purple coat, walking about in front of me, I had a + pretty full view of the crowd which ringed us in. We were circled about by + a crowd of gaping admirers; from whom, every minute, Mr. Blick, or the + Duke, or Lord Grey, would select a sheepish grinning man to serve under + our colours. Among the crowd I noticed a little old lame man with a long + white beard. He was a puppet-man, who was making the people laugh by + dancing his puppets almost under the Duke's nose. As he jerked the + puppet-strings, he played continually on his pan-pipes the ribald tune of + “Hey, boys, up go we,” then very popular. The Duke spoke to him once; but + he did not answer, only bowed very low, with his hat off, which made the + people think him an idiot or a jester. They laughed heartily at him. After + a bit, it occurred to me that this old puppet-shaker always crept into the + ring (with his hat off to receive alms) whenever the Duke spoke aside to + Lord Grey, or to some other officer. I watched him narrowly to make sure, + because something in his manner made me suspect that he was trying to + catch what our leaders said to each other. I tried to recall where I had + seen the old man; for I had seen him before. He had been at Exeter on the + day we set out for Sidmouth, so much I remembered clearly; but looking at + him carefully, with my head full of memories of faces, it seemed to me + that he had been at Dorchester also. Surely an old man, lame in the left + leg like this man, had gone down a narrow lane in front of me in + Dorchester. I had not thought of it in Dorchester; but I thought of it + now, with a feeling that it was strange to meet again thus in Lyme. I took + good stock of the man, wondering if he were a spy. He was a dirty old man + enough. His dirty fingers poked through ragged mittens. His cheeks were + all swathed up in a woollen comforter. I made the mistake of looking at + him so hard that I made him look at me. Seeing that I was staring at him, + with a face full of suspicion, he walked boldly up to me, holding out his + hat for my charity. We stared at each other, while he blew a blast on his + pan-pipes, at which everybody laughed. + </p> + <p> + “Come, come, boy,” said Lord Grey to me, “we want those letters done. + Never mind about the puppets. Here, old man” (giving him a penny), “you + take yourself off now. Or are you going to enlist?” + </p> + <p> + The people laughed again at this, while the old man, after a flourish of + his hat to me, piped up lively quickstep, called “Jockeys to the Fair.” + </p> + <p> + He disappeared after this. I did not see him again until our troubles + began, later in the morning. I was finishing off the last of my letters, + when some of our scouts rode in to make a grave report to the Duke. They + had ridden in pretty hard, their horses were lathered all over. They + themselves were in an internal lather; for they had just had their first + sight of war. They had come into touch (so they declared) with the whole + of Albemarle's militia, marching out to attack them. On being questioned, + it turned out that they had heard this from an excited labourer who had + run to them with the news, as they stood guard in a roadside field a few + miles out of Lyme. They themselves had seen nothing, but the news seemed + so probable that the Duke acted on it. He sent me off at once with a + message to a clever, handsome gentleman who was in charge of the cavalry + in the street. It was in giving the message that I saw the old man again. + He was them limping up the street on the Sidmouth road, going fast, in + spite of his lameness. I gave my message to the captain, who commanded his + trumpeter to call to arms. The trumpeter blew nobly; but the sight of the + confusion afterwards showed me how little raw troops can be trusted. There + was a hasty scramble for horses rather than a setting forth. Some men + quarreled over weapons; others wrestled with harness; others ran about + wildly, asking what was happening, was it to be a battle, what did blowing + on the trumpet mean? Some few, thinking the worst, got wisdom in those few + moments. They took horses from the ranks, but instead of forming up with + the regiments, they galloped off home, having had enough of soldiering at + the first order. The foot behaved rather better, knowing, perhaps, that if + they fought they would be behind hedges, in some sort of shelter. Even so, + they seemed a raw lot of clumsy bumpkins as they marched up. Many of them + were in ploughmen's smock-frocks; hardly any of them had any sense of + handling their guns. They had drums with them, which beat up a quickstep, + giving each man of them a high sense of his importance, especially if he + had been drinking. People in the roadway cheered them, until they heard + that there was to be a battle. Those who were coming in to join us found + it a reason for hesitation. + </p> + <p> + After a lot of confusion, the army drew out of Lyme along the Sidmouth + road, followed by a host of sightseers. Some of the best mounted rode on + ahead at a trot, under the handsome man, Mr. Fletcher, who was their + captain. I followed on with the foot-soldiers, who marched extremely + slowly. They halted at their own discretion; nor did they seem to + understand that orders given were to be obeyed. What they liked, poor + fellows, was to see the women admiring them. The march up the hill out of + Lyme was a long exhibition of vanity, the women waving their + handkerchiefs, the men putting on all sorts of airs, jetting like + gamecocks. When we got up to the top of the hill, I saw the old lame + puppet-man, sitting on the edge of the wild, unenclosed, gorse-covered + common-land which stretches away towards the town of Axminster. He was + watching us with deep interest. Our men were spreading out into line upon + this common. The horse was ranging on, bobbing about, far ahead. The foot + were looking about eagerly as they got out of the ranks in which they had + marched; but they could see no trace of any enemy. I caught sight of the + Duke four hundred yards away, a little figure sitting alone on his horse, + in front of half a dozen others. They were all scanning the country, all + the way round. Presently I called out that I saw the enemy. Half a dozen + cavalry were riding up a combe far off. But they were our own men, not the + militia. They were some of our scouts riding off as “feelers” to spy out + Albemarle's position. All the time that we were up there on the hill, the + little old man portered about among the men, now listening to what they + had to say, now asking the soldiers to look at his pretty puppets. When + the returning scouts brought word that no troops were near us, so that we + were free to march back again, he was still there, packing up his puppets + in tarred canvas, as though about to march off to the next market-town. We + marched past him, as he sat in the heather. I passed quite close to him, + staring at him hard, for to tell the truth he was on my mind. I was + suspicious of him. He took off his hat to me, with a smile; but he did not + speak. Then my troops swung round, down the hill, leaving him alone there, + watching the men pass. + </p> + <p> + Other things put him out of my mind during the afternoon. I was kept busy + writing orders to scouts; for we were sending out scouts in every + direction, partly to protect us from surprise, partly to direct new + recruits to our headquarters. Mr. Blick, who knew the ground dictated the + letters, helped by Mr. Fletcher, who studied a big map with great + attention; I was writing all that afternoon. Lyme grew noisier during the + day, as the recruits became more drunk. Many steady men turned away from + us when they saw our disorder. I myself had been brought up to abhor + drunkenness. I found the state of drunken uproar very terrible. I feared + that such an army would never achieve any great deed. I thought that such + sin would be punished. Our soldiers were not behaving like knights sworn + to a good cause; but like boors at a fair. That day we lost our only good + officer, Mr. Fletcher. + </p> + <p> + I have spoken of this gentleman. He was in command of the horse under Lord + Grey. He was a much better soldier than my Lord; a better officer, too; a + better man. Now in the day's confusion, with everything topsy turvy, the + Duke's messenger, “Old Dare,” rode into Lyme from Taunton, where he had + galloped the day before to spread the news of our arrival. This Dare was a + quick-tempered, not very clever, popular man with a great deal of + influence in the countryside. On his way back to us from Taunton, someone + lent, or gave, him a very fine horse. It may have been meant as a gift to + the Duke; I do not know. Anyhow Old Dare rode in on this horse with + letters from Taunton, which he handed to Mr. Fletcher to give to the Duke. + Fletcher, our cavalry commander, had as yet no horse; so seeing the + splendid charger on which Old Dare rode, he ordered Old Dare to give it up + to him. He was the real commander of the army, with a military right, if + no real right, to take what horse he liked from any subordinate officer. + But Old Dare, like so many of our men, had no knowledge of what soldier's + discipline meant. He saw, in Fletcher, a gentleman with whom he had lived + as an equal for the last fortnight. He was not going to give up his horse + like that; not he. Fletcher (speaking sharply) told him to obey without + further words, at which Dare in a sudden flush of temper struck him with + his riding switch. Fletcher was not a patient man. He could not let an act + of gross mutiny pass unpunished, nor would he suffer an insult. He shot + Dare dead upon the spot, in full view of some hundreds of us. It was all + done in an instant. There was Dare lying dead, never to stir again. There + was Fletcher, our only soldier, with a smoking pistol in his hand, + thinking that he had taught the army a lesson in obedience. There was the + army all about him, flocking round in a swarm, not looking at it as a + military punishment but as a savage murder, for which he deserved to be + hanged. Then the Duke hastened up to make things quiet, before the army + avenged their friend. He drew Fletcher aside, though the people murmured + at him for speaking to a murderer. He was unnerved by Fletcher's act. He + had no great vitality. Sudden crises such as this unnerved him, by using + up his forces. A crisis of this kind (a small thing in a great rebellion) + was often enough to keep his brain from considering other, more important, + more burning questions concerning the entire army. The end of this + business was as unhappy as its beginning. Fletcher, our only soldier, was + sent aboard the frigate in which the Duke had sailed from Holland. When + the tide served, she set sail with him for Corunna in Spain. With him she + carried all our hopes of success, together with a quantity of stores which + would have been of use later in the expedition. As I left the Cobb, or + pier, which makes Lyme harbour, I saw the little lame puppet-man turning + away from the beach with a company of men who wore our green boughs. For a + few steps I hurried towards him, so that I might overhear what he was + saying; I made so sure that he was a spy. Mr. Blick, to whom I told my + fears, bade me not to worry myself. “Why, boy,” he said, “there are five + hundred spies in Lyme; but they can't hurt us. Before they can get off to + tell our enemies all about us there won't be any enemies left. We shall be + marching at once. We shall drive everything before us.” He spoke with such + confidence that I believed him; yet the old man troubled me, for all that. + When you see a face continually, at a time when you are excited, you + connect the face with your excitement; it troubles your nerves. + </p> + <p> + The day wore by with all the unreality of a day of confusion. I was kept + at work until the light was gone; then served at the Duke's table while he + supped, then snatched a hurried supper while he talked with his officers. + After supper, I had to go from billet to billet, looking for people whom + the officers wished to see. Something very important was in the air. The + discussion in the inn's great room was the first serious council of the + war. About eleven o'clock, Lord Grey came out of the room, telling me to + follow him. We went out into the street, where presently our men began to + fall in, four or five abreast, about a hundred ranks of them. A few + cavalry came, too, but not enough, I heard Lord Grey say, not enough to do + any good with. In spite of all the efforts of those who loved us (by + efforts I mean the robbing of farm-stables) we were very short of horses. + Those which we had were not good; they were cart, not saddle-horses, + unused to the noise of guns. Still, such as they were, they formed up in + the street ahead of the foot. The force took a long time to form; for the + men kept saying that they had forgotten something, their powder-horn, + their cartridges, their guns, even. Then they had to run back to their + billets to fetch whatever it was, while those who remained behind, puzzled + at the movement so late at night, when they wished to sleep, began to get + nervous. They began to ask where it was that we were going, was it to + Axminster, or to Bridport. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0017" id="link2HCH0017"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVII. A VOICE AT DAWN + </h2> + <p> + Word was passed about that we were going to surprise the militia at + Bridport at dawn. We were told to keep quiet on the march, after passing + Charmouth, as the night was so still that we should be heard far off. We + did not know how near the Bridport outposts might come to us under cover + of the night. “You come with us, Martin,” said Lord Grey: “Take a horse. + If we win Bridport you'll have to gallop back with the news.” I was made a + little nervous by the thought of going into battle so soon; but gulping + down my fears I mounted a marsh-mare which stood near the inn door. I + hoped sincerely that no militia bullet would find any part of either of + us. Then the drums began to play us out of the town with their morning + roll. A fife whined out, going down to our marrows with its shrillness. + Lights showed at the windows. We saw dark heads framed in yellow patches. + People called to us. In the door of the great inn stood Monmouth; his face + seemed very white in the glare of the torches. He raised his hand to us as + we passed him. The last thing I noticed of the town, for I rode in the + rear with Lord Grey, were the ranks passing the lamp on the town hall. + They came up to it in waves, their cloaks showing in glimmer for an + instant. Then they passed on into the night, sliding forwards slowly with + a steady roll, like the moving of waves to the shore. + </p> + <p> + We were a long time riding; so long that the dawn was on us by the time we + were within shot of the enemy. I don't remember very much about the ride, + except that it was unreal, very unreal; for the mists came down, blotting + the world from us, so that we rode in a swirl of cold grey, amid a noise + of dropping. When we got to the top of the long hill after Chideock I was + bidden halt at a cross-roads, with a waggon full of ammunition, while the + force moved on to the attack. The hills were showing up clearly above the + mist; but the valley lay like a sea, a great grey formless level, like + some world of the ghosts. The troops passed down in it, moving pretty + briskly, lest the mist should lift before they were in position. Most of + them knew the country, so that they could well walk confidently; but their + quickness had something nervous in it, as though they were ill at ease. + Very soon they were out of sight, out of hearing, swallowed up in the fog. + </p> + <p> + I waited a long time (as it seemed) up there at the cross-roads. After a + long wait I rode a little down the hill, from sheer anxiety. I pulled up + in a bank of cloud, through which I could see dimly, in the growing light, + for about a dozen yards. I was leaning well forward, listening for the + sound of shooting, when something made me look down. Someone was standing + at my side, slipping something into my pocket. It gave me a start. I + clutched at the person. It was the old lame puppet-man who had been at + Lyme the day before. “Latter for ee,” he said in a whisper. “Read en, + unless you'm a fool.” His hand pressed lightly on my bridle hand for an + instant; then he ducked sideways swiftly into the wilderness of ferny + gorse at the side of the road, where I could not hope to follow him, even + if the mist had not hidden him. Something in the voice, something in the + lightness of the touch startled me into the knowledge. As he ducked, it + came over me that this old man was Aurelia disguised, come to spy upon us, + but bent, also, on giving me a warning, some little kind word of advice, + at the beginning of my lord's war. I ought to have recognized her before. + I had been blind. She had been under my eyes the whole day, yet I had + never once suspected, no one, of all that army, had suspected. She had + been disguised by a master-hand. She had played her part like a great + actress. It was terrible to think of the risk she was running. One man's + suspicion, in a time of war, would have been enough to give her to a + horrible death. I tried to follow her into the jungle into which she had + vanished; but my horse would not face the furze. I tried hard to see her, + but it was no use; the tangle was too thick; she had gone. I called out to + her softly; but I got no answer; only, at some little distance away, I + heard a twig snap under a passer's foot. + </p> + <p> + In a momentary clearing of the mist, I pulled out my letter. It was + written in a fine, firm hand, with signature. It was a short, purposeful + letter, which kept sharply to the point. It only contained two lines. + “Your Duke's cause is hopeless. He has no possible chance. Take the + Axminster road to safety.” That was the whole letter. It gave me a feeling + of uneasiness; but it did not tempt me to desert. I thought that if I + deserted I might very well be tortured into betraying all that I knew of + the Duke's plans, while I doubted very much whether the Duke's + body-servant would find mercy from the merciless, frightened King. What + was I to do, even if I escaped from the King's party? I was too young for + any employment worthy of my station in life. I had neither the strength + nor the skill for manual labour. Who would employ a boy of my age on a + farm or in a factory? All that I could hope would be to get away to sea, + to a life which I had already found loathsome. As to going back to my + uncle's house, I doubt if I would have gone, even had I had the certainty + of getting to it safely. When a boy has once taken to an adventurous life, + nothing but very ill health will drive him back to home-life. Yet there + was the thought of Aurelia. Somehow the thought of her was a stronger + temptation than any fear of defeat. I would have liked to have seen that + old enemy of mine again. + </p> + <p> + I was thinking over the letter, wondering what would come to the Duke's + cause, when the valley below me began to ring with firing. A heavy fire + had begun there. It thundered in a long roll, which died down, + momentarily, into single sputterings through which one could hear + shouting. About twenty minutes after the beginning of the shots, when all + the party on the hill-top were edging nearer to the battle, taking a few + steps at a time, on tenter-hooks to be engaged, we heard a great gallop of + horses' hoofs coming to us at full tilt. At first we were scared by this, + for the noise was tremendous, too great, we inexperienced soldiers + thought, to be caused by our little troop of cavalry. We thought that it + was the Bridport militia charging down on us, after destroying our + friends. The mist by this time was all blowing clear, though wisps of it + clung along the hedgerows in unreal rolling folds. The day above was + breaking in the sultry blue summer dimness. We could see, I suppose, for a + quarter of a mile, straight down the road. + </p> + <p> + We had swung round, facing towards Lyme, when the noise of the hoofs first + came to us. When the turn of the road showed us a squad of cavalry coming + to us at the charge, led by half a dozen riderless horses, we waited for + no more. We spurred up our nags in a panic, till we, too, were going full + tilt for Lyme, shouting out as we went any nonsense which came to our + heads. We were in a panic fear; I believe that the horses in some way felt + it too. We galloped back to Chideock as though we were chased by witches, + while the gun-firing at Bridport steadily grew less, till at last it + stopped altogether. At Chideock, some of the cavalry came up with us. They + were our own men, our own troop of horse, not an enemy after all. The + riderless horses were a few of the militia charges which had been seized + from a cavalry outpost to the west of the town. We had bolted from our own + crazy terror. But we were not the only fleers. Our cavalry had bolted + first, at the first volley outside the town. It is unjust to say that they + were afraid. Lord Grey was not a coward; our men had stout hearts enough; + but they had not reckoned on the horses. The first discharge of guns + scared the horses almost frantic. They swung about out of action in a + couple of seconds. Another volley made them all bolt. It was when they + were bolting that the men began to grow alarmed. Fear is a contagious + thing; it seems to pass from spirit to spirit, like a flame along a powder + train, till perhaps a whole army feels it. Our horsemen pulled up among us + in Chideock in as bad a scare as you ever saw; it was twenty minutes + before they dared walk back to find out what had happened to the foot at + Bridport, after their retreat. + </p> + <p> + Our foot came back very angry with the horse. They had fired away a lot of + powder to very little purpose, before orders reached them, bidding them + retire. They had not wished to retire; but at last they had done so + sullenly, vowing to duck Lord Grey for deserting them. We had taken about + a dozen horses without harness, instead of the two hundred equipped + chargers which we had promised ourselves. + </p> + <p> + We had killed a few of the militia, so everybody said; but in the + confusion of the powder-smoke who could say how many? They were certain + that none of our own men had been killed; but in a force so newly raised, + who could say for certain which were our own men? As a matter of fact + several of our men had been taken by the royalists, which is as much as to + say that they had been killed. Altogether the affair had been a hopeless + failure from the very beginning. The foot had learned to despise the + horse. The horses had learned to be afraid of gun-fire. The cavalrymen had + learned to despise Lord Grey. The militia had learned to despise us. The + only valuable lesson that our men had learned was that a battle was not so + terrible a thing. You knelt down, fired your gun, shouted, borrowed your + neighbour's drinking bottle, took a long swig, then fired again, with more + shouting, till somebody clapped you on the shoulder with orders to come + away. But this lesson, precious as it was did not console our men for + their beating. They were cross with the long night-march as well as with + Lord Grey's desertion. We dragged our way back to Lyme very slowly, losing + a good fifty of our number by desertion. They slipped away home, after + falling out of the ranks to rest. They had had enough of fighting for the + Duke; they were off home. The officers were strict at first, trying to + stop these desertions; but the temper of the men was so bad that at last + they gave it up, hoping that some at least would stay. That was another + evil consequence of fighting for the crown with an undisciplined mob; they + could sustain defeat as ill as they could use victory. We did not trail + into Lyme until after noon; for we marched like snails, fearing that the + militia would follow us. When we got into camp, the men flung their arms + from them, careless of the officer's orders. All that they wanted was + sleep (we had eaten a late breakfast at Charmouth), they were not going to + do any more soldier's foolery of drill, or sentry-go. As for Lord Grey, + whom everybody called a coward, the Duke could not cashier him, because he + was the best officer remaining to us. Poor Fletcher, who might have made + something of our cavalry, was by this time far away at sea. The other + officers had shown their incapacity that morning. For my own part, I chose + out a snug billet on a hearthrug in the George Inn, where I slept very + soundly for several hours. While I slept, the Duke held a melancholy + council to debate what could be done. + </p> + <p> + They say that he ought to have marched that morning to Exeter, where Lord + Albemarle's militia (all of them ripe for rebellion) would have joined + him. + </p> + <p> + Exeter or Bristol, one or the other, would have been a fine plume in his + cap, a strong, fortified town, full of arms, where he could have + established himself firmly. I do not know why he decided against marching + to Exeter. He may have had bad reports of troops being on the road waiting + for him; or he may have thought that his friends (who were plentiful on + the Bristol road) would rally to him as soon as he appeared. He was + deceived by those protesting gentry, his friends, who had welcomed him so + warmly only a few months before. He thought that all the countryside was + ready to join him. He had been deceived, as perhaps a cleverer man would + have been deceived, by the warmth of his welcome on his earlier visit. An + Englishman is always polite to a Duke when he meets him in a friendly + gathering. But when the Duke says, “Lend me all your ready money, together + with your horses, or rather give them to me, since I am the King,” his + politeness leaves him; he gets away to London to warn the police as fast + as his horse will take him. Thus it was with the Duke's friends scattered + about along the main-road from Lyme to Bristol. + </p> + <p> + I know not who persuaded the Duke to march; probably it was Grey; it may + have been Venner; it may have been a momentary mad resolution caused by a + glass of wine. They say that he was solemn about it, as though he expected + to fail. Perhaps he would have gone back to Holland if the ship had been + still in the harbour, but of course she had gone away. He would not go in + La Reina; for she was sluggish from barnacles, having been long + un-careened. The Channel at this time was full of ships looking for him; + how he escaped them when he sailed from Holland I cannot think. He + hesitated for a long time, poor man, before deciding; no man could have + acted more like a Stuart, at such a time. When the decision was made he + gave word to start early on the following morning. But this I did not know + till one A.M, when Lord Grey routed me out from my berth on the + hearth-rug, so that I might go from house to house, calling up our + officers. + </p> + <p> + I suppose that all our officers were out of bed by two o'clock, yet it + took them eight hours to get their men together, into some sort of order. + We were hardly ready for the road at ten A.M. when the drums beat up to + play us out of the town. As I was the Duke's servant, I was allowed to + ride by my master; I daresay people thought that I was the young Prince. + We marched up the hill gaily, with a multitude flocking all about us, but + there were many of that crowd who looked doubtfully at my master's sad + face, thinking that he looked over-melancholy for a conquering king. + </p> + <p> + We marched out of Lyme into a valley, through a sort of suburb called + Uplyme. After that we marched steadily up hill, a long climb of two miles, + having a great view of the countryside on our left hand. Our right was + shut from us by a wooded hill. It was a warm, sunny June day: the grass + just ripe for hay harvest; the country at its best; everything at its full + flower, so that you wondered at the world's abundance. We sent out scouts, + when we were about a mile from Lyme; but when we were at the top of the + hill we could see for ourselves, without putting scouts abroad. We could + see horsemen on the high ground away to the left, two or three hundred of + them. Besides these there were some companies of foot drawn up in good + order in the fields outside Axminster, at some distance from the town. + When this army caught sight of us, it began to file off towards the town, + as though to dispute it with us, so our advanced guard pushed on to drive + them out of it. The sight of so many men in order, was a very moving one. + To see them advance their colours, to see the light on the shifting steel, + to hear the low beating hum of the feet was stirring to the heart. Word + ran along the line that there was going to be a battle. Our foot left the + road, so as to spread out into line in the open, where they could take up + positions behind hedges. I was sent back to the rear at this instant, to + order up the ammunition waggons, so that I missed some part of the + operations; but I shall never forget how confidently our men spread out; + they marched as though they were going into the fields for partridges. The + drums began again, to hearten them, but there was no need for drums in + that company; they began to sing of their own accord, making a noise which + drowned the drums altogether. I gave my orders to the ammunition waggons, + which were blocked in a jumble of sightseers, camp-followers, etc., etc., + so that they could hardly move. The drivers got me to charge my horse + through the mob to make a path, which I did, with a good deal of pain to + myself, for the people thus thrust aside struck at me. The drivers struck + out at them in return; we had a little fight of our own, while Axminster + was being won. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0018" id="link2HCH0018"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVIII. I SPEAK WITH AURELIA + </h2> + <p> + The next thing which I remember was coming out of the mob with the waggons + just behind me, going at a smart pace to a position on the army's right. + The road was pretty full of all sorts of people; but as we shouted for + them to clear the way, they made a lane for us. I saw the Duke's little + clump of staff-officers on a pitch of rising ground, but there was no + firing; only a noise of many voices singing. Just as we were about to turn + off the road into the fields behind our right wing, I saw the little old + lame puppet-man sitting on a donkey by the ditch at the side of the road. + I shouted to the drivers to pass on, which they did, at full tilt, while I + drew rein by the old man's side. “Aurelia,” I said, “this is no place for + you. Do get away from here before they find you out.” + </p> + <p> + “Why,” she said, very calmly, in the broad burring man's voice which she + imitated so exactly. “I be come 'ere to find you out. You'm going to your + death, boy. You get out of this 'ere army afore you're took. I tell ee thy + Duke be a doomed man. Look at en's face. Why, boy, there be eleven + thousand soldiers a-marching to put er down. You've only a got a quarter + of that lot. Come out of en, boy. Do-an't ee be led wrong.” I was touched + by her kind thought for me; she was risking her life for me for the second + time, but in the hurry of the moment I could not put words together to + thank her. + </p> + <p> + “Aurelia,” I said, “I can't talk to you now. Only get out of this. Don't + stay here. I'm all right.” + </p> + <p> + “No, Martin,” she said, in her ordinary voice, “you're not all right. Come + out of this. Slip away tonight to Newenham Abbey. It be over there, not + more than a couple of miles. Oh, come, come. I can't bear to see you going + away to certain death. I KNOW that this force cannot win.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, Aurelia,” I answered. “But I'm not going to be a hang-back for all + that. I'm not going to be a coward. You risk a horrible death, only to + tell me not to do the same. You wouldn't give up a cause you believed in, + merely because it was dangerous. I'll stick by my master, Aurelia. Don't + try to tempt me.” + </p> + <p> + She would have said more; she would perhaps have persuaded me from my + heroics, had not the guns begun firing. That broke the spell with a + vengeance; nothing could be done after that. I shook up my horse, hardly + pausing to say “God bless you.” In another minute she was out of sight, + while I was cantering off to the extreme right wing with the Duke's orders + to his officers to cut in on the road to Chard. As I rode along, behind + the scattered line of our men, I could see the rolls of smoke from the + firing on the left. The men on the right were not firing, but being raw + troops they were edging little by little towards the firing, in which I do + not doubt they longed to be, for the sake of the noise. They say now that + the Duke threw away this battle at Axminster. He could have cut + Albemarle's troops to pieces had he chosen to do so. They made a pretty + bold front till we were within gunfire of them, when they all scattered + off to the town pell-mell. While they were in the town, we could have cut + them off from the Chard road, which would have penned them in while we + worked round to seize the bridges. After that, one brisk assault would + have made the whole batch of them surrender. Some of our officers galloped + from our right wing (where I was) to see how the land lay, before leading + off their men as I had brought them word. A few of them fired their + pistols, when they came to the road, which was enough to make the right + wing double forward to support them without orders. In a minute about a + thousand of us were running fast after our officers, while the Duke's + aides charged down to stop us. He had decided not to fight, probably + thinking that it would do his cause no good by killing a lot of his + subjects so early in his reign. We know now that had he made one bold + attack that morning, the whole of Albemarle's force, with the exception of + a few officers, would have declared for him. In other words we should have + added to our army about a thousand drilled armed men who knew the country + through which we were to pass. By not fighting, we discouraged our own + army, who grumbled bitterly when they found their second battle as + ineffectual as the fight at Bridport. + </p> + <p> + I remember next that I saw the whole of Albemarle's troops flying for + their lives along the Chard road, flinging away their weapons as they ran. + They had the start of us; but a resolute captain could have brought them + to a stand, by pushing forward his cavalry. However “a bridge of gold to a + flying foe” is a good saying. We let them go. When our cavalry advanced + (to keep them on the move, not to fight with them) they passed the time in + collecting what the militia had flung away; about four thousand pounds' + worth of soldiers' stores, chiefly uniforms. I went forward with the horse + on that occasion. I picked up altogether about a dozen muskets, which I + gave to some of our men who were armed only with clubs. Then I rode back + to report myself ready for service to my master, who was getting ready for + camp, thinking that his men had done enough for one day. + </p> + <p> + It was a sad waste of time. A rough camp was formed. We went no further + for that time. About half a precious day was wasted, which might have + brought us nearly to Taunton under a resolute man, sworn to conquer. Some + of our men went out to forage, which they did pretty roughly. It was theft + with violence, coloured over by some little touch of law. The farmers who + were unpopular thereabouts had their cattle driven off; their ricks carted + off; their horses stolen; their hen-roosts destroyed. We were like an army + of locusts, eating up everything as we passed. Our promises to pay, when + the King came to his own, were really additional insult; for the people + robbed knew only too well how Stuart kings kept their promises. One + strange thing I saw that night. The men who were cooking their newly + stolen beef at the camp-fires kept crying out for camp-kettles in which to + boil the joints. We had no camp-kettles; but an old man came forward to + the Duke's quarters to ask if he might show the men how to cook their meat + without kettles. The Duke at once commanded him to show us how this might + be done. Like most useful inventions, it was very simple. It was one of + those things which are forgotten as life becomes civilised, but for want + of which one may perish when one returns to barbarity, as in war. The old + man began by placing stout poles in tripods over the camp-fires, lashing + them firmly at the top with faggot-binders. Then he took the hide of one + of the slaughtered cattle, gathering it up at the corners, so as to form a + sort of bag. He cut some long narrow strips from the hide of the legs, + with which to tie the four corners together. Then he lashed the four + corners to the tripod, so that the bag hung over the fire. + </p> + <p> + “There,” he said. “There is your kettle. Now put water into en. Boil thy + victuals in er. That be a soldier's camp-kettle. You can carry your kettle + on your beef till you be ready for en.” + </p> + <p> + Indeed, it proved to be a very good kind of a kettle after one got used to + the nastiness of it, though the smell of burning hair from the kettles was + disgusting. To this day, I have only to singe a few hairs in a candle to + bring back to my mind's eye that first day in camp at Axminster, the hill, + the valley ringed in by combes, the noise of the horses, the sputtering of + the fires of green wood, the many men passing about aimlessly, wondering + at the ease of a soldier's life after the labour of spring ploughing. It + was a wonderful sight, that first camp of ours; but the men for the most + part grumbled at not fighting; they wanted to be pushing on, to seize the + city of Bristol, instead of camping there. How did they know, they said, + that the weather would keep fine? How were we to march with all our ten + baggage waggons if the weather turned wet, so that the roads became muddy? + The roads in those parts became deep quagmires in rainy weather. A light + farmer's market cart might go in up to the axles after a day's steady + rain. To march through such roads would break the men's hearts quicker + than any quantity of fighting, however disastrous. Thus they grumbled + about the camp-fires, while I bustled over the Duke's dinner, in the + intervals of running errands for the colonel. + </p> + <p> + That evening, after the summer dusk had come, but before the army had + settled to sleep, I heard an old man, one of our cavalrymen, talking to + another trooper. “Ah,” he said, “I was fighting in the old wars under + Oliver. I've seen wars enough. You mark my words, boy, this army won't do + much. We've not got enough men, for one thing. We could have had fourteen + thousand or more if he'd thought to bring muskets for en. We've not got + cavalry, that's another thing. When us do come face to face with all the + King's men us shall be sore put to it for want of a few trusty horses. + Horsemen be the very backbones of armies in the field. Then, boy, we not + got any captains, that's worst of all. The Duke's no captain. If he'd been + a captain her'd have fought this morning. Them others aren't captains + neither, none of them. Besides, what are they doing sitting down in camp + like this when we ought to be marching? Us ought to be marching. Marching + all night, never setting down once, marching in two armies, one to Exeter, + one to Bristol. Us'd 'ave the two towns by late tomorrow night if us was + under old Oliver. It'll take us a week to get to Bristol at this rate. By + that time it will be full of troops, as well as secured by ships. As for + us, by that time we shall have troops all round us, not to speak of + club-men.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” said the younger man. “What be club-men, gaffer?” + </p> + <p> + “You'll know soon enough what club-men are,” the old man answered, “if + there's any more of this drunken dirty robbery I saw this afternoon. Those + thieves who stole the farmer's cattle would have been shot in Oliver's + time. They'd have cast lots on a drum in sight of all on us, drawn up. The + men who got the low numbers would have been shot. The captains would have + pistolled them where they stood. If this robbing goes on, all the farmers + will club together to defend themselves, making a sort of second army for + us to fight against. That is what club-men means. It's not a nice thing to + fight in a country where there are club-men all round you. No, boy. So + what with all this, boy, I be going to creep out of this 'ere army. I + do-an't like the look of things, nor I do-an't like the way things are + done. If you take a old man's advice you'll come too.” + </p> + <p> + “Noa,” said the honest oaf, “I be agoin' to vight. I be a-goin' to London + town to be a girt sol-dier.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” said the old man, shortly, “you be a vule, Tummas. Wish ee good day, + maister.” Then the old man turned sharply on his heel to leave the camp, + which he did easily enough, for he knew several of the sentries. Even if + he had not known them, it would have made little difference, because our + sentries were so lax that the camp was always swarming with strangers. + Women came to see their husbands or sweethearts. Boys came out of love of + mischief. Men came out of curiosity, or out of some wish to see things + before they decided which side to take. Our captains were never sure at + night how many of their men would turn up at muster the next morning. + </p> + <p> + After the old man had deserted, I sat down on the high ground above the + camp, in the earthen battery where our four little guns were mounted. I + was oppressed with a sad feeling that we were all marching to death. The + old man's words, “we shall have troops all round us,” rang in my head, + till I could have cried. My mind was full of terrible imaginings. I saw + our army penned up in a little narrow valley where the roads were + quagmires, so that our guns were stuck in the mud, our horses up to their + knees, our men floundering. On the hills all round us I saw the King's + armies, fifty thousand strong, marching to music under the colours, + firing, then wheeling, forming with a glint of pikes, bringing up guns at + a gallop, shooting us down, while we in the mud tried to form. I knew that + the end of it all would be a little clump of men round the Duke, gathered + together on a hillock, holding out to the last. The men would be dropping + as the shot struck them. The wounded would waver, letting their + pike-points drop. Then' there would come a whirling of cavalry, horses' + eyes in the smoke, bright iron horse-shoes gleaming, swords crashing down + on us, an eddy of battle which would end in a hush as the last of us died. + I saw all these pictures in my brain, as clearly as one sees in a dream. + You must not wonder that I looked over the misty fields towards Newenham + Abbey with a sort of longing to be there, well out of all the war. It was + only a mile from me. I could slip away so easily. I was not bound to stay + where I was, to share in the misery caused by my leader's want of skill. + Then I remembered how my father had believed in the right of the Duke's + cause. He would have counselled me to stay, I thought. It seemed to me, in + the dusk of the night, that my father was by me, urging me to stay. The + thought was very blessed; it cleared away all my troubles as though they + had not been. I decided to look no more towards Newenham; but to go on by + the Duke's side to whatever fortune the wars might bring us. Somehow, the + feeling that my father was by me, made me sure that we were marching to + victory. I went to my quarters comforted, sure of sleeping contentedly. + </p> + <p> + Like the rest of us, I had to sleep in the open, without any more shelter + than a horse-cloth. Even the Duke was without a tent that night. He slept + in camp with us, to set an example to his men, though he might well have + gone to some house in the town. I liked the notion of sleeping out in the + open. In fine warm summer weather, when the dew is not too heavy, it is + pleasant, until a little before the dawn, when one feels uneasy, for some + reason, as though an enemy were coming. Perhaps our savage ancestors, the + earliest ancient Britons, who lived in hill-camps, high up, with their + cattle round them, expected the attacks of their enemies always at a + little before the dawn; so that, in time, the entire race learned to be + wakeful then, lest the enemy should catch the slumberers, with flint-axe + heads in the skull. It may be that to this day we feel the fear felt by so + many generations of our ancestors. On this first night in camp, I found + that many of the men were sleeping uneasily, for they did not know the + secret of sleeping in the open. They did not know that to sleep + comfortably in the open one must dig a little hole in the ground, about as + big as a porridge bowl, to receive one's hipbone. If you do this, you + sleep at ease, feeling nothing of the hardness of the bed. If you fail to + do it, you wake all bruised, after a wretched night's tumbling; you ache + all the next day. + </p> + <p> + After grubbing up a hollow with my knife, I swathed myself in my blanket + with a saddle for pillow. I watched the stars for a while, as they drifted + slowly over me. The horses stamped, shaking their picket-ropes. The + sentries walked their rounds, or came to the camp-fires to call their + reliefs. The night was full of strange noises. The presence of so many + sleeping men was strange. It was very beautiful, very solemn. It gave one + a kind of awe to think that thus so many famous armies had slept before + the battles of the world, before Pharsalia, before Chalons, before + Hastings. Presently the murmuring became so slight that I fell asleep, + forgetting everything, only turning uneasily from time to time, to keep + the cool night wind from blowing on my cheeks so as to wake me. + </p> + <p> + It must have been two in the morning when I was wakened by some armed men, + evidently our sentries, who rolled me over without ceremony. + </p> + <p> + “Wake up, young master,” they said, grinning. “You'm wanted. You be to get + up to go a errand. You be a soldier now. You does your sleeping in + peace-times when you be a soldier,” I sat up blinking my eyes, in the + early light, thinking how nice t'other forty winks would be. + </p> + <p> + “Heigho,” I yawned. “All right. I'm awake. What is it? What's the matter?” + </p> + <p> + “Lord Grey be a wanting you, young master,” said one of the men. “Down + there, where them horses be in the road.” I picked myself up at that, + wishing for a basin of water into which I might shove my head. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, yes,” I said. “Thank you. I'll go down.” I left my blanket where it + was, as I expected to be back in a few minutes. I walked down hill out of + the camp to the road where the horses stood; there were four horses, two + of them mounted. The mounted men were regular country bumpkins, with green + sprays in their hats, like the rest of our men; but their horses were + pretty good, much better than most of those we had. One of them was a + stocky old cob, which was no doubt to be mine. The other was a beast with + handsome harness for Lord Grey. “Alas,” I thought. “No more sleep for me. + I've got to ride. I wonder where we are going.” The men touched their hats + to me; for as I was in the Duke's retinue I was much respected. Some of + them no doubt thought I was a princeling or little lord. + </p> + <p> + “Where are we going?” I asked the troopers. + </p> + <p> + “Going scouting out towards Colyton yonder, sir,” said one of them. “Us be + to pick up his Lordship in the town.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0019" id="link2HCH0019"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIX. I MEET THE CLUB MEN + </h2> + <p> + I wondered when I was to get breakfast; but I knew Lord Grey well enough + to know that he was not a man to go willingly without food for more than a + few hours at a time. Breakfast I should have presently, nor would it be + skin-boiled beef, smelling of singed hair. So I mounted my cob with a good + will. The first trooper rode by my side, the other waited for a moment to + examine the feet of Lord Grey's charger. He trotted after us, leading the + riderless horse, some fifty yards behind us. We trotted smartly through + Axminster, where we set the dogs barking. People sprang from their beds + when they heard us, fearing that we were an army coming to fight. We + cantered out of the town over the river, heading towards a hilly country, + which had few houses upon it. I looked back after leaving Axminster, to + see if Lord Grey wanted me. He had mounted his horse somewhere in the + town; but he was now a couple of hundred yards behind us, riding' with a + third man, whom I judged to be Colonel Foukes, by his broad white + regimental scarf. After we had gone a few miles, we came to a cross-roads + where my guide bade me halt to wait for orders. The others had pulled up, + too. I could see Lord Grey examining a map, while his horse sidled about + across the road. The trooper who had been riding with him, joined us after + a while, telling us to take the road to our right, which would take us, he + said, towards Taunton. We were to keep our eyes skinned, he said, for any + sign of armed men coming on the high-road from Honiton, so as to threaten + our left flank. The gentlemen were going to scout towards the sea. At + eight o'clock, if we had seen no trace of any armed force coming, we were + to make for Chard, where we should find the Duke's army. We were to + examine the roads for any signs of troops having passed recently towards + Taunton. We were to enquire of the country people, if troops were abroad + in that countryside, what troops they might be, how led, how equipped, + etc. If we came across any men anxious to join the Duke we were to send + them on to Chard or Ilminster, on the easterly road to Taunton. We were to + ride without our green boughs, he said; so before starting on our road we + flung them into the ditches. Lord Grey waved his hand to us, as he turned + away with his friend. We took off our hats in reply, hardly in a soldierly + salute; then we set off at a walk along the Taunton road. It is a lonely + road leading up to the hills, a straight Roman road, better than any roads + laid in England at that time; but a road which strikes horror into one, + the country through which it runs is so bleak. + </p> + <p> + By about six o'clock (according to one of the troopers, who judged by the + height of the sun) we were in a clump of firs high up on a hill, looking + over a vast piece of eastern Devon. We had scouted pretty closely all + round Honiton, examining the country people, without hearing of any + troops. We were now looking out for some gleam upon a road, some rising of + dust over a hedge, some scattering of birds even, any sign of men + advancing, which might be examined more closely. The morning was bright; + but the valleys had mist upon them, which would soon turn to the quivering + blue June heat-haze. The land lay below us, spread out in huge folds; the + fields, all different colours, looked like the counties on a map; we could + see the sea, we could see the gleam of a little river. We could see + Axminster far to the east of us; but the marching army was out of sight, + somewhere on the Chard high-road. After scanning pretty well all around + us, I caught sight of moving figures on the top of one of the combes to + south of us. We all looked hard at the place, trying to make out more of + them. They were nearly a mile from us. They seemed to be standing there as + sentries. At first we thought that they must be people with Lord Grey; but + as we could see no horses we decided that they could not be. One of the + men said that as far as he'd heard tell like, the combe on which they + stood was what they call a camp, where soldiers lived in the old time. He + didn't know much more about it; but he said that he thought we ought to + examine it, like, before riding on to some inn where we could breakfast. + </p> + <p> + The other man seemed to think so, too; but when we came to talk over the + best way of doing our espials, we were puzzled. We should be seen at once + if we went to them directly. We might be suspected if we approached them + on horseback. If the men went, they might be detained, because, for all + that we knew, the combe might be full of militia. So I said I had better + go, since no one would suspect a boy. To this the men raised a good many + objections, looking at each other suspiciously, plainly asking questions + with their raised eyebrows. I thought at the time that they were afraid of + sending me into a possible danger, because I was a servant attached to the + Duke's person. However, when I said that I would go on foot, taking all + precautions, they agreed grudgingly to let me go. + </p> + <p> + I crept along towards this combe on foot, as though I were going bird's + nesting. I beat along by the hedges, keeping out of sight behind them, + till I was actually on the combe's north slope, climbing up to the old + earthwork on the top. I took care to climb the slope at a place where + there was no sentry, which was, of course, not only the steepest bit of + the hill but covered with gorse clumps, through which I could scarcely + thrust my way. Up towards the top the gorse was less plentiful; there were + immense foxgloves, ferns, little marshy tufts where rushes grew, little + spots of wet bright green moss. Yellow-hammers drawled their pretty + tripping notes to me, not starting away, even when I passed close to them. + All the beauty of June was on the earth that day; the beauty of everything + in that intense blue haze was wonderful. + </p> + <p> + The top of the combe was very steep, steeper than any of the ascent, + because it had been built up like an outer wall by the savages who once + lived there with their cattle. I could see just the bare steep wall of the + rampart standing up in a dull green line of short-grassed turf against the + sky, now burning with the intense blue of summer. One hard quick scramble, + with my fingernails dug into the ground, brought my head to the top of the + rampart, beyond which I could see nothing but great ferns, a forest of + great ferns, already four or five feet high, stretching away below, into + the cup of the camp or citadel. I did not dare to stand up, lest I should + be seen. I burrowed my way among the ferns over the wall into the hollow, + worming my way towards the edge of the fern clump so that I could see. In + a minute, I was gazing through the fern-stems into the camp itself; it was + a curious sight. + </p> + <p> + About fifty people (some of them women) were sitting about a hollow in the + ground, which I guessed to be a sort of smokeless fireplace or earth-oven. + Everywhere else, all over the hollow of the camp, which must have been a + full three hundred yards across, were various kinds of farm-stock, mostly + cattle, though there were many picketed horses, too. At first I thought + that I had climbed into a camp of gipsies, which gave me a scare; for + gipsies then were a wild lot, whom wise folk avoided. Then, as I glanced + about, I saw a sentry standing not thirty yards from me, but well above + me, on the rampart top. He was no gipsy he was an ordinary farmer's lad, + with the walk of a ploughman. His sleeves, which were rolled back, showed + me a sun-burnt pair of arms, such as no gipsy ever had. What puzzled me + about him was his heavy double-barrelled pistol, which he carried in his + right hand, with something of a military cock, yet as though awed by it. + He was not over sure of that same pistol. I could see that he confounded + it in some way with art-magic. + </p> + <p> + Then I remembered what the old soldier had said the night before about + club men. This camp must be a camp of club men, I thought. They had come + there to protect their stock from the rapine of our vile pillagers, who + had spread such terror amongst the farmers the day before. Perched up on + the combe, with sentries always on the look-out, they could see the Duke's + raiders long before they came within gunshot. If an armed force had tried + to rush the camp, after learning that the beasts were shut up within it + (which, by the way, no man could possibly suspect until he saw them from + the rampart top), the few defenders clubbed together there could have kept + them out without difficulty; for there was only one narrow entrance to the + camp, so constructed that any one entering by it could be shot at from + three sides, if not from all four. I looked about me carefully from my + hiding-place, till I decided that I could get a better view from another + part of the fern clump. I began to wriggle through the thick, + sweet-scented stalks, towards the heart of the camp, going with infinite + care, so as not to break down the fern into a path. I hoped to make no + more stir among the fern-tops than would be made by one of the many pigs + scattering about in the enclosure. + </p> + <p> + While I was crawling along in this way, I suddenly heard a curious noise + from an intensely thick part of the fern in front of me. It was a clinking + noise, followed by a sort of dry rasping, as though a very big person were + gritting his teeth very hard. It stopped suddenly, but soon began again. I + thought that it must be some one mending harness with a file, or perhaps + some old sheep or cow, with the remnants of a bell about her neck, licking + a stone for salt. As was in an adventure, I thought that I would see it + out to the end; for I was enjoying my morning. In spite of the want of + breakfast I felt very like a red Indian or a pirate, creeping through the + jungle to the sack of a treasure train. So I wormed on towards the noise. + As I came near to it, I went more cautiously, because in one of the pauses + of the noise, I heard a muttered curse, which told me that the unseen + noise-maker was a man. If I had been wise I should have stopped there; for + I had learned all that I came out to learn. But I was excited now. I + wished to see everything, before creeping away unseen to make my report. + Perhaps I wished to see something which had nothing to do with the club + men, a private main of cocks, say, or a dog, or bull-baiting, carried on + with some of the squire's creatures, but without his knowledge. I had a + half wish that I might have something of the kind to report; because in my + heart I longed to say nothing to any of the Duke's party which might lead + to the ruin of these poor people who were trying so hard to protect their + property. + </p> + <p> + A few feet further on, I was wishing most heartily that I had never left + my room in London. It was like this. In the very heart of the fern clump, + where the ferns were tallest, a little spring bubbled out of the ground, + at the rate, I suppose, of a pint of water in a minute. The ferns grew + immensely thick there; but someone had thinned out a few of the roots from + the ground, leaving the uprooted plant with the ferns still living, to + form a rough kind of thatch above a piece of earth big enough for a man's + body. In the scented shade of this thatch, with the side of his face + turned towards me, a big, rough, bearded man sat, filing away some bright + steel irons which were riveted on his ankles. He swore continually in a + low whisper as he worked, not even pausing in his curses when he spat on + to the hollow scraped in the irons by his file. He was the fiercest + looking savage of a man I have ever seen. His face had a look of stern, + gloomy cruelty which I shall never forget. His general appearance was + terrible; for he had a face burnt almost black by the sun (some of it may + have been mud) with a nasty white scar running irregularly all down his + left cheek, along the throat to the shoulder. He was not what you might + call naked, a naked man, such as I have seen since in the hot countries, + would have looked a nobleman beside him. He wore a pair of dirty linen + knickerbockers, all frayed into ribbons at the knees, a pair of strong + hide slippers bound to his ankles by strips of leather, a part of a filthy + red shirt without sleeves, a hat stolen from a scarecrow, nothing else + whatever, except the mud of many days' gathering. His shirt was torn all + down the back in a great slit which he had tried to secure by what the + sailors call “Bristol buttons,” i.e. pieces of string. The red flannel + hung from him so as to show his back, all criss-crossed with flogging + scars. I knew at once from the irons that he was a criminal escaped from + gaol; but the criss-crossed scars taught me that he was a criminal of the + most terrible kind, probably one who had shipped into the Navy to avoid + hanging. + </p> + <p> + I took in a view of him before he saw me. His image was stamped on my + brain in less than ten seconds. In the eleventh second, I was lying on my + back in the gloom of the fern-growth, with this great ruffian on my chest, + squeezing me by my windpipe. I cannot say that he spoke to me. It was not + speech. It was the snarling wild beast gurgle which passes for speech in + the slums of our great cities, as though all the filth of a low nature + were choking in the throat at once. He was on me too quickly for me to cry + out. I could only lie still, cackling for breath, while the fierce face + glowered down on me. I understood him to say that he would have my + windpipe out if I said a word. I suppose he saw that I was only a very + frightened boy; for his clutch upon me relaxed, after a few awful, gasping + moments. When he loosed his hold, his great hand pawed over my throat till + he had me by the scruff of the neck. He drew me over towards the spring, + as one would draw a puppy. Then, still crouching in the fern, he hurried + me to a single stunted sloe-bush which grew there. “Go down, you,” he + said, giving me a shove towards the bush. “Down th' 'ole.” + </p> + <p> + Just behind the sloe-bush, under a fringe of immense ferns, was an opening + in the earth, about eighteen inches high, by two feet across. It was like + a large rabbit or fox earth, except that the mouth of it was not worn + bare. I did not like the thought of going down th' 'ole; but with this + great griping fist on my nape there was not much sense in saying so. I + wormed my way in, helped on by prods from the file. It was a melancholy + moment when my head passed beyond the last filtering of light into the + tomb's blackness, where not even insects lived. After a moment of + scrambling I found that the passage was big enough for me to go on all + fours. It was a dry passage, too, which seemed strange to me; but on + reaching out with my hand I felt that the walls were lined with well laid + stones, unmortared. The roof above me was also of stone. You may wonder + why I did not shoot this ruffian with my pistol. You boys think that if + you had a pistol you would shoot any one who threatened you. You would + not. When the moment comes, it is not so easily disposed of. Besides, a + filthy, cursing pirate on your throat checks your natural calm most + strangely. + </p> + <p> + The passage led into the swell of the rampart for about twenty yards, + where it opened into a dimly lighted chamber about four feet high. A + little blink of light came through a rabbit hole, at the end of which I + saw a spray of gorse with the sunlight on it. I could see by the dim light + that the chamber was built of unmortared stones, very cleverly laid. The + floor of it was greasier than the passage had been, but still it was not + damp. On one side it had a bed of heather stalks, on the other there was + something dark which felt like cold meat. The man came grunting in behind + me, clinking his leg-irons. After groping about in a corner of the room he + lighted a stinking rushlight by means of a tinder box. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0020" id="link2HCH0020"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XX. THE SQUIRE'S HOUSE + </h2> + <p> + “There,” he said, not unkindly, “there's a nice little 'ome for yer. Now + you, tell me wot you were doing spying on me. First of all, 'ave you any + money?” He did not wait for me to answer, but dug his hands into my + pockets at once, taking every penny I had, except a few shillings which + were hidden in my belt. He did not see my belt, as I had taken to wearing + it next my skin, since I began to follow the wars. I feared from the greed + which showed in all his movements that he vas going to strip me; but he + did not do so, thinking, no doubt, that none of my clothes would fit his + body. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” he said, in his snarling beast voice, “wot's up 'ere, with all + these folk brought their beasts 'ere?” + </p> + <p> + I told him that the Duke had come co fight for the crown of England, with + the result, as I supposed, that the country people dared not trust their + live-stock at home, for fear of having them pillaged. He seemed pleased at + the news; but being an utter wild beast, far less civilized than the + lowest savage ever known to me, he showed his pleasure by hoping that the + rich (whom he cursed fluently) might have their heads pulled off in the + war, while as for the poor (the farmers close by us) he hoped that they + might lose every beast they owned. “Do 'era good,” he said. “Now,” he went + on, “are you come spying 'ere along of the farmers?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I said, “I am a servant of the Duke's, riding out to look for the + militia.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” he said. “Are yer, cocky? 'Ow'm I to know that?” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” I said, “Look at my hands. Are they the hands of a farmer?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” he said. “No, Mister stuck-up flunkey, they ain't. I s'pose yet + proud of yet 'ands. I'll 'ave yer wait at table on me.” He seemed to like + the notion: for he repeated it many times, while he dug out hunks of cold + ham with his file, from the meat which I had felt as I crawled in + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “'Ow proud I dig + A'unk a cold pig” + </pre> + <p> + he sang, as he gulped the pieces down. It was partly a nightmare, partly + very funny. I was not sure if he was mad, probably he was mad, but being + down in the burrow there, in the half darkness, hearing that song, made me + feel that I was mad; it was all a very terrible joke; perhaps madness + affects people like that. At last I spoke to him again. + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” I said, “I've been up since two this morning. Give me a hunk of + cold pig, too. I'm half-starved.” + </p> + <p> + “'Elp yourself, can't yer?” he snarled. “Oo'm I to wait on yer?” Then, + very cunningly, he put in, “'Ave you got a knife on yer?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I said cautiously, “I've got no knife,” which was a lie; I did not + wish my knife to go the same way as the money. He gave me some cold pig, + very excellent ham it was, too, for which I was very thankful. He watched + my greediness with satisfaction. I ate heartily when I saw that my + confident way with him had made him more tender towards me. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” he snorted. “Per'aps you ain't been lying to me after all. Now 'ow + long will these blokes be up the 'ill 'ere?” I did not know that; but I + supposed that they would go home directly the Duke's army had got as far, + say, as Taunton. “But,” I added, “the Duke may be beaten. If he's beaten, + all this part will be full of troops beating every bush for the rebels.” + He swore at this; but his curses were only designed to hide his terror. + </p> + <p> + “Could a fellow get to sea,” he said in a whining tone. “Could a poor + fellow in trouble slip away to sea, now, at one of these seaport towns? + Boy, I been livin' like a wild beast all the way from Bristol, this two + months. I didn't kill the feller; not dead. The knife only went into 'im a + very little way, not more'n a inch. I was raised near 'ere at a farm. So I + knowed of this 'ere burrow. I got 'ere two days ago, pretty near dead. Now + I been penned up from the sea by these farmers comin' 'ere, doin' swottin' + sentry-go all round me. I tell yer, I'll cut up sour, if they pen me in, + now I'm so near got away. I been with Avery. They call Avery a pirate. + They said I was a pirate. It's 'anging if they ketch me. Do yer think I + could get away to Lyme or some place, to get took into a ship?” I told + him, no; because I knew from what Lord Grey had told me, that the Channel + was full of men-of-war searching every ship which hove in sight; besides, + he did not look to me to be a very promising hand for a captain to take + aboard. + </p> + <p> + “All the same,” he said, “I got to risk it. You say there may be troops + coming?” + </p> + <p> + “As for that,” I answered, “the troops may be here at any moment from + Exeter or Honiton. They've arrested hundreds of people everywhere around. + You'd better stay in the burrow here.” He did not pay much attention to + what I said. He cursed violently, as though he were a bag-pipe full of + foul words being slowly squeezed by some player. At last he crawled to the + passage, foaming out incoherently that he would show them, he would, let + them just wait. + </p> + <p> + “You stay 'ere,” he said. “If I find you follerin' me, I'll mash your 'ed + into that much slobber.” He showed me a short piece of rope which he had + twisted, sailor fashion, so as to form a handle for a jagged piece of + flint, which, as I could see, had been used on some one or something quite + recently. + </p> + <p> + “Mogador Jack,” he said, “'e don't like people follerin' 'im.” With that + he left me alone in the burrow, wondering, now that it was over, why he + had not killed me. He left me quite stunned; his sudden coming into my + life had been so strange. It was unreal, like a dream, to have been in an + ancient Briton's burial-chamber with a mad old pirate who had committed + murder. But now that he had gone, I was eager to go, too, if it could be + managed. I would not stay there till the brute came back, in spite of that + flint club. After waiting some little time, during which, I felt sure, he + was waiting for me at the door of the burrow, I took out my pistol. I + examined the charge to see that all was well; then very cautiously, I + began to crawl up the passage, with my pistol in my hand. + </p> + <p> + I waited for some minutes near the door, trying to convince myself by the + lie of the shadows outside that he was crouched there, ready for me. But + it seemed safe. I could see no shadow at all except the tremulous + fern-shadows. At last I took off my coat as a blind. I flung it through + the doorway, with some force, to see if it would draw him from his hiding. + Nothing happened. The ruffian did not pounce upon it. I took a few long + breaths to hearten me; it was now or never. I shut my eyes, praying that + the first two blows might miss my head, so that I should have time to + fire. Then, on my back, with my pistol raised over my head, I forced + myself out with every muscle in my body. I leaped to my feet on the + instant, quickly glancing round for the madman, swinging my pistol about + with my finger hard on the trigger. He was not there, after all. I might + have spared myself the trouble. I was alone there in the fern, within + earshot of a murmur of voices, talking excitedly. I was not going to spy + into any more secrets. I was going to get out of that camp cost what it + might. I made one rush through the fern in the direction of the rampart, + shoving the stalks aside, as a bull knocks through jungle in Campeachy. In + thirty steps I was clear of the fern, charging slap into a group of people + who were giving brandy to the sentry, whom I had passed but a little while + before. He was bleeding from a broken wound on his pretty hard Saxon + skull. He was not badly hurt, for he was swearing lustily; but he had been + stunned just long enough for my pirate man to strip him. He was dressed + now in a pair of leather gaiters, all the rest of his things had been + taken, the pistol with them, I saw all this at a glance, as I charged in + among them. I took it all in, guessing in one swift gleam of + comprehension, exactly what had happened there, as my pirate made his rush + for freedom. There was no time to ask if my guess were right or not. + </p> + <p> + “Out of my way,” I shouted, shoving my pistol towards the nearest of the + group. “Out of my way, or I shall fire.” They made way for me. I charged + down hill by the way I had come. Some one cried “Stop en.” Another shouted + “Shoot en, maister.” There came a great bang of a gun over my head. But I + was going down hill like a rabbit, into the gorse, into the bracken, into + the close cover of the heath. Glancing back, I saw a dozen excited people + rushing down the rampart after me. Some flung stones; some ran to catch + horses to chase me. But I had the start of them. I was down the hill, over + the hedge, in the lane, in no time. There, a hundred yards away, I saw my + friends the troopers leading my cob. I shouted to them. They heard me. + They came up to me at a gallop. In ten seconds more we were sailing away + together. + </p> + <p> + “You been getting into scrapes, master,” said one of the troopers. “You + doan't want to meddle with the folk in these parts.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” said the other, with a touch of insolence in his voice. “So your + master may find, one of these fine days.” Being mindful of the Duke's + honour, I told the man to mind his own business, which he said he meant to + do, without asking my opinion. After that we rode on together a little + heated, till we were out of sight of the combe, where I had had such a + startling adventure. + </p> + <p> + After another hour of riding, we pulled up at the garden gate of an old + grey handsome house which stood at some distance from the road. I asked + one of the troopers who lived in this house. He said that it was an old + Abbey, which belonged to Squire; but that we were to leave word there of + the Duke's movements, “for Squire be very 'tached to the Protestants; + besides he'll give us a breakfast. Sure to.” We left our horses at the + gate while we walked up to the house. A pretty girl, who seemed to know + one of the men, told us to come in, while she got breakfast for us. + “Squire,” she said, “would be glad to hear what was going on; for he was + that given up to the soldiers we couldn't hardly believe.” We were shown + down a long flagged corridor to a little cool room which looked as though + it had once been the abbot's cell. It had a window in it, looking out upon + a garden in full flower, a little rose garden, covered with those lovely + bushes of old English red single roses, the most beautiful flower in the + world. The window was large, but the space of it was broken up by stone + piers, so that no pane of glass was more than six inches wide. I mention + this now, because of what happened later. There was not much furniture in + the room; but what there was was very good. There was an old Dutch pewter + jug, full of sweet-williams, on the table. On the wall' there was a + picture of a Spanish gentleman on a cream-coloured, fat handsome little + horse. Together they looked very like Don Quixote out for a ride with his + squire. The two troopers left me in this room, while they went off to the + kitchen. Presently the servant came in again, bringing me a noble dish of + breakfast, a pigeon pie, a ham, a jar of preserved quince, a honeycomb, a + great household loaf, newly baked, a big quart jug full of small beer. I + made a very honest meal. After eating, I examined the room. There was + tapestry over one part of the wall. It concealed a little low door which + led to what had once been the abbot's fishpond, now a roofed-in + bath-house, where one could plunge into eight feet or so of (bitterly + cold) spring water. This bath-house was some steps lower than the little + dining room. It was lighted by a skylight directly over the bath. It had + no other window whatever. After examining the bath, wishing that I had + known of it before eating, I went back to the dining room, where the + servant was clearing away the food. + </p> + <p> + “I hope you enjoyed your breakfast, sir,” she said. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, thank you, very much indeed,” I answered. + </p> + <p> + “Squire will be down d'reckly, sir,” she said. “If you will please to make + yourself at home.” I made myself at home, as she desired, while she, after + a few minutes, took away the soiled plates, leaving all the other things + on the side-board, ready for dinner. I noticed that she smiled in a rather + strange way as she drew to the door behind her. + </p> + <p> + I loitered away about half an hour, waiting for the squire to come. As he + did not come, I turned over the books on the shelves, mostly volumes of + plays, the Spanish Tragedy, the Laws of Candy, Love Lies a Bleeding, etc., + four plays to a volume in buckram covers. I was just getting tired of All + for Love, when I heard a footstep in the passage outside. I thought that I + would ask the passenger, whoever it might be, for how much longer the + squire would keep me waiting. I was anxious about getting back to the + army. It was dangerous to straggle too far from the Duke's camps when + unbeaten armies followed on both his wings. So I went to the door to learn + my fate at once. To my great surprise I found that I could not open it. It + was locked on the outside. The great heavy iron lock had been turned upon + me. I was a prisoner in the room there. Thinking that it had been done + carelessly, I beat upon the door to attract the man who passed down the + passage, calling to him to turn the key for me so that I might get out. + The footsteps did not pause. They passed on, down the corridor, as though + the man were deaf. After that a fury came upon me. I beat upon the door + for five minutes on end, till the house must have rung with the clatter; + but no one paid any attention to me, only, far away, I heard a woman + giggling, in an interval when I had paused for breath. The door was a + heavy, thick oak door, bound with iron. The lock was a bar of steel at + least two inches thick; there was no chance of getting it open. Even + firing into the lock with my little pistol would not have helped me; it + would only have jammed the tongue of steel in its bed. I soon saw the + folly of trying to get out by the door; so I turned to the window, which + was more difficult still, or, if not more difficult, more tantalizing, + since it showed me the free garden into which one little jump would + suffice to carry me. But the closely placed piers of stone made it + impossible for me to get through the window. It was no use trying to do + so. I should only have stuck fast, midway. I began at once to pick out the + mortar of the pier stones with my knife point. It was hopeless work, + though, for the old monks had used some cement a good deal harder than the + stones which it bound together. I could only dig away a little dust from + its surface. That way also was barred to me. Then I went down to the + bathing-chamber, hoping that there would be some way of escape for me + there. I hoped that the escape pipe of the bath might be a great stone + conduit leading to a fish-pond in the garden. It was nothing of the sort. + It was a little miserable leaden pipe. I beat all round the walls, praying + for some secret door, but there was nothing of any use to me, only a + little iron ventilator high up, big enough to take my head, but nothing + more. As for the skylight over the bath, it was beyond my reach, high up. + For the moment I could see no means of getting to it. I went back to the + dining room to give another useless pounding to the door. My head was full + of miserable forebodings; but as yet I suspected merely that I had been + caught by some sudden advance of militia. Or perhaps the squire had laid + plans to get information from one who knew the Duke. Perhaps I had been + lured away specially by one hungry for the King's good opinion. Or could + it be Aurelia? Whatever it was, I was trapped, that was the terrible + thing. I was shut up there till my enemy, whoever it was, chose to deal + with me. I was in arms against the ruling King of England; everybody's + hand would be against me, unless my own hands helped me before my enemies + came. My first thought was to get the table down the steps, to make a + bridge across the bath, from which I could reach the skylight. This I + could not do at first; for being much flustered, I did not put the + table-leaves down. Until I knocked them down in my hurry they kept me from + dragging the table from the dining room. When I got it at last into the + bath-room, I found that it would not stretch across the water: the legs + were too close together, as I might have seen had I kept my wits about me. + I could think of no other way of getting out. + </p> + <p> + I went back disheartened to the dining room, dragging my coat behind me. + The first thing which I saw was a letter addressed to me in a hand already + known to me. The letter lay on the floor on the space once covered by the + table. As it had not been there when I dragged the table downstairs, + someone must have entered the room while I was away. I opened the letter + in a good deal of flurry. It ran as follows: + </p> + <p> + “Dear Martin Hyde:—As you will not take a sincere friend's advice, + you have to make the best of a sincere adviser's friendship. You did me a + great service. Let me do you one. I hope to keep you an amused prisoner + until your captain is a beaten man. By about three weeks from this 26th of + June we shall hope to have made you so much our friend that you will not + think of leaving us. May I make a compact with you? Please do not shoot me + with that pistol of yours when I bring you some supper tonight. That is + one part of it. The other is this. Let us be friends. We know all about + you. I have even talked to Ephraim about you. So let us make it up. We + have been two little spit fires. At any rate you have. Let us be friends. + What sorts of books do you like to read? I shall bring you some + story-books about ghosts, or about red Indians. Which do you like best? I + like red Indians myself. I suppose you, being a man, like ghosts best. + Your sincere friend Aurelia Carew. Who by the by thinks it best to warn + you that you had not better try to get up the chimney, as it is barred + across. She hopes that the table did not fall into the bath.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0021" id="link2HCH0021"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXI. MY FRIEND AURELIA AND HER UNCLE + </h2> + <p> + It was a friendly letter, which relieved me a good deal from my anxieties; + but what I could not bear was the thought that the Duke would think me a + deserter. I made up my mind that I would get away from that house at the + first opportunity, so as to rejoin the Duke, to whom I felt myself + pledged. But in the meantime, until I could get away, I resolved to make + the best of my imprisonment. I was nettled by Aurelia's tone of + superiority. I would show her, as I had shown her before, that my wits + were just as nimble as hers. A few minutes after the letter had been read, + she held a parley with me through the keyhole. + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Martin Hyde. Are you going to shoot me?” + </p> + <p> + “No, Miss Carew, though I think you deserve it.” + </p> + <p> + “You won't try to get away if I open the door?” + </p> + <p> + “I mean to get away as soon as ever I get half a chance.” + </p> + <p> + “I've got three men with me at the door here.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh. Very well. But you just wait till I get a chance.” + </p> + <p> + “Don't be so bloodthirsty, Mr. Martin Hyde. Now, I'm coming in to talk + with you. No pistols, mind. Not one.” + </p> + <p> + “I've promised I won't shoot. You might believe a fellow. But I mean to + get away, remember. Just to show you.” + </p> + <p> + She opened the door after that, a brown, merry Aurelia, behind whom I + could see three men, ready to stop any rush. They closed the door behind + her after she had entered. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” she said, smiling. “Will you not shake hands with me, Martin + Hyde?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I said, “I will shake hands. But you played a very mean trick, I + think. There.” + </p> + <p> + “You mustn't think me mean,” she answered. “I don't like mean people. Now + promise me one thing. You say you are going to run away from us. You won't + run away from me when I am with you, will you?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I said, after thinking this over, to see if it could be twisted into + any sort of trap, likely to stop my escape. “I will not. Not while I am + with you.” + </p> + <p> + “That's right,” she said. “We can go out together, then. Now you've + promised, suppose we go out into the garden.” + </p> + <p> + We went into the garden together, talking of every subject under the sun + but the subject nearest to our hearts at the moment. I would not speak of + her capture of me; she would not speak of the Duke's march towards + Taunton. There was some constraint whenever we came near those subjects. + She was a very merry, charming companion; but the effect of her talk that + morning was to make me angry at being trapped by her. I looked over the + countryside for guiding points in case I should be able to get away. + Axminster lay to the southeast, distant about six miles; so much I could + reckon from the course of our morning's ride. I could not see Axminster + for I was shut from it by rolling combes, pretty high, which made a narrow + valley for the river. To the west the combes were very high, strung along + towards Taunton in heaps. Due east, as I suspected, quite near to us, was + Chard, where by this time the Duke must have been taking up his position. + Taunton I judged (from a mile-stone which we had passed) to be not much + more than a dozen miles from where I was. I have always had a pretty keen + sense of position. I do not get lost. Even in the lonely parts of the + world I have never been lost. I can figure out the way home by a sort of + instinct helped by a glimpse at the sun. When I go over a hill I have a + sort of picture-memory of what lies behind, to help me home again, however + tortuous my path is on the other side. So the few glimpses which I could + get of the surrounding country were real helps to me. I made more use of + them than Aurelia suspected. + </p> + <p> + We were much together that day. Certainly she did her best to make my + imprisonment happy. In the evening she was kinder; we were more at ease + together; I was able to speak freely to her. + </p> + <p> + “Aurelia,” I said, “you risked your life twice to warn me.” + </p> + <p> + “That's not quite true, Martin,” she said. “I am a government spy, trusted + with many people's lives. I had other work to do than to warn a naughty + boy who wanted to see what the ghosts were.” I was startled at her knowing + so much about me; she laughed. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” she said, “I like you for it. I should have wanted to see them + myself. But the ghost-makers are scattered far enough now.” + </p> + <p> + “All the same, Aurelia,” I said, “I thank you for what you did for me. I + wish I could do something in return.” She laughed. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” she said, “you were very kind in the ship. You were a good enemy + to me then. Weren't you?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” I said, “I beat you properly on the ship. I carried the Duke's + letters in my pistol cartridges, where you never suspected them. The + letters which were in the satchel I forged myself after I got on board. If + you'd not been a silly you'd have seen that they were forged.” + </p> + <p> + “So that was why,” she said. “Those letters gave everybody more anxious + work than you've any notion of. Oh, Martin, though, I helped to drug you + to get those letters. It was terrible. Terrible. Will you ever forgive + me?” + </p> + <p> + “Why, yes, Aurelia,” I said. “After all, it was done for your King. Just + as I mean to run away from here to serve mine. All is fair in the King's + service. Let us shake hands on that.” We shook hands heartily, looking + into each other's eyes. + </p> + <p> + “By the way,” I said, “where did you get to that day in Holland, when I + got the letters from you?” + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” she answered, “you made me like a wildcat that day. I nearly killed + you, twice. You remember that low parapet on the roof? I was behind that, + waiting for you with a loaded pistol. You were all very near your deaths + that morning. In the King's service, of course. For just a minute, I + thought that you would climb up to examine that parapet. What a crazy lot + you all were not to know at once that I was there! Where else could I have + been?” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” I answered, “I beat you in the ride, didn't I? You thought + yourself awfully clever about that horse at the inn. Well, I beat you + there. I beat you in the race. I beat you with my letters to the Dutchman. + I beat you over those forgeries.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, indeed,” she said. “I can beat all the men in your Duke's service. + Every one. Even clever Colonel Lane. Even Fletcher of Saltoun. But a boy + is so unexpected, there's no beating a boy, except with a good birch rod. + You beat me so often, Martin, that I think you can afford to forgive me + for tricking you once in bringing you here.” + </p> + <p> + “I shall beat you in that, too, Miss Carew,” I said; “for I mean to get + away from you as soon as I can.” + </p> + <p> + “So you say,” she said. “But we have club men walking all round this house + all night, as well as sentries by day, guarding the stock. Your gang of + marauders will find a rough welcome if they come for refreshments here.” + </p> + <p> + Even as she spoke, there came a sudden crash of fire-arms from the meadows + outside the garden. About a dozen men came hurrying out of the house with + weapons in their hands, among them a big, fierce-looking handsome man, who + drew his sword as he ran. + </p> + <p> + “That is my uncle, Travers Carew,” said Aurelia. “He owns this property. + He wants to meet you.” There came another splutter of fire-arms from the + meadows. “Come,” she said. “We'll see what it is. It is the Duke's men + come pillaging.” + </p> + <p> + We ran through a gate in the wall into an apple-orchard, where the Carew + men were already dodging among the trees towards the enemy. There was a + good deal of shouting, but the tide of battle, as they call it, the noise + of shots, the trampling of horses, had already set away to the left, where + the enemy were retreating, with news, as I heard later, that the militia + held the Abbey in force. The Carew men came back in a few minutes with a + prisoner. He had been captured while holding the horses of two friends, + who had dismounted to drive off some of the Carew cattle. He said that the + attack had been made by a party of twenty of the Duke's horse, sent out to + bring in food for the march. They had scattered at the first discharge of + fire-arms, which had frightened them horribly, for they had not expected + any opposition. The frightened men never drew rein till they galloped + their exhausted horses into Chard camp, where they gave another touch of + dejection to the melancholy Duke. As for the prisoner, he was sent off + under guard to Honiton gaol; I don't know what became of him. He was one + of more than three thousand who came to death or misery in that war. They + said that he was a young farmer, in a small way, from somewhere out beyond + Chideock. The war had been a kind of high-spirited frolic for him; he had + entered into it thoughtlessly, in the belief that it would be a sort of + pleasant ride to London, with his expenses paid. Now he was ended. When he + rode out with bound hands from the Carew house that evening, between two + armed riders, he rode out of life. He never saw Chideock again, except in + the grey light of dawn, after a long ride upon a hurdle, going to be + hanged outside his home. Or perhaps he was bundled into one of the + terrible convict ships bound for Barbadoes, with other rebels, to die of + small-pox on the way, or under the whip in the plantations. + </p> + <p> + After this little brush, with its pitiful accompaniment, which filled me + full of a blind anger against the royal party, so much stronger, yet with + so much less right than ours, I was taken in to see Sir Travers Carew. He + had just sent off the prisoner to Honkon, much as he would have brushed a + fly from his hand. He had that satisfaction with himself, that feeling of + having supported the right, which comes to all those who do cruel things + in the name of that code of unjust cruelty, the criminal law. He looked at + me with rather a grim smile, which made me squirm. + </p> + <p> + “So,” he said, “this is the young rebel, is it? Do you know that I could + send you off to Honiton gaol with that poor fellow there?” This made my + heart die; but something prompted me to put a good face on it. + </p> + <p> + “Sir,” I said, “I have done what my father thought right. I don't wish to + be treated better than any other prisoner. Send me to Honiton, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” he said, looking at me kindly. “I shall not send you to Honiton. You + are not in arms against the King's peace, nor did you come over from + Holland with the Duke. I can't send you to Honiton. Besides, I knew your + father, Martin. I was at college with him. He was a good friend of mine, + poor fellow. No, sir, I shall keep you here till the Duke's crazy attempt + is knocked on the head. I think I can find something better for you to do + than that fussy old maid, your uncle, could. But, remember, sir. You have + a reputation for being a slippery young eel. I shall take particular pains + to keep you from slipping out of my hands. But I do not wish to use force + to your father's son. Will you give me your word not to try to escape?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I answered, sullenly. “I won't. I mean to get away directly I can.” + </p> + <p> + “Come,” he said kindly, “we tricked you rather nastily. But do you + suppose, Martin, that your father, if he were here, would encourage your + present resolutions? The Duke is coming (nearly unprepared) to bring a lot + of silly yokels into collision with fully trained soldiers ten times more + numerous. If the countryside, the gentry, the educated, intelligent men, + were ready for the Duke, or believed in his cause, they would join him. + They do not join him. His only adherents are the idle, ignorant, + ill-conditioned rogues of this county, who will neither fight nor obey, + when it comes to the pinch. I do not love the present King, Martin, but he + is a better man than this Duke. The Duke will never make a king. He may be + very fit for court-life; but there is not an ounce of king in him. If the + Duke succeeds, in a year or two he will show himself so foolish that we + shall have to send for the Prince of Orange, who is a man of real, strong + wisdom. We count on that same prince to deliver us from James, when the + time is ripe. It is not ripe, yet. I am telling you bitter, stern truth, + Martin. Now then. Let me have your promise not to continue in the service + of this doomed princeling, your master. Eh? What shall it be?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” I said, “that's desertion.” + </p> + <p> + “Not at all,” he answered. “It is a custom of war. Come now. As a prisoner + of war, give me your parole.” + </p> + <p> + “You said just now that I was not a prisoner of war,” I answered. + </p> + <p> + “Very well, then,” he said. “I am a magistrate. I commit you add suspected + person. Hart! Hart!” (Here he called in a man-servant.) “Just see that + this young sprig keeps out of mischief. Think it over, Mr. Martin. Think + it over.” + </p> + <p> + In a couple of minutes I was back in my prison cells, locked in for the + night, with neither lamp nor candle. A cot had been made up for me in a + corner of the room. Supper was laid for me on the table, which had been + brought back to its place. There was nothing for it but to grope to bed in + the twilight, wondering how soon I could get away to what I still believed + to be a righteous cause in which my father wished me to fight. I slept + soundly after my day of adventure. I dreamed that I rode into London + behind the Duke, amid all the glory of victory, with the people flinging + flowers at us. But dreams go by contraries, the wise women say. + </p> + <p> + I was a full fortnight, or a little more, a prisoner in that house. They + treated me very kindly. Aurelia was like an elder sister. Old Sir Travers + used to jest at my being a rebel. But I was a prisoner, shut in, watched, + kept close. The kindness jarred upon me. It was treating me like a child, + when I was no longer a child. I had for some wild weeks been doing things + which few men have the chance of doing. Perhaps, if I had confided all + that I felt to Aurelia, she would have cleared away my troubles, made me + see that the Duke's cause was wrong, that my father would wish his son + well out of civil broils, however just, that I had better give the promise + that they asked from me. But I never confided really fully in her. I moped + a good deal, much worried in my mind. I began to get a lot of unworthy + fancies into my head, silly fancies, which an honest talk would have + scattered at once. I began to think from their silence about the Duke's + doings that his affairs were prospering, that he was conquering, or had + conquered, that I was being held by this loyalist family as a hostage. It + was silly of me; but although in many ways I was a skilled man of affairs, + I had only the brain of a child, I could not see the absurdity of what I + came to believe. It worried me so much that at the end of my imprisonment + I became very feverish; really ill from anxiety, as prisoners often are. I + refused food for the latter part of one day, hoping to frighten my + captors. They did not notice it, so I had my pains for nothing. + </p> + <p> + I went to bed very early; but I could not sleep. I fidgeted about till I + was unusually wakeful. Then I got out of bed to try if there was a way of + escape by the old-fashioned chimney, barred across as it was, at + intervals, by strong old iron bars. I had never thought the chimney + possible, having examined it before, when I first came to that house; but + my fever made me think all things possible; so up I got, hoping that I + should have light enough to work by. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0022" id="link2HCH0022"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXII. THE PRIEST'S HOLE + </h2> + <p> + It was too dark to do much that night, but I spent an hour in picking + mortar from the bricks into which the lowest iron bar had been let. After + a brief sleep I woke in the first of the light (at about one o'clock) + ready to go at it again. My fever was hot upon me. I don't think that I + was quite sane that day; but all my reason seemed to burn up into one + bright point, escape, escape at all costs, then, at the instant. I must + tell you that the chimney, like most old chimneys, was big enough for a + big boy to scramble up, in order to sweep it. For some reason, the owners + of the house had barred the chimney across so that this could not be done. + They swept it, probably, in the effective old-fashioned way by shooting a + blank charge of powder from a blunderbuss straight up the opening. The + first two iron bars were so placed that it was only necessary to remove + one to make room for my body. Further up there were others, more close + together. The fire had not been lighted for many years; there was no soot + in the passage. There was a jackdaw's nest high up. I could see the old + jackdaw looking down at me. Up above her head was a little square of sky. + I did not doubt that when I got to the top I should be able to scramble + out of that square on to the leads, then down by a water-spout, evading + the sentries, over the garden wall to freedom. After half an hour of + mortar picking I got one end of the lowest iron bar out of its socket. + Then I picked out the mortar from the other end, working the bar about + like a lever, to grind the fulcrum into dust. Soon I had the bar so loose + that I was able to thrust it to one side, leaving a passage big enough for + my body. + </p> + <p> + I was very happy when this was done. I went back to the room to make up a + packet of food to take with me. This I thrust into an inner pocket, before + launching out up the hole. When I had cleaned up the mess of mortar, I + started up the chimney, carefully replacing the bar behind me. Soon I was + seven or eight feet above the room, trying to get at the upper bars. I was + scrambling about for a foothold, when I noticed, to my left, an iron bar + or handle, well concealed from below by projecting bricks. I seized hold + of it with my left hand, very glad of the support it offered, when, with a + dull grating noise, it slid downwards under my weight, drawing with it the + iron panel to which it was clamped. I had come upon a secret chamber in + the chimney; there at my side was an opening big enough for a man's body. + I was pretty well startled by it, not only by the suddenness of the + discovery, but from the fear I had lest it should lead to some inhabited + room, where my journey would be brought to an end. I peered into it well, + before I ventured to enter. It was a little low room, about five feet + square, lit by two loopholes, which were concealed from outside by the + great growth of ivy on the side of the house. I clambered into it with + pleasure, keeping as quiet as I could. It was a dirty little room, with + part of its floor rotten from rain which had beaten in through the + loopholes. It had not been used for a great while. The pallet bed against + the wall was covered with rotten rags, dry as tinder. There were traces of + food, who could say how ancient, in a dish by the bed. There was a little + crucifix, with a broken neck-chain, lying close to the platter. Some + priest who had used this priest-hole years before had left it there in his + hurry; I wondered how. Something of the awe which had been upon him then + seemed to linger in the place. Many men had lain with beating hearts in + that room; the room seemed to remember. I have never been in a place which + made one's heart move like that room. Well. The priest's fears were dead + as the priest by this time. Nothing but the wreck of his dinner, perhaps + the last he ever ate, remained to tell of him, beside the broken symbol of + his belief. I shut-to the little panel-door by which I had entered, so + that I might not have the horrible fancy that the old priest's shaven head + was peering up the chimney at me, to see what I was doing in his old room, + long since given over to the birds. + </p> + <p> + As I expected, there was a way of escape from the hiding-place. A big + stone in the wall seemed to project unnecessarily; the last comer to that + room had shut the door carelessly; otherwise I might never have found it. + Seeing the projecting stone, I took it for a clue feeling all round it, + till I found that underneath it there was a groove for finger tips. The + stone was nothing more than a large, cunningly fashioned drawer, which + pulled out, showing a passage leading down, down, along narrow winding + steps, just broad enough for one man to creep down at a time. The stairs + were more awesome than the room, for they were dark. I could not see where + they led; but I meant to go through this adventure, now that I had begun + it. So down I crept cautiously, clinging to the wall, feeling with my feet + as I went, lest there should be no step, suddenly, but a black pit, far + down, into which a man might fall headlong, on to who knows what horrors. + I counted the steps. I thought that they would never end. There were + thirty-seven altogether. They brought me to a dark sort of room, with damp + earth for its floor, upon which water slowly dropped from some unseen + stalactite. I judged that I must be somewhere under the bath-chamber, not + more than ten feet from the abbot's old fish-pond. If there was a way out + I felt that it must be to my left, under the garden; not to my right, + which would lead back under the body of the house. + </p> + <p> + Very cautiously I felt along to my left, till I found that there was + indeed a passage; but one so low that I had to stoop to get along it. A + few steps further brought me with a shock against a wall, a sad surprise + to me, for I thought that I was on the road to safety. When I recovered + from my fear I felt along the wall till I found that the passage zigzagged + like a badger's earth. It turned once sharply to the right, going up a + couple of steps, then again sharply to the left, going up a few more + steps, then again to the right up one step more, to a broader open + stretch, lit by one or two tiny chinks, more cheering to me than you can + imagine. I guessed that I was passing at last under the garden, having + gone right below the house's foundations. The chinks of light seemed to me + to come from holes worn in the roof by rabbits or rats. They were pleasant + things to see after all that groping in the blackness of night. On I went + cautiously, feeling my way before me, till suddenly I stopped dead, + frightened terribly, for close to me, almost within touch as it seemed, + some men were talking to each other. They were evidently sitting just + above my head, in the cool morning, watching for me to come through my + window, as I suppose. They were some of Sir Travers's sentries. A moment's + thought told me that I had little to fear from them, if I moved quietly in + my burrow. However, as my walk was often noisy, through stumblings on + stones, I waited till they moved off, which was not for some minutes. One + of the men was asking the other what was the truth about the Duke. + </p> + <p> + “Why,” his mate answered, “they say as he got beat back coming towards + London. They say he be going to Bridgewater, now, to make it a castle, + like; or perhaps he be a coming to Taunton. They say he have only a mob, + like, left to en, what with all this rain. But I do-an't know. He be very + like to come here agen; so as us'll have to watch for our stock.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah?” said the first. “They did say as there was soldiers come to + Evilminster. So as to shut en off, like. I seed fires out that way, + myself, like camp-fires, afore it grew light. They do say the soldiers be + all for the Duke.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” the other answered, “he be very like to win if it come to a battle. + He'd a got on to London, I dare-say, if the roads had but been dry.” + </p> + <p> + “What do ee say to a bit of tobaccy, master?” said the first, after a + pause. + </p> + <p> + “Why, very well,” said the other. At this instant, without any warning, + something in the wall of my passage gave way, some bit of rotten mortar + which held up a stone, or something of the sort. At any rate, a stone fell + out, with a little rush of rotten plaster, making a good deal of noise, + though of course it seemed more to me than to the men outside. + </p> + <p> + “What ever in the world was that?” said one of them. + </p> + <p> + “I dunno,” said the other. “It seemed to come from down below somewhere, + under the earth, like. Do you think as it could be a rabbit?” + </p> + <p> + “It did sound like a stone falling out of a wall,” came the answer. “I + dunno. Where could it a come from?” + </p> + <p> + They seemed to search about for some trace of a rabbit; but not finding + any, they listened for another stone to fall. + </p> + <p> + “I tell you what I think,” said the first man. “I believe as there be + underground passages all over these here gardens. Some of them walks sound + just as hollow as logs if you do stamp on 'em. There was very queer doings + here in the old monks' time; very queer. Some day I mean to grub about a + bit, master. For my old grandmother used always to say as the monks buried + a lot of treasure hereabouts in the old time.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah?” said the other. “Then shall us get a spade quiet like, to see if it + be beneath.” The other hesitated, while my heart sank. I very nearly went + back to my prison, thinking that all was over. + </p> + <p> + “No,” said his comrade. “Us'll ask Sir Travers first. He do-an't like + people grubbing about. Some of his forefathers as they call them weren't + very good, I do hear, neither. He do-an't want none of their little games + brought to light, like.” + </p> + <p> + After this, the men moved off, to some other part of their beat. I went on + along the passage quickly, till suddenly I fell with a crash down three or + four steps into a dirty puddle, knocking my head as I fell. I could see no + glimmer of light from this place; but I groped my way out, up a few more + steps further on into a smaller, dirtier passage than the one which I had + just left. After this I had to crawl like a badger in his earth, with my + back brushing against the roof, over many masses of broken brickwork most + rough to the palms of my hands. All of a sudden I smelt a pleasant + stable-smell. I heard the rattle of a halter drawn across manger bars. I + heard a horse paw upon the ground quite close to me. A dim, but regular + chink of light showed in front of me, level with my head as crawled. + Peering through it, I saw that I was looking into a stable, almost level + with the floor; the passage had come to an end. + </p> + <p> + By getting my fingers into the crack through which I peered, I found that + I could swing round some half a dozen stones, which were mortared + together, so as to form a revolving door. It worked with difficulty, as + though no one had passed through by that way for many years; but it worked + for me, after a little hard pushing. I scrambled through the narrow + opening into a roomy old stable, where some cart-horses peered at me with + wonder, as I rose to my feet. After getting out, I shut to my door behind + me, so firmly that I could not open it again; there must have been some + spring or catch which I could not set to work. Two steps more took me out + of the horses' stalls into the space behind, where, on a mass of hay, lay + a carter, fast asleep, with the door-key in his hand. By his side lay a + pitchfork. He was keeping guard there, prepared to resist Monmouth's + pillagers. + </p> + <p> + He slept so heavily that I was tempted to take the key from his hand. + Twice I made little half steps forward to take it; but each time something + in the man's look daunted me. He was a surly-looking man who, if roused + suddenly, in a locked stable, might lay about him without waiting to see + who roused him. He stirred in his sleep as I drew near him for the second + time; so I gave up the key as a bad job. The loft seemed to be my only + chance; as there was only this one big locked double door upon the lower + floor, I clambered up the steep ladder to the loft, hoping that my luck + there might be better, but resolved, if the worst came, to hide there in + the hay until the carter took the horses to work, leaving the doors open. + </p> + <p> + I had hardly set my foot upon the loft floor, when one of the horses, + hearing some noise outside, or being moved by some evil spirit, whinnied + loudly, rattling his halter. The noise was enough to arouse an army. It + startled the carter from his bed. I heard him leap to his feet with an + oath; I heard him pad round the stable, talking to the horses in turn; I + heard him unlock the door to see what was stirring. I stood stock-still in + my tracks, not daring to stir towards the cover of the hay at the farther + end of the loft. I heard him walk slowly, grunting heavily, to the foot of + the ladder, where he stopped to listen for any further signal. If he had + come up he must have caught me. I could not have escaped. But though he + seemed suspicious he did not venture further. He walked slowly back to his + bed, grunting discontentedly. In a few minutes he was sound asleep again; + for farming people sleep like sailors, as though sleep were a sort of + spirit muffling them suddenly in a thick felt blanket. After he had gone + off to sleep, I took off my boots, in order to put them on under my + stockings, for the greater quiet which that muffling gives to the tread. + Then I peered about the loft for a way of escape. + </p> + <p> + There were big double doors to this upper loft, through which the hay + could be passed from a waggon standing near the wall. These doors were + padlocked on the inside; there was no opening them; the staples were much + too firm for me to remove without a crowbar. The other openings in the + walls were mere loophole slits, about four feet long but only a few inches + broad. There were enough of these to make the place light. By their light + I could see that there was no way of escape for me except by the main + door. I was almost despairing of escape from this prison of mine, when I + saw that the loft had a hayshoot, leading downwards. When I saw it I + fondly hoped that it led to some outer stable or cart-shed, separated from + that in which the carter slept. A glance down its smooth shaft showed me + that it led to the main stable. I could see the heads of the meditative + horses, bent over the empty mangers exactly as if they were saying grace. + Beyond them I saw the boots of the carter dangling over the edge of the + trusses of hay on which he slept. I stepped back from this shaft quickly + because I thought that I might be seen from below. My foot went into the + nest of a sitting hen, right on to the creature's back. Up she started, + giving me such a fright that I nearly screamed. She flew with a cackling + shriek which set all the blackbirds chippering in the countryside. Round + the loft she scattered, calling her hideous noise. Up jumped the carter, + down came his pitchfork with a thud. His great boots clattered over the + stable to the ladder. Clump, clump, he came upstairs, with his pitchfork + prongs gleaming over his head like lanceheads. I saw his head show over + the opening of the loft. There was not a second to lose. His back of + course was still towards me, as the ladder was mercifully nailed to the + wall. Before he turned I slid over the mouth of the shaft down into the + hayrack of the old brute who had whinnied. I lit softly; but I certainly + shocked that old mare's feelings. In a second, before she had time to + kick, I was outside her stall, darting across the stable to the key, which + lay on the truss of hay, mercifully left there by its guardian. In another + second the lock had turned. I was outside, in the glorious open fields + again. Swiftly but silently I drew the key out of the lock. One second + more sufficed to lock that door from without. The carter was a prisoner + there, locked safely in with his horses. I was free. The key was in my + pocket. Yonder lay the great combes which hid Taunton from me. I waved my + hat towards them; then, with a wild joyous rush, I scrambled behind the + cover of the nearest hedge, along which I ran hard for nearly a quarter of + a mile. + </p> + <p> + I stopped for a few minutes to rest among some ferns, while I debated how + to proceed. I changed the arrangement of my stockings; I also dusted my + very dirty clothes, all filthy from that horrid passage underground. + “Now,” I said to myself, “there must be many ways to Taunton. One way, I + know, leads along this valley, past Chard there, where the houses are. The + other way must lie across these combes, high up. Which way shall I choose, + I wonder?” A moment's thought showed me that the combes would be + unfrequented, while the valley road, being the easy road, which (as I + knew) the Duke's army had chosen, would no doubt be full of people, some + of them (perhaps) the King's soldiers, coming up from Bridport. If I went + by that road my pursuers would soon hear of me, even if I managed to get + past the watchers on the road. On the other hand, Aurelia would probably + know that I should choose the combe road. Still, even if she sent out + mounted men, she would find me hard to track, since the combes were + lonely, so lonely that for hours together you can walk there without + meeting anybody. There would be plentiful cover among the combes in case I + wished to lie low. Besides, I had a famous start, a five hours' start; for + I should not be missed until eight o'clock. It could not then have been + much more than half-past two. In five hours an active boy, even if he knew + not the road, might put some half a dozen miles behind him. I say only + half a dozen miles, because the roads were the roughest of rough + mud-tracks, still soft from the rains. As I did not know the way, I knew + that I might count on going wrong, taking wrong turns, etc. As I wished to + avoid people, I counted on travelling most of the way across country, + trusting to luck to find my way among the fields. So that, although in + five hours I should travel perhaps ten or twelve miles, I could not count + on getting more than six miles towards Taunton. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0023" id="link2HCH0023"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXIII. FREE + </h2> + <p> + For the first hour or two, as no one would be about so early, I thought it + safe to use the road. I put my best foot foremost, going up the great + steep combe, with Chard at my back. + </p> + <p> + The road was one of the loneliest I have ever trodden. It went winding up + among barren-looking combes which seemed little better than waste land. + There were few houses, so few that sometimes, on a bit of rising ground, + when the road lifted clear of the hedges, one had to look about to see any + dwelling of men. There was little cultivation, either. It was nearly all + waste, or scanty pasture. A few cows cropped by the wayside near the + lonely cottages. A few sheep wandered among the ferns. It was a very + desolate land to lie within so few miles of England's richest valleys. I + walked through it hurriedly, for I wished to get far from my prison before + my escape was discovered. No one was there to see me; the lie of the + valley below gave me my direction, roughly, but closely enough. After + about an hour of steady, fairly good walking, I pulled up by a little tiny + brook for breakfast. I ate quickly, then hurried on, for I dared not waste + time. I turned out of the narrow cart-tracks into what seemed to be a + highroad. + </p> + <p> + I dipped down a hollow, past a pond where geese were feeding, then turned + to a stiff steep hill, which never seemed to end for miles. The country + grew lonelier at every step; there were no houses there; only a few + rabbits tamely playing in the outskirts of the coverts. A jay screamed in + the clump of trees at the hill-top; it seemed the proper kind of voice for + a waste like that. Still further on, I sat down to rest at the brink of + the great descent, which led, as I guessed, as I could almost see, to the + plain where Taunton lay, waiting for the Duke's army to garrison her. + There were thick woods to my right at this point, making cover so dense + that no hounds would have tried to break through it, no matter how strong + a scent might lead them. It was here, as I sat for a few minutes to rest, + that a strange thing happened. + </p> + <p> + I was sitting at the moment with my back to the wood, looking over the + desolate country towards a tiny cottage far off on the side of the combe. + A big dog-fox came out of the cover from behind me, so quietly that I did + not hear him. He trotted past me in the road; I do not think that he saw + me till he was just opposite. Then he stopped to examine me, as though he + had never seen such a thing before. He was puzzled by me, but he soon + decided that I was not worth bothering about, for he made no stay. He + padded slowly on towards Chard, evidently well-pleased with himself. + Suddenly he stopped dead, with one pad lifted, a living image of alert + tension. He was alarmed by something coming along the road by which I had + come. He turned his head slightly, as though to make sure with his best + ear. Then with a single beautiful lollopping bound he was over the hedge + to safety, going in that exquisite curving rhythm of movement which the + fox has above all English animals. For a second, I wondered what it was + that had startled him. Then, with a quickness of wit which would have done + credit to an older mind, I realized that there was danger coming on the + road towards me, danger of men or of dogs, since nothing else in this + country frightens a fox. It flashed in upon me that I must get out of + sight at once; before that danger hove in view of me. I gave a quick rush + over the fence into the tangle, through which I drove my way till I was + snug in an open space under some yew trees, surrounded on all sides by + brambles. I shinned up one of the great yew trees, till I could command a + sight of the road, while lying hidden myself in the profuse darkness of + the foliage. Here I drew out my pistol, ready for what might come. I + suppose I had not been in my hiding-place for more than thirty seconds, + when over the brow of the hill came Sir Travers Carew, at a full gallop, + cheering on a couple of hounds, who were hot on my scent. Aurelia rode + after him, on her famous chestnut mare. Behind her galloped two men, whom + I had not seen before. In an instant, they were swooped down to the place + where the dog-fox had passed. The hounds gave tongue when they smelt the + rank scent of their proper game; they were unused to boy-hunting. They did + not hesitate an instant, but swung off as wild as puppies over the hedge, + after the fox. The horsemen paused for a second, surprised at the sudden + sharp turn; but they followed the hounds' lead, popping over the fence + most nimbly, not waiting to look for my tracks in the banks of the hedge. + They streamed away after the fox, to whom I wished strong legs. I knew + that with two young hounds they would never catch him, but I hoped that he + would give them a good run before the sun killed the scent. I looked at + the sun, now gloriously bright over all the world, putting a bluish + glitter on to the shaking oak leaves of the wood. How came it that they + had discovered my flight so soon since it could not be more than six + o'clock, if as much? I wondered if it had been the old carter, who had + never really seen me. It might have been the old carter; but doubtless he + drummed for a good while on the door of the stable before anybody heard + him. Or it might have been one of the garden sentries. One of the sentries + might well have peeped in at the window of my room to make sure that I was + up to no pranks. He could have seen from the window that my bed was empty. + If he had noticed that, he could have unlocked my door to make sure, after + which it would not have taken more than a few minutes to start after me. I + learned afterwards that the sentry had alarmed the house at a little + before five o'clock. The carter, being only half-awake when he came after + me, suspected nothing till the other farm-hands came for the horses, at + about six o'clock, when, the key being gone, he had to break the lock, + vowing that the rattens had took his key from him in the night. My + disappearance puzzled everybody, because I had hidden my tracks so + carefully that no one noticed at first how the chimney bars had been + loosened. No one in that house knew of the secret room, so that the + general impression was that I had either squeezed myself through the + window, or blown myself out through the keyhole by art-magic. The hounds + had been laid along the road to Chard, with the result that they had hit + my trail after a few minutes of casting about. + </p> + <p> + Now that they were after me, I did not know what to do. I dared not go on + towards Taunton; for who knew how soon the squire would find his error, by + viewing the fox? He was too old a huntsman not to cast back to where he + had left the road, as soon as he learned that his hounds had changed + foxes. I concluded that I had better stay where I was, throughout that + day, carefully hidden in the yew-tree. In the evening I might venture + further if the coast seemed clear. It was easy to make such a resolution; + but not so easy to keep to it; for fifteen hours is a long time for a boy + to wait. I stayed quiet for some hours, but I heard no more of my hunters. + I learned later that they had gone from me, in a wide circuit, to cut + round upon the Taunton roads, so as to intercept me, or to cause me to be + intercepted in case I passed by those ways. The hounds gave up after + chasing the fox for three miles. The old squire thought that they stopped + because the sun had destroyed the scent. With a little help from an animal + I had beaten Aurelia once more. When I grew weary of sitting up in the yew + tree, clambered down, intending to push on through the wood until I came + to the end of it. It was mighty thick cover to push through for the first + half mile; then I came to a cart-track, made by wood-cutters, which I + followed till it took me out of the wood into a wild kind of + sheep-pasture. It was now fully nine in the evening, but the country was + so desolate it might have been undiscovered land. I might have been its + first settler, newly come there from the seas. It taught me something of + the terrors of war that day's wandering towards Taunton. I realized all + the men of these parts had wandered away after the Duke, for the sake of + the excitement, after living lonely up there in the wilds. Their wives had + followed the army also. The while population (scanty as it was) had moved + off to look for something more stirring than had hitherto come to them. I + wandered on slowly, taking my time, getting my direction fairly clear from + the glimpses which I sometimes caught of the line of the highway. At a + little after noon I ate the last of my victuals near a spring. I rested + after my dinner, then pushed on again, till I had won to a little spinney + only four miles from Taunton, where my legs began to fail under me. + </p> + <p> + I crept into the spinney, wondering if it contained some good shelter in + which I could sleep for the night. I found a sort of dry, high pitched + bank, with the grass all worn off it, which I thought would serve my turn, + if the rain held off. As for supper, I determined to shoot a rabbit with + my pistol. For drink, there was a plenty of small brooks within half a + mile of the little enclosure. After I had chosen my camp, I was not very + satisfied with it. The cover near by was none too thick. So I moved off to + another part where the bushes grew more closely together. As I was walking + leisurely along, I smelt a smell of something cooking, I heard voices, I + heard something clink, as though two tin cups were being jangled. Before I + could draw back, a man thrust through the undergrowth, challenging me with + a pistol. Two other men followed him, talking in low, angry tones. They + came all round me with very murderous looks. They were the filthiest + looking scarecrows ever seen out of a wheat-field. + </p> + <p> + “Why,” said one of them, lowering his pistol, “it be the Duke's young man, + as we seed at Lyme.” They became more friendly at that; but still they + seemed uneasy, not very sure of my intentions. + </p> + <p> + “Where is the Duke?” I asked after a long awkward pause. “Is he at + Taunton?” They looked from one to the other with strange looks which I did + not understand. + </p> + <p> + “The Duke be at Bridgewater,” said one of them in a curious tone. “What be + you doing away from the Duke?” + </p> + <p> + “Why,” I said, “I was taken prisoner. I escaped this morning.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes?” they said with some show of eagerness. “Be there many soldiers + hereaway, after us?” + </p> + <p> + “No. Not many,” I said. “Are you coming from the Duke?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said one of them, “we left en at Bridgewater. We have been having + enough of fighting for the crown. We been marching in mud up to our knees. + We been fighting behind hedges. We been retreating for the last week. So + now us be going home, if us can get there. Glad if we never sees a fight + again.” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” I said, “I must get to the Duke if I can. How far is it to + Bridgewater?” + </p> + <p> + “Matter of fifteen mile,” they said, after a short debate. “You'll never + get there tonight. Nor perhaps tomorrow, since we hear the soldiers be a + coming.” + </p> + <p> + “I'll get some of the way tonight,” I said; but my heart sank at the + thought; for I was tired out. + </p> + <p> + “No, young master,” said one of the men kindly, “you stop with us for + tonight. Come to supper with us. Us 'ave rabbits on the fire.” Their + fortnight of war had given them a touch of that comradeship which + camp-life always gives. They took me with them to their camp-fire, where + they fed me on a wonderful mess of rabbits boiled with herbs. The men had + bread. One of them had cider. Our feast there was most pleasant; or would + have been, had not the talk of these deserters been so melancholy. They + were flying to their homes like hunted animals, after a fortnight of + misery which had altered their faces forever. They had been in battle; + they had retreated through mud; they had seen all the ill-fortune of war. + They did all that they could to keep me from my purpose; but I had made up + my mind to rejoin my master; I was not to be moved. Before settling down + to sleep for the night I helped the men to set wires for rabbits, an art + which I had not understood till then, but highly useful to a lad so fated + to adventurous living as myself. We slept in various parts of the spinney, + wherever there was good shelter; but we were all so full of jangling + nerves that our sleep was most uneasy. We woke very early, visited our + wires, then breakfasted heartily on the night's take. The men insisted on + giving me a day's provision to take with me, which I took, though + grudgingly, for they had none too much for themselves, poor fellows. Just + before we parted I wrote a note to Sir Travers, on a leaf of my + pocketbook. “Dear Sir Travers,” I wrote, “These men are well-known to me + as honest subjects. They have had great troubles on their road. I hope + that you will help them to get home. Please remember me very kindly to + your niece.” After folding this very neatly I gave the precious piece of + impudence to one of the men. “There,” I said, “if you are stopped, insist + on being carried before Sir Travers. He knows me. I am sure that he will + help you as far as he can.” For this the men thanked me humbly. I learned, + too, that it was of service to them. It saved them all from arrest later + in the same day. + </p> + <p> + Having bidden my hosts farewell, I wandered on, keeping pretty well in + cover. I saw a patrol of the King's dragoons in one of the roads near + which I walked. The nets were fast closing in on my master: there were + soldiers coming upon him from every quarter save the west, which was + blocked too, as it happened, by ships of war in the Channel. This + particular patrol of dragoons caught sight of me. I saw a soldier looking + over a gate at me; but as I was only a boy, seemingly out for birdsnests, + he did not challenge me, so that by noon I was safe in Taunton. I have no + clear memory of Taunton, except that it was full of people, mostly women. + There were little crowds in the streets, little crowds of women, + surrounding muddy, tired men who had come in from the Duke. People were + going about in a hurried, aimless way which showed that they were scared. + Many houses were shut up. Many men were working on the city walls, trying + to make the place defensible. If ever a town had the fear of death upon it + that town was Taunton, then. As far as I could make out it was not the + actual war that it feared; though that it feared pretty strongly, as the + looks on the women's faces showed. It feared that the Duke's army would + come back to camp there, to eat them all up, every penny, every blade of + corn, like an army of locusts. Sometimes, while I was there, men galloped + in with news, generally false, like most warmews, but eagerly sought for + by those who even now saw their husbands shot dead in ranks by the fierce + red-coats under their drunken Dutch general. Sometimes the news was that + the army was pressing in to cut off the Duke from Taunton; that the + dragoons were shooting people on the road; that they were going to root + out the whole population without mercy. At another time news came that + Monmouth was marching in to music, determined to hold Taunton till the + town was a heap of cinders. Then one, bloody with his spurred horse's + gore, cried aloud that the King was dead, shot in the heart by one of his + brother's servants. Then another came calling all to prayer. All this + uproar caused a hurrying from one crowd to another. Here a man preached + fervently to a crowd of enthusiasts. Here men ran from a prayer-meeting to + crowd about a messenger. Bells jangled from the churches; the noise of the + picks never ceased in the trenches; the taverns were full; the streets + swarmed; the public places were now thronged, now suddenly empty. Here + came the aldermen in their robes, scared faces among the scarlet, followed + by a mob praying for news, asking in frenzy for something certain, however + terrible. There several in a body clamoured at a citizen's door in the + like fever of doubt. There was enough agony of mind in Taunton that day to + furnish out any company of tragedians. We English, an emotional people by + nature, are best when the blow has fallen. We bear neither doubt nor + rapture wisely. Our strength is shown in troublous times in which other + people give way to despair. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0024" id="link2HCH0024"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXIV. THE END + </h2> + <p> + Among all the confusion, I learned certainly from some deserters that the + Duke was at Bridgewater, waiting till his men had rested, before trying to + break through to the north, to his friends in Chester. He had won a bad + name for himself among his friends. Nobody praised him. The Taunton + people, who had given him such a splendid welcome ten days before, now + cursed him for having failed; they knew too well what sort of punishment + was sure to fall upon them, directly the fighting came to an end. Somehow + all their despairing talk failed to frighten me. I was not scared by all + the signs of panic in the streets. I was too young to understand fully; + but besides that I was buoyed up by the belief that I had done a fine + thing in escaping from prison in order to serve the cause dear to my + heart. My heart told me that I was going to a glorious victory in the + right cause. I cannot explain it. I felt my father in my heart urging me + to go forward. I would not have drawn back for all the King's captains in + a company riding out against me together. I felt that these people were + behaving absurdly; they should keep a brave patient face against their + troubles. Tomorrow or the next day would see us in triumph, beating our + enemies back to London, to the usurper's den in Whitehall. + </p> + <p> + It drew towards sunset before I had found a means to get to Bridgewater. + The innkeepers who in times of peace sent daily carriers thither, with + whom a man could travel in comfort for a few pence, had now either lost + their horses, or feared to risk them. No carriers had gone either to + Bridgewater or to Bristol since the Duke marched in on the fourth day of + his journey; nor had the carriers come in as usual from those places; the + business of the town was at a standstill. I asked at several inns, but + that was the account given to me. There was no safety on the roads. The + country was overrun by thieves, who stole horses in the name of the Duke + or of the King; nothing was safe anywhere. The general hope of the people + was for Monmouth to be beaten soon, or to be victorious soon. They had + lost quite enough by him; they wanted the rebellion over. + </p> + <p> + At last, just when I had begun to think the thing hopeless, I found an + honest Quaker about to ride to Bridgewater with a basket of Bibles for the + Duke's men. He did not ask me what my business at Bridgewater might be; + but he knew that no one would want to go there at such a time without good + cause. “Well,” he said, “if you can ride small, you shall ride behind me, + but it will be slow riding, as the horse will be heavily laden.” He was + going to start at eight o'clock, so as to travel all night, when the + marauders, whether deserters from the Duke or ill-conditioned country + people, were always less busy. I had time to get some supper for myself in + the tavern-bar before starting. Just as we were about to ride off + together, when we were in the saddle, waiting only till some carts rolled + past the yard-door, I had a fright, for there, coming into the inn yard, + was one of the troopers who had beguiled me from the Duke's army that day + at Axminster. I had no doubt that he was going from inn to inn, asking for + news of me. We began to move through the yard as he came towards us; the + clack of the horse's feet upon the cobbles made him look up; but though he + stared at me hard, he did so with an occupied mind; he was in such a brown + study (as it is called) that he never recognized me. A minute later, we + were riding out of town past the trench-labourers, my heart going + pit-a-pat from the excitement of my narrow escape. I dared not ask the + Quaker to go fast, lest he should worm my story from me, but for the first + three miles I assure you I found it hard not to prod that old nag with my + knife to make him quicken his two mile an hour crawl. Often during the + first hours of the ride I heard horses coming after us at a gallop. It was + all fancy; we were left to our own devices. My pursuers, I found, + afterwards, were misled by the lies of the landlord at the inn we had + left. We were being searched for in Taunton all that fatal night, by half + a dozen of the Carew servants. + </p> + <p> + Bridgewater had not gone to bed when we got there. The people were out in + the streets, talking in frightened clumps, expecting something. After + thanking the Quaker for his kindness in giving me a lift I asked at one of + these clumps where I could find the Duke. I was feeling so happy at the + thought of rejoining my master, after all my adventures, that I think I + never felt so happy. + </p> + <p> + “Where can I find the Duke?” I asked. “I'm his servant, I must find him.” + </p> + <p> + “Find him?” said one of the talkers. “He's not here. He's marched out, + sir, with all his army, over to Sedgemoor to fight the King's army. It's a + night attack, sir.” + </p> + <p> + I was bitterly disappointed at not having reached my journey's end; but + there was a stir in the thought of battle. I asked by which road I could + get to the place where the battle would be. The man told me to turn to the + right after crossing the river. “But,” said he, “you don't want to get + mixed up in the fighting, master. There be thousands out there on the + moor. A boy would be nowhere among all them.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” said another. “Better stay here, sir. If the Duke wins he'll be + back afore breakfast. If he gets beat, you'd be best out of the way.” + </p> + <p> + This was sound advice; but I was not in a mood to profit by it. Something + told me that the battle was to be a victory for us; so I thanked the men, + telling them that I would go out over the moor by the road they had + mentioned. As I moved away, they called out to me to mind myself, for the + King's dragoons were on the moor, as a sort of screen in front of their + camp. By the road they had mentioned I might very well get into the King's + camp without seeing anything of my master. One of them added that the + battle would begin, or might begin, long before I got there, “if the mist + don't lead en astray, like.” + </p> + <p> + It took me some few minutes to get out of the gates across the river; for + there was a press of people crowded there. It was as dark as a summer + night ever is, that is, a sort of twilight, when I passed through, but + just at the gates were two great torches stuck into rings in the wall. The + wind made their flames waver about uncertainly, so that sometimes you + could see particular faces in the crowd, all lit in muddy gold light for + an instant, before the wavering made them dark again. Several mounted men + were there, trying to pass. Among them, in one sudden glare, I saw Aurelia + on her Arab, reined in beside Sir Travers, whose horse was kicking out + behind him. I passed them by so close that I touched Aurelia's riding + habit as I crept out of the press. They were talking together, just behind + me, as I crept from the town over the bridge above which the summer mists + clung, almost hiding the stream. Aurelia was saying “I only hope we may be + in time.” “Yes, poor boy,” said Sir Travers. “It will be terrible if we + are too late.” It gave me a pang to hear them, for I knew that they were + talking about me. + </p> + <p> + I crept into the shelter of the bridge parapet while they rode on past me. + The mist hid them from me. The town was dark above the mist like a city in + the clouds. The stars were dim now with the coming of day. A sheep-bell on + the moor made a noise like a nightbird. A few ponies pastured on the moor + trotted away, lightly padding, scared, I suppose, by the two riders. Then, + far away, but sounding very near at hand, for sound travels very strangely + in mist, so strangely that often a very distant noise will strike loudly, + while it is scarcely heard close to, there came a shot. Almost instantly, + the air seemed full of the roar of battle. The gun-fire broke out into a + long irregular roar, a fury of noise which roused up the city behind me, + as though all the citizens were slamming their doors to get away from it. + I hurried along the road towards the battle, praying, as I went, that my + master might conquer, that the King's troops had been caught asleep, that + when I got there, in the glory of dawn, I might find the Duke's army + returning thanks in their enemy's camp. I pressed on along the rough moor + road until the dawn came over the far horizon, driving the mists away, so + that I could see what was doing there. + </p> + <p> + I saw a great sweep of moorland to my left, with a confused crowd of + horsemen scattering away towards a line of low hills some miles beyond. + They were riding from the firing, which filled all the nearer part of the + moor with smoke, among which I saw moving figures, sudden glimpses of men + in rank, sudden men on horseback, struggling with their horses. The noise + was worse than I had expected; it came on me with repeated deafening + shocks. I could hear cries in the lulls when the firing slackened; then + the uproar grew worse again, sounds of desperate thuds, marking cannon + shot. I heard balls going over my head with a shrill “wheep, wheep,” which + made me duck. A small iron cannon ball spun into the road like a spinning + top, scattering the dust. It wormed slowly past me for a second, then rose + up irregularly in a bound, to thud into the ditch, where it lay still. I + saw cannon coming up at a gallop, with many horses, on the bare right + flank of the battle. Another ball came just over my head, with a scream + which made my heart quite sick. I sat down cowering under a ruined + thorn-tree by the road, crying like a little child. It must have been a + moment after that when I saw a man staggering down the road towards me, + holding his side with both hands. He fell into the road, dead, not far + from me. Then others came past, some so fearfully hurt that it was a + miracle that they should walk. They came past in a long horrible + procession, men without weapons, without hands, shot in the head, in the + body, lacerated, bleeding, limping, with white drawn faces, tottering to + the town which they would never see again. I shut my eyes, crouching well + under the tree, while this fight went on. It was nothing but a time of + pain, a roaring, booming horror with shrieks in it. I don't know how long + it lasted. I only know that the shooting seemed suddenly to pass into a + thunder of horse-hoofs as the King's dragoons came past in a charge. Right + in front of me they galloped, hacking at the fleers, leaning out from + their saddles to cut at them, leaning down to stab them, rising up to + reach at those who climbed the banks. Under that tide of cavalry the + Duke's army melted. They fought in clumps desperately. They flung away + their weapons. They fled. They rushed down desperately to meet death. It + was all a medley of broken noises, oaths, stray shots, cries, wounded men + whimpering, hurt horses screaming. The horses were the worst part of it. + Perhaps you never heard a horse scream. + </p> + <p> + That morning's work is all very confused to me. I remember seeing men cut + down as they ran. I remember a fine horse coming past me lurching, + clattering his stirrups, before leaping into the river. I remember the + stink of powder over all the field; the strange look on the faces of the + dead; the body of a trumpeter, kneeling against a gorse-bush, shot through + the heart, with his trumpet raised to his lips, the litter everywhere, + burnt cartridges, clothes, belts, shot, all the waste of war. They are in + my mind, those memories, like scattered pictures. The next clear memory in + my mind, is of a company of cavalry in red coats, under a fierce, + white-faced man, bringing in a string of prisoners to the King's camp. A + couple of troopers jumped down to examine me. One had the face of a + savage; the other was half drunk. “You're one of them,” they said. “Bring + him on.” They twisted string about my thumbs. I was their prisoner. They + dragged me into the King's camp, where the white-faced man sat down at a + table to judge us. + </p> + <p> + I will not talk of that butchery. The white-faced man has been judged now, + in his turn; I will say no more of him. When it came to my turn, he would + hear no words from me; I was a rebel, fit for nothing but death. “Pistol + him” was all the sentence passed on me. The soldiers laid hands on me to + drag me away, to add my little corpse to the heap outside. One of the + officers spoke up for me. “He's only a boy,” he said. “Go easy with the + boy. Don't have the poor child killed.” It was kindly spoken; but quite + carelessly. The man would have pleaded for a cat with just as much + passion. It was useless, anyway, for the colonel merely repeated “Pistol + him,” just as one would have ordered a wine at dinner. “Burgundy.” “No, + the Burgundy here is all so expensive.” “Never mind, Burgundy.” So I was + led away to stand with the next batch of prisoners lined against a wall to + be shot. My place was at the end of a line, next to a young sullen-looking + man black with powder. I did not feel frightened, only hopeless, quite + hopeless, a sort of dead feeling. I remember looking at the soldiers + getting ready to shoot us. I wondered which would shoot me. They seemed so + slow about it. There was some hitch, I think, in filling up the line; a + man had proved his innocence or something. + </p> + <p> + Then, the next instant, there was Aurelia dragging the white-faced man + from his table. I dimly remember him ordering me to be released, while Sir + Travers Carew gave me brandy. I remember the young sullen-looking man's + face; for he looked at me, a look of dull wonder, with a sort of hopeless + envy in it, which has wrung my heart daily, ever since. “Mount,” said + Aurelia. “Mount, Martin. For God's sake, Uncle Travers, let us get out of + this.” They were on both sides of me each giving me an arm in the saddle, + as we rode out of that field of death through Zoyland village towards the + old Abbey near Chard. + </p> + <p> + I shall say little more, except that I never saw my master again. When + they led him to the scaffold on Tower Hill I was outward bound to the West + Indies, as private secretary to Sir Travers, newly appointed Governor of + St. Eulalie. We had many of Monmouth's men in St. Eulalie after the Bloody + Assizes; but their tale is too horrible to tell here. You will want to + know whether I ever saw Aurelia again. Not for some years, not very often + for nine years; but since then our lives have been so mingled that when we + die it will be hard to say which soul is which, so much our spirits are + each other's. So now, I have written a long story. May we all tell our + tales to the end before the pen is taken from us. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Martin Hyde, The Duke's Messenger, by +John Masefield + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARTIN HYDE, THE DUKE'S MESSENGER *** + +***** This file should be named 1274-h.htm or 1274-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/7/1274/ + +Produced by Aaron Cannon, and David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Martin Hyde, The Duke's Messenger + +Author: John Masefield + +Posting Date: August 24, 2008 [EBook #1274] +Release Date: April, 1998 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARTIN HYDE, THE DUKE'S MESSENGER *** + + + + +Produced by Aaron Cannon + + + + + +MARTIN HYDE + +THE DUKE'S MESSENGER + +by John Masefield + + + +CONTENTS + + I. I LEAVE HOME + II. I LEAVE HOME AGAIN + III. I LEAVE HOME A THIRD TIME + IV. I LEAVE HOME FOR THE LAST TIME + V. I GO TO SEA + VI. THE SEA! THE SEA! + VII. LAND RATS AND WATER RATS + VIII. I MEET MY FRIEND + IX. I SEE MORE OF MY FRIEND + X. SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT + XI. AURELIA + XII. BRAVE CAPTAIN BARLOW + XIII. IT BREEZES UP + XIV. A DRINK OF SHERBET + XV. THE ROAD TO LYME + XVI. THE LANDING + XVII. A VOICE AT DAWN + XVIII. I SPEAK WITH AURELIA + XIX. I MEET THE CLUB MEN + XX. THE SQUIRE'S HOUSE + XXI. MY FRIEND AURELIA AND HER UNCLE + XXII. THE PRIEST'S HOLE + XXIII. FREE + XXIV THE END + + + + +MARTIN HYDE + +THE DUKE'S MESSENGER + +by + +John Masefield + + + +CHAPTER I. I LEAVE HOME + +I was born at Oulton, in Suffolk, in the year 1672. I know not the +day of my birth, but it was in March, a day or two after the Dutch war +began. I know this, because my father, who was the clergyman at Oulton, +once told me that in the night of my birth a horseman called upon him, +at the rectory, to ask the way to Lowestoft. He was riding from London +with letters for the Admiral, he said; but had missed his way somewhere +beyond Beccles. He was mud from head to foot (it had been a wet March) +but he would not stay to dry himself. He reined in at the door, just as +I was born, as though he were some ghost, bringing my life in his saddle +bags. Then he shook up his horse, through the mud, towards Lowestoft, so +that the splashing of the horse's hoofs must have been the first sound +heard by me. The Admiral was gone when he reached Lowestoft, poor man, +so all his trouble was wasted. War wastes more energy, I suppose, than +any other form of folly. I know that on the East Coast, during all the +years of my childhood, this Dutch war wasted the energies of thousands. +The villages had to drill men, each village according to its size, to +make an army in case the Dutch should land. Long after the war was over, +they drilled thus. I remember them on the field outside the church, +drilling after Sunday service, firing at a stump of a tree. Once some +wag rang the alarm-bell at night, to fetch them out of their beds. Then +there were the smugglers; they, too, were caused by the war. After the +fighting there was a bitter feeling against the Dutch. Dutch goods were +taxed heavily (spice, I remember, was made very dear thus) to pay for +the war. The smugglers began then to land their goods secretly, all +along the coast, so that they might avoid the payment of the duty. The +farmers were their friends; for they liked to have their gin cheap. +Indeed, they used to say that in an agueish place like the fens, gin was +a necessity, if one would avoid fever. Often, at night, in the winter, +when I was walking home from Lowestoft school, I would see the farmers +riding to the rendezvous in the dark, with their horses' hoofs all +wrapped up in sacks, to make no noise. + +I lived for twelve years at Oulton. I learned how to handle a boat +there, how to swim, how to skate, how to find the eggs of the many wild +fowl in the reeds. In those days the Broad country was a very wild land, +half of it swamp. My father gave me a coracle on my tenth birthday. In +this little boat I used to explore the country for many miles, pushing +up creeks among the reeds, then watching, in the pools (far out of the +world it seemed) for ruffs or wild duck. I was a hardy boy, much older +than my years, like so many only children. I used to go away, sometimes, +for two or three days together, with my friend John Halmer, Captain +Halmer's son, taking some bread, with a blanket or two, as my ship's +stores. We used to paddle far up the Waveney to an island hidden in +reeds. We were the only persons who knew of that island. We were like +little kings there. We built a rough sort of tent-hut there every +summer. Then we would pass the time there deliciously, now bathing, now +fishing, but always living on what we caught. John, who was a wild lad, +much older than I, used to go among the gipsies in their great winter +camp at Oulton. He learned many strange tricks from them. He was a good +camp-companion. I think that the last two years of my life at Oulton +were the happiest years of my life. I have never cared for dry or hilly +countries since. Wherever I have been in the world, I have always longed +for the Broads, where the rivers wander among reeds for miles, losing +themselves in thickets of reeds. I have always thought tenderly of the +flat land, where windmills or churches are the only landmarks, standing +up above the mist, in the loneliness of the fens. But when I was nearly +thirteen years old (just after the death of Charles the Second) my +father died, leaving me an orphan. My uncle, Gabriel Hyde, a man about +town, was my only relative. The vicar of Lowestoft wrote to him, on my +behalf. A fortnight later (the ways were always very foul in the winter) +my uncle's man came to fetch me to London. There was a sale of my +father's furniture. His books were sent off to his college at Cambridge +by the Lowestoft carrier. Then the valet took me by wherry to Norwich, +where we caught a weekly coach to town. That was the last time I ever +sailed on the Waveney as a boy, that journey to Norwich. When I next saw +the Broads, I was a man of thirty-five. I remember how strangely small +the country seemed to me when I saw it after my wanderings. But this is +away from my tale. All that I remember of the coach-ride was my arrival +late at night at the London inn, a dark house full of smells, from which +the valet led me to my uncle's house. + +I lay awake, that first night, much puzzled by the noise, fearing that +London would be all streets, a dismal place. When I fell asleep, I was +waked continually by chiming bells. In the morning, early, I was roused +by the musical calling made by milkmen on their rounds, with that +morning's milk for sale. At breakfast my uncle told me not to go into +the street without Ephraim, his man; for without a guide, he said, I +should get lost. He warned me that there were people in London who made +a living by seizing children ("kidnapping" or "trepanning" them, as it +was called) to sell to merchant-captains bound for the plantations. "So +be very careful, Martin," he said. "Do not talk to strangers." He went +for his morning walk after this, telling me that I might run out to play +in the garden. + +I went out of doors feeling that London must be a very terrible place, +if the folk there went about counting all who met them as possible +enemies. I was homesick for the Broads, where everybody, even bad men, +like the worst of the smugglers, was friendly to me. I hated all this +noisy city, so full of dirty jumbled houses. I longed to be in my +coracle on the Waveney, paddling along among the reeds, chucking pebbles +at the water-rats. But when I went out into the garden I found that even +London held something for me, not so good as the Broads, perhaps, but +pleasant in its way. + +Now before I go further, I must tell you that my uncle's house was one +of the old houses in Billingsgate. It stood in a narrow, crowded lane, +at the western end of Thames Street, close to the river. Few of the +houses thereabouts were old; for the fire of London had nearly destroyed +that part of the city, but my uncle's house, with a few more in the +same lane, being built of brick, had escaped. The bricks of some of the +houses were scorched black. I remember, also, at the corner house, three +doors from my uncle's house, the melted end of a water pipe, hanging +from the roof like a long leaden icicle, just as it had run from the +heat eighteen years before. I used to long for that icicle: it would +have made such fine bullets for my sling. I have said that Fish Lane, +where my uncle lived, was narrow. It was very narrow. The upper stories +of the houses opposite could be touched from my bed-room window with an +eight-foot fishing rod. If one leaned well out, one could see right into +their upper rooms. You could even hear the people talking in them. + +At the back of the house there was a garden of potherbs. It sloped down +to the river-bank, where there were stairs to the water. The stairs +were covered in, so as to form a boat-house, in which (as I learned +afterwards) my uncle's skiffs were kept. You may be sure that I lost +no time in getting down to the water, after I had breakfasted with my +uncle, on the morning after my arrival. + +A low stone parapet, topped by iron rails, shut off the garden from the +beach. Just beyond the parapet, within slingshot, as I soon proved, was +the famous Pool of London, full of ships of all sorts, some with flags +flying. The mild spring sun (it was early in April) made the sight +glorious. There must have been a hundred ships there, all marshalled in +ranks, at double-moorings, head to flood. Boats full of merchandise were +pulling to the wharves by the Custom House. Men were working aloft on +the yards, bending or unbending sails. In some ships the sails hung +loose, drying in the sun. In others, the men were singing out as they +walked round the capstan, hoisting goods from the hold. One of the ships +close to me was a beautiful little Spanish schooner, with her name La +Reina in big gold letters on her transom. She was evidently one of those +very fast fruit boats, from the Canary Islands, of which I had heard the +seamen at Oulton speak. She was discharging oranges into a lighter, when +I first saw her. The sweet, heavy smell of the bruised peels scented the +river for many yards. + +I was looking at this schooner, wishing that I could pass an hour in her +hold, among those delicious boxes, when a bearded man came on deck from +her cabin. He looked at the shore, straight at myself as I thought, +raising his hand swiftly as though to beckon me to him. A boat pushed +out instantly, in answer to the hand, from the garden next to the one +in which I stood. The waterman, pulling to the schooner, talked with the +man for a moment, evidently settling the amount of his fare. After the +haggling, my gentleman climbed into the boat by a little rope-ladder at +the stern. Then the boatman pulled away upstream, going on the last of +the flood, within twenty yards of where I stood. + +I had watched them idly, attracted, in the beginning, by that sudden +raising of the hand. But as they passed me, there came a sudden puff +of wind, strong enough to flurry the water into wrinkles. It lifted the +gentleman's hat, so that he saved it only by a violent snatch which +made the boat rock. As he jammed the hat down he broke or displaced some +string or clip near his ears. At any rate his beard came adrift on the +side nearest to me. The man was wearing a false beard. He remedied the +matter at once, very cleverly, so that I may have been the only witness; +but I saw that the boatman was in the man's secret, whatever it was. He +pulled hard on his starboard oar, bringing the boat partly across the +current, thus screening him from everybody except the workers in the +ships. It must have seemed to all who saw him that he was merely pulling +to another arch of London Bridge. + +I was not sure of the man's face. It seemed handsome; that was all that +I could say of it. But I was fascinated by the mystery. I wondered +why he was wearing a false beard. I wondered what he was doing in the +schooner. I imagined all sorts of romantic plots in which he was taking +part. I watched his boat go through the Bridge with the feeling that +I was sharing in all sorts of adventures already. There was a fall of +water at the Bridge which made the river dangerous there even on a flood +tide. I could see that the waves there would be quite enough for such a +boat without the most tender handling. I watched to see how they would +pass through. Both men stood up, facing forwards, each taking an oar. +They worked her through, out of sight, in a very clever fashion; which +set me wondering again what this handsome gentleman might be, who worked +a boat so well. + +I hung about at the end of the garden until dinner time, hoping that +they would return. I watched every boat which came downstream, finding +a great pleasure in the watermen's skill, for indeed the water at the +Bridge was frightful; only a strong nerve could venture on it. But the +boat did not come back, though one or two other boats brought people, or +goods, to the stairs of the garden beside me. I could not see into the +garden; that party wall was too high. + +I did not go indoors again till Ephraim came to fetch me, saying that it +was time I washed my hands for dinner. I went to my room; but instead +of washing my hands, I leaned out of the window to watch a dancing bear +which was sidling about in the lane, just below, while his keeper made +a noise on the panpipes. A little crowd of idlers was gathered round the +bear. Some of them were laughing at the bear, some at his keeper. I saw +two boys sneaking about among the company; they were evil-looking +little ruffians, with that hard look in the eyes which always marks the +thoroughly wicked. As I watched, one of them slipped his hand into +a man's pocket, then withdrew it, passing something swiftly to his +companion, who walked unconcernedly away. I ran out of doors at once, to +the man who had been robbed. + +"Sir," I said, when he had drawn away from the little crowd. "Have you +not been robbed of something?" + +He turned to look down on me, searching his pockets with both hands. It +gave me a start to see him, for he was the bearded man who had passed +me in the boat that morning. You may be sure that I took a good note of +him. He was a handsome, melancholy-looking man, with a beard designed to +make him look fairer than he really was. + +"Robbed of something?" he repeated in a quiet voice. "Yes, I have been +robbed of something." It seemed to me that he turned pale, when he found +that he had been robbed. "Did you see it?" he asked. "Don't point. Just +describe him to me. No. Don't look round, boy. Tell me without looking +round." + +"Sir," I said, "do you see two little boys moving about among the people +there?" + +"Yes," he said. + +"It's the boy with the bit of broken pipe in his hat who has the, +whatever it was, sir, I'm sure. I saw it all." + +"I see," he said. "That's the coveter. Let this be a warning to you, +boy, never to stop in a crowd to watch these street-performers. Where +were you, when you saw it?" + +"Up above there, sir. In that house." + +"In Mr. Hyde's house. Do you live there?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Since when? Not for long, surely?" + +"No, sir. Only since yesterday. I'm Mr. Hyde's nephew." + +"Ah! Indeed. And that is your room up there?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Where do you come from then? You've not been in town before. What is +your father?" + +"My father's dead, sir. I come from Oulton. My father was rector there." + +"Ah," he said quietly. "Now give this penny to the bear-ward." + +While I was giving the penny to the keeper, the strange man edged among +the lookers-on, apparently watching the bear's antics, till he was just +behind the pickpocket's accomplice. Watching his time, he seized the boy +from behind by both wrists. + +"This boy's a pickpocket," he cried aloud. "Stop that other boy. He's an +accomplice." The other boy, who had just taken a purse, started to +run, letting the booty drop. A boatman who was going towards the river, +tripped him up with an oar so that he fell heavily. He lay still where +he had fallen (all the wind was knocked out of him) so that he was +easily secured. The boy who had been seized by the bearded man made no +attempt to get away. He was too firmly held. Both boys were then marched +off to the nearest constable where (after a strict search), they were +locked into a cellar till the morrow. The crowd deserted the bear-ward +when the cry of pickpockets was raised. They followed my mysterious +friend to the constable's house, hoping, no doubt, that they would be +able to crowd in to hear the constable bully the boys as he searched +them. One or two, who pretended to have missed things, managed to get +in. The bearded man told me to come in, as he said that I should be +needed as a witness. The others were driven out into the street, where, +I suppose, their monkey-minds soon found other game, a horse fallen +down, or a drunken woman in the gutter, to divert their idleness. Such +sights seem to attract a London crowd at once. + +The boys were strictly searched by the constable. The booty from their +pockets was turned out upon the table. + +"Now, sir," said the constable to the bearded man, after he had made a +note of my story. "What is it they 'ad of you, sir?" + +"A shagreen leather pocket-book," said the man. "There it is." + +"This one?" said the constable. + +"Yes." + +"Oh," said the constable, opening the clasps, so that he could examine +the writing on the leaves. "What's inside?" + +"A lot of figures," said the man. "Sums. Problems in arithmetic." + +"Right," said the constable, handing over the book. + +"Here you are, sir. What name, sir?" + +"Edward Jermyn." + +"Edward German," the constable repeated. + +"Where d' you live, sir?" + +"At Mr. Scott's in Fish Lane." + +"Right, sir," said the constable, writing down the address, "You must +appear tomorrow at ten before Mr. Garry, the magistrate. You, too, young +master, to give your evidence." + +At this the boys burst out crying, begging us not to appear, using all +those deceptive arts which the London thieves practise from childhood. +I, who was new to the world's deceits, was touched to the marrow by +their seeming misery. The constable roughly silenced them. "I know you," +he said. "I had my eye on you two ever since Christmas. Now you'll go +abroad to do a bit of honest work, instead of nickin' pockets. Stow your +blubbering now, or I'll give you Mogador Jack." He produced "Mogador +Jack," a supple shark's backbone, from behind the door. The tears +stopped on the instant. + +After this, the bearded man showed me the way back to Fish Lane, where +Ephraim, who was at the door, looking out for me, gave me a shrewd +scolding, for venturing out without a guide. + +Mr. Jermyn silenced him by giving him a shilling. The next day, Mr. +Jermyn took me to the magistrate's house, where the two thieves were +formally committed for trial. Mr. Jermyn told me that they would +probably be transported for seven years, on conviction at the +Assizes; but that, as they were young, the honest work abroad, in the +plantations, might be the saving of them. "So do not be so sad, Mr. +Martin," he said. "You do not know how good a thing you did when you +looked out of the window yesterday. Do you know, by the way, how much my +book is worth?" + +"No, sir," I said. + +"Well. It's worth more than the King's crown," he said. + +"But I thought it was only sums, sir." + +"Yes," he said, with a strange smile. "But some sums have to do with a +great deal of money. Now I want you to think tonight of something to the +value of twenty pounds or so. I want to give you something as a reward +for your smartness. Don't decide at once. Think it over. Here we are at +our homes, you see. We live just opposite to each other." + +We were standing at this moment in the narrow lane at my uncle's door. +As he spoke, he raised his hand in a farewell salute with that dignity +of gesture which was in all his movements. On the instant, to my +surprise, the door of the house opposite opened slowly, till it was +about half open. No one opened it, as I could see; it swung back of +itself. After my friend had stepped across the threshold it swung to +with a click in the same mysterious way. It was as though it had a +knowledge of Mr. Jermyn's mind, as though the raised hand had had a +magical power over it. When I went indoors to my uncle's house I was +excited. I felt that I was in the presence of something romantic, +something mysterious. I liked Mr. Jermyn. He had been very kind. But +I kept wondering why he wore a false beard, why his door opened so +mysteriously, why he valued a book of sums above the worth of a King's +crown. As for his offer of a present, I did not like it, though he had +not given me time to say as much. I remembered how indignant the Oulton +wherrymen had been when a gentleman offered them money for saving his +daughter's life. I had seen the man robbed, what else could I have done? +I could have done no less than tell him. I resolved that I would refuse +the gift when next I saw him. + +At dinner that day, I was full of Mr. Jermyn, much to my uncle's +annoyance. + +"Who is this Mr. Jermyn, Martin?" he asked. "I don't know him. Is he a +gentleman?" + +"Yes, uncle." + +"Do you know him, Ephraim?" + +"No, sir. I know him by sight, sir. Gentleman who lives over the way, +Mr. Hyde." + +"That's Mr. Scott's, though." + +"No, sir. Mr. Jermyn's been there ever since February." + +"But the house is empty." + +"The lower floor is furnished, sir." + +"Do you know anything of him? Do you know his man?" + +"They say he's in the fruit way, sir. In the Spanish trade. His men are +Spaniards. They do say he's not quite to be trusted." + +"Who says this?" my uncle asked. + +"I don't like to mention names, sir," Ephraim said. + +"Quite right. Quite right. But what do they say?" + +"Very queer things goes on in that 'ouse," said Ephraim. "I don't 'ardly +like to say. But they think 'e raises the devil, sir. Awful noises goes +on there. I seen some things myself there, as I don't like to talk of. +Well. I saw a black bird as big as a man stand flapping in the window. +Then I seen eyes glaring out at the door. They give the 'ouse a bad +name, sir; everyone." + +"H'm," said my uncle. "What's he like, Martin, this Mr. Jermyn?" + +"A tall man, with a beard," I answered. I thought it wrong to mention +that I knew the beard to be false. "He's always stroking the bridge of +his nose with his hand." + +"Ha," my uncle said, as though recognizing the trait. "But with a beard, +you tell me?" + +"Yes, sir. With a beard." + +"H'm," he answered, musing, "I must have a look at this Mr. Jermyn. +Remember, Martin, you're to have nothing more to do with him, till I +know a little more of what he is. You understand?" + +"Yes, uncle." + +"One cannot be too careful in this town. I won't allow you in the +streets, Martin. No matter who has his pockets picked. I told you that +before." + +"Please, uncle, may I go on the river, then, if I'm not to go into the +street? I'm used to boats." + +"Yes. You may do that. But you're not to go on board the ships, mind." + +"Beg pardon, sir," Ephraim put in. "The fall at the Bridge is very +risky, sir." + +"It is?" said my uncle, testily. "Then of course you can't go in a boat, +Martin. You must play in the garden, or read." + + + +CHAPTER II. I LEAVE HOME AGAIN + +I thought Ephraim a pig for putting in that word about the fall. Though +I had only known Ephraim for a few days I disliked him perhaps as much +as he disliked me. He was angry (I could feel it) at having a boy in the +house, after many years of quiet alone with my uncle. I know that when +he had occasion to speak to me, he always went away muttering about my +being a charity brat who ought to be in the poor-house. Still, like most +servants, he vented most of his malice indirectly, as in this hint of +his about the river. I rose up from the dinner-table full of rebellion. +I would go on the river, I said to myself, fall or no fall. I would see +more of Mr. Jermyn, too. I would find out what went on in that house. I +would find out everything. In all this, of course, I was very wrong, +but having made sure that I was being treated unjustly I felt that I was +only doing right in rebelling. So after waiting till Ephraim was in the +pantry, washing up the dinner-things with the housemaid, I slipped down +the garden to the boat-house. The door was padlocked, as I had feared; +but with an old hammer-head I managed to pry off the staple. I felt like +a burglar when the lock came off in my hand. I felt that I was acting +deceitfully. Then the thought of Ephraim came over me, making me +rebellious to my finger-tips. I would go on the river, I said to myself, +I would go aboard all the ships in the Pool. I would show them all that +I could handle a boat anywhere. So in a moment my good angel was beaten. +I was in the boat-house, prying at the staple of the outer door, like +the young rogue that I was. Well, I paid a heavy price for that day of +disobedience. It was the most dearly bought day's row I ever heard of. + +It took me a few moments to open the outer door. Then, with a thrill of +pleasure, such as only those who love the water can fed, I thrust out +into the river, on to the last of the ebb, then fast ebbing. The fall +under the bridge at that state of the tide was truly terrifying. It +roared so loudly that I could hear nothing else. It boiled about the +bridge piers so fiercely that I was scared to see it. I had seen the sea +in storm; but then one does not put to sea in a storm. This waterfall +tumbled daily, even in a calm. I shuddered to think of small boats, +caught in the current above it, being drawn down, slowly at first, then +with a whirl, till all was whelmed in the tumble below the arches. I saw +how hatefully the back wash seemed to saunter back to the fall along the +banks. I thought that if I was not careful I might be caught in the back +wash, drawn slowly along it by the undertow, till the cataract sank +me. As I watched the fall, fascinated, yet scared by it, there came +a shooting rush, with shouts of triumph. A four-oared wherry with two +passengers shot through the arch over the worst of the water into the +quiet of the midstream. They waved to me, evidently very pleased with +their exploit. That set me wondering whether the water were really as +bad as it looked. My first feat was to back up cautiously almost to the +fall, till my boat was dancing so vigorously that I was spattered all +over. Standing up in the boat there, I could see the oily water, like a +great arched snake's back, swirl past the arch towards me, bubbleless, +almost without a ripple, till it showed all its teeth at once in +breaking down. The piers of the arches jutted far out below the fall, +like pointed islands. I was about to try to climb on the top of one +from the boat, a piece of madness which would probably have ended in my +death, but some boys in one of the houses on the bridge began to pelt +me with pebbles, so that I had to sheer off. I pulled down among the +shipping, examining every vessel in the Pool. Then I pulled down the +stream, with the ebb, as far as Wapping, where I was much shocked by +the sight of the pirates' gallows, with seven dead men hung in chains +together there, for taking the ship Delight, so a waterman told me, on +the Guinea Coast, the year before. I left my boat at Wapping Stairs, +while I went into a pastry-cook's shop to buy cake; for I was now +hungry. The pastry-cook was also a vintner. His tables were pretty well +crowded with men, mostly seafaring men, who were drinking wine together, +talking of politics. I knew nothing whatever about politics, but hearing +the Duke of Monmouth named I pricked up my ears to listen. My father had +told me, in his last illness, when the news of the death of Charles the +Second reached us, that trouble would come to England through this Duke, +because, he said, "he will never agree with King James." Many people +(the Duke himself being one of them) believed that this James Scott, +Duke of Monmouth, was the son of a very beautiful woman by Charles the +Second, who (so the tale went) had married her in his wanderings abroad, +while Cromwell ruled in England here. I myself shall ever believe this +story. I am quite sure, now, in my own mind, that Monmouth was our +rightful King. I have heard accounts of this marriage of Charles the +Second from people who were with him in his wanderings. When Charles the +Second died (being poisoned, some said, by his brother James, who wished +to seize the throne while Monmouth was abroad, unable to claim his +rights) James succeeded to the crown. At the time of which I write he +had been King for about two months. I did not know anything about his +merits as a King; but hearing the name of Monmouth I felt sure, from the +first, that I should hear more of what my father had told me. + +One of the seamen, a sour-looking, pale-faced man, was saying that +Holland was full of talk that the Duke was coming over, to try for the +Kingdom. Another said that it wasn't the Duke of Monmouth but the Duke +of Argyle that was coming, to try, not for England, but for Scotland. A +third said that all this was talk, for how could a single man, without +twenty friends in the world, get through a cruising fleet? "How could he +do anything, even if he did land?" + +"Ah," said another man. "They say that the West is ready to rally around +him. That's what they say." + +"Well," said the first, raising his cup. "Here's to King James, I say. +England's had enough of civil troubles." The other men drank the toast +with applause. It is curious to remember how cautious people were in +those troublous days. One could never be sure of your friend's true +opinion. It was a time when there were so many spies abroad that +everybody was suspicious of his neighbour. I am sure that a good half +of that company was disloyal; yet they drank that toast, stamping their +feet, as though they would have shed their blood for King James with all +the pleasure in life. "Are you for King James, young waterman?" said one +of the men to me. "Yes," I said, "I am for the rightful King." At this +they all laughed. One of the men said that if there were many like me +the Duke of Monmouth might spare himself the trouble of coming over. + +I finished my cake quietly, after that. Then, as the tide was not yet +making, to help me back up the river, I wandered into Wapping fields, +where a gang of beggars camped. They were a dirtier, more troublesome +company than the worst of the Oulton gipsies. They crowded round me, +whining about their miseries, with the fawning smiles of professional +beggars. There were children among them who lied about their wants as +glibly as their parents lied. The Oulton beggars had taught me to refuse +such people, as being, nearly always, knaves; so I said that I had +nothing for them. I felt the hands of these thieves lightly feeling the +outsides of my pockets for something worth taking. One of them with +a sudden thrust upon me snatched my handkerchief. He tossed it to a +friend. As he started to run from me, a young man with an evil, weak +face pushed me backwards with a violent shove. I staggered back, from +the push, to fall over a boy who had crouched behind me there, ready to +upset me. When I got up, rather shaken from my fall, the dirty gang +was scattering to its burrow; for they lived, like beasts, in holes +scratched in the ground, thatched over with sacks or old clothes. +I hurried back toward Wapping in the hope of finding a constable to +recover my handkerchief for me. The constable (when I found him) refused +to stir until I made it worth his while. Sixpence was his fee, he said, +but he was sure that a handsome young gentleman like myself would not +grudge a sixpence to recover a handkerchief. On searching for my purse +(in which I had about two shillings) I found that that had gone, too, +"nicked" by these thieves. I told the Constable that my purse had been +stolen. + +"Oh," he said. "How much was in it?" I told him. + +"Could you describe the man who took it?" + +"No." I said. "I did not see the man take it." + +"Then how do you know that anybody took it?" + +Of course I did not know that anybody had taken it but thought it highly +probable. "That won't do here," he said, settling down in his chair to +his tobacco. "I'll look into it. If I hear of it, why, next time you +come here, you shall have it." + +"But my handkerchief," I said. + +"Sixpence is my fee," the brute answered. "Do you want to rob a poor man +of his earnings? Why, what a rogue you must be, young master." I tried +to move him to recover my handkerchief, but without success. At last, +growing weary of the sound of my pipe, as he said, he rounded on me. + +"If you don't run away 'ome," he said, "I'll commit you for a nuisance. +Think I'm goin' to be bothered by yer. Be off, now." + +At that, I set off down to the river. There I found two dirty little +boys in my uncle's boat, busy with the dipper, trying to fill her with +water. I boxed the ears of one of them, when the other, coming behind +me, hit me over the head with the stretcher. I turned sharply, giving +him a punch which made his nose bleed. The other, seeing his chance +(my back being turned) promptly soused me with the dipper. I saw that I +would have to settle one of them at a time, so, paying no attention +to the dipper, I followed up my blow on the nose with one or two more, +which drove the stretcher-boy out of the boat. The other was a harder +lad; who would, perhaps, have beaten me, had not a waterman on the +stairs taken my part. He took my enemy by the ear. "Get out of that," he +said, giving him a kick. "If I catch you messing boats again, I'll give +you Mogador Jack." I pushed off from the stairs then, glad to get away +with both oars. My enemies, running along the banks, flung stones at +me as long as I was in range. If I had had my sling with me, would have +warmed their legs for them. When was out of range of their shot, I laid +in my oars, so that I could bail. The boys had poured about six inches +of water into the boat. If the plug had been less tightly hammered in, +they would no doubt have sunk her at her painter by pulling it out. Then +should have been indeed in difficulty. It took me about twenty minutes +to bail the boat clear. As I bailed her, I thought that Londoners must +be the most unpleasant people in the world, since, already, in two days, +I had met so many knaves. It did not occur to me at the time that I was +a young knave, too, to be out in a stolen boat, against orders. I never +once thought how well I had been served for my disobedience. + +I had an uncomfortable journey upstream, for I was very wet from my +sousing. I loitered at the Tower to watch the garrison drilling with the +big guns. Then I loitered about among the ships, reading their names, or +even climbing their gangways to look at their decks. I lingered a long +time at the schooner La Reina, partly because she was much the prettiest +ship in the Pool, but partly because I was beginning to dread Ephraim. +I wondered whether Mr. Jermyn was on board of her. I was half tempted to +climb aboard to find out. I clambered partly up her gangway, so that I +could peer over the rail. To my surprise, I found that her hatches were +battened down as in ships ready for the sea. Her cargo of oranges, that +had smelt so sweetly, must have been a blind, for no ship, discharging +cargo the day before, could be loaded, ready for sea, within twenty-four +hours. Indeed, she was in excellent trim. She was not too light to put +to sea. No doubt, I said to myself, she has taken in ballast to equal +the weight of oranges sent ashore. But I knew just enough of ships to +know that there was some mystery in the business. The schooner could not +be the plain fruit-trader for which men took her. As I looked over her +rail, noting this, I said to myself that "here is another mystery with +which Mr. Jermyn has to do." I felt a thrill of excitement go through +me. I was touching mysterious adventure at half a dozen different +points. I felt inclined to creep to the hatchway of the little cabin, to +listen there if any plots were being hatched. It was getting duskish by +this time, it must have been nearly seven o'clock. Two men came up the +cabin hatch together. One of them was Mr. Jermyn, the other a shorter +fellow, to whom Mr. Jermyn seemed extremely respectful. I wished not to +be seen, so I ducked down nimbly into my boat, drawing her forward by +a guess-warp, till I could row without being heard by them. I heard Mr. +Jermyn calling to a waterman; so very swiftly I paddled behind other +ships in the tier, without being observed. Then I paddled back to my +uncle's boat-house, the door of which, to my horror, was firmly fastened +against me. + + + +CHAPTER III. I LEAVE HOME A THIRD TIME + +I must have made some little noise at the door, trying to get in. At any +rate, Ephraim, who was waiting for such a signal, came forward with a +churlish glee to rate me. + +"So you're come back, Mr. Martin," he said. "These are nice carryings-on +for a young gentleman." I thought that I might as well be hanged for a +sheep as for a lamb. Ephraim's tone jarred me, so I told him to shut up, +as I didn't want any of his jaw. This rather staggered him, so I told +him further to open the boat-house, instead of standing like a stock, +as I wanted to moor the boat. He opened the door for me, glowering at me +moodily. "Mr. Hyde shall know of this," he said when all was secured. He +caught me by the arm to drag me out of the boat-house; so I, expecting +this, rapped him shrewdly with the stretcher on the elbow. I thought for +a moment that he would beat me. I could see his face very fierce in the +dusk. I heard his teeth gritting. Then fear of my uncle restrained him. +All that he said was, "If I 'ad my way I'd 'ave it out of you for this. +A good sound whippin's what you want." + +"Is it?" I asked contemptuously. "Lock the door." + +Ephraim left me in the sitting-room while he made his report to my +uncle. It was not a long report. He returned in a few minutes to say +that I was to be locked into my room without supper. "Mr. 'Ide is in a +fine taking," he said. "Per'aps 'e'll knock some of your pride out +of you." I made no answer, but let him march me to my room, to the +execution of the sentence. "There," he said, through the door, as he +turned the key on me. "Per'aps that'll bring you to your senses." + +"Ephraim the stiff-neck!" I answered loudly; "Old Ephraim Stiff-neck! +Stiff-neck!" + +"Ah," he answered, clumping down the corridor. He was thinking how small +I should sing when, in the morning, he gave me the option of apologizing +to him, or going without breakfast. + +It was pretty dark by this time. Fish Lane was as quiet as a country +road. No one was stirring there. I thought that, as my uncle would +shortly go to supper, I might soon venture out by the window, high up +as it was, to buy myself some food in the town. I liked the notion; but +when I came to look down from the window it seemed a giddy height from +the pavement. Going down would be easy; but getting back would be quite +another matter. Thinking it over, I remembered that I had seen a short +gardener's ladder hooked to the garden wall. If I could make a rope, by +which to let myself down, I could, I thought, make use of this ladder +to get back by, for it would cover nearly half the height to my window +sill, a full thirty feet from the ground. If, by standing on the upper +rungs, could reach within five yards of the window, I knew that I should +be able to scramble up so far by a rope. There was no difficulty about a +rope. I had a good eighteen yards of choice stout rope there in the room +with me, the lashings of my two trunks. I was about to pay this out into +the lane, when I thought that would be far more effective if I fashioned +a ladder for myself, using the two trunk lashings as the uprights. This +was a glorious thought. I tied the lashings together behind the wooden +bed-post which was to be my support in midair. Then I rummaged out a +hank of sailor's spunyarn, a kind of very strong tarred string, with +which to make my steps, or rungs, did not do this very well, for I was +working in the dark, but you may be sure that I made those steps with +all my strength, since my bones were to depend upon them. I ran short of +spunyarn before I had finished, so my last three steps were made of the +fire-irons. They made a good finish to the whole; for, being heavy, they +kept the ladder steady. At least thought that they would keep the ladder +steady, in the innocence of my heart. + +I was so excited, when I finished the tying of the tongs, that I almost +forgot to take some money from the little store which I kept locked up +in my trunk. A shilling would be ample, I thought; but I took rather +more than that, so as to be on the safe side. I took the precaution, +before leaving, of bolting my door from the inside, lest Ephraim should +visit me in my absence. + +Then, having tested all my knots, I paid out my ladder from the window. +No one was within sight along the lane. Downstairs they were at supper, +for I heard the dining-room bell ring. Very cautiously I swung myself +over the window ledge on my adventure. Now a rope ladder is an unsteady +thing at the best of times; but when I swung myself on to this one it +jumped about like a wild colt, banging the fire-irons against the wall, +making noise enough to raise the town. I had to climb down it on the +inner side, or I should have had Ephraim out to see what the matter was. +Even so, my heart was in my mouth, with fright, as I stepped on to the +pavement. After making sure that no one saw, I hooked up the lower ends +of my ladder as far as I could reach, so that a passer-by might run less +chance of seeing them. Then I scuttled off to the delights of Eastcheap, +thinking what glorious sport I could have with this ladder in time to +come. I thought of the moonlight adventures on the river, skulking along +in my boat, like a pirate on a night attack. I thought how, perhaps, I +should overhear gangs of highwaymen making their plans, or robbers in +their dens, carousing after a victory. It seemed to me that London might +be a wonderful place, to one with such a means of getting out at night. + +I ate a good supper at a cook-shop, sauntered about the streets for +awhile, then sauntered slowly home, after buying a tinder box, with +which to light my candies. I found my ladder dangling unnoticed, so I +nimbly climbed to my room, pulling it up after me, like the savages in +Polynesia. I lit my candles, intending to read; but I found that I was +far too well inclined to mischief to pay much heed to my book. Casting +about for something to do, I thought that I would open a little locked +door which led to some (apparently disused) room beyond my own. I had +some difficulty in breaking the lock of this door; but a naughty boy is +generally very patient. I opened it at last, with some misgivings as to +what my uncle might say on the morrow, though with the feeling that I +was a sort of conspirator, or, shall we say, a man haunting a house, +playing ghost, coming at night to his secret chamber. I was disappointed +with the room. Like my own room, it was nothing more than a long, bare +attic. It had a false floor, like many houses of the time, but there was +no thought of concealment here. Half a dozen of the long flooring planks +were stored in a stack against the wall, so that anyone could see what +lay in the hollow below. There was nothing romantic there. A long array +of docketed, ticketed bundles of receipts filled more than half the +space. I suppose that nearly every bill which my uncle had ever paid lay +there, gathering dust. The rest of the space was filled with Ephraim's +dirty old account books, jumbled higgledy-piggledy with collections of +printed, unbound sermons, such as used to be sold forty years before, in +the great Puritan time. I examined a few of the sermons, hoping to find +some lighter fare among them. I examined also a few of the old account +books, in the same hope. Other rubbish lay scattered in the corners +of the room; old mouse-eaten saddle-bags mostly. There were one or two +empty baskets, which had once been lined with silk. In one of them, I +can't think why, there was an old empty, dusty powder-horn, the only +thing in that room at all to my taste. I stuck it into my belt with a +scrap of spunyarn, feeling that it made me a wonderful piratical figure. +If I had had a lantern I should have been a very king there. + +As I sat among the rubbish there, with my pistol (a sailmaker's fid) in +my belt, it occurred to me that I would sit up till everyone had gone +to bed. Then, at eleven or twelve o'clock, I would, I thought, creep +downstairs, to explore all over the house, down even to the cellars. It +shocked me when I remembered that I was locked in. I dared not pick the +lock of that door. My scheme (after all) would have to wait for another +night, when the difficulties would be less. That scheme of mine has +waited until the present time. Though I never thought it, that was the +last hour I was to spend in my uncle's house. I walked past it, only the +other day, thinking how strange my life has been, feeling sad, too, that +I should never know to what room a door at the end of the upper passage +led. Well, I never shall know, now. I was a wild, disobedient young +rogue. Read on. + +When I decided not to pick the lock of my door I thought of the +mysterious Mr. Jermyn as an alternative excitement. I crept to my window +to look out at the house, watching it with a sort of terrified pleasure, +half expecting to see a ghost flapping his wings, outside the window. + +I was surprised to see that the window of the upper floor (which I knew +to be uninhabited) was open. I watched it, (it was just opposite) hoping +that something would happen. Presently two men came quickly up the lane +from the river. As they neared the house they seemed to me to shuffle in +their walk rather more than vas necessary. It must have been a signal, +for, as they came opposite the door, I saw it swing back upon its +hinges, as it had swung that morning, with Mr. Jermyn. Both men entered +the house swiftly, just as the city churches, one after the other, +chimed half-past nine o'clock. Almost directly afterwards I got the +start of my life. I was looking into the dark upper room across the +lane, expecting nothing, when suddenly, out of the darkness, so terribly +that I was scared beyond screaming, two large red eyes glowed, over +a mouth that trembled in fire. I started back in my seat, sick with +fright, but I could not take my eyes away. I watched that horrid thing, +with my hair stiffening on my head. Then in the room below it, the +luminous figure of an owl gleamed out. That was not the worst, either. I +heard that savage, "chacking" noise which brown owls make when they are +perched. This great gleaming owl, five times greater than any earthly +owl, was making that chacking noise, as though it would soon spread its +wings, to swoop on some such wretched mouse as myself. I could see its +eyes roll. I thought I saw the feathers stiffen on its breast. Then, +as the sweat rolled down my face, both the horrible things vanished as +suddenly as they had appeared. They were gone for more than a minute, +then they appeared again, only to disappear a second time. They were +exactly alike at each appearance. Soon my horror left me, for I saw that +the things disappeared at regular intervals. I found that I could time +each reappearance by counting ninety slowly from the instant the things +vanished. That calmed me. "I believe they're only clock-work," I said to +myself. A moment later I saw Mr. Jermyn's head in sharp outline against +the brightness of the owl. He seemed to be fixing something with his +hand. It made me burst into a cackle of laughter, to find how easily +I had been scared. "Why, it's only clock-work," I said aloud. "They're +carved turnips with candles inside them, fixed to a revolving pole, like +those we used to play with at Oulton, on the 5th of November." My fear +was gone in an instant. I thought to myself how fine it would be if I +could get into that house, to stop the works, in revenge for the scare +they had given me. I wondered how I could do that. + + + +CHAPTER IV. I LEAVE HOME FOR THE LAST TIME + +I was thoroughly ripe for mischief of any kind; my scare had driven away +all desire for sleep. I looked at the window, wondering if it would be +best to go down my ladder again, to get the ladder in the garden. I +was about to do thus, when I remembered the planks in the box-room. How +splendid it would be, I thought, if I could get a couple of those long +planks across the lane as a sort of bridge. They were strong, thick +planks not likely to sag in the middle if I could only get them across. +Getting them across was the difficulty; for though I was strong for my +age, I found the first plank very contrary. After blowing out my candles +I fixed one end of the board under my heavy four-post bed, pointing the +other end out through the window, slanting upwards. Straddling across +it, I very gingerly edged it out, a hand's breadth at a time, till I had +some ten feet wagging about in the air over the lane. It was as much as +I could do unaided, to aim the thing. It seemed to have a wild, contrary +kind of life in it. Once or twice I came near to dropping it into the +lane, which would have been the end of everything. When I got it across, +the end caught on the window ledge for about ten perilous minutes. + +I was quite tired out before I got it properly across with two feet of +the end in the other house. I did not at all look forward to the job +of getting it back again after my trip. One plank was hardly safe, I +thought; so I slid a second over it, without much trouble. It seemed +firm enough then for anybody, no matter how heavy. So carefully I +straddled across it, hopping forward a little at a time, as though I +were playing leap-frog. When once I had started, I was much too nervous +to go back. My head was strong enough. I was well used to being high up +in trees. But the danger of this adventure made me dizzy. At every hop +the two planks clacked together. I could feel the upper plank shaking +out behind me a little to one side of the other. Then a tired waterman +shambled slowly up from the river, carrying his oars. He passed +underneath me, while I was in mid-air. It was lucky for me, I thought, +that few people when walking look above their own heads. He passed on +without seeing me. I waited up aloft till he had gone, feeling my head +grow dizzier at each second. I was, I trust, truly thankful when I was +able to dive down over the window-sill into the strange house. When I +had rested for a moment, I felt that it was not so difficult after all. +"Going back," I said to myself, "will be much less ticklish." Turning +my head, I saw the eyes of the devil-face glaring at me. They smelt very +strongly of kitchen tallow. + +I was not in the least frightened. I crept cautiously along the floor, +on tip-toe, to examine the contrivance. A hollow shaft of light wood, +a sort of big wooden pipe, led down through the floor, probably to the +ground-floor or basement, much as a mast goes down through a ship's +decks into the hold. It was slowly revolving, being worked by some +simple, not very strong mill-contrivance downstairs. A shelf had been +fixed up inside the pipe. On the shelf (as I could see by looking in) +was a tallow candle in a sconce. Two oval bits of red glass, let into +the wood, made the eyes of this lantern-devil. The mouth was a smear of +some gleaming stuff, evidently some chemical. This was all the monster +which had frightened me. The clacking noise was made by the machine +which moved it round. As for the owl, that was probably painted with the +same chemical. People were more superstitious then than now. I have no +doubt that an ignorant person like Ephraim, who had lived all his life +in London, had been scared out of his wits by this machine. Like most +ignorant people, he probably reckoned the thing as devilish, merely +because he did not understand it. One or two neighbours, a housemaid +or so, perhaps, had seen it, too. On the strength of their reports the +house had gotten a bad name. The two unoccupied floors had failed to +get tenants, while Mr. Jermyn, the contriver of the whole, had been left +alone, as no doubt he had planned. I thought that Londoners must be a +very foolish people to be so easily misled. Now that I am older, I see +that Londoners often live in very narrow grooves. They are apt to be +frightened at anything to which they have not been accustomed; unless, +of course, it is a war, when they can scream about themselves so loudly +that they forget that they are screaming. + +I examined the machine critically, by its own candle, which I removed +for the purpose. I meant to fix up one very like it in Ephraim's +bed-room as soon as I found an opportunity. Then I looked about the +room for some other toy, feeling in a fine state of excitement with +the success of my adventure. The room was quite bare. But for this +ghost-machine, there was nothing which could interest me, except a +curious drawing, done with a burnt stick on the plaster of the wall, +of a man-of-war under sail. After examining this drawing, I listened +carefully at the door lest my faint footsteps should have roused someone +below. I could hear no one stirring; the house was silent. "I must be +careful," I said to myself. "They all may have gone to bed." Understand, +I did not know then what I was doing. I was merely a wrong-headed boy, +up to a prank, begun in a moment of rebellion. When I paused in the +landing, outside the ghost-room, shading the candle with my hand, I was +not aware that I was doing wrong. I was only thinking how fine it would +be to find out about Mr. Jermyn, before crawling back, over the plank, +to my bed. I wanted to steal about these deserted floors, like a +conspirator; then, having, perhaps, found out about the mystery, to go +back home. It did not enter my head that I might be shot as a burglar. +My original intention, you must remember, had only been to stop the +works of the ghost. It was later on that my intention became criminal, +instead of merely boyish, or, in other words, crack-brained. As to +stopping the ghost, I could not stop the revolving pipe. I could do no +more than take away the light from the ghost-face. As for the owl on the +lower floor, when I came to it, could not do so much, for it was a great +big picture on board, done in some shining paint. I had nothing with +which I could smear it over, nor could I reach the head. As for stopping +the machine, that I dared not attempt to do, lest I should bring someone +up to me, from the works, wherever they were. Standing by the ghost of +the owl, hearing the chack-chack of the machine at intervals below me, +I became aware of voices in the room downstairs. When the chack-chack +stopped, I could hear men talking. I could hear what they said, for they +were talking in the ordinary tone of conversation. There was an open +space as it happened, all around the great pipe, where it passed through +the floor. I could peep through this into the room below, getting a +good sight of what was going on. It was very wicked of me, for there is +nothing quite so contemptible as an eavesdropper, but I could not resist +the temptation to look down. When once I had looked down I am ashamed to +say that I listened to what the men were saying. But first of all, I put +out my candle, lest anyone looking up should see the light through the +open space. + +At the head of the table, there was a very handsome man, dressed all in +black, as though in mourning. His beauty was so great that afterwards +it passed into a proverb. Later in the year, when I saw this gentleman +nearly every day, I noticed that people (even those who did not know who +he was) would look after him when he passed them. I will say only this +about his handsomeness. It was a bodily kind of beauty, of colour +rather than of form; there was not much character in it. Had he lived, +I daresay he would have become ugly like the rest of his family, none of +whom, except his great-great-grandmother, was accounted much for looks. + +Next to this handsome man, on the right, sat Mr. Jermyn, looking fifteen +years younger without his false beard. Then came a very black-looking +man, with a face all eyebrows. Then a soldier in uniform. Then a little, +wiry man, who jumped about as though excited--I could only see him when +he jumped: he had an unpleasant, saturnine face, which frightened me. +That, as far as I could see, was the whole company. When I first began +to listen, the man in uniform was speaking to the handsome man at the +head of the table. I knew at once, when he said Your Majesty, that he +was talking to James, the Duke of Monmouth, of whom I had heard that +afternoon. + +"No, your Majesty," he said. "No, your Majesty," he repeated, "I can't +answer for the army. If things had been different in February" (he +meant, "if you had been in England when Charles II died") "there would +have been another King in England. As it is, I'm against a rising." + +"Don't you think his Majesty could succeed by raising an army in the +West?" said Mr. Jermyn. "The present usurper (he meant James II) is a +great coward. The West is ripe to rebel. Any strong demonstration +there would paralyse him. Besides, the army wouldn't fire on their own +countrymen. We'd enough of that in the Civil War. What do you think of a +Western rising?" + +The soldier smiled. "Ah no," he said. "No, your Majesty. Whatever you +do, Sire, don't do it with untrained men. A rising in the West would +only put you at the head of a mob. A regiment of steady trained men in +good discipline can destroy any mob in twenty minutes. No, your Majesty. +No. Don't try. it, Sire." + +"Then what do you advise, Lane?" said the Duke. + +"I would say wait, your Majesty. Wait till the usurper, the poisoner, +commits himself with the Papists. When he's made himself thoroughly +unpopular throughout the country, then sound a few regiments. It's only +a matter of a year or two. If you'll wait for a year or two you'll see +yourself invited over. Besides, a sudden rising in the West must fail, +sir. Your Majesty would be in between two great garrisons, Bristol and +Portsmouth. We can't be sure that either would be true to us." + +"Yes," the Duke answered. "Yes, Lane. But as I plan it, the army will +be tempted north. Argyle will make a strong feint in Scotland, with the +great clans, just when the Western gentry declare for us." + +"I take it," Lane answered, "that Argyle has sounded the clans. He +knows, I suppose, what force of drilled men will rally to him. You know +nothing, sir, about the West. You know that many men are for you; but +you know not how many nor how good. You will need mounted men, sir, +if you are to dash down upon London with any speed. You cannot raise +cavalry in a week. All that you will get in the West will be squireens, +or dashing young farmers, both kinds unaccustomed to being ordered; both +kinds totally unfitted for war." + +"Yes," said the saturnine little man. "But a rising in the West would +have this natural effect. Argyle will draw troops to the north, as his +Majesty has explained. Very well, then. Let Devon declare for the King, +the business will be done. The usurper will not dare to send the few +troops left to him out of the capital, lest the town should rise on +him." + +"Very true. True. A good point," said the man with the eyebrows. + +"I think that disposes of your argument, Lane," said the Duke, with a +smile. + +"It's a supposition, sir, against a certainty. I've told you of a +military danger. Falk, there, only tells you of a bare, military +possibility." + +"But it's as certain as anything can be," said the man with the +eyebrows. "You can see. That's just what must happen." + +"It is what may happen if you wait for a year or two, your Majesty," +Lane replied. "But a newly crowned King is always popular. I doubt if +you will find public opinion so much on your side, your Majesty. No for +a year or two, till he's made himself disliked. They've settled down +now to this usurper. They'll resent an interruption. The trades-men will +resent an interruption." + +"I think you over-rate the difficulties, Lane," said Mr. Jermyn. + +"Yes," said the Duke, "I'm a great believer in putting a matter to the +test. Much must necessarily be left to chance. If we wait, we may not +find public opinion turning against our enemies. We may even lose the +good opinion of the West by waiting. Besides, by waiting, Lane, we +should lose the extraordinary: help of Argyle's diversion in the north." + +"Yes," the others said in chorus. "We mustn't lose that. A rising this +early summer, when the roads are good. A rising as soon as Argyle is +ready." + +"Well, your Majesty," said Lane, shaking his head. "I see you're +resolved. You shall not find me backward when the time comes, for all my +doubts at this meeting. To your Majesty's happy success." They all drank +the toast; but I noticed that Mr. Lane looked melancholy, as though he +foresaw something of what actually happened in that terrible June. + +"Very good," said the Duke, "I thank you, gentlemen. Now, Jermyn. We +two shall have to be off to the Low Countries in another half hour. How +about messengers to the West? You, Lane, are tied here to your regiment. +Falk, how about you, Falk?" + +"No, your Majesty," said Falk. "There's danger in sending me. I'm +suspected. I'm known to be in your interests." + +"You, then, Candlish," said the Duke to the man with the eyebrows. + +"Not me, Sire," said Candlish. "I can't disguise myself. I'm stamped by +nature for the paths of virtue." + +"It would be a good thing," said Falk, "if we could get some Western +carrier." + +"The Western carriers are all watched," Lane replied. "They are +followed, wherever they go, as on as they arrive at their inns here." + +"Haven't you found some more gipsies, Falk?" Candlish asked. "The last +gipsy we had was very good." + +"He was caught by a press-gang," said Falk, "Gipsies aren't to be +trusted, though. They would sell us at once if they had the chance. +Ramon was an exception." + +Mr. Jermyn had risen at the Duke's last speech as though to put on +his coat, ready to leave the house.. The Duke was listening to the +conversation, making 'idle sketches, as he listened, on the paper before +him, I think I hardly realised, as I craned over the open space, that +I had been listening to a conversation which would have condemned all +present to death for treason. I repeated to myself, in a dazed sort of +way, that the West was ready to rise. "King James is an usurper," I said +softly. "These men are going to rebel against him. There's going to be +a civil war in England about it." I had hardly repeated this to myself, +when it came over me with a shock that I was in terrible personal +danger. The men were just leaving the house. They would probably look +up, on leaving, to see what sort of a night it was. They would see my +wonderful bridge. It would be all over with me then. I was so I could +hardly stand up. I took a few cautious steps towards the door, saying +to myself that I would never again be disobedient if I might escape this +once. I was at the door, just about to open it, when I heard a step upon +the landing just outside, coming towards me. I gave up hope then; but I +had just sense enough to step to my left, so that, when the door should +open (if the stranger entered) it might, possibly, screen me from him. +Then I heard the Duke's voice from down below calling to Mr. Jermyn. + +"Jermyn," he called. "Bring down my books, will you. They're on my bed. +What are you doing up there?" + +"Just seeing to the ghosts, your Majesty. I won't keep you waiting." + +"I'll come, too," he answered. "I'd like to see your ghosts again." Then +I heard Mr. Jermyn loitering at the stair-head while the Duke left the +council-room. My hair was rising on my scalp; there was cold sweat on my +forehead; it was as much as I could do to keep my teeth from chattering. +I heard the Duke's feet upon the stairs; there were eleven stairs, +I counted them. Presently I heard him say, "Now, Jermyn." Then came +Jermyn's answer of "This way, your Majesty." He flung the door wide +open, so that the Duke might enter. The two men passed into the room to +examine the horrible owl. The Duke chuckled as the machine moved round +to him. "How bright he keeps," he said. "Yes," Jermyn answered. "He +won't need painting for a long while yet." "No," the Duke answered, "I +hear, Jermyn, he's given you a most uncanny reputation." "Yes," said +Jermyn, "the house has a bad name. What in the world is this?" +In walking round the owl his foot had struck upon the unlucky tin +candle-sconce which I had brought from the room above. "Sounds like +a tin candle-stick," said the Duke. "Yes," said Mr. Jermyn, groping. +"That's what it is. Now how in the world did it get here? It's the +candle-stick from the dragon's head in the room above." "Are you sure, +Jermyn?" the Duke asked, in a voice which showed that he was agitated. +"Yes, sir. Quite sure. But no one's been up there." "There must be +a spy," said the Duke. The two voices spoke together for a moment in +whispers. I could not hear what they said; but a moment later I heard +the rasping, clinking noise of two swords being drawn. "Come out of +that," said Mr. Jermyn's voice. I felt that I was discovered; but I +dared not stir from my covert. I heard the two men walking swiftly to +the door. A hand plucked it from in front of me. I shrank back into the +wall, covering my eyes with my hands, so that I should not see the two +long sword-blades pointing at my throat. "Make no sound. Make no sound, +now," said the Duke, pressing his sword-point on my chest, so that I +could feel it thrust hard upon me, as though it needed very little force +to send it through. I made no sound. + +"Who are you?" said Mr. Jermyn, backing to the opening in the floor. +"Kill him if he moves, sir. Candlish, Candlish. Bring a light. Bring a +light. We've caught a moth." + +I tried to swallow, but my throat seemed choked with dust. I heard the +people downstairs bustling out of the room with candles. I tried to +speak; but I could not. I was too much scared. I stood pressed hard +against the wall, with the Duke's sword-point still in place. + +"Bring it in here, Candlish," said Mr. Jermyn. There came a clattering +noise from the window. Mr. Jermyn had released some heavy rolled up +curtain-blinds, which covered the whole window. There was no chance, +now, of being seen from the street, or from my uncle's house. Candlish +entered carrying a candle. + +The others followed at his heels. + +"A boy. Eh?" he said. + +"What do you do here?" the Duke asked, staring hard at me. + +"He's frightened out of his wits, sir," said Lane. "We aren't going to +hurt you, boy, if you'll only tell the truth." + +"Why," said Mr. Jermyn. "It's Martin Hyde, nephew to old Hyde across the +way." + +"But he's overheard us," put in Falk. "He's overheard us." + +"Come on downstairs. Bring him with you," said the Duke. Lane took me by +one arm. Mr. Jermyn took me by the other. They marched me downstairs to +the council-room. + +"Here, boy," said Candlish, not unkindly. "Drink this wine." He made +me swallow a glass of Burgundy, which certainly did me a great deal of +good. I was able to speak after drinking it. + +"Now, Mr. Hyde," said Mr. Jermyn. "How do you come to be in this house?" + +"Take your time, boy," said Lane. + +"He's not a London boy?" said the Duke to Mr. Jermyn. + +"No, sir," he answered in a whisper. "Just come here from the country." + +"Please, your Majesty," I began. + +"So you're a young rebel," said the Duke. "That shows he overheard us," +said Falk. + +"Let him alone, Falk," the Duke said. + +"He'll tell the truth. No use in frightening him." + +"Please, your Majesty," I said again, "I was locked up in my room for +taking my uncle's boat this afternoon." One of two of them smiled when I +said this: it gave me confidence. + +"But how did you get into this house?" Mr. Jermyn asked. + +"Please, sir," I answered, "I saw your upper window open. So I laid a +couple of planks across the lane from my window. Then I just straddled +across, sir." + +"Are you used to burglary, may I ask?" said the Duke. + +"No, your Majesty. But I saw the ghosts. I wanted to see how they were +made." + +"Well. That's one for you, Jermyn," said Lane. "Your ghosts haven't +frightened this one." + +"Sir," I answered. "They frightened me horribly. I wanted to be revenged +for that. But after a bit I was sure they were only clockwork. I wanted +to stop them. I did stop the devil upstairs, sir." + +"So you stopped the devil upstairs," the Duke said. "What did you do +then?" + +"I came down to this room, sir. I looked at the owl. But I couldn't +see how to stop the owl, sir. I saw you all sitting round the room. I'm +afraid I listened, sir." + +"That was not a gentlemanly thing to do," said Lane. "Was it now?" + +"No, sir." + +"You understood all that was said. Eh, boy?" said Candlish. + +"Yes, sir. I understood it all." + +"Well, young man," said Falk. "You'll be sorry you did." + +"Be quiet, Falk," said the Duke. "No one shall bully the boy. What's +your name, boy?" + +"Martin Hyde, sir." + +"A very smart lad too, sir," said Jermyn. "He saved my book of cipher +correspondence yesterday. We should have been in trouble if that had got +into the wrong hands." + +"You understand," said the Duke, "that what you have heard might get us +all, perhaps many more besides ourselves, into very terrible danger if +repeated?" + +"Yes, your Majesty, I understand," I answered. "Lock him into the +pantry, Jermyn," said the Duke, "while we decide what to do with him. Go +with Mr. Jermyn, boy. We sha'n't hurt you. Don't be frightened. Give him +some oranges, Jermyn." + + + +CHAPTER V. I GO TO SEA + +Mr. Jermyn led me to the pantry (a little room on the ground floor), +where he placed a plate of oranges before me. + +"See how many you can eat," he said. "But don't try to burgle yourself +free. This is a strong room." He locked the heavy door, leaving me alone +with a well-filled pantry, which seemed to be without a window. A little +iron grating near the ceiling served as a ventilator. There was no +chance of getting out through that. The door was plated with iron. The +floor was of concrete. I was a prisoner now in good earnest. I was +no longer frightened; but I had had such scares that night that I had +little stomach for the fruit. I was only anxious to be allowed to go +back to my bed. I heard a dull noise in the upper part of the house, +followed by the falling of a plank. "There goes my bridge," I thought. +"Are they going to be so mean as to call my uncle out of bed, to show +him what I've been doing?" I thought that perhaps they would do this, as +my uncle (for all that I knew) might be in their plot. "Well," I said to +myself, "I shall get a good thrashing. Perhaps that brute Ephraim will +be told to thrash me. But thrashing or no, I've had enough of going out +at night. I'll ask my uncle not to thrash me, but to put me into the +Navy. I should love that. I know that I shall never get on in London." +This sudden plan of the Navy, about which I had never before thought, +seemed to me to be a good way of getting out of my deserts. I felt sure +that my uncle would be charmed to be rid of me; while I knew very well +that boys of that generation often entered the Navy, in the care of +the captains, as naval cadets (or, as they were then called, "captain's +servants") at the ages of eight or nine. I wondered why the debate +lasted so long. Naturally, in that gloomy little prison, lit by a single +tallow candle, with all my anxieties heavy on my mind, the time passed +slowly. But they were so long in making up their minds that it seemed +as though they had forgotten me. I began to remember horrible tales of +people shut up in secret rooms until they starved to death, or till the +rats ate them. I remembered the tale of the nun being walled up in a +vault of her convent, brick by brick, till the last brick shut off the +last glimmer of the bricklayer's lantern, till the last layer of mortar +made for her the last sound she would hear, the patting clink of the +trowel on the brick, before it was all horrible dark silence for ever. +I wondered how many people had been silenced in that way. I wondered how +long I should live, if that was what these men decided. + +My fears were ended by the opening of the door. "Come on," said Mr. +Lane. "This way," He led me back to the council-room, where all the +conspirators sat at their places by the table. I noticed that Mr. Jermyn +(cloaked now, as for travel) was wearing his false beard again. + +"Mr. Hyde," the Duke said. "I understand that you are well disposed to +my cause." + +"Yes, your Majesty," I answered; though indeed I only followed what my +father had told me. I had no real knowledge about it, one way or the +other. I knew only what others had told me. Still, in this instance, as +far as I have been able to judge by what I learned long afterwards, +I was right. The Duke had truly a claim to the throne; he was also a +better man than that disgraceful king who took his place. + +"Very well, Mr. Hyde," the Duke answered. "Have you any objections to +entering my service?" + +I was not very sure of what he meant; it came rather suddenly upon me, +so I stammered, without replying. + +"His Majesty means, would you like to join our party?" said Mr. Lane. +"To be one of us. To serve him abroad." + +I was flushed with pleasure at the thought of going abroad, among a +company of conspirators. I had no knowledge of what the consequences +might be, except that I should escape a sound whipping from my uncle or +from Ephraim. I did not like the thought of living on in London, with +the prospect of entering a merchant's office at the end of my boyhood. +I thought that in the Duke's service I should soon become a general, so +that I might return to my uncle, very splendidly dressed, to show him +how well I had managed my own life for myself. I thought that life was +always like that to the adventurous man. Besides I hoped that I should +escape school, the very thought of which I hated. Looking at the matter +in that secret council-room, it seemed so very attractive. It seemed to +give me a pathway of escape, whichever way I looked at it, from all that +I most disliked. + +"Yes, your Majesty," I said, "I should very much like to enter your +service." + +"You understand, Hyde," said Mr. Jermyn, "that we are engaged in a very +dangerous work. It is so dangerous that we should not be justified in +allowing you to go free after what you have heard tonight. But its very +danger makes it necessary that we should tell you something of what your +work under his Majesty will be, before you decide finally to throw in +your lot with us. It is one thing to be a prisoner among us, Hyde; +but quite another to be what is called a rebel, engaged in treasonable +practices against a ruling King." + +"Still," said Lane, "don't think that your imprisonment with us would be +unpleasant. If you would rather not join us, you have only to say so. +We shall then send you over to Holland, where you will, no doubt, +find plenty of boats with which to amuse yourself. You will be kept in +Holland till a certain much-wished event takes place, about the middle +of June. After that you will be brought back here to your uncle who, by +that time, will have forgiven you." + +"That's a very pretty ladder you made," said the Duke. "You've evidently +lived among sailors." + +"Among fishermen mostly, your Majesty," I said "My father was rector in +the Broads country." I knew from his remark that someone had been across +to my uncle's house to remove all traces of my bridge. My ladder, I +knew, would now be dangling from my window, to show by which way I had +escaped. + +"We want you, Hyde," Mr. Jermyn said. "That is--we shall want you in +the event of your joining us, to be our messenger to the West. You will +travel continually from Holland to the West of England, generally to the +country near Taunton, but sometimes to Exeter, sometimes still further +to the West. You will carry letters sewn into the flap of your leather +travelling satchel. You will travel alone by your own name, giving out, +in case any one should ask you, that you are going to one of certain +people, whose names will be given to you. There will be no danger to +yourself; for the persons to whom you will be sent are not suspected; +indeed one of them is a clergyman. We think that a boy will have less +difficulty in getting about the country in its present state than any +man, provided, of course, that you travel by different routes on each +journey. If, however, by some extraordinary chance, you should be caught +with these letters in your wallet, we shall take steps to bring you off; +for we have a good deal of power, in one way or another, by which we +get things done. Still, it may well fall out, Hyde, in spite of all +our care, that you will come into the hands of men with whom we have no +influence. If you should, (remember, it is quite possible) you will be +transported to serve in one of the Virginian or West Indian plantations. +That will be the end of you as far as we are concerned. We shan't +be able to help you then. If you think the cause is right, join us, +provided that you do not think the risks too great." + +"If all goes well," said the Duke, "if the summer should prove +prosperous, I may be able to reward a faithful servant, even if he is +only a boy." + +"I will serve your Majesty gladly," I answered. "I should like to join +your service." + +"Very well then, Jermyn," he said, rising swiftly on his way to the +door; "bring him on board at once." + +"We're off to Holland tonight, in the schooner there," said Mr. Jermyn. +"So put these biscuits in your pocket. Give him another glass of wine, +Falk. Now, then. Good-bye, Lane. Good-bye everybody." + +"Good-bye," they said. "Good-bye, boy." In another minute we were in +the narrow road, within earshot of the tumbling water, going down to the +stairs at the lane end, to take boat. The last that I saw of my uncle's +house was the white of my ladder ropes, swinging about against the +darkness of the bricks. + +"Remember, Hyde," said Mr. Jermyn in a low voice, "that his Majesty is +always plain Mr. Scott. Remember that. Remember, too, that you are never +to speak to him unless he speaks to you. But you won't have much to do +with him. Were you ever at sea, before?" + +"No, sir. Only about the Broads in a coracle." + +"You'll find it very interesting, then. If you're not seasick. Here we +are at the boat. Now, jump in. Get into the bows." + +"Mr. Scott" was already snug under a boat-cloak in the sternsheets. As +soon as we had stepped in, the boatman shoved off. The boat rippled the +water into a gleaming track as she gathered way. We were off. I was on +my way to Holland. I was a conspirator, travelling with a King. There +ahead of me was the fine hull of the schooner La Reina, waiting to carry +us to all sorts of adventure, none of them (as I planned them then) so +strange, or so terrible, as those which happened to me. As we drew up +alongside her, I heard the clack-clack of the sailors heaving at the +windlass. They were getting up the anchor, so that we might sail from +this horrible city to all the wonderful romance which awaited me, as I +thought, beyond, in the great world. Five minutes after I had stepped +upon her deck we were gliding down on the ebb, bound for Holland. + +"Hyde," said Mr. Jermyn, as we drew past the battery on the Tower +platform, "do you see the high ground, beyond the towers there?" + +"Yes, sir," I said. + +"Do you know what that is?" + +"No, sir." + +"That's Tower Hill," he answered, "where traitors, I mean conspirators +like you or me, are beheaded. Do you know what that means?" + +"Yes, sir," I replied. "To have your head cut off." + +"Yes," he said. "With all that hill black with people. The scaffold hung +with black making a sort of platform in the middle. Then soldiers, with +drums, all round. You put your head over a block, so that your neck +rests on the wood. Then the executioner comes at you with an axe. Then +your head is shown to the people. 'This is the head of a traitor.' We +may all end in that way, on that little hill there. You must be very +careful how you carry the letters, Hyde." + +After this hint, he showed me a hammock in the schooner's 'tweendecks, +telling me that I should soon be accustomed to that kind of bed. "It is +a little awkward at first," he said, "especially the getting in part; +but, when once snugly in, it is the most comfortable kind of bed in the +world." After undressing by the light of a huge ship's lantern, which +Mr. Jermyn called a battle-lantern, I turned into my hammock, rather +glad to be alone. Now that I was pledged to this conspiracy business, +with some knowledge of what it might lead to, I half wished myself well +out of it. The 'tweendecks was much less comfortable than the bedroom +which I had left so gaily such a very little time before. I had +exchanged a good prison for a bad one. The smell of oranges, so near to +the hold in which they were stored, was overpowering, mixed, as it was, +with the horrible ship-smell of decaying water (known as bilge-water) +which flopped about at each roll a few feet below me. My hammock was +slung in a draught from the main hatchway. People came down the hatchway +during the night to fetch coils of rope or tackles. Tired as I was, I +slept very badly that first night on board ship. The schooner seemed to +be full of queer, unrelated movements. The noise of the water slipping +past was like somebody talking. The striking of the bells kept me from +sleeping. I did not get to sleep till well into the middle watch (about +two in the morning) after which I slept brokenly until a rough voice +bawled in my ear to get up out of that, as it was time to wash down. + +I put my clothes on hurriedly, wondering where I should find a basin +in which to wash myself. I could see none in the 'tweendecks; but I +supposed that there would be some in the cabins, which opened off the +'tweendecks on each side. Now a 'tweendecks (I may as well tell you +here) is nothing more than a deck of a ship below the upper deck. If +some of my readers have never been in a ship, let them try to imagine +themselves descending from the upper deck--where all the masts stand--by +a ladder fixed in a square opening known as a hatchway. About six feet +down this ladder is the 'tweendecks, a long narrow room, with a ceiling +so low that unless you bend, you bump your head against the beams. + +If you will imagine a long narrow room, only six feet high, you will +know what a 'tweendecks is like. Only in a real 'tween-decks it is +always rather dark, for the windows (if you care to call them so) are +thick glass bull's-eyes which let in very little light. A glare of light +comes down the hatchways. Away from the hatchways a few battle-lanterns +are hung, to keep up some pretence of light in the darkest corners. At +one end of this long narrow room in La Reina a wooden partition, running +right across from side to side, made a biggish chamber called "the +cabin," where the officers took their meals. A little further along the +room, one on each side of it, were two tiny partitioned cabins, about +seven feet square, in which the officers slept, two in each cabin one +above the other, in shelf-beds, or bunks. My hammock had been slung +between these cabins, a little forward of them. When I turned out, I +saw that the rest of the 'tweendecks was piled with stores of all kinds, +lashed down firmly to ringbolts. Right forward, in the darkness of the +ship's bows, I saw other hammocks where the sailors slept. + +I was wondering what I was to do about washing, when the rough man who +had called me a few minutes before came down to ask me why I was not up +on deck. I said that I was wondering where I could wash myself. + +"Wash yourself," he said. "You haven't made yourself dirty yet. You +don't wash at sea till your work's done for the day. Why, haven't you +lashed your hammock yet?" + +"Please, sir," I said, "I don't know how." + +"Well, for once," he said, "I'll show you how. Tomorrow you'll do it for +yourself." + +"There," he said, when he had lashed up the hammock, by what seemed to +me to be art-magic, "don't you say you don't know how to lash a 'ammick. +I've showed you once. Now shove it in the rack there. Up on deck with +you." + +I ran up the ladder to the deck, thinking that this was not at all the +kind of service which I had expected. When I got to the deck I felt +happier; for it was a lovely bright morning. The schooner was under all +sail, tearing along at what seemed to me to be great speed. We were +out at sea now. England lay behind us, some miles away. I could see the +windows gleaming in a little town on the shore. Ships were in sight, +with rollers of foam whitening under them. Gulls dipped after fish. The +clouds drove past. A fishing boat piled with fish was labouring up to +London, her sails dark with spray. On the deck of the schooner some +barefooted sailors were filling the wash-deck tubs at a hand-pump. One +man was at work high aloft on the topsail yard, sitting across the yard +with his legs dangling down, keeping his seat (as I thought) by balance. +I found the scene so delightful that I gazed at it like a boy in a +trance, was still staring, when the surly boor who had called me (he was +the schooner's mate it seemed) came up behind me. + +"Well," he said, in the rough, bullying speech of a sailor, "do ye see +it?" + +"See what, sir?" + +"What you're looking at." + +"Yes, sir," I answered. + +"Then you got no butter in your eyes, then. Why ain't you at work?" + +"What am I to do, sir?" + +"Do," he said. "Ain't you Mr. Scott's servant?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Then get a bucket of fresh water out of the cask there. Take this +scrubber. You'll find some soap in the locker there. Now scrub out the +cabin as quick as you know how." + +He showed me down to the cabin. It was a dingy, dirty little room about +twelve feet square over all, but made, in reality, much smaller by the +lockers which ran along each side. + +It was lighted by two large wooden ports, known as "chase ports," +through which the chase guns or "stern-chasers pointed. Only one gun (a +long three pounder on a swivel) was mounted; for guns take up a lot of +room. With two guns in that little cabin there would not have been room +enough to swing a cat. You need six feet for the proper swinging of a +cat, so a man-of-war boatswain told me. The cat meant is the cat of nine +tails with which they used to flog seamen. To flog properly one needs a +good swing, so my friend said. + +"There you are," said the mate of the schooner. "Now down on your knees. +Scrub the floor here. See you get it mucho blanco." + +He left me feeling much ashamed at having to work like a common ship's +boy, instead of like a prince's page, which is what I had thought +myself. Like many middle-class English boys I had been brought up to +look on manual work as degrading. I was filled with shame at having +to scrub this dirty deck. I, who, only yesterday, had lorded it over +Ephraim, as though I were a superior being. You boys who go to good +schools try to learn a little humbleness. You may think your parents +very fine gentlefolk; but in the world, outside a narrow class, the +having gentle parents will not help one much. It may be that you, for +all your birth, have neither the instincts nor the intellect to preserve +the gentility your parents made for you. You are no gentleman till +you have proved it. Your right level may be the level of the betting +publican, or of the sneak-thief, or of things even lower than these. It +is nothing to be proud of that your parents are rich enough to keep your +hands clean of joyless, killing toil, at an age when many better men +are old in slavery. Try to be thankful for it; not proud. Leisure is +the most sacred thing life has. A wise man would give his left hand for +leisure. You that have it given to you by the mercy of gentle birth, +regard it as a trust; make noble use of it. Many great men waste half +their energies in the struggle for that which you regard, poor fools, as +your right, as something to brag of. + +I had never scrubbed a floor in my life; but I had seen it done, without +taking much account of the art in it. I set to work, feeling more +degraded each moment, as the hardness of the deck began to make my knees +sore. When I had done about half of the cabin (in a lazy, neglectful +way, leaving patches unscrubbed, only just wetted over, so as to seem +clean to a chance observer) I thought that I would do no more; but wait +till Mr. Jermyn came to me. I would tell him that I wished to go home, +that I was not going to be a common sailor, but a trusted messenger, +with a lot more to the same tune, meaning, really, that I hated this job +of washing decks like poison. I dare say, if the truth were known, the +sudden change in my fortunes had made me a little homesick. But even so, +I was skulking work which had been given to me. What was worse, I was +being dishonest. For I was pretending to do the work, even when I took +least trouble with it. At last I took it into my head to wet the whole +floor with water, meaning to do no more to it. While I was doing this +the mate came into the cabin. + +"Look here," he said. "I've been watching you. You ain't working. You're +skulking. You ain't trying to wash that deck. You're making believe, +thinking I won't know any different. Don't answer me. I know what you're +doing. Now then. You go over every bit of that deck which you've just +slopped at. Do it over. I'm going to stand here till it's done." + +It was in my mind to be rebellious; but this man did not look like a +good man to rebel from. He was a big grim sailor with a length of rope +in his hand. He called it his "manrope." "You see my manrope," he said. +"His name's Mogador Jack. He likes little skulks like you." Afterwards +I learned that a manrope is the rope rail at a ship's gangway, or +(sometimes) a length of rope in the gangway-side for boatmen to catch as +they came alongside the ship. I did not like the look of Mogador Jack, +so I went at my scrubbing with all my strength, keeping my thoughts +to myself. My knees felt very sore. My back ached with the continual +bending down. I had had no food that morning, either, that was another +thing. "Spell, oh," said the man at last. "Straighten your back a bit. +Empty your bucket over the side. No. Not through the sternport. Carry +in on deck. Empty it there. Then fill it again. Lively, too. It'll be +breakfast time before you've done. You've got to have this cabin ready +by eight bells." + +I will not tell you how I finished the deck. I will say only this, that +at the end I began to take a sort of pride or pleasure in making the +planks white. Afterwards, I always found that there is this pleasure in +manual work. There is always pleasure of a sort in doing anything +that is not very easy. "There," the mate said. "Now lay the table for +breakfast. You'll find the things in them lockers. Lay for three places. +Don't break the ship's crockery while you're doing it." + + + +CHAPTER VI. THE SEA! THE SEA! + +He left me, then, as he had to watch the men on deck. I felt, when he +went on deck, that the morning had been a nightmare; but now I was to be +flunkey well as slave, a new humiliation. I did not think how many times +I had humiliated others by letting them do such things for me. I had +done so all my life without a thought. Now, forsooth, I was at the point +of tears at having to do it for others, even though one of the others +was my rightful King. Grubbing about among the lockers, I found a canvas +table-cloth, which had once been part of a sail. I spread this cloth +with the breakfast gear, imitating the arrangements made at home at +Oulton. The mate came down some minutes after I had finished. He caught +me sitting down on the top of the lockers, looking out at the ships +through the open port. + +"Here," he said roughly. "You've got to learn manners, or I'll have to +teach you. Remember this once for all, my son. No one sits in the cabin +except a captain or a passenger. You'll take your cap off to the cabin +door before I've done with you. Nor you don't sit down till your work's +done. That's another thing. Why ain't you at work?" + +"Please, sir," I said, "I've laid the table. What else am I to do?" + +"Do," he said. "Give the windows a rub. Then clean your hands, ready to +wait at table. No. Hold on. Have you called Mr. Scott yet?" + +"No, sir. I didn't know I had to." + +"My," he answered. "Have you any sense at all? Go call them. No. Get +their hot water first at the galley." + +I suppose I stared at him; for I did not know that this would be a +duty of mine. "Here. Don't look at me like that," he said. "You make +me forget myself." He went to the locker, in which he rummaged till he +produced a big copper kettle. "Here's the hot water can," he said. "Nip +with it to the galley, before the cook puts his fire out. On deck, boy. +Don't you know where the galley is?" + +I did not know where the galley was in this particular ship. I thought +that it would probably be below decks, round a space of brick floor to +prevent fire. But as the mate said "on deck" I ran on deck at once. I +ran on deck, up the hatch, so vigorously, that I charged into a seaman +who was carrying a can of slush, or melted salt fat used in the greasing +of ropes. I butted into him, spattering the slush all over him, besides +making a filthy mess of grease on the deck, then newly cleansed. The +seaman, who was the boatswain or second mate, boxed my ears with a +couple of cuffs which made my head sing. "You young hound," he said, +"Cubbadar when your chief passes." I went forward to the galley, crying +as if my heart would break, not only at the pain of the blows, which +stung me horribly, but at the misery of my life in this new service, +that had seemed so grand only seven or eight hours before. At the galley +door was the cook, a morose little Londoner with earrings in his ears. +"Miaow, Miaow," he said, pretending to mimic my sobs. "Why haven't you +come for this 'ot water before? 'Ere 'ave I been keepin' my fire lit +while you been enjoyin' a stuffin' loaf down in that there cabin." I was +too miserable to answer him. I just held out my kettle, thinking that +he would fill it for me. "Wot are you 'oldin' out the kettle for?" +he asked. "Think I'm goin' to do yer dirty work? Fill it at the 'ob +yourself." I filled it as he bade me, choking down my tears. When I had +filled it, I hurried back to the 'tweendecks, hoping to hide my misery +down in the semi-darkness there. I did not pass the second mate on my +way back; but I passed some of the seamen, to whom a boy in tears was +fair game. One asked me what I meant by coming aft all salt, like a head +sea, making the deck wet after he'd squeegeed it down. Another told me +to wait till the second mate caught me. "I'd be sorry then," he said, +"that ever I spilt the slush;" with other sea-jests, all of them pretty +brutal. It is said that if a strange rook comes to a rookery the other +rooks peck it to death, or at any rate drive it away. I know not if this +be true of rooks (I know that sparrows will attack owls or canaries, +whenever they have a chance), but it is true enough of human beings. We +all hate the new-comer, we are all suspicious of him, as of a possible +enemy. The seamen did to me what school-boys do to the new boy. I did +not know then that there is no mercy for one sensitive enough to take +such "jests" to heart. At sea, the rough, ready tom-fool boy is the +boy to thrive. Such an one might have spilt all the slush in the ship, +without getting so much as a cuff. I was a merry boy enough, but I was +sad when I made my first appearance. The sailors saw me crying. If I +had only had the wit to dodge the bosun's blows, the matter of the slush +would have been turned off with a laugh, since he only struck me in the +irritation of the moment. He would have enjoyed chasing me round the +deck. If I had only come up merrily that is what would have happened. As +it was I came up sad, with the result that I got my ears boxed, which, +of course, made me too wretched to put the cook in a good temper; a +cause of much woe to me later. The seamen who saw me crying at once put +me down as a cry-baby, which I really was not; so that, for the rest of +my time in the ship I was cruelly misjudged. I hope that my readers will +remember how little a thing may make a great difference in a person's +life. I hope that they will also remember how easy it is to misjudge +a person. It will be well for them if, as I trust, they may never +experience how terrible it feels to be misjudged. + +After I had called the two gentlemen, I gave the glass bull's-eyes in +the swing ports a rub with a cloth. I was at work in this way when the +two gentlemen entered. Mr. Jermyn smiled to see me with my coat off, +rubbing at the glass. He also wished me good morning, which Mr. Scott +failed to do. Mr. Scott took no notice of me one way or the other; +but sat down at the locker, asking when breakfast would be ready. "Get +breakfast, boy," Mr. Jermyn said. At that I put my glass-rag into the +locker. I hurried off to the galley to bring the breakfast, not knowing +rightly whether it would be there or in another place. The cook, surly +brute, made a lot of offensive remarks to me, to which I made no answer. +He was glad to have someone to bully, for he had the common man's love +of power, with all his hatred of anything more polished than himself. +I took the breakfast aft to the cabin, where, by this time, the ship's +captain was seated. I placed the dish before Mr. Jermyn. + +"Why haven't you washed your hands, boy?" he asked, looking at my hands. + +"Please, sir, I haven't had time." + +"Wash them now, then. Don't come to wait at table with hands like that +again. I didn't think you were a dirty boy." + +I was not a dirty boy; but, having been at work since before six that +morning, I had had no chance of washing myself. I could not answer; +but the injustice of Mr. Jermyn's words gave me some of the most bitter +misery which I have known. For brutal, thoughtless injustice, it is +difficult to beat the merchant ship. I stole away to wash myself, very +glad of the chance to get away from the cabin. When I was ready, it was +time to clear the breakfast things to the galley, to wash them with the +cook. Luckily, I had overheard Mr. Jermyn say "how well this cook can +devil kidneys." I repeated this to the cook, who was pleased to hear it. +It made him rather more kind in his manner to me. He did not know who +Mr. Scott really was. He asked me a lot of questions about what I knew +of Mr. Scott. I replied that I'd heard that he was a Spanish merchant, a +friend of Mr. Jermyn's. As for Mr. Jermyn, he knew' an uncle of mine. I +had helped him to recover his pocket-book; that was all that I knew of +him; that was why he had given me my present post as servant. More I +dared not say; for I remembered the Duke's sharp sword on my chest. We +talked thus, as we washed the dishes; the cook in a sweeter mood (having +had his morning dram of brandy); I, myself, trying hard to win him to a +good opinion of me. I asked him if I might clean his copper for him; +it was in a sad state of dirt. "You'll have work enough 'ere, boy," he +said, tartly, "without you running round for more. You mind your own +business." After this little snap at my head (no thought of thanks +occurred to him) he prepared breakfast for us, out of the remains of the +cabin breakfast. I was much cheered by the prospect of food, for nearly +three hours of hard work had given me an appetite. At a word from the +cook, I brought out two little stools from under the bunk. Then I placed +the "bread-barge," or wooden bowl of ship's biscuits, ready for our +meal, beside our two plates. + +Breakfast was just about to begin, when my enemy, the boatswain, +appeared at the galley door. "Here, cook," he said, "where's that +limb of a boy? Oh, you're there, are you? Feeding your face. Get a +three-cornered scraper right now. You'll scrape up that slush you +spilled, before you eat so much as a reefer's nut." I had to go on deck +again for another hour, while I scraped up the slush, which was, surely, +spilled as much by himself as by me, since he was not looking where he +was going any more than I was. I got no breakfast. For after the grease +was cleaned I was sent to black the gentlemen's boots; then to make up +their beds; then to scrub their cabin clean. After all this, being faint +with hunger, I took a ship's biscuit from the locker in the cabin to eat +as I worked. I did not know it; but this biscuit was what is known as +"captain's bread," a whiter (but less pleasant) kind of ship's biscuit, +baked for officers. As I was eating it (I was polishing the cabin +door-knobs at the time) the captain came down for a dram of brandy. He +saw what I was eating. At once he read me a lecture, calling me a greedy +young thief. Let me not eat another cabin biscuit, he said, or he'd do +to me what they always did to thieves:--drag them under the ship from +one side to another, so that the barnacles would cut them (as he said) +into Spanish sennet-work. When I answered him, he lost his temper, in +sailor fashion, saying that if I said another word he'd make me sick +that ever I learned to speak. + +I will not go into the details of the rest of that first day's misery. +I was kept hard at work for the whole time of daylight, often at work +beyond my strength, always at work quite strange to me. Nobody in the +ship, except perhaps the mate, troubled to show me how to do these +strange tasks; but all swore at me for not doing them rightly. What +I felt most keenly was the injustice of their verdicts upon me. I was +being condemned by them as a dirty, snivelling, lying, thieving young +hound. They took a savage pleasure in telling me how I should come to +dance on air at Cuckold's Haven, or, in other words, to the gallows, if +I went on as I had begun. Whereas (but for my dishonest moment in the +morning) I had worked like a slave since dawn under every possible +disadvantage which hasty men could place in my way. After serving the +cabin supper that night I was free to go to my hammock. There was not +much to be glad for, except the rest after so much work. I went with +a glad heart, for I was tired out. The wind had drawn to the east, +freshening as it came ahead, so that there was no chance of our reaching +our destination for some days. I had the prospect of similar daily +slavery in the schooner at least till our arrival. My nights would be my +only pleasant hours till then. The noise of the waves breaking on board +the schooner kept me awake during the night, tired as I was. It is a +dreadful noise, when heard for the first time. I did not then know what +a mass of water can come aboard a ship without doing much harm. So, when +the head of a wave, rushing across the deck, came with a swish down the +hatch to wash the 'tweendecks I started up in my hammock, pretty well +startled. I soon learned that all was well, for I heard the sailors +laughing in their rough, swearing fashion as they piled a tarpaulin over +the open hatch-mouth. A moment later, eight bells were struck. Some of +the sailors having finished their watch, came down into the 'tweendecks +to rest. Two of them stepped very quietly to the chest below my +hammock, where they sat down to play cards, by the light of the nearest +battle-lantern. If they had made a noise I should probably have fallen +asleep again in a few minutes; for what would one rough noise have been +among all the noise on deck? But they kept very quiet, talking in +low voices as they called the cards, rapping gently on the chest-lid, +opening the lantern gently to get lights for their pipes. Their +quietness was like the stealthy approach of an enemy, it kept a restless +man awake, just as the snapping of twigs in a forest will keep an Indian +awake, while he will sleep soundly when trees are falling. I kept awake, +too, in spite of myself (or half awake), wishing that the men would go, +but fearing to speak to them. At last, fearing that I should never get +to sleep at all, I looked over the edge of the hammock intending to +ask them to go. I saw then that one of them was my enemy the boatswain, +while the other was the ship's carpenter, who had eaten supper in the +galley with me, at the cook's invitation. As these were, in a sense, +officers, I dared not open my mouth to them, so I lay down again, hoping +that either they would go soon, or that they would let me get to sleep +before the morning. As I lay there, I overheard their talk. I could not +help it. I could hear every word spoken by them. I did not want their +talk, goodness knows, but as I could not help it, I listened. + +"Heigho," said the boatswain, yawning. "I sha'n't have much to spend on +Hollands when I get there. Them rubbers at bowls in London have pretty +near cleaned my purse out." + +"Ah, come off," said the carpenter. "You can always get rid of a coil of +rope to someone, on the sly, you boatswains can. A coil of rope comes to +a few guilders. Eh, mynheer?" + +"I sold too many coils off this hooker," said the boatswain. "I run the +ship short." + +"Who sleeps in the hammock there?" the carpenter asked. + +"The loblolly boy for the cabin," the boatswain answered. "Young clumsy +hound. I clumped his fat chops for him this morning." + +"Mr. Jermyn's boy?" said the carpenter, sinking his voice. "There's +something queer about that Mr. Jermyn. 'E wears a false beard. That Mr. +Scott isn't all what he pretends neither." + +"I don't see how that can be," the boatswain said, "I wish I'd a drink +of something. I'm as dry as foul block." + +"There'd be more'n a dram to us two, if Mr. Scott was what I think," +said the carpenter. "I'm going to keep my eye on that gang." + +"Keep your eye on the moon," said the boatswain. + +"I tell you what'd raise drinks pretty quick." + +"What would?" + +"That loblolly boy would." + +"Eh?" said the carpenter. "Go easy, Joe. He may be awake." + +"Not he," said the boatswain, carelessly glancing into my hammock, where +I lay like all the Seven Sleepers condensed. "Not he. Snoring young +hound. Do him good to raise drinks for the crowd." + +"Eh," said the carpenter, a quieter, more cautious scoundrel than the +other (therefore much more dangerous). "How would a boy like that?" He +left his sentence unfinished. + +"Sell him to one of these Dutch East India merchants," said the +boatswain. "There's always one or two of them in the Canal, bound for +Java. A likely young lad like that would fetch twenty pounds from a +Dutch skipper. A white boy would sell for forty in the East. Even if we +only got ten, there'd be pretty drinking while it lasted." + +This evidently made an impression on the carpenter, for he did not +answer at once. "Yes," he said presently. "But a lad like that's got +good friends. He don't talk like you or I, Joe." + +"Friends in your eye," said the other. "What's a lad with good friends +doing as loblolly boy?" + +"Run away," the carpenter said. "Besides, Mr. Jermyn isn't likely to let +the lad loose in Haarlem." + +"He might. We could keep a watch," the boatswain answered. "If he goes +ashore, we could tip off Longshore Jack to keep an eye on him. Jack gets +good chances, working the town." + +"Yes," said the other. "I mean to put Longshore Jack on to this Mr. +Jermyn. If I aren't foul of the buoy there's money in Mr. Jermyn. More +than in East Indian slaves." + +"Oh," the boatswain answered, carelessly, "I don't bother about my +betters, myself. What d'ye think to get from Mr. Jermyn?" + +The carpenter made no answer; but lighted his pipe at the lantern, +evidently turning over some scheme in his mind. After that, the talk +ran on other topics, some of which I could not understand. It was mostly +about the Gold Coast, about a place called Whydah, where there was +good trading for negroes, so the boatswain said. He had been there in +a Bristol brig, under Captain Travers, collecting trade, i.e. negro +slaves. At Whydah they had made King Jellybags so drunk with "Samboe" +(whatever Samboe was) that they had carried him off to sea, with his +whole court. "The blacks was mad after," he said, "the next ship's crew +that put in there was all set on the beach. I seed their bones after. +All picked clean. But old King Jellybags fetched thirty pound in Port +Royal, duty free." He seemed to think that this story was something +laugh at. + +I strained my ears to hear more of what they said. I could catch nothing +more relating to myself. Nothing more was said about me. They told each +other stories about the African shore, where the schooners anchored in +the creeks, among the swamp-smells, in search of slaves or gold dust. +They told tales of Tortuga, where the pirates lived together in a town, +whenever they were at home after a cruise. "Rum is cheaper than water +there," the bo'sun said. "A sloop comes off once a month with stores +from Port Royal. Its happy days, being in Tortuga." Presently the two +men crept aft to the empty cabin to steal the captain's brandy. Soon +afterwards they passed forward to their hammocks. + +When they had gone, I lay awake, wondering I was to avoid this terrible +danger of being sold to the Dutch East India merchants. I wondered +who Longshore Jack might be. I feared that the carpenter suspected our +party. I kept repeating his words, "There's money in Mr. Jermyn," till +at last, through sheer weariness, I fell asleep. In the morning, as +cleared away breakfast, from the cabin-table, I told Mr. Jermyn all +that I had heard. The Duke seemed agitated. He kept referring to an +astronomical book which told him how his ruling planets stood. "Yes," +he kept saying, "I've no very favourable stars till July. I don't like +this, Jermyn." Mr. Jermyn smoked a pipe of tobacco (a practise rare +among gentlemen at that time) while he thought of what could be done. At +last he spoke. + +"I know what we'll do, sir. We'll sell this man as carpenter to the +Dutch East India man. We'll give the two of them a sleeping draught in +their drink. We'll get rid of them both together." + +"It sounds very cruel," said the Duke. + +"Yes," said Mr. Jermyn, "it is cruel. But who knows what the sly man +may not pick up? We're playing akes, we two. We've got many enemies. One +word of what this man suspects may bring a whole pack of spies upon us. +Besides, if the spies get hold of this boy we shall have some trouble." + +"The boy's done very well," said the Duke. + +"He's got a talent for overhearing," Mr. Jermyn answered. "Well, Martin +Hyde. How do you like your work?" + +"Sir," I answered, "I don't like it at all." + +"Well," he said, "we shall be in the Canal to-night, now the wind has +changed. Hold out till then, think, sir," he said, turning to the Duke, +"the boy has done really very creditably. The work is not at all the +work for one of his condition." + +The Duke rewarded me with his languid beautiful smile. + +"Who lives will see," he said. "A King never forgets a faithful +servant." + +The phrase seemed queer on the lips of that man's father's son; but I +bowed very low, for I felt that I was already a captain of a man-of-war, +with a big blazing decoration on my heart. Well, who lives, sees. I +lived to see a lot of strange things in that King's service. + + + +CHAPTER VII. LAND RATS AND WATER RATS + +I will say no more about our passage except that we were three days at +sea. Then, when I woke one morning, I found that we were fast moored to +a gay little wharf, paved with clean white cobbles, on the north side of +the canal. Strange, outlandish figures, in immense blue baggy trousers, +clattered past in wooden shoes. A few Dutch galliots lay moored ahead of +us, with long scarlet pennons on their mastheads. On the other side of +the canal was a huge East Indiaman, with her lower yards cockbilled, +loading all three hatches at once. It was a beautiful morning. The sun +was so bright that all the scene had thrice its natural beauty. The +clean neat trimness of the town, the water slapping past in the canal, +the ships with their flags, the Sunday trim of the schooner, all filled +me with delight, lit up, as they were, by the April sun. I looked about +me at my ease, for the deck was deserted. Even the never-sleeping mate +was resting, now that we were in port. While I looked, a man sidled +along the wharf from a warehouse towards me. He looked at the schooner +in a way which convinced me that he was not a sailor. Then, sheltering +behind a bollard, he lighted his pipe. + +He was a short, active, wiry man, with a sharp, thin face, disfigured by +a green patch over his right eye. He looked to me to have a horsey look, +as though were a groom or coachman. After lighting his pipe, he advanced +to a point abreast of the schooner's gang-way, from which he could look +down upon her, as she lay with her deck a foot or two below the level of +the wharf. + +"Chips aboard?" he asked, meaning, "Is the carpenter on board?" + +"Yes," I said. "Will you come aboard?" + +He did not answer, but looked about the ship, as though making notes of +everything. Presently he turned to me. + +"You're new," he said. "Are you Mr. Jermyn's boy?" I told him that I +was. + +"How is Mr. Jermyn keeping?" he asked. "Is that cough of his better?" +This made me feel that probably the man knew Mr. Jermyn. "Yes," I said. +"He's got no cough, now." "He'd a bad one last time he was here," the +man answered. For a while he kept silent. He seemed to me to be puzzling +out the relative heights of our masts. Suddenly he turned to me, with +a very natural air. "How's Mr. Scott's business going?" he asked. "You +know, eh? You know what I mean?" I was taken off my guard. I'm afraid +I hesitated, though I knew that the man's sharp eyes noted every little +change on my face. Then, in the most natural way, the man reassured me. +"You know," he said. "What demand for oranges in London?" I was thankful +that he had not meant the other business. I said with a good deal too +much of eagerness that there was, I believed, a big demand for oranges. +"Yes," he said, "I suppose so many young boys makes a brisk demand." I +was uneasy at the man's manner. He seemed to be pumping me, but he had +such a natural easy way, under the pale mask of his face, that I could +not be sure if he were in the secret or not. I was on my guard now, +ready for any question, as I thought, but eager for an excuse to get +away from this man before I betrayed any trust. "Nice ship," he said +easily. "Did you join her in Spain?" "No," I answered. "In London." "In +London?" he said. "I thought you'd something of a Spanish look." "No," I +said. "I'm English. Did you want the carpenter, sir?" + +"Yes," he answered. "I do. But no hurry. No hurry, lad." Here he pulled +out a watch, which he wound up, staring vacantly about the decks as he +did so. "Tell me, boy," he said gently. "Is Lane come over with you?" To +tell the truth, it flashed across my mind, when he pulled out his watch, +that he was making me unready for a difficult question. I was not a very +bright boy; but I had this sudden prompting or instinct, which set me on +my guard. No one is more difficult to pump than a boy who is ready for +his questioner, so I stared at him. "Lane?" I said, "Lane? Do you mean +the bo'sun?" + +"No," he said. "The Colonel. You know? Eh?" + +"No." I said. "I don't know." + +"Oh well," he answered. "It's all one. I suppose he's not come over." At +this moment the mate came on deck with the carpenter, carrying a model +ship which they had been making together in their spare time. They +nodded to the stranger, who gave them a curt "How do?" as though they +had parted from him only the night before. The mate growled at me for +wasting time on deck when I should be at work. He sent me down to my +usual job of getting the cabin ready for the breakfast of the gentlemen. +As I passed down the hatchway, I heard the carpenter say to the +stranger, "Well. So what's the news with Jack?" It flashed into my mind +that this man might be his friend, the "Longshore Jack" who was to keep +an eye upon me as well as upon Mr. Jermyn. It gave me a most horrid +qualm to think this. The man was so sly, so calm, so guarded, that the +thought of him being on the look-out for me, to sell me to the Dutch +captains, almost scared me out of my wits. The mate brought him to the +cabin as I was laying the table. "This is the cabin," he was saying, +"where the gentlemen messes. That's our stern-chaser, the gun there." + +"Oh," said the stranger, looking about him like one who has never seen +a ship before. "But where do they sleep? Do they sleep on the sofa (he +meant the lockers), there?" + +"Why, no," said the mate. "They sleep in the little cabins yonder. But +we musn't stay down here now. I'm not supposed to use this cabin. I +mustn't let the captain see me." So they went on deck again, leaving me +alone. When the gentlemen came in to breakfast, I had to go on deck for +the dishes. As I passed to the galley, I noticed the stranger talking to +the carpenter by the main-rigging. They gave me a meaning look, which +I did not at all relish. Then, as I stood in the galley, while the cook +dished up, I noticed that the stranger raised his hand to a tall, lanky, +ill-favoured man who was loafing about on the wharf, carrying a large +black package. This man came right up to the edge of the wharf, directly +he saw the stranger's signal. It made me uneasy somehow. I was in a +thoroughly anxious mood, longing to confide in some one, even in the +crusty cook, yet fearing to open my mouth to any one, even to Mr. +Jermyn, to whom I dared not speak with the captain present in the room. +Well, I had my work to do, so I kept my thoughts to myself. I took the +dishes down below to the cabin, where, after removing the covers, I +waited on the gentlemen. + +"Martin," said Mr. Jermyn. "This skylight over our heads makes rather a +draught. We can't have it open in the morning for breakfast. + +"Did you open it?" the captain asked. "What made you open it?" + +"Please, sir, I didn't open it." + +"Then shut it," said the captain. "Go on deck. The catch is fast +outside." + +I ran very nimbly on deck to shut the skylight, but the catch was very +stiff; it took me some few moments to undo. I noticed, as I worked at +it, that the deck was empty, except for the lanky man with the package, +who was now forward, apparently undoing his package on the forehatch. I +thought that he was a sort of pedlar or bumboatman, come to sell onions, +soft bread, or cheap jewellery to the sailors. The carpenter's head +showed for an instant at the galley-door, He was looking forward at the +pedlar. The hands were all down below in the forecastle, eating their +breakfast. The other stranger seemed to have gone. I could not see him +about the deck. At last the skylight came down with a clatter, leaving +me free to go below again. As I went down the hatchway, into the +'tweendecks gloom, I saw a figure apparently at work among the ship's +stores lashed to the deck there. I could not see who it was; it was +too dark for that but the thing seemed strange to me. I guessed that +it might be my enemy the boatswain, so I passed aft to the cabin on the +other side. + +Soon after that, it might be ten minutes after, while the gentlemen were +talking lazily about going ashore, we heard loud shouts on deck. + +"What's that?" said the captain, starting up from his chair. + +"Sounds like fire," said Mr. Jermyn. + +"Fire forward," said the captain, turning very white. "There's five tons +of powder forward." + +"What?" cried the Duke. + +At that instant we heard the boatswain roaring to the men to come on +deck. "Aft for the hose there, Bill," we heard. Feet rushed aft along +the deck, helter-skelter. Some one shoved the skylight open with a +violent heave. Looking up, we saw the carpenter's head. He looked as +scared as a man can be. + +"On deck," he cried. "We're all in a blaze forward. The lamp in the +bo'sun's locker. Quick." + +"Just over the powder," the captain said, rushing out. + +"Quick, sir," said Jermyn to the Duke. "We may blow up at any moment." + +"No," said the Duke, rising leisurely. "Not with these stars. +Impossible." + +All the same, the two men followed the captain in pretty quick time. Mr. +Jermyn rushed the Duke out by the arm. I was rushing out, too, when I +saw the Duke's hat lying on the lockers. I darted at it, for I knew +that he would want it, with the result that my heel slipped on a copper +nail-head, which had been worn down even with the deck till it was +smooth as glass. Down I came, bang, with a jolt which shook me almost +sick. I rose up, stupid with the shock, so wretched with the present +pain that the fire seemed a little matter to me. Indeed, I did not +understand the risk. I did not know how a fire so far forward could +affect the cabin. + +A couple of minutes must have passed before I picked up the hat from +where it lay. As I hurried through the 'tweendecks some slight noise +or movement made me turn my head. Looking to my right. I saw the horsey +man, the stranger, rummaging quickly in the lockers of the Duke's cabin, +As I looked, I saw him snatch up something like a pocketbook or pocket +case, with a hasty "Ah" of approval. At the same moment, he saw me +watching him. + +"Where's Mr. Scott?" he cried, darting out on me. "We may all blow up in +another moment." + +"He's on deck," I said. "Hasn't he gone on deck?" + +"On deck?" said the man. "Then on deck with you, too." He pushed me +up the hatch before him. "Quick," he cried. "Quick. There's Mr. Scott +forward. Get him on to the wharf. + +He gave me a hasty shove forward, to where the whole company was working +in a cloud of smoke, passing buckets from hand to hand. A crowd of +Dutchmen had gathered on the wharf. Everybody was shouting. The scene +was confused like a bad dream. I caught sight of the pedlar man at the +gangway as the stranger thrust me forward. In the twinkling of an eye +the stranger passed something to him with the quick thrust known as the +thieves' pass. I saw it, for all my confusion. I knew in an instant that +he had stolen something. The pedlar person was an accomplice. As likely +as not the fire was a diversion. I rushed at the gangway. The pedlar was +moving quickly away with his hands in his pockets. It all happened in +a moment. As I rushed at the gangway, with some wild notion of stopping +the pedlar, the horsey man caught me by the collar. + +"What," he said, in a loud voice. "Trying to desert, are you? You come +forward where the danger is." He ran me forward. He was as strong as a +bull. + +"Mr. Jermyn," I cried. "Mr. Jermyn. This man's a thief." + +The man twisted my collar on to my throat till I choked. "Quiet, you," +he hissed. + +Then Mr. Jermyn dropped his bucket to attend to me. + +"A thief," I gasped. "A thief." Mr. Jermyn sprang aft, with his eyes on +the man's eyes. The stranger flung me into Mr. Jermyn's way, with all +the sweep of his arm. As I went staggering into the fore-bitts (for +Mr. Jermyn dodged me) the man took a quick side step up the rail to the +wharf. I steadied myself. Mr. Jermyn, failing to catch the man before +he was off the ship, rushed below to see what was lost. The crowd +of workers seemed to dissolve suddenly. The men surged all about me, +swearing. The fire was out. Remember, all this happened in thirty +seconds, from the passing of the stolen goods to the stranger's letting +go my throat. The very instant that I found my feet against the bitts, I +jumped off the ship on to the wharf. There was the stranger running down +the wharf to the right, full tilt. There was the lanky pedlar slouching +quickly away as though he were going on an errand, with his black box +full of groceries. + +"That's the man, Mr. Scott," I cried. "He's got it." + +The captain (who, I believe, was a naval officer in the Duke's secret) +was up on the wharf in an instant. I followed him, though the carpenter +clutched at me as I scrambled up. I kicked out behind like a donkey. I +didn't kick him, but some one thrust the carpenter aside in the hurry +so that I was free. In another seconds I was past the captain, running +after the pedlar, who started to run at a good speed, dropping his box +with a clatter. Half a dozen joined in the pursuit. The captain had his +sword out. They raised such a noise behind me that I thought the whole +crew was at my heels. The pedlar kept glancing behind; he knew very +little about running. He doubled from street to street, like a man at +his wits' ends. I could see that he was blown. When he entered into that +conspiracy, he had counted on the horsey man diverting suspicion from +him. Suddenly, after twisting round a corner, he darted through a swing +door into a stone-paved court, surrounded by brick walls. I was at his +heels at the moment or I should have lost him there. I darted through +the swing door after him. I went full sprawl over his body on the other +side. He had, quite used up, collapsed there. + + + +CHAPTER VIII. I MEET MY FRIEND + +"Give it me," I said. "Give it me, Longshore Jack. Before they catch +us." To my horror, I saw that the creature was a woman in a man's +clothes. She took me for one of her gang. She was too much frightened to +think things out. "I thought you were one of the other lot," she gasped, +as she handed me a pocketbook. + +"Didn't he get the letters, too?" I asked at a venture. "No," she said, +sitting up, now, panting, to take a good look at me. I stared at her for +a moment. I, myself, was out of breath. + +"They're going," I said, hearing the noise of the pursuit passing away +in the check. "I'll just spy out the land." I opened the door till it +was an inch or two ajar, so that I could see what was going on outside. +"They're gone," I said again, still keeping up the pretence of being on +her side. As I said it, I glanced back to fix her features on my memory. +She had a pale, resolute face with fierce eyes, which seemed fierce from +pain, not from any cruelty of nature. It was a pleasant face, as far as +one could judge of a face made up to resemble a dirty pedlar's face. + +Seeing my look, she seemed to watch me curiously, raising herself up, +till she stood unsteadily by the wall. "When did you come in?" she said, +meaning, I suppose, when did I join the gang. + +"Last week," I answered, swinging the door a little further open. +Footsteps were coming rapidly along the road. I heard excited voices, I +made sure that it was the search party going back to the schooner. + +"Digame, muchacho," she said in Spanish. It must have been some sort of +pass-word among them. Seeing by my face that I did not understand she +repeated the words softly. Then at that very instant she was on me like +a tigress with a knife. I slipped to one side instinctively. I suppose +I half saw her as the knife went home. She grabbed at the pocket-book, +which I swung away from her hand. The knife went deep into the door, +with a drive which must have jarred her to the shoulder. "Give it me," +she gasped, snatching at me like a fury. I dodged to one side, up the +court, horribly scared. She followed, raving like a mad thing, quite +ghastly white under her paint, wholly forgetful that she was acting a +man's part. When once we were dodging I grew calmer. I led her to the +end of the court, then ducked. She charged in, blindly, against the +wall, while I raced to the door, very pleased with my success. I did not +hear her follow me, so, when I got to the door, I looked back. Just at +that instant, there came a smart report. The creature had fired at me +with a pistol; the bullet sent a dozen chips of brick into my face. I +went through the door just as the shot from the second barrel thudded +into the lintel. Going through hurriedly I ran into Mr. Jermyn, as he +came round the corner with the captain. "I've got it," I said. "Look +out. She's in there." + +"Who?" they said. "The thief? A woman?" They did not stay, but thrust +through the door. + +Mr. Jermyn dragged me through with them. "You say you've got it, +Martin?" + +"Yes," I answered, handing him the book. "Here it is." + +"That's a mercy," he said. "Now then, where's the thief?" + +I had been out of the court, I suppose thirty seconds; it cannot have +been more. Yet, when I went back with those two men, the woman had gone, +as though she had never been there. "She's over the wall," cried the +captain, running up the court. But when we looked over the wall there +was no trace of her, except some slight scratches upon the brick, where +her toes had rested. On the other side of the wall was a tulip bed full +of rows of late flowering tulips, not yet out. There was no footmark on +the earth. Plainly she had not jumped down on the other side. "Check," +said captain. "Is she in one of the houses?" + +But the houses on the left side of the court (on the other side the +court had no houses, only brick walls seven feet high) were all old, +barred in, deserted mansions, with padlocks on the doors. She could not +possibly have entered one of those. + +"They're old plague-houses," said Mr. Jermyn. + +"They've been deserted twenty years now, since the great sickness." + +"Yes?" said the captain, carelessly. "But where can she have got to?" + +"Well. It beats me," Mr. Jermyn replied. "But perhaps she ran along the +wall to the end, then jumped down into the lane. That's the only thing +she could have done. By the way, boy, you were shot at. Were you hit?" + +"No," I answered. "But I got jolly near it. The bullet went just by me." + +"Ah," he said. "Take this. You'll have to be armed in future." + +He handed me a beautiful little double-barrelled pocket pistol. "Be +careful," he said. "It's loaded. Put it in your pocket. You musn't be +seen carrying arms here. That would never do." + +"Boy," said the captain. "D'ye think you could shin up that water-spout, +so as to look over the parapet there, on to the leads of the houses?" + +"Yes," I said. "I think I could, from the top of the wall." + +"Why," Mr. Jermyn said. "She couldn't have got up there." + +"An active woman might," the captain said. "You see, the water-spout is +only six feet long from the wall to the eaves. There's good footing on +the brackets. It's three quick steps. Then one vigorous heave over the +parapet. There you are, snug as a purser's billet, out of sight." + +"No woman could have done it," Mr. Jermyn said. "Besides, look here. We +can't go further in the matter. We've recovered the book. We must get +back to the ship." + +So the scheme of climbing up the water pipe came to nothing. We walked +off together wondering where the woman had got to. Long afterwards I +learned that she heard all that we said by the wall there. While we +talked, she was busy reloading her pistol, waiting. At the door of the +court we paused to pull out her knife from where it stuck. It was a not +very large dagger-knife, with a small woman's grip, inlaid with silver, +but bound at the guard with gold clasps. The end of the handle was also +bound with gold. The edge of the broad, cutting blade curved to a long +sharp point. The back was straight. On the blade was an inscription in +Spanish, "Veneer o Morir" ("To conquer or die"), with the maker's name, +Luis Socartes, Toledo, surrounded by a little twirligig. I have it in +my hand as I write. I value it more than anything in my possession. It +serves to remind me of a very remarkable woman. + +"There, Martin," said Mr. Jermyn. "There's a curiosity for you. Get one +of the seamen to make a sheath for it. Then you can wear it at your back +on your belt like a sailor." + +As we walked back to the ship, I told Mr. Jermyn all that I had seen of +the morning's adventure. He said that the whole, as far as he could make +it out, had been a carefully laid plot of some of James the Second's +spies. He treated me as an equal now. He seemed to think that I had +saved the Duke from a very dreadful danger. The horsey man, he said, was +evidently a trusted secret agent, who must have made friends with the +carpenter on some earlier visit of the schooner. He had planned his raid +on the Duke's papers very cleverly. He had arrived on board when no one +was about. He had bribed the carpenter (so we conjectured, piecing the +evidence together) to shout fire, when we were busy at breakfast. Then, +when all was ready, this woman, whoever she was, had gone forward to +the bo'sun's locker, where she had set fire to half a dozen of those +fumigating chemical candles which she had brought in her box. The +candles at once sputtered out immense volumes of evil smelling smoke. +The carpenter, watching his time, raised the alarm of fire, while the +horsey man, hidden below, waited till all were on deck to force the +spring-locks on the Duke's cabin-door. When once he had got inside the +cabin, he had worked with feverish speed, emptying all the drawers, +ripping up the mattress, even upsetting the books from the bookshelf, +all in about two minutes. Luckily the Duke kept nearly all his secret +papers about his person. The pocket-book was the only important +exception. This, a very secret list of all the Western gentry ready to +rise, was locked in a casket in a locked drawer. + +"It shows you," said Mr. Jermyn, "how well worked, that he did all this +in so little time. If you hadn't fallen on the nail, Martin, our friends +in the West would have fared badly. It was very clever of you to bring +us out of the danger." When we got back aboard the schooner, we found, +as we had expected, that the men in league with the horsey man had +deserted. Neither carpenter nor boatswain was to be found. Both had +bolted off in pursuit of the horsey man at the moment of alarm, leaving +their chests behind them. I suppose they thought that the plot had +succeeded. I dare say, too, that the horsey man, who was evidently well +known to them both, had given them orders to desert in the confusion, +so that he might suck their brains at leisure elsewhere. Altogether, +the morning's work from breakfast time till ten was as full of moving +incident as a quiet person's life. I have never had a more exciting two +hours. When I sat down to my own breakfast (which I ate in the cabin +among the gentlemen) I seemed to have grown five years older. All three +men made much of me. They brought out all sorts of sweetmeats for me, +saying I had saved them from disaster. The Duke was especially kind. +"Why, Jermyn," he said, "we thought we'd found a clever messenger; but +we've found a guardian angel." He gave me a belt made of green Spanish +leather, with a wonderfully wrought steel clasp. "Here," he said. "Wear +this, Martin. Here's a holster on it for your pistol. These pouches +hold cartridges. Then this sheath at the back will hold your dagger, the +spoils of war." + +"There," said the captain. "Now I'll give you something else to fit you +out. I'll give you a pocket flask. What's more, I'll teach you how to +make cartridges. We'll make a stock this morning." + +While he was speaking, the mate came down to tell us how sorry he was +that it was through him that the horsey man was shown over the ship. "He +told me he'd important letters for Mr. Scott," he said, "so I thought it +was only right to show him about, while you was dressing. The carpenter +came to me. 'This gentleman's got letters for Mr. Scott,' he said. So +I was just taken in. He was such a smooth spoken chap. After I got to +know, I could 'a' bit my head off." They spoke kindly to the man, who +was evidently distressed at his mistake. They told him to give orders +for a watchman to walk the gangway all day long in future, which to me +sounded like locking the stable door too late. After that, I learned how +to make pistol cartridges until the company prepared to go ashore. +The chests of the deserters were locked up in the lazaret, or store +cupboard, so that if the men came aboard again they might not take away +their things. + +"Before we start," the Duke said, "I must just say this. We know, from +this morning's work, that the spies of the English court know much more +than we supposed. We may count it as certain that this ship is being +watched at this moment. Now, we must put them off the scent, because I +must see Argyle without their knowledge. It is not much good putting to +sea again, as a blind, for they can't help knowing that we are here +to see Argyle. They have only to watch Argyle's house to see us enter, +sooner or later. I suggest this as a blind. We ought to ride far out +into the country to Zaandam, say, by way of Amsterdam. That's about +twenty miles. Meanwhile Argyle shall come aboard here. The schooner +shall take him up to Egmont; he'll get there this afternoon. He must +come aboard disguised though. At Zaandam, we three will separate, Jermyn +will personate me, remaining in Zaandam. The boy shall carry letters in +a hurry to Hoorn; dummy letters, of course. While I shall creep off to +meet Argyle--somewhere else. If we start in a hurry they won't have +time to organize a pursuit. There are probably only a few secret agents +waiting for us here. What do you say?" + +"Yes," said Mr. Jermyn. "I myself should say this. Send the boy on at +once to Egmont with a note to Stendhal the merchant there. They won't +suspect the boy. They won't bother to follow him, probably. Tell +Stendhal to send Out a galliot to take Argyle off the schooner while +at sea. The galliot can land Argyle somewhere on the coast. That would +puzzle them rarely. She can then ply to England, or elsewhere, so that +her men won't have a chance of talking. As for the schooner, she can +proceed north to anchor at the Texel till further orders. At the same +time, we could ride south to Noordwyk; find a barge there going north. +Hide in her cabin till she arrives, say, at Alkmaar. Meet Argyle +somewhere near there. Then remain hidden till it is time to move. We can +set all the balls moving, by sticking up a few bills in the towns." +I did not know what he meant by this. Afterwards I learned that the +conspirators took their instructions from advertisements for servants, +or of things lost, which were stuck up in public places. To the +initiated, these bills, seemingly innocent, gave warning of the Duke's +plan. Very few people in Holland (not more than thirty I believe) +were in the secret of his expedition. Most of these thirty knew other +loyalists, to whom, when the time came, they gave the word. When the +time came we were only about eighty men all told. That is not a large +force, is it, for the invasion of a populous kingdom? + +They talked it out for a little while, making improvements on Mr. +Jermyn's plan. They had a map by them during some of the time. Before +they made their decision, they turned me out of the cabin, so that I +know not to this day what the Duke did during the next few days. I know +only this, that he disappeared from his enemies, so completely that the +spies were baffled. Not only James's spies, that is nothing: but the +spies of William of Orange were baffled. They knew no more of his +whereabouts than I knew. They had to write home that he had gone, they +could not guess where; but possibly to Scotland to sound the clans. All +that I know of his doings during the next week is this. After about half +an hour of debate, the captain went ashore to one of the famous inns in +the town. From this inn, he despatched, one by one, at brief intervals, +three horses, each to a different inn along the Egmont highway. He gave +instructions to the ostlers who rode them to wait outside the inns named +till the gentlemen called for them. He got the third horse off, in this +quiet way, at the end of about an hour. I believe that he then sent +a printed book (with certain words in it underlined, so as to form a +message) by the hand of a little girl, to the Duke of Argyle's lodging. +I have heard that it was a book on the training of horses to do tricks. +There was probably some cipher message in it, as well as the underlined +message. Whatever it was, it gave the Duke his instructions. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. I SEE MORE OF MY FRIEND + +After waiting for about an hour in the schooner, I was sent ashore with +a bottle-basket, with very precise instructions in what I was to do. I +was to follow the road towards Haarlem, till I came to the inn near the +turning of the Egmont highway. There I was to leave my bottle-basket, +asking (or, rather, handing over a written request) for it to be filled +with bottles of the very best gin. After paying for this, I was to +direct it to be sent aboard the schooner by the ostler (who was waiting +at the door with a horse) the last of those ordered by the captain. I +was then to walk the horse along the Egmont road, till I saw or heard +an open carriage coming behind. Then I was to trot, keeping ahead of the +carriage, but not far from it, till I was past the third tavern. After +that, if I was not recalled by those in the carriage, I was free to +quicken up my pace. I was then to ride straight ahead, till I got to +Egmont, a twenty mile ride to the north. There I was to deliver up my +horse at the Zwolle-Haus inn, before enquiring for M. Stendhal, the +East India merchant. To him I was to give a letter, which for safety was +rolled into a blank cartridge in my little pistol cartridge box. After +that, I was to stay at M. Stendhal's house, keeping out of harm's way, +till I received further orders from my masters. + +You may be sure that I thought myself a fine figure of gallantry as I +stepped out with my bottle-basket. I was a King's secret agent. I had +a King's letter hidden about my person. I was armed with fine weapons, +which I longed to be using. I had been under fire for my King's sake. +I was also still tingling with my King's praise. It was a warm, sunny +April day; that was another thing to fill me with gladness. Soon I +should be mounted on a nag, riding out in a strange land, on a secret +mission, with a pocket full of special service money. Whatever I had +felt in the few days of the sea-passage was all forgotten now. I did +not even worry about not knowing the language. It would keep me from +loitering to chatter. My schoolboy French would probably be enough for +all purposes if I vent astray. I was "to avoid chance acquaintances, +particularly if they spoke English." That was my last order. Repeating +it to myself I walked on briskly. + +I had not gone more than three hundred yards upon my way, when a lady, +very richly dressed, cantered slowly past me on a fine bay mare. She was +followed by a gentleman in scarlet, riding on a little black Arab. They +had not gone a hundred yards past me when the Arab picked up a stone. +The man dismounted to pick it out, while the lady rode back to hold the +horse, which was a ticklish job, since he was as fresh as a colt. He +went squirming about like an eel. The man had no hook to pick the stone +with; nor could he get it out by his fingers. I could hear him growling +under his breath in some strange language, while the horse sidled about +as wicked as he could be. + +As I approached, the horse grew so troublesome that the man decided to +take him back to the town, to have the stone pulled there. He was just +starting to lead him back when I came up with them. He asked me some +question in a tongue which I did not know. He probably asked me if I had +a hook. I shook my head. The lady said something to him in French, which +made him laugh. Then he began to lead back the horse towards the town. +The lady, after waving her hand to him, started to ride slowly forward +in front of me. Like most ladies at that time she wore a little black +velvet domino mask over her eyes. All people could ride in those days; +but I remember it occurred to me that this lady rode beautifully. So +many women look like meal-sacks in the saddle. This one rode as though +she were a part of the horse. + +She kept about twenty yards ahead of me till I sighted the inn, where an +ostler was walking the little nag which I was to ride. She halted at the +inn-door, looking back towards the town for her companion. Then, without +calling to anybody, she dismounted, flinging her mare's reins over a +hook in the wall. She went into the inn boldly, drawing her whip through +her left hand. When I entered the inn-door a moment later, she was +talking in Dutch to the landlord, who was bowing to her as though she +were a great lady. + +I handed over my bottle-basket, with the letter, to a woman who served +the customers at the drinking bar. Then, as I was going out to take my +horse, the lady spoke to me in broken English. + +"Walk my horse, so he not take cold," she said. It was in the twilight +of the passage from the door, so that I could not see her very clearly, +but the voice was certainly like the voice of the woman who had fired +at me in the courtyard. Or was I right? That voice was on my nerves. It +seemed to be the voice of all the strangers in the town. I looked up at +her quickly. She was masked; yet the grey eyes seemed to gleam beyond +the velvet, much as that woman's eyes had gleamed. Her mouth; her chin; +the general poise of her body, all convinced me. She was the woman who +had carried away the book from Longshore Jack. I was quite sure of it. +I pretended not to understand her. I dropped my eyes, without stopping; +she flicked me lightly with her whip to draw my attention. + +"Walk my horse," she said again, with a little petulance in her voice. I +saw no way out of it. If I refused, she would guess (if she did not +know already) that I was not there only for bottles of gin. "Oui, +mademoiselle," I said. "Oui. Merci." So out I went to where the mare +stood. She followed me to the door to see me take the mare. There was no +escape; she was going to delay me at the door till the man returned. I +patted the lovely creature's neck. I was very well used to horses, for +in the Broad Country a man must ride almost as much as he must row. But +I was not so taken up with this mare that I did not take good stock of +the lady, who, for her part, watched me pretty narrowly, as though she +meant never to forget me. I began to walk the beast in the road in +front of the inn, wondering how in the world I was to get out of the +difficulty before the Duke's carriage arrived. There was the woman +watching me, with a satirical smile. She was evidently enjoying the +sight of my crestfallen face. + +Now in my misery a wild thought occurred to me. I began to time my +walking of the mare so that I was walking towards Sandfoort, while the +other horse-boy was walking with my nag towards Egmont on the other side +of the inn. I had read that in desperate cases the desperate remedy is +the only measure to be tried. While I was walking away from the inn I +drew the dagger, the spoils of war. I drew it very gently as though I +were merely buttoning my waistcoat. Then with one swift cut I drew it +nine-tenths through the girth. I did nothing more for that turn, though +I only bided my time. After a turn or two more, the other horse-boy was +called up to the inn by the lady to receive a drink of beer. No doubt +she was going to question him (as he drank) about the reason for his +being there. He walked up leisurely, full of smiles at the beer, leaving +his nag fast to a hook in the wall some dozen yards from the door. +This was a better chance than I had hoped for; so drawing my dagger, +I resolved to put things to the test. I ripped the reins off the mare +close to the bit. Then with a loud shout followed by a whack in the +flank, I frightened that lovely mare right into them, almost into the +inn-door. Before they knew what had happened I was at my own horse's +head swiftly casting off the reins from the hook. Before they had turned +to pursue me, I was in the saddle, going at a quick trot towards Egmont, +while the mare was charging down the road behind me, with her saddle +under her belly, giving her the fright of her life. + +An awful thought came to me. "Supposing the lady is not the English spy, +what an awful thing I have done. Even if she be, what right have I to +cut her horse's harness? They may put me in prison for it. Besides, what +an ass I have been. If she is what I think, she will know now that I +am her enemy, engaged on very special service." Looking back at the +inn-door, I saw a party of people gesticulating in the road. A man was +shouting to me. Others seemed to be laughing. Then, to my great joy, +round the turn of the road came an open carriage with two horses, going +at a good pace. There came my masters. All was well. I chuckled to +myself as I thought of the lady's face, when these two passed her, +leaving her without means of following them. When we were well out of +sight of the inn, I rode back to the carriage to report, wondering how +they would receive my news. They received it with displeasure, saying +that I had disobeyed my orders, not only in acting as I had done; but in +coming back to tell them. They bade me ride on at once to Egmont, before +I was arrested for cutting the lady's harness. As for their own plans, +whatever they were, my action altered them. I do not know what they did. +I know that I turned away with a flea in my ear from the Duke's reproof. +I remember not very much of my ride to Egmont, except that I seemed to +ride most of the time among sand-dunes. I glanced back anxiously to see +if I was being pursued; but no one followed. I rode on at the steady +lope, losing sight of the carriage, passing by dune after dune, rising +windmill after windmill, to drop them behind me as I rode. In that low +country, I had the gleam of the sea to my left hand, with the sails of +ships passing by me. The wind freshened as I rode, till at last my left +cheek felt the continual stinging of the sand grains, whirled up by the +wind from the bents. Where the sea-beach broadened, I rode on the sands. +The miles dropped past quickly enough, though I rode only at the lope, +not daring to hurry my horse. I kept this my pace even when going +through villages, where the people in their strange Dutch clothes +hurried out to stare at me as I bucketed by. I passed by acre after acre +of bulb-fields, mostly tulip-fields, now beginning to be full of colour. +Once, for ten minutes, I rode by a broad canal, where a barge with a +scarlet transom drove along under sail, spreading the ripples, keeping +alongside me. The helmsman, who was smoking a pipe as he eyed the luff +of his sail, waved his hand to me, as I loped along beside him. You +would not believe it; but he was one of the Oulton fishermen, a man +whom I had known for years. I had seen that tan-sailed barge many, many +times, rushing up the Waveney from Somer Leyton, with that same quiet +figure at her helm. I would have loved to have called out "Oh, Hendry. +How are you? Fancy seeing you here." But I dared not betray myself; nor +did Hendry recognize me. After the road swung away from the canal, I +watched that barge as long as she remained in sight, thinking that while +she was there I had a little bit of Oulton by me. + +At last, far away I saw the church of Egmont, rising out of a flat +land (not unlike the Broad land) on which sails were passing in a misty +distance. I rose in my stirrups with a holloa; for now, I thought, I was +near my journey's end. I clapped my horse's neck, promising him an apple +for his supper. Then, glancing back, I looked out over the land. The +Oulton barge was far away now, a patch of dark sail drawing itself +slowly across the sky. Out to sea a great ship seemed to stand still +upon the skyline. But directly behind me, perhaps a mile away, perhaps +two miles, clearly visible on the white straight ribbon of road, a clump +of gallopers advanced, quartering across the road towards me. There may +have been twenty of them all told; some of them seemed to ride in ranks +like soldiers. I made no doubt when I caught sight of them that they +were coming after me, about that matter of the lady's harness. My first +impulse was to pull up, so that Old Blunderbore, as I had christened my +horse, might get his breath. But I decided not to stop, as I knew how +dangerous a thing it is to stop a horse in his pace after he has settled +down to it, had still three miles to go to shelter. If I could +manage the three miles all would be well. But could manage them? Old +Blunderbore had taken the eighteen miles we had come together very +easily. Now I was thankful that I had not pressed him in the early part +of the ride. But Egmont seemed a long, long way from me. I dared not +begin to gallop so far from shelter. I went loping on as before, with my +heart in my mouth, feeling like one pursued in a nightmare. + +As I looked around, to see these gallopers coming on, while I was still +lollopping forward, I felt that I was tied by the legs, unable to move. +Each instant made it more difficult for me to keep from shaking up my +horse. Continual promptings flashed into my mind, urging me to bolt down +somewhere among the dunes. These plans I set aside as worthless; for a +boy would soon have been caught among those desolate sandhills. There +was no real hiding among them. You could see any person among them from +a mile away. I kept on ahead, longing for that wonderful minute when I +could hurry my horse, in the wild rush to Egmont town, the final wild +rush, on the nag's last strength, with my pursuers, now going their +fastest, trailing away behind, as their beasts foundered. The air came +singing past. I heard behind me the patter of the turf sent flying by +Old Blunderbore's hoofs. The excitement of the ride took vigorous hold +on me. I felt on glancing back that I should do it, that I should carry +my message, that the Dutchman should see my mettle, before they stopped +me. They were coming up fast on horses still pretty fresh. I would show +them, I said to myself, what a boy can do on a spent horse. + +Old Blunderbore lollopped on. I clapped him on the neck. "Come up, boy! +Up!" I cried. "Egmont--Egmont! Come on, Old Blunderbore!" The good old +fellow shook his head up with a whinny. He could see Egmont. He could +smell the good corn perhaps. I banged him with my cap on the shoulder. +"Up, boy!" I cried. I felt that even if I died, even if I was shot +there, as I sailed along with my King's orders, I should have tasted +life in that wild gallop. + +A countryman carrying a sack put down his load to stare at me, for +now, with only a mile to go, I was going a brave gait, as fast as Old +Blunderbore could manage. I saw the man put up his hands in pretended +terror. The next instant he was far behind, wondering no doubt why the +charging squadron beyond were galloping after a boy. Now we were rushing +at our full speed, with half a mile, a quarter of a mile, two hundred +yards to the town gates. Carts drew to one side, hearing the clatter. I +shouted to drive away the children. Poultry scattered as though the king +of the foxes was abroad. After me came the thundering clatter of the +pursuit. I could hear distant shouts. The nearest man there was a +quarter of a mile away. A man started out to catch my rein, thinking +that my horse had run away with me. I banged him in the face with my cap +as I swung past him. In another second, as it seemed, I was pulled up +inside the gates. + +As far as I remember,--but it is all rather blurred now,--the place +where I pulled up was a sort of public square. I swung myself off Old +Blunderbore just outside a tavern. An ostler ran up to me at once to +hold him. So I gave him a silver piece what it was worth I did not know, +saying firmly "Zwolle-Haus. Go on. Zwolle-Haus." + +The ostler smiled as he repeated Zwolle-Haus, pointing to the tavern +itself, which, by good luck, was the very house. + +"M. Stendhal," I said. "Where is M. Stendhal? Mynheer Stendhal? Mynheer +Stendhal Haus?" + +The ostler repeated, "Stendhal? Stendhal? Ah, ja. Stendhal. Da." He +pointed down a narrow street which led, as I could see, to a canal +wharf. + +I thanked him in English, giving him another silver piece. Then off I +went, tottering on my toes with the strangeness of walking after so long +a ride. I was not out of the wood yet, by a long way. At every second, +as I hurried on, I expected to hear cries of my pursuers, as they +charged down the narrow street after me. I tried to run, but my legs +felt so funny, it was like running in a dream. I just felt that I was +walking on pillows, instead of legs. Luckily that little narrow street +was only fifty yards long. It was with a great gasp of relief that I +got to the end of it. When I could turn to my right out of sight of the +square I felt that I was saved. I had been but a minute ahead of the +pursuers outside on the open. Directly after my entrance, some cart or +waggon went out of the town, filling the narrow gateway full, so that my +enemies were forced to pull up. This gave me a fair start, without which +I could hardly have won clear. If it had not been for that lucky waggon, +who knows what would have happened? + +As it was, I tottered along with drawn pistol to the door of a great +house (luckily for me the only house), which fronted the canal. I must +have seemed a queer object, coming in from my ride like that, in a +peaceful Dutch town. If I had chanced upon a magistrate I suppose I +should have been locked up; but luck was with me on that day. I chanced +only on Mynheer Stendhal as he sat smoking among his tulips in the front +of his mansion. He jumped up with a "God bless me!" when he saw me. + +"Mynheer Stendhal?" I asked. + +"Yes," he said in good English. "What is it, boy?" + +"Take me in quick," I said. "They're after me." + + + +CHAPTER X. SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT + +In another minute, after Mr. Stendhal had read my note, I was skinning +off my clothes in an upper bedroom. Within three minutes I was dressed +like a Dutch boy, in huge baggy striped trousers belonging to Stendhal's +son. In four minutes the swift Mr. Stendhal had walked me across the +wharf in sabots to one of the galliots in the canal, which he ordered +under way at once, to pick up Argyle at sea. So that when my pursuers +rode up to Mr. Stendhal's door in search of me, I was a dirty little +Dutch boy casting off a stern-hawser from a ring bolt. They seemed to +storm at Mr. Stendhal; but I don't know what they said; he acted the +part of surprised indignation to the life. When I looked my last on Mr. +Stendhal he was at the door, begging a search party to enter to see for +themselves that I was not hidden there. The galliot got under way, at +that moment, with a good deal of crying out from her sailors. As she +swung away into the canal, I saw the handsome lady idly looking on. She +was waiting at the door with the other riders. She was the only +woman there. To show her that I was a skilled seaman I cast off the +stern-hawser nimbly, then dropped on to the deck like one bred to the +trade. A moment later I was aloft, casting loose the gaff-topsail. From +that fine height as the barge began to move I saw the horsemen turning +away foiled. I saw the lady's leathered hat, making a little dash of +green among the drab of the riding coats. Then an outhouse hid them all +from sight. I was in a sea-going barge, bound out, under all sail, +along a waterway lined with old reeds, all blowing down with a rattling +shiver. + +Now I am not going to tell you much more of my Holland experiences. I +was in that barge for about one whole fortnight, during which I think I +saw the greater part of the Dutch canals. We picked up Argyle at sea on +the first day. After that we went to Amsterdam with a cargo of hides. +Then we wandered about at the wind's will, thinking that it might puzzle +people, if any one should have stumbled on the right scent. All that +fortnight was a long delightful picnic to me. The barge was so like an +Oulton wherry that I was at home in her. I knew what to do, it was not +like being in the schooner. When we were lying up by a wharf, I used +to spend my spare hours in fishing, or in flinging fiat pebbles from +a cleft-stick at the water-rats. When we were under sail I used to sit +aloft in the cross-trees, looking out at the distant sea. At night, +after a supper of strong soup, we all turned in to our bunks in the tiny +cabin, from the scuttle of which I could see a little patch of sky full +of stars. + +A boy lives very much in the present. I do not think that I thought much +of the Duke's service, nor of our venture for the crown. If I thought +at all of our adventures, I thought of the handsome woman with the grey, +fierce eyes. In a way, I hoped that might have another tussle with her, +not because I liked adventure, no sane creature does, but because I +thought of her with liking. I felt that she would be such a brave, witty +person to have for a friend. I felt sad somehow at the thought of not +seeing her again. She was quite young, not more than twenty, if her +looks did not belie her. I used to wonder how it was that she had come +to be a secret agent. I believed that the sharp-faced horsey man had +somehow driven her to it against her will. Thinking of her at night, +before I fell asleep, I used to long to help her. It is curious, but I +always thought tenderly of this woman, even though she had twice tried +to kill me. A man's bad angel is only his good angel a little warped. + +On the second of May, though I did not know it then, Argyle set sail for +Scotland, to raise the clans for a foray across the Border. On the same +day I was summoned from my quarters in the barge to take up my King's +service. Late one evening, when it was almost dark night, Mr. Jermyn +halted at the wharf-side to call me from my supper. "Mount behind me, +Martin," he said softly, peering down the hatch. "It's time, now." +I thought he must mean that it was time to invade England. You must +remember that I knew little of the rights of the case, except that the +Duke's cause was the one favoured by my father, dead such a little while +before. Yet when I heard that sudden summons, it went through me with a +shock that now this England was to be the scene of a bloody civil war, +father fighting son, brother against brother. I would rather have been +anywhere at that moment than where I was, hearing that order. Still, I +had put my hand to the plough. There was no drawing back. I rose up +with my eyes full of tears to say good-bye to the kind Dutch bargemen. +I never saw them again. In a moment I was up the wharf, scrambling into +the big double saddle behind Mr. Jermyn. Before my eyes were accustomed +to the darkness we were trotting off into the night I knew not whither. + +"Martin," said Mr. Jermyn, half turning in his saddle, "talk in a low +voice. There may be spies anywhere." + +"Yes, sir," I answered, meekly. For a while after that we were silent; I +was waiting for him to tell me more. + +"Martin," he said at length, "we're going to send you to England, with a +message." + +"Yes, sir?" I answered. + +"You understand that there's danger, boy?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Life is full of danger. But for his King a Christian man must be +content to run risks. You aren't afraid, Martin?" + +"No, sir," I answered bravely. I was afraid, all the same. I doubt if +any boy my age would have felt very brave, riding in the night like +that, with danger of spies all about. + +"That's right, Martin," he said kindly. "That's the kind of boy I +thought you." Again we were quiet, till at last he said: + +"You're going in a barquentine to Dartmouth. Can you remember Blick of +Kingswear?" + +"Blick of Kingswear," I repeated. "Yes, sir." + +"He's the man you're to go to." + +"Yes, sir. What am I to tell him?" + +"Tell him this, Martin. Listen carefully. This, now. King Golden Cap. +After Six One." + +"King Golden Cap. After Six One," I repeated. "Blick of Kingswear. King +Golden Cap. After Six One." + +"That's right," he said. "Repeat it over. Don't forget a word of it. +But I know you're too careful a lad to do that." There was no fear of my +forgetting it. I think that message is burned in into my brain under the +skull-bones. + +"There'll be cipher messages, too, Martin. They're also for Mr. Blick. +You'll carry a little leather satchel, with letters sewn into the flap. +You'll carry stockings in the satchel. Or school-books. You are Mr. +Blick's sister's son, left an orphan in Holland. You'll be in mourning. +Your mother died of low-fever, remember, coming over to collect a +debt from her factor. Your mother was an Oulton fish-boat owner. Pay +attention now. I'm going to cross-examine you in your past history." + +As we rode on into the gloom, in the still, flat, misty land, which +gleamed out at whiles with water dykes, he cross-examined me in detail, +in several different ways, just as a magistrate would have done it. I +was soon letter-perfect about my mother. I knew Mr. Blick's past history +as well as I knew my own. + +"Martin," said Mr. Jermyn suddenly. "Do you hear anything?" + +"Yes, sir," I answered. "I think I do, sir." + +"What is it you hear, Martin?" + +"I think I hear a horse's hoofs, sir." + +"Behind us?" + +"Yes, sir. A long way behind." + +"Hold on then, boy. I'm going to pull up." + +We halted for an instant in the midst of a wide fiat desert, the +loneliest place on God's earth. For an instant in the stillness we +heard the trot trot of a horse's hoofs. Then the unseen rider behind us +halted, too, as though uncertain how to ride, with our hoofs silent. + +"There," said Mr. Jermyn. "You see. Now we'll make him go on again." +He shook the horse into his trot again, talking to him in a little low +voice that shook with excitement. Sure enough, after a moment the trot +sounded out behind us. It was as though our wraiths were riding behind +us, following us home. "I'll make sure," said Mr. Jermyn, pulling up +again. + +"You're a cunning dog," he said gently. "You heard that?" Indeed, it +sounded uncanny. The unseen rider had feared to pull up, guessing that +we had guessed his intentions. Instead of pulling up he did a much more +ominous thing, he slowed his pace perceptibly. We could hear the change +in the beat of the horse-hoofs. "Cunning lad," said Mr. Jermyn. "I've +a good mind to shoot that man, Martin. He's following us. Pity it's so +dark. One can never be sure in the dark like this. But I don't know. I'd +like to see who it is." + +We trotted on again at our usual pace. Presently, something occurred +to me. Mr. Jermyn, I said; "would you like me to see who it is? I could +slip off as we go. I could lie down flat so that he would pass against +the sky. Then you could come back for me." + +He did not like the scheme at first. He said that it would be too dark +for me to see anybody; but that when we were nearer to the town it might +be done. So we rode on at our quick trot for a couple of more, hearing +always behind us a faint beat of +upon the road, like the echo of our own hoofs. After a time they stopped +suddenly, nor did we hear them again. + +"D'you know what he's done, Martin?" said Mr. Jermyn. + +"No, sir," I answered. + +"He's muffled his horse's hoofs with duffle shoes. A sort of thick felt +slippers. He was in too great a hurry to do that before. There are the +lights of the town." + +"Shall I get down, sir?" + +"If you can without my pulling up. Don't speak. But lay your head on the +road. You'll hear the horse, then, if I'm right." + +"Then I'll lie still," I said, "to see if I can see who it is." + +"Yes. But make no sign. He may shoot. He may take you for a footpad. +I'll ride back to you in a minute." + +He slowed down the horse so that I could slip off unheard on to the turf +by the roadside. When he had gone a little distance, I laid my ear to +the road. Sure enough, the noise of the other horse was faint but plain +in the distance, coming along on the road, avoiding the turf. The turf +vas trenched in many drains, so as to make dangerous riding at night. I +lay down flat on the turf, with my pistol in my hand. I was excited; but +I remember that I enjoyed it. I felt so like an ancient Briton lying in +wait for his enemy. I tried to guess the distance of this strange horse +from me. It is always difficult to judge either distance or location by +sound, when the wind is blowing. The horse hoofs sounded about a quarter +of a mile away. I know not how far they really were. Very soon I could +see the black moving mass coming quietly along the road. The duffle +hoof-wraps made a dull plodding noise near at hand. Nearer the unknown +rider came, suspecting nothing. I could see him bent forward, peering +out ahead. I could even take stock of him, dark though it was. He was a +not very tall man, wearing a full Spanish riding cloak. It seemed to me +that he checked his horse's speed somewhere in the thirty yards before +he passed me. Then, just as he passed, just as I had a full view of him, +blackly outlined against the stars, his horse shied violently at me, on +to the other side of the road. The rider swung him about on the instant +to make him face the danger. I could see him staring down at me, as he +bent forward to pat his horse's neck. I bent my head down so that my +face was hidden in the grass. + +The stranger did not see me. I am quite sure that he did not see me. He +turned his horse back along the road for a few snorting paces. Then with +a sounding slap on his shoulder he drove him at a fast pace along the +turf towards me. I heard the brute whinny. He was uneasy; he was trying +to shy; he was twisting away, trying to avoid the strange thing which +lay there. I hid my head no longer. I saw the horse above me. I saw the +rider glaring down. He was going to ride over me. I saw his face, a grey +blur under his hat. The horse seemed to be right on top of me. I started +up to my feet with a cry. The horse shied into the road, with a violence +which made the rider rock. Then, throwing up his head, he bolted towards +the town, half mad with the scare. Fifty yards down the road he tore +past Mr. Jermyn, who was trotting back to pick me up. We heard the +frantic hoofs pass away into the night, growing louder as the duffle +wraps were kicked off. Perhaps you have noticed how the very sound of +the gallop of a scared horse conveys fear. That is what we felt, we two +conspirators, as we talked together, hearing that clattering alarm-note +die away. + +"Martin," said Mr. Jermyn. "That was a woman. She chuckled as she +galloped past me." + +"Are you sure, sir?" I asked, half-hoping that he might be right. I +felt my heart leap at the thought of being in another adventure with the +lady. + +"Yes," he said, "I'm quite sure. Now we must be quick, so as to give +her no time in the town." When I had mounted, we forced the horse to a +gallop till we were within a quarter of a mile of the walls, where we +pulled up at a cross-roads. + +"Get down, Martin," he said. "We must enter the town by different roads. +Turn off here to the right. Then take the next two turns to the left, +which will bring you into the square. I shall meet you there. Take your +time. There's no hurry." + +About ten minutes later, I was stopped in a dark quiet alley by a hand +on the back of my neck. I saw no one. I heard no noise of breathing. In +the pitch blackness of the night the hand arrested me. It was like my +spine suddenly stiffening to a rod of ice. "Quiet," said a strange voice +before I could scream. "Off with those Dutch clothes. Put on these. Off +with those sabots." I was in a suit of English clothes in less than a +minute. "Boots," the voice said in my ear. "Pull them on." They were +long leather knee-boots, supple from careful greasing. In one of them I +felt something hard. My heart leapt as I felt it. + +It was a long Italian stiletto. I felt myself a seaman indeed, nay, +more than a seaman, a secret agent, with a pair of such boots upon me, +"heeled," as the sailors call it, with such a weapon. "Go straight on," +said the voice. + +As I started to go straight on, there was a sort of rustling behind me. +Some black figure seemed to vanish from me. Whoever the man was that had +brought me the clothes, he had vanished, just as an Indian will vanish +into grass six inches high. Thinking over my strange adventures, I +think that that changing of my clothes in the night was almost the most +strange of all. It was so eerie, that he should be there at all, a part +of Mr. Jermyn's plan, fitting into it exactly, though undreamed of by +me. Would indeed that all Mr. Jermyn's plans had carried through so +well. But it was not to be. One ought not to grumble. + +A few steps farther on, I came to a public square, on one side of which +(quite close to where I stood) was a wharf, crowded with shipping. I had +hardly expected the sea to be so near, somehow, but seeing it like that +I naturally stopped to look for the ship which was to carry me. The only +barquentine among the ships lay apart from the others, pointing towards +the harbour entrance. She seemed to be a fine big vessel, as far as +I could judge in that light. I lingered there for some few minutes, +looking at the ships, wondering why it was that Mr. Jermyn had not met +me. I was nervous about it. My nerves were tense from all the excitement +of the night. One cannot stand much excitement for long. I had had +enough excitement that night to last me through the week. As I stood +looking at the ships, I began to feel a horror of the wharf-side. I felt +as though the very stones of the place were my enemies, lying in wait +for me. I cannot explain the feeling more clearly than that. It was due +probably to the loneliness of the great empty square, dark as a tomb. +Then, expecting Mr. Jermyn, but failing to meet with him, was another +cause for dread. I thought, in my nervousness, that I should be in a +fine pickle if any enemies made away with Mr. Jermyn, leaving me alone, +in a strange land, with only a few silver pieces in my pocket. Still, +Mr. Jermyn was long in coming. My anxiety was almost more than I could +bear. + +At last, growing fearful that I had somehow missed him at the mouth of +the dark alley, I walked slowly back in my tracks, wishing that I had a +thicker jacket, since it was beginning to rain rather smartly. There was +a great sort of inn on the side of the square to which I walked. It had +lights on the second floor. The great windows of that story opened on +to balconies, in what is, I believe, the Spanish way of building. I +remember feeling bitterly how cheery the warm lights looked, inside +there, where the people were. I stood underneath the balcony out of the +rain, looking out sharply towards the alley, expecting at each instant +to see Mr. Jermyn. Still he did not come. I dared not move from where I +was lest I should miss him. I racked my brains to try to remember if I +had obeyed orders exactly. I wondered whether I had come to the right +square. I began to imagine all kinds of evil things which might have +happened to him. Perhaps that secret fiend of a woman had been too many +for him. Perhaps some other secret service people had waylaid him as +he entered the town. Perhaps he was even then in bonds in some cellar, +being examined for letters by some of the usurper's men. + + + +CHAPTER XI. AURELIA + +While I was fretting myself into a state of hysteria, the catch of one +of the great window-doors above me was pushed back. Someone came out on +the balcony just over my head. It was a woman, evidently in some great +distress, for she was sobbing bitterly. I thought it mean to stand there +hearing her cry, so I moved away. As I walked off, the window opened +again. A big heavy-looted man came out. + +"Stop crying, Aurelia," the voice said. "Here's the stuff. Put it in +your pocket." + +"I can't," the woman answered. "I can't." + +I stopped moving away when I heard that voice. It was the voice of the +Longshore Jack woman who had had those adventures with me. I should have +known her voice anywhere, even choked as it then was with sobs. It was a +good voice, of a pleasant quality, but with a quick, authoritative ring. + +"I can't," she said. "I can't, Father." + +"Put it in your pocket," her father said. "No rubbish of that sort. You +must." + +"It would kill me. I couldn't," she answered. "I should hate myself +forever." + +"No more of that to me," said the cold, hard voice with quiet passion. +"Your silly scruples aren't going to outweigh a nation's need. There it +is in your pocket. Be careful you don't use too much. If you fail again, +remember, you'll earn your own living. Oh, you bungler! When I think +of--" + +"I'm no bungler. You know it," she answered passionately. "I planned +everything. You silly men never backed me up. Who was it guessed right +this time? I suppose you think you'd have come here without my help? +That's like a man." + +"Don't stand there rousing the town, Aurelia," the man said. "Come in out +of the rain at once. Get yourself ready to start." + +As the window banged to behind them, a figure loomed up out of the +night--two figures, more. I sprang to one side; but they were too quick +for me. Someone flung an old flour-sack over my head. Before I was ready +to struggle I was lying flat on the pavement, with a man upon my chest. + +"It's him," said a voice. "You young rip, where are the letters?" + +"What letters?" I said, struggling, choking against the folds of the +sack. + +"Rip up his boots," said another. "Dig him with a knife if he won't +answer." + +"Bring him in to the Colonel," said the first. + +"I've got no letters," I said. + +"Lift him up quick," said the man who had suggested the knife. "In with +him. Here's the watch." + +"Quick, boys," the leader said. "We mustn't be caught at this game." + +Steps sounded somewhere in the square. Hearing them, I squealed with all +my strength, hoping that somebody would come. + +"Choke him," said one of the men. + +I gave one more loud squeal before they jammed the sack on my mouth. +To my joy, the feet broke into a run. They were the feet of the watch, +coming to my rescue. + +"Up with him," said the leader among my captors. "Quick, in to the +Colonel with him." + +"No, no! Drop it. I'm off. Here's the watch," cried the other hurriedly. + +They let me drop on to the pavement after half lifting me. In five +seconds more they were scattering to shelter. As I rose to my feet, +flinging off the flour-sack, I found myself in the midst of the city +watch, about a dozen men, all armed, whose leader carried a lantern. +The windows of the great inn were open; people were thronging on to the +balcony to see what the matter was; citizens came to their house-doors. +At that moment, Mr. Jermyn appeared. The captain of the guard was asking +questions in Dutch. The guardsmen were peering at my face in the lantern +light. + +Mr. Jermyn questioned me quickly as to what had happened. He interpreted +my tale to the guard. I was his servant, he told them. I had been +attacked by unknown robbers, some of whom, at least, were English. One +of them had tried to stifle me with a flour-sack, which, on examination +under the lantern, proved to be the sack of Robert Harling, Corn-miller, +Eastry. Goodness knows how it came to be there; for ship's flour travels +in cask. Mr. Jermyn gave an address, where we could be found if any of +the villains were caught; but he added that it was useless to expect +me to identify any of them, since the attack had been made in the dark, +with the victim securely blindfolded. He gave the leader of the men some +money. The guard moved away to look for the culprits (long before in +hiding, one would think), while Mr. Jermyn took me away with him. + +As we went, I looked up at the inn balcony, from which several heads +looked down upon us. Behind them, in the lighted room, in profile, in +full view, was the lady of the fierce eyes. I knew her at once, in spite +of the grey Spanish (man's) hat she wore, slouched over her face. She +was all swathed in a Spanish riding cloak. One took her for a handsome +young man. But I knew that she was my enemy. I knew her name now, too; +Aurelia. She was looking down at me, or rather at us, for she could not +have made out our faces. Her face was sad. She seemed uninterested; +she had, perhaps, enough sorrow of her own at that moment, without +the anxieties of others. A big, burly, hulking, handsome person of the +swaggering sort which used to enter the army in those days, left the +balcony hurriedly. I saw him at the window, speaking earnestly to her, +pointing to the square, in which, already, the darkness hid us. I saw +the listlessness fall from her. She seemed to waken up into intense life +in an instant. She walked with a swift decision peculiar to her +away from the window, leaving the hulking fellow, an elderly, +dissolute-looking man, with the wild puffy eyes of the drinker, to pick +his teeth in full view of the square. + +When we left watching our enemies, Mr. Jermyn bade me walk on tiptoe. We +scurried away across the square diagonally, pausing twice to listen for +pursuers. No one seemed to be following. There was not much sense in +following; for the guard was busy searching for suspicious persons. We +heard them challenging passers-by, with a rattle of their halberds +on the stones, to make their answers prompt. We were safe enough from +persecution for the time. We went down a dark street into a dark alley. +From the alley we entered a courtyard, the sides of which were vast +houses. We entered one of these houses. The door seemed to open in the +mysterious way which had puzzled me so much in Fish Lane. Mr. Jermyn +smiled when I asked him how this was done. "Go on in, boy," he said. +"There are many queer things in lives like ours." He gave me a shove +across the threshold, while the door closed itself silently behind us. + +He took me into a room which was not unlike a marine store of the better +sort. There were many sailor things (all of the very best quality) lying +in neat heaps on long oak shelves against the walls. In the middle of +the room a table was laid for dinner. + +Mr. Jermyn made me eat a hearty meal before starting, which I did. As +I ate, he fidgeted about among some lockers at my back. Presently, as I +began to sip some wine which he had poured out for me, he put something +over my shoulders. + +"Here," he said, "this is the satchel, Martin. Keep the straps drawn +tight always. Don't take it off till you give it into Mr. Blick's hands. +His own hands, remember. Don't take it off even at night. When you lie +down, lash it around your neck with spun-yarn." All this I promised most +faithfully to do. "But," I said, examining the satchel, which was like +an ordinary small old weather-beaten satchel for carrying books, "where +are the letters, sir?" + +"Sewn into the double," he answered. "You wouldn't be able to sew so +neatly as that. Would you, now?" + +"Oh, yes, I should, sir," I replied. "I am a pretty good hand with a +sail-needle. The Oulton fishermen used to teach me the stitches. I can +do herring-bone stitch. I can even put a cringle into a sail." + +"You're the eighth wonder of the world, I think," Mr. Jermyn said. "But +choose, now. Choose a kit for yourself. You won't get a chance to change +your clothes till you get to Mr. Blick's if you don't take some from +here. So just look round the room here. Take whatever you want." + +I felt myself to have been fairly well equipped by the stranger who had +made me change my clothes in the alley. But I knew how cold the Channel +may be even in June; so I chose out two changes of thick underwear. +Weapons I had no need for, with the armory already in my belt; but a +heavy tarred jacket with an ear-flap collar was likely to be useful, so +I chose that instead. It was not more than ten sizes too large for me; +that did not matter; at sea one tries to keep warm; appearances are not +much regarded. Last of all, when I had packed my satchel, I noticed +a sailor's canvas "housewife" very well stored with buttons, etc. I +noticed that it held what is called a "palm," that is, the leather +hand-guard used by sail-makers for pushing the needle through sail +cloth. It occurred to me, vaguely, that such a "housewife" would be +useful, in case my clothes got torn, so I stuffed it into my satchel +with the other things. I saw that it contained a few small sail-needles +(of the kind so excellent as egg-borers) as well as some of the strong +fine sail-twine, each thread of which will support a weight of fifty +pounds. I put the housewife into my store with a vague feeling of being +rich in the world's goods, with such a little treasury of necessaries; I +had really no thought of what that chance impulse was to do for me. + +"Are you ready?" Mr. Jermyn asked. + +"Yes, sir. Quite ready." + +"Take this blank drawing-book," he said, handing me a small pocket-book, +in which a pencil was stuck. "Make a practice of drawing what you see. +Draw the ships. Make sketches of the coast. You will find that such +drawings will give you great pleasure when you come to be old. They will +help you, too, in impressing an object on your mind. Drawing thus will +give you a sense of the extraordinary wonder of the universe. It will +teach you a lot of things. Now let's be off. It's time we were on +board." + +When we went out of the house we were joined by three or four seamen who +carried cases of bottles (probably gin bottles). We struck off towards +the ship together at a brisk pace, singing one of those quick-time songs +with choruses to which the sailors sometimes work. The song they sang +was that very jolly one called "Leave her, Johnny." They made such a +noise with the chorus of this ditty that Mr. Jermyn was able to refresh +my memory in the message to be given to Mr. Blick. + +The rain had ceased before we started. When we came into the square, we +saw that cressets, or big flaming port-fires, had been placed along +the wharf, to give light to some seamen who were rolling casks to the +barquentine. A little crowd of idlers had gathered about the workers to +watch them at their job; there may have been so many as twenty people +there. They stood in a pretty strong, but very unsteady light, by which +I could take stock of them. I looked carefully among them for the figure +of a young man in a grey Spanish hat; but he was certainly not there. +The barquentine had her sails loosed, but not hoisted. Some boats were +in the canal ahead, ready to tow her out. She had also laid out a +hawser, by which to heave herself out with her capstan. I could see at +a glance that she was at the point of sailing. As we came up the +plank-gangway which led to her deck we were delayed for a moment by a +seaman who was getting a cask aboard. + +"Beg pardon, sir," he said to Mr. Jermyn. "I won't keep you waiting +long. This cask's about as heavy as nitre." + +"What 'a' you got in that cask, Dick?" said the boatswain, who kept a +tally at the gangway. + +"Nitre or bullets, I guess," said Dick, struggling to get the cask on to +the gang plank. "It's as heavy as it knows how." + +"Give Dick a hand there," the boatswain ordered. A seaman who was +standing somewhere behind me came forward, jogging my elbow as he +passed. In a minute or two they had the cask aboard. + +"It's red lead," said the boatswain, examining the marks upon it. "Sling +it down into the 'tweendecks." + +After this little diversion, I was free to go down the gangway with +Mr. Jermyn. The captain received us in the cabin. He seemed to know my +"uncle Blick," as he called him, very well indeed. I somehow didn't like +the looks of the man; he had a bluff air; but it seemed to sit ill +upon him. He reminded me of the sort of farmer who stands well with his +parson or squire, while he tyrannizes over his labourers with all the +calculating cowardly cruelty of the mean mind. I did not take to Captain +Barlow, for all his affected joviality. + +However, the ship was sailing. They showed me the little trim cabin +which was to be mine for the voyage. Mr. Jermyn ran ashore up the +gangway, after shaking me by the hand. He called to me over his shoulder +to remember him very kindly to my uncle. A moment later, as the hawsers +were cast off, the little crowd on the wharf called out "Three cheers +for the Gara barquentine," which the Gara's crew acknowledged with three +cheers for Pierhead, in the sailor fashion. We were moving slowly under +the influence of the oared boats ahead of us, when a seaman at the +forward capstan began to sing the solo part of an old capstan chanty. +The men broke in upon him with the chorus, which rang out, in its sweet +clearness, making echoes in the city. I ran to the capstan to heave with +them, so that I, too, might sing. I was at the capstan there, heaving +round with the best of them, until we were standing out to sea, beyond +the last of the fairway lights, with our sails trimmed to the +strong northerly wind. After that, being tired with so many crowded +excitements, which had given me a life's adventures since supper-time, I +went below to my bunk, to turn in. + +I took off my satchel, intending to tie it round my neck after I had +undressed. Some inequality in the strap against my fingers made me hold +it to the cabin lamp to examine it more closely. To my horror, I saw +that the strap had been nearly cut through in five places. If it had not +been of double leather with an inner lining of flexible wire, any one +of those cuts would have cut the thong clean in two. Then a brisk twitch +would have left the satchel at the cutter's mercy. It gave me a lively +sense of the craft of our enemies, to see those cuts in the leather. I +had felt nothing. I had suspected nothing. Only once, for that instant +on the wharf, when we stopped to let Dick get his barrel aboard, had +they had a chance to come about me. Yet in that instant of time they had +suspected that that satchel contained letters. They had made their bold +attempt to make away with it. They had slashed this leather in five +places with a knife as sharp as a razor. But had it been on the wharf, +that this was done? I began to wonder if it could have been on the +wharf. Might it not have been done when I was at the capstan, heaving +round on the bar? I thought not. I must have noticed a seaman doing such +a thing. It would have been impossible for any one to have cut the strap +there; for the capstan was always revolving. The man next to me on the +bar never took his hands from the lever, of that I was certain. The men +on the bar behind me could not have reached me. Even if they had reached +me the mate must have noticed it. I knew that sailors were often clever +thieves; but I did not believe that they could have been so clever under +the mate's eye. If it had not been done at the capstan it could not have +been done since I came aboard; for there had been no other opportunity. +I was quite convinced, after a moment's thought, that it had been done +on the wharf before I came aboard. Then I wondered if it had been done +by common shore thieves, or "nickers," who are always present in our +big seaport towns, ready to steal whenever they get a chance. But I was +rather against this possibility; for my mind just then was much too full +of Aurelia's party. I saw their hands in it. It would have needed very +strong evidence to convince me that they were not at the bottom of this +last attack, as they had doubtless been in the attack under the inn +balcony. + +Thinking of their cunning with some dismay, I went to my door to secure +it. I was in my stockinged feet at the moment, as I had kicked my +boots off on coming into the cabin. My step, therefore, must have been +noiseless. Opening the door smartly, half-conscious of some slight noise +on the far side, I almost ran into Captain Barlow, who was standing +without. He showed a momentary confusion, I thought, at seeing me thus +suddenly. It was a bad sign. To me, in my excited nervous state, it was +a very bad sign. It convinced me that he had been standing there, trying +to spy upon me through the keyhole, with what purpose I could guess only +too well. His face changed to a jovial grin in an instant; but I felt +that he was searching my face narrowly for some sign of suspicion. + +"I was just coming in to see if you wanted anything," he said. + +"No. Nothing, thanks," I answered. "But what time's breakfast, sir?" + +"Oh, the boy'll call you," he answered. "Is that your school satchel? +Hey? What you carry your books in? Let's see it?" + +"Oh," I said, as lightly as I could, feeling that he was getting on +ticklish ground. "I've not unpacked it yet. It's got all my things in +it." + +By this time he was well within my cabin. "Why," he said, "this strap's +almost cut in two. Does your master let you bring your satchel to school +in that state? How did it come to be cut like that? Hey?" + +I made some confused remark about its having always been in that state; +as it was an old satchel which my father used for a shooting-bag. I had +never known boys to carry books in a satchel. That kind of school was +unknown to me. + +"Well," he said, fingering the strap affectionately, as though he was +going to lift it off my head, "you let me take it away with me. I've got +men in this ship, who can mend a cut leather strap as neat as you've no +idea of. They'd sew up a cut like them so as you'd hardly know it had +been cut." + +I really feared that he would have the bag away from me by main force. +But I rallied all my forces to save it. "I'm lagged now," I said. "I +haven't undone my things. I'll give it to you in the morning." + +It seemed to me that he looked at me rather hard when I said this; but +he evidently thought "What can it matter? Tomorrow will serve just as +well." So he just gave a little laugh. "Right," he said. "You turn in +now. Give it to me in the morning. Good night, boy." + +"Good night," I said, as he left the cabin, adding, under my breath, +"Good riddance, too. You won't find quite so much when you come to +examine this bag by daylight." After he had gone--but not at once, as I +wished not to make him suspicious,--I locked my cabin-door. Then I hung +my tarred sea-coat on the door-hook, so that the flap entirely covered +the keyhole. There were bolts on the door, but the upper one alone could +be pushed home. With this in its place felt secure from spies. Yet not +too secure. I was not certain that the bulkheads were without crannies +from which I could be watched. The crack by the door-hinge might, for +all I knew, give a very good view of the inside of the cabin. Thinking +that I might still be under observation I decided to put off what I had +to do until the very early morning, so I undressed myself for bed. I +took care to put out the light before turning in, so that I might not +be seen lashing the satchel round my neck with a length of spunyarn. I +slept with my head upon it. + + + +CHAPTER XII. BRAVE CAPTAIN BARLOW + +Very early the next morning, at about half-past four, a little before +sunrise, I woke up with a start, wondering where I was. Looking through +my little scuttle port, I could see the flashing of bright waves, +which sometimes dowsed my window with a shower of drops. The ship +was apparently making about three knots an hour, under all her sails. +Directly I woke, I turned out of my bunk to do what I had to do. After +dressing, I took my sail-making tools from my housewife. I had resolved +to cut the letters from their hiding-place so that I might make them +up into tiny rolls, small enough to hide in my pistol cartridges. Very +carefully I cut the threads which bound the leather flaps of the satchel +together. I worked standing up, with the satchel in my bunk. I could +hardly have been seen from any point. In a few moments the letters were +in my hands. They were small sheets of paper, each about four inches +square. They were nine in number, all different. They were covered with +a neat cipher very different from the not very neat, not quite formed +hand of the Duke himself. What the cipher was, I did not know. It was +one of the many figure ciphers then in use. I learned long afterwards +that the figures which frequently occurred in them stood for King +James II. Such as they were, those cipher letters made a good deal of +difference to many thousands of people then living contentedly at home. + +As soon as I had removed them, I rolled them up very carefully into +pistol cartridges from which I drew the charges. I was just going to +throw away the powder, when I thought, "No, I'll put the powder back. +It'll make the fraud more difficult to detect." So I put the powder back +with great care. Then I searched my mind for something with which to +seal up the cartridge wads over the powder. I could think of nothing at +all, till I remembered the tar-seams at my feet. I dug up a fragment of +tar-seam from the dark corners of the cabin under my bunk. Then I lit my +lamp with my little pocket tinder-box, so that I could heat the tar as I +needed it. It took me a long time to finish the cartridges properly; but +I flatter myself that I made neat jobs of them. I was trained to neat +habits by my father. The Oulton seamen had given me a taste for doing +clever neat work, such as plaits or pointing, so that I was not such a +bungler at delicate handicraft as most boys of my age. I even took the +trouble to hide the tar marks on my wads by smearing wetted gunpowder +all over them. When I had hidden all the letters, I wrote out a few +pencilled notes upon leaves neatly cut from my pocket-book. I wrote a +varying arrangement of ciphers on each leaf, in the neatest hand I could +command. I always made neat figures; but as I had not touched a pen for +nearly a month, I was out of practice. Still, I did very creditably. I +am quite sure that my neat ciphers gave the usurper James a very trying +week of continual study. I daresay the whole privy council puzzled over +those notes of mine. I felt very pleased with them when they were done. + +I had not much more than a half-hour left to me when I finished writing +them out. The ship's bells told me that it was seven o'clock. Cabin +breakfast, as I knew very well, would be at eight. I could expect to +be called at half past seven. I put the two flaps of the satchel evenly +together, removing all traces of the thread used in the earlier sewing. +Then I very trimly sewed the two flaps with my sail-needle, using all +my strength to make secure stitches. I used some brown soap in the +wash-stand as thread wax, to make the sewing more easy. "There," I +thought, "no one will suspect that this was sewn by a boy." When I had +finished, I thought of dirtying the twine to make the work look old; but +I decided to let well alone. I might so easily betray my hand by trying +to do too much. The slight trace of the soap made the work look old +enough. But I took very great care to remove all traces of my work +in the cabin. The little scraps of thread which I had cut out of the +satchel I ate, as I could see no safer means of getting rid of them. I +cannot say that they disagreed with me, though they were not very easy +to get down. My palm, being a common sea-implement, not likely to +seem strange in a ship's cabin, I hid in a locker below my bunk. My +sail-needles I thrust at first into the linings of the pockets of my +tarred sea-coat. On second thoughts, I drove them into the mattress of +my bunk. My hank of twine I dropped on deck later, when I went out to +breakfast. Having covered all traces of my morning's work, I washed with +a light heart. When some one came to my cabin-door to call me, I cried +out that I would be out in a minute. + +When the breakfast bell rang, I walked aft to the great cabin, with my +satchel over my shoulder. The captain asked me how I had slept; so +I said that I had slept like a top, until a few minutes before I was +called. + +"That's the way with you young fellows," he said. "When you come to be +my age you won't be able to do that." Presently, as we were sitting down +to breakfast, he began his attack upon the satchel. "You still got your +satchel, I see," he said. "Do you carry it about with you always? Or are +you pretending to be a military man with a knapsack?" + +I looked a little uncomfortable at this; but not from the reason which +flashed through his mind. I said that I liked carrying it about, as it +served instead of a side coat-pocket, which was perfectly true. + +"By the way," he said; "you must let me take that beloved satchel after +breakfast, so that I can get the strap sewn up for you." + +It came into my mind to look blank at this. I stammered as I said that I +didn't mind the straps being cut, because there was a wire heart to the +leather which would hold till we got to England, when I could put on a +new strap for myself. + +"Oh, nonsense," he said, serving out some of the cold bacon from the +dish in front of him. "Nonsense. What would your uncle say if you landed +slovenly like that? Besides, now you're at sea you're a sailor. Sailors +don't wear things like that at meals any more than they wear their +hats." + +After this, I saw that there was no further chance of retaining the +satchel, so I took it from my neck, but grudgingly, as though I hated +doing so. I heard no more about it till after breakfast, when he made a +sudden playful pounce upon it, as it lay upon the chair beside me, at an +instant when I was quite unprepared to save it. + +"Aha," he cried, waving his booty. "Now then. Now." + +I knew that he would expect a passionate outcry from me, nor did I +spare it; because I meant him to think that I knew the satchel contained +precious matters. + +"No, no," I cried. "Let me have it. I don't want it mended." + +"What?" he said. "Not want it mended? It must be mended." + +At this I made a sort of playful rush to get it. He dodged away from me, +laughing. I attacked again, playing my part admirably, as I thought, +but taking care not to overdo it. At last, as though fearing to show too +great an anxiety about the thing, I allowed him to keep it. I asked him +if he would be able to sew the leather over the wire heart. + +"Why, yes," he said. I could see that he smiled. He was thinking that I +had stopped struggling in order to show him that I set no real value on +the satchel. He was thinking that he saw through my cunning. + +"Might I see you sew it up?" I said. "I should like to learn how to sew +up leather." + +He thought that this was another sign of there being letters in the +satchel, this wish of mine to be present when the sewing was done. + +"Why, yes," he said. "I'll do it here. You shall do it yourself if you +like. I will teach you." So saying, he tossed me an orange from his +pocket. "Eat that," he said, "while I go on deck to take the sights." + +He left the cabin, swinging the satchel carelessly in his left hand. I +thought to myself that I had better play anxiety; so, putting the orange +on the table, I followed him into the 'tweendecks, halting at the door, +as though in fear about the satchel's fate. Looking back, he saw me +there. My presence confirmed him in his belief that he had got my +treasure. He waved to me. "Back in a minute," he said. "Stay in the +cabin till I come back. There's a story-book in the locker." + +I turned back into the cabin in a halting, irresolute way which no doubt +deceived him as my other movements had deceived him. When I had shut the +door, I went to the locker for the story-book. + +Now the story-book, when I found it, was not a story-book, but a little +thick book of Christian sermons by various good bishops. I read one of +them through, to try, but I did not understand it. Then I put the book +down with the sudden thought: "This Captain Barlow cannot read. He +thinks that these sermons are stories. Now who is it in this ship to +whom the letters will be shown? Or can there be no one here? Is he going +to steal the letters to submit them to somebody ashore?" + +I was pretty sure that there was somebody shut up in the ship who was +concerned in the theft with Barlow. I cannot tell what made me so sure. +I had deceived the captain so easily that I despised him. I did not give +him credit for any intelligence whatsoever. Perhaps that was the reason. +Then it came over me with a cold wave of dismay that perhaps the woman +Aurelia was on board, hidden somewhere, but active for mischief. I +remembered that scrap of conversation from the inn-balcony. I wondered +if that secret mission mentioned then was to concern me in any way. What +was it, I wondered, that was put into her pocket by her father as she +stood crying there, just above me? If she were on board, then I must +indeed look to myself, for she was probably too cunning a creature to +be deceived by my forgeries. The very thought of having her in the ship +with me was uncomfortable. I felt that I must find some more subtle +hiding-place for my letters than I had found hitherto. I may have +idealized the woman, in my alarm, into a miracle of shrewdness. At +any rate I knew that she would be a much more dangerous opponent than +Captain Barlow, the jocular donkey who allowed himself to be fooled by +a schoolboy who was in his power. I knew, too, that she would probably +search me other letters, whether my ciphered blinds deceived her or not. +She was not one so easily satisfied as a merchant skipper; besides, she +had now two scores against me, as well as excellent reason to think me a +sharp young man. + +Presently, after half an hour's absence, the captain came back with the +satchel, evidently very pleased with himself. He seemed to find pleasure +in the sight of my pretended distress. "Why," he said, with a grin; +"you've not eaten your orange." + +"No, sir," I said, "I'm not very hungry just after breakfast." + +"Why, then," he answered, "you must keep it for your dinner. Look how +nice I've mended your strap for you." + +"Thank you very much, sir," I said. "But thought that you were going to +do it here. You were going to teach me how to do it." + +"Well, it's done now, isn't it?" he replied. "It's done pretty good, +too. I'll teach you how to sew some other time. I suppose they don't +learn you that, where you go to school?" + +"No, sir," I said, "they don't." + +"Ah," he said, picking up the book. "You're a great one for your book, I +see. There's very good reading in a book like that." + +"Yes," I said, looking at the mended strap. "There is. How very neatly +you've mended the strap, sir. Thank you very much." + +He looked at me with a look which said, very plainly, "You've got a fine +nerve, my lad, to pretend in that way." + +I could see from his manner during the next few minutes that he wished +to keep me from examining the satchel flap. No doubt he thought that I +was on tenter-hooks all the time, to look to see if the precious letters +had been disturbed. At last, in a very easy way, after slinging the +strap round my shoulder, I pulled out my handkerchief, intending to put +it into the satchel as into an extra pocket. + +"I'm going up on deck, sir," I said. "May I take the book with me?" + +As he said that I might, I swiftly opened the satchel, to pop the book +in. I could feel that he watched my face mighty narrowly all the time. +No doubt I looked guilty enough to convince him of his cleverness. I had +no more than a second's peep at the flap, but that was quite enough to +show me that it had been tampered with. I had finished off my work that +morning with an even neatness. The bold Captain Barlow had left two ends +of thread sticking out from the place where he had ended his stitch. +Besides, my thread had been soaped, to make it work more easily. The +thread in the flap now was plainly not soaped; it was fibrous to the +touch, not sleeked down, as mine had been. + +When I went on deck, I found the ship driving fast down Channel, making +an excellent passage. I took up my place by the mizzen-rigging, near +which there were no seamen at work, so that I could puzzle out a new +hiding-place for my letters. I noticed, as I stood there, that some men +were getting a boat over the side. It seemed a queer thing to be doing +in the Channel, so far from the port to which we were bound; but I did +not pay much attention to it at the time, as I was very anxious. I was +wondering what in the world I could do with the pistol cartridges which +I had made that morning. I feared Aurelia. For all that I could tell she +was looking at me as I stood there, guessing, from my face, that I had +other letters upon me. It did not occur to me that my anxiety might be +taken for grief at having the satchel searched. At last it came into +my head that Aurelia, if she were in the ship, would follow up that +morning's work promptly, before I could devise a fresh hiding-place. +At any rate I felt pretty sure that I should not be much out of that +observation until the night. It came into my head that the next attack +would be upon my boots; for in those days secret agents frequently hid +their papers above a false boot-sole, or stitched them into the double +leather where the beckets, or handles, joined the leg of the boot at the +rim. + +Sure enough, I had not been very long on deck when the ship's boy +appeared before me. He was an abject looking lad, like most ship's boys. +I suppose no one would become a ship's boy until he had proved himself +unfit for life anywhere else. Personally, I had rather be a desert +savage than a ship's boy. My experience on La Reina was enough to sicken +me of such a life forever. This barquentine's boy came up to me, as I +have said. + +"Sir," he said, "can I take away your boots to black, please?" + +"No," I answered, "my boots don't want blacking. I grease them myself." + +"Please, sir," he said, "do let me take them away, sir." + +"No," I said. "I grease them myself, thank you." I thought that this +would end the business; but no such matter. + +"Please, sir," he said, "I wish you would let me take them away. The +captain'll wale me if I don't. He gave me orders, sir." + +"Don't call me 'sir,'" I said. "I'll see the captain myself." + +I walked quickly to the companion-way, below which (listening to us, +like the creature he was) sat the captain, carving the end of a stick. + +"Please, sir," I said, "I've already greased my boots this morning. I +always grease them." (I had only had them about twelve hours.) "If I +blacked them they'd get so dry that they would crack." + +"All right. All right, boy," he answered. "I forgot you wore +soft-leather boots. They're the kind they buy up to make salt beef of at +the Navy Yard." He grinned in my face, as though he were pleased; but +a few minutes later, when I had gone forward, I heard him thrashing the +wretched boy, because he had failed to get the boots from me for him. + +I soon found that I was pretty closely watched. If I went forward to the +fo'c's'le, I found myself dogged by the ship's boy, who was blubbering +from his whipping, poor lad, as though his heart would break. In between +his sobs, he tried to tell me the use of everything forward, which was +trying to me, as I knew more than he knew. If I went aft, the mate would +come rolling up, to ask me if I could hear the dog-fish bark yet. If I +went below the captain got on to my tracks at once. He was by far the +worst of the three: the other two were only obeying his orders. I went +into my cabin hoping to get rid of him there; but no, it was no use. +In he came, too, with the excuse that he wished to see if I had enough +clothes on my bunk. It was more worrying than words can tell. All the +time I wondered whether he would end by knocking me senseless so that +he might search my boots at his ease. I had the fear of that strongly on +me. I was tempted, yet feared, to drive him from me by threatening him +with my pistol. His constant dogging of me was intolerable. But had I +threatened him, he would have had an excuse for maltreating me. My +duty was to save the letters, not to worry about my own inconveniences. +Often, since then, I have suffered agonies of remorse at not giving up +the letters meekly. Had I done so, I might, who knows, have saved some +two thousand lives. Well. We are all agents of a power greater than +ourselves. Though I was, it may be, doing wrong then, I was doing wrong +unwittingly. Had things happened only a little differently, my wrong +would have turned out a glorious right. The name of Martin Hyde would +have been in the history books. He watched me narrowly as I took off +my waistcoat (pretending to be too hot), nor did he forget to eye +the waistcoat. "See here," he said. "Do you know how a sailor folds a +waistcoat? Give it to me now. I'll show you." He snatched it from my +hands with that rudeness which, in a boorish nature, passes for fun; he +only wished to feel it over so that if any letter were sewn within it he +might hear the paper crackle. The sailor's way of folding a waistcoat, +as shown by him then, was just the way which bent all the cloth in +folds. He seemed to be much disgusted at hearing no crackling as he +folded it. I could have laughed outright at his woeful face, had I been +less anxious. Had he been worth his salt as a spy he would have lulled +all my suspicions to sleep before beginning to search for letters. +Instead of that he went to work as crudely as a common footpad.. + + + +CHAPTER XIII. IT BREEZES UP + +After I had taken off my waistcoat, I went out into the 'tweendecks, +then into the grand cabin, then into the space below the booms. He +followed me everywhere, keeping me under observation, till I was tempted +to tell him where the letters were, so as to have a little peace. At +first he kept telling me stories, or making bad jokes; but very soon +he grew weary of pretending; he became surly. At this point I asked him +which was his cabin. He glowered at me for asking such a question, but +he pointed it out to me. It was a cabin no larger than my own, on +the opposite (that is the port) side of the 'tweendecks. I took the +opportunity (it was a bold stroke, evidently displeasing to him) of +looking in; for to tell the truth I had a suspicion that he slept in the +grand cabin, on the top of the locker. I thought that the stateroom +had another inmate. When I looked into it I expected to find myself in +Aurelia's presence. I did not want to see her; but I wished very eagerly +to know if she were in the ship or not. The stateroom was empty, but the +bunk, which had been slept in, was not yet made up. + +I do not know how much longer he would have dogged me about the ship. +To my great joy he was called from me by the mate, who cried down +the hatchway, bidding him come up at once, as there was "something in +sight." Captain Barlow evidently wanted me to come on deck with him; +but I was resolute. I said I would stop below to have another try at his +stories. He went on deck surlily, saying something about "You wait," +or "You whelp," I could not catch his exact words. He turned at the +hatchway to see where I had gone. I had expected this move, so when +he looked, he saw me entering the grand cabin, just as I had said. I +watched him through the crack in the hinge; for I fully expected him to +return suddenly. As he did not return on the instant, I darted into my +own cabin just long enough to drop the letter cartridges into an old tin +slush-pot which was stowed in the locker below the bunk. I had noted it +in the early morning when I had done my sewing. I pressed the cartridges +into the slush, till they were all hidden. In another instant of time +the pot was back in the locker among the other oddments while I was +back in the cabin hard at work at my sermons. I was conscious that +the captain glanced through the skylight at me. No doubt what he saw +reassured him. For the moment I felt perfectly safe. + +About half an hour later, I heard a great noise of hauling on deck, +followed by the threshing of our sails, as though they had suddenly come +aback. I knew enough of the sea to know that if we were tacking there +would be other orders, while, if the helmsman had let the ship come +aback by accident I should have heard the officers rating him. I heard +neither nor orders; something else was happening. A glance out of the +stern windows showed me that the ship was no longer under way. She was +not moving through the water. It struck me that I had better go on deck +to see what was the matter. When I reached the deck I found that +the barquentine was hove-to (that is, held motionless by a certain +arrangement of the sails) about half a mile from a small full-rigged +ship which had hove-to likewise. The barquentine's boat was rapidly +pulling towards this full-rigged ship, with Captain Barlow sitting +in the stern-sheets. The ship was a man-of-war; for she flew the St. +George's banner, as well as a pennant. Her guns were pointing through +her ports, eight bright brass guns to a broadside. She was waiting +there, heaving in huge stately heaves, for Captain Barlow's message. + +Now I had had alarms enough since I entered the Duke's service; but I +confess this sight of the man-of-war daunted me worse than any of them. +I knew that Captain Barlow had stopped her, so that he might hand over +my letters to her captain; that was easily guessed The next question +was, would the captain insist on taking the messenger to be examined in +person. It was that which scared me worst. I had heard frightful tales +about political prisoners. They were shut up in the Tower dungeons, +away below the level of the Thames. They were examined there by masked +magistrates who wrung the truth from them by the "bootikins," which +squeezed the feet, or by the thumbscrews, which twisted the thumbs. My +feet seemed to grow red-hot when I thought of that horror. I knew only +too well that my youth would not save me. James the Second was never +moved by pity towards a beaten enemy. I watched the arrival of the boat +at the ship's side, with the perspiration running down my face. I began +to understand, now, what was meant by the words high treason. I saw all +the majesty of the English Navy, all the law, all the noble polity of +England, arrayed to judge a boy to death, for a five minutes' prank. +They would drag me on a hurdle to Tyburn, as soon as torture had made me +tell my tale. + +But enough of my state of mind. I saw Captain Barlow go up the ship's +gangway, where an officer no doubt received him. Very soon afterwards he +came down the gangway again, half followed by some one who seemed to +be ordering him. His boat then shoved off for the barquentine. The +man-of-war got under way again by swinging her great mainyard smartly +about. The smother at her bows gleamed whiter at the very instant, as +she gathered way. It was a blessed sight to me, after my suspense, I +assure you; but I did not understand it till later. I learned later +on that Captain Barlow was one of a kind of men very common in those +troublous times. He was hedging, or trimming. He was quite willing to +make money by selling the Duke's plans to the King; but he had the sense +to see that the Duke's party might succeed, in which case the King's +favour would not be worth much. So his treason to the Duke stopped short +of the betrayal of men attached in any way to the Monmouth party. He +would betray letters, when he could lay his hands on them unobserved; +but he was not going to become an open enemy to the Duke until he knew +that the Duke's was the losing side; then he would betray men fast +enough. Until then, he would receive the trust of both factions, in +order to betray a portion of the confidence received from them. + +The day dragged by for me somehow, uncomfortably, under the captain's +eye. It was one of the longest days I have ever known. It sickened me +utterly of the life of adventure to which I now seemed pledged. I vowed +that if I had the chance I would write to my uncle from Mr. Blick's +house, begging to be received back. That seemed to be the only way of +escape possible to me. It did not seem hopeful; but it gave me some +solace to think of it. I longed to be free from these terrors. You +don't know what an adventurous life is. I will tell you. It is a life of +sordid unquiet, pursued without plan, like the life of an animal. Have +you seen a dog trying to cross a busy street? There is the adventurer. +Or the rabbit on the cliff, in his state of continual panic; he, too, +lives the adventurous life. What does the world owe to the adventurer? +But there. I become impatient. One patient hero in his garret is worth +all these silly fireworks put together. + +One thing more happened on that day. The breeze freshened all the +afternoon till by bedtime it blew what is called a fresh gale. Captain +Barlow drove his ship till she shook to her centre, not because he liked +(like many sailors) to show his vessel's paces; but because he sat at +his bottle too long after dinner. He was half drunk by supper time, too +drunk to take the sail off her, so we drove on down Channel, trusting to +the goodness of the gear. There would have been a pretty smash-up if we +had had to alter our course hurriedly. As it was we were jumping like a +young colt, in a welter of foam, with two men at the tiller, besides a +gang on the tackles. I never knew any ship to bound about so wildly. I +passed the evening after supper on deck, enjoying the splendour of that +savage leaping rush down Channel, yet just a little nervous at the sight +of our spars buckling under the strain. The captain was drunk before +dark; we could hear him banging the table with his bottle. The mate, who +was on the poop with me, kept glancing from the spars to the skylight; +he was getting frightened at the gait we were going. "Young man," he +said, "d'ye know the sailor's catechism?" + +"No, sir," I answered. "Well," he said, "it's short but sweet, like a +ration of rum. What is the complete duty of a sailorman? You don't know? +It's this. OBEY ORDERS, IF YOU BREAK OWNERS. My orders are not to take +off sail till Mr. drunken Barlow sees fit. You'll see a few happenings +aloft just now if he don't see fit soon." Just at that instant she gave +a lurch which sent one of the helmsmen flying. The mate leaped to his +place with an angry exclamation. "Another man to the helm," he cried. +"You, boy. Run below. Tell the captain she'll be dismasted in another +five minutes." He was in the right of it. A blind man could have told +that the ship was being over-driven. I ran down, as eager as the mate to +put an end to the danger. + +When I went below, I found the captain in my cabin, rummaging +everywhere. He had flung out the contents of the lockers, my bedclothes, +everything, in a jumble on the deck, which, in a drunken aimless way he +was examining by the light of a couple of dip candles, stuck to the edge +of the bunk. It was not a time to mind about that. "Sir," I said, "the +ship is sinking. Come on deck, sir; take the sail off. The mate says the +ship is sinking." + +"Eh," said the captain furiously. "You young spy. I command this ship. +What's the sail got to do with you?" He glared at me in drunken anger. + +"You young whelp," he cried, grabbing me by the collar. "Where are your +letters? Eh? Where've you hid your letters?" + +At that instant, there came a more violent gust in the fierceness of +wind which drove us. The ship gave a "yank;" there is no other word to +express the frightful shock of her movement. She lay down on her lee +beam ends with a crash of breaking crockery. Casks broke loose in the +hold; gear fell from aloft; the captain was flung under me against the +ship's side. The deck beneath us sloped up like a roof. In the roar +of water rushing down the hatch I remember thinking that the Day of +Judgment was come. Yells on deck mingled with all the uproar; I heard +something thud like a sledge-hammer on the ship's side. The captain +picked himself up holding his head, which was all one gore of blood from +the crack against the ship's side. "Beam ends," he said stupidly. "Beam +ends. Yes. Yes." He was dazed; he did not know what he said; but some +sort of sailor's instinct told him that he was wanted on deck. At any +rate he went out, pulling himself up the steep deck with a cleverness +which I had not expected. He left me clutching the ledge of the bunk, +staring up at the door away above me, while the wreck of my belongings +banged about at my feet. I thought it was all over with the ship; but I +was not scared at the prospect of death; only a little sickish from +the shock of that sudden sweeping over. I found a fascination in the +horrible open door, the black oblong hole in the air through which the +captain had passed. I waited for the sea to pour down it. I expected +to see a clear mass of water with fish in it; something quite calm, +something beautiful, not the noisy horror of the sea outside. I suppose +I waited like that for a full minute before the roar of the squall grew +less. Then I told myself that I must go on deck; that the danger would +be less, looking it in the face, than down there in the cabin. It +was not pleasant to go on deck, any more than it is pleasant to go +downstairs at two in the morning to look for burglars, but it was better +to be moving than staying still. I clenched my fist upon the only dip +which remained alight (the other was somewhere in the jumble under my +feet). Then, catching hold of the door-hook I pulled myself up to the +door, where I steadied myself for a moment. While I stood there I had +a horrible feeling of the ship having died under my feet. She had been +leaping so gallantly only five minutes before. Now she lay with her +heart broken, while the seas beat her with great thumps. + +Two battle-lanterns lit the after 'tweendecks. There was a great heap +of staved in casks, slopping about in an inch or two of water, all along +that side, thrown there by the smash. I could hear the men yelling on +deck. Captain Barlow was swearing in loud shouts. I could hear all this +in the lull of the squall. I heard more than that, as I stood listening. +I heard the faint crying out of a woman's voice from the steward's +pantry (next door to the captain's cabin) on the opposite side, across +the steep, tipped up slippery decks. At first I thought it must be +the poor cat; but as the wind passed, letting me hear more clearly, I +recognized that it was a woman's voice, crying out there in the darkness +with a note of pain. I did not think of Aurelia. She never entered my +head. All that I thought was "Poor creature! What a place for a woman!" +The ship was jerking, you might almost call it gasping, as the seas +struck her; it was no easy job to climb along that roof-slope of the +deck with nothing to hold on by. I got across somehow, partly by luck, +partly by fingernails. I even managed to open the pantry door, which was +another difficulty, as it opened inwards, into the cabin. As I opened +it, a suck of wind blew out my light. There I was in the dark, with a +hurt woman, in a ship which for all I knew, might sink with all hands +in twenty seconds. It is queer; I didn't mind the ship sinking. What I +disliked was being in the dark with an unknown somebody who whimpered. + +"Are you much hurt?" I asked. "Hold on a minute. I'll strike a light." +I shut myself into the cabin, so as to keep out the draught. My feet +kicked among the steward's crockery. It was as dark in that cubby-hole +as in a grave. The unknown person, probably fearing me, thinking me some +rough drunken sailor, was crying out now more in terror than in pain. +She was begging me not to hurt her. I probably frightened her a good +deal by not replying. The tinder box took up all my attention for a +good couple of minutes. A tinder box is not a thing to get light by +hurriedly. You try some day, to see how quickly you can light a candle +by one. When I got the candle lit, I thought of the battle-lanterns +swinging outside all the time. I might have saved myself all that +trouble by using a little common sense. Well. Wait till you stand as I +stood, with your heart in your boots, down in a pit of death, you'll see +how much common sense will remain in your fine brains. + +When the flame took hold of the wick, so that I could look about me, I +saw the lady Aurelia lying among the smashed up gear to leeward. She had +been lying down, reading in a sort of bunk which had been rigged up for +her on the locker-top. The shock had flung her clean out of the bunk +on to the deck. At the same moment an avalanche of gear had fetched to +leeward. A cask had rolled on to her left hand, pinning her down to +the deck, while a box of bottles had cut the back of her head. A more +complete picture of misery you could not hope to see. There was all +the ill-smelling jumble of steward's gear, tumbled in a heap of smash, +soaking in the oil from the fallen lamp. There was a good deal of blood +about. Aurelia was lying in all the debris half covered with salted fish +from one of the capsized casks. They looked like huge leaves. She seemed +to have been buried under them, like a babe in the wood. She grew calm +when she saw me. "There are candles under the bunk," she said. "Light +two or three. Tell me what has happened." + +I did not answer till I had lighted three or four more candles. "The +ship's on her beam ends," I said. "It's the captain's fault. But never +mind that. I must get you out. Are you badly hurt, do you think?" + +"I'm all right," she said with a gasp. "But it's being pinned in here. I +thought I was going to be pinned down while I was being drowned." + +"Shut your eyes, please," I said. "Bite your lip. It'll hurt, I'm +afraid, getting this cask off your hand. Are you ready. Now." I did it +as gently as I could; but it made me turn all cold to think of the hand +under all that weight. + +"Can you withdraw your hand, now?" I asked, tilting the cask as far up +as I could. + +"No," she said. "Look out. I'll roll out." In another two seconds she +was sitting up among the crockery with her face deathly white against +the bulkhead; she had fainted. There was a water-carafe on a bracket up +above my head. I splashed her face with water from it till she rallied. +She came to herself with a little hysterical laugh, at the very instant +when something giving way aloft let the ship right herself again. "Hold +on a minute," I said. "Take this water. Now drink a little. I'll be back +in a moment." The ship was rolling drunkenly in the trough of the sea; +but I made a nimble rush to the cabin, where the captain's cruet of +brandy bottles still swung from a hook in the beams. I ran back to her +with a bottle of brandy. There were a few unbroken mugs in the pantry, +so I gave her a drink of brandy, which brought the colour back to her +cheeks. While she sat there, in the mess of gear which slid about as the +ship rolled, I got a good big jug of water from the scuttle-butt in the +'tweendecks. I nipped on deck with it to ask the mate for some balsam, +an excellent cure for cuts which most sailors carry to sea with them. +There was mess enough on deck in all conscience. I found the foretopmast +gone over the side, in a tangle of torn rope at which all hands were +furiously hacking. The mate was on the fo'c'sle hacking at some gear +with a tomahawk. I did not see the captain. + +"Mr. mate," I cried. "I want some balsam, quick." + +"Get out of this," he shouted. "Get out of this. I can't attend to your +hurts. Don't come bothering here." + +"It's for the lady," I said, "the lady down below." + +"In my chest. Look in my chest till," he said. "Now stand dear. I've +trouble enough without ladies in the case. Are you all clear, you, aft +there?" + +"All gone here, sir," the men shouted back. "Shall we sling a bowline +over the foot?" + +"No," he shouted. "Look out. She's going." + +For just a second I saw the mass of spar all tangled up with sail rise +up on a wave as it drifted past. I found myself wondering why we had all +been in the shadow of death only a couple of minutes before. There was +no thought of danger now. I ran below for the balsam, which I found +without difficulty. + + + +CHAPTER XIV. A DRINK OF SHERBET + +I took what handkerchiefs I could find into the pantry with me. "There's +no danger," I said. "The ship's all right. How are you now? Let me give +you some more brandy." I gave her a little more brandy; then I helped +her on to the top of the locker. Pouring out some water into the basin I +bathed the cut on her head. It was a clean long cut which would probably +have gone through the bone had not her hair been so thick. I dressed it +as well as I could with balsam, then bound it tightly up with a white +handkerchief. The hand was a good deal more, difficult to manage; it +was nastily crushed; though no bones were broken. The wrist was so much +swollen that I had to cut open the sleeve of her man's riding jacket. +Then I bathed the hand with cold water mixed with vinegar (which I had +heard was cooling) till I felt that the time had come to bandage it, so +that the patient might lie down to rest. She had been much shaken by her +fall. I don't think it ever once occurred to me to think of her as my +enemy. I felt too much pity for her, being hurt, like that. "Look here," +I said. "You'll have to wear that arm in a sling. I'll bandage it up for +you nicely." She bore my surgery like the hero she was; it didn't look +very wonderful when it was done; but she said that the pain was a good +deal soothed. That was not the end though. I had to change cabins +with her, since I could not let a hurt woman sleep in that bunk in the +pantry; she might so easily be flung from it a second time. So I shifted +her things into my cabin, where I made all tidy for her. As for the +precious slush can, I stowed that carefully away, at the back of some +lumber in one of the pantry lockers, where it would not be found. +Altogether, it took me about twenty minutes to make everything ready, +by which time the little accident on deck had been forgotten, except by +those who had to do the work of sending up a new topmast; a job which +kept all hands busy all night. The ship was making a steady three knots. +under her reduced sail when I helped Aurelia across to her new room. +There was no more thought of danger. + +As I paused at the cabin door, to ask if there was anything more which I +could do for her, the lady turned to me. + +"What is your name?" she asked. I am ashamed to say that I hesitated, +being half inclined to give her a false name; for my time of secret +service had given me a thorough distrust of pretty nearly everybody. She +noticed my hesitation. "As a friend to another friend," she added. "Life +isn't all the King's service." + +"My name is Martin Hyde," I said. + +"Mine is Aurelia," she replied, "Aurelia Carew. Will you remember that?" +I told her that I should certainly remember that. "We seem to have met +before," she said, "more than once." + +"Yes," I answered, smiling. She, too, smiled, but she quickly became +grave again. + +"Mr. Martin Hyde," she said, with a little catch in her voice, "we two +are in opposite camps. But I don't know. After this, it's difficult. +I warn you." Here she stopped, quite unable to go on. "I can't," she +continued, more to herself than to me, "I can't. They oughtn't to have +put this on me. They oughtn't. They oughtn't." She laid her unhurt hand +on my shoulder for a moment. "Let me warn you," she said earnestly, +"that you're in danger." + +"In danger from you?" I asked. + +"Don't ask me more," she said, "I hate myself for telling you even that. +Oh, it's terrible to have to do it. Go now. Don't ask me more. But I had +to warn you. But I can't do it myself." I did not know what to make of +this; but I gathered that her task (whatever it was) from which she had +shrunk so bitterly in the Dutch town only the night before, was now to +be deputed to another, probably to the captain, perhaps to the Dartmouth +justices. I did not like the thought; but I thanked her for warning me, +it was generous of her to warn me. I took out the dagger with which she +had tried to stab me. "You said we were in opposite camps, Miss Carew," +I said. "But I wouldn't like to keep this. I mean I wouldn't like to +think that we were enemies, really." I daresay I said other foolish +things as well, at the same time. + +"Yes, keep it," she said. "I couldn't bear to have it again. But be +warned. Don't trust me. While we're in opposite camps you be warned. For +I'm your enemy, then, when you least expect it." + +Nothing much happened the next day until the evening, by which time +we were off the Isle of Wight. With the aid of the mate, I doctored +Aurelia's hand again; that was the only memorable event of the day. In +the evening, the captain (who had been moody from his drunkenness of +the night before) asked me to sing to him in the great cabin. I was +surprised at the request; but I knew a few ballads, so I sang them to +him. While I was singing, Aurelia entered the cabin; she sat down on +one of the lockers below the great window. She looked very white, in the +gloom there. She did not speak to me; but sat there restlessly, coughing +in a dry hacking way, as though one of her ribs had been broken in the +fall. I lowered my voice when I noticed this, as I was afraid that +my singing might annoy her; I thought that she was suffering from her +wound. The captain told me to pipe up; as he couldn't hear what my +words were. I asked Aurelia if my singing worried her; but instead of +answering she left the cabin for a few minutes. When she came back, she +sat with her face in her hand, seemingly in great pain. I sang all the +ballads known to me. When I had finished, the captain grunted a note of +approval. "Well," he said, "so there's your ballads. That's your treat. +Now you shall have mine." A little gong hung in the cabin. He banged +upon it to summon his boy, who came in trembling, as he always did, +expecting to be beaten before he went out. "Bring in a jug of cool +water," he said. "Then fetch them limes I bought." As the boy went +out, the captain turned to me with a grin. "Did you ever drink Turk's +sherbet?" he said. + +"No," I answered. "I've never even heard of it. What is it?" + +"Why," he said, "it's a drink the heathen Turks make out of citron. A +powder which fizzes. I got some of it last autumn when I made a voyage +to Scanderoon. It's been too cold ever since to want to drink any, as +it's a summer drink mostly. Now you shall have some." He took down some +tumblers from the rack in which they stood. "Here's glasses," he said. +"Now the sherbet is in this bottle here." He produced a pint glass +bottle from one of the lockers. It was stopped with a wooden plug, +carved in the likeness of a Turk's head. It was about three parts full +of a whitish powder. A label on the side of the bottle gave directions +for its preparation. + +When the boy returned with his tray, the captain squeezed the juice of +half a lime into each of the three tumblers. "That's the first thing," +he said. "Lime juice. Now the water." He poured water into each glass, +till they were nearly full. "White of egg is said to make it better," +he said to me. "But at sea I guess we must do without that. Now then. +You're the singer, so you drink first. Be ready to drink it while it +fizzes; for then it's at its best. Are you ready?" I was quite ready, so +the captain filled his spoon with the soft white powder. Glancing round +at Aurelia I saw that she had covered her eyes with her hand. "Won't +Miss Carew drink first?" I asked. + +"I don't want any," she said in a low voice. Before I could speak +another word the captain had poured his heaped spoonful of powder into +my glass. "Stir it up, boy," he cried. "Down with it while it fizzes." +Aurelia rose to her feet, catching her breath sharply. + +I remember a pleasant taste, as though all of the fruits of the world +had been crushed together into a syrup; then a mist surged all about me, +the cabin became darker, the captain seemed to grow vast, till his body +filled the room. My legs melted from me. I was one little wavering +flame blowing about on great waves. Something was hard upon my head. +The captain's hand (I could feel) was lifting my eyelid. I heard him say +"That's got him." Instantly a choir of voices began to chant "That's got +him," in roaring, tumultuous bursts of music. Then the music became, as +it were, present, but inaudible; there were waves of sound all round me, +but my ears were deafened to them. I had been put out of action by some +very powerful drug, I remember no more of that evening's entertainment. +I was utterly unconscious. + +I came to, very sick, some time in the night. I was in the bunk in the +pantry; but far too helpless in my misery to rise, or to take an account +of time. I lay half-conscious till the morning, when I fell into a deep +sleep, which lasted, I may say, till the evening; for I did not feel +sufficiently awake to get up until about half-past five. When I did +get up, I felt so tottery that I could hardly keep my feet. Someone, I +supposed that it was Aurelia, had placed a metal brandy flask, with a +paper roll containing hard-boiled eggs, on my wash-hand-stand. I took a +gulp of the brandy. In the midst of my sickness I remember the shame of +it; the shame of being drugged by those two; for I knew that I had been +drugged; the shame of having given up like that, at the moment when I +had the cards in my hand; all the cards. I was locked into the +pantry; all my clothes were gone. I found myself dressed in a sailor's +serge-shirt. All my other property had vanished. I remember crying as +I shook at the door to open it; it was too strong for me, in my weak +state. As I wrestled with the door, I heard the dry rattling out of the +cable. We had come to anchor; we were in Dartmouth; perhaps in a few +minutes I should be going ashore. Looking through the port-hole, I saw +a great steep hill rising up from the water, with houses clinging to its +side, like barnacles on the side of a rock. I could see people walking +on the wharf. I could see a banner blowing out from a flagstaff. + +A few more gulps of brandy brought me to myself I was safe anyhow; +my cartridges had not been found. I dropped them one by one into the +metal-flask. Whatever happened, no one would look for them there. Then +I banged at the door again, trying to make people hear. Nobody paid +any attention to me; I might have spared myself the trouble. Long +afterwards, I learned that I was detained while Captain Barlow spoke to +a magistrate about me, asking if I might be "questioned," that is, put +to the thumbscrews, till it could be learned whether I carried a verbal +message to my uncle, Mr. Blick. The magistrate to whom he first applied +was one of the Monmouth faction as it happened, so my thumbs escaped; +but I had a narrow escape later, as you shall hear. About an hour after +the ship came to anchor, the cabin-door was opened by a sailor, who +flung in an armful of clothes to me, without speaking a word. They were +mostly not my own clothes; the boots were not mine; my own boots, I +guessed, had been cut to pieces in the letter-hunt. All the clothes +which were mine had had the seams ripped up. All my cartridges had been +taken. About half of my money was gone. The only things untouched were +the weapons in the belt. I laughed to myself to think how little reward +they had had for all their baseness. They had stooped to the methods of +the lowest kind of thieves, yet they had failed. They had not found my +letters. My joy was not very real; I was too wretched for that. Looking +back at it all long after, I think that the hardest thing to bear was +Aurelia's share in the work. I had not thought that Aurelia would join +in tricking me in that way. But while I thought bitterly of her deceit, +I thought of her tears on the balcony in the Dutch city. After all, she +had been driven into it by that big bully of a man. I forgave her when I +thought of him; he was the cause of it all. A brute he must have been to +force her into such an action. Presently the mate came down with orders +to me to leave the ship at once. I asked him for my own clothes; but he +told me sharply to be thankful for what I had, since I'd done no work +to earn them; by work he meant the brainless manual work done by people +like himself. So going on deck I called a boatman, who for twopence put +me ashore on the Kingswear side of the river. He gave me full directions +for finding Mr. Blick's house, telling me that in another five minutes I +should come to it, if I followed my nose. As I started from the +landing place I looked back at the barquentine, where I had had so +many adventures. She was lying at anchor at a little distance from the +Dartmouth landing place, making a fair show, under her flag, in spite of +her jury foretopmast. As I looked, the boatman jogged my elbow, pointing +across the river to the strip of road which edges the stream. "A young +lady waving to you," he said. Sure enough a lady was waving to me. I +supposed that it was Aurelia, asking pardon, trying to show me that we +parted friends. I would not wave at first; I was surly; but after +about a minute I waved my hat to her. Then I set off up the road to Mr. +Blick's. Ten minutes later, I was in Mr. Blick's house, telling him all +that I have now told you. + +Mr. Blick kept me in his house for a day or two less than four weeks, +when business took him to Exeter. I went with him; for he gave out that +he was taking me to school there, as his dead sister had wished. His +real reason was to pass the word through the country that King Monmouth +was coming. He was one of the few men in full knowledge of the Duke's +plans; but as we went about from town to town, spreading the word among +the faithful, I saw that the Duke was expected by vast numbers of the +country folk. Our clients were not much among the gentry; they hung by +themselves, as, in this country, they always will, in times of popular +stir. But among the poorer people, such as small farmers, or common +labouring men, we were looked for as men sent from on high. At more than +one little quiet village, when we went into the inn-parlour, we saw the +men looking at us, half frightened, half expectant, as though we, being +strangers, must needs have news of the King for whom they longed. Often +some publican or maltster would tell us that Gyle (their name for the +unfortunate Argyle, then a defeated man in Scotland, if not already put +to death for his rebellion) was taken, looking at us carefully as he +spoke, for fear lest we should be of the wrong side. Then, if we seemed +sympathetic, he would tell us how perhaps another would have better luck +elsewhere. After that, we would tell our news. It was dangerous work, +though, carrying that message across the country. In many of the towns +we found guards of the Devon red regiment of militia. I am quite sure +that if Mr. Blick had not had me by his side, as an excellent excuse +for travelling to Exeter, he would have been lodged in gaol as a +suspicious character. The soldiers had arrested many travellers already; +the gaols were full. King James's great man in those parts, the Earl of +Albemarle, knew very well that something was in the air; but as he was a +great lord the hearts of the poor were hidden from him. He had no +guess of what was planning. In a way, the Duke's affairs were very well +planned. The eastern end of Devon, all Somerset, with the western end of +Dorset, were all ripe to rise, directly he appeared. They knew that he +was coming; they were prepared to join him; they knew at about what time +he would come, at about a fortnight from hay-harvest. Already, quite +unknown to the authorities, we had men picked out to carry the news +of the landing to different parts of the country. So far, I think, the +Duke's affairs were well planned. But though we had all this enthusiasm +in three counties, besides promises of similar risings in London, we +were in no real case to take the field. Our adherents, however numerous, +however brave, were only a mob, when all is said; they were not an army. +The Duke thought that the regular army, or at least some regiments of +it, would desert to him, as happened some years later, when the great +Prince William did what my master attempted. But my master forgot that +he had neither the arms nor the officers to make his faction a likely +body for regular troops to join. + + + +CHAPTER XV. THE ROAD TO LYME + +We spread the tidings as far as Exeter, where Mr. Blick made some +pretence of handing me over to a schoolmaster, one Hubble, a red-faced, +cheery clergyman, one of the most ardent rebels on our side. Indeed, the +clergymen everywhere supported us, as defenders of the Protestant faith, +which that dastard James would have destroyed. Mr. Hubble made some +excuse for not taking me in at the instant; but gave us letters of +introduction to people in towns further on, so that we could pass the +militia without difficulty, to give the news in western Dorset. So after +waiting for a little while in Exeter, gathering all the news we could of +the whereabouts of the troops of militia, we pushed on eastward, by way +of Sidmouth, to the big town of Dorchester. As we came east, we found +the militia very much more suspicious than they had been on the western +side of Exeter. At every little town we found a strong guard so placed +that no one could enter without passing under the captain's eye. We were +brought before militia captains some two or three times a day. Sometimes +we were searched; sometimes, if the captain happened to be drunk, we +were bullied with threats of the gaol. Mr. Blick in these cases always +insisted on being brought before the magistrate, to whom he would tell +a fine indignant tale, saying what a shame it was that he could not +take his orphan nephew peaceably to school, without being suspected of +complicity in a rebellion. He would then show Mr. Hubble's letters, +or some other papers signed by the Dartmouth magistrates. These always +cleared our characters, so that we were allowed to proceed; but I did +not like the way in which our descriptions were taken. Once on our +journey, shortly after we had left Sidmouth, where the soldiers had been +very suspicious, we turned out of the highway to leave word at a town +called Seaton. We spread the watchword at several villages near the +sea, before we came to Seaton, so that we were rather late in arriving. +Thinking no wrong, we put up at one of the inns in Seaton, intending to +pass the night there. We were at supper in our inn, when some yeomanry +rode up to the door, to ask the landlord if an elderly man had passed +that way with a boy. The landlord, who was a good deal scared by the +soldiers, showed the captain in to us at once. We were quite as much +scared to see him as the landlord had been. The captain of the soldiers +was the very man who had given us such a searching examination in +Sidmouth that morning. + +"Well," he said to Mr. Blick, "I thought you were going to Dorchester. +What brings you here?" "Sir," said Mr. Blick, "we've been so much +interrupted by soldiers that we hoped to travel away from the +main-roads." + +"Well, sir," said the captain, "I've had you watched. Since you left +Sidmouth, you've been into every inn upon the road, listening to a lot +of seditious talk about Argyle. That's not my point, though. You gave +out to me that you were going to Dorchester. Instead of that you slink +off the Dorchester road at the first opportunity. You will have to +explain yourself to my superiors. You're under arrest." + +"Sir," said Mr. Blick, "I am sorry that you should think ill of me. We +will gladly come with you to answer for our conduct to the authorities. +But while the horses are being saddled, perhaps you will join us at +supper. Landlord, bring a couple of bottles more. The captain sups with +us." + +But though the captain drank his couple of bottles of port, he did not +become any gentler with us. As soon as supper was over we had to ride on +again, with the troopers all round us. + +"Sir," said Mr. Blick, "may I ask you where we are going with you?" + +"Axminster," said the captain. + +"Well. That's on my way," said Mr. Blick. + +"It'll probably end your way, for some time," said the captain. + +"I'm perfectly willing to abide by the decision of the authorities," Mr. +Blick answered calmly. "But what is the meaning of all these soldiers +everywhere? I've asked the people; but nobody seems able to give a +straight answer." + +"I think you know what the soldiers mean well enough," answered the +captain. "If you hadn't known you wouldn't have turned out of the +highway." + +At about midnight we reached Axminster. We were taken before a couple +of officers who sat at work by candlelight over a mass of papers, in +an upper chamber of an inn. They had a wild air of having been without +sleep for some time. Their muddy riding boots were drying in front of +the fire. They had a map of the countryside before them, all stuck about +with little flags, some red, some yellow, to show where the different +troops of militia were stationed. After saluting these officers, +the captain made his report about us, saying that we were suspicious +persons, who had started from Sialmouth, towards Dorchester. He had +waited to receive word from the troops stationed along the highway of +our arrival at various points upon the road; but, failing to hear about +us, he had searched for us, with the result that he had found us at +Seaton, some miles out of our way. The officers questioned us closely +about our plans, making notes of what we said. They kept referring to a +book of letters, as though to verify what we said. Mr. Blick's answers +made them take a favourable view of us; but they told him in a friendly +way that the officer had done right to arrest us. They complimented +the captain on his zeal. Meanwhile, they said, since we were going to +Dorchester, we could not object to going with a military escort. A troop +of cavalry was to start in a couple of hours; we could go with that. + +We were in Dorchester for a few days, always under the eye of the +soldiers. It was a bustling, suspicious time full of false alarms. Mr. +Blick told me that the message "King Golden Cap. After six one," meant +that the Duke was to be expected off Golden Cap, a cliff a few miles +from Lyme Regis, any day after the first of the sixth month. He was +on tenter-hooks to be in Lyme to greet him on his arrival; but this he +could not hope to do. We were watched too carefully to be able to get +away to a place upon the sea-coast. We had to be very careful how we +sent our secret message abroad into the country. I have never known a +time so full of alarms. People would ride in to the town at night with +word that Monmouth was landed, or that there was fighting all along the +coast, or that King James was dead. The drums would beat; the cavalry +would come out clattering. People would be crying out. The loyal would +come to their doorsteps ready to fly further inland. Every night, if +one lay awake, one could hear the noise of spades in back gardens where +misers were burying their money. Then, every day, one would see the +troopers coming in, generally two at a time, with a suspected man led by +a cord knotted to his two thumbs. Dorchester gaol was full of suspected +people, who were kept in prison indefinitely, without trial, in very +great discomfort. King James was afraid, he did not really know of what, +so he took measures not so much to prevent trouble as to avenge his own +fear. Mr. Blick used to send me to the prison every morning with loaves +of fresh bread for the prisoners. + +At last, after midnight, in the night of the 11th of June, a memorable +day for the West, riders came in with news which destroyed the night's +rest of the town. Monmouth had landed at Lyme the evening before, after +sailing about in sight of the town all day. That was news indeed. It +made a strange uproar in the streets. The trumpets blew from every +inn-door to summons the billeted soldiers. Officers ran about bawling +for their sergeants; the sergeants hurried about with lanterns, rousing +the men from where they slept. All the streets were full of cavalry men +trying to form in the crowd. At last, when they were formed, a trumpet +sounded, making everyone keep silence. Then in the stillness an officer +shouted out an order, which no one, save a soldier, could understand. +Instantly the kettle-drums began to pound; the swords jingled; the +horses whinnied, tossing up their heads. The soldiers trotted off +smartly towards Bridport, leaving the town strangely quiet, strangely +scared, to discuss the great news from Lyme. + +I was watching the crowd at my bed-room window when the horsemen trotted +off. While I stood looking at them, Mr. Blick ran upstairs, bidding me +to come down at once, as now there was a chance to get to Lyme. "Come +quick," he said. "The troops are gone. We must follow on their tracks. +It'll be too late later in the morning." In less than twenty minutes we +were trotting after the soldiers at a good pace, passing some scores +of men on foot who were hurrying, as they said, to see the battle. Mr. +Blick wore a sword which clattered as he rode. The people hearing the +noise thought that he was an officer, perhaps a colonel, riding with his +servant. Many of the men asked him where the battle was to be, whether +it would begin before daylight, whether Monmouth was come with the +French, all sorts of questions, to which we answered at random. In the +light summer night we had a fair view of things. When we dismounted to +lead our horses up or down the steep hills of that road, the straggling +sight-seers came all round us as we walked, to hear what we had to tell. +We could see their faces all about us, strange in the dusk, like ghosts, +not like real men. At the top of one hill, Mr. Blick warned them to look +out for themselves. He told them that before morning the highway would +be patrolled by troops who would take them in charge as suspicious +characters trying to join Monmouth, which actually happened the next day +when the militia officers realized that war had begun. His words scared +off a number of them; but many kept on as they were going, to see the +great battle, which, they said, would begin as soon as it was light. + +When the sun began to peep, we turned off the highway in order to avoid +Bridport, which we passed a little after dawn. A few miles further on +we felt that we could turn into the road again as we were safe from +the militia at that distance. Then, feeling happy at the thought of +the coming contest, which, we felt sure, would be won by our side, +we pressed our tired nags over the brook towards the steep hill which +separates Charmouth from Lyme. + +It was early morning, about five o'clock, when we came to Charmouth; +but the little town was as busy as though it were noon on fair-day. The +street was crowded. People were coming in from all the countryside. A +man was haranguing the crowd from a horseless waggon drawn up at an inn. +The horses had no doubt been pressed into Monmouth's service some hours +before. I should think that there must have been three hundred people +listening to the orator. Men, already half drunk, with green boughs in +their hats, were marching about the town in uneven companies, armed +with clubs torn from the hedges. Weeping women followed them, trying to +persuade their sons or husbands to come home. Other men were bringing +out horses from private stables. People were singing. One man, leaning +out of a window, kept on firing his pistol as fast as he could load. +Waving men cheered from the hill above. The men in the town cheered +back. There was a great deal of noisy joking everywhere. They cheered us +as we rode through them, telling us that Monmouth had arms for all. One +poor woman begged Mr. Blick to tell her man to come home, as without him +the children would all starve. The crowd groaned at her; but Mr. Blick +stopped them, calling the husband, who was in a sad state of drunken +vainglory, to leave the ranks in which he tried to march. "We don't want +fathers of families," he cried. "We want these tight young bachelors. +They're the boys." Indeed, the tight young bachelors felt that this was +the case, so the woman got her man again; lucky she was to get him. As +far as I could judge, the crowd imagined us to be great officers; at +any rate our coming drew away the listeners from the waggon. They came +flocking to our heels as though we were the Duke himself. A drummer beat +up a quickstep; the crowd surged forward. We marched across the fields +to Lyme, five hundred strong. One of the men, plucking a sprig of +hawthorn from the hedge, asked me to wear it in my hat as the Duke's +badge, which I did. He called me "Captain." "Captain," he said. "We had +a brush with them already, this morning, along the road here. Two on 'em +were killed. They didn't stay for no more." So fighting had begun then, +the civil war had taken its first fruits of life. There could be no more +shillyshallying; we had put our hands to a big business. In spite of +the noise of the march, my spirits were rather dashed by the thought +of those two men, lying dead somewhere on the road behind us, killed by +their own countrymen. + +We are said to be a sober people; but none of those who saw Lyme that +morning would have had much opinion of our sobriety. Charmouth had been +disorderly; Lyme was uproarious. Outside the town, in one of the fields +above the church, we were stopped by a guard of men who all wore white +scarves on their arms, as well as green sprays in their hats. They +stopped us, apparently, because their captain wished to exercise them +in military customs. They were evidently raw to the use of arms. They +handled their muskets like spades. "Be you for Monmouth, masters?" they +asked us, grinning. When we said that we were, this very unmilitary +guard told us to pass on. "Her've got arms for all," they said. "The +word be 'Fear nothing but God.'" Some of them joked with friends among +our party. They waved their muskets to us. + + + +CHAPTER XVI. THE LANDING + +Inside the town, there was great confusion. Riotous men were foraging, +that is, plundering from private houses, pretending that they did so at +the Duke's orders. The streets were full of people, nearly all of them +men, the green boughs in their hats. On the beach two long lines of +men with green scarves on their arms were being drilled by an officer. +Horses were picketed in a long line up the main street; they were +mostly very poor cart-stock, ill-provided, as I learned afterwards, +with harness. Men were bringing hay to them from whatever haystack was +nearest. From time to time, there came a loud booming of guns, above +the ringing of the church bells. Three ships in the bay, one of them +La Reina, were firing salutes as they hoisted their colours. It was all +like a very noisy fair or coronation day. It had little appearance of an +armed invasion. We found the Duke busy with Mr. Jermyn enlisting men in +a field above the town. + +"That's not Mr. Jermyn. That's Lord Grey," Mr. Blick said, on hearing me +exclaim. "Mr. Jermyn's only the name he goes by. He's my Lord now, you +must remember." + +Just then the Duke caught sight of us riding up. He took us for local +gentry, coming in to volunteer. He came smiling to welcome us. It must +have been a shrewd disappointment to him to find that we were not what +he thought. All his hopes were in the gentry, poor man. By the time we +were on our feet with our hats off he had turned his back upon us +as though to speak to Lord Grey, but really, I believe, to hide his +chagrin. When he turned to us again both of them welcomed us, saying +that there was work enough for all, in enlisting men, making out +billets, etc. So without more ado we gave our horses to the ostlers at +an inn. Mr. Blick at once began to blarney the standers-by into joining, +while I, sitting at a little table, in the open air, wrote out copies of +a letter addressed to the local gentry. My copies were carried from Lyme +by messengers that afternoon but, alas for my master, they did not bring +many gentry to us. + +Now while I was writing at the table, under the great flapping standard, +with the Duke, in his purple coat, walking about in front of me, I had a +pretty full view of the crowd which ringed us in. We were circled about +by a crowd of gaping admirers; from whom, every minute, Mr. Blick, or +the Duke, or Lord Grey, would select a sheepish grinning man to serve +under our colours. Among the crowd I noticed a little old lame man with +a long white beard. He was a puppet-man, who was making the people laugh +by dancing his puppets almost under the Duke's nose. As he jerked the +puppet-strings, he played continually on his pan-pipes the ribald tune +of "Hey, boys, up go we," then very popular. The Duke spoke to him once; +but he did not answer, only bowed very low, with his hat off, which made +the people think him an idiot or a jester. They laughed heartily at him. +After a bit, it occurred to me that this old puppet-shaker always crept +into the ring (with his hat off to receive alms) whenever the Duke spoke +aside to Lord Grey, or to some other officer. I watched him narrowly to +make sure, because something in his manner made me suspect that he was +trying to catch what our leaders said to each other. I tried to recall +where I had seen the old man; for I had seen him before. He had been at +Exeter on the day we set out for Sidmouth, so much I remembered clearly; +but looking at him carefully, with my head full of memories of faces, +it seemed to me that he had been at Dorchester also. Surely an old man, +lame in the left leg like this man, had gone down a narrow lane in +front of me in Dorchester. I had not thought of it in Dorchester; but I +thought of it now, with a feeling that it was strange to meet again thus +in Lyme. I took good stock of the man, wondering if he were a spy. +He was a dirty old man enough. His dirty fingers poked through ragged +mittens. His cheeks were all swathed up in a woollen comforter. I made +the mistake of looking at him so hard that I made him look at me. Seeing +that I was staring at him, with a face full of suspicion, he walked +boldly up to me, holding out his hat for my charity. We stared at +each other, while he blew a blast on his pan-pipes, at which everybody +laughed. + +"Come, come, boy," said Lord Grey to me, "we want those letters done. +Never mind about the puppets. Here, old man" (giving him a penny), "you +take yourself off now. Or are you going to enlist?" + +The people laughed again at this, while the old man, after a flourish of +his hat to me, piped up lively quickstep, called "Jockeys to the Fair." + +He disappeared after this. I did not see him again until our troubles +began, later in the morning. I was finishing off the last of my letters, +when some of our scouts rode in to make a grave report to the Duke. They +had ridden in pretty hard, their horses were lathered all over. They +themselves were in an internal lather; for they had just had their first +sight of war. They had come into touch (so they declared) with the +whole of Albemarle's militia, marching out to attack them. On being +questioned, it turned out that they had heard this from an excited +labourer who had run to them with the news, as they stood guard in +a roadside field a few miles out of Lyme. They themselves had seen +nothing, but the news seemed so probable that the Duke acted on it. He +sent me off at once with a message to a clever, handsome gentleman who +was in charge of the cavalry in the street. It was in giving the message +that I saw the old man again. He was them limping up the street on the +Sidmouth road, going fast, in spite of his lameness. I gave my message +to the captain, who commanded his trumpeter to call to arms. The +trumpeter blew nobly; but the sight of the confusion afterwards showed +me how little raw troops can be trusted. There was a hasty scramble for +horses rather than a setting forth. Some men quarreled over weapons; +others wrestled with harness; others ran about wildly, asking what was +happening, was it to be a battle, what did blowing on the trumpet mean? +Some few, thinking the worst, got wisdom in those few moments. They took +horses from the ranks, but instead of forming up with the regiments, +they galloped off home, having had enough of soldiering at the first +order. The foot behaved rather better, knowing, perhaps, that if they +fought they would be behind hedges, in some sort of shelter. Even so, +they seemed a raw lot of clumsy bumpkins as they marched up. Many of +them were in ploughmen's smock-frocks; hardly any of them had any +sense of handling their guns. They had drums with them, which beat up +a quickstep, giving each man of them a high sense of his importance, +especially if he had been drinking. People in the roadway cheered them, +until they heard that there was to be a battle. Those who were coming in +to join us found it a reason for hesitation. + +After a lot of confusion, the army drew out of Lyme along the Sidmouth +road, followed by a host of sightseers. Some of the best mounted rode +on ahead at a trot, under the handsome man, Mr. Fletcher, who was their +captain. I followed on with the foot-soldiers, who marched extremely +slowly. They halted at their own discretion; nor did they seem to +understand that orders given were to be obeyed. What they liked, poor +fellows, was to see the women admiring them. The march up the hill +out of Lyme was a long exhibition of vanity, the women waving their +handkerchiefs, the men putting on all sorts of airs, jetting like +gamecocks. When we got up to the top of the hill, I saw the old lame +puppet-man, sitting on the edge of the wild, unenclosed, gorse-covered +common-land which stretches away towards the town of Axminster. He was +watching us with deep interest. Our men were spreading out into line +upon this common. The horse was ranging on, bobbing about, far ahead. +The foot were looking about eagerly as they got out of the ranks in +which they had marched; but they could see no trace of any enemy. +I caught sight of the Duke four hundred yards away, a little figure +sitting alone on his horse, in front of half a dozen others. They were +all scanning the country, all the way round. Presently I called out that +I saw the enemy. Half a dozen cavalry were riding up a combe far off. +But they were our own men, not the militia. They were some of our scouts +riding off as "feelers" to spy out Albemarle's position. All the time +that we were up there on the hill, the little old man portered about +among the men, now listening to what they had to say, now asking the +soldiers to look at his pretty puppets. When the returning scouts +brought word that no troops were near us, so that we were free to march +back again, he was still there, packing up his puppets in tarred canvas, +as though about to march off to the next market-town. We marched past +him, as he sat in the heather. I passed quite close to him, staring at +him hard, for to tell the truth he was on my mind. I was suspicious of +him. He took off his hat to me, with a smile; but he did not speak. Then +my troops swung round, down the hill, leaving him alone there, watching +the men pass. + +Other things put him out of my mind during the afternoon. I was kept +busy writing orders to scouts; for we were sending out scouts in every +direction, partly to protect us from surprise, partly to direct new +recruits to our headquarters. Mr. Blick, who knew the ground dictated +the letters, helped by Mr. Fletcher, who studied a big map with great +attention; I was writing all that afternoon. Lyme grew noisier during +the day, as the recruits became more drunk. Many steady men turned away +from us when they saw our disorder. I myself had been brought up to +abhor drunkenness. I found the state of drunken uproar very terrible. I +feared that such an army would never achieve any great deed. I thought +that such sin would be punished. Our soldiers were not behaving like +knights sworn to a good cause; but like boors at a fair. That day we +lost our only good officer, Mr. Fletcher. + +I have spoken of this gentleman. He was in command of the horse under +Lord Grey. He was a much better soldier than my Lord; a better officer, +too; a better man. Now in the day's confusion, with everything topsy +turvy, the Duke's messenger, "Old Dare," rode into Lyme from Taunton, +where he had galloped the day before to spread the news of our arrival. +This Dare was a quick-tempered, not very clever, popular man with a +great deal of influence in the countryside. On his way back to us from +Taunton, someone lent, or gave, him a very fine horse. It may have been +meant as a gift to the Duke; I do not know. Anyhow Old Dare rode in on +this horse with letters from Taunton, which he handed to Mr. Fletcher to +give to the Duke. Fletcher, our cavalry commander, had as yet no horse; +so seeing the splendid charger on which Old Dare rode, he ordered Old +Dare to give it up to him. He was the real commander of the army, with +a military right, if no real right, to take what horse he liked from +any subordinate officer. But Old Dare, like so many of our men, had no +knowledge of what soldier's discipline meant. He saw, in Fletcher, a +gentleman with whom he had lived as an equal for the last fortnight. He +was not going to give up his horse like that; not he. Fletcher (speaking +sharply) told him to obey without further words, at which Dare in a +sudden flush of temper struck him with his riding switch. Fletcher +was not a patient man. He could not let an act of gross mutiny pass +unpunished, nor would he suffer an insult. He shot Dare dead upon +the spot, in full view of some hundreds of us. It was all done in an +instant. There was Dare lying dead, never to stir again. There was +Fletcher, our only soldier, with a smoking pistol in his hand, thinking +that he had taught the army a lesson in obedience. There was the +army all about him, flocking round in a swarm, not looking at it as a +military punishment but as a savage murder, for which he deserved to be +hanged. Then the Duke hastened up to make things quiet, before the army +avenged their friend. He drew Fletcher aside, though the people murmured +at him for speaking to a murderer. He was unnerved by Fletcher's act. He +had no great vitality. Sudden crises such as this unnerved him, by +using up his forces. A crisis of this kind (a small thing in a great +rebellion) was often enough to keep his brain from considering other, +more important, more burning questions concerning the entire army. The +end of this business was as unhappy as its beginning. Fletcher, our only +soldier, was sent aboard the frigate in which the Duke had sailed from +Holland. When the tide served, she set sail with him for Corunna in +Spain. With him she carried all our hopes of success, together with a +quantity of stores which would have been of use later in the expedition. +As I left the Cobb, or pier, which makes Lyme harbour, I saw the little +lame puppet-man turning away from the beach with a company of men who +wore our green boughs. For a few steps I hurried towards him, so that I +might overhear what he was saying; I made so sure that he was a spy. Mr. +Blick, to whom I told my fears, bade me not to worry myself. "Why, boy," +he said, "there are five hundred spies in Lyme; but they can't hurt us. +Before they can get off to tell our enemies all about us there won't +be any enemies left. We shall be marching at once. We shall drive +everything before us." He spoke with such confidence that I believed +him; yet the old man troubled me, for all that. When you see a face +continually, at a time when you are excited, you connect the face with +your excitement; it troubles your nerves. + +The day wore by with all the unreality of a day of confusion. I was kept +at work until the light was gone; then served at the Duke's table while +he supped, then snatched a hurried supper while he talked with his +officers. After supper, I had to go from billet to billet, looking for +people whom the officers wished to see. Something very important was in +the air. The discussion in the inn's great room was the first serious +council of the war. About eleven o'clock, Lord Grey came out of the +room, telling me to follow him. We went out into the street, where +presently our men began to fall in, four or five abreast, about a +hundred ranks of them. A few cavalry came, too, but not enough, I heard +Lord Grey say, not enough to do any good with. In spite of all the +efforts of those who loved us (by efforts I mean the robbing of +farm-stables) we were very short of horses. Those which we had were not +good; they were cart, not saddle-horses, unused to the noise of guns. +Still, such as they were, they formed up in the street ahead of the +foot. The force took a long time to form; for the men kept saying that +they had forgotten something, their powder-horn, their cartridges, their +guns, even. Then they had to run back to their billets to fetch whatever +it was, while those who remained behind, puzzled at the movement so late +at night, when they wished to sleep, began to get nervous. They began to +ask where it was that we were going, was it to Axminster, or to Bridport. + + + +CHAPTER XVII. A VOICE AT DAWN + +Word was passed about that we were going to surprise the militia at +Bridport at dawn. We were told to keep quiet on the march, after passing +Charmouth, as the night was so still that we should be heard far off. We +did not know how near the Bridport outposts might come to us under cover +of the night. "You come with us, Martin," said Lord Grey: "Take a horse. +If we win Bridport you'll have to gallop back with the news." I was +made a little nervous by the thought of going into battle so soon; but +gulping down my fears I mounted a marsh-mare which stood near the inn +door. I hoped sincerely that no militia bullet would find any part of +either of us. Then the drums began to play us out of the town with their +morning roll. A fife whined out, going down to our marrows with its +shrillness. Lights showed at the windows. We saw dark heads framed in +yellow patches. People called to us. In the door of the great inn stood +Monmouth; his face seemed very white in the glare of the torches. He +raised his hand to us as we passed him. The last thing I noticed of the +town, for I rode in the rear with Lord Grey, were the ranks passing the +lamp on the town hall. They came up to it in waves, their cloaks showing +in glimmer for an instant. Then they passed on into the night, sliding +forwards slowly with a steady roll, like the moving of waves to the +shore. + +We were a long time riding; so long that the dawn was on us by the time +we were within shot of the enemy. I don't remember very much about the +ride, except that it was unreal, very unreal; for the mists came down, +blotting the world from us, so that we rode in a swirl of cold grey, +amid a noise of dropping. When we got to the top of the long hill after +Chideock I was bidden halt at a cross-roads, with a waggon full of +ammunition, while the force moved on to the attack. The hills were +showing up clearly above the mist; but the valley lay like a sea, a +great grey formless level, like some world of the ghosts. The troops +passed down in it, moving pretty briskly, lest the mist should lift +before they were in position. Most of them knew the country, so that +they could well walk confidently; but their quickness had something +nervous in it, as though they were ill at ease. Very soon they were out +of sight, out of hearing, swallowed up in the fog. + +I waited a long time (as it seemed) up there at the cross-roads. After a +long wait I rode a little down the hill, from sheer anxiety. I pulled +up in a bank of cloud, through which I could see dimly, in the growing +light, for about a dozen yards. I was leaning well forward, listening +for the sound of shooting, when something made me look down. Someone +was standing at my side, slipping something into my pocket. It gave me a +start. I clutched at the person. It was the old lame puppet-man who +had been at Lyme the day before. "Latter for ee," he said in a whisper. +"Read en, unless you'm a fool." His hand pressed lightly on my bridle +hand for an instant; then he ducked sideways swiftly into the wilderness +of ferny gorse at the side of the road, where I could not hope to +follow him, even if the mist had not hidden him. Something in the voice, +something in the lightness of the touch startled me into the knowledge. +As he ducked, it came over me that this old man was Aurelia disguised, +come to spy upon us, but bent, also, on giving me a warning, some little +kind word of advice, at the beginning of my lord's war. I ought to have +recognized her before. I had been blind. She had been under my eyes the +whole day, yet I had never once suspected, no one, of all that army, had +suspected. She had been disguised by a master-hand. She had played her +part like a great actress. It was terrible to think of the risk she was +running. One man's suspicion, in a time of war, would have been enough +to give her to a horrible death. I tried to follow her into the jungle +into which she had vanished; but my horse would not face the furze. I +tried hard to see her, but it was no use; the tangle was too thick; she +had gone. I called out to her softly; but I got no answer; only, at some +little distance away, I heard a twig snap under a passer's foot. + +In a momentary clearing of the mist, I pulled out my letter. It was +written in a fine, firm hand, with signature. It was a short, purposeful +letter, which kept sharply to the point. It only contained two lines. +"Your Duke's cause is hopeless. He has no possible chance. Take the +Axminster road to safety." That was the whole letter. It gave me a +feeling of uneasiness; but it did not tempt me to desert. I thought that +if I deserted I might very well be tortured into betraying all that I +knew of the Duke's plans, while I doubted very much whether the Duke's +body-servant would find mercy from the merciless, frightened King. What +was I to do, even if I escaped from the King's party? I was too young +for any employment worthy of my station in life. I had neither the +strength nor the skill for manual labour. Who would employ a boy of my +age on a farm or in a factory? All that I could hope would be to get +away to sea, to a life which I had already found loathsome. As to going +back to my uncle's house, I doubt if I would have gone, even had I had +the certainty of getting to it safely. When a boy has once taken to an +adventurous life, nothing but very ill health will drive him back to +home-life. Yet there was the thought of Aurelia. Somehow the thought +of her was a stronger temptation than any fear of defeat. I would have +liked to have seen that old enemy of mine again. + +I was thinking over the letter, wondering what would come to the Duke's +cause, when the valley below me began to ring with firing. A heavy +fire had begun there. It thundered in a long roll, which died down, +momentarily, into single sputterings through which one could hear +shouting. About twenty minutes after the beginning of the shots, when +all the party on the hill-top were edging nearer to the battle, taking +a few steps at a time, on tenter-hooks to be engaged, we heard a great +gallop of horses' hoofs coming to us at full tilt. At first we +were scared by this, for the noise was tremendous, too great, we +inexperienced soldiers thought, to be caused by our little troop of +cavalry. We thought that it was the Bridport militia charging down on +us, after destroying our friends. The mist by this time was all blowing +clear, though wisps of it clung along the hedgerows in unreal rolling +folds. The day above was breaking in the sultry blue summer dimness. We +could see, I suppose, for a quarter of a mile, straight down the road. + +We had swung round, facing towards Lyme, when the noise of the hoofs +first came to us. When the turn of the road showed us a squad of cavalry +coming to us at the charge, led by half a dozen riderless horses, we +waited for no more. We spurred up our nags in a panic, till we, too, +were going full tilt for Lyme, shouting out as we went any nonsense +which came to our heads. We were in a panic fear; I believe that the +horses in some way felt it too. We galloped back to Chideock as though +we were chased by witches, while the gun-firing at Bridport steadily +grew less, till at last it stopped altogether. At Chideock, some of the +cavalry came up with us. They were our own men, our own troop of horse, +not an enemy after all. The riderless horses were a few of the militia +charges which had been seized from a cavalry outpost to the west of the +town. We had bolted from our own crazy terror. But we were not the only +fleers. Our cavalry had bolted first, at the first volley outside the +town. It is unjust to say that they were afraid. Lord Grey was not a +coward; our men had stout hearts enough; but they had not reckoned +on the horses. The first discharge of guns scared the horses almost +frantic. They swung about out of action in a couple of seconds. Another +volley made them all bolt. It was when they were bolting that the men +began to grow alarmed. Fear is a contagious thing; it seems to pass +from spirit to spirit, like a flame along a powder train, till perhaps +a whole army feels it. Our horsemen pulled up among us in Chideock in +as bad a scare as you ever saw; it was twenty minutes before they dared +walk back to find out what had happened to the foot at Bridport, after +their retreat. + +Our foot came back very angry with the horse. They had fired away a lot +of powder to very little purpose, before orders reached them, bidding +them retire. They had not wished to retire; but at last they had done +so sullenly, vowing to duck Lord Grey for deserting them. We had +taken about a dozen horses without harness, instead of the two hundred +equipped chargers which we had promised ourselves. + +We had killed a few of the militia, so everybody said; but in the +confusion of the powder-smoke who could say how many? They were certain +that none of our own men had been killed; but in a force so newly +raised, who could say for certain which were our own men? As a matter +of fact several of our men had been taken by the royalists, which is as +much as to say that they had been killed. Altogether the affair had +been a hopeless failure from the very beginning. The foot had learned to +despise the horse. The horses had learned to be afraid of gun-fire. The +cavalrymen had learned to despise Lord Grey. The militia had learned to +despise us. The only valuable lesson that our men had learned was that +a battle was not so terrible a thing. You knelt down, fired your gun, +shouted, borrowed your neighbour's drinking bottle, took a long swig, +then fired again, with more shouting, till somebody clapped you on the +shoulder with orders to come away. But this lesson, precious as it was +did not console our men for their beating. They were cross with the long +night-march as well as with Lord Grey's desertion. We dragged our +way back to Lyme very slowly, losing a good fifty of our number by +desertion. They slipped away home, after falling out of the ranks to +rest. They had had enough of fighting for the Duke; they were off home. +The officers were strict at first, trying to stop these desertions; but +the temper of the men was so bad that at last they gave it up, hoping +that some at least would stay. That was another evil consequence of +fighting for the crown with an undisciplined mob; they could sustain +defeat as ill as they could use victory. We did not trail into Lyme +until after noon; for we marched like snails, fearing that the militia +would follow us. When we got into camp, the men flung their arms from +them, careless of the officer's orders. All that they wanted was sleep +(we had eaten a late breakfast at Charmouth), they were not going to +do any more soldier's foolery of drill, or sentry-go. As for Lord Grey, +whom everybody called a coward, the Duke could not cashier him, because +he was the best officer remaining to us. Poor Fletcher, who might have +made something of our cavalry, was by this time far away at sea. The +other officers had shown their incapacity that morning. For my own part, +I chose out a snug billet on a hearthrug in the George Inn, where I +slept very soundly for several hours. While I slept, the Duke held a +melancholy council to debate what could be done. + +They say that he ought to have marched that morning to Exeter, where +Lord Albemarle's militia (all of them ripe for rebellion) would have +joined him. + +Exeter or Bristol, one or the other, would have been a fine plume in +his cap, a strong, fortified town, full of arms, where he could have +established himself firmly. I do not know why he decided against +marching to Exeter. He may have had bad reports of troops being on the +road waiting for him; or he may have thought that his friends (who +were plentiful on the Bristol road) would rally to him as soon as he +appeared. He was deceived by those protesting gentry, his friends, who +had welcomed him so warmly only a few months before. He thought that all +the countryside was ready to join him. He had been deceived, as perhaps +a cleverer man would have been deceived, by the warmth of his welcome +on his earlier visit. An Englishman is always polite to a Duke when he +meets him in a friendly gathering. But when the Duke says, "Lend me all +your ready money, together with your horses, or rather give them to me, +since I am the King," his politeness leaves him; he gets away to London +to warn the police as fast as his horse will take him. Thus it was with +the Duke's friends scattered about along the main-road from Lyme to +Bristol. + +I know not who persuaded the Duke to march; probably it was Grey; it may +have been Venner; it may have been a momentary mad resolution caused +by a glass of wine. They say that he was solemn about it, as though he +expected to fail. Perhaps he would have gone back to Holland if the ship +had been still in the harbour, but of course she had gone away. He would +not go in La Reina; for she was sluggish from barnacles, having been +long un-careened. The Channel at this time was full of ships looking for +him; how he escaped them when he sailed from Holland I cannot think. He +hesitated for a long time, poor man, before deciding; no man could have +acted more like a Stuart, at such a time. When the decision was made he +gave word to start early on the following morning. But this I did not +know till one A.M, when Lord Grey routed me out from my berth on the +hearth-rug, so that I might go from house to house, calling up our +officers. + +I suppose that all our officers were out of bed by two o'clock, yet +it took them eight hours to get their men together, into some sort of +order. We were hardly ready for the road at ten A.M. when the drums +beat up to play us out of the town. As I was the Duke's servant, I was +allowed to ride by my master; I daresay people thought that I was the +young Prince. We marched up the hill gaily, with a multitude flocking +all about us, but there were many of that crowd who looked doubtfully +at my master's sad face, thinking that he looked over-melancholy for a +conquering king. + +We marched out of Lyme into a valley, through a sort of suburb called +Uplyme. After that we marched steadily up hill, a long climb of two +miles, having a great view of the countryside on our left hand. Our +right was shut from us by a wooded hill. It was a warm, sunny June day: +the grass just ripe for hay harvest; the country at its best; everything +at its full flower, so that you wondered at the world's abundance. We +sent out scouts, when we were about a mile from Lyme; but when we were +at the top of the hill we could see for ourselves, without putting +scouts abroad. We could see horsemen on the high ground away to the +left, two or three hundred of them. Besides these there were some +companies of foot drawn up in good order in the fields outside +Axminster, at some distance from the town. When this army caught sight +of us, it began to file off towards the town, as though to dispute it +with us, so our advanced guard pushed on to drive them out of it. +The sight of so many men in order, was a very moving one. To see them +advance their colours, to see the light on the shifting steel, to hear +the low beating hum of the feet was stirring to the heart. Word ran +along the line that there was going to be a battle. Our foot left the +road, so as to spread out into line in the open, where they could take +up positions behind hedges. I was sent back to the rear at this instant, +to order up the ammunition waggons, so that I missed some part of the +operations; but I shall never forget how confidently our men spread out; +they marched as though they were going into the fields for partridges. +The drums began again, to hearten them, but there was no need for drums +in that company; they began to sing of their own accord, making a noise +which drowned the drums altogether. I gave my orders to the ammunition +waggons, which were blocked in a jumble of sightseers, camp-followers, +etc., etc., so that they could hardly move. The drivers got me to charge +my horse through the mob to make a path, which I did, with a good deal +of pain to myself, for the people thus thrust aside struck at me. The +drivers struck out at them in return; we had a little fight of our own, +while Axminster was being won. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. I SPEAK WITH AURELIA + +The next thing which I remember was coming out of the mob with the +waggons just behind me, going at a smart pace to a position on the +army's right. The road was pretty full of all sorts of people; but as +we shouted for them to clear the way, they made a lane for us. I saw the +Duke's little clump of staff-officers on a pitch of rising ground, but +there was no firing; only a noise of many voices singing. Just as we +were about to turn off the road into the fields behind our right wing, +I saw the little old lame puppet-man sitting on a donkey by the ditch +at the side of the road. I shouted to the drivers to pass on, which they +did, at full tilt, while I drew rein by the old man's side. "Aurelia," I +said, "this is no place for you. Do get away from here before they find +you out." + +"Why," she said, very calmly, in the broad burring man's voice which +she imitated so exactly. "I be come 'ere to find you out. You'm going to +your death, boy. You get out of this 'ere army afore you're took. I +tell ee thy Duke be a doomed man. Look at en's face. Why, boy, there be +eleven thousand soldiers a-marching to put er down. You've only a got +a quarter of that lot. Come out of en, boy. Do-an't ee be led wrong." I +was touched by her kind thought for me; she was risking her life for +me for the second time, but in the hurry of the moment I could not put +words together to thank her. + +"Aurelia," I said, "I can't talk to you now. Only get out of this. Don't +stay here. I'm all right." + +"No, Martin," she said, in her ordinary voice, "you're not all right. +Come out of this. Slip away tonight to Newenham Abbey. It be over there, +not more than a couple of miles. Oh, come, come. I can't bear to see you +going away to certain death. I KNOW that this force cannot win." + +"Yes, Aurelia," I answered. "But I'm not going to be a hang-back for all +that. I'm not going to be a coward. You risk a horrible death, only to +tell me not to do the same. You wouldn't give up a cause you believed +in, merely because it was dangerous. I'll stick by my master, Aurelia. +Don't try to tempt me." + +She would have said more; she would perhaps have persuaded me from my +heroics, had not the guns begun firing. That broke the spell with a +vengeance; nothing could be done after that. I shook up my horse, hardly +pausing to say "God bless you." In another minute she was out of sight, +while I was cantering off to the extreme right wing with the Duke's +orders to his officers to cut in on the road to Chard. As I rode along, +behind the scattered line of our men, I could see the rolls of smoke +from the firing on the left. The men on the right were not firing, but +being raw troops they were edging little by little towards the firing, +in which I do not doubt they longed to be, for the sake of the noise. +They say now that the Duke threw away this battle at Axminster. He could +have cut Albemarle's troops to pieces had he chosen to do so. They made +a pretty bold front till we were within gunfire of them, when they all +scattered off to the town pell-mell. While they were in the town, we +could have cut them off from the Chard road, which would have penned +them in while we worked round to seize the bridges. After that, one +brisk assault would have made the whole batch of them surrender. Some of +our officers galloped from our right wing (where I was) to see how the +land lay, before leading off their men as I had brought them word. A +few of them fired their pistols, when they came to the road, which was +enough to make the right wing double forward to support them without +orders. In a minute about a thousand of us were running fast after our +officers, while the Duke's aides charged down to stop us. He had decided +not to fight, probably thinking that it would do his cause no good by +killing a lot of his subjects so early in his reign. We know now that +had he made one bold attack that morning, the whole of Albemarle's +force, with the exception of a few officers, would have declared for +him. In other words we should have added to our army about a thousand +drilled armed men who knew the country through which we were to pass. +By not fighting, we discouraged our own army, who grumbled bitterly when +they found their second battle as ineffectual as the fight at Bridport. + +I remember next that I saw the whole of Albemarle's troops flying for +their lives along the Chard road, flinging away their weapons as they +ran. They had the start of us; but a resolute captain could have brought +them to a stand, by pushing forward his cavalry. However "a bridge of +gold to a flying foe" is a good saying. We let them go. When our cavalry +advanced (to keep them on the move, not to fight with them) they passed +the time in collecting what the militia had flung away; about four +thousand pounds' worth of soldiers' stores, chiefly uniforms. I went +forward with the horse on that occasion. I picked up altogether about a +dozen muskets, which I gave to some of our men who were armed only with +clubs. Then I rode back to report myself ready for service to my master, +who was getting ready for camp, thinking that his men had done enough +for one day. + +It was a sad waste of time. A rough camp was formed. We went no further +for that time. About half a precious day was wasted, which might have +brought us nearly to Taunton under a resolute man, sworn to conquer. +Some of our men went out to forage, which they did pretty roughly. It +was theft with violence, coloured over by some little touch of law. +The farmers who were unpopular thereabouts had their cattle driven off; +their ricks carted off; their horses stolen; their hen-roosts destroyed. +We were like an army of locusts, eating up everything as we passed. Our +promises to pay, when the King came to his own, were really additional +insult; for the people robbed knew only too well how Stuart kings kept +their promises. One strange thing I saw that night. The men who were +cooking their newly stolen beef at the camp-fires kept crying out for +camp-kettles in which to boil the joints. We had no camp-kettles; but an +old man came forward to the Duke's quarters to ask if he might show the +men how to cook their meat without kettles. The Duke at once commanded +him to show us how this might be done. Like most useful inventions, it +was very simple. It was one of those things which are forgotten as life +becomes civilised, but for want of which one may perish when one returns +to barbarity, as in war. The old man began by placing stout poles +in tripods over the camp-fires, lashing them firmly at the top with +faggot-binders. Then he took the hide of one of the slaughtered cattle, +gathering it up at the corners, so as to form a sort of bag. He cut some +long narrow strips from the hide of the legs, with which to tie the four +corners together. Then he lashed the four corners to the tripod, so that +the bag hung over the fire. + +"There," he said. "There is your kettle. Now put water into en. Boil +thy victuals in er. That be a soldier's camp-kettle. You can carry your +kettle on your beef till you be ready for en." + +Indeed, it proved to be a very good kind of a kettle after one got +used to the nastiness of it, though the smell of burning hair from the +kettles was disgusting. To this day, I have only to singe a few hairs +in a candle to bring back to my mind's eye that first day in camp at +Axminster, the hill, the valley ringed in by combes, the noise of the +horses, the sputtering of the fires of green wood, the many men passing +about aimlessly, wondering at the ease of a soldier's life after the +labour of spring ploughing. It was a wonderful sight, that first camp +of ours; but the men for the most part grumbled at not fighting; they +wanted to be pushing on, to seize the city of Bristol, instead of +camping there. How did they know, they said, that the weather would +keep fine? How were we to march with all our ten baggage waggons if the +weather turned wet, so that the roads became muddy? The roads in those +parts became deep quagmires in rainy weather. A light farmer's market +cart might go in up to the axles after a day's steady rain. To march +through such roads would break the men's hearts quicker than any +quantity of fighting, however disastrous. Thus they grumbled about the +camp-fires, while I bustled over the Duke's dinner, in the intervals of +running errands for the colonel. + +That evening, after the summer dusk had come, but before the army had +settled to sleep, I heard an old man, one of our cavalrymen, talking to +another trooper. "Ah," he said, "I was fighting in the old wars under +Oliver. I've seen wars enough. You mark my words, boy, this army won't +do much. We've not got enough men, for one thing. We could have had +fourteen thousand or more if he'd thought to bring muskets for en. We've +not got cavalry, that's another thing. When us do come face to face with +all the King's men us shall be sore put to it for want of a few trusty +horses. Horsemen be the very backbones of armies in the field. Then, +boy, we not got any captains, that's worst of all. The Duke's no +captain. If he'd been a captain her'd have fought this morning. Them +others aren't captains neither, none of them. Besides, what are they +doing sitting down in camp like this when we ought to be marching? +Us ought to be marching. Marching all night, never setting down once, +marching in two armies, one to Exeter, one to Bristol. Us'd 'ave the two +towns by late tomorrow night if us was under old Oliver. It'll take us +a week to get to Bristol at this rate. By that time it will be full of +troops, as well as secured by ships. As for us, by that time we shall +have troops all round us, not to speak of club-men." + +"Ah," said the younger man. "What be club-men, gaffer?" + +"You'll know soon enough what club-men are," the old man answered, "if +there's any more of this drunken dirty robbery I saw this afternoon. +Those thieves who stole the farmer's cattle would have been shot in +Oliver's time. They'd have cast lots on a drum in sight of all on us, +drawn up. The men who got the low numbers would have been shot. The +captains would have pistolled them where they stood. If this robbing +goes on, all the farmers will club together to defend themselves, making +a sort of second army for us to fight against. That is what club-men +means. It's not a nice thing to fight in a country where there are +club-men all round you. No, boy. So what with all this, boy, I be going +to creep out of this 'ere army. I do-an't like the look of things, nor +I do-an't like the way things are done. If you take a old man's advice +you'll come too." + +"Noa," said the honest oaf, "I be agoin' to vight. I be a-goin' to +London town to be a girt sol-dier." + +"Ah," said the old man, shortly, "you be a vule, Tummas. Wish ee good +day, maister." Then the old man turned sharply on his heel to leave the +camp, which he did easily enough, for he knew several of the sentries. +Even if he had not known them, it would have made little difference, +because our sentries were so lax that the camp was always swarming with +strangers. Women came to see their husbands or sweethearts. Boys came +out of love of mischief. Men came out of curiosity, or out of some wish +to see things before they decided which side to take. Our captains were +never sure at night how many of their men would turn up at muster the +next morning. + +After the old man had deserted, I sat down on the high ground above the +camp, in the earthen battery where our four little guns were mounted. I +was oppressed with a sad feeling that we were all marching to death. The +old man's words, "we shall have troops all round us," rang in my head, +till I could have cried. My mind was full of terrible imaginings. I +saw our army penned up in a little narrow valley where the roads were +quagmires, so that our guns were stuck in the mud, our horses up to +their knees, our men floundering. On the hills all round us I saw +the King's armies, fifty thousand strong, marching to music under the +colours, firing, then wheeling, forming with a glint of pikes, bringing +up guns at a gallop, shooting us down, while we in the mud tried to +form. I knew that the end of it all would be a little clump of men round +the Duke, gathered together on a hillock, holding out to the last. The +men would be dropping as the shot struck them. The wounded would waver, +letting their pike-points drop. Then' there would come a whirling of +cavalry, horses' eyes in the smoke, bright iron horse-shoes gleaming, +swords crashing down on us, an eddy of battle which would end in a hush +as the last of us died. I saw all these pictures in my brain, as clearly +as one sees in a dream. You must not wonder that I looked over the misty +fields towards Newenham Abbey with a sort of longing to be there, well +out of all the war. It was only a mile from me. I could slip away so +easily. I was not bound to stay where I was, to share in the misery +caused by my leader's want of skill. Then I remembered how my father had +believed in the right of the Duke's cause. He would have counselled me +to stay, I thought. It seemed to me, in the dusk of the night, that my +father was by me, urging me to stay. The thought was very blessed; it +cleared away all my troubles as though they had not been. I decided +to look no more towards Newenham; but to go on by the Duke's side to +whatever fortune the wars might bring us. Somehow, the feeling that my +father was by me, made me sure that we were marching to victory. I went +to my quarters comforted, sure of sleeping contentedly. + +Like the rest of us, I had to sleep in the open, without any more +shelter than a horse-cloth. Even the Duke was without a tent that night. +He slept in camp with us, to set an example to his men, though he might +well have gone to some house in the town. I liked the notion of sleeping +out in the open. In fine warm summer weather, when the dew is not too +heavy, it is pleasant, until a little before the dawn, when one feels +uneasy, for some reason, as though an enemy were coming. Perhaps our +savage ancestors, the earliest ancient Britons, who lived in hill-camps, +high up, with their cattle round them, expected the attacks of their +enemies always at a little before the dawn; so that, in time, the +entire race learned to be wakeful then, lest the enemy should catch the +slumberers, with flint-axe heads in the skull. It may be that to this +day we feel the fear felt by so many generations of our ancestors. On +this first night in camp, I found that many of the men were sleeping +uneasily, for they did not know the secret of sleeping in the open. They +did not know that to sleep comfortably in the open one must dig a little +hole in the ground, about as big as a porridge bowl, to receive one's +hipbone. If you do this, you sleep at ease, feeling nothing of the +hardness of the bed. If you fail to do it, you wake all bruised, after a +wretched night's tumbling; you ache all the next day. + +After grubbing up a hollow with my knife, I swathed myself in my blanket +with a saddle for pillow. I watched the stars for a while, as they +drifted slowly over me. The horses stamped, shaking their picket-ropes. +The sentries walked their rounds, or came to the camp-fires to call +their reliefs. The night was full of strange noises. The presence of so +many sleeping men was strange. It was very beautiful, very solemn. It +gave one a kind of awe to think that thus so many famous armies had +slept before the battles of the world, before Pharsalia, before Chalons, +before Hastings. Presently the murmuring became so slight that I fell +asleep, forgetting everything, only turning uneasily from time to time, +to keep the cool night wind from blowing on my cheeks so as to wake me. + +It must have been two in the morning when I was wakened by some armed +men, evidently our sentries, who rolled me over without ceremony. + +"Wake up, young master," they said, grinning. "You'm wanted. You be to +get up to go a errand. You be a soldier now. You does your sleeping in +peace-times when you be a soldier," I sat up blinking my eyes, in the +early light, thinking how nice t'other forty winks would be. + +"Heigho," I yawned. "All right. I'm awake. What is it? What's the +matter?" + +"Lord Grey be a wanting you, young master," said one of the men. "Down +there, where them horses be in the road." I picked myself up at that, +wishing for a basin of water into which I might shove my head. + +"Yes, yes," I said. "Thank you. I'll go down." I left my blanket where +it was, as I expected to be back in a few minutes. I walked down hill +out of the camp to the road where the horses stood; there were four +horses, two of them mounted. The mounted men were regular country +bumpkins, with green sprays in their hats, like the rest of our men; but +their horses were pretty good, much better than most of those we had. +One of them was a stocky old cob, which was no doubt to be mine. +The other was a beast with handsome harness for Lord Grey. "Alas," I +thought. "No more sleep for me. I've got to ride. I wonder where we are +going." The men touched their hats to me; for as I was in the Duke's +retinue I was much respected. Some of them no doubt thought I was a +princeling or little lord. + +"Where are we going?" I asked the troopers. + +"Going scouting out towards Colyton yonder, sir," said one of them. "Us +be to pick up his Lordship in the town." + + + +CHAPTER XIX. I MEET THE CLUB MEN + +I wondered when I was to get breakfast; but I knew Lord Grey well enough +to know that he was not a man to go willingly without food for more than +a few hours at a time. Breakfast I should have presently, nor would it +be skin-boiled beef, smelling of singed hair. So I mounted my cob with +a good will. The first trooper rode by my side, the other waited for a +moment to examine the feet of Lord Grey's charger. He trotted after +us, leading the riderless horse, some fifty yards behind us. We trotted +smartly through Axminster, where we set the dogs barking. People sprang +from their beds when they heard us, fearing that we were an army coming +to fight. We cantered out of the town over the river, heading towards a +hilly country, which had few houses upon it. I looked back after leaving +Axminster, to see if Lord Grey wanted me. He had mounted his horse +somewhere in the town; but he was now a couple of hundred yards behind +us, riding' with a third man, whom I judged to be Colonel Foukes, by his +broad white regimental scarf. After we had gone a few miles, we came to +a cross-roads where my guide bade me halt to wait for orders. The others +had pulled up, too. I could see Lord Grey examining a map, while his +horse sidled about across the road. The trooper who had been riding with +him, joined us after a while, telling us to take the road to our right, +which would take us, he said, towards Taunton. We were to keep our eyes +skinned, he said, for any sign of armed men coming on the high-road from +Honiton, so as to threaten our left flank. The gentlemen were going to +scout towards the sea. At eight o'clock, if we had seen no trace of any +armed force coming, we were to make for Chard, where we should find the +Duke's army. We were to examine the roads for any signs of troops having +passed recently towards Taunton. We were to enquire of the country +people, if troops were abroad in that countryside, what troops they +might be, how led, how equipped, etc. If we came across any men anxious +to join the Duke we were to send them on to Chard or Ilminster, on the +easterly road to Taunton. We were to ride without our green boughs, he +said; so before starting on our road we flung them into the ditches. +Lord Grey waved his hand to us, as he turned away with his friend. We +took off our hats in reply, hardly in a soldierly salute; then we set +off at a walk along the Taunton road. It is a lonely road leading up to +the hills, a straight Roman road, better than any roads laid in England +at that time; but a road which strikes horror into one, the country +through which it runs is so bleak. + +By about six o'clock (according to one of the troopers, who judged by +the height of the sun) we were in a clump of firs high up on a hill, +looking over a vast piece of eastern Devon. We had scouted pretty +closely all round Honiton, examining the country people, without hearing +of any troops. We were now looking out for some gleam upon a road, some +rising of dust over a hedge, some scattering of birds even, any sign +of men advancing, which might be examined more closely. The morning was +bright; but the valleys had mist upon them, which would soon turn to the +quivering blue June heat-haze. The land lay below us, spread out in huge +folds; the fields, all different colours, looked like the counties on a +map; we could see the sea, we could see the gleam of a little river. We +could see Axminster far to the east of us; but the marching army was out +of sight, somewhere on the Chard high-road. After scanning pretty well +all around us, I caught sight of moving figures on the top of one of the +combes to south of us. We all looked hard at the place, trying to make +out more of them. They were nearly a mile from us. They seemed to be +standing there as sentries. At first we thought that they must be people +with Lord Grey; but as we could see no horses we decided that they could +not be. One of the men said that as far as he'd heard tell like, +the combe on which they stood was what they call a camp, where soldiers +lived in the old time. He didn't know much more about it; but he said +that he thought we ought to examine it, like, before riding on to some +inn where we could breakfast. + +The other man seemed to think so, too; but when we came to talk over +the best way of doing our espials, we were puzzled. We should be seen at +once if we went to them directly. We might be suspected if we approached +them on horseback. If the men went, they might be detained, because, for +all that we knew, the combe might be full of militia. So I said I had +better go, since no one would suspect a boy. To this the men raised a +good many objections, looking at each other suspiciously, plainly asking +questions with their raised eyebrows. I thought at the time that they +were afraid of sending me into a possible danger, because I was a +servant attached to the Duke's person. However, when I said that I would +go on foot, taking all precautions, they agreed grudgingly to let me go. + +I crept along towards this combe on foot, as though I were going bird's +nesting. I beat along by the hedges, keeping out of sight behind them, +till I was actually on the combe's north slope, climbing up to the old +earthwork on the top. I took care to climb the slope at a place where +there was no sentry, which was, of course, not only the steepest bit of +the hill but covered with gorse clumps, through which I could scarcely +thrust my way. Up towards the top the gorse was less plentiful; there +were immense foxgloves, ferns, little marshy tufts where rushes grew, +little spots of wet bright green moss. Yellow-hammers drawled their +pretty tripping notes to me, not starting away, even when I passed close +to them. All the beauty of June was on the earth that day; the beauty of +everything in that intense blue haze was wonderful. + +The top of the combe was very steep, steeper than any of the ascent, +because it had been built up like an outer wall by the savages who once +lived there with their cattle. I could see just the bare steep wall +of the rampart standing up in a dull green line of short-grassed turf +against the sky, now burning with the intense blue of summer. One hard +quick scramble, with my fingernails dug into the ground, brought my head +to the top of the rampart, beyond which I could see nothing but +great ferns, a forest of great ferns, already four or five feet high, +stretching away below, into the cup of the camp or citadel. I did not +dare to stand up, lest I should be seen. I burrowed my way among the +ferns over the wall into the hollow, worming my way towards the edge of +the fern clump so that I could see. In a minute, I was gazing through +the fern-stems into the camp itself; it was a curious sight. + +About fifty people (some of them women) were sitting about a hollow +in the ground, which I guessed to be a sort of smokeless fireplace or +earth-oven. Everywhere else, all over the hollow of the camp, which +must have been a full three hundred yards across, were various kinds of +farm-stock, mostly cattle, though there were many picketed horses, too. +At first I thought that I had climbed into a camp of gipsies, which gave +me a scare; for gipsies then were a wild lot, whom wise folk avoided. +Then, as I glanced about, I saw a sentry standing not thirty yards from +me, but well above me, on the rampart top. He was no gipsy he was an +ordinary farmer's lad, with the walk of a ploughman. His sleeves, which +were rolled back, showed me a sun-burnt pair of arms, such as no gipsy +ever had. What puzzled me about him was his heavy double-barrelled +pistol, which he carried in his right hand, with something of a military +cock, yet as though awed by it. He was not over sure of that same +pistol. I could see that he confounded it in some way with art-magic. + +Then I remembered what the old soldier had said the night before about +club men. This camp must be a camp of club men, I thought. They had come +there to protect their stock from the rapine of our vile pillagers, who +had spread such terror amongst the farmers the day before. Perched up +on the combe, with sentries always on the look-out, they could see the +Duke's raiders long before they came within gunshot. If an armed force +had tried to rush the camp, after learning that the beasts were shut up +within it (which, by the way, no man could possibly suspect until he +saw them from the rampart top), the few defenders clubbed together there +could have kept them out without difficulty; for there was only one +narrow entrance to the camp, so constructed that any one entering by it +could be shot at from three sides, if not from all four. I looked about +me carefully from my hiding-place, till I decided that I could get a +better view from another part of the fern clump. I began to wriggle +through the thick, sweet-scented stalks, towards the heart of the camp, +going with infinite care, so as not to break down the fern into a path. +I hoped to make no more stir among the fern-tops than would be made by +one of the many pigs scattering about in the enclosure. + +While I was crawling along in this way, I suddenly heard a curious +noise from an intensely thick part of the fern in front of me. It was a +clinking noise, followed by a sort of dry rasping, as though a very big +person were gritting his teeth very hard. It stopped suddenly, but soon +began again. I thought that it must be some one mending harness with +a file, or perhaps some old sheep or cow, with the remnants of a bell +about her neck, licking a stone for salt. As was in an adventure, +I thought that I would see it out to the end; for I was enjoying my +morning. In spite of the want of breakfast I felt very like a red Indian +or a pirate, creeping through the jungle to the sack of a treasure +train. So I wormed on towards the noise. As I came near to it, I went +more cautiously, because in one of the pauses of the noise, I heard a +muttered curse, which told me that the unseen noise-maker was a man. If +I had been wise I should have stopped there; for I had learned all that +I came out to learn. But I was excited now. I wished to see everything, +before creeping away unseen to make my report. Perhaps I wished to see +something which had nothing to do with the club men, a private main +of cocks, say, or a dog, or bull-baiting, carried on with some of the +squire's creatures, but without his knowledge. I had a half wish that I +might have something of the kind to report; because in my heart I longed +to say nothing to any of the Duke's party which might lead to the ruin +of these poor people who were trying so hard to protect their property. + +A few feet further on, I was wishing most heartily that I had never +left my room in London. It was like this. In the very heart of the fern +clump, where the ferns were tallest, a little spring bubbled out of +the ground, at the rate, I suppose, of a pint of water in a minute. The +ferns grew immensely thick there; but someone had thinned out a few of +the roots from the ground, leaving the uprooted plant with the ferns +still living, to form a rough kind of thatch above a piece of earth big +enough for a man's body. In the scented shade of this thatch, with +the side of his face turned towards me, a big, rough, bearded man sat, +filing away some bright steel irons which were riveted on his ankles. He +swore continually in a low whisper as he worked, not even pausing in his +curses when he spat on to the hollow scraped in the irons by his file. +He was the fiercest looking savage of a man I have ever seen. His face +had a look of stern, gloomy cruelty which I shall never forget. His +general appearance was terrible; for he had a face burnt almost black by +the sun (some of it may have been mud) with a nasty white scar running +irregularly all down his left cheek, along the throat to the shoulder. +He was not what you might call naked, a naked man, such as I have seen +since in the hot countries, would have looked a nobleman beside him. He +wore a pair of dirty linen knickerbockers, all frayed into ribbons at +the knees, a pair of strong hide slippers bound to his ankles by strips +of leather, a part of a filthy red shirt without sleeves, a hat stolen +from a scarecrow, nothing else whatever, except the mud of many days' +gathering. His shirt was torn all down the back in a great slit which +he had tried to secure by what the sailors call "Bristol buttons," i.e. +pieces of string. The red flannel hung from him so as to show his back, +all criss-crossed with flogging scars. I knew at once from the irons +that he was a criminal escaped from gaol; but the criss-crossed scars +taught me that he was a criminal of the most terrible kind, probably one +who had shipped into the Navy to avoid hanging. + +I took in a view of him before he saw me. His image was stamped on my +brain in less than ten seconds. In the eleventh second, I was lying on +my back in the gloom of the fern-growth, with this great ruffian on my +chest, squeezing me by my windpipe. I cannot say that he spoke to me. It +was not speech. It was the snarling wild beast gurgle which passes for +speech in the slums of our great cities, as though all the filth of a +low nature were choking in the throat at once. He was on me too quickly +for me to cry out. I could only lie still, cackling for breath, while +the fierce face glowered down on me. I understood him to say that he +would have my windpipe out if I said a word. I suppose he saw that I was +only a very frightened boy; for his clutch upon me relaxed, after a few +awful, gasping moments. When he loosed his hold, his great hand pawed +over my throat till he had me by the scruff of the neck. He drew me over +towards the spring, as one would draw a puppy. Then, still crouching in +the fern, he hurried me to a single stunted sloe-bush which grew there. +"Go down, you," he said, giving me a shove towards the bush. "Down th' +'ole." + +Just behind the sloe-bush, under a fringe of immense ferns, was an +opening in the earth, about eighteen inches high, by two feet across. +It was like a large rabbit or fox earth, except that the mouth of it was +not worn bare. I did not like the thought of going down th' 'ole; but +with this great griping fist on my nape there was not much sense in +saying so. I wormed my way in, helped on by prods from the file. It was +a melancholy moment when my head passed beyond the last filtering of +light into the tomb's blackness, where not even insects lived. After a +moment of scrambling I found that the passage was big enough for me to +go on all fours. It was a dry passage, too, which seemed strange to me; +but on reaching out with my hand I felt that the walls were lined with +well laid stones, unmortared. The roof above me was also of stone. You +may wonder why I did not shoot this ruffian with my pistol. You boys +think that if you had a pistol you would shoot any one who threatened +you. You would not. When the moment comes, it is not so easily disposed +of. Besides, a filthy, cursing pirate on your throat checks your natural +calm most strangely. + +The passage led into the swell of the rampart for about twenty yards, +where it opened into a dimly lighted chamber about four feet high. A +little blink of light came through a rabbit hole, at the end of which +I saw a spray of gorse with the sunlight on it. I could see by the dim +light that the chamber was built of unmortared stones, very cleverly +laid. The floor of it was greasier than the passage had been, but still +it was not damp. On one side it had a bed of heather stalks, on the +other there was something dark which felt like cold meat. The man came +grunting in behind me, clinking his leg-irons. After groping about in a +corner of the room he lighted a stinking rushlight by means of a tinder +box. + + + +CHAPTER XX. THE SQUIRE'S HOUSE + +"There," he said, not unkindly, "there's a nice little 'ome for yer. Now +you, tell me wot you were doing spying on me. First of all, 'ave you +any money?" He did not wait for me to answer, but dug his hands into my +pockets at once, taking every penny I had, except a few shillings +which were hidden in my belt. He did not see my belt, as I had taken to +wearing it next my skin, since I began to follow the wars. I feared from +the greed which showed in all his movements that he vas going to strip +me; but he did not do so, thinking, no doubt, that none of my clothes +would fit his body. + +"Well," he said, in his snarling beast voice, "wot's up 'ere, with all +these folk brought their beasts 'ere?" + +I told him that the Duke had come co fight for the crown of England, +with the result, as I supposed, that the country people dared not trust +their live-stock at home, for fear of having them pillaged. He seemed +pleased at the news; but being an utter wild beast, far less civilized +than the lowest savage ever known to me, he showed his pleasure by +hoping that the rich (whom he cursed fluently) might have their heads +pulled off in the war, while as for the poor (the farmers close by us) +he hoped that they might lose every beast they owned. "Do 'era good," +he said. "Now," he went on, "are you come spying 'ere along of the +farmers?" + +"No," I said, "I am a servant of the Duke's, riding out to look for the +militia." + +"Ah," he said. "Are yer, cocky? 'Ow'm I to know that?" + +"Well," I said, "Look at my hands. Are they the hands of a farmer?" + +"No," he said. "No, Mister stuck-up flunkey, they ain't. I s'pose yet +proud of yet 'ands. I'll 'ave yer wait at table on me." He seemed to +like the notion: for he repeated it many times, while he dug out hunks +of cold ham with his file, from the meat which I had felt as I crawled +in + + "'Ow proud I dig + A'unk a cold pig" + +he sang, as he gulped the pieces down. It was partly a nightmare, partly +very funny. I was not sure if he was mad, probably he was mad, but being +down in the burrow there, in the half darkness, hearing that song, made +me feel that I was mad; it was all a very terrible joke; perhaps madness +affects people like that. At last I spoke to him again. + +"Sir," I said, "I've been up since two this morning. Give me a hunk of +cold pig, too. I'm half-starved." + +"'Elp yourself, can't yer?" he snarled. "Oo'm I to wait on yer?" Then, +very cunningly, he put in, "'Ave you got a knife on yer?" + +"No," I said cautiously, "I've got no knife," which was a lie; I did not +wish my knife to go the same way as the money. He gave me some cold +pig, very excellent ham it was, too, for which I was very thankful. He +watched my greediness with satisfaction. I ate heartily when I saw that +my confident way with him had made him more tender towards me. + +"Yes," he snorted. "Per'aps you ain't been lying to me after all. Now +'ow long will these blokes be up the 'ill 'ere?" I did not know that; +but I supposed that they would go home directly the Duke's army had got +as far, say, as Taunton. "But," I added, "the Duke may be beaten. If +he's beaten, all this part will be full of troops beating every bush for +the rebels." He swore at this; but his curses were only designed to hide +his terror. + +"Could a fellow get to sea," he said in a whining tone. "Could a poor +fellow in trouble slip away to sea, now, at one of these seaport towns? +Boy, I been livin' like a wild beast all the way from Bristol, this two +months. I didn't kill the feller; not dead. The knife only went into 'im +a very little way, not more'n a inch. I was raised near 'ere at a farm. +So I knowed of this 'ere burrow. I got 'ere two days ago, pretty near +dead. Now I been penned up from the sea by these farmers comin' 'ere, +doin' swottin' sentry-go all round me. I tell yer, I'll cut up sour, if +they pen me in, now I'm so near got away. I been with Avery. They call +Avery a pirate. They said I was a pirate. It's 'anging if they ketch +me. Do yer think I could get away to Lyme or some place, to get took +into a ship?" I told him, no; because I knew from what Lord Grey had +told me, that the Channel was full of men-of-war searching every +ship which hove in sight; besides, he did not look to me to be a very +promising hand for a captain to take aboard. + +"All the same," he said, "I got to risk it. You say there may be troops +coming?" + +"As for that," I answered, "the troops may be here at any moment from +Exeter or Honiton. They've arrested hundreds of people everywhere +around. You'd better stay in the burrow here." He did not pay much +attention to what I said. He cursed violently, as though he were a +bag-pipe full of foul words being slowly squeezed by some player. At +last he crawled to the passage, foaming out incoherently that he would +show them, he would, let them just wait. + +"You stay 'ere," he said. "If I find you follerin' me, I'll mash your 'ed +into that much slobber." He showed me a short piece of rope which he had +twisted, sailor fashion, so as to form a handle for a jagged piece of +flint, which, as I could see, had been used on some one or something +quite recently. + +"Mogador Jack," he said, "'e don't like people follerin' 'im." With that +he left me alone in the burrow, wondering, now that it was over, why he +had not killed me. He left me quite stunned; his sudden coming into my +life had been so strange. It was unreal, like a dream, to have been +in an ancient Briton's burial-chamber with a mad old pirate who had +committed murder. But now that he had gone, I was eager to go, too, if +it could be managed. I would not stay there till the brute came back, in +spite of that flint club. After waiting some little time, during which, +I felt sure, he was waiting for me at the door of the burrow, I took +out my pistol. I examined the charge to see that all was well; then very +cautiously, I began to crawl up the passage, with my pistol in my hand. + +I waited for some minutes near the door, trying to convince myself by +the lie of the shadows outside that he was crouched there, ready for me. +But it seemed safe. I could see no shadow at all except the tremulous +fern-shadows. At last I took off my coat as a blind. I flung it through +the doorway, with some force, to see if it would draw him from his +hiding. Nothing happened. The ruffian did not pounce upon it. I took +a few long breaths to hearten me; it was now or never. I shut my eyes, +praying that the first two blows might miss my head, so that I should +have time to fire. Then, on my back, with my pistol raised over my head, +I forced myself out with every muscle in my body. I leaped to my feet on +the instant, quickly glancing round for the madman, swinging my pistol +about with my finger hard on the trigger. He was not there, after all. +I might have spared myself the trouble. I was alone there in the fern, +within earshot of a murmur of voices, talking excitedly. I was not going +to spy into any more secrets. I was going to get out of that camp cost +what it might. I made one rush through the fern in the direction of the +rampart, shoving the stalks aside, as a bull knocks through jungle in +Campeachy. In thirty steps I was clear of the fern, charging slap into a +group of people who were giving brandy to the sentry, whom I had passed +but a little while before. He was bleeding from a broken wound on his +pretty hard Saxon skull. He was not badly hurt, for he was swearing +lustily; but he had been stunned just long enough for my pirate man to +strip him. He was dressed now in a pair of leather gaiters, all the rest +of his things had been taken, the pistol with them, I saw all this at +a glance, as I charged in among them. I took it all in, guessing in one +swift gleam of comprehension, exactly what had happened there, as my +pirate made his rush for freedom. There was no time to ask if my guess +were right or not. + +"Out of my way," I shouted, shoving my pistol towards the nearest of the +group. "Out of my way, or I shall fire." They made way for me. I charged +down hill by the way I had come. Some one cried "Stop en." Another +shouted "Shoot en, maister." There came a great bang of a gun over my +head. But I was going down hill like a rabbit, into the gorse, into the +bracken, into the close cover of the heath. Glancing back, I saw a dozen +excited people rushing down the rampart after me. Some flung stones; +some ran to catch horses to chase me. But I had the start of them. I was +down the hill, over the hedge, in the lane, in no time. There, a hundred +yards away, I saw my friends the troopers leading my cob. I shouted to +them. They heard me. They came up to me at a gallop. In ten seconds more +we were sailing away together. + +"You been getting into scrapes, master," said one of the troopers. "You +doan't want to meddle with the folk in these parts." + +"No," said the other, with a touch of insolence in his voice. "So your +master may find, one of these fine days." Being mindful of the Duke's +honour, I told the man to mind his own business, which he said he meant +to do, without asking my opinion. After that we rode on together a +little heated, till we were out of sight of the combe, where I had had +such a startling adventure. + +After another hour of riding, we pulled up at the garden gate of an old +grey handsome house which stood at some distance from the road. I asked +one of the troopers who lived in this house. He said that it was an old +Abbey, which belonged to Squire; but that we were to leave word there +of the Duke's movements, "for Squire be very 'tached to the Protestants; +besides he'll give us a breakfast. Sure to." We left our horses at the +gate while we walked up to the house. A pretty girl, who seemed to know +one of the men, told us to come in, while she got breakfast for us. +"Squire," she said, "would be glad to hear what was going on; for he was +that given up to the soldiers we couldn't hardly believe." We were +shown down a long flagged corridor to a little cool room which looked as +though it had once been the abbot's cell. It had a window in it, looking +out upon a garden in full flower, a little rose garden, covered with +those lovely bushes of old English red single roses, the most beautiful +flower in the world. The window was large, but the space of it was +broken up by stone piers, so that no pane of glass was more than six +inches wide. I mention this now, because of what happened later. There +was not much furniture in the room; but what there was was very good. +There was an old Dutch pewter jug, full of sweet-williams, on the +table. On the wall' there was a picture of a Spanish gentleman on a +cream-coloured, fat handsome little horse. Together they looked very +like Don Quixote out for a ride with his squire. The two troopers left +me in this room, while they went off to the kitchen. Presently the +servant came in again, bringing me a noble dish of breakfast, a pigeon +pie, a ham, a jar of preserved quince, a honeycomb, a great household +loaf, newly baked, a big quart jug full of small beer. I made a very +honest meal. After eating, I examined the room. There was tapestry over +one part of the wall. It concealed a little low door which led to what +had once been the abbot's fishpond, now a roofed-in bath-house, where +one could plunge into eight feet or so of (bitterly cold) spring water. +This bath-house was some steps lower than the little dining room. It +was lighted by a skylight directly over the bath. It had no other window +whatever. After examining the bath, wishing that I had known of it +before eating, I went back to the dining room, where the servant was +clearing away the food. + +"I hope you enjoyed your breakfast, sir," she said. + +"Yes, thank you, very much indeed," I answered. + +"Squire will be down d'reckly, sir," she said. "If you will please to +make yourself at home." I made myself at home, as she desired, while +she, after a few minutes, took away the soiled plates, leaving all the +other things on the side-board, ready for dinner. I noticed that she +smiled in a rather strange way as she drew to the door behind her. + +I loitered away about half an hour, waiting for the squire to come. As +he did not come, I turned over the books on the shelves, mostly volumes +of plays, the Spanish Tragedy, the Laws of Candy, Love Lies a Bleeding, +etc., four plays to a volume in buckram covers. I was just getting +tired of All for Love, when I heard a footstep in the passage outside. +I thought that I would ask the passenger, whoever it might be, for +how much longer the squire would keep me waiting. I was anxious about +getting back to the army. It was dangerous to straggle too far from the +Duke's camps when unbeaten armies followed on both his wings. So I went +to the door to learn my fate at once. To my great surprise I found that +I could not open it. It was locked on the outside. The great heavy +iron lock had been turned upon me. I was a prisoner in the room there. +Thinking that it had been done carelessly, I beat upon the door to +attract the man who passed down the passage, calling to him to turn the +key for me so that I might get out. The footsteps did not pause. They +passed on, down the corridor, as though the man were deaf. After that +a fury came upon me. I beat upon the door for five minutes on end, till +the house must have rung with the clatter; but no one paid any attention +to me, only, far away, I heard a woman giggling, in an interval when I +had paused for breath. The door was a heavy, thick oak door, bound with +iron. The lock was a bar of steel at least two inches thick; there was +no chance of getting it open. Even firing into the lock with my little +pistol would not have helped me; it would only have jammed the tongue of +steel in its bed. I soon saw the folly of trying to get out by the door; +so I turned to the window, which was more difficult still, or, if not +more difficult, more tantalizing, since it showed me the free garden +into which one little jump would suffice to carry me. But the closely +placed piers of stone made it impossible for me to get through the +window. It was no use trying to do so. I should only have stuck fast, +midway. I began at once to pick out the mortar of the pier stones with +my knife point. It was hopeless work, though, for the old monks had used +some cement a good deal harder than the stones which it bound together. +I could only dig away a little dust from its surface. That way also was +barred to me. Then I went down to the bathing-chamber, hoping that there +would be some way of escape for me there. I hoped that the escape pipe +of the bath might be a great stone conduit leading to a fish-pond in +the garden. It was nothing of the sort. It was a little miserable leaden +pipe. I beat all round the walls, praying for some secret door, but +there was nothing of any use to me, only a little iron ventilator high +up, big enough to take my head, but nothing more. As for the skylight +over the bath, it was beyond my reach, high up. For the moment I could +see no means of getting to it. I went back to the dining room to give +another useless pounding to the door. My head was full of miserable +forebodings; but as yet I suspected merely that I had been caught by +some sudden advance of militia. Or perhaps the squire had laid plans +to get information from one who knew the Duke. Perhaps I had been lured +away specially by one hungry for the King's good opinion. Or could it be +Aurelia? Whatever it was, I was trapped, that was the terrible thing. I +was shut up there till my enemy, whoever it was, chose to deal with me. +I was in arms against the ruling King of England; everybody's hand would +be against me, unless my own hands helped me before my enemies came. +My first thought was to get the table down the steps, to make a bridge +across the bath, from which I could reach the skylight. This I could not +do at first; for being much flustered, I did not put the table-leaves +down. Until I knocked them down in my hurry they kept me from dragging +the table from the dining room. When I got it at last into the +bath-room, I found that it would not stretch across the water: the legs +were too close together, as I might have seen had I kept my wits about +me. I could think of no other way of getting out. + +I went back disheartened to the dining room, dragging my coat behind +me. The first thing which I saw was a letter addressed to me in a hand +already known to me. The letter lay on the floor on the space once +covered by the table. As it had not been there when I dragged the table +downstairs, someone must have entered the room while I was away. I +opened the letter in a good deal of flurry. It ran as follows: + +"Dear Martin Hyde:--As you will not take a sincere friend's advice, you +have to make the best of a sincere adviser's friendship. You did me a +great service. Let me do you one. I hope to keep you an amused prisoner +until your captain is a beaten man. By about three weeks from this 26th +of June we shall hope to have made you so much our friend that you will +not think of leaving us. May I make a compact with you? Please do not +shoot me with that pistol of yours when I bring you some supper tonight. +That is one part of it. The other is this. Let us be friends. We know +all about you. I have even talked to Ephraim about you. So let us make +it up. We have been two little spit fires. At any rate you have. Let us +be friends. What sorts of books do you like to read? I shall bring you +some story-books about ghosts, or about red Indians. Which do you like +best? I like red Indians myself. I suppose you, being a man, like ghosts +best. Your sincere friend Aurelia Carew. Who by the by thinks it best +to warn you that you had not better try to get up the chimney, as it is +barred across. She hopes that the table did not fall into the bath." + + + +CHAPTER XXI. MY FRIEND AURELIA AND HER UNCLE + +It was a friendly letter, which relieved me a good deal from my +anxieties; but what I could not bear was the thought that the Duke would +think me a deserter. I made up my mind that I would get away from that +house at the first opportunity, so as to rejoin the Duke, to whom I felt +myself pledged. But in the meantime, until I could get away, I resolved +to make the best of my imprisonment. I was nettled by Aurelia's tone of +superiority. I would show her, as I had shown her before, that my wits +were just as nimble as hers. A few minutes after the letter had been +read, she held a parley with me through the keyhole. + +"Mr. Martin Hyde. Are you going to shoot me?" + +"No, Miss Carew, though I think you deserve it." + +"You won't try to get away if I open the door?" + +"I mean to get away as soon as ever I get half a chance." + +"I've got three men with me at the door here." + +"Oh. Very well. But you just wait till I get a chance." + +"Don't be so bloodthirsty, Mr. Martin Hyde. Now, I'm coming in to talk +with you. No pistols, mind. Not one." + +"I've promised I won't shoot. You might believe a fellow. But I mean to +get away, remember. Just to show you." + +She opened the door after that, a brown, merry Aurelia, behind whom I +could see three men, ready to stop any rush. They closed the door behind +her after she had entered. + +"Well," she said, smiling. "Will you not shake hands with me, Martin +Hyde?" + +"Yes," I said, "I will shake hands. But you played a very mean trick, I +think. There." + +"You mustn't think me mean," she answered. "I don't like mean people. +Now promise me one thing. You say you are going to run away from us. You +won't run away from me when I am with you, will you?" + +"No," I said, after thinking this over, to see if it could be twisted +into any sort of trap, likely to stop my escape. "I will not. Not while +I am with you." + +"That's right," she said. "We can go out together, then. Now you've +promised, suppose we go out into the garden." + +We went into the garden together, talking of every subject under the sun +but the subject nearest to our hearts at the moment. I would not speak +of her capture of me; she would not speak of the Duke's march towards +Taunton. There was some constraint whenever we came near those subjects. +She was a very merry, charming companion; but the effect of her talk +that morning was to make me angry at being trapped by her. I looked over +the countryside for guiding points in case I should be able to get away. +Axminster lay to the southeast, distant about six miles; so much I could +reckon from the course of our morning's ride. I could not see Axminster +for I was shut from it by rolling combes, pretty high, which made a +narrow valley for the river. To the west the combes were very high, +strung along towards Taunton in heaps. Due east, as I suspected, quite +near to us, was Chard, where by this time the Duke must have been +taking up his position. Taunton I judged (from a mile-stone which we had +passed) to be not much more than a dozen miles from where I was. I have +always had a pretty keen sense of position. I do not get lost. Even in +the lonely parts of the world I have never been lost. I can figure out +the way home by a sort of instinct helped by a glimpse at the sun. When +I go over a hill I have a sort of picture-memory of what lies behind, +to help me home again, however tortuous my path is on the other side. So +the few glimpses which I could get of the surrounding country were real +helps to me. I made more use of them than Aurelia suspected. + +We were much together that day. Certainly she did her best to make my +imprisonment happy. In the evening she was kinder; we were more at ease +together; I was able to speak freely to her. + +"Aurelia," I said, "you risked your life twice to warn me." + +"That's not quite true, Martin," she said. "I am a government spy, +trusted with many people's lives. I had other work to do than to warn a +naughty boy who wanted to see what the ghosts were." I was startled at +her knowing so much about me; she laughed. + +"Well," she said, "I like you for it. I should have wanted to see them +myself. But the ghost-makers are scattered far enough now." + +"All the same, Aurelia," I said, "I thank you for what you did for me. I +wish I could do something in return." She laughed. + +"Well," she said, "you were very kind in the ship. You were a good enemy +to me then. Weren't you?" + +"Yes," I said, "I beat you properly on the ship. I carried the Duke's +letters in my pistol cartridges, where you never suspected them. The +letters which were in the satchel I forged myself after I got on board. +If you'd not been a silly you'd have seen that they were forged." + +"So that was why," she said. "Those letters gave everybody more anxious +work than you've any notion of. Oh, Martin, though, I helped to drug you +to get those letters. It was terrible. Terrible. Will you ever forgive +me?" + +"Why, yes, Aurelia," I said. "After all, it was done for your King. Just +as I mean to run away from here to serve mine. All is fair in the King's +service. Let us shake hands on that." We shook hands heartily, looking +into each other's eyes. + +"By the way," I said, "where did you get to that day in Holland, when I +got the letters from you?" + +"Ah," she answered, "you made me like a wildcat that day. I nearly +killed you, twice. You remember that low parapet on the roof? I was +behind that, waiting for you with a loaded pistol. You were all very +near your deaths that morning. In the King's service, of course. +For just a minute, I thought that you would climb up to examine that +parapet. What a crazy lot you all were not to know at once that I was +there! Where else could I have been?" + +"Well," I answered, "I beat you in the ride, didn't I? You thought +yourself awfully clever about that horse at the inn. Well, I beat +you there. I beat you in the race. I beat you with my letters to the +Dutchman. I beat you over those forgeries." + +"Yes, indeed," she said. "I can beat all the men in your Duke's service. +Every one. Even clever Colonel Lane. Even Fletcher of Saltoun. But a +boy is so unexpected, there's no beating a boy, except with a good +birch rod. You beat me so often, Martin, that I think you can afford to +forgive me for tricking you once in bringing you here." + +"I shall beat you in that, too, Miss Carew," I said; "for I mean to get +away from you as soon as I can." + +"So you say," she said. "But we have club men walking all round this +house all night, as well as sentries by day, guarding the stock. +Your gang of marauders will find a rough welcome if they come for +refreshments here." + +Even as she spoke, there came a sudden crash of fire-arms from the +meadows outside the garden. About a dozen men came hurrying out of the +house with weapons in their hands, among them a big, fierce-looking +handsome man, who drew his sword as he ran. + +"That is my uncle, Travers Carew," said Aurelia. "He owns this property. +He wants to meet you." There came another splutter of fire-arms from the +meadows. "Come," she said. "We'll see what it is. It is the Duke's men +come pillaging." + +We ran through a gate in the wall into an apple-orchard, where the Carew +men were already dodging among the trees towards the enemy. There was +a good deal of shouting, but the tide of battle, as they call it, the +noise of shots, the trampling of horses, had already set away to the +left, where the enemy were retreating, with news, as I heard later, that +the militia held the Abbey in force. The Carew men came back in a few +minutes with a prisoner. He had been captured while holding the horses +of two friends, who had dismounted to drive off some of the Carew +cattle. He said that the attack had been made by a party of twenty of +the Duke's horse, sent out to bring in food for the march. They had +scattered at the first discharge of fire-arms, which had frightened them +horribly, for they had not expected any opposition. The frightened men +never drew rein till they galloped their exhausted horses into Chard +camp, where they gave another touch of dejection to the melancholy Duke. +As for the prisoner, he was sent off under guard to Honiton gaol; I +don't know what became of him. He was one of more than three thousand +who came to death or misery in that war. They said that he was a young +farmer, in a small way, from somewhere out beyond Chideock. The war +had been a kind of high-spirited frolic for him; he had entered into it +thoughtlessly, in the belief that it would be a sort of pleasant ride to +London, with his expenses paid. Now he was ended. When he rode out with +bound hands from the Carew house that evening, between two armed riders, +he rode out of life. He never saw Chideock again, except in the grey +light of dawn, after a long ride upon a hurdle, going to be hanged +outside his home. Or perhaps he was bundled into one of the terrible +convict ships bound for Barbadoes, with other rebels, to die of +small-pox on the way, or under the whip in the plantations. + +After this little brush, with its pitiful accompaniment, which filled +me full of a blind anger against the royal party, so much stronger, yet +with so much less right than ours, I was taken in to see Sir Travers +Carew. He had just sent off the prisoner to Honkon, much as he would +have brushed a fly from his hand. He had that satisfaction with himself, +that feeling of having supported the right, which comes to all those who +do cruel things in the name of that code of unjust cruelty, the criminal +law. He looked at me with rather a grim smile, which made me squirm. + +"So," he said, "this is the young rebel, is it? Do you know that I could +send you off to Honiton gaol with that poor fellow there?" This made my +heart die; but something prompted me to put a good face on it. + +"Sir," I said, "I have done what my father thought right. I don't wish +to be treated better than any other prisoner. Send me to Honiton, sir." + +"No," he said, looking at me kindly. "I shall not send you to Honiton. +You are not in arms against the King's peace, nor did you come over from +Holland with the Duke. I can't send you to Honiton. Besides, I knew your +father, Martin. I was at college with him. He was a good friend of +mine, poor fellow. No, sir, I shall keep you here till the Duke's crazy +attempt is knocked on the head. I think I can find something better for +you to do than that fussy old maid, your uncle, could. But, remember, +sir. You have a reputation for being a slippery young eel. I shall take +particular pains to keep you from slipping out of my hands. But I do not +wish to use force to your father's son. Will you give me your word not +to try to escape?" + +"No," I answered, sullenly. "I won't. I mean to get away directly I +can." + +"Come," he said kindly, "we tricked you rather nastily. But do you +suppose, Martin, that your father, if he were here, would encourage your +present resolutions? The Duke is coming (nearly unprepared) to bring a +lot of silly yokels into collision with fully trained soldiers ten times +more numerous. If the countryside, the gentry, the educated, intelligent +men, were ready for the Duke, or believed in his cause, they would join +him. They do not join him. His only adherents are the idle, ignorant, +ill-conditioned rogues of this county, who will neither fight nor obey, +when it comes to the pinch. I do not love the present King, Martin, but +he is a better man than this Duke. The Duke will never make a king. He +may be very fit for court-life; but there is not an ounce of king in +him. If the Duke succeeds, in a year or two he will show himself so +foolish that we shall have to send for the Prince of Orange, who is a +man of real, strong wisdom. We count on that same prince to deliver us +from James, when the time is ripe. It is not ripe, yet. I am telling you +bitter, stern truth, Martin. Now then. Let me have your promise not to +continue in the service of this doomed princeling, your master. Eh? What +shall it be?" + +"No," I said, "that's desertion." + +"Not at all," he answered. "It is a custom of war. Come now. As a +prisoner of war, give me your parole." + +"You said just now that I was not a prisoner of war," I answered. + +"Very well, then," he said. "I am a magistrate. I commit you add +suspected person. Hart! Hart!" (Here he called in a man-servant.) "Just +see that this young sprig keeps out of mischief. Think it over, Mr. +Martin. Think it over." + +In a couple of minutes I was back in my prison cells, locked in for the +night, with neither lamp nor candle. A cot had been made up for me in a +corner of the room. Supper was laid for me on the table, which had been +brought back to its place. There was nothing for it but to grope to bed +in the twilight, wondering how soon I could get away to what I still +believed to be a righteous cause in which my father wished me to fight. +I slept soundly after my day of adventure. I dreamed that I rode into +London behind the Duke, amid all the glory of victory, with the people +flinging flowers at us. But dreams go by contraries, the wise women say. + +I was a full fortnight, or a little more, a prisoner in that house. +They treated me very kindly. Aurelia was like an elder sister. Old Sir +Travers used to jest at my being a rebel. But I was a prisoner, shut +in, watched, kept close. The kindness jarred upon me. It was treating +me like a child, when I was no longer a child. I had for some wild weeks +been doing things which few men have the chance of doing. Perhaps, if I +had confided all that I felt to Aurelia, she would have cleared away my +troubles, made me see that the Duke's cause was wrong, that my father +would wish his son well out of civil broils, however just, that I had +better give the promise that they asked from me. But I never confided +really fully in her. I moped a good deal, much worried in my mind. I +began to get a lot of unworthy fancies into my head, silly fancies, +which an honest talk would have scattered at once. I began to think from +their silence about the Duke's doings that his affairs were prospering, +that he was conquering, or had conquered, that I was being held by this +loyalist family as a hostage. It was silly of me; but although in many +ways I was a skilled man of affairs, I had only the brain of a child, I +could not see the absurdity of what I came to believe. It worried me so +much that at the end of my imprisonment I became very feverish; really +ill from anxiety, as prisoners often are. I refused food for the latter +part of one day, hoping to frighten my captors. They did not notice it, +so I had my pains for nothing. + +I went to bed very early; but I could not sleep. I fidgeted about till +I was unusually wakeful. Then I got out of bed to try if there was a +way of escape by the old-fashioned chimney, barred across as it was, +at intervals, by strong old iron bars. I had never thought the chimney +possible, having examined it before, when I first came to that house; +but my fever made me think all things possible; so up I got, hoping that +I should have light enough to work by. + + + +CHAPTER XXII. THE PRIEST'S HOLE + +It was too dark to do much that night, but I spent an hour in picking +mortar from the bricks into which the lowest iron bar had been let. +After a brief sleep I woke in the first of the light (at about one +o'clock) ready to go at it again. My fever was hot upon me. I don't +think that I was quite sane that day; but all my reason seemed to burn +up into one bright point, escape, escape at all costs, then, at the +instant. I must tell you that the chimney, like most old chimneys, was +big enough for a big boy to scramble up, in order to sweep it. For some +reason, the owners of the house had barred the chimney across so that +this could not be done. They swept it, probably, in the effective +old-fashioned way by shooting a blank charge of powder from a +blunderbuss straight up the opening. The first two iron bars were so +placed that it was only necessary to remove one to make room for my +body. Further up there were others, more close together. The fire had +not been lighted for many years; there was no soot in the passage. There +was a jackdaw's nest high up. I could see the old jackdaw looking down +at me. Up above her head was a little square of sky. I did not doubt +that when I got to the top I should be able to scramble out of that +square on to the leads, then down by a water-spout, evading the +sentries, over the garden wall to freedom. After half an hour of mortar +picking I got one end of the lowest iron bar out of its socket. Then I +picked out the mortar from the other end, working the bar about like a +lever, to grind the fulcrum into dust. Soon I had the bar so loose that +I was able to thrust it to one side, leaving a passage big enough for my +body. + +I was very happy when this was done. I went back to the room to make up +a packet of food to take with me. This I thrust into an inner pocket, +before launching out up the hole. When I had cleaned up the mess of +mortar, I started up the chimney, carefully replacing the bar behind +me. Soon I was seven or eight feet above the room, trying to get at the +upper bars. I was scrambling about for a foothold, when I noticed, to +my left, an iron bar or handle, well concealed from below by projecting +bricks. I seized hold of it with my left hand, very glad of the support +it offered, when, with a dull grating noise, it slid downwards under my +weight, drawing with it the iron panel to which it was clamped. I had +come upon a secret chamber in the chimney; there at my side was an +opening big enough for a man's body. I was pretty well startled by it, +not only by the suddenness of the discovery, but from the fear I had +lest it should lead to some inhabited room, where my journey would be +brought to an end. I peered into it well, before I ventured to enter. +It was a little low room, about five feet square, lit by two loopholes, +which were concealed from outside by the great growth of ivy on the side +of the house. I clambered into it with pleasure, keeping as quiet as I +could. It was a dirty little room, with part of its floor rotten from +rain which had beaten in through the loopholes. It had not been used for +a great while. The pallet bed against the wall was covered with rotten +rags, dry as tinder. There were traces of food, who could say how +ancient, in a dish by the bed. There was a little crucifix, with a +broken neck-chain, lying close to the platter. Some priest who had used +this priest-hole years before had left it there in his hurry; I wondered +how. Something of the awe which had been upon him then seemed to linger +in the place. Many men had lain with beating hearts in that room; the +room seemed to remember. I have never been in a place which made one's +heart move like that room. Well. The priest's fears were dead as the +priest by this time. Nothing but the wreck of his dinner, perhaps the +last he ever ate, remained to tell of him, beside the broken symbol of +his belief. I shut-to the little panel-door by which I had entered, so +that I might not have the horrible fancy that the old priest's shaven +head was peering up the chimney at me, to see what I was doing in his +old room, long since given over to the birds. + +As I expected, there was a way of escape from the hiding-place. A big +stone in the wall seemed to project unnecessarily; the last comer to +that room had shut the door carelessly; otherwise I might never have +found it. Seeing the projecting stone, I took it for a clue feeling all +round it, till I found that underneath it there was a groove for finger +tips. The stone was nothing more than a large, cunningly fashioned +drawer, which pulled out, showing a passage leading down, down, along +narrow winding steps, just broad enough for one man to creep down at a +time. The stairs were more awesome than the room, for they were dark. I +could not see where they led; but I meant to go through this adventure, +now that I had begun it. So down I crept cautiously, clinging to the +wall, feeling with my feet as I went, lest there should be no step, +suddenly, but a black pit, far down, into which a man might fall +headlong, on to who knows what horrors. I counted the steps. I thought +that they would never end. There were thirty-seven altogether. They +brought me to a dark sort of room, with damp earth for its floor, upon +which water slowly dropped from some unseen stalactite. I judged that +I must be somewhere under the bath-chamber, not more than ten feet from +the abbot's old fish-pond. If there was a way out I felt that it must +be to my left, under the garden; not to my right, which would lead back +under the body of the house. + +Very cautiously I felt along to my left, till I found that there was +indeed a passage; but one so low that I had to stoop to get along it. A +few steps further brought me with a shock against a wall, a sad surprise +to me, for I thought that I was on the road to safety. When I recovered +from my fear I felt along the wall till I found that the passage +zigzagged like a badger's earth. It turned once sharply to the right, +going up a couple of steps, then again sharply to the left, going up a +few more steps, then again to the right up one step more, to a broader +open stretch, lit by one or two tiny chinks, more cheering to me than +you can imagine. I guessed that I was passing at last under the garden, +having gone right below the house's foundations. The chinks of light +seemed to me to come from holes worn in the roof by rabbits or rats. +They were pleasant things to see after all that groping in the blackness +of night. On I went cautiously, feeling my way before me, till suddenly +I stopped dead, frightened terribly, for close to me, almost within +touch as it seemed, some men were talking to each other. They were +evidently sitting just above my head, in the cool morning, watching +for me to come through my window, as I suppose. They were some of Sir +Travers's sentries. A moment's thought told me that I had little to +fear from them, if I moved quietly in my burrow. However, as my walk was +often noisy, through stumblings on stones, I waited till they moved off, +which was not for some minutes. One of the men was asking the other what +was the truth about the Duke. + +"Why," his mate answered, "they say as he got beat back coming towards +London. They say he be going to Bridgewater, now, to make it a castle, +like; or perhaps he be a coming to Taunton. They say he have only a mob, +like, left to en, what with all this rain. But I do-an't know. He be +very like to come here agen; so as us'll have to watch for our stock." + +"Ah?" said the first. "They did say as there was soldiers come to +Evilminster. So as to shut en off, like. I seed fires out that way, +myself, like camp-fires, afore it grew light. They do say the soldiers +be all for the Duke." + +"Yes," the other answered, "he be very like to win if it come to a +battle. He'd a got on to London, I dare-say, if the roads had but been +dry." + +"What do ee say to a bit of tobaccy, master?" said the first, after a +pause. + +"Why, very well," said the other. At this instant, without any warning, +something in the wall of my passage gave way, some bit of rotten mortar +which held up a stone, or something of the sort. At any rate, a stone +fell out, with a little rush of rotten plaster, making a good deal of +noise, though of course it seemed more to me than to the men outside. + +"What ever in the world was that?" said one of them. + +"I dunno," said the other. "It seemed to come from down below somewhere, +under the earth, like. Do you think as it could be a rabbit?" + +"It did sound like a stone falling out of a wall," came the answer. "I +dunno. Where could it a come from?" + +They seemed to search about for some trace of a rabbit; but not finding +any, they listened for another stone to fall. + +"I tell you what I think," said the first man. "I believe as there be +underground passages all over these here gardens. Some of them walks +sound just as hollow as logs if you do stamp on 'em. There was very +queer doings here in the old monks' time; very queer. Some day I mean to +grub about a bit, master. For my old grandmother used always to say as +the monks buried a lot of treasure hereabouts in the old time." + +"Ah?" said the other. "Then shall us get a spade quiet like, to see if +it be beneath." The other hesitated, while my heart sank. I very nearly +went back to my prison, thinking that all was over. + +"No," said his comrade. "Us'll ask Sir Travers first. He do-an't like +people grubbing about. Some of his forefathers as they call them weren't +very good, I do hear, neither. He do-an't want none of their little +games brought to light, like." + +After this, the men moved off, to some other part of their beat. I went +on along the passage quickly, till suddenly I fell with a crash down +three or four steps into a dirty puddle, knocking my head as I fell. I +could see no glimmer of light from this place; but I groped my way out, +up a few more steps further on into a smaller, dirtier passage than the +one which I had just left. After this I had to crawl like a badger in +his earth, with my back brushing against the roof, over many masses of +broken brickwork most rough to the palms of my hands. All of a sudden +I smelt a pleasant stable-smell. I heard the rattle of a halter drawn +across manger bars. I heard a horse paw upon the ground quite close to +me. A dim, but regular chink of light showed in front of me, level with +my head as crawled. Peering through it, I saw that I was looking into a +stable, almost level with the floor; the passage had come to an end. + +By getting my fingers into the crack through which I peered, I found +that I could swing round some half a dozen stones, which were mortared +together, so as to form a revolving door. It worked with difficulty, +as though no one had passed through by that way for many years; but +it worked for me, after a little hard pushing. I scrambled through the +narrow opening into a roomy old stable, where some cart-horses peered +at me with wonder, as I rose to my feet. After getting out, I shut to +my door behind me, so firmly that I could not open it again; there must +have been some spring or catch which I could not set to work. Two steps +more took me out of the horses' stalls into the space behind, where, on +a mass of hay, lay a carter, fast asleep, with the door-key in his hand. +By his side lay a pitchfork. He was keeping guard there, prepared to +resist Monmouth's pillagers. + +He slept so heavily that I was tempted to take the key from his hand. +Twice I made little half steps forward to take it; but each time +something in the man's look daunted me. He was a surly-looking man who, +if roused suddenly, in a locked stable, might lay about him without +waiting to see who roused him. He stirred in his sleep as I drew near +him for the second time; so I gave up the key as a bad job. The loft +seemed to be my only chance; as there was only this one big locked +double door upon the lower floor, I clambered up the steep ladder to the +loft, hoping that my luck there might be better, but resolved, if the +worst came, to hide there in the hay until the carter took the horses to +work, leaving the doors open. + +I had hardly set my foot upon the loft floor, when one of the horses, +hearing some noise outside, or being moved by some evil spirit, whinnied +loudly, rattling his halter. The noise was enough to arouse an army. It +startled the carter from his bed. I heard him leap to his feet with an +oath; I heard him pad round the stable, talking to the horses in turn; I +heard him unlock the door to see what was stirring. I stood stock-still +in my tracks, not daring to stir towards the cover of the hay at the +farther end of the loft. I heard him walk slowly, grunting heavily, +to the foot of the ladder, where he stopped to listen for any further +signal. If he had come up he must have caught me. I could not have +escaped. But though he seemed suspicious he did not venture further. He +walked slowly back to his bed, grunting discontentedly. In a few minutes +he was sound asleep again; for farming people sleep like sailors, as +though sleep were a sort of spirit muffling them suddenly in a thick +felt blanket. After he had gone off to sleep, I took off my boots, in +order to put them on under my stockings, for the greater quiet which +that muffling gives to the tread. Then I peered about the loft for a way +of escape. + +There were big double doors to this upper loft, through which the hay +could be passed from a waggon standing near the wall. These doors were +padlocked on the inside; there was no opening them; the staples were +much too firm for me to remove without a crowbar. The other openings in +the walls were mere loophole slits, about four feet long but only a few +inches broad. There were enough of these to make the place light. By +their light I could see that there was no way of escape for me except +by the main door. I was almost despairing of escape from this prison of +mine, when I saw that the loft had a hayshoot, leading downwards. When +I saw it I fondly hoped that it led to some outer stable or cart-shed, +separated from that in which the carter slept. A glance down its smooth +shaft showed me that it led to the main stable. I could see the heads +of the meditative horses, bent over the empty mangers exactly as if they +were saying grace. Beyond them I saw the boots of the carter dangling +over the edge of the trusses of hay on which he slept. I stepped back +from this shaft quickly because I thought that I might be seen from +below. My foot went into the nest of a sitting hen, right on to the +creature's back. Up she started, giving me such a fright that I nearly +screamed. She flew with a cackling shriek which set all the blackbirds +chippering in the countryside. Round the loft she scattered, calling +her hideous noise. Up jumped the carter, down came his pitchfork with +a thud. His great boots clattered over the stable to the ladder. Clump, +clump, he came upstairs, with his pitchfork prongs gleaming over his +head like lanceheads. I saw his head show over the opening of the loft. +There was not a second to lose. His back of course was still towards me, +as the ladder was mercifully nailed to the wall. Before he turned I slid +over the mouth of the shaft down into the hayrack of the old brute who +had whinnied. I lit softly; but I certainly shocked that old mare's +feelings. In a second, before she had time to kick, I was outside her +stall, darting across the stable to the key, which lay on the truss of +hay, mercifully left there by its guardian. In another second the lock +had turned. I was outside, in the glorious open fields again. Swiftly +but silently I drew the key out of the lock. One second more sufficed +to lock that door from without. The carter was a prisoner there, locked +safely in with his horses. I was free. The key was in my pocket. Yonder +lay the great combes which hid Taunton from me. I waved my hat towards +them; then, with a wild joyous rush, I scrambled behind the cover of the +nearest hedge, along which I ran hard for nearly a quarter of a mile. + +I stopped for a few minutes to rest among some ferns, while I debated +how to proceed. I changed the arrangement of my stockings; I also dusted +my very dirty clothes, all filthy from that horrid passage underground. +"Now," I said to myself, "there must be many ways to Taunton. One way, +I know, leads along this valley, past Chard there, where the houses are. +The other way must lie across these combes, high up. Which way shall I +choose, I wonder?" A moment's thought showed me that the combes would +be unfrequented, while the valley road, being the easy road, which (as I +knew) the Duke's army had chosen, would no doubt be full of people, some +of them (perhaps) the King's soldiers, coming up from Bridport. If I +went by that road my pursuers would soon hear of me, even if I managed +to get past the watchers on the road. On the other hand, Aurelia would +probably know that I should choose the combe road. Still, even if she +sent out mounted men, she would find me hard to track, since the combes +were lonely, so lonely that for hours together you can walk there +without meeting anybody. There would be plentiful cover among the combes +in case I wished to lie low. Besides, I had a famous start, a five +hours' start; for I should not be missed until eight o'clock. It could +not then have been much more than half-past two. In five hours an active +boy, even if he knew not the road, might put some half a dozen miles +behind him. I say only half a dozen miles, because the roads were the +roughest of rough mud-tracks, still soft from the rains. As I did not +know the way, I knew that I might count on going wrong, taking wrong +turns, etc. As I wished to avoid people, I counted on travelling most +of the way across country, trusting to luck to find my way among the +fields. So that, although in five hours I should travel perhaps ten or +twelve miles, I could not count on getting more than six miles towards +Taunton. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. FREE + +For the first hour or two, as no one would be about so early, I thought +it safe to use the road. I put my best foot foremost, going up the great +steep combe, with Chard at my back. + +The road was one of the loneliest I have ever trodden. It went winding +up among barren-looking combes which seemed little better than waste +land. There were few houses, so few that sometimes, on a bit of rising +ground, when the road lifted clear of the hedges, one had to look about +to see any dwelling of men. There was little cultivation, either. It was +nearly all waste, or scanty pasture. A few cows cropped by the wayside +near the lonely cottages. A few sheep wandered among the ferns. It was +a very desolate land to lie within so few miles of England's richest +valleys. I walked through it hurriedly, for I wished to get far from my +prison before my escape was discovered. No one was there to see me; +the lie of the valley below gave me my direction, roughly, but closely +enough. After about an hour of steady, fairly good walking, I pulled up +by a little tiny brook for breakfast. I ate quickly, then hurried on, +for I dared not waste time. I turned out of the narrow cart-tracks into +what seemed to be a highroad. + +I dipped down a hollow, past a pond where geese were feeding, then +turned to a stiff steep hill, which never seemed to end for miles. The +country grew lonelier at every step; there were no houses there; only +a few rabbits tamely playing in the outskirts of the coverts. A jay +screamed in the clump of trees at the hill-top; it seemed the proper +kind of voice for a waste like that. Still further on, I sat down to +rest at the brink of the great descent, which led, as I guessed, as I +could almost see, to the plain where Taunton lay, waiting for the Duke's +army to garrison her. There were thick woods to my right at this point, +making cover so dense that no hounds would have tried to break through +it, no matter how strong a scent might lead them. It was here, as I sat +for a few minutes to rest, that a strange thing happened. + +I was sitting at the moment with my back to the wood, looking over +the desolate country towards a tiny cottage far off on the side of the +combe. A big dog-fox came out of the cover from behind me, so quietly +that I did not hear him. He trotted past me in the road; I do not think +that he saw me till he was just opposite. Then he stopped to examine me, +as though he had never seen such a thing before. He was puzzled by me, +but he soon decided that I was not worth bothering about, for he made +no stay. He padded slowly on towards Chard, evidently well-pleased with +himself. Suddenly he stopped dead, with one pad lifted, a living image +of alert tension. He was alarmed by something coming along the road by +which I had come. He turned his head slightly, as though to make sure +with his best ear. Then with a single beautiful lollopping bound he +was over the hedge to safety, going in that exquisite curving rhythm of +movement which the fox has above all English animals. For a second, I +wondered what it was that had startled him. Then, with a quickness of +wit which would have done credit to an older mind, I realized that there +was danger coming on the road towards me, danger of men or of dogs, +since nothing else in this country frightens a fox. It flashed in upon +me that I must get out of sight at once; before that danger hove in view +of me. I gave a quick rush over the fence into the tangle, through which +I drove my way till I was snug in an open space under some yew trees, +surrounded on all sides by brambles. I shinned up one of the great yew +trees, till I could command a sight of the road, while lying hidden +myself in the profuse darkness of the foliage. Here I drew out my +pistol, ready for what might come. I suppose I had not been in my +hiding-place for more than thirty seconds, when over the brow of the +hill came Sir Travers Carew, at a full gallop, cheering on a couple of +hounds, who were hot on my scent. Aurelia rode after him, on her famous +chestnut mare. Behind her galloped two men, whom I had not seen before. +In an instant, they were swooped down to the place where the dog-fox had +passed. The hounds gave tongue when they smelt the rank scent of their +proper game; they were unused to boy-hunting. They did not hesitate an +instant, but swung off as wild as puppies over the hedge, after the fox. +The horsemen paused for a second, surprised at the sudden sharp turn; +but they followed the hounds' lead, popping over the fence most nimbly, +not waiting to look for my tracks in the banks of the hedge. They +streamed away after the fox, to whom I wished strong legs. I knew that +with two young hounds they would never catch him, but I hoped that he +would give them a good run before the sun killed the scent. I looked +at the sun, now gloriously bright over all the world, putting a bluish +glitter on to the shaking oak leaves of the wood. How came it that they +had discovered my flight so soon since it could not be more than six +o'clock, if as much? I wondered if it had been the old carter, who had +never really seen me. It might have been the old carter; but doubtless +he drummed for a good while on the door of the stable before anybody +heard him. Or it might have been one of the garden sentries. One of the +sentries might well have peeped in at the window of my room to make sure +that I was up to no pranks. He could have seen from the window that my +bed was empty. If he had noticed that, he could have unlocked my door to +make sure, after which it would not have taken more than a few minutes +to start after me. I learned afterwards that the sentry had alarmed the +house at a little before five o'clock. The carter, being only half-awake +when he came after me, suspected nothing till the other farm-hands came +for the horses, at about six o'clock, when, the key being gone, he had +to break the lock, vowing that the rattens had took his key from him in +the night. My disappearance puzzled everybody, because I had hidden my +tracks so carefully that no one noticed at first how the chimney bars +had been loosened. No one in that house knew of the secret room, so that +the general impression was that I had either squeezed myself through the +window, or blown myself out through the keyhole by art-magic. The hounds +had been laid along the road to Chard, with the result that they had hit +my trail after a few minutes of casting about. + +Now that they were after me, I did not know what to do. I dared not +go on towards Taunton; for who knew how soon the squire would find his +error, by viewing the fox? He was too old a huntsman not to cast back +to where he had left the road, as soon as he learned that his hounds +had changed foxes. I concluded that I had better stay where I was, +throughout that day, carefully hidden in the yew-tree. In the evening +I might venture further if the coast seemed clear. It was easy to make +such a resolution; but not so easy to keep to it; for fifteen hours is a +long time for a boy to wait. I stayed quiet for some hours, but I heard +no more of my hunters. I learned later that they had gone from me, in +a wide circuit, to cut round upon the Taunton roads, so as to intercept +me, or to cause me to be intercepted in case I passed by those ways. +The hounds gave up after chasing the fox for three miles. The old squire +thought that they stopped because the sun had destroyed the scent. With +a little help from an animal I had beaten Aurelia once more. When I grew +weary of sitting up in the yew tree, clambered down, intending to push +on through the wood until I came to the end of it. It was mighty +thick cover to push through for the first half mile; then I came to a +cart-track, made by wood-cutters, which I followed till it took me out +of the wood into a wild kind of sheep-pasture. It was now fully nine +in the evening, but the country was so desolate it might have been +undiscovered land. I might have been its first settler, newly come there +from the seas. It taught me something of the terrors of war that day's +wandering towards Taunton. I realized all the men of these parts had +wandered away after the Duke, for the sake of the excitement, after +living lonely up there in the wilds. Their wives had followed the army +also. The while population (scanty as it was) had moved off to look for +something more stirring than had hitherto come to them. I wandered +on slowly, taking my time, getting my direction fairly clear from the +glimpses which I sometimes caught of the line of the highway. At a +little after noon I ate the last of my victuals near a spring. I rested +after my dinner, then pushed on again, till I had won to a little +spinney only four miles from Taunton, where my legs began to fail under +me. + +I crept into the spinney, wondering if it contained some good shelter in +which I could sleep for the night. I found a sort of dry, high pitched +bank, with the grass all worn off it, which I thought would serve my +turn, if the rain held off. As for supper, I determined to shoot a +rabbit with my pistol. For drink, there was a plenty of small brooks +within half a mile of the little enclosure. After I had chosen my camp, +I was not very satisfied with it. The cover near by was none too thick. +So I moved off to another part where the bushes grew more closely +together. As I was walking leisurely along, I smelt a smell of something +cooking, I heard voices, I heard something clink, as though two tin cups +were being jangled. Before I could draw back, a man thrust through the +undergrowth, challenging me with a pistol. Two other men followed him, +talking in low, angry tones. They came all round me with very murderous +looks. They were the filthiest looking scarecrows ever seen out of a +wheat-field. + +"Why," said one of them, lowering his pistol, "it be the Duke's young +man, as we seed at Lyme." They became more friendly at that; but still +they seemed uneasy, not very sure of my intentions. + +"Where is the Duke?" I asked after a long awkward pause. "Is he at +Taunton?" They looked from one to the other with strange looks which I +did not understand. + +"The Duke be at Bridgewater," said one of them in a curious tone. "What +be you doing away from the Duke?" + +"Why," I said, "I was taken prisoner. I escaped this morning." + +"Yes?" they said with some show of eagerness. "Be there many soldiers +hereaway, after us?" + +"No. Not many," I said. "Are you coming from the Duke?" + +"Yes," said one of them, "we left en at Bridgewater. We have been having +enough of fighting for the crown. We been marching in mud up to our +knees. We been fighting behind hedges. We been retreating for the last +week. So now us be going home, if us can get there. Glad if we never +sees a fight again." + +"Well," I said, "I must get to the Duke if I can. How far is it to +Bridgewater?" + +"Matter of fifteen mile," they said, after a short debate. "You'll never +get there tonight. Nor perhaps tomorrow, since we hear the soldiers be a +coming." + +"I'll get some of the way tonight," I said; but my heart sank at the +thought; for I was tired out. + +"No, young master," said one of the men kindly, "you stop with us for +tonight. Come to supper with us. Us 'ave rabbits on the fire." Their +fortnight of war had given them a touch of that comradeship which +camp-life always gives. They took me with them to their camp-fire, where +they fed me on a wonderful mess of rabbits boiled with herbs. The men +had bread. One of them had cider. Our feast there was most pleasant; or +would have been, had not the talk of these deserters been so melancholy. +They were flying to their homes like hunted animals, after a fortnight +of misery which had altered their faces forever. They had been +in battle; they had retreated through mud; they had seen all the +ill-fortune of war. They did all that they could to keep me from my +purpose; but I had made up my mind to rejoin my master; I was not to be +moved. Before settling down to sleep for the night I helped the men to +set wires for rabbits, an art which I had not understood till then, +but highly useful to a lad so fated to adventurous living as myself. We +slept in various parts of the spinney, wherever there was good shelter; +but we were all so full of jangling nerves that our sleep was most +uneasy. We woke very early, visited our wires, then breakfasted heartily +on the night's take. The men insisted on giving me a day's provision +to take with me, which I took, though grudgingly, for they had none too +much for themselves, poor fellows. Just before we parted I wrote a note +to Sir Travers, on a leaf of my pocketbook. "Dear Sir Travers," I wrote, +"These men are well-known to me as honest subjects. They have had great +troubles on their road. I hope that you will help them to get home. +Please remember me very kindly to your niece." After folding this +very neatly I gave the precious piece of impudence to one of the men. +"There," I said, "if you are stopped, insist on being carried before Sir +Travers. He knows me. I am sure that he will help you as far as he +can." For this the men thanked me humbly. I learned, too, that it was of +service to them. It saved them all from arrest later in the same day. + +Having bidden my hosts farewell, I wandered on, keeping pretty well in +cover. I saw a patrol of the King's dragoons in one of the roads near +which I walked. The nets were fast closing in on my master: there were +soldiers coming upon him from every quarter save the west, which was +blocked too, as it happened, by ships of war in the Channel. This +particular patrol of dragoons caught sight of me. I saw a soldier +looking over a gate at me; but as I was only a boy, seemingly out for +birdsnests, he did not challenge me, so that by noon I was safe in +Taunton. I have no clear memory of Taunton, except that it was full of +people, mostly women. There were little crowds in the streets, little +crowds of women, surrounding muddy, tired men who had come in from the +Duke. People were going about in a hurried, aimless way which showed +that they were scared. Many houses were shut up. Many men were working +on the city walls, trying to make the place defensible. If ever a town +had the fear of death upon it that town was Taunton, then. As far as I +could make out it was not the actual war that it feared; though that +it feared pretty strongly, as the looks on the women's faces showed. It +feared that the Duke's army would come back to camp there, to eat them +all up, every penny, every blade of corn, like an army of locusts. +Sometimes, while I was there, men galloped in with news, generally +false, like most warmews, but eagerly sought for by those who even now +saw their husbands shot dead in ranks by the fierce red-coats under +their drunken Dutch general. Sometimes the news was that the army was +pressing in to cut off the Duke from Taunton; that the dragoons were +shooting people on the road; that they were going to root out the whole +population without mercy. At another time news came that Monmouth was +marching in to music, determined to hold Taunton till the town was a +heap of cinders. Then one, bloody with his spurred horse's gore, cried +aloud that the King was dead, shot in the heart by one of his brother's +servants. Then another came calling all to prayer. All this uproar +caused a hurrying from one crowd to another. Here a man preached +fervently to a crowd of enthusiasts. Here men ran from a prayer-meeting +to crowd about a messenger. Bells jangled from the churches; the noise +of the picks never ceased in the trenches; the taverns were full; the +streets swarmed; the public places were now thronged, now suddenly +empty. Here came the aldermen in their robes, scared faces among the +scarlet, followed by a mob praying for news, asking in frenzy for +something certain, however terrible. There several in a body clamoured +at a citizen's door in the like fever of doubt. There was enough agony +of mind in Taunton that day to furnish out any company of tragedians. +We English, an emotional people by nature, are best when the blow has +fallen. We bear neither doubt nor rapture wisely. Our strength is shown +in troublous times in which other people give way to despair. + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. THE END + +Among all the confusion, I learned certainly from some deserters that +the Duke was at Bridgewater, waiting till his men had rested, before +trying to break through to the north, to his friends in Chester. He had +won a bad name for himself among his friends. Nobody praised him. The +Taunton people, who had given him such a splendid welcome ten days +before, now cursed him for having failed; they knew too well what sort +of punishment was sure to fall upon them, directly the fighting came to +an end. Somehow all their despairing talk failed to frighten me. I was +not scared by all the signs of panic in the streets. I was too young to +understand fully; but besides that I was buoyed up by the belief that +I had done a fine thing in escaping from prison in order to serve the +cause dear to my heart. My heart told me that I was going to a glorious +victory in the right cause. I cannot explain it. I felt my father in my +heart urging me to go forward. I would not have drawn back for all the +King's captains in a company riding out against me together. I felt that +these people were behaving absurdly; they should keep a brave patient +face against their troubles. Tomorrow or the next day would see us in +triumph, beating our enemies back to London, to the usurper's den in +Whitehall. + +It drew towards sunset before I had found a means to get to Bridgewater. +The innkeepers who in times of peace sent daily carriers thither, with +whom a man could travel in comfort for a few pence, had now either lost +their horses, or feared to risk them. No carriers had gone either to +Bridgewater or to Bristol since the Duke marched in on the fourth day +of his journey; nor had the carriers come in as usual from those places; +the business of the town was at a standstill. I asked at several inns, +but that was the account given to me. There was no safety on the roads. +The country was overrun by thieves, who stole horses in the name of the +Duke or of the King; nothing was safe anywhere. The general hope of the +people was for Monmouth to be beaten soon, or to be victorious soon. +They had lost quite enough by him; they wanted the rebellion over. + +At last, just when I had begun to think the thing hopeless, I found an +honest Quaker about to ride to Bridgewater with a basket of Bibles for +the Duke's men. He did not ask me what my business at Bridgewater +might be; but he knew that no one would want to go there at such a time +without good cause. "Well," he said, "if you can ride small, you shall +ride behind me, but it will be slow riding, as the horse will be heavily +laden." He was going to start at eight o'clock, so as to travel +all night, when the marauders, whether deserters from the Duke or +ill-conditioned country people, were always less busy. I had time to +get some supper for myself in the tavern-bar before starting. Just as +we were about to ride off together, when we were in the saddle, waiting +only till some carts rolled past the yard-door, I had a fright, for +there, coming into the inn yard, was one of the troopers who had +beguiled me from the Duke's army that day at Axminster. I had no doubt +that he was going from inn to inn, asking for news of me. We began to +move through the yard as he came towards us; the clack of the horse's +feet upon the cobbles made him look up; but though he stared at me hard, +he did so with an occupied mind; he was in such a brown study (as it is +called) that he never recognized me. A minute later, we were riding out +of town past the trench-labourers, my heart going pit-a-pat from the +excitement of my narrow escape. I dared not ask the Quaker to go fast, +lest he should worm my story from me, but for the first three miles I +assure you I found it hard not to prod that old nag with my knife to +make him quicken his two mile an hour crawl. Often during the first +hours of the ride I heard horses coming after us at a gallop. It was +all fancy; we were left to our own devices. My pursuers, I found, +afterwards, were misled by the lies of the landlord at the inn we had +left. We were being searched for in Taunton all that fatal night, by +half a dozen of the Carew servants. + +Bridgewater had not gone to bed when we got there. The people were out +in the streets, talking in frightened clumps, expecting something. After +thanking the Quaker for his kindness in giving me a lift I asked at one +of these clumps where I could find the Duke. I was feeling so happy +at the thought of rejoining my master, after all my adventures, that I +think I never felt so happy. + +"Where can I find the Duke?" I asked. "I'm his servant, I must find +him." + +"Find him?" said one of the talkers. "He's not here. He's marched out, +sir, with all his army, over to Sedgemoor to fight the King's army. It's +a night attack, sir." + +I was bitterly disappointed at not having reached my journey's end; but +there was a stir in the thought of battle. I asked by which road I could +get to the place where the battle would be. The man told me to turn to +the right after crossing the river. "But," said he, "you don't want to +get mixed up in the fighting, master. There be thousands out there on +the moor. A boy would be nowhere among all them." + +"Yes," said another. "Better stay here, sir. If the Duke wins he'll be +back afore breakfast. If he gets beat, you'd be best out of the way." + +This was sound advice; but I was not in a mood to profit by it. +Something told me that the battle was to be a victory for us; so I +thanked the men, telling them that I would go out over the moor by the +road they had mentioned. As I moved away, they called out to me to mind +myself, for the King's dragoons were on the moor, as a sort of screen +in front of their camp. By the road they had mentioned I might very well +get into the King's camp without seeing anything of my master. One of +them added that the battle would begin, or might begin, long before I +got there, "if the mist don't lead en astray, like." + +It took me some few minutes to get out of the gates across the river; +for there was a press of people crowded there. It was as dark as +a summer night ever is, that is, a sort of twilight, when I passed +through, but just at the gates were two great torches stuck into rings +in the wall. The wind made their flames waver about uncertainly, so that +sometimes you could see particular faces in the crowd, all lit in muddy +gold light for an instant, before the wavering made them dark again. +Several mounted men were there, trying to pass. Among them, in one +sudden glare, I saw Aurelia on her Arab, reined in beside Sir Travers, +whose horse was kicking out behind him. I passed them by so close that +I touched Aurelia's riding habit as I crept out of the press. They were +talking together, just behind me, as I crept from the town over the +bridge above which the summer mists clung, almost hiding the stream. +Aurelia was saying "I only hope we may be in time." "Yes, poor boy," +said Sir Travers. "It will be terrible if we are too late." It gave me a +pang to hear them, for I knew that they were talking about me. + +I crept into the shelter of the bridge parapet while they rode on past +me. The mist hid them from me. The town was dark above the mist like +a city in the clouds. The stars were dim now with the coming of day. +A sheep-bell on the moor made a noise like a nightbird. A few ponies +pastured on the moor trotted away, lightly padding, scared, I suppose, +by the two riders. Then, far away, but sounding very near at hand, for +sound travels very strangely in mist, so strangely that often a very +distant noise will strike loudly, while it is scarcely heard close to, +there came a shot. Almost instantly, the air seemed full of the roar +of battle. The gun-fire broke out into a long irregular roar, a fury +of noise which roused up the city behind me, as though all the citizens +were slamming their doors to get away from it. I hurried along the road +towards the battle, praying, as I went, that my master might conquer, +that the King's troops had been caught asleep, that when I got there, +in the glory of dawn, I might find the Duke's army returning thanks in +their enemy's camp. I pressed on along the rough moor road until the +dawn came over the far horizon, driving the mists away, so that I could +see what was doing there. + +I saw a great sweep of moorland to my left, with a confused crowd of +horsemen scattering away towards a line of low hills some miles beyond. +They were riding from the firing, which filled all the nearer part of +the moor with smoke, among which I saw moving figures, sudden glimpses +of men in rank, sudden men on horseback, struggling with their horses. +The noise was worse than I had expected; it came on me with repeated +deafening shocks. I could hear cries in the lulls when the firing +slackened; then the uproar grew worse again, sounds of desperate thuds, +marking cannon shot. I heard balls going over my head with a shrill +"wheep, wheep," which made me duck. A small iron cannon ball spun into +the road like a spinning top, scattering the dust. It wormed slowly past +me for a second, then rose up irregularly in a bound, to thud into the +ditch, where it lay still. I saw cannon coming up at a gallop, with many +horses, on the bare right flank of the battle. Another ball came just +over my head, with a scream which made my heart quite sick. I sat down +cowering under a ruined thorn-tree by the road, crying like a little +child. It must have been a moment after that when I saw a man staggering +down the road towards me, holding his side with both hands. He fell +into the road, dead, not far from me. Then others came past, some so +fearfully hurt that it was a miracle that they should walk. They came +past in a long horrible procession, men without weapons, without hands, +shot in the head, in the body, lacerated, bleeding, limping, with white +drawn faces, tottering to the town which they would never see again. I +shut my eyes, crouching well under the tree, while this fight went +on. It was nothing but a time of pain, a roaring, booming horror with +shrieks in it. I don't know how long it lasted. I only know that the +shooting seemed suddenly to pass into a thunder of horse-hoofs as +the King's dragoons came past in a charge. Right in front of me they +galloped, hacking at the fleers, leaning out from their saddles to cut +at them, leaning down to stab them, rising up to reach at those who +climbed the banks. Under that tide of cavalry the Duke's army melted. +They fought in clumps desperately. They flung away their weapons. They +fled. They rushed down desperately to meet death. It was all a medley of +broken noises, oaths, stray shots, cries, wounded men whimpering, hurt +horses screaming. The horses were the worst part of it. Perhaps you +never heard a horse scream. + +That morning's work is all very confused to me. I remember seeing men +cut down as they ran. I remember a fine horse coming past me lurching, +clattering his stirrups, before leaping into the river. I remember the +stink of powder over all the field; the strange look on the faces of +the dead; the body of a trumpeter, kneeling against a gorse-bush, shot +through the heart, with his trumpet raised to his lips, the litter +everywhere, burnt cartridges, clothes, belts, shot, all the waste of +war. They are in my mind, those memories, like scattered pictures. The +next clear memory in my mind, is of a company of cavalry in red coats, +under a fierce, white-faced man, bringing in a string of prisoners to +the King's camp. A couple of troopers jumped down to examine me. One had +the face of a savage; the other was half drunk. "You're one of them," +they said. "Bring him on." They twisted string about my thumbs. I +was their prisoner. They dragged me into the King's camp, where the +white-faced man sat down at a table to judge us. + +I will not talk of that butchery. The white-faced man has been judged +now, in his turn; I will say no more of him. When it came to my turn, he +would hear no words from me; I was a rebel, fit for nothing but death. +"Pistol him" was all the sentence passed on me. The soldiers laid hands +on me to drag me away, to add my little corpse to the heap outside. One +of the officers spoke up for me. "He's only a boy," he said. "Go easy +with the boy. Don't have the poor child killed." It was kindly spoken; +but quite carelessly. The man would have pleaded for a cat with just as +much passion. It was useless, anyway, for the colonel merely repeated +"Pistol him," just as one would have ordered a wine at dinner. +"Burgundy." "No, the Burgundy here is all so expensive." "Never mind, +Burgundy." So I was led away to stand with the next batch of prisoners +lined against a wall to be shot. My place was at the end of a line, +next to a young sullen-looking man black with powder. I did not feel +frightened, only hopeless, quite hopeless, a sort of dead feeling. I +remember looking at the soldiers getting ready to shoot us. I wondered +which would shoot me. They seemed so slow about it. There was some +hitch, I think, in filling up the line; a man had proved his innocence +or something. + +Then, the next instant, there was Aurelia dragging the white-faced man +from his table. I dimly remember him ordering me to be released, while +Sir Travers Carew gave me brandy. I remember the young sullen-looking +man's face; for he looked at me, a look of dull wonder, with a sort +of hopeless envy in it, which has wrung my heart daily, ever since. +"Mount," said Aurelia. "Mount, Martin. For God's sake, Uncle Travers, +let us get out of this." They were on both sides of me each giving me an +arm in the saddle, as we rode out of that field of death through Zoyland +village towards the old Abbey near Chard. + +I shall say little more, except that I never saw my master again. When +they led him to the scaffold on Tower Hill I was outward bound to +the West Indies, as private secretary to Sir Travers, newly appointed +Governor of St. Eulalie. We had many of Monmouth's men in St. Eulalie +after the Bloody Assizes; but their tale is too horrible to tell here. +You will want to know whether I ever saw Aurelia again. Not for some +years, not very often for nine years; but since then our lives have been +so mingled that when we die it will be hard to say which soul is which, +so much our spirits are each other's. So now, I have written a long +story. May we all tell our tales to the end before the pen is taken from +us. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Martin Hyde, The Duke's Messenger, by +John Masefield + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARTIN HYDE, THE DUKE'S MESSENGER *** + +***** This file should be named 1274.txt or 1274.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/7/1274/ + +Produced by Aaron Cannon + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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THE SEA! +VII. LAND RATS AND WATER RATS +VIII. I MEET MY FRIEND +IX. I SEE MORE OF MY FRIEND +X. SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT +XI. AURELIA +XII. BRAVE CAPTAIN BARLOW +XIII. IT BREEZES UP +XIV. A DRINK OF SHERBET +XV. THE ROAD TO LYME +XVI. THE LANDING +XVII. A VOICE AT DAWN +XVIII.I SPEAK WITH AURELIA +XIX. I MEET THE CLUB MEN +XX. THE SQUIRE'S HOUSE +XXI. MY FRIEND AURELIA AND HER UNCLE +XXII. THE PRIEST'S HOLE +XXIII.FREE +XXIV THE END + + + + +MARTIN HYDE + +THE DUKE'S MESSENGER + +by + +John Masefield + + +CHAPTER I. I LEAVE HOME + +I was born at Oulton, in Suffolk, in the year 1672. I know not +the day of my birth, but it was in March, a day or two after the +Dutch war began. I know this, because my father, who was the +clergyman at Oulton, once told me that in the night of my birth a +horseman called upon him, at the rectory, to ask the way to +Lowestoft. He was riding from London with letters for the +Admiral, he said; but had missed his way somewhere beyond +Beccles. He was mud from head to foot (it had been a wet March) +but he would not stay to dry himself. He reined in at the door, +just as I was born, as though he were some ghost, bringing my +life in his saddle bags. Then he shook up his horse, through the +mud, towards Lowestoft, so that the splashing of the horse's +hoofs must have been the first sound heard by me. The Admiral was +gone when he reached Lowestoft, poor man, so all his trouble was +wasted. War wastes more energy, I suppose, than any other form of +folly. I know that on the East Coast, during all the years of my +childhood, this Dutch war wasted the energies of thousands. The +villages had to drill men, each village according to its size, to +make an army in case the Dutch should land. Long after the war +was over, they drilled thus. I remember them on the field outside +the church, drilling after Sunday service, firing at a stump of a +tree. Once some wag rang the alarm-bell at night, to fetch them +out of their beds. Then there were the smugglers; they, too, were +caused by the war. After the fighting there was a bitter feeling +against the Dutch. Dutch goods were taxed heavily (spice, I +remember, was made very dear thus) to pay for the war. The +smugglers began then to land their goods secretly, all along the +coast, so that they might avoid the payment of the duty. The +farmers were their friends; for they liked to have their gin +cheap. Indeed, they used to say that in an agueish place like the +fens, gin was a necessity, if one would avoid fever. Often, at +night, in the winter, when I was walking home from Lowestoft +school, I would see the farmers riding to the rendezvous in the +dark, with their horses' hoofs all wrapped up in sacks, to make +no noise. + +I lived for twelve years at Oulton. I learned how to handle a +boat there, how to swim, how to skate, how to find the eggs of +the many wild fowl in the reeds. In those days the Broad country +was a very wild land, half of it swamp. My father gave me a +coracle on my tenth birthday. In this little boat I used to +explore the country for many miles, pushing up creeks among the +reeds, then watching, in the pools (far out of the world it +seemed) for ruffs or wild duck. I was a hardy boy, much older +than my years, like so many only children. I used to go away, +sometimes, for two or three days together, with my friend John +Halmer, Captain Halmer's son, taking some bread, with a blanket +or two, as my ship's stores. We used to paddle far up the Waveney +to an island hidden in reeds. We were the only persons who knew +of that island. We were like little kings there. We built a rough +sort of tent-hut there every summer. Then we would pass the time +there deliciously, now bathing, now fishing, but always living on +what we caught. John, who was a wild lad, much older than I, used +to go among the gipsies in their great winter camp at Oulton. He +learned many strange tricks from them. He was a good +camp-companion. I think that the last two years of my life at +Oulton were the happiest years of my life. I have never cared for +dry or hilly countries since. Wherever I have been in the world, +I have always longed for the Broads, where the rivers wander +among reeds for miles, losing themselves in thickets of reeds. I +have always thought tenderly of the flat land, where windmills or +churches are the only landmarks, standing up above the mist, in +the loneliness of the fens. But when I was nearly thirteen years +old (just after the death of Charles the Second) my father died, +leaving me an orphan. My uncle, Gabriel Hyde, a man about town, +was my only relative. The vicar of Lowestoft wrote to him, on my +behalf. A fortnight later (the ways were always very foul in the +winter) my uncle's man came to fetch me to London. There was a +sale of my father's furniture. His books were sent off to his +college at Cambridge by the Lowestoft carrier. Then the valet +took me by wherry to Norwich, where we caught a weekly coach to +town. That was the last time I ever sailed on the Waveney as a +boy, that journey to Norwich. When I next saw the Broads, I was a +man of thirty-five. I remember how strangely small the country +seemed to me when I saw it after my wanderings. But this is away +from my tale. All that I remember of the coach-ride was my +arrival late at night at the London inn, a dark house full of +smells, from which the valet led me to my uncle's house. + +I lay awake, that first night, much puzzled by the noise, fearing +that London would be all streets, a dismal place. When I fell +asleep, I was waked continually by chiming bells. In the morning, +early, I was roused by the musical calling made by milkmen on +their rounds, with that morning's milk for sale. At breakfast my +uncle told me not to go into the street without Ephraim, his man; +for without a guide, he said, I should get lost. He warned me +that there were people in London who made a living by seizing +children ("kidnapping" or "trepanning" them, as it was called) to +sell to merchant-captains bound for the plantations. "So be very +careful, Martin," he said. "Do not talk to strangers." He went +for his morning walk after this, telling me that I might run out +to play in the garden. + +I went out of doors feeling that London must be a very terrible +place, if the folk there went about counting all who met them as +possible enemies. I was homesick for the Broads, where everybody, +even bad men, like the worst of the smugglers, was friendly to +me. I hated all this noisy city, so full of dirty jumbled houses. +I longed to be in my coracle on the Waveney, paddling along among +the reeds, chucking pebbles at the water-rats. But when I went +out into the garden I found that even London held something for +me, not so good as the Broads, perhaps, but pleasant in its way. + +Now before I go further, I must tell you that my uncle's house +was one of the old houses in Billingsgate. It stood in a narrow, +crowded lane, at the western end of Thames Street, close to the +river. Few of the houses thereabouts were old; for the fire of +London had nearly destroyed that part of the city, but my uncle's +house, with a few more in the same lane, being built of brick, +had escaped. The bricks of some of the houses were scorched +black. I remember, also, at the corner house, three doors from my +uncle's house, the melted end of a water pipe, hanging from the +roof like a long leaden icicle, just as it had run from the heat +eighteen years before. I used to long for that icicle: it would +have made such fine bullets for my sling. I have said that Fish +Lane, where my uncle lived, was narrow. It was very narrow. The +upper stories of the houses opposite could be touched from my +bed-room window with an eight-foot fishing rod. If one leaned +well out, one could see right into their upper rooms. You could +even hear the people talking in them. + +At the back of the house there was a garden of potherbs. It +sloped down to the river-bank, where there were stairs to the +water. The stairs were covered in, so as to form a boat-house, in +which (as I learned afterwards) my uncle's skiffs were kept. You +may be sure that I lost no time in getting down to the water, +after I had breakfasted with my uncle, on the morning after my +arrival. + +A low stone parapet, topped by iron rails, shut off the garden +from the beach. Just beyond the parapet, within slingshot, as I +soon proved, was the famous Pool of London, full of ships of all +sorts, some with flags flying. The mild spring sun (it was early +in April) made the sight glorious. There must have been a hundred +ships there, all marshalled in ranks, at double-moorings, head to +flood. Boats full of merchandise were pulling to the wharves by +the Custom House. Men were working aloft on the yards, bending or +unbending sails. In some ships the sails hung loose, drying in +the sun. In others, the men were singing out as they walked round +the capstan, hoisting goods from the hold. One of the ships close +to me was a beautiful little Spanish schooner, with her name La +Reina in big gold letters on her transom. She was evidently one +of those very fast fruit boats, from the Canary Islands, of which +I had heard the seamen at Oulton speak. She was discharging +oranges into a lighter, when I first saw her. The sweet, heavy +smell of the bruised peels scented the river for many yards. + +I was looking at this schooner, wishing that I could pass an hour +in her hold, among those delicious boxes, when a bearded man came +on deck from her cabin. He looked at the shore, straight at +myself as I thought, raising his hand swiftly as though to beckon +me to him. A boat pushed out instantly, in answer to the hand, +from the garden next to the one in which I stood. The waterman, +pulling to the schooner, talked with the man for a moment, +evidently settling the amount of his fare. After the haggling, my +gentleman climbed into the boat by a little rope-ladder at the +stern. Then the boatman pulled away upstream, going on the last +of the flood, within twenty yards of where I stood. + +I had watched them idly, attracted, in the beginning, by that +sudden raising of the hand. But as they passed me, there came a +sudden puff of wind, strong enough to flurry the water into +wrinkles. It lifted the gentleman's hat, so that he saved it only +by a violent snatch which made the boat rock. As he jammed the +hat down he broke or displaced some string or clip near his ears. +At any rate his beard came adrift on the side nearest to me. The +man was wearing a false beard. He remedied the matter at once, +very cleverly, so that I may have been the only witness; but I +saw that the boatman was in the man's secret, whatever it was. He +pulled hard on his starboard oar, bringing the boat partly across +the current, thus screening him from everybody except the workers +in the ships. It must have seemed to all who saw him that he was +merely pulling to another arch of London Bridge. + +I was not sure of the man's face. It seemed handsome; that was +all that I could say of it. But I was fascinated by the mystery. +I wondered why he was wearing a false beard. I wondered what he +was doing in the schooner. I imagined all sorts of romantic plots +in which he was taking part. I watched his boat go through the +Bridge with the feeling that I was sharing in all sorts of +adventures already. There was a fall of water at the Bridge which +made the river dangerous there even on a flood tide. I could see +that the waves there would be quite enough for such a boat +without the most tender handling. I watched to see how they would +pass through. Both men stood up, facing forwards, each taking an +oar. They worked her through, out of sight, in a very clever +fashion; which set me wondering again what this handsome +gentleman might be, who worked a boat so well. + +I hung about at the end of the garden until dinner time, hoping +that they would return. I watched every boat which came +downstream, finding a great pleasure in the watermen's skill, for +indeed the water at the Bridge was frightful; only a strong nerve +could venture on it. But the boat did not come back, though one +or two other boats brought people, or goods, to the stairs of the +garden beside me. I could not see into the garden; that party +wall was too high. + +I did not go indoors again till Ephraim came to fetch me, saying +that it was time I washed my hands for dinner. I went to my room; +but instead of washing my hands, I leaned out of the window to +watch a dancing bear which was sidling about in the lane, just +below, while his keeper made a noise on the panpipes. A little +crowd of idlers was gathered round the bear. Some of them were +laughing at the bear, some at his keeper. I saw two boys sneaking +about among the company; they were evil-looking little ruffians, +with that hard look in the eyes which always marks the thoroughly +wicked. As I watched, one of them slipped his hand into a man's +pocket, then withdrew it, passing something swiftly to his +companion, who walked unconcernedly away. I ran out of doors at +once, to the man who had been robbed. + +"Sir," I said, when he had drawn away from the little crowd. +"Have you not been robbed of something?" + +He turned to look down on me, searching his pockets with both +hands. It gave me a start to see him, for he was the bearded man +who had passed me in the boat that morning. You may be sure that +I took a good note of him. He was a handsome, melancholy-looking +man, with a beard designed to make him look fairer than he really +was. + +"Robbed of something?" he repeated in a quiet voice. "Yes, I have +been robbed of something." It seemed to me that he turned pale, +when he found that he had been robbed. "Did you see it?" he +asked. "Don't point. Just describe him to me. No. Don't look +round, boy. Tell me without looking round." + +"Sir," I said, "do you see two little boys moving about among the +people there?" + +"Yes," he said. + +"It's the boy with the bit of broken pipe in his hat who has the, +whatever it was, sir, I'm sure. I saw it all." + +"I see," he said. "That's the coveter. Let this be a warning to +you, boy, never to stop in a crowd to watch these +street-performers. Where were you, when you saw it?" + +"Up above there, sir. In that house." + +"In Mr.Hyde's house. Do you live there?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Since when? Not for long, surely?" + +"No, sir. Only since yesterday. I'm Mr. Hyde's nephew." + +"Ah! Indeed. And that is your room up there?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Where do you come from then? You've not been in town before. +What is your father?" + +"My father's dead, sir. I come from Oulton. My father was rector +there." + +"Ah," he said quietly. "Now give this penny to the bear-ward." + +While I was giving the penny to the keeper, the strange man edged +among the lookers-on, apparently watching the bear's antics, till +he was just behind the pickpocket's accomplice. Watching his +time, he seized the boy from behind by both wrists. + +"This boy's a pickpocket," he cried aloud. "Stop that other boy. +He's an accomplice." The other boy, who had just taken a purse, +started to run, letting the booty drop. A boatman who was going +towards the river, tripped him up with an oar so that he fell +heavily. He lay still where he had fallen (all the wind was +knocked out of him) so that he was easily secured. The boy who +had been seized by the bearded man made no attempt to get away. +He was too firmly held. Both boys were then marched off to the +nearest constable where (after a strict search), they were locked +into a cellar till the morrow. The crowd deserted the bear-ward +when the cry of pickpockets was raised. They followed my +mysterious friend to the constable's house, hoping, no doubt, +that they would be able to crowd in to hear the constable bully +the boys as he searched them. One or two, who pretended to have +missed things, managed to get in. The bearded man told me to come +in, as he said that I should be needed as a witness. The others +were driven out into the street, where, I suppose, their +monkey-minds soon found other game, a horse fallen down, or a +drunken woman in the gutter, to divert their idleness. Such +sights seem to attract a London crowd at once. + +The boys were strictly searched by the constable. The booty from +their pockets was turned out upon the table. + +"Now, sir," said the constable to the bearded man, after he had +made a note of my story. "What is it they 'ad of you, sir?" + +"A shagreen leather pocket-book," said the man. "There it is." + +"This one?" said the constable. + +"Yes." + +"Oh," said the constable, opening the clasps, so that he could +examine the writing on the leaves. "What's inside?" + +"A lot of figures," said the man. "Sums. Problems in arithmetic." + +"Right," said the constable, handing over the book. + +"Here you are, sir. What name, sir?" + +"Edward Jermyn." + +"Edward German," the constable repeated. + +"Where d' you live, sir?" + +"At Mr. Scott's in Fish Lane." + +"Right, sir," said the constable, writing down the address, "You +must appear tomorrow at ten before Mr. Garry, the magistrate. +You, too, young master, to give your evidence." + +At this the boys burst out crying, begging us not to appear, +using all those deceptive arts which the London thieves practise +from childhood. I, who was new to the world's deceits, was +touched to the marrow by their seeming misery. The constable +roughly silenced them. "I know you, he said. "I had my eye on you +two ever since Christmas. Now you'll go abroad to do a bit of +honest work, instead of nickin' pockets. Stow your blubbering +now, or I'll give you Mogador Jack." He produced "Mogador Jack," +a supple shark's backbone, from behind the door. The tears +stopped on the instant. + +After this, the bearded man showed me the way back to Fish Lane, +where Ephraim, who was at the door, looking out for me) gave me a +shrewd scolding, for venturing out without a guide. + +Mr. Jermyn silenced him by giving him a shilling. The next day, +Mr. Jermyn took me to the magistrate's house, where the two +thieves were formally committed for trial. Mr. Jermyn told me +that they would probably be transported for seven years, on +conviction at the Assizes; but that, as they were young, the +honest work abroad, in the plantations, might be the saving of +them. "So do not be so sad, Mr. Martin," he said. "You do not +know how good a thing you did when you looked out of the window +yesterday. Do you know, by the way, how much my book is worth?" + +"No, sir," I said. + +"Well. It's worth more than the King's crown," he said. + +"But I thought it was only sums, sir." + +"Yes," he said, with a strange smile. "But some sums have to do +with a great deal of money. Now I want you to think tonight of +something to the value of twenty pounds or so. I want to give you +something as a reward for your smartness. Don't decide at once. +Think it over. Here we are at our homes, you see. We live just +opposite to each other." + +We were standing at this moment in the narrow lane at my uncle's +door. As he spoke, he raised his hand in a farewell salute with +that dignity of gesture which was in all his movements. On the +instant, to my surprise, the door of the house opposite opened +slowly, till it was about half open. No one opened it, as I could +see; it swung back of itself. After my friend had stepped across +the threshold it swung to with a click in the same mysterious +way. It was as though it had a knowledge of Mr. Jermyn's mind, as +though the raised hand had had a magical power over it. When I +went indoors to my uncle's house I was excited. I felt that I was +in the presence of something romantic, something mysterious. I +liked Mr. Jermyn. He had been very kind. But I kept wondering why +he wore a false beard, why his door opened so mysteriously, why +he valued a book of sums above the worth of a King's crown. As +for his offer of a present, I did not like it, though he had not +given me time to say as much. I remembered how indignant the +Oulton wherrymen had been when a gentleman offered them money for +saving his daughter's life. I had seen the man robbed, what else +could I have done? I could have done no less than tell him. I +resolved that I would refuse the gift when next I saw him. + +At dinner that day, I was full of Mr. Jermyn, much to my uncle's +annoyance. + +"Who is this Mr. Jermyn, Martin?" he asked. "I don't know him. Is +he a gentleman?" + +"Yes, uncle." + +"Do you know him, Ephraim?" + +"No, sir. I know him by sight, sir. Gentleman who lives over the +way, Mr. Hyde." + +"That's Mr. Scott's, though." + +"No, sir. Mr. Jermyn's been there ever since February." + +"But the house is empty." + +"The lower floor is furnished, sir." + +"Do you know anything of him? Do you know his man?" + +"They say he's in the fruit way, sir. In the Spanish trade. His +men are Spaniards. They do say he's not quite to be trusted." + +"Who says this?" my uncle asked. + +"I don't like to mention names, sir," Ephraim said. + +"Quite right. Quite right. But what do they say?" + +"Very queer things goes on in that 'ouse," said Ephraim. "I don't +'ardly like to say. But they think 'e raises the devil, sir. +Awful noises goes on there. I seen some things myself there, as I +don't like to talk of. Well. I saw a black bird as big as a man +stand flapping in the window. Then I seen eyes glaring out at the +door. They give the 'ouse a bad name, sir; everyone." + +"H'm," said my uncle. "What's he like, Martin, this Mr. Jermyn?" + +"A tall man, with a beard," I answered. I thought it wrong to +mention that I knew the beard to be false. "He's always stroking +the bridge of his nose with his hand." + +"Ha," my uncle said, as though recognizing the trait. "But with a +beard, you tell me?" + +"Yes, sir. With a beard." + +"H'm," he answered, musing, "I must have a look at this Mr. +Jermyn. Remember, Martin, you're to have nothing more to do with +him, till I know a little more of what he is. You understand?" + +"Yes, uncle." + +"One cannot be too careful in this town. I won't allow you in the +streets, Martin. No matter who has his pockets picked. I told you +that before." + +"Please, uncle, may I go on the river, then, if I'm not to go +into the street? I'm used to boats." + +"Yes. You may do that. But you're not to go on board the ships, +mind." + +"Beg pardon, sir," Ephraim put in. "The fall at the Bridge is +very risky, sir." + +"It is?" said my uncle, testily. "Then of course you can't go in +a boat, Martin. You must play in the garden, or read." + + + +CHAPTER II. I LEAVE HOME AGAIN + +I thought Ephraim a pig for putting in that word about the fall. +Though I had only known Ephraim for a few days I disliked him +perhaps as much as he disliked me. He was angry (I could feel it) +at having a boy in the house, after many years of quiet alone +with my uncle. I know that when he had occasion to speak to me, +he always went away muttering about my being a charity brat who +ought to be in the poor-house. Still, like most servants, he +vented most of his malice indirectly, as in this hint of his +about the river. I rose up from the dinner-table full of +rebellion. I would go on the river, I said to myself, fall or no +fall. I would see more of Mr. Jermyn, too. I would find out what +went on in that house. I would find out everything. In all this, +of course, I was very wrong, but having made sure that I was +being treated unjustly I felt that I was only doing right in +rebelling. So after waiting till Ephraim was in the pantry, +washing up the dinner-things with the housemaid, I slipped down +the garden to the boat-house. The door was padlocked, as I had +feared; but with an old hammer-head I managed to pry off the +staple. I felt like a burglar when the lock came off in my hand. +I felt that I was acting deceitfully. Then the thought of Ephraim +came over me, making me rebellious to my finger-tips. I would go +on the river, I said to myself, I would go aboard all the ships +in the Pool. I would show them all that I could handle a boat +anywhere. So in a moment my good angel was beaten. I was in the +boat-house, prying at the staple of the outer door, like the +young rogue that I was. Well, I paid a heavy price for that day +of disobedience. It was the most dearly bought day's row I ever +heard of. + +It took me a few moments to open the outer door. Then, with a +thrill of pleasure, such as only those who love the water can +fed, I thrust out into the river, on to the last of the ebb, then +fast ebbing. The fall under the bridge at that state of the tide +was truly terrifying. It roared so loudly that I could hear +nothing else. It boiled about the bridge piers so fiercely that I +was scared to see it. I had seen the sea in storm; but then one +does not put to sea in a storm. This waterfall tumbled daily, +even in a calm. I shuddered to think of small boats, caught in +the current above it, being drawn down, slowly at first, then +with a whirl, till all was whelmed in the tumble below the +arches. I saw how hatefully the back wash seemed to saunter back +to the fall along the banks. I thought that if I was not careful +I might be caught in the back wash, drawn slowly along it by the +undertow, till the cataract sank me. As I watched the fall, +fascinated, yet scared by it, there came a shooting rush, with +shouts of triumph. A four-oared wherry with two passengers shot +through the arch over the worst of the water into the quiet of +the midstream. They waved to me, evidently very pleased with +their exploit. That set me wondering whether the water were +really as bad as it looked. My first feat was to back up +cautiously almost to the fall, till my boat was dancing so +vigorously that I was spattered all over. Standing up in the boat +there, I could see the oily water, like a great arched snake's +back, swirl past the arch towards me, bubbleless, almost without +a ripple, till it showed all its teeth at once in breaking down. +The piers of the arches jutted far out below the fall, like +pointed islands. I was about to try to climb on the top of one +from the boat, a piece of madness which would probably have ended +in my death, but some boys in one of the houses on the bridge +began to pelt me with pebbles, so that I had to sheer off. I +pulled down among the shipping, examining every vessel in the +Pool. Then I pulled down the stream, with the ebb, as far as +Wapping, where I was much shocked by the sight of the pirates' +gallows, with seven dead men hung in chains together there, for +taking the ship Delight, so a waterman told me, on the Guinea +Coast, the year before. I left my boat at Wapping Stairs, while I +went into a pastry-cook's shop to buy cake; for I was now hungry. +The pastry-cook was also a vintner. His tables were pretty well +crowded with men, mostly seafaring men, who were drinking wine +together, talking of politics. I knew nothing whatever about +politics, but hearing the Duke of Monmouth named I pricked up my +ears to listen. My father had told me, in his last illness, when +the news of the death of Charles the Second reached us, that +trouble would come to England through this Duke, because, he +said, "he will never agree with King James." Many people (the +Duke himself being one of them) believed that this James Scott, +Duke of Monmouth, was the son of a very beautiful woman by +Charles the Second, who (so the tale went) had married her in his +wanderings abroad, while Cromwell ruled in England here. I myself +shall ever believe this story. I am quite sure, now, in my own +mind, that Monmouth was our rightful King. I have heard accounts +of this marriage of Charles the Second from people who were with +him in his wanderings. When Charles the Second died (being +poisoned, some said, by his brother James, who wished to seize +the throne while Monmouth was abroad, unable to claim his rights) +James succeeded to the crown. At the time of which I write he had +been King for about two months. I did not know anything about his +merits as a King; but hearing the name of Monmouth I felt sure, +from the first, that I should hear more of what my father had +told me. + +One of the seamen, a sour-looking, pale-faced man, was saying +that Holland was full of talk that the Duke was coming over, to +try for the Kingdom. Another said that it wasn't the Duke of +Monmouth but the Duke of Argyle that was coming, to try, not for +England, but for Scotland. A third said that all this was talk, +for how could a single man, without twenty friends in the world, +get through a cruising fleet? "How could he do anything, even if +he did land?" + +"Ah," said another man. "They say that the West is ready to rally +around him. That's what they say." + +"Well," said the first, raising his cup. "Here's to King James, I +say. England's had enough of civil troubles." The other men drank +the toast with applause. It is curious to remember how cautious +people were in those troublous days. One could never be sure of +your friend's true opinion. It was a time when there were so many +spies abroad that everybody was suspicious of his neighbour. I am +sure that a good half of that company was disloyal; yet they +drank that toast, stamping their feet, as though they would have +shed their blood for King James with all the pleasure in life. +"Are you for King James, young waterman?" said one of the men to +me. "Yes," I said, "I am for the rightful King." At this they all +laughed. One of the men said that if there were many like me the +Duke of Monmouth might spare himself the trouble of coming over. + +I finished my cake quietly, after that. Then, as the tide was not +yet making, to help me back up the river, I wandered into Wapping +fields, where a gang of beggars camped. They were a dirtier, more +troublesome company than the worst of the Oulton gipsies. They +crowded round me, whining about their miseries, with the fawning +smiles of professional beggars. There were children among them +who lied about their wants as glibly as their parents lied. The +Oulton beggars had taught me to refuse such people, as being, +nearly always, knaves; so I said that I had nothing for them. I +felt the hands of these thieves lightly feeling the outsides of +my pockets for something worth taking. One of them with a sudden +thrust upon me snatched my handkerchief. He tossed it to a +friend. As he started to run from me, a young man with an evil, +weak face pushed me backwards with a violent shove. I staggered +back, from the push, to fall over a boy who had crouched behind +me there, ready to upset me. When I got up, rather shaken from my +fall, the dirty gang was scattering to its burrow; for they +lived, like beasts, in holes scratched in the ground, thatched +over with sacks or old clothes. I hurried back toward Wapping in +the hope of finding a constable to recover my handkerchief for +me. The constable (when I found him) refused to stir until I made +it worth his while. Sixpence was his fee, he said, but he was +sure that a handsome young gentleman like myself would not grudge +a sixpence to recover a handkerchief. On searching for my purse +(in which I had about two shillings) I found that that had gone, +too, "nicked" by these thieves. I told the Constable that my +purse had been stolen. + +"Oh," he said. "How much was in it?" I told him. + +"Could you describe the man who took it?" + +"No." I said. "I did not see the man take it." + +"Then how do you know that anybody took it?" + +Of course I did not know that anybody had taken it but thought it +highly probable. "That won't do here," he said, settling down in +his chair to his tobacco. "I'll look into it. If I hear of it, +why, next time you come here, you shall have it." + +"But my handkerchief," I said. + +"Sixpence is my fee," the brute answered. "Do you want to rob a +poor man of his earnings? Why, what a rogue you must be, young +master." I tried to move him to recover my handkerchief, but +without success. At last, growing weary of the sound of my pipe, +as he said, he rounded on me. + +"If you don't run away 'ome," he said, "I'll commit you for a +nuisance. Think I'm goin' to be bothered by yer. Be off, now." + +At that, I set off down to the river. There I found two dirty +little boys in my uncle's boat, busy with the dipper, trying to +fill her with water. I boxed the ears of one of them, when the +other, coming behind me, hit me over the head with the stretcher. +I turned sharply, giving him a punch which made his nose bleed. +The other, seeing his chance (my back being turned) promptly +soused me with the dipper. I saw that I would have to settle one +of them at a time, so, paying no attention to the dipper, I +followed up my blow on the nose with one or two more, which drove +the stretcher-boy out of the boat. The other was a harder lad; +who would, perhaps, have beaten me, had not a waterman on the +stairs taken my part. He took my enemy by the ear. "Get out of +that," he said, giving him a kick. "If I catch you messing boats +again, I'll give you Mogador Jack." I pushed off from the stairs +then, glad to get away with both oars. My enemies, running along +the banks, flung stones at me as long as I was in range. If I had +had my sling with me, would have warmed their legs for them. When +was out of range of their shot, I laid in my oars, so that I +could bail. The boys had poured about six inches of water into +the boat. If the plug had been less tightly hammered in, they +would no doubt have sunk her at her painter by pulling it out. +Then should have been indeed in difficulty. It took me about +twenty minutes to bail the boat clear. As I bailed her, I thought +that Londoners must be the most unpleasant people in the world, +since, already, in two days, I had met so many knaves. It did not +occur to me at the time that I was a young knave, too, to be out +in a stolen boat, against orders. I never once thought how well I +had been served for my disobedience. + +I had an uncomfortable journey upstream, for I was very wet from +my sousing. I loitered at the Tower to watch the garrison +drilling with the big guns. Then I loitered about among the +ships, reading their names, or even climbing their gangways to +look at their decks. I lingered a long time at the schooner La +Reina, partly because she was much the prettiest ship in the +Pool, but partly because I was beginning to dread Ephraim. I +wondered whether Mr. Jermyn was on board of her. I was half +tempted to climb aboard to find out. I clambered partly up her +gangway, so that I could peer over the rail. To my surprise, I +found that her hatches were battened down as in ships ready for +the sea. Her cargo of oranges, that had smelt so sweetly, must +have been a blind, for no ship, discharging cargo the day before, +could be loaded, ready for sea, within twenty-four hours. Indeed, +she was in excellent trim. She was not too light to put to sea. +No doubt, I said to myself, she has taken in ballast to equal the +weight of oranges sent ashore. But I knew just enough of ships to +know that there was some mystery in the business. The schooner +could not be the plain fruit-trader for which men took her. As I +looked over her rail, noting this, I said to myself that "here is +another mystery with which Mr. Jermyn has to do." I felt a thrill +of excitement go through me. I was touching mysterious adventure +at half a dozen different points. I felt inclined to creep to the +hatchway of the little cabin, to listen there if any plots were +being hatched. It was getting duskish by this time, it must have +been nearly seven o'clock. Two men came up the cabin hatch +together. One of them was Mr. Jermyn, the other a shorter fellow, +to whom Mr. Jermyn seemed extremely respectful. I wished not to +be seen, so I ducked down nimbly into my boat, drawing her +forward by a guess-warp, till I could row without being heard by +them. I heard Mr. Jermyn calling to a waterman; so very swiftly I +paddled behind other ships in the tier, without being observed. +Then I paddled back to my uncle's boat-house, the door of which, +to my horror, was firmly fastened against me. + + + +CHAPTER III. I LEAVE HOME A THIRD TIME + +I must have made some little noise at the door, trying to get in. +At any rate, Ephraim, who was waiting for such a signal, came +forward with a churlish glee to rate me. + +"So you're come back, Mr. Martin," he said. "These are nice +carryings-on for a young gentleman." I thought that I might as +well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb. Ephraim's tone jarred +me, so I told him to shut up, as I didn't want any of his jaw. +This rather staggered him, so I told him further to open the +boat-house, instead of standing like a stock, as ,I wanted to +moor the boat. He opened the door for me, glowering at me +moodily. "Mr. Hyde shall know of this," he said when all was +secured. He caught me by the arm to drag me out of the +boat-house; so I, expecting this, rapped him shrewdly with the +stretcher on the elbow. I thought for a moment that he would beat +me. I could see his face very fierce in the dusk. I heard his +teeth gritting. Then fear of my uncle restrained him. All that he +said was, "If I 'ad my way I'd 'ave it out of you for this. A +good sound whippin's what you want." + +"Is it?" I asked contemptuously. "Lock the door." + +Ephraim left me in the sitting-room while he made his report to +my uncle. It was not a long report. He returned in a few minutes +to say that I was to be locked into my room without supper. "Mr. +'Ide is in a fine taking," he said. "Per'aps 'e'll knock some of +your pride out of you." I made no answer, but let him march me to +my room, to the execution of the sentence. "There," he said, +through the door, as he turned the key on me. "Per'aps that'll +bring you to your senses." + +"Ephraim the stiff-neck!" I answered loudly.; "Old Ephraim +Stiff-neck! Stiff-neck!" + +"Ah," he answered, clumping down the corridor. He was thinking +how small I should sing when, in the morning, he gave me the +option of apologizing to him, or going without breakfast. + +It was pretty dark by this time. Fish Lane was as quiet as a +country road. No one was stirring there. I thought that, as my +uncle would shortly go to supper, I might soon venture out by the +window, high up as it was, to buy myself some food in the town. I +liked the notion; but when I came to look down from the window it +seemed a giddy height from the pavement. Going down would be +easy; but getting back would be quite another matter. Thinking it +over, I remembered that I had seen a short gardener's ladder +hooked to the garden wall. If I could make a rope, by which to +let myself down, I could, I thought, make use of this ladder to +get back by, for it would cover nearly half the height to my +window sill, a full thirty feet from the ground. If, by standing +on the upper rungs, could reach within five yards of the window, +I knew that I should be able to scramble up so far by a rope. +There was no difficulty about a rope. I had a good eighteen yards +of choice stout rope there in the room with me, the lashings of +my two trunks. I was about to pay this out into the lane, when I +thought that would be far more effective if I fashioned a ladder +for myself, using the two trunk lashings as the uprights. This +was a glorious thought. I tied the lashings together behind the +wooden bed-post which was to be my support in midair. Then I +rummaged out a hank of sailor's spunyarn, a kind of very strong +tarred string, with which to make my steps, or rungs. did not do +this very well, for I was working in the dark, but you may be +sure that I made those steps with all my strength, since my bones +were to depend upon them. I ran short of spunyarn before I had +finished, so my last three steps were made of the fire-irons. +They made a good finish to the whole; for, being heavy, they kept +the ladder steady. At least thought that they would keep the +ladder steady, in the innocence of my heart. + +I was so excited, when I finished the tying of the tongs, that I +almost forgot to take some money from the little store which I +kept locked up in my trunk. A shilling would be ample, I thought; +but I took rather more than that, so as to he on the safe side. I +took the precaution, before leaving, of bolting my door from the +inside, lest Ephraim should visit me in my absence. + +Then, having tested all my knots, I paid out my ladder from the +window. No one was within sight along the lane. Downstairs they +were at supper, for I heard the dining-room bell ring. Very +cautiously I swung myself over the window ledge on my adventure. +Now a rope ladder is an unsteady thing at the best of times; but +when I swung myself on to this one it jumped about like a wild +colt, banging the fire-irons against the wall, making noise +enough to raise the town. I had to climb down it on the inner +side, or I should have had Ephraim out to see what the matter +was. Even so, my heart was in my mouth, with fright, as I stepped +on to the pavement. After making sure that no one saw, I hooked +up the lower ends of my ladder as far as I could reach, so that a +passer-by might run less chance of seeing them. Then I scuttled +off to the delights of Eastcheap, thinking what glorious sport I +could have with this ladder in time to come. I thought of the +moonlight adventures on the river, skulking along in my boat, +like a pirate on a night attack. I thought how, perhaps, I should +overhear gangs of highwaymen making their plans, or robbers in +their dens, carousing after a victory. It seemed to me that +London might be a wonderful place, to one with such a means of +getting out at night. + +I ate a good supper at a cook-shop, sauntered about the streets +for awhile, then sauntered slowly home, after buying a tinder +box, with which to light my candies. I found my ladder dangling +unnoticed, so I nimbly climbed to my room, pulling it up after +me, like the savages in Polynesia. I lit my candles, intending to +read; but I found that I was far too well inclined to mischief to +pay much heed to my book. Casting about for something to do, I +thought that I would open a little locked door which led to some +(apparently disused) room beyond my own. I had some difficulty in +breaking the lock of this door; but a naughty boy is generally +very patient. I opened it at last, with some misgivings as to +what my uncle might say on the morrow, though with the feeling +that I was a sort of conspirator, or, shall we say, a man +haunting a house, playing ghost, coming at night to his secret +chamber. I was disappointed with the room. Like my own room, it +was nothing more than a long, bare attic. It had a false floor, +like many houses of the time, but there was no thought of +concealment here. Half a dozen of the long flooring planks were +stored in a stack against the wall, so that anyone could see what +lay in the hollow below. There was nothing romantic there. A long +array of docketed, ticketed bundles of receipts filled more than +half the space. I suppose that nearly every bill which my uncle +had ever paid lay there, gathering dust. The rest of the space +was filled with Ephraim's dirty old account books, jumbled +higgledy-piggledy with collections of printed, unbound sermons, +such as used to be sold forty years before, in the great Puritan +time. I examined a few of the sermons, hoping to find some +lighter fare among them. I examined also a few of the old account +books, in the same hope. Other rubbish lay scattered in the +corners of the room; old mouse-eaten saddle-bags mostly. There +were one or two empty baskets, which had once been lined with +silk. In one of them, I can't think why, there was an old empty, +dusty powder-horn, the only thing in that room at all to my +taste. I stuck it into my belt with a scrap of spunyarn, feeling +that it made me a wonderful piratical figure. If I had had a +lantern I should have been a very king there. + +As I sat among the rubbish there, with my pistol (a sailmaker's +fid) in my belt, it occurred to me that I would sit up till +everyone had gone to bed. Then, at eleven or twelve o'clock, I +would, I thought, creep downstairs, to explore all over the +house, down even to the cellars. It shocked me when I remembered +that I was locked in. I dared not pick the lock of that door. My +scheme (after all) would have to wait for another night, when the +difficulties would be less. That scheme of mine has waited until +the present time. Though I never thought it, that was the last +hour I was to spend in my uncle's house. I walked past it, only +the other day, thinking how strange my life has been, feeling +sad, too, that I should never know to what room a door at the end +of the upper passage led. Well, I never shall know, now. I was a +wild, disobedient young rogue. Read on. + +When I decided not to pick the lock of my door I thought of the +mysterious Mr. Jermyn as an alternative excitement. I crept to my +window to look out at the house, watching it with a sort of +terrified pleasure, half expecting to see a ghost flapping his +wings, outside the window. + +I was surprised to see that the window of the upper floor (which +I knew to be uninhabited) was open. I watched it, (it was just +opposite) hoping that something would happen. Presently two men +came quickly up the lane from the river. As they neared the house +they seemed to me to shuffle in their walk rather more than vas +necessary. It must have been a signal, for, as they came opposite +the door, I saw it swing back upon its hinges, as it had swung +that morning, with Mr. Jermyn. Both men entered the house +swiftly, just as the city churches, one after the other, chimed +half-past nine o'clock. Almost directly afterwards I got the +start of my life. I was looking into the dark upper room across +the lane, expecting nothing, when suddenly, out of the darkness, +so terribly that I was scared beyond screaming, two large red +eyes glowed, over a mouth that trembled in fire. I started back +in my seat, sick with fright, but I could not take my eyes away. +I watched that horrid thing, with my hair stiffening on my head. +Then in the room below it, the luminous figure of an owl gleamed +out. That was not the worst, either. I heard that savage, +"chacking" noise which brown owls make when they are perched. +This great gleaming owl, five times greater than any earthly owl, +was making that chacking noise, as though it would soon spread +its wings, to swoop on some such wretched mouse as myself. I +could see its eyes roll. I thought I saw the feathers stiffen on +its breast. Then, as the sweat rolled down my face, both the +horrible things vanished as suddenly as they had appeared. They +were gone for more than a minute, then they appeared again, only +to disappear a second time. They were exactly alike at each +appearance. Soon my horror left me, for I saw that the things +disappeared at regular intervals. I found that I could time each +reappearance by counting ninety slowly from the instant the +things vanished. That calmed me. "I believe they're only +clock-work," I said to myself. A moment later I saw Mr. Jermyn's +head in sharp outline against the brightness of the owl. He +seemed to be fixing something with his hand. It made me burst +into a cackle of laughter, to find how easily I had been scared. +"Why, it's only clock-work," I said aloud. "They're carved +turnips with candles inside them, fixed to a revolving pole, like +those we used to play with at Oulton, on the 5th of November." My +fear was gone in an instant. I thought to myself how fine it +would be if I could get into that house, to stop the works, in +revenge for the scare they had given me. I wondered how I could +do that. + + + +CHAPTER IV. I LEAVE HOME FOR THE LAST TIME + +I was thoroughly ripe for mischief of any kind; my scare had +driven away all desire for sleep. I looked at the window, +wondering if it would be best to go down my ladder again, to get +the ladder in the garden. I was about to do thus, when I +remembered the planks in the box-room. How splendid it would be, +I thought, if I could get a couple of those long planks across +the lane as a sort of bridge. They were strong, thick planks not +likely to sag in the middle if I could only get them across. +Getting them across was the difficulty; for though I was strong +for my age, I found the first plank very contrary. After blowing +out my candles I fixed one end of the board under my heavy +four-post bed, pointing the other end out through the window, +slanting upwards. Straddling across it, I very gingerly edged it +out, a hand's breadth at a time, till I had some ten feet wagging +about in the air over the lane. It was as much as I could do +unaided, to aim the thing. It seemed to have a wild, contrary +kind of life in it. Once or twice I came near to dropping it into +the lane, which would have been the end of everything. When I got +it across, the end caught on the window ledge for about ten +perilous minutes. + +I was quite tired out before I got it properly across with two +feet of the end in the other house. I did not at all look forward +to the job of getting it back again after my trip. One plank was +hardly safe, I thought; so I slid a second over it, without much +trouble. It seemed firm enough then for anybody, no matter how +heavy. So carefully I straddled across it, hopping forward a +little at a time, as though I were playing leap-frog. When once I +had started, I was much too nervous to go back. My head was +strong enough. I was well used to being high up in trees. But the +danger of this adventure made me dizzy. At every hop the two +planks clacked together. I could feel the upper plank shaking out +behind me a little to one side of the other. Then a tired +waterman shambled slowly up from the river, carrying his oars. He +passed underneath me, while I was in mid-air. It was lucky for +me, I thought, that few people when walking look above their own +heads. He passed on without seeing me. I waited up aloft till he +had gone, feeling my head grow dizzier at each second. I was, I +trust, truly thankful when I was able to dive down over the +window-sill into the strange house. When I had rested for a +moment, I felt that it was not so difficult after all. "Going +back," I said to myself, "will be much less ticklish." Turning my +head, I saw the eyes of the devil-face glaring at me. They smelt +very strongly of kitchen tallow. + +I was not in the least frightened. I crept cautiously along the +floor, on tip-toe, to examine the contrivance. A hollow shaft of +light wood, a sort of big wooden pipe, led down through the +floor, probably to the ground-floor or basement, much as a mast +goes down through a ship's decks into the hold. It was slowly +revolving, being worked by some simple, not very strong +mill-contrivance downstairs. A shelf had been fixed up inside the +pipe. On the shelf (as I could see by looking in) was a tallow +candle in a sconce. Two oval bits of red glass, let into the +wood, made the eyes of this lantern-devil. The mouth was a smear +of some gleaming stuff, evidently some chemical. This was all the +monster which had frightened me. The clacking noise was made by +the machine which moved it round. As for the owl, that was +probably painted with the same chemical. People were more +superstitious then than now. I have no doubt that an ignorant +person like Ephraim, who had lived all his life in London, had +been scared out of his wits by this machine. Like most ignorant +people, he probably reckoned the thing as devilish, merely +because he did not understand it. One or two neighbours, a +housemaid or so, perhaps, had seen it, too. On the strength of +their reports the house had gotten a bad name. The two unoccupied +floors had failed to get tenants, while Mr. Jermyn, the contriver +of the whole, had been ]eft alone, as no doubt he had planned. I +thought that Londoners must be a very foolish people to be so +easily misled. Now that I am older, I see that Londoners often +live in very narrow grooves. They are apt to be frightened at +anything to which they have not been accustomed; unless, of +course, it is a war, when they can scream about themselves so +loudly that they forget that they are screaming. + +I examined the machine critically, by its own candle, which I +removed for the purpose. I meant to fix up one very like it in +Ephraim's bed-room as soon as I found an opportunity. Then I +looked about the room for some other toy, feeling in a fine state +of excitement with the success of my adventure. The room was +quite bare. But for this ghost-machine, there was nothing which +could interest me, except a curious drawing, done with a burnt +stick on the plaster of the wall, of a man-of-war under sail. +After examining this drawing, I listened carefully at the door +lest my faint footsteps should have roused someone below. I could +hear no one stirring; the house was silent. "I must be careful," +I said to myself. "They all may have gone to bed." Understand, I +did not know then what I was doing. I was merely a wrong-headed +boy, up to a prank, begun in a moment of rebellion. When I paused +in the landing, outside the ghost-room, shading the candle with +my hand, I was not aware that I was doing wrong. I was only +thinking how fine it would be to find out about Mr. Jermyn, +before crawling back, over the plank, to my bed. I wanted to +steal about these deserted floors, like a conspirator; then, +having, perhaps, found out about the mystery, to go back home. It +did not enter my head that I might be shot as a burglar. My +original intention, you must remember, had only been to stop the +works of the ghost. It was later on that my intention became +criminal, instead of merely boyish, or, in other words, +crack-brained. As to stopping the ghost, I could not stop the +revolving pipe. I could do no more than take away the light from +the ghost-face. As for the owl on the lower floor, when I came to +it, could not do so much, for it was a great big picture on +board, done in some shining paint. I had nothing with which I +could smear it over, nor could I reach the head. As for stopping +the machine, that I dared not attempt to do, lest I should bring +someone up to me, from the works, wherever they were. Standing by +the ghost of the owl, hearing the chack-chack of the machine at +intervals below me, I became aware of voices in the room +downstairs. When the chack-chack stopped, I could hear men +talking. I could hear what they said, for they were talking in +the ordinary tone of conversation. There was an open space as it +happened, all around the great pipe, where it passed through the +floor. I could peep through this into the room below, getting a +good sight of what was going on. It was very wicked of me, for +there is nothing quite so contemptible as an eavesdropper, but I +could not resist the temptation to look down. When once I had +looked down I am ashamed to say that I listened to what the men +were saying. But first of all, I put out my candle, lest anyone +looking up should se the light through the open space. + +At the head of the table, there was a very handsome man, dressed +all in black, as though in mourning. His beauty was so great that +afterwards it passed into a proverb. Later in the year, when I +saw this gentleman nearly every day, I noticed that people (even +those who did not know who he was) would look after him when he +passed them. I will say only this about his handsomeness. It was +a bodily kind of beauty, of colour rather than of form; there was +not much character in it. Had he lived, I daresay he would have +become ugly like the rest of his family, none of whom, except his +great-great-grandmother, was accounted much for looks. + +Next to this handsome man, on the right, sat Mr. Jermyn, looking +fifteen years younger without his false beard. Then came a very +black-looking man, with a face all eyebrows. Then a soldier in +uniform. Then a little, wiry man, who jumped about as though +excited--I could only see him when he jumped: he had an +unpleasant, saturnine face, which frightened me. That, as far as +I could see, was the whole company. When I first began to listen, +the man in uniform was speaking to the handsome man at the head +of the table. I knew at once, when he said Your Majesty, that he +was talking to James, the Duke of Monmouth, of whom I had heard +that afternoon. + +"No, your Majesty," he said. "No, your Majesty," he repeated, "I +can't answer for the army. If things had been different in +February" (he meant, "if you had been in England when Charles II +died") "there would have been another King in England. As it is, +I'm against a rising." + +"Don't you think his Majesty could succeed by raising an army in +the West?" said Mr. Jermyn. "The present usurper (he meant James +II) is a great coward. The West is ripe to rebel. Any strong +demonstration there would paralyse him. Besides, the army +wouldn't fire on their own countrymen. We'd enough of that in the +Civil War. What do you think of a Western rising?" + +The soldier smiled. "Ah no," he said. "No, your Majesty. Whatever +you do, Sire, don't do it with untrained men. A rising in the +West would only put you at the head of a mob. A regiment of +steady trained men in good discipline can destroy any mob in +twenty minutes. No, your Majesty. No. Don't try. it, Sire." + +"Then what do you advise, Lane?" said the Duke. + +"I would say wait, your Majesty. Wait till the usurper, the +poisoner, commits himself with the Papists. When he's made +himself thoroughly unpopular throughout the country, then sound a +few regiments. It's only a matter of a year or two. If you'll +wait for a year or two you'll see yourself invited over. Besides, +a sudden rising in the West must fail, sir. Your Majesty would be +in between two great garrisons, Bristol and Portsmouth. We can't +be sure that either would be true to us." + +"Yes," the Duke answered. "Yes, Lane. But as I plan it, the army +will be tempted north. Argyle will make a strong feint in +Scotland, with the great clans, just when the Western gentry +declare for us." + +"I take it," Lane answered, "that Argyle has sounded the clans. +He knows, I suppose, what force of drilled men will rally to him. +You know nothing, sir, about the West. You know that many men are +for you; but you know not how many nor how good. You will need +mounted men, sir, if you are to dash down upon London with any +speed. You cannot raise cavalry in a week. All that you will get +in the West will be squireens, or dashing young farmers, both +kinds unaccustomed to being ordered; both kinds totally unfitted +for war." + +"Yes," said the saturnine little man. "But a rising in the West +would have this natural effect. Argyle will draw troops to the +north, as his Majesty has explained. Very well, then. Let Devon +declare for the King, the business will be done. The usurper will +not dare to send the few troops left to him out of the capital, +lest the town should rise on him." + +"Very true. True. A good point," said the man with the eyebrows. + +"I think that disposes of your argument, Lane," said the Duke, +with a smile. + +"It's a supposition, sir, against a certainty. I've told you of a +military danger. Falk, there, only tells you of a bare, military +possibility." + +"But it's as certain as anything can be," said the man with the +eyebrows. "You can see. That's just what must happen." + +"It is what may happen if you wait for a year or two, your +Majesty," Lane replied. "But a newly crowned King is always +popular. I doubt if you will find public opinion so much on your +side, your Majesty. No for a year or two, till he's made himself +disliked. They've settled down now to this usurper. They'll +resent an interruption. The trades-men will resent an +interruption." + +"I think you over-rate the difficulties, Lane," said Mr. Jermyn. + +"Yes," said the Duke, "I'm a great believer in putting a matter +to the test. Much must necessarily be left to chance. If we wait, +we may not find public opinion turning against our enemies. We +may even lose the good opinion of the West by waiting. Besides, +by waiting, Lane, we should lose the extraordinary: help of +Argyle's diversion in the north." + +"Yes," the others said in chorus. "We mustn't lose that. A rising +this early summer, when the roads are good. A rising as soon as +Argyle is ready." + +"Well, your Majesty," said Lane, shaking his head. "I see you're +resolved. You shall not find me backward when the time comes, for +all my doubts at this meeting. To your Majesty's happy success." +They all drank the toast; but I noticed that Mr. Lane looked +melancholy, as though he foresaw something of what actually +happened in that terrible June. + +"Very good," said the Duke, "I thank you, gentlemen. Now, Jermyn. +We two shall have to be off to the Low Countries in another half +hour. How about messengers to the West? You, Lane, are tied here +to your regiment. Falk, how about you, Falk?" + +"No, your Majesty," said Falk. "There's danger in sending me. I'm +suspected. I'm known to be in your interests." + +"You, then, Candlish," said the Duke to the man with the +eyebrows. + +"Not me, Sire," said Candlish. "I can't disguise myself. I'm +stamped by nature for the paths of virtue." + +"It would be a good thing," said Falk, "if we could get some +Western carrier." + +"The Western carriers are all watched," Lane replied. "They are +followed, wherever they go, as on as they arrive at their inns +here." + +"Haven't you found some more gipsies, Falk?" Candlish asked. "The +last gipsy we had was very good." + +"He was caught by a press-gang," said Falk, "Gipsies aren't to be +trusted, though. They would sell us at once if they had the +chance. Ramon was an exception." + +Mr. Jermyn had risen at the Duke's last speech as though to put +on his coat, ready to leave the house.. The Duke was listening to +the conversation, making 'idle sketches, as he listened, on the +paper before him, I think I hardly realised, as I craned over the +open space, that I had been listening to a conversation which +would have condemned all present to death for treason. I repeated +to myself, in a dazed sort of way, that the West was ready to +rise. "King James is an usurper," I said softly. "These men are +going to rebel against him. There's going to be a civil war in +England about it." I had hardly repeated this to myself, when it +came over me with a shock that I was in terrible personal danger. +The men were just leaving the house. They would probably look up, +on leaving, to see what sort of a night it was. They would see my +wonderful bridge. It would be all over with me then. I was so I +could hardly stand up. I took a few cautious steps towards the +door, saying to myself that I would never again be disobedient if +I might escape this once. I was at the door, just about to open +it, when I heard a step upon the landing just outside, coming +towards me. I gave up hope then; but I had just sense enough to +step to my left, so that, when the door should open (if the +stranger entered) it might, possibly, screen me from him. Then I +heard the Duke's voice from down below calling to Mr. Jermyn. + +"Jermyn," he called. "Bring down my books, will you. They're on +my bed. What are you doing up there?" + +"Just seeing to the ghosts, your Majesty. I won't keep you +waiting." + +"I'll come, too," he answered. "I'd like to see your ghosts +again." Then I heard Mr. Jermyn loitering at the stair-head while +the Duke left the council-room. My hair was rising on my scalp; +there was cold sweat on my forehead; it was as much as I could do +to keep my teeth from chattering. I heard the Duke's feet upon +the stairs; there were eleven stairs, I counted them. Presently I +heard him say, "Now, Jermyn." Then came Jermyn's answer of "This +way, your Majesty." He flung the door wide open, so that the Duke +might enter. The two men passed into the room to examine the +horrible owl. The Duke chuckled as the machine moved round to +him. "How bright he keeps," he said. "Yes," Jermyn answered. "He +won't need painting for a long while yet." "No," the Duke +answered, "I hear, Jermyn, he's given you a most uncanny +reputation." "Yes," said Jermyn, "the house has a bad name. What +in the world is this?" In walking round the owl his foot had +struck upon the unlucky tin candle-sconce which I had brought +from the room above. "Sounds like a tin candle-stick," said the +Duke. "Yes," said Mr. Jermyn, groping. "That's what it is. Now +how in the world did it get here? It's the candle-stick from the +dragon's head in the room above." "Are you sure, Jermyn?" the +Duke asked, in a voice which showed that he was agitated. "Yes, +sir. Quite sure. But no one's been up there." "There must be a +spy," said the Duke. The two voices spoke together for a moment +in whispers. I could not hear what they said; but a moment later +I heard the rasping, clinking noise of two swords being drawn. +"Come out of that," said Mr. Jermyn's voice. I felt that I was +discovered; but I dared not stir from my covert. I heard the two +men walking swiftly to the door. A hand plucked it from in front +of me. I shrank back into the wall, covering my eyes with my +hands, so that I should not see the two long sword-blades +pointing at my throat. "Make no sound. Make no sound, now," said +the Duke, pressing his sword-point on my chest, so that I could +feel it thrust hard upon me, as though it needed very little +force to send it through. I made no sound. + +"Who are you?" said Mr. Jermyn, backing to the opening in the +floor. "Kill him if he moves, sir. Candlish, Candlish. Bring a +light. Bring a light. We've caught a moth." + +I tried to swallow, but my throat seemed choked with dust. I +heard the people downstairs bustling out of the room with +candles. I tried to speak; but I could not. I was too much +scared. I stood pressed hard against the wall, with the Duke's +sword-point still in place. + +"Bring it in here, Candlish," said Mr. Jermyn. There came a +clattering noise from the window. Mr. Jermyn had released some +heavy rolled up curtain-blinds, which covered the whole window. +There was no chance, now, of being seen from the street, or from +my uncle's house. Candlish entered carrying a candle. + +The others followed at his heels. + +"A boy. Eh?" he said. + +"What do you do here?" the Duke asked, staring hard at me. + +"He's frightened out of his wits, sir," said Lane. "We aren't +going to hurt you, boy, if you'll only tell the truth." + +"Why," said Mr. Jermyn. "It's Martin Hyde, nephew to old Hyde +across the way." + +"But he's overheard us," put in Falk. "He's overheard us." + +"Come on downstairs. Bring him with you," said the Duke. Lane +took me by one arm. Mr. Jermyn took me by the other. They marched +me downstairs to the council-room. + +"Here, boy," said Candlish, not unkindly. "Drink this wine." He +made me swallow a glass of Burgundy, which certainly did me a +great deal of good. I was able to speak after drinking it. + +"Now, Mr. Hyde," said Mr. Jermyn. "How do you come to be in this +house?" + +"Take your time, boy," said Lane. + +"He's not a London boy?" said the Duke to Mr. Jermyn. + +"No, sir," he answered in a whisper. "Just come here from the +country." + +"Please, your Majesty," I began. + +"So you're a young rebel," said the Duke. "That shows he +overheard us," said Falk. + +"Let him alone, Falk," the Duke said. + +"He'll tell the truth. No use in frightening him." + +"Please, your Majesty," I said again, "I was locked up in my room +for taking my uncle's boat this afternoon." One of two of them +smiled when I said this: it gave me confidence. + +"But how did you get into this house?" Mr. Jermyn asked. + +"Please, sir," I answered, "1 saw your upper window open. So I +laid a couple of planks across the lane from my window. Then I +just straddled across, sir." + +"Are you used to burglary, may I ask?" said the Duke. + +"No, your Majesty. But I saw the ghosts. I wanted to see how they +were made." + +"Well. That's one for you, Jermyn," said Lane. "Your ghosts +haven't frightened this one." + +"Sir," I answered. "They frightened me horribly. I wanted to be +revenged for that. But after a bit I was sure they were only +clockwork. I wanted to stop them. I did stop the devil upstairs, +sir." + +"So you stopped the devil upstairs," the Duke said. "What did you +do then?" + +"I came down to this room, sir. I looked at the owl. But I +couldn't see how to stop the owl, sir. I saw you all sitting +round the room. I'm afraid I listened, sir." + +"That was not a gentlemanly thing to do," said Lane. "Was it +now?" + +"No, sir." + +"You understood all that was said. Eh, boy?" said Candlish. + +"Yes, sir. I understood it all." + +"Well, young man," said Falk. "You'll be sorry you did." + +"Be quiet, Falk," said the Duke. "No one shall bully the boy. +What's your name, boy?" + +"Martin Hyde, sir." + +"A very smart lad too, sir," said Jermyn. "He saved my book of +cipher correspondence yesterday. We should have been in trouble +if that had got into the wrong hands." + +"You understand," said the Duke, "that what you have heard might +get us all, perhaps many more besides ourselves, into very +terrible danger if repeated?" + +"Yes, your Majesty, I understand," I answered. "Lock him into the +pantry, Jermyn," said the Duke, "while we decide what to do with +him. Go with Mr. Jermyn, boy. We sha'n't hurt you. Don't be +frightened. Give him some oranges, Jermyn." + + + +CHAPTER V. I GO TO SEA + +Mr. Jermyn led me to the pantry (a little room on the ground +floor), where he placed a plate of oranges before me. + +"See how many you can eat," he said. "But don't try to burgle +yourself free. This is a strong room." He locked the heavy door, +leaving me alone with a well-filled pantry, which seemed to be +without a window. A little iron grating near the ceiling served +as a ventilator. There was no chance of getting out through that. +The door was plated with iron. The floor was of concrete. I was a +prisoner now in good earnest. I was no longer frightened; but I +had had such scares that night that I had little stomach for the +fruit. I was only anxious to be allowed to go back to my bed. I +heard a dull noise in the upper part of the house, followed by +the falling of a plank. "There goes my bridge," I thought. "Are +they going to be so mean as to call my uncle out of bed, to show +him what I've been doing?" I thought that perhaps they would do +this, as my uncle (for all that I knew) might be in their plot. +"Well," I said to myself, "I shall get a good thrashing. Perhaps +that brute Ephraim will be told to thrash me. But thrashing or +no, I've had enough of going out at night. I'll ask my uncle not +to thrash me, but to put me into the Navy. I should love that. I +know that I shall never get on in London." This sudden plan of +the Navy, about which I had never before thought, seemed to me to +be a good way of getting out of my deserts. I felt sure that my +uncle would be charmed to be rid of me; while I knew very well +that boys of that generation often entered the Navy, in the care +of the captains, as naval cadets (or, as they were then called, +"captain's servants") at the ages of eight or nine. I wondered +why the debate lasted so long. Naturally, in that gloomy little +prison, lit by a single tallow candle, with all my anxieties +heavy on my mind, the time passed slowly. But they were so long +in making up their minds that it seemed as though they had +forgotten me. I began to remember horrible tales of people shut +up in secret rooms until they starved to death, or till the rats +ate them. I remembered the tale of the nun being walled up in a +vault of her convent, brick by brick, till the last brick shut +off the last glimmer of the bricklayer's lantern, till the last +layer of mortar made for her the last sound she would hear, the +patting clink of the trowel on the brick, before it was all +horrible dark silence for ever. I wondered how many people had +been silenced in that way. I wondered how long I should live, if +that was what these men decided. + +My fears were ended by the opening of the door. "Come on," said +Mr. Lane. "This way," He led me back to the council-room, where +all the conspirators sat at their places by the table. I noticed +that Mr. Jermyn (cloaked now, as for travel) was wearing his +false beard again. + +"Mr. Hyde," the Duke said. "I understand that you are well +disposed to my cause." + +"Yes, your Majesty," I answered; though indeed I only followed +what my father had told me. I had no real knowledge about it, one +way or the other. I knew only what others had told me. Still, in +this instance, as far as I have been able to judge by what I +learned long afterwards, I was right. The Duke had truly a claim +to the throne; he was also a better man than that disgraceful +king who took his place. + +"Very well, Mr. Hyde," the Duke answered. "Have you any +objections to entering my service?" + +I was not very sure of what he meant; it came rather suddenly +upon me, so I stammered, without replying. + +"His Majesty means, would you like to join our party?" said Mr. +Lane. "To be one of us. To serve him abroad." + +I was flushed with pleasure at the thought of going abroad, among +a company of conspirators. I had no knowledge of what the +consequences might be, except that I should escape a sound +whipping from my uncle or from Ephraim. I did not like the +thought of living on in London, with the prospect of entering a +merchant's office at the end of my boyhood. I thought that in the +Duke's service I should soon become a general, so that I might +return to my uncle, very splendidly dressed, to show him how well +I had managed my own life for myself. I thought that life was +always like that to the adventurous man. Besides I hoped that I +should escape school, the very thought of which I hated. Looking +at the matter in that secret council-room, it seemed so very +attractive. It seemed to give me a pathway of escape, whichever +way I looked at it, from all that I most disliked. + +"Yes, your Majesty," I said, "I should very much like to enter +your service." + +"You understand, Hyde," said Mr. Jermyn, "that we are engaged in +a very dangerous work. It is so dangerous that we should not be +justified in allowing you to go free after what you have heard +tonight. But its very danger makes it necessary that we should +tell you something of what your work under his Majesty will be, +before you decide finally to throw in your lot with us. It is one +thing to be a prisoner among us, Hyde; but quite another to be +what is called a rebel, engaged in treasonable practices against +a ruling King." + +"Still," said Lane, "don't think that your imprisonment with us +would be unpleasant. If you would rather not join us, you have +only to say so. We shall then send you over to Holland, where you +will, no doubt, find plenty of boats with which to amuse +yourself. You will be kept in Holland till a certain much-wished +event takes place, about the middle of June. After that you will +be brought back here to your uncle who, by that time, will have +forgiven you." + +"That's a very pretty ladder you made," said the Duke. "You've +evidently lived among sailors." + +"Among fishermen mostly, your Majesty," I said "My father was +rector in the Broads country." I knew from his remark that +someone had been across to my uncle's house to remove all traces +of my bridge. My ladder, I knew, would now be dangling from my +window, to show by which way I had escaped. + +"We want you, Hyde," Mr. Jermyn said. "That is--we shall want you +in the event of your joining us, to be our messenger to the West. +You will travel continually from Holland to the West of England, +generally to the country near Taunton, but sometimes to Exeter, +sometimes still further to the West. You will carry letters sewn +into the flap of your leather travelling satchel. You will travel +alone by your own name, giving out, in case any one should ask +you, that you are going to one of certain people, whose names +will be given to you. There will be no danger to yourself; for +the persons to whom you will be sent are not suspected; indeed +one of them is a clergyman. We think that a boy will have less +difficulty in getting about the country in its present state than +any man, provided, of course, that you travel by different routes +on each journey. If, however, by some extraordinary .chance, you +should be caught with these letters in your wallet, we shall take +steps to bring you off; for we have a good deal of power, in one +way or another, by which we get things done. Still, it may well +fall out, Hyde, in spite of all our care, that you will come into +the hands of men with whom we have no influence. If you should, +(remember, it is quite possible) you will be transported to serve +in one of the Virginian or West Indian plantations. That will be +the end of you as far as we are concerned. We shan't be able to +help you then. If you think the cause is right, join us, provided +that you do not think the risks too great." + +"If all goes well," said the Duke, "if the summer should prove +prosperous, I may be able to reward a faithful servant, even if +he is only a boy." + +"I will serve your Majesty gladly," I answered. "I should like to +join your service." + +"Very well then, Jermyn," he said, rising swiftly on his way to +the door; "bring him on board at once." + +"We're off to Holland tonight, in the schooner there," said Mr. +Jermyn. "So put these biscuits in your pocket. Give him another +glass of wine, Falk. Now, then. Good-bye, Lane. Good-bye +everybody." + +"Good-bye," they said. "Good-bye, boy." In another minute we were +in the narrow road, within earshot of the tumbling water, going +down to the stairs at the lane end, to take boat. The last that I +saw of my uncle's house was the white of my ladder ropes, +swinging about against the darkness of the bricks. + +"Remember, Hyde," said Mr. Jermyn in a low voice, "that his +Majesty is always plain Mr. Scott. Remember that. Remember, too, +that you are never to speak to him unless he speaks to you. But +you won't have much to do with him. Were you ever at sea, +before?" + +"No, sir. Only about the Broads in a coracle." + +"You'll find it very interesting, then. If you're not seasick. +Here we are at the boat. Now, jump in. Get into the bows." + +"Mr. Scott" was already snug under a boat-cloak in the +sternsheets. As soon as we had stepped in, the boatman shoved +off. The boat rippled the water into a gleaming track as she +gathered way. We were off. I was on my way to Holland. I was a +conspirator, travelling with a King. There ahead of me was the +fine hull of the schooner La Reina, waiting to carry us to all +sorts of adventure, none of them (as I planned them then) so +strange, or so terrible, as those which happened to me. As we +drew up alongside her, I heard the clack-clack of the sailors +heaving at the windlass. They were getting up the anchor, so that +we might sail from this horrible city to all the wonderful +romance which awaited me, as I thought, beyond, in the great +world. Five minutes after I had stepped upon her deck we were +gliding down on the ebb, bound for Holland. + +"Hyde," said Mr. Jermyn, as we drew past the battery on the Tower +platform, "do you see the high ground, beyond the towers there?" + +"Yes, sir," I said. + +"Do you know what that is?" + +"No, sir." + +"That's Tower Hill," he answered, "where traitors, I mean +conspirators like you or me, are beheaded. Do you know what that +means?" + +"Yes, sir," I replied. "To have your head cut off." + +"Yes," he said. "With all that hill black with people. The +scaffold hung with black making a sort of platform in the middle. +Then soldiers, with drums, all round. You put your head over a +block, so that your neck rests on the wood. Then the executioner +comes at you with an axe. Then your head is shown to the people. +'This is the head of a traitor.' We may all end in that way, on +that little hill there. You must be very careful how you carry +the letters, Hyde." + +After this hint, he showed me a hammock in the schooner's +'tweendecks, telling me that I should soon be accustomed to that +kind of bed. "It is a little awkward at first," he said, +"especially the getting in part; but, when once snugly in, it is +the most comfortable kind of bed in the world." After undressing +by the light of a huge ship's lantern, which Mr. Jermyn called a +battle-lantern, I turned into my hammock, rather glad to be +alone. Now that I was pledged to this conspiracy business, with +some knowledge of what it might lead to, I half wished myself +well out of it. The 'tweendecks was much less comfortable than +the bedroom which I had left so gaily such a very little time +before. I had exchanged a good prison for a bad one. The smell of +oranges, so near to the hold in which they were stored, was +overpowering, mixed, as it was, with the horrible ship-smell of +decaying water (known as bilge-water) which flopped about at each +roll a few feet below me. My hammock was slung in a draught from +the main hatchway. People came down the hatchway during the night +to fetch coils of rope or tackles. Tired as I was, I slept very +badly that first night on board ship. The schooner seemed to be +full of queer, unrelated movements. The noise (f the water +slipping past was like somebody talking. The striking of the +bells kept me from sleeping. I did not get to sleep till well +into the middle watch (about two in the morning) after which I +slept brokenly until a rough voice bawled in my ear to get up out +of that, as it was time to wash down. + +I put my clothes on hurriedly, wondering where I should find a +basin in which to wash myself. I could see none in the +'tweendecks; but I supposed that there would be some in the +cabins, which opened off the 'tweendecks on each side. Now a +'tweendecks (I may as well tell you here) is nothing more than a +deck of a ship below the upper deck. If some of my readers have +never been in a ship, let them try to imagine themselves +descending from the upper deck--where all the masts stand--by a +ladder fixed in a square opening known as a hatchway. About six +feet down this ladder is the 'tweendecks, a long narrow room, +with a ceiling so low that unless you bend, you bump your head +against the beams. + +If you will imagine a long narrow room, only six feet high, you +will know what a 'tweendecks is like. Only in a real 'tween-decks +it is always rather dark, for the windows (if you care to call +them so) are thick glass bull's-eyes which let in very little +light. A glare of light comes down the hatchways. Away from the +hatchways a few battle-lanterns are hung, to keep up some +pretence of light in the darkest corners. At one end of this long +narrow room in La Reina a wooden partition, running right across +from side to side, made a biggish chamber called "the cabin," +where the officers took their meals. A little further along the +room, one on each side of it, were two tiny partitioned cabins, +about seven feet square, in which the officers slept, two in each +cabin one above the other, in shelf-beds, or bunks. My hammock +had been slung between these cabins, a little forward of them. +When I turned out, I saw that the rest of the 'tweendecks was +piled with stores of all kinds, lashed down firmly to ringbolts. +Right forward, in the darkness of the ship's bows, I saw other +hammocks where the sailors slept. + +I was wondering what I was to do about washing, when the rough +man who had called me a few minutes before came down to ask me +why I was not up on deck. I said that I was wondering where I +could wash myself. + +"Wash yourself," he said. "You haven't made yourself dirty yet. +You don't wash at sea till your work's done for the day. Why, +haven't you lashed your hammock yet?" + +"Please, sir," I said, "I don't know how." + +"Well, for once," he said, "I'll show you how. Tomorrow you'll do +it for yourself." + +"There," he said, when he had lashed up the hammock, by what +seemed to me to be art-magic, "don't you say you don't know how +to lash a 'ammick. I've showed you once. Now shove it in the rack +there. Up on deck with you." + +I ran up the ladder to the deck, thinking that this was not at +all the kind of service which I had expected. When I got to the +deck I felt happier; for it was a lovely bright morning. The +schooner was under all sail, tearing along at what seemed to me +to be great speed. We were out at sea now. England lay behind us, +some miles away. I could see the windows gleaming in a little +town on the shore. Ships were in sight, with rollers of foam +whitening under them. Gulls dipped after fish. The clouds drove +past. A fishing boat piled with fish was labouring up to London, +her sails dark with spray. On the deck of the schooner some +barefooted sailors were filling the wash-deck tubs at a +hand-pump. One man was at work high aloft on the topsail yard, +sitting across the yard with his legs dangling down, keeping his +seat (as I thought) by balance. I found the scene so delightful +that I gazed at it like a boy in a trance. was still staring, +when the surly boor who had called me (he was the schooner's mate +it seemed) came up behind me. + +"Well," he said, in the rough, bullying speech of a sailor, "do +ye see it?" + +"See what, sir?" + +"What you're looking at." + +"Yes, sir," I answered. + +"Then you got no butter in your eyes, then. Why ain't you at +work?" + +"What am I to do, sir?" + +"Do," he said. "Ain't you Mr. Scott's servant?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Then get a bucket of fresh water out of the cask there. Take +this scrubber. You'll find some soap in the locker there. Now +scrub out the cabin as quick as you know how." + +He showed me down to the cabin. It was a dingy, dirty little room +about twelve feet square over all, but made, in reality, much +smaller by the lockers which ran along each side. + +It was lighted by two large wooden ports, known as "chase ports," +through which the chase guns or "stern-chasers pointed. Only one +gun (a long three pounder on a swivel) was mounted; for guns take +up a lot of room. With two guns in that little cabin there would +not have been room enough to swing a cat. You need six feet for +the proper swinging of a cat, so a man-of-war boatswain told me. +The cat meant is the cat of nine tails with which they used to +flog seamen. To flog properly one needs a good swing, so my +friend said. + +"There you are," said the mate of the schooner. "Now down on your +knees. Scrub the floor here. See you get it mucho blanco." + +He left me feeling much ashamed at having to work like a common +ship's boy, instead of like a prince's page, which is what I had +thought myself. Like many middle-class English boys I had been +brought up to look on manual work as degrading. I was filled with +shame at having to scrub this dirty deck. I, who, only yesterday, +had lorded it over Ephraim, as though I were a superior being. +You boys who go to good schools try to learn a little humbleness. +You may think your parents very fine gentlefolk; but in the +world, outside a narrow class, the having gentle parents will not +help one much. It may be that you, for all your birth, have +neither the instincts nor the intellect to preserve the gentility +your parents made for you. You are no gentleman till you have +proved it. Your right level may be the level of the betting +publican, or of the sneak-thief, or of things even lower than +these. It is nothing to be proud of that your parents are rich +enough to keep your hands clean of joyless, killing toil, at an +age when many better men are old in slavery. Try to be thankful +for it; not proud. Leisure is the most sacred thing life has. A +wise man would give his left hand for leisure. You that have it +given to you by the mercy of gentle birth, regard it as a trust; +make noble use of it. Many great men waste half their energies in +the struggle for that which you regard, poor fools, as your +right, as something to brag of. + +I had never scrubbed a floor in my life; but I had seen it done, +without taking much account of the art in it. I set to work, +feeling more degraded each moment, as the hardness of the deck +began to make my knees sore. When I had done about half of the +cabin (in a lazy, neglectful way, leaving patches unscrubbed, +only just wetted over, so as to seem clean to a chance observer) +I thought that I would do no more; but wait till Mr. Jermyn came +to me. I would tell him that I wished to go home, that I was not +going to be a common sailor, but a trusted messenger, with a lot +more to the same tune, meaning, really, that I hated this job of +washing decks like poison. I dare say, if the truth were known, +the sudden change in my fortunes had made me a little homesick. +But even so, I was skulking work which had been given to me. What +was worse, I was being dishonest. For I was pretending to do the +work, even when I took least trouble with it. At last I took it +into my head to wet the whole floor with water, meaning to do no +more to it. While I was doing this the mate came into the cabin. + +"Look here," he said. "I've been watching you. You ain't working. +You're skulking. You ain't trying to wash that deck. You're +making believe, thinking I won't know any different. Don't answer +me. I know what you're doing. Now then. You go over every bit of +that deck which you've just slopped at. Do it over. I'm going to +stand here till it's done." + +It was in my mind to be rebellious; but this man did not look +like a good man to rebel from. He was a big grim sailor with a +length of rope in his hand. lie called it his "manrope." "You see +my manrope," he said. "His name's Mogador Jack. He likes little +skulks like you." Afterwards I learned that a manrope is the rope +rail at a ship's gangway, or (sometimes) a length of rope in the +gangway-side for boatmen to catch as they came alongside the +ship. I did not like the look of Mogador Jack, so I went at my +scrubbing with all my strength, keeping my thoughts to myself. My +knees felt very sore. My back ached with the continual bending +down. I had had no food that morning, either, that was another +thing. "Spell, oh," said the man at last. "Straighten your back a +bit. Empty your bucket over the side. No. Not through the +sternport. Carry in on deck. Empty it there. Then fill it again. +Lively, too. It'll be breakfast time before you've done. You've +got to have this cabin ready by eight bells." + +I will not tell you how I finished the deck. I will say only +this, that at the end I began to take a sort of pride or pleasure +in making the planks white. Afterwards, I always found that there +is this pleasure in manual work. There is always pleasure of a +sort in doing anything that is not very easy. "There," the mate +said. "Now lay the table for breakfast. You'll find the things in +them lockers. Lay for three places. Don't break the ship's +crockery while you're doing it." + + + +CHAPTER VI. THE SEA! THE SEA! + +He left me, then, as he had to watch the men on deck. I felt, +when he went on deck, that the morning had been a nightmare; but +now I was to be flunkey well as slave, a new humiliation. I did +not think how many times I had humiliated others by letting them +do such things for me. I had done so all my life without a +thought. Now, forsooth, I was at the point of tears at having to +do it for others, even though one of the others was my rightful +King. Grubbing about among the lockers, I found a canvas +table-cloth, which had once been part of a sail. I spread this +cloth with the breakfast gear, imitating the arrangements made at +home at Oulton. The mate came down some minutes after I had +finished. He caught me sitting down on the top of the lockers, +looking out at the ships through the open port. + +"Here," he said roughly. "You've got to learn manners, or I'll +have to teach you. Remember this once for all, my son. No one +sits in the cabin except a captain or a passenger. You'll take +your cap off to the cabin door before I've done with you. Nor you +don't sit down till your work's done. That's another thing. Why +ain't you at work?" + +"Please, sir," I said, "I've laid the table. What else am I to +do?" + +"Do," he said. "Give the windows a rub. Then clean your hands, +ready to wait at table. No. Hold on. Have you called Mr. Scott +yet?" + +"No, sir. I didn't know I had to." + +"My," he answered. "Have you any sense at all? Go call them. No. +Get their hot water first at the galley." + +I suppose I stared at him; for I did not know that this would be +a duty of mine. "Here. Don't look at me like that," he said. "You +make me forget myself." He went to the locker, in which he +rummaged till he produced a big copper kettle. "Here's the hot +water can," he said. "Nip with it to the galley, before the cook +puts his fire out. On deck, boy. Don't you know where the galley +is?" + +I did not know where the galley was in this particular ship. I +thought that it would probably be below decks, round a space of +brick floor to prevent fire. But as the mate said "on deck" I ran +on deck at once. I ran on deck, up the hatch, so vigorously, that +I charged into a seaman who was carrying a can of slush, or +melted salt fat used in the greasing of ropes. I butted into him, +spattering the slush all over him, besides making a filthy mess +of grease on the deck, then newly cleansed. The seaman, who was +the boatswain or second mate, boxed my ears with a couple of +cuffs which made my head sing. "You young hound," he said, +"Cubbadar when your chief passes." I went forward to the galley, +crying as if my heart would break, not only at the pain of the +blows, which stung me horribly, but at the misery of my life in +this new service, that had seemed so grand only seven or eight +hours before. At the galley door was the cook, a morose little +Londoner with earrings in his ears. "Miaow, Miaow," he said, +pretending to mimic my sobs. "Why haven't you come for this 'ot +water before? 'Ere 'ave I been keepin' my fire lit while you been +enjoyin' a stuffin' loaf down in that there cabin." I was too +miserable to answer him. I just held out my kettle, thinking that +he would fill it for me. "Wot are you 'oldin' out the kettle +for?" he asked. "Think I'm goin' to do yer dirty work? Fill it at +the 'ob yourself." I filled it as he bade me, choking down my +tears. When I had filled it, I hurried back to the 'tweendecks, +hoping to hide my misery down in the semi-darkness there. I did +not pass the second mate on my way back; but I passed some of the +seamen, to whom a boy in tears was fair game. One asked me what I +meant by coming aft all salt, like a head sea, making the deck +wet after he'd squeegeed it down. Another told me to wait till +the second mate caught me. "I'd be sorry then," he said, "that +ever I spilt the slush;" with other sea-jests, all of them pretty +brutal. It is said that if a strange rook comes to a rookery the +other rooks peck it to death, or at any rate drive it away. I +know not if this be true of rooks (I know that sparrows will +attack owls or canaries, whenever they have a chance), but it is +true enough of human beings. We all hate the new-comer, we are +all suspicious of him, as of a possible enemy. The seamen did to +me what school-boys do to the new boy. I did not know then that +there is no mercy for one sensitive enough to take such "jests" +to heart. At sea, the rough, ready tom-fool boy is the boy to +thrive. Such an one might have spilt all the slush in the ship, +without getting so much as a cuff. I was a merry boy enough, but +I was sad when I made my first appearance. The sailors saw me +crying. If I had only had the wit to dodge the bosun's blows, the +matter of the slush would have been turned off with a laugh, +since he only struck me in the irritation of the moment. He would +have enjoyed chasing me round the deck. If I had only come up +merrily that is what would have happened. As it was I came up +sad, with the result that I got my ears boxed, which, of course, +made me too wretched to put the cook in a good temper; a cause of +much woe to me later. The seamen who saw me crying at once put me +down as a cry-baby, which I really was not; so that, for the rest +of my time in the ship I was cruelly misjudged. I hope that my +readers will remember how little a thing may make a great +difference in a person's life. I hope that they will also +remember how easy it is to misjudge a person. It will be well for +them if, as I trust, they may never experience how terrible it +feels to be misjudged. + +After I had called the two gentlemen, I gave the glass +bull's-eyes in the swing ports a rub with a cloth. I was at work +in this way when the two gentlemen entered. Mr. Jermyn smiled to +see me with my coat off, rubbing at the glass. He also wished me +good morning, which Mr. Scott failed to do. Mr. Scott took no +notice of me one way or the other; but sat down at the locker, +asking when breakfast would be ready. "Get breakfast, boy," Mr. +Jermyn said. At that I put my glass-rag into the locker. I +hurried off to the galley to bring the breakfast, not knowing +rightly whether it would be there or in another place. The cook, +surly brute, made a lot of offensive remarks to me, to which I +made no answer. He was glad to have someone to bully, for he had +the common man's love of power, with all his hatred of anything +more polished than himself. I took the breakfast aft to the +cabin, where, by this time, the ship's captain was seated. I +placed the dish before Mr. Jermyn. + +"Why haven't you washed your hands, boy?" he asked, looking at my +hands. + +"Please, sir, I haven't had time." + +"Wash them now, then. Don't come to wait at table with hands like +that again. I didn't think you were a dirty boy." + +I was not a dirty boy; but, having been at work since before six +that morning, I had had no chance of washing myself. I could not +answer; but the injustice of Mr. Jermyn's words gave me some of +the most bitter misery which I have known. For brutal, +thoughtless injustice, it is difficult to beat the merchant ship. +I stole away to wash myself, very glad of the chance to get away +from the cabin. When I was ready, it was time to clear the +breakfast things to the galley, to wash them with the cook. +Luckily, I had overheard Mr. Jermyn say "how well this cook can +devil kidneys." I repeated this to the cook, who was pleased to +hear it. It made him rather more kind in his manner to me. He did +not know who Mr. Scott really was. He asked me a lot of questions +about what I knew of Mr. Scott. I replied that I'd heard that he +was a Spanish merchant, a friend of Mr. Jermyn's. As for Mr. +Jermyn, he knew' an uncle of mine. I had helped him to recover +his pocket-book; that was all that I knew of him; that was why he +had given me my present post as servant. More I dared not say; +for I remembered the Duke's sharp sword on my chest. We talked +thus, as we washed the dishes; the cook in a sweeter mood (having +had his morning dram of brandy); I, myself, trying hard to win +him to a good opinion of me. I asked him if I might clean his +copper for him; it was in a sad state of dirt. "You'll have work +enough 'ere, boy," he said, tartly, "without you running round +for more. You mind your own business." After this little snap at +my head (no thought of thanks occurred to him) he prepared +breakfast for us, out of the remains of the cabin breakfast. I +was much cheered by the prospect of food, for nearly three hours +of hard work had given me an appetite. At a word from the cook, I +brought out two little stools from under the bunk. Then I placed +the "bread-barge," or wooden bowl of ship's biscuits, ready for +our meal, beside our two plates. + +Breakfast was just about to begin, when my enemy, the boatswain, +appeared at the galley door. "Here, cook," he said, "where's that +limb of a boy? Oh, you're there, are you? Feeding your face. Get +a three-cornered scraper right now. You'll scrape up that slush +you spilled, before you eat so much as a reefer's nut." I had to +go on deck again for another hour, while I scraped up the slush, +which was, surely, spilled as much by himself as by me, since he +was not looking where he was going any more than I was. I got no +breakfast. For after the grease was cleaned I was sent to black +the gentlemen's boots; then to make up their beds; then to scrub +their cabin clean. After all this, being faint with hunger, I +took a ship's biscuit from the locker in the cabin to eat as I +worked. I did not know it; but this biscuit was what is known as +"captain's bread," a whiter (but less pleasant) kind of ship's +biscuit, baked for officers. As I was eating it (I was polishing +the cabin door-knobs at the time) the captain came down for a +dram of brandy. He saw what I was eating. At once he read me a +lecture, calling me a greedy young thief. Let me not eat another +cabin biscuit, he said, or he'd do to me what they always did to +thieves:--drag them under the ship from one side to another, so +that the barnacles would cut them (as he said) into Spanish +sennet-work. When I answered him, he lost his temper, in sailor +fashion, saying that if I said another word he'd make me sick +that ever I learned to speak. + +I will not go into the details of the rest of that first day's +misery. I was kept hard at work for the whole time of daylight, +often at work beyond my strength, always at work quite strange to +me. Nobody in the ship, except perhaps the mate, troubled to show +me how to do these strange tasks; but all swore at me for not +doing them rightly. What I felt most keenly was the injustice of +their verdicts upon me. I was being condemned by them as a dirty, +snivelling, lying, thieving young hound. They took a savage +pleasure in telling me how I should come to dance on air at +Cuckold's Haven, or, in other words, to the gallows, if I went on +as I had begun. Whereas (but for my dishonest moment in the +morning) I had worked like a slave since dawn under every +possible disadvantage which hasty men could place in my way. +After serving the cabin supper that night I was free to go to my +hammock. There was not much to be glad for, except the rest after +so much work. I went with a glad heart, for I was tired out. The +wind had drawn to the east, freshening as it came ahead, so that +there was no chance of our reaching our destination for some +days. I had the prospect of similar daily slavery in the schooner +at least till our arrival. My nights would be my only pleasant +hours till then. The noise of the waves breaking on board the +schooner kept me awake during the night, tired as I was. It is a +dreadful noise, when heard for the first time. I did not then +know what a mass of water can come aboard a ship without doing +much harm. So, when the head of a wave, rushing across the deck, +came with a swish down the hatch to wash the 'tweendecks I +started up in my hammock, pretty well startled. I soon learned +that all was well, for I heard the sailors laughing in their +rough, swearing fashion as they piled a tarpaulin over the open +hatch-mouth. A moment later, eight bells were struck. Some of the +sailors having finished their watch, came down into the +'tweendecks to rest. Two of them stepped very quietly to the +chest below my hammock, where they sat down to play cards, by the +light of the nearest battle-lantern. If they had made a noise I +should probably have fallen asleep again in a few minutes; for +what would one rough noise have been among all the noise on deck? +But they kept very quiet, talking in low voices as they called +the cards, rapping gently on the chest-lid, opening the lantern +gently to get lights for their pipes. Their quietness was like +the stealthy approach of an enemy, it kept a restless man awake, +just as the snapping of twigs in a forest will keep an Indian +awake, while he will sleep soundly when trees are falling. I kept +awake, too, in spite of myself (or half awake), wishing that the +men would go, but fearing to speak to them. At last, fearing that +I should never get to sleep at all, I looked over the edge of the +hammock intending to ask them to go. I saw then that one of them +was my enemy the boatswain, while the other was the ship's +carpenter, who had eaten supper in the galley with me, at the +cook's invitation. As these were, in a sense, officers, I dared +not open my mouth to them, so I lay down again, hoping that +either they would go soon, or that they would let me get to sleep +before the morning. As I lay there, I overheard their talk. I +could not help it. I could hear every word spoken by them. I did +not want their talk, goodness knows, but as I could not help it, +I listened. + +"Heigho," said the boatswain, yawning. "I sha'n't have much to +spend on Hollands when I get there. Them rubbers at bowls in +London have pretty near cleaned my purse out." + +"Ah, come off," said the carpenter. "You can always get rid of a +coil of rope to someone, on the sly, you boatswains can. A coil +of rope comes to a few guilders. Eh, mynheer?" + +"I sold too many coils off this hooker," said the boatswain. "I +run the ship short." + +"Who sleeps in the hammock there?" the carpenter asked. + +"The loblolly boy for the cabin," the boatswain answered. "Young +clumsy hound. I clumped his fat chops for him this morning." + +"Mr. Jermyn's boy?" said the carpenter, sinking his voice. +"There's something queer about that Mr. Jermyn. 'E wears a false +beard. That Mr. Scott isn't all what he pretends neither." + +"I don't see how that can be," the boatswain said, "I wish I'd a +drink of something. I'm as dry as foul block." + +"There'd be more'n a dram to us two, if Mr. Scott was what I +think," said the carpenter. "I'm going to keep my eye on that +gang." + +"Keep your eye on the moon," said the boatswain. + +"I tell you what'd raise drinks pretty quick." + +"What would?" + +"That loblolly boy would." + +"Eh?" said the carpenter. "Go easy, Joe. He may be awake." + +"Not he," said the boatswain, carelessly glancing into my +hammock, where I lay like all the Seven Sleepers condensed. "Not +he. Snoring young hound. Do him good to raise drinks for the +crowd." + +"Eh," said the carpenter, a quieter, more cautious scoundrel than +the other (therefore much more dangerous). "How would a boy like +that?" He left his sentence unfinished. + +"Sell him to one of these Dutch East India merchants," said the +boatswain. "There's always one or two of them in the Canal, bound +for Java. A likely young lad like that would fetch twenty pounds +from a Dutch skipper. A white boy would sell for forty in the +East. Even if we only got ten, there'd be pretty drinking while +it lasted." + +This evidently made an impression on the carpenter, for he did +not answer at once. "Yes," he said presently. "But a lad like +that's got good friends. He don't talk like you or I, Joe." + +"Friends in your eye," said the other. "What's a lad with good +friends doing as loblolly boy?" + +"Run away," the carpenter said. "Besides, Mr. Jermyn isn't likely +to let the lad loose in Haarlem." + +"He might. We could keep a watch," the boatswain answered. "If he +goes ashore, we could tip off Longshore Jack to keep an eye on +him. Jack gets good chances, working the town." + +"Yes," said the other. "I mean to put Longshore Jack on to this +Mr. Jermyn. If I aren't foul of the buoy there's money in Mr. +Jermyn. More than in East Indian slaves." + +"Oh," the boatswain answered, carelessly, "I don't bother about +my betters, myself. What d'ye think to get from Mr. Jermyn?" + +The carpenter made no answer; but lighted his pipe at the +lantern, evidently turning over some scheme in his mind. After +that, the talk ran on other topics, some of which I could not +understand. It was mostly about the Gold Coast, about a place +called Whydah, where there was good trading for negroes, so the +boatswain said. He had been there in a Bristol brig, under +Captain Travers, collecting trade, i.e. negro slaves. At Whydah +they had made King Jellybags so drunk with "Samboe" (whatever +Samboe was) that they had carried him off to sea, with his whole +court. "The blacks was mad after," he said, "the next ship's crew +that put in there was all set on the beach. I seed their bones +after. All picked clean. But old King Jellybags fetched thirty +pound in Port Royal, duty free." He seemed to think that this +story was something laugh at. + +I strained my ears to hear more of what they said. I could catch +nothing more relating to myself. Nothing more was said about me. +They told each other stories about the African shore, where the +schooners anchored in the creeks, among the swamp-smells, in +search of slaves or gold dust. They told tales of Tortuga, where +the pirates lived together in a town, whenever they were at home +after a cruise. "Rum is cheaper than water there," the bo'sun +said. "A sloop comes off once a month with stores from Port +Royal. Its happy days, being in Tortuga." Presently the two men +crept aft to the empty cabin to steal the captain's brandy. Soon +afterwards they passed forward to their hammocks. + +When they had gone, I lay awake, wondering I was to avoid this +terrible danger of being sold to the Dutch East India merchants. +I wondered who Longshore Jack might be. I feared that the +carpenter suspected our party. I kept repeating his words, +"There's money in Mr. Jermyn," till at last, through sheer +weariness, I fell asleep. In the morning, as cleared away +breakfast, from the cabin-table, I told Mr. Jermyn all that I had +heard. The Duke seemed agitated. He kept referring to an +astronomical book which told him how his ruling planets stood. +"Yes," he kept saying, "I've no very favourable stars till July. +I don't like this, Jermyn." Mr. Jermyn smoked a pipe of tobacco +(a practise rare among gentlemen at that time) while he thought +of what could be done. At last he spoke. + +"I know what we'll do, sir. We'll sell this man as carpenter to +the Dutch East India man. We'll give the two of them a sleeping +draught in their drink. We'll get rid of them both together." + +"It sounds very cruel," said the Duke. + +"Yes," said Mr. Jermyn, "it is cruel. But who knows what the sly +man may not pick up? We're playing akes, we two. We've got many +enemies. One word of what this man suspects may bring a whole +pack of spies upon us. Besides, if the spies get hold of this boy +we shall have some trouble." + +"The boy's done very well," said the Duke. + +"He's got a talent for overhearing," Mr. Jermyn answered. "Well, +Martin Hyde. How do you like your work?" + +"Sir," I answered, "I don't like it at all." + +"Well," he said, "we shall be in the Canal to-night, now the wind +has changed. Hold out till then. think, sir," he said, turning to +the Duke, "the boy has done really very creditably. The work is +not at all the work for one of his condition." + +The Duke rewarded me with his languid beautiful smile. + +"Who lives will see," he said. "A King never forgets a faithful +servant." + +The phrase seemed queer on the lips of that man's father's son; +but I bowed very low, for I felt that I was already a captain of +a man-of-war, with a big blazing decoration on my heart. Well, +who lives, sees. I lived to see a lot of strange things in that +King's service. + + + +CHAPTER VII. LAND RATS AND WATER RATS + +I will say no more about our passage except that we were three +days at sea. Then, when I woke one morning, I found that we were +fast moored to a gay little wharf, paved with clean white +cobbles, on the north side of the canal. Strange, outlandish +figures, in immense blue baggy trousers, clattered past in wooden +shoes. A few Dutch galliots lay moored ahead of us, with long +scarlet pennons on their mastheads. On the other side of the +canal was a huge East Indiaman, with her lower yards cockbilled, +loading all three hatches at once. It was a beautiful morning. +The sun was so bright that all the scene had thrice its natural +beauty. The clean neat trimness of the town, the water slapping +past in the canal, the ships with their flags, the Sunday trim of +the schooner, all filled me with delight, lit up, as they were, +by the April sun. I looked about me at my ease, for the deck was +deserted. Even the never-sleeping mate was resting, now that we +were in port. While I looked, a man sidled along the wharf from a +warehouse towards me. He looked at the schooner in a way which +convinced me that he was not a sailor. Then, sheltering behind a +bollard, he lighted his pipe. + +He was a short, active, wiry man, with a sharp, thin face, +disfigured by a green patch over his right eye. He looked to me +to have a horsey look, as though were a groom or coachman. After +lighting his pipe, he advanced to a point abreast of the +schooner's gang-way, from which he could look down upon her, as +she lay with her deck a foot or two below the level of the wharf. + +"Chips aboard?" he asked, meaning, "Is the carpenter on board?" + +"Yes," I said. "Will you come aboard?" + +He did not answer, but looked about the ship, as though making +notes of everything. Presently he turned to me. + +"You're new," he said. "Are you Mr. Jermyn's boy?" I told him +that I was. + +"How is Mr. Jermyn keeping?" he asked. "Is that cough of his +better?" This made me feel that probably the man knew Mr. Jermyn. +"Yes," I said. "He's got no cough, now." "He'd a bad one last +time he was here," the man answered. For a while he kept silent. +He seemed to me to be puzzling out the relative heights of our +masts. Suddenly he turned to me, with a very natural air. "How's +Mr. Scott's business going?" he asked. "You know, eh? You know +what I mean?" I was taken off my guard. I'm afraid I hesitated, +though I knew that the man's sharp eyes noted every little change +on my face. Then, in the most natural way, the man reassured me. +"You know," he said. "What demand for oranges in London?" I was +thankful that he had not meant the other business. I said with a +good deal too much of eagerness that there was, I believed, a big +demand for oranges. "Yes," he said, "I suppose so many young boys +makes a brisk demand." I was uneasy at the man's manner. He +seemed to be pumping me, but he had such a natural easy way, +under the pale mask of his face, that I could not be sure if he +were in the secret or not. I was on my guard now, ready for any +question, as I thought, but eager for an excuse to get away from +this man before I betrayed any trust. "Nice ship," he said +easily. "Did you join her in Spain?" "No," I answered. "In +London." In London?" he said. "I thought you'd something of a +Spanish look." "No," I said."I'm English. Did you want the +carpenter, sir?" + +"Yes," he answered. "I do. But no hurry. No hurry, lad." Here he +pulled out a watch, which he wound up, staring vacantly about the +decks as he did so. "Tell me, boy," he said gently. "Is Lane come +over with you?" To tell the truth, it flashed across my mind, +when he pulled out his watch, that he was making me unready for a +difficult question. I was not a very bright boy; but I had this +sudden prompting or instinct, which set me on my guard. No one is +more difficult to pump than a boy who is ready for his +questioner, so I stared at him. "Lane?" I said, "Lane? Do you +mean the bo'sun?" + +"No," he said. "The Colonel. You know? Eh?" + +"No." I said. "I don't know." + +"Oh well," he answered. "It's all one. I suppose he's not come +over." At this moment the mate came on deck with the carpenter, +carrying a model ship which they had been making together in +their spare time. They nodded to the stranger, who gave them a +curt "How do?" as though they had parted from him only the night +before. The mate growled at me for wasting time on deck when I +should be at work. He sent me down to my usual job of getting the +cabin ready for the breakfast of the gentlemen. As I passed down +the hatchway, I heard the carpenter say to the stranger, "Well. +So what's the news with Jack?" It flashed into my mind that this +man might be his friend, the "Longshore Jack" who was to keep an +eye upon me as well as upon Mr. Jermyn. It gave me a most horrid +qualm to think this. The man was so sly, so calm, so guarded, +that the thought of him being on the look-out for me, to sell me +to the Dutch captains, almost scared me out of my wits. The mate +brought him to the cabin as I was laying the table. "This is the +cabin," he was saying, "where the gentlemen messes. That's our +stern-chaser, the gun there." + +"Oh," said the stranger, looking about him like one who has never +seen a ship before. "But where do they sleep? Do they sleep on +the sofa (he meant the lockers), there?" + +"Why, no," said the mate. "They sleep in the little cabins +yonder. But we musn't stay down here now. I'm not supposed to use +this cabin. I mustn't let the captain see me." So they went on +deck again, leaving me alone. When the gentlemen came in to +breakfast, I had to go on deck for the dishes. As I passed to the +galley, I noticed the stranger talking to the carpenter by the +main-rigging. They gave me a meaning look, which I did not at all +relish. Then, as I stood in the galley, while the cook dished up, +I noticed that the stranger raised his hand to a tall, lanky, +ill-favoured man who was loafing about on the wharf, carrying a +large black package. This man came right up to the edge of the +wharf, directly he saw the stranger's signal. It made me uneasy +somehow. I was in a thoroughly anxious mood, longing to confide +in some one, even in the crusty cook, yet fearing to open my +mouth to any one, even to Mr. Jermyn, to whom I dared not speak +with the captain present in the room. Well, I had my work to do, +so I kept my thoughts to myself. I took the dishes down below to +the cabin, where, after removing the covers, I waited on the +gentlemen. + +"Martin," said Mr. Jermyn. "This skylight over our heads makes +rather a draught. We can't have it open in the morning for +breakfast. + +"Did you open it?" the captain asked. "What made you open it?" + +"Please, sir, I didn't open it." + +"Then shut it," said the captain. "Go on deck. The catch is fast +outside. + +I ran very nimbly on deck to shut the skylight, but the catch was +very stiff; it took me some few moments to undo. I noticed, as I +worked at it, that the deck was empty, except for the lanky man +with the package, who was now forward, apparently undoing his +package on the forehatch. I thought that he was a sort of pedlar +or bumboatman, come to sell onions, soft bread, or cheap +jewellery to the sailors. The carpenter's head showed for an +instant at the galley-door, He was looking forward at the pedlar. +The hands were all down below in the forecastle, eating their +breakfast. The other stranger seemed to have gone. I could not +see him about the deck. At last the skylight came down with a +clatter, leaving me free to go below again. As I went down the +hatchway, into the 'tweendecks gloom, I saw a figure apparently +at work among the ship's stores lashed to the deck there. I could +not see who it was; it was too dark for that but the thing seemed +strange to me. I guessed that it might be my enemy the boatswain, +so I passed aft to the cabin on the other side. + +Soon after that, it might be ten minutes after, while the +gentlemen were talking lazily about going ashore, we heard loud +shouts on deck. + +"What's that?" said the captain, starting up from his chair. + +"Sounds like fire," said Mr. Jermyn. + +"Fire forward," said the captain, turning very white. "There's +five tons of powder forward." + +"What?" cried the Duke. + +At that instant we heard the boatswain roaring to the men to come +on deck. "Aft for the hose there, Bill," we heard. Feet rushed +aft along the deck, helter-skelter. Some one shoved the skylight +open with a violent heave. Looking up, we saw the carpenter's +head. He looked as scared as a man can be. + +"On deck," he cried. "We're all in a blaze forward. The lamp in +the bo'sun's locker. Quick." + +"Just over the powder," the captain said, rushing out. + +"Quick, sir," said Jermyn to the Duke. "We may blow up at any +moment." + +"No," said the Duke, rising leisurely. "Not with these stars. +Impossible." + +All the same, the two men followed the captain in pretty quick +time. Mr. Jermyn rushed the Duke out by the arm. I was rushing +out, too, when I saw the Duke's hat lying on the lockers. I +darted at it, for I knew that he would want it, with the result +that my heel slipped on a copper nail-head, which had been worn +down even with the deck till it was smooth as glass. Down I came, +bang, with a jolt which shook me almost sick. I rose up, stupid +with the shock, so wretched with the present pain that the fire +seemed a little matter to me. Indeed, I did not understand the +risk. I did not know how a fire so far forward could affect the +cabin. + +A couple of minutes must have passed before I picked up the hat +from where it lay. As I hurried through the 'tweendecks some +slight noise or movement made me turn my head. Looking to my +right. I saw the horsey man, the stranger, rummaging quickly in +the lockers of the Duke's cabin, As I looked, I saw him snatch up +something like a pocketbook or pocket case, with a hasty "Ah" of +approval. At the same moment, he saw me watching him. + +"Where's Mr. Scott?" he cried, darting out on me. "We may all +blow up in another moment." + +"He's on deck," I said. "Hasn't he gone on deck?" + +"On deck?" said the man. "Then on deck with you, too." He pushed +me up the hatch before him. "Quick," he cried. "Quick. There's +Mr. Scott forward. Get him on to the wharf. + +He gave me a hasty shove forward, to where the whole company was +working in a cloud of smoke, passing buckets from hand to hand. A +crowd of Dutchmen had gathered on the wharf. Everybody was +shouting. The scene was confused like a bad dream. I caught sight +of the pedlar man at the gangway as the stranger thrust me +forward. In the twinkling of an eye the stranger passed something +to him with the quick thrust known as the thieves' pass. I saw +it, for all my confusion. I knew in an instant that he had stolen +something. The pedlar person was an accomplice. As likely as not +the fire was a diversion. I rushed at the gangway. The pedlar was +moving quickly away with his hands in his pockets. It all +happened in a moment. As I rushed at the gangway, with some wild +notion of stopping the pedlar, the horsey man caught me by the +collar. + +"What," he said, in a loud voice. "Trying to desert, are you? You +come forward where the danger is." He ran me forward. He was as +strong as a bull. + +"Mr. Jermyn," I cried. "Mr. Jermyn. This man's a thief." + +The man twisted my collar on to my throat till I choked. "Quiet, +you," he hissed. + +Then Mr. Jermyn dropped his bucket to attend to me. + +"A thief," I gasped. "A thief." Mr. Jermyn sprang aft, with his +eyes on the man's eyes. The stranger flung me into Mr. Jermyn's +way, with all the sweep of his arm. As I went staggering into the +fore-bitts (for Mr. Jermyn dodged me) the man took a quick side +step up the rail to the wharf. I steadied myself. Mr. Jermyn, +failing to catch the man before he was off the ship, rushed below +to see what was lost. The crowd of workers seemed to dissolve +suddenly. The men surged all about me, swearing. The fire was +out. Remember, all this happened in thirty seconds, from the +passing of the stolen goods to the stranger's letting go my +throat. The very instant that I found my feet against the bitts, +I jumped off the ship on to the wharf. There was the stranger +running down the wharf to the right, full tilt. There was the +lanky pedlar slouching quickly away as though he were going on an +errand, with his black box full of groceries. + +"That's the man, Mr. Scott," I cried. "He's got it." + +The captain (who, I believe, was a naval officer in the Duke's +secret) was up on the wharf in an instant. I followed him, though +the carpenter clutched at me as I scrambled up. I kicked out +behind like a donkey. I didn't kick him, but some one thrust the +carpenter aside in the hurry so that I was free. In another +seconds I was past the captain, running after the pedlar, who +started to run at a good speed, dropping his box with a clatter. +Half a dozen joined in the pursuit. The captain had his sword +out. They raised such a noise behind me that I thought the whole +crew was at my heels. The pedlar kept glancing behind; he knew +very little about running. He doubled from street to street, like +a man at his wits' ends. I could see that he was blown. When he +entered into that conspiracy, he had counted on the horsey man +diverting suspicion from him. Suddenly, after twisting round a +corner, he darted through a swing door into a stone-paved court, +surrounded by brick walls. I was at his heels at the moment or I +should have lost him there. I darted through the swing door after +him. I went full sprawl over his body on the other side. He had, +quite used up, collapsed there. + + + +CHAPTER VIII. I MEET MY FRIEND + +"Give it me," I said. "Give it me, Longshore Jack. Before they +catch us." To my horror, I saw that the creature was a woman in a +man's clothes. She took me for one of her gang. She was too much +frightened to think things out. "I thought you were one of the +other lot," she gasped, as she handed me a pocketbook. + +"Didn't he get the letters, too?" I asked at a venture. "No," she +said, sitting up, now, panting, to take a good look at me. I +stared at her for a moment. I, myself, was out of breath. + +"They're going," I said, hearing the noise of the pursuit passing +away in the check. "I'll just spy out the land." I opened the +door till it was an inch or two ajar, so that I could see what +was going on outside. "They're gone," I said again, still keeping +up the pretence of being on her side. As I said it, I glanced +back to fix her features on my memory. She had a pale, resolute +face with fierce eyes, which seemed fierce from pain, not from +any cruelty of nature. It was a pleasant face, as far as one +could judge of a face made up to resemble a dirty pedlar's face. + +Seeing my look, she seemed to watch me curiously, raising herself +up, till she stood unsteadily by the wall. "When did you come +in?" she said, meaning, I suppose, when did I join the gang. + +"Last week," I answered, swinging the door a little further open. +Footsteps were coming rapidly along the road. I heard excited +voices, I made sure that it was the search party going back to +the schooner. + +"Digame, muchacho," she said in Spanish. It must have been some +sort of pass-word among them. Seeing by my face that I did not +understand she repeated the words softly. Then at that very +instant she was on me like a tigress with a knife. I slipped to +one side instinctively. I suppose I half saw her as the knife +went home. She grabbed at the pocket-book, which I swung away +from her hand. The knife went deep into the door, with a drive +which must have jarred her to the shoulder. "Give it me," she +gasped, snatching at me like a fury. I dodged to one side, up the +court, horribly scared. She followed, raving like a mad thing, +quite ghastly white under her paint, wholly forgetful that she +was acting a man's part. When once we were dodging I grew calmer. +I led her to the end of the court, then ducked. She charged in, +blindly, against the wall, while I raced to the door, very +pleased with my success. I did not hear her follow me, so, when I +got to the door, I looked back. Just at that instant, there came +a smart report. The creature had fired at me with a pistol; the +bullet sent a dozen chips of brick into my face. I went through +the door just as the shot from the second barrel thudded into the +lintel. Going through hurriedly I ran into Mr. Jermyn, as he came +round the corner with the captain. "I've got it," I said. "Look +out. She's in there." + +"Who?" they said. "The thief? A woman?" They did not stay, but +thrust through the door. + +Mr. Jermyn dragged me through with them. "You say you've got it, +Martin?" + +"Yes," I answered, handing him the book. "Here it is." + +"That's a mercy," he said. "Now then, where's the thief?" + +I had been out of the court, I suppose thirty seconds; it cannot +have been more. Yet, when I went back with those two men, the +woman had gone, as though she had never been there. "She's over +the wall," cried the captain, running up the court. But when we +looked over the wall there was no trace of her, except some +slight scratches upon the brick, where her toes had rested. On +the other side of the wall was a tulip bed full of rows of late +flowering tulips, not yet out. There was no footmark on the +earth. Plainly she had not jumped down on the other side. +"Check," said captain. "Is she in one of the houses?" + +But the houses on the left side of the court (on the other side +the court had no houses, only brick walls seven feet high) were +all old, barred in, deserted mansions, with padlocks on the +doors. She could not possibly have entered one of those. + +"They're old plague-houses," said Mr. Jermyn. + +"They've been deserted twenty years now, since the great +sickness." + +"Yes?" said the captain, carelessly. "But where can she have got +to?" + +"Well. It beats me," Mr. Jermyn replied. "But perhaps she ran +along the wall to the end, then jumped down into the lane. That's +the only thing she could have done. By the way, boy, you were +shot at. Were you hit?" + +"No," I answered. "But I got jolly near it. The bullet went just +by me." + +"Ah," he said. "Take this. You'll have to be armed in future." + +He handed me a beautiful little double-barrelled pocket pistol. +"Be careful," he said. "It's loaded. Put it in your pocket. You +musn't be seen carrying arms here. That would never do." + +"Boy," said the captain. "D'ye think you could shin up that +water-spout, so as to look over the parapet there, on to the +leads of the houses?" + +"Yes," I said. "I think I could, from the top of the wall." + +"Why," Mr. Jermyn said. "She couldn't have got up there." + +"An active woman might," the captain said. "You see, the +water-spout is only six feet long from the wall to the eaves. +There's good footing on the brackets. It's three quick steps. +Then one vigorous heave over the parapet. There you are, snug as +a purser's billet, out of sight." + +"No woman could have done it," Mr. Jermyn said. "Besides, look +here. We can't go further in the matter. We've recovered the +book. We must get back to the ship." + +So the scheme of climbing up the water pipe came to nothing. We +walked off together wondering where the woman had got to. Long +afterwards I learned that she heard all that we said by the wall +there. While we talked, she was busy reloading her pistol, +waiting. At the door of the court we paused to pull out her knife +from where it stuck. It was a not very large dagger-knife, with a +small woman's grip, inlaid with silver, but bound at the guard +with gold clasps. The end of the handle was also bound with gold. +The edge of the broad, cutting blade curved to a long sharp +point. The back was straight. On the blade was an inscription in +Spanish, "Veneer o Morir" ("To conquer or die"), with the maker's +name, Luis Socartes, Toledo, surrounded by a little twirligig. I +have it in my hand as I write. I value it more than anything in +my possession. It serves to remind me of a very remarkable woman. + +"There, Martin," said Mr. Jermyn. "There's a curiosity for you. +Get one of the seamen to make a sheath for it. Then you can wear +it at your back on your belt like a sailor." + +As we walked back to the ship, I told Mr. Jermyn all that I had +seen of the morning's adventure. He said that the whole, as far +as he could make it out, had been a carefully laid plot of some +of James the Second's spies. He treated me as an equal now. He +seemed to think that I had saved the Duke from a very dreadful +danger. The horsey man, he said, was evidently a trusted secret +agent, who must have made friends with the carpenter on some +earlier visit of the schooner. He had planned his raid on the +Duke's papers very cleverly. He had arrived on board when no one +was about. He had bribed the carpenter (so we conjectured, +piecing the evidence together) to shout fire, when we were busy +at breakfast. Then, when all was ready, this woman, whoever she +was, had gone forward to the bo'sun's locker, where she had set +fire to half a dozen of those fumigating chemical candles which +she had brought in her box. The candles at once sputtered out +immense volumes of evil smelling smoke. The carpenter, watching +his time, raised the alarm of fire, while the horsey man, hidden +below, waited till all were on deck to force the spring-locks on +the Duke's cabin-door. When once he had got inside the cabin, he +had worked with feverish speed, emptying all the drawers, ripping +up the mattress, even upsetting the books from the bookshelf, all +in about two minutes. Luckily the Duke kept nearly all his secret +papers about his person. The pocket-book was the only important +exception. This, a very secret list of all the Western gentry +ready to rise, was locked in a casket in a locked drawer. + +"It shows you," said Mr. Jermyn, "how well worked, that he did +all this in so little time. If you hadn't fallen on the nail, +Martin, our friends in the West would have fared badly. It was +very clever of you to bring us out of the danger." When we got +back aboard the schooner, we found, as we had expected, that the +men in league with the horsey man had deserted. Neither carpenter +nor boatswain was to be found. Both had bolted off in pursuit of +the horsey man at the moment of alarm, leaving their chests +behind them. I suppose they thought that the plot had succeeded. +I dare say, too, that the horsey man, who was evidently well +known to them both, had given them orders to desert in the +confusion, so that he might suck their brains at leisure +elsewhere. Altogether, the morning's work from breakfast time +till ten was as full of moving incident as a quiet person's life. +I have never had a more exciting two hours. When I sat down to my +own breakfast (which I ate in the cabin among the gentlemen) I +seemed to have grown five years older. All three men made much of +me. They brought out all sorts of sweetmeats for me, saying I had +saved them from disaster. The Duke was especially kind. "Why, +Jermyn," he said, "we thought we'd found a clever messenger; but +we've found a guardian angel." He gave me a belt made of green +Spanish leather, with a wonderfully wrought steel clasp. "Here," +he said. "Wear this, Martin. Here's a holster on it for your +pistol. These pouches hold cartridges. Then this sheath at the +back will hold your dagger, the spoils of war." + +"There," said the captain. "Now I'll give you something else to +fit you out. I'll give you a pocket flask. What's more, I'll +teach you how to make cartridges. We'll make a stock this +morning." + +While he was speaking, the mate came down to tell us how sorry he +was that it was through him that the horsey man was shown over +the ship. "He told me he'd important letters for Mr. Scott," he +said, "so I thought it was only right to show him about, while +you was dressing. The carpenter came to me. 'This gentleman's got +letters for Mr. Scott,' he said. So I was just taken in. He was +such a smooth spoken chap. After I got to know, I could 'a' bit +my head off." They spoke kindly to the man, who was evidently +distressed at his mistake. They told him to give orders for a +watchman to walk the gangway all day long in future, which to me +sounded like locking the stable door too late. After that, I +learned how to make pistol cartridges until the company prepared +to go ashore. The chests of the deserters were locked up in the +lazaret, or store cupboard, so that if the men came aboard again +they might not take away their things. + +"Before we start," the Duke said, "I must just say this. We know, +from this morning's work, that the spies of the English court +know much more than we supposed. We may count it as certain that +this ship is being watched at this moment. Now, we must put them +off the scent, because I must see Argyle without their knowledge. +It is not much good putting to sea again, as a blind, for they +can't help knowing that we are here to see Argyle. They have only +to watch Argyle's house to see us enter, sooner or later. I +suggest this as a blind. We ought to ride far out into the +country to Zaandam, say, by way of Amsterdam. That's about twenty +miles. Meanwhile Argyle shall come aboard here. The schooner +shall take him up to Egmont; he'll get there this afternoon. He +must come aboard disguised though. At Zaandam, we three will +separate, Jermyn will personate me, remaining in Zaandam. The boy +shall carry letters in a hurry to Hoorn; dummy letters, of +course. While I shall creep off to meet Argyle--somewhere else. +If we start in a hurry they won't have time to organize a +pursuit. There are probably only a few secret agents waiting for +us here. What do you say?" + +"Yes," said Mr. Jermyn. "I myself should say this. Send the boy +on at once to Egmont with a note to Stendhal the merchant there. +They won't suspect the boy. They won't bother to follow him, +probably. Tell Stendhal to send Out a galliot to take Argyle off +the schooner while at sea. The galliot can land Argyle somewhere +on the coast. That would puzzle them rarely. She can then ply to +England, or elsewhere, so that her men won't have a chance of +talking. As for the schooner, she can proceed north to anchor at +the Texel till further orders. At the same time, we could ride +south to Noordwyk; find a barge there going north. Hide in her +cabin till she arrives, say, at Alkmaar. Meet Argyle somewhere +near there. Then remain hidden till it is time to move. We can +set all the balls moving, by sticking up a few bills in the +towns." I did not know what he meant by this. Afterwards I +learned that the conspirators took their instructions from +advertisements for servants, or of things lost, which were stuck +up in public places. To the initiated, these bills, seemingly +innocent, gave warning of the Duke's plan. Very few people in +Holland (not more than thirty I believe) were in the secret of +his expedition. Most of these thirty knew other loyalists, to +whom, when the time came, they gave the word. When the time came +we were only about eighty men all told. That is not a large +force, is it, for the invasion of a populous kingdom? + +They talked it out for a little while, making improvements on Mr. +Jermyn's plan. They had a map by them during some of the time. +Before they made their decision, they turned me out of the cabin, +so that I know not to this day what the Duke did during the next +few days. I know only this, that he disappeared from his enemies, +so completely that the spies were baffled. Not only James's +spies, that is nothing: but the spies of William of Orange were +baffled. They knew no more of his whereabouts than I knew. They +had to write home that he had gone, they could not guess where; +but possibly to Scotland to sound the clans. All that I know of +his doings during the next week is this. After about half an hour +of debate, the captain went ashore to one of the famous inns in +the town. From this inn, :he despatched, one by one, at brief +intervals, three horses, each to a different inn along the Egmont +highway. He gave instructions to the ostlers who rode them to +wait outside the inns named till the gentlemen called for them. +He got the third horse off, in this quiet way, at the end of +about an hour. I believe that he then sent a printed book (with +certain words in it underlined, so as to form a message) by the +hand of a little girl, to the Duke of Argyle's lodging. I have +heard that it was a book on the training of horses to do tricks. +There was probably some cipher message in it, as well as the +underlined message. Whatever it was, it gave the Duke his +instructions. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. I SEE MORE OF MY FRIEND + +After waiting for about an hour in the schooner, I was sent +ashore with a bottle-basket, with very precise instructions in +what I was to do. I was to follow the road towards Haarlem, till +I came to the inn near the turning of the Egmont highway. There I +was to leave my bottle-basket, asking (or, rather, handing over a +written request) for it to be filled with bottles of the very +best gin. After paying for this, I was to direct it to be sent +aboard the schooner by the ostler (who was waiting at the door +with a horse) the last of those ordered by the captain. I was +then to walk the horse along the Egmont road, till I saw or heard +an open carriage coming behind. Then I was to trot, keeping ahead +of the carriage, but not far from it, till I was past the third +tavern. After that, if I was not recalled by those in the +carriage, I was free to quicken up my pace. I was then to ride +straight ahead, till I got to Egmont, a twenty mile ride to the +north. There I was to deliver up my horse at the Zwolle-Haus inn, +before enquiring for M. Stendhal, the East India merchant. To him +I was to give a letter, which for safety was rolled into a blank +cartridge in my little pistol cartridge box. After that, I was to +stay at M. Stendhal's house, keeping out of harm's way, till I +received further orders from my masters. + +You may be sure that I thought myself a fine figure of gallantry +as I stepped out with my bottle-basket. I was a King's secret +agent. I had a King's letter hidden about my person. I was armed +with fine weapons, which I longed to be using. I had been under +fire for my King's sake. I was also still tingling with my King's +praise. It was a warm, sunny April day; that was another thing to +fill me with gladness. Soon I should be mounted on a nag, riding +out in a strange land, on a secret mission, with a pocket full of +special service money. Whatever I had felt in the few days of the +sea-passage was all forgotten now. I did not even worry about not +knowing the language. It would keep me from loitering to chatter. +My schoolboy French would probably be enough for all purposes if +I vent astray. I was "to avoid chance acquaintances, particularly +if they spoke English." That was my last order. Repeating it to +myself I walked on briskly. + +I had not gone more than three hundred yards upon my way, when a +lady, very richly dressed, cantered slowly past me on a fine bay +mare. She was followed by a gentleman in scarlet, riding on a +little black Arab. They had not gone a hundred yards past me when +the Arab picked up a stone. The man dismounted to pick it out, +while the lady rode back to hold the horse, which was a ticklish +job, since he was as fresh as a colt. He went squirming about +like an eel. The man had no hook to pick the stone with; nor +could he get it out by his fingers. I could hear him growling +under his breath in some strange language, while the horse sidled +about as wicked as he could be. + +As I approached, the horse grew so troublesome that the man +decided to take him back to the town, to have the stone pulled +there. He was just starting to lead him back when I came up with +them. He asked me some question in a tongue which I did not know. +He probably asked me if I had a hook. I shook my head. The lady +said something to him in French, which made him laugh. Then he +began to lead back the horse towards the town. The lady, after +waving her hand to him, started to ride slowly forward in front +of me. Like most ladies at that time she wore a little black +velvet domino mask over her eyes. All people could ride in those +days; but I remember it occurred to me that this lady rode +beautifully. So many women look like meal-sacks in the saddle. +This one rode as though she were a part of the horse. + +She kept about twenty yards ahead of me till I sighted the inn, +where an ostler was walking the little nag which I was to ride. +She halted at the inn-door, looking back towards the town for her +companion. Then, without calling to anybody, she dismounted, +flinging her mare's reins over a hook in the wall. She went into +the inn boldly, drawing her whip through her left hand. When I +entered the inn-door a moment later, she was talking in Dutch to +the landlord, who was bowing to her as though she were a great +lady. + +I handed over my bottle-basket, with the letter, to a woman who +served the customers at the drinking bar. Then, as I was going +out to take my horse, the lady spoke to me in broken English. + +"Walk my horse, so he not take cold," she said. It was in the +twilight of the passage from the door, so that I could not see +her very clearly, but the voice was certainly like the voice of +the woman who had fired at me in the courtyard. Or was I right? +That voice was on my nerves. It seemed to be the voice of all the +strangers in the town. I looked up at her quickly. She was +masked; yet the grey eyes seemed to gleam beyond the velvet, much +as that woman's eyes had gleamed. Her mouth; her chin; the +general poise of her body, all convinced me. She was the woman +who had carried away the book from Longshore Jack. I was quite +sure of it. I pretended not to understand her. I dropped my eyes, +without stopping; she flicked me lightly with her whip to draw my +attention. + +"Walk my horse," she said again, with a little petulance in her +voice. I saw no way out of it. If I refused, she would guess (if +she did not know already) that I was not there only for bottles +of gin. "Oui, mademoiselle," I said. "Oui. Merci." So out I went +to where the mare stood. She followed me to the door to see me +take the mare. There was no escape; she was going to delay me at +the door till the man returned. I patted the lovely creature's +neck. I was very well used to horses, for in the Broad Country a +man must ride almost as much as he must row. But I was not so +taken up with this mare that I did not take good stock of the +lady, who, for her part, watched me pretty narrowly, as though +she meant never to forget me. I began to walk the beast in the +road in front of the inn, wondering how in the world I was to get +out of the difficulty before the Duke's carriage arrived. There +was the woman watching me, with a satirical smile. She was +evidently enjoying the sight of my crestfallen face. + +Now in my misery a wild thought occurred to me. I began to time +my walking of the mare so that I was walking towards Sandfoort, +while the other horse-boy was walking with my nag towards Egmont +on the other side of the inn. I had read that in desperate cases +the desperate remedy is the only measure to be tried. While I was +walking away from the inn I drew the dagger, the spoils of war. I +drew it very gently as though I were merely buttoning my +waistcoat. Then with one swift cut I drew it nine-tenths through +the girth. I did nothing more for that turn, though I only bided +my time. After a turn or two more, the other horse-boy was called +up to the inn by the lady to receive a drink of beer. No doubt +she was going to question him (as he drank) about the reason for +his being there. He walked up leisurely, full of smiles at the +beer, leaving his nag fast to a hook in the wall some dozen yards +from the door. This was a better chance than I had hoped for; so +drawing my dagger, I resolved to put things to the test. I ripped +the reins off the mare close to the bit. Then with a loud shout +followed by a whack in the flank, I frightened that lovely mare +right into them, almost into the inn-door. Before they knew what +had happened I was at my own horse's head swiftly casting off the +reins from the hook. Before they had turned to pursue me, I was +in the saddle, going at a quick trot towards Egmont, while the +mare was charging down the road behind me, with her saddle under +her belly, giving her the fright of her life. + +An awful thought came to me. "Supposing the lady is not the +English spy, what an awful thing I have done. Even if she be, +what right have I to cut her horse's harness? They may put me in +prison for it. Besides, what an ass I have been. If she is what I +think, she will know now that I am her enemy, engaged on very +special service." Looking back at the inn-door, I saw a party of +people gesticulating in the road. A man was shouting to me. +Others seemed to be laughing. Then, to my great joy, round the +turn of the road came an open carriage with two horses, going at +a good pace. There came my masters. All was well. I chuckled to +myself as I thought of the lady's face, when these two passed +her, leaving her without means of following them. When we were +well out of sight of the inn, I rode back to the carriage to +report, wondering how they would receive my news. They received +it with displeasure, saying that I had disobeyed my orders, not +only in acting as I had done; but in coming back to tell them. +They bade me ride on at once to Egmont, before I was arrested for +cutting the lady's harness. As for their own plans, whatever they +were, my action altered them. I do not know what they did. I know +that I turned away with a flea in my ear from the Duke's reproof. +I remember not very much of my ride to Egmont, except that I +seemed to ride most of the time among sand-dunes. I glanced back +anxiously to see if I was being pursued; but no one followed. I +rode on at the steady lope, losing sight of the carriage, passing +by dune after dune, rising windmill after windmill, to drop them +behind me as I rode. In that low country, I had the gleam of the +sea to my left hand, with the sails of ships passing by me. The +wind freshened as I rode, till at last my left cheek felt the +continual stinging of the sand grains, whirled up by the wind +from the bents. Where the sea-beach broadened, I rode on the +sands. The miles dropped past quickly enough, though I rode only +at the lope, not daring to hurry my horse. I kept this my pace +even when going through villages, where the people in their +strange Dutch clothes hurried out to stare at me as I bucketed +by. I passed by acre after acre of bulb-fields, mostly +tulip-fields, now beginning to be full of colour. Once, for ten +minutes, I rode by a broad canal, where a barge with a scarlet +transom drove along under sail, spreading the ripples, keeping +alongside me. The helmsman, who was smoking a pipe as he eyed the +luff of his sail, waved his hand to me, as I loped along beside +him. You would not believe it; but he was one of the Oulton +fishermen, a man whom I had known for years. I had seen that +tan-sailed barge many, many times, rushing up the Waveney from +Somer Leyton, with that same quiet figure at her helm. I would +have loved to have called out "Oh, Hendry. How are you? Fancy +seeing you here." But I dared not betray myself; nor did Hendry +recognize me. After the road swung away from the canal, I watched +that barge as long as she remained in sight, thinking that while +she was there I had a little bit of Oulton by me. + +At last, far away I saw the church of Egmont, rising out of a +flat land (not unlike the Broad land) on which sails were passing +in a misty distance. I rose in my stirrups with a holloa; for +now, I thought, I was near my journey's end. I clapped my horse's +neck, promising him an apple for his supper. Then, glancing back, +I looked out over the land. The Oulton barge was far away now, a +patch of dark sail drawing itself slowly across the sky. Out to +sea a great ship seemed to stand still upon the skyline. But +directly behind me, perhaps a mile away, perhaps two miles, +clearly visible on the white straight ribbon of road, a clump of +gallopers advanced, quartering across the road towards me. There +may have been twenty of them all told; some of them seemed to +ride in ranks like soldiers. I made no doubt when I caught sight +of them that they were coming after me, about that matter of the +lady's harness. My first impulse was to pull up, so that Old +Blunderbore, as I had christened my horse, might get his breath. +But I decided not to stop, as I knew how dangerous a thing it is +to stop a horse in his pace after he has settled down to it. had +still three miles to go to shelter. If I could manage the three +miles all would be well. But could manage them? Old Blunderbore +had taken the eighteen miles we had come together very easily. +Now I was thankful that I had not pressed him in the early part +of the ride. But Egmont seemed a long, long way from me. I dared +not begin to gallop so far from shelter. I went loping on as +before, with my heart in my mouth, feeling like one pursued in a +nightmare. + +As I looked around, to see these gallopers coming on, while I was +still lollopping forward, I felt that I was tied by the legs, +unable to move. Each instant made it more difficult for me to +keep from shaking up my horse. Continual promptings flashed into +my mind, urging me to bolt down somewhere among the dunes. These +plans I set aside as worthless; for a boy would soon have been +caught among those desolate sandhills. There was no real hiding +among them. You could see any person among them from a mile away. +I kept on ahead, longing for that wonderful minute when I could +hurry my horse, in the wild rush to Egmont town, the final wild +rush, on the nag's last strength, with my pursuers, now going +their fastest, trailing away behind, as their beasts foundered. +The air came singing past. I heard behind me the patter of the +turf sent flying by Old Blunderbore's hoofs. The excitement of +the ride took vigorous hold on me. I felt on glancing back that I +should do it, that I should carry my message, that the Dutchman +should see my mettle, before they stopped me. They were coming up +fast on horses still pretty fresh. I would show them, I said to +myself, what a boy can do on a spent horse. + +Old Blunderbore lollopped on. I clapped him on the neck. "Come +up, boy! Up!" I cried. "Egmont--Egmont! Come on, Old +Blunderbore!" The good old fellow shook his head up with a +whinny. He could see Egmont. He could smell the good corn +perhaps. I banged him with my cap on the shoulder. "Up, boy!" I +cried. I felt that even if I died, even if I was shot there, as I +sailed along with my King's orders, I should have tasted life in +that wild gallop. + +A countryman carrying a sack put down his load to stare at me, +for now, with only a mile to go, I was going a brave gait, as +fast as Old Blunderbore could manage. I saw the man put up his +hands in pretended terror. The next instant he was far behind, +wondering no doubt why the charging squadron beyond were +galloping after a boy. Now we were rushing at our full speed, +with half a mile, a quarter of a mile, two hundred yards to the +town gates. Carts drew to one side, hearing the clatter. I +shouted to drive away the children. Poultry scattered as though +the king of the foxes was abroad. After me came the thundering +clatter of the pursuit. I could hear distant shouts. The nearest +man there was a quarter of a mile away. A man started out to +catch my rein, thinking that my horse had run away with me. I +banged him in the face with my cap as I swung past him. In +another second, as it seemed, I was pulled up inside the gates. + +As far as I remember,- but it is all rather blurred now,--the +place where I pulled up was a sort of public square. I swung +myself off Old Blunderbore just outside a tavern. An ostler ran +up to me at once to hold him. So I gave him a silver piece !what +it was worth I did not know) saying firmly "Zwolle-Haus. Go on. +Zwolle-Haus." + +The ostler smiled as he repeated Zwolle-Haus, pointing to the +tavern itself, which, by good luck, was the very house. + +"M. Stendhal," I said. "Where is M. Stendhal? Mynheer Stendhal? +Mynheer Stendhal Haus?" + +The ostler repeated, "Stendhal? Stendhal? Ah, ja. Stendhal. Da." +He pointed down a narrow street which led, as I could see, to a +canal wharf. + +I thanked him in English, giving him another silver piece. Then +off I went, tottering on my toes with the strangeness of walking +after so long a ride. I was not out of the wood yet, by a long +way. At every second, as I hurried on, I expected to hear cries +of my pursuers, as they charged down the narrow street after me. +I tried to run, but my legs felt so funny, it was like running in +a dream. I just felt that I was walking on pillows, instead of +legs. Luckily that little narrow street was only fifty yards +long. It was with a great gasp of relief that I got to the end of +it. When I could turn to my right out of sight of the square I +felt that I was saved. I had been but a minute ahead of the +pursuers outside on the open. Directly after my entrance, some +cart or waggon went out of the town, filling the narrow gateway +full, so that my enemies were forced to pull up. This gave me a +fair start, without which I could hardly have won clear. If it +had not been for that lucky waggon, who knows what would have +happened? + +As it was, I tottered along with drawn pistol to the door of a +great house (luckily for me the only house), which fronted the +canal. I must have seemed a queer object, coming in from my ride +like that, in a peaceful Dutch town. If I had chanced upon a +magistrate I suppose I should have been locked up; but luck was +with me on that day. I chanced only on Mynheer Stendhal as he sat +smoking among his tulips in the front of his mansion. He jumped +up with a "God bless me!" when he saw me. + +"Mynheer Stendhal?" I asked. + +"Yes," he said in good English. "What is it, boy?" + +"Take me in quick," I said. "They're after me." + + + +CHAPTER X. SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT + +In another minute, after Mr. Stendhal had read my note, I was +skinning off my clothes in an upper bedroom. Within three minutes +I was dressed like a Dutch boy, in huge baggy striped trousers +belonging to Stendhal's son. In four minutes the swift Mr. +Stendhal had walked me across the wharf in sabots to one of the +galliots in the canal, which he ordered under way at once, to +pick up Argyle at sea. So that when my pursuers rode up to Mr. +Stendhal's door in search of me, I was a dirty little Dutch boy +casting off a stern-hawser from a ring bolt. They seemed to storm +at Mr. Stendhal; but I don't know what they said; he acted the +part of surprised indignation to the life. When I looked my last +on Mr. Stendhal he was at the door, begging a search party to +enter to see for themselves that I was not hidden there. The +galliot got under way, at that moment, with a good deal of crying +out from her sailors. As she swung away into the canal, I saw the +handsome lady idly looking on. She was waiting at the door with +the other riders. She was the only woman there. To show her that +I was a skilled seaman I cast off the stern-hawser nimbly, then +dropped on to the deck like one bred to the trade. A moment later +I was aloft, casting loose the gaff-topsail. From that fine +height as the barge began to move I saw the horsemen turning away +foiled. I saw the lady's leathered hat, making a little dash of +green among the drab of the riding coats. Then an outhouse hid +them all from sight. I was in a sea-going barge, bound out, under +all sail, along a waterway lined with old reeds, all blowing down +with a rattling shiver. + +Now I am not going to tell you much more of my Holland +experiences. I was in that barge for about one whole fortnight, +during which I think I saw the greater part of the Dutch canals. +We picked up Argyle at sea on the first day. After that we went +to Amsterdam with a cargo of hides. Then we wandered about at the +wind's will, thinking that it might puzzle people, if any one +should have stumbled on the right scent. All that fortnight was a +long delightful picnic to me. The barge was so like an Oulton +wherry that I was at home in her. I knew what to do, it was not +like being in the schooner. When we were lying up by a wharf, I +used to spend my spare hours in fishing, or in flinging fiat +pebbles from a cleft-stick at the water-rats. When we were under +sail I used to sit aloft in the cross-trees, looking out at the +distant sea. At night, after a supper of strong soup, we all +turned in to our bunks in the tiny cabin, from the scuttle of +which I could see a little patch of sky full of stars. + +A boy lives very much in the present. I do not think that I +thought much of the Duke's service, nor of our venture for the +crown. If I thought at all of our adventures, I thought of the +handsome woman with the grey, fierce eyes. In a way, I hoped that +might have another tussle with her, not because I liked +adventure, no sane creature does, but because I thought of her +with liking. I felt that she would be such a brave, witty person +to have for a friend. I felt sad somehow at the thought of not +seeing her again. She was quite young, not more than twenty, if +her looks did not belie her. I used to wonder how it was that she +had come to be a secret agent. I believed that the sharp-faced +horsey man had somehow driven her to it against her will. +Thinking of her at night, before I fell asleep, I used to long to +help her. It is curious, but I always thought tenderly of this +woman, even though she had twice tried to kill me. A man's bad +angel is only his good angel a little warped. + +On the second of May, though I did not know it then, Argyle set +sail for Scotland, to raise the clans for a foray across the +Border. On the same day I was summoned from my quarters in the +barge to take up my King's service. Late one evening, when it was +almost dark night, Mr. Jermyn halted at the wharf-side to call me +from my supper. "Mount behind me, Martin," he said softly, +peering down the hatch. "It's time, now." I thought he must mean +that it was time to invade England. You must remember that I knew +little of the rights of the case, except that the Duke's cause +was the one favoured by my father, dead such a little while +before. Yet when I heard that sudden summons, it went through me +with a shock that now this England was to be the scene of a +bloody civil war, father fighting son, brother against brother. I +would rather have been anywhere at that moment than where I was, +hearing that order. Still, I had put my hand to the plough. There +was no drawing back. I rose up with my eyes full of tears to say +good-bye to the kind Dutch bargemen. I never saw them again. In a +moment I was up the wharf, scrambling into the big double saddle +behind Mr. Jermyn. Before my eyes were accustomed to the darkness +we were trotting off into the night I knew not whither. + +"Martin," said Mr. Jermyn, half turning in his saddle, "talk in a +low voice. There may be spies anywhere." + +"Yes, sir," I answered, meekly. For a while after that we were +silent; I was waiting for him to tell me more. + +"Martin," he said at length, "we're going to send you to England, +with a message." + +"Yes, sir?" I answered. + +"You understand that there's danger, boy?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Life is full of danger. But for his King a Christian man must be +content to run risks. You aren't afraid, Martin?" + +"No, sir," I answered bravely. I was afraid, all the same. I +doubt if any boy my age would have felt very brave, riding in the +night like that, with danger of spies all about. + +"That's right, Martin," he said kindly. "That's the kind of boy I +thought you." Again we were quiet, till at last he said: + +"You're going in a barquentine to Dartmouth. Can you remember +Blick of Kingswear?" + +"Blick of Kingswear," I repeated. "Yes, sir." + +"He's the man you're to go to." + +"Yes, sir. What am I to tell him?" + +"Tell him this, Martin. Listen carefully. This, now. King Golden +Cap. After Six One." + +"King Golden Cap. After Six One," I repeated. "Blick of +Kingswear. King Golden Cap. After Six One." + +"That's right," he said. "Repeat it over. Don't forget a word of +it. But I know you're too careful a lad to do that." There was no +fear of my forgetting it. I think that message is burned in into +my brain under the skull-bones. + +"There'll be cipher messages, too, Martin. They're also for Mr. +Blick. You'll carry a little leather satchel, with letters sewn +into the flap. You'll carry stockings in the satchel. Or +school-books. You are Mr. Blick's sister's son, left an orphan in +Holland. You'll be in mourning. Your mother died of low-fever, +remember, coming over to collect a debt from her factor. Your +mother was an Oulton fish-boat owner. Pay attention now. I'm +going to cross-examine you in your past history." + +As we rode on into the gloom, in the still, flat, misty land, +which gleamed out at whiles with water dykes, he cross-examined +me in detail, in several different ways, just as a magistrate +would have done it. I was soon letter-perfect about my mother. I +knew Mr. Blick's past history as well as I knew my own. + +"Martin," said Mr. Jermyn suddenly. "Do you hear anything?" + +"Yes, sir," I answered. "I think I do, sir." + +"What is it you hear, Martin?" + +"I think I hear a horse's hoofs, sir." + +"Behind us?" + +"Yes, sir. A long way behind." + +"Hold on then, boy. I'm going to pull up." + +We halted for an instant in the midst of a wide fiat desert, the +loneliest place on God's earth. For an instant in the stillness +we heard the trot trot of a horse's hoofs. Then the unseen rider +behind us halted, too, as though uncertain how to ride, with our +hoofs silent. + +"There," said Mr. Jermyn. "You see. Now we'll make him go on +again." He shook the horse into his trot again, talking to him in +a little low voice that shook with excitement. Sure enough, after +a moment the trot sounded out behind us. It was as though our +wraiths were riding behind us, following us home. "I'll make +sure," said Mr. Jermyn, pulling up again. + +"You're a cunning dog," he said gently. "You heard that?" Indeed, +it sounded uncanny. The unseen rider had feared to pull up, +guessing that we had guessed his intentions. Instead of pulling +up he did a much more ominous thing, he slowed his pace +perceptibly. We could hear the change in the beat of the +horse-hoofs. "Cunning lad," said Mr. Jermyn. "I've a good mind to +shoot that man, Martin. He's following us. Pity it's so dark. One +can never be sure in the dark like this. But I don't know. I'd +like to see who it is." + +We trotted on again at our usual pace. Presently,, something +occurred to me. Mr. Jermyn, I said; "would you like me to see who +it is? I could slip off as we go. I could lie down flat so that +he would pass against the sky. Then you could come back for me." + +He did not like the scheme at first. He said that it would be too +dark for me to see anybody; but that when we were nearer to the +town it might be done., So we rode on at our quick trot for a +couple of more, hearing always behind us a faint beat of + +upon the road, like the echo of our own hoofs. After a time they +stopped suddenly, nor did we hear them again. + +"D'you know what he's done, Martin?" said Mr. Jermyn. + +"No, sir," I answered. + +"He's muffled his horse's hoofs with duffle shoes. A sort of +thick felt slippers. He was in too great a hurry to do that +before. There are the lights of the town." + +"Shall I get down, sir?" + +"If you can without my pulling up. Don't speak. But lay your head +on the road. You'll hear the horse, then, if I'm right." + +"Then I'll lie still," I said, "to see if I can see who it is." + +"Yes. But make no sign. He may shoot. He may take you for a +footpad. I'll ride back to you in a minute." + +He slowed down the horse so that I could slip off unheard on to +the turf by the roadside. When he had gone a little distance, I +laid my ear to the road. Sure enough, the noise of the other +horse was faint but plain in the distance, coming along on the +road, avoiding the turf. The turf vas trenched in many drains, so +as to make dangerous riding at night. I lay down flat on the +turf, with my pistol in my hand. I was excited; but I remember +that I enjoyed it. I felt so like an ancient Briton lying in wait +for his enemy. I tried to guess the distance of this strange +horse from me. It is always difficult to judge either distance or +location by sound, when the wind is blowing. The horse hoofs +sounded about a quarter of a mile away. I know not how far they +really were. Very soon I could see the black moving mass coming +quietly along the road. The duffle hoof-wraps made a dull +plodding noise near at hand. Nearer the unknown rider came, +suspecting nothing. I could see him bent forward, peering out +ahead. I could even take stock of him, dark though it was. He was +a not very tall man, wearing a full Spanish riding cloak. It +seemed to me that he checked his horse's speed somewhere in the +thirty yards before he passed me. Then, just as he passed, just +as I had a full view of him, blackly outlined against the stars, +his horse shied violently at me, on to the other side of the +road. The rider swung him about on the instant to make him face +the danger. I could see him staring down at me, as he bent +forward to pat his horse's neck. I bent my head down so that my +face was hidden in the grass. + +The stranger did not see me. I am quite sure that he did not see +me. He turned his horse back along the road for a few snorting +paces. Then with a sounding slap on his shoulder he drove him at +a fast pace along the turf towards me. I heard the brute whinny. +He was uneasy; he was trying to shy; he was twisting away, trying +to avoid the strange thing which lay there. I hid my head no +longer. I saw the horse above me. I saw the rider glaring down. +He was going to ride over me. I saw his face, a grey blur under +his hat. The horse seemed to be right on top of me. I started up +to my feet with a cry. The horse shied into the road, with a +violence which made the rider rock. Then, throwing up his head, +he bolted towards the town, half mad with the scare. Fifty yards +down the road he tore past Mr. Jermyn, who was trotting back to +pick me up. We heard the frantic hoofs pass away into the night, +growing louder as the duffle wraps were kicked off. Perhaps you +have noticed how the very sound of the gallop of a scared horse +conveys fear. That is what we felt, we two conspirators, as we +talked together, hearing that clattering alarm-note die away. + +"Martin," said Mr. Jermyn. "That was a woman. She chuckled as she +galloped past me." + +"Are you sure, sir?" I asked, half-hoping that he might be right. +I felt my heart leap at the thought of being in another adventure +with the lady. + +"Yes," he said, "I'm quite sure. Now we must be quick, so as to +give her no time in the town." When I had mounted, we forced the +horse to a gallop till we were within a quarter of a mile of the +walls, where we pulled up at a cross-roads. + +"Get down, Martin," he said. "We must enter the town by different +roads. Turn off here to the right. Then take the next two turns +to the left, which will bring you into the square. I shall meet +you there. Take your time. There's no hurry." + +About ten minutes later, I was stopped in a dark quiet alley by a +hand on the back of my neck. I saw no one. I heard no noise of +breathing. In the pitch blackness of the night the hand arrested +me. It was like my spine suddenly stiffening to a rod of ice. +"Quiet," said a strange voice before I could scream. "Off with +those Dutch clothes. Put on these. Off with those sabots." I was +in a suit of English clothes in less than a minute. "Boots," the +voice said in my ear. "Pull them on." They were long leather +knee-boots, supple from careful greasing. In one of them I felt +something hard. My heart leapt as I felt it. + +It was a long Italian stiletto. I felt myself a seaman indeed, +nay, more than a seaman, a secret agent, with a pair of such +boots upon me, "heeled," as the sailors call it, with such a +weapon. "Go straight on," said the voice. + +As I started to go straight on, there was a sort of rustling +behind me. Some black figure seemed to vanish from me. Whoever +the man was that had brought me the clothes, he had vanished, +just as an Indian will vanish into grass six inches high. +Thinking over my strange adventures, I think that that changing +of my clothes in the night was almost the most strange of all. It +was so eerie, that he should be there at all, a part of Mr. +Jermyn's plan, fitting into it exactly, though undreamed of by +me. Would indeed that all Mr. Jermyn's plans had carried through +so well. But it was not to be. One ought not to grumble. + +A few steps farther on, I came to a public square, on one side of +which (quite close to where I stood) was a wharf, crowded with +shipping. I had hardly expected the sea to be so near, somehow, +but seeing it like that I naturally stopped to look for the ship +which was to carry me. The only barquentine among the ships lay +apart from the others, pointing towards the harbour entrance. She +seemed to be a fine big vessel, as far as I could judge in that +light. I lingered there for some few minutes, looking at the +ships, wondering why it was that Mr. Jermyn had not met me. I was +nervous about it. My nerves were tense from all the excitement of +the night. One cannot stand much excitement for long. I had had +enough excitement that night to last me through the week. As I +stood looking at the ships, I began to feel a horror of the +wharf-side. I felt as though the very stones of the place were my +enemies, lying in wait for me. I cannot explain the feeling more +clearly than that. It was due probably to the loneliness of the +great empty square, dark as a tomb. Then, expecting Mr. Jermyn, +but failing to meet with him, was another cause for dread. I +thought, in my nervousness, that I should be in a fine pickle if +any enemies made away with Mr. Jermyn, leaving me alone, in a +strange land, with only a few silver pieces in my pocket. Still, +Mr. Jermyn was long in coming. My anxiety was almost more than I +could bear. + +At last, growing fearful that I had somehow missed him at the +mouth of the dark alley, I walked slowly back in my tracks, +wishing that I had a thicker jacket, since it was beginning to +rain rather smartly. There was a great sort of inn on the side of +the square to which I walked. It had lights on the second floor. +The great windows of that story opened on to balconies, in what +is, I believe, the Spanish way of building. I remember feeling +bitterly how cheery the warm lights looked, inside there, where +the people were. I stood underneath the balcony out of the rain, +looking out sharply towards the alley, expecting at each instant +to see Mr. Jermyn. Still he did not come. I dared not move from +where I was lest I should miss him. I racked my brains to try to +remember if I had obeyed orders exactly. I wondered whether I had +come to the right square. I began to imagine all kinds of evil +things which might have happened to him. Perhaps that secret +fiend of a woman had been too many for him. Perhaps some other +secret service people had waylaid him as he entered the town. +Perhaps he was even then in bonds in some cellar, being examined +for letters by some of the usurper's men. + + + +CHAPTER XI. AURELIA + +While I was fretting myself into a state of hysteria, the catch +of one of the great window-doors above me was pushed back. +Someone came out on the balcony just over my head. It was a +woman, evidently in some great distress, for she was sobbing +bitterly. I thought it mean to stand there hearing her cry, so I +moved away. As I walked off, the window opened again. A big +heavy-looted man came out. + +"Stop crying, Aurelia," the voice said. "Here's the stuff. Put it +in your pocket." + +"I can't," the woman answered. "I can't." + +I stopped moving away when I heard that voice. It was the voice +of the Longshore Jack woman who had had those adventures with me. +I should have known her voice anywhere, even choked as it then +was with sobs. It was a good voice, of a pleasant quality, but +with a quick, authoritative ring. + +"I can't," she said. "I can't, Father." + +"Put it in your pocket," her father said. "No rubbish of that +sort. You must." + +"It would kill me. I couldn't," she answered. "I should hate +myself forever." + +"No more of that to me," said the cold, hard voice with quiet +passion. "Your silly scruples aren't going to outweigh a nation's +need. There it is in your pocket. Be careful you don't use too +much. If you fail again, remember, you'll earn your own living. +Oh, you bungler! When I think of--" + +"I'm no bungler. You know it," she answered passionately. "I +planned everything. You silly men never backed me up. Who was it +guessed right this time? I suppose you think you'd have come here +without my help? That's like a man." + +"Don't stand there rousing the town, Aurelia, the man said. "Come +in out of the rain at once. Get yourself ready to start." + +As the window banged to behind them, a figure loomed up out of +the night--two figures, more. I sprang to one side; but they were +too quick for me. Someone flung an old flour-sack over my head. +Before I was ready to struggle I was lying flat on the pavement, +with a man upon my chest. + +"It's him," said a voice. "You young rip, where are the letters?" + +"What letters?" I said, struggling, choking against the folds of +the sack. + +"Rip up his boots," said another. "Dig him with a knife if he +won't answer." + +"Bring him in to the Colonel," said the first. + +"I've got no letters," I said. + +"Lift him up quick," said the man who had suggested the knife. +"In with him. Here's the watch." + +"Quick, boys," the leader said. "We mustn't be caught at this +game." + +Steps sounded somewhere in the square. Hearing them, I squealed +with all my strength, hoping that somebody would come. + +"Choke him," said one of the men. + +I gave one more loud squeal before they jammed the sack on my +mouth. To my joy, the feet broke into a run. They were the feet +of the watch, coming to my rescue. + +"Up with him," said the leader among my captors. "Quick, in to +the Colonel with him." + +"No, no! Drop it. I'm off. Here's the watch," cried the other +hurriedly. + +They let me drop on to the pavement after half lifting me. In +five seconds more they were scattering to shelter. As I rose to +my feet, flinging off the flour-sack, I found myself in the midst +of the city watch, about a dozen men, all armed, whose leader +carried a lantern. The windows of the great inn were open; people +were thronging on to the balcony to see what the matter was; +citizens came to their house-doors. At that moment, Mr. Jermyn +appeared. The captain of the guard was asking questions in Dutch. +The guardsmen were peering at my face in the lantern light. + +Mr. Jermyn questioned me quickly as to what had happened. He +interpreted my tale to the guard. I was his servant, he told +them. I had been attacked by unknown robbers, some of whom, at +least, were English. One of them had tried to stifle me with a +flour-sack, which, on examination under the lantern, proved to be +the sack of Robert Harling, Corn-miller, Eastry. Goodness knows +how it came to be there; for ship's flour travels in cask. Mr. +Jermyn gave an address, where we could be found if any of the +villains were caught; but he added that it was useless to expect +me to identify any of them, since the attack had been made in the +dark, with the victim securely blindfolded. He gave the leader of +the men some money. The guard moved away to look for the culprits +(long before in hiding, one would think), while Mr. Jermyn took +me away with him. + +As we went, I looked up at the inn balcony, from which several +heads looked down upon us. Behind them, in the lighted room, in +profile, in full view, was the lady of the fierce eyes. I knew +her at once, in spite of the grey Spanish (man's) hat she wore, +slouched over her face. She was all swathed in a Spanish riding +cloak. One took her for a handsome young man. But I knew that she +was my enemy. I knew her name now, too; Aurelia. She was looking +down at me, or rather at us, for she could not have made out our +faces. Her face was sad. She seemed uninterested; she had, +perhaps, enough sorrow of her own at that moment, without the +anxieties of others. A big, burly, hulking, handsome person of +the swaggering sort which used to enter the army in those days, +left the balcony hurriedly. I saw him at the window, speaking +earnestly to her, pointing to the square, in which, already, the +darkness hid us. I saw the listlessness fall from her. She seemed +to waken up into intense life in an instant. She walked with a +swift decision peculiar to her away from the window, leaving the +hulking fellow, an elderly, dissolute-looking man, with the wild +puffy eyes of the drinker, to pick his teeth in full view of the +square. + +When we left watching our enemies, Mr. Jermyn bade me walk on +tiptoe. We scurried away across the square diagonally, pausing +twice to listen for pursuers. No one seemed to be following. +There was not much sense in following; for the guard was busy +searching for suspicious persons. We heard them challenging +passers-by, with a rattle of their halberds on the stones, to +make their answers prompt. We were safe enough from persecution +for the time. We went down a dark street into a dark alley. From +the alley we entered a courtyard, the sides of which were vast +houses. We entered one of these houses. The door seemed to open +in the mysterious way which had puzzled me so much in Fish Lane. +Mr. Jermyn smiled when I asked him how this was done. "Go on in, +boy," he said. "There are many queer things in lives like ours." +He gave me a shove across the threshold, while the door closed +itself silently behind us. + +He took me into a room which was not unlike a marine store of the +better sort. There were many sailor things (all of the very best +quality) lying in neat heaps on long oak shelves against the +walls. In the middle of the room a table was laid for dinner. + +Mr. Jermyn made me eat a hearty meal before starting, which I +did. As I ate, he fidgeted about among some lockers at my back. +Presently, as I began to sip some wine which he had poured out +for me, he put something over my shoulders. + +"Here," he said, "this is the satchel, Martin. Keep the straps +drawn tight always. Don't take it off till you give it into Mr. +Blick's hands. His own hands, remember. Don't take it off even at +night. When you lie down, lash it around your neck with +spun-yarn." All this I promised most faithfully to do. "But," I +said, examining the satchel, which was like an ordinary small old +weather-beaten satchel for carrying books, "where are the +letters, sir?" + +"Sewn into the double," he answered. "You wouldn't be able to sew +so neatly as that. Would you, now?" + +"Oh, yes, I should, sir," I replied. "I am a pretty good hand +with a sail-needle. The Oulton fishermen used to teach me the +stitches. I can do herring-bone stitch. I can even put a cringle +into a sail." + +"You're the eighth wonder of the world, I think," Mr. Jermyn +said. "But choose, now. Choose a kit for yourself. You won't get +a chance to change your clothes till you get to Mr. Blick's if +you don't take some from here. So just look round the room here. +Take whatever you want." + +I felt myself to have been fairly well equipped by the stranger +who had made me change my clothes in the alley. But I knew how +cold the Channel may be even in June; so I chose out two changes +of thick underwear. Weapons I had no need for, with the armory +already in my belt; but a heavy tarred jacket with an ear-flap +collar was likely to be useful, so I chose that instead. It was +not more than ten sizes too large for me; that did not matter; at +sea one tries to keep warm; appearances are not much regarded. +Last of all, when I had packed my satchel, I noticed a sailor's +canvas "housewife" very well stored with buttons, etc. I noticed +that it held what is called a "palm," that is, the leather +hand-guard used by sail-makers for pushing the needle through +sail cloth. It occurred to me, vaguely, that such a "housewife" +would be useful, in case my clothes got torn, so I stuffed it +into my satchel with the other things. I saw that it contained a +few small sail-needles (of the kind so excellent as egg-borers) +as well as some of the strong fine sail-twine, each thread of +which will support a weight of fifty pounds. I put the housewife +into my store with a vague feeling of being rich in the world's +goods, with such a little treasury of necessaries; I had really +no thought of what that chance impulse was to do for me. + +"Are you ready?" Mr. Jermyn asked. + +"Yes, sir. Quite ready." + +"Take this blank drawing-book," he said, handing me a small +pocket-book, in which a pencil was stuck. "Make a practice of +drawing what you see. Draw the ships. Make sketches of the coast. +You will find that such drawings will give you great pleasure +when you come to be old. They will help you, too, in impressing +an object on your mind. Drawing thus will give you a sense of the +extraordinary wonder of the universe. It will teach you a lot of +things. Now let's be off. It's time we were on board." + +When we went out of the house we were joined by three or four +seamen who carried cases of bottles (probably gin bottles). We +struck off towards the ship together at a brisk pace, singing one +of those quick-time songs with choruses to which the sailors +sometimes work. The song they sang was that very jolly one called +"Leave her, Johnny." They made such a noise with the chorus of +this ditty that Mr. Jermyn was able to refresh my memory in the +message to be given to Mr. Blick. + +The rain had ceased before we started. When we came into the +square, we saw that cressets, or big flaming port-fires, had been +placed along the wharf, to give light to some seamen who were +rolling casks to the barquentine. A little crowd of idlers had +gathered about the workers to watch them at their job; there may +have been so many as twenty people there. They stood in a pretty +strong, but very unsteady light, by which I could take stock of +them. I looked carefully among them for the figure of a young man +in a grey Spanish hat; but he was certainly not there. The +barquentine had her sails loosed, but not hoisted. Some boats +were in the canal ahead, ready to tow her. out. She had also laid +out a hawser, by which to heave herself out with her capstan. I +could see at a glance that she was at the point of sailing. As we +came up the plank-gangway which led to her deck we were delayed +for a moment by a seaman who was getting a cask aboard. + +"Beg pardon, sir," he said to Mr. Jermyn. "I won't keep you +waiting long. This cask's about as heavy as nitre." + +"What 'a' you got in that cask, Dick?" said the boatswain, who +kept a tally at the gangway. + +"Nitre or bullets, I guess," said Dick, struggling to get the +cask on to the gang plank. "It's as heavy as it knows how." + +"Give Dick a hand there," the boatswain ordered. A seaman who was +standing somewhere behind me came forward, jogging my elbow as he +passed. In a minute or two they had the cask aboard. + +"It's red lead," said the boatswain, examining the marks upon it. +"Sling it down into the 'tweendecks." + +After this little diversion, I was free to go down the gangway +with Mr. Jermyn. The captain received us in the cabin. He seemed +to know my "uncle Blick," as he called him, very well indeed. I +somehow didn't like the looks of the man; he had a bluff air; but +it seemed to sit ill upon him. He reminded me of the sort of +farmer who stands well with his parson or squire, while he +tyrannizes over his labourers with all the calculating cowardly +cruelty of the mean mind. I did not take to Captain Barlow, for +all his affected joviality. + +However, the ship was sailing. They showed me the little trim +cabin which was to be mine for the voyage. Mr. Jermyn ran ashore +up the gangway, after shaking me by the hand. He called to me +over his shoulder to remember him very kindly to my uncle. A +moment later, as the hawsers were cast off, the little crowd on +the wharf called out "Three cheers for the Gara barquentine," +which the Gara's crew acknowledged with three cheers for +Pierhead, in the sailor fashion. We were moving slowly under the +influence of the oared boats ahead of us, when a seaman at the +forward capstan began to sing the solo part of an old capstan +chanty. The men broke in upon him with the chorus, which rang +out, in its sweet clearness, making echoes in the city. I ran to +the capstan to heave with them, so that I, too, might sing. I was +at the capstan there, heaving round with the best of them, until +we were standing out to sea, beyond the last of the fairway +lights, with our sails trimmed to the strong northerly wind. +After that, being tired with so many crowded excitements, which +had given me a life's adventures since supper-time, I went below +to my bunk, to turn in. + +I took off my satchel, intending to tie it round my neck after I +had undressed. Some inequality in the strap against my fingers +made me hold it to the cabin lamp to examine it more closely. To +my horror, I saw that the strap had been nearly cut through in +five places. If it had not been of double leather with an inner +lining of flexible wire, any one of those cuts would have cut the +thong clean in two. Then a brisk twitch would have left the +satchel at the cutter's mercy. It gave me a lively sense of the +craft of our enemies, to see those cuts in the leather. I had +felt nothing. I had suspected nothing. Only once, for that +instant on the wharf, when we stopped to let Dick get his barrel +aboard, had they had a chance to come about me. Yet in that +instant of time they had suspected that that satchel contained +letters. They had made their bold attempt to make away with it. +They had slashed this leather in five places with a knife as +sharp as a razor. But had it been on the wharf, that this was +done? I began to wonder if it could have been on the wharf. Might +it not have been done when I was at the capstan, heaving round on +the bar? I thought not. I must have noticed a seaman doing such a +thing. It would have been impossible for any one to have cut the +strap there; for the capstan was always revolving. The man next +to me on the bar never took his hands from the lever, of that I +was certain. The men on the bar behind me could not have reached +me. Even if they had reached me the mate must have noticed it. I +knew that sailors were often clever thieves; but I did not +believe that they could have been so clever under the mate's eye. +If it had not been done at the capstan it could not have been +done since I came aboard; for there had been no other +opportunity. I was quite convinced, after a moment's thought, +that it had been done on the wharf before I came aboard. Then I +wondered if it had been done by common shore thieves, or +"nickers," who are always present in our big seaport towns, ready +to steal whenever they get a chance. But I was rather against +this possibility; for my mind just then was much too full of +Aurelia's party. I saw their hands in it. It would have needed +very strong evidence to convince me that they were not at the +bottom of this last attack, as they had doubtless been in the +attack under the inn balcony. + +Thinking of their cunning with some dismay, I went to my door to +secure it. I was in my stockinged feet at the moment, as I had +kicked my boots off on coming into the cabin. My step, therefore, +must have been noiseless. Opening the door smartly, +half-conscious of some slight noise on the far side, I almost ran +into Captain Barlow, who was standing without. He showed a +momentary confusion, I thought, at seeing me thus suddenly. It +was a bad sign. To me, in my excited nervous state, it was a very +bad sign. It convinced me that he had been standing there, trying +to spy upon me through the keyhole, with what purpose I could +guess only too well. His face changed to a jovial grin in an +instant; but I felt that he was searching my face narrowly for +some sign of suspicion. + +"I was just coming in to see if you wanted anything," he said. + +"No. Nothing, thanks," I answered. "But what time's breakfast, +sir?" + +"Oh, the boy'll call you," he answered. "Is that your school +satchel? Hey? What you carry your books in? Let's see it?" + +"Oh," I said, as lightly as I could, feeling that he was getting +on ticklish ground. "I've not unpacked it yet. It's got all my +things in it." + +By this time he was well within my cabin. "Why," he said, "this +strap's almost cut in two. Does your master let you bring your +satchel to school in that state? How did it come to be cut like +that? Hey?" + +I made some confused remark about its having always been in that +state; as it was an old satchel which my father used for a +shooting-bag. I had never known boys to carry books in a satchel. +That kind of school was unknown to me. + +"Well," he said, fingering the strap affectionately, as though he +was going to lift it off my head, "you let me take it away with +me. I've got men in this ship, who can mend a cut leather strap +as neat as you've no idea of. They'd sew up a cut like them so as +you'd hardly know it had been cut." + +I really feared that he would have the bag away from me by main +force. But I rallied all my forces to save it. "I'm lagged now," +I said. "I haven't undone my things. I'll give it to you in the +morning." + +It seemed to me that he looked at me rather hard when I said +this; but he evidently thought "What can it matter? Tomorrow will +serve just as well." So he just gave a little laugh. "Right," he +said. "You turn in now. Give it to me in the morning. Good night, +boy." + +"Good night," I said, as he left the cabin, adding, under my +breath, "Good riddance, too. You won't find quite so much when +you come to examine this bag by daylight." After he had gone--but +not at once, as I wished not to make him suspicious,--I locked my +cabin-door. Then I hung my tarred sea-coat on the door-hook, so +that the flap entirely covered the keyhole. There were bolts on +the door, but the upper one alone could be pushed home. With this +in its place felt secure from spies. Yet not too secure. I was +not certain that the bulkheads were without crannies from which I +could be watched. The crack by the door-hinge might, for all I +knew, give a very good view of the inside of the cabin. Thinking +that I might still be under observation I decided to put off what +I had to do until the very early morning, so I undressed myself +for bed. I took care to put out the light before turning in, so +that I might not be seen lashing the satchel round my neck with a +length of spunyarn. I slept with my head upon it. + + + +CHAPTER XII. BRAVE CAPTAIN BARLOW + +Very early the next morning, at about half-past four, a little +before sunrise, I woke up with a start, wondering where I was. +Looking through my little scuttle port, I could see the flashing +of bright waves, which sometimes dowsed my window with a shower +of drops. The ship was apparently making about three knots an +hour, under all her sails. Directly I woke, I turned out of my +bunk to do what I had to do. After dressing, I took my +sail-making tools from my housewife. I had resolved to cut the +letters from their hiding-place so that I might make them up into +tiny rolls, small enough to hide in my pistol cartridges. Very +carefully I cut the threads which bound the leather flaps of the +satchel together. I worked standing up, with the satchel in my +bunk. I could hardly have been seen from any point. In a few +moments the letters were in my hands. They were small sheets of +paper, each about four inches square. They were nine in number, +all different. They were covered with a neat cipher very +different from the not very neat, not quite formed hand of the +Duke himself. What the cipher was, I did not know. It was one of +the many figure ciphers then in use. I learned long afterwards +that the figures which frequently occurred in them stood for King +James II. Such as they were, those cipher letters made a good +deal of difference to many thousands of people then living +contentedly at home. + +As soon as I had removed them, I rolled them up very carefully +into pistol cartridges from which I drew the charges. I was just +going to throw away the powder, when I thought, "No, I'll put the +powder back. It'll make the fraud more difficult to detect." So I +put the powder back with great care. Then I searched my mind for +something with which to seal up the cartridge wads over the +powder. I could think of nothing at all, till I remembered the +tar-seams at my feet. I dug up a fragment of tar-seam from the +dark corners of the cabin under my bunk. Then I lit my lamp with +my little pocket tinder-box, so that I could heat the tar as I +needed it. It took me a long time to finish the cartridges +properly; but I flatter myself that I made neat jobs of them. I +was trained to neat habits by my father. The Oulton seamen had +given me a taste for doing clever neat work, such as plaits or +pointing, so that I was not such a bungler at delicate handicraft +as most boys of my age. I even took the trouble to hide the tar +marks on my wads by smearing wetted gunpowder all over them. When +I had hidden all the letters, I wrote out a few pencilled notes +upon leaves neatly cut from my pocket-book. I wrote a varying +arrangement of ciphers on each leaf, in the neatest hand I could +command. I always made neat figures; but as I had not touched a +pen for nearly a month, I was out of practice. Still, I did very +creditably. I am quite sure that my neat ciphers gave the usurper +James a very trying week of continual study. I daresay the whole +privy council puzzled over those notes of mine. I felt very +pleased with them when they were done. + +I had not much more than a half-hour left to me when I finished +writing them out. The ship's bells told me that it was seven +o'clock. Cabin breakfast, as I knew very well, would be at eight. +I could expect to be called at half past seven. I put the two +flaps of the satchel evenly together, removing all traces of the +thread used in the earlier sewing. Then I very trimly sewed the +two flaps with my sail-needle, using all my strength to make +secure stitches. I used some brown soap in the wash-stand as +thread wax, to make the sewing more easy. "There," I thought, "no +one will suspect that this was sewn by a boy." When I had +finished, I thought of dirtying the twine to make the work look +old; but I decided to let well alone. I might so easily betray my +hand by trying to do too much. The slight trace of the soap made +the work look old enough. But I took very great care to remove +all traces of my work in the cabin. The little scraps of thread +which I had cut out of the satchel I ate, as I could see no safer +means of getting rid of them. I cannot say that they disagreed +with me, though they were not very easy to get down. My palm, +being a common sea-implement, not likely to seem strange in a +ship's cabin, I hid in a locker below my bunk. My sail-needles I +thrust at first into the linings of the pockets of my tarred +sea-coat. On second thoughts, I drove them into the mattress of +my bunk. My hank of twine I dropped on deck later, when I went +out to breakfast. Having covered all traces of my morning's work, +I washed with a light heart. When some one came to my cabin-door +to call me, I cried out that I would be out in a minute. + +When the breakfast bell rang, I walked aft to the great cabin, +with my satchel over my shoulder. The captain asked me how I had +slept; so I said that I had slept like a top, until a few minutes +before I was called. + +"That's the way with you young fellows," he said. "When you come +to be my age you won't be able to do that." Presently, as we were +sitting down to breakfast, he began his attack upon the satchel. +"You still got your satchel, I see," he said. "Do you carry it +about with you always? Or are you pretending to be a military man +with a knapsack?" + +I looked a little uncomfortable at this; but not from the reason +which flashed through his mind. I said that I liked carrying it +about, as it served instead of a side coat-pocket, which was +perfectly true. + +"By the way," he said; "you must let me take that beloved satchel +after breakfast, so that I can get the strap sewn up for you." + +It came into my mind to look blank at this. I stammered as I said +that I didn't mind the straps being cut, because there was a wire +heart to the leather which would hold till we got to England, +when I could put on a new strap for myself. + +"Oh, nonsense," he said, serving out some of the cold bacon from +the dish in front of him. "Nonsense. What would your uncle say if +you landed slovenly like that? Besides, now you're at sea you're +a sailor. Sailors don't wear things like that at meals any more +than they wear their hats." + +After this, I saw that there was no further chance of retaining +the satchel, so I took it from my neck, but grudgingly, as though +I hated doing so. I heard no more about it till after breakfast, +when he made a sudden playful pounce upon it, as it lay upon the +chair beside me, at an instant when I was quite unprepared to +save it. + +"Aha," he cried, waving his booty. "Now then. Now." + +I knew that he would expect a passionate outcry from me, nor did +I spare it; because I meant him to think that I knew the satchel +contained precious matters. + +"No, no," I cried. "Let me have it. I don't want it mended." + +"What?" he said. "Not want it mended? It must be mended." + +At this I made a sort of playful rush to get it. He dodged away +from me, laughing. I attacked again, playing my part admirably, +as I thought, but taking care not to overdo it. At last, as +though fearing to show too great an anxiety about the thing, I +allowed him to keep it. I asked him if he would be able to sew +the leather over the wire heart. + +"Why, yes," he said. I could see that he smiled. He was thinking +that I had stopped struggling in order to show him that I set no +real value on the satchel. He was thinking that he saw through my +cunning. + +"Might I see you sew it up?" I said. "I should like to learn how +to sew up leather." + +He thought that this was another sign of there being letters in +the satchel, this wish of mine to be present when the sewing was +done. + +"Why, yes," he said. "I'll do it here. You shall do it yourself +if you like. I will teach you." So saying, he tossed me an orange +from his pocket. "Eat that," he said, "while I go on deck to take +the sights." + +He left the cabin, swinging the satchel carelessly in his left +hand. I thought to myself that I had better play anxiety; so, +putting the orange on the table, I followed him into the +'tweendecks, halting at the door, as though in fear about the +satchel's fate. Looking back, he saw me there. My presence +confirmed him in his belief that he had got my treasure. He waved +to me. "Back in a minute," he said. "Stay in the cabin till I +come back. There's a story-book in the locker." + +I turned back into the cabin in a halting, irresolute way which +no doubt deceived him as my other movements had deceived him. +When I had shut the door, I went to the locker for the +story-book. + +Now the story-book, when I found it, was not a story-book, but a +little thick book of Christian sermons by various good bishops. I +read one of them through, to try, but I did not understand it. +Then I put the book down with the sudden thought: "This Captain +Barlow cannot read. He thinks that these sermons are stories. Now +who is it in this ship to whom the letters will be shown? Or can +there be no one here? Is he going to steal the letters to submit +them to somebody ashore?" + +I was pretty sure that there was somebody shut up in the ship who +was concerned in the theft with Barlow. I cannot tell what made +me so sure. I had deceived the captain so easily that I despised +him. I did not give him credit for any intelligence whatsoever. +Perhaps that was the reason. Then it came over me with a cold +wave of dismay that perhaps the woman Aurelia was on board, +hidden somewhere, but active for mischief. I remembered that +scrap of conversation from the inn-balcony. I wondered if that +secret mission mentioned then was to concern me in any way. What +was it, I wondered, that was put into her pocket by her father as +she stood crying there, just above me? If she were on board, then +I must indeed look to myself, for she was probably too cunning a +creature to be deceived by my forgeries. The very thought of +having her in the ship with me was uncomfortable. I felt that I +must find some more subtle hiding-place for my letters than I had +found hitherto. I may have idealized the woman, in my alarm, into +a miracle of shrewdness. At any rate I knew that she would be a +much more dangerous opponent than Captain Barlow, the jocular +donkey who allowed himself to be fooled by a schoolboy who was in +his power. I knew, too, that she would probably search me other +letters, whether my ciphered blinds deceived her or not. She was +not one so easily satisfied as a merchant skipper; besides, she +had now two scores against me, as well as excellent reason to +think me a sharp young man. + +Presently, after half an hour's absence, the captain came back +with the satchel, evidently very pleased with himself. He seemed +to find pleasure in the sight of my pretended distress. "Why," he +said, with a grin; "you've not eaten your orange." + +"No, sir," I said, "I'm not very hungry just after breakfast." + +"Why, then," he answered, "you must keep it for your dinner. Look +how nice I've mended your strap for you." + +"Thank you very much, sir," I said. "But thought that you were +going to do it here. You were going to teach me how to do it." + +"Well, it's done now, isn't it?" he replied. "It's done pretty +good, too. I'll teach you how to sew some other time. I suppose +they don't learn you that, where you go to school?" + +"No, sir," I said, "they don't." + +"Ah," he said, picking up the book. "You're a great one for your +book, I see. There's very good reading in a book like that." + +"Yes," I said, looking at the mended strap. "There is. How very +neatly you've mended the strap, sir. Thank you very much." + +He looked at me with a look which said, very plainly, "You've got +a fine nerve, my lad, to pretend in that way." + +I could see from his manner during the next few minutes that he +wished to keep me from examining the satchel flap. No doubt he +thought that I was on tenter-hooks all the time, to look to see +if the precious letters had been disturbed. At last, in a very +easy way, after slinging the strap round my shoulder, I pulled +out my handkerchief, intending to put it into the satchel as into +an extra pocket. + +"I'm going up on deck, sir," I said. "May I take the book with +me?" + +As he said that I might, I swiftly opened the satchel, to pop the +book in. I could feel that he watched my face mighty narrowly all +the time. No doubt I looked guilty enough to convince him of his +cleverness. I had no more than a second's peep at the flap, but +that was quite enough to show me that it had been tampered with. +I had finished off my work that morning with an even neatness. +The bold Captain Barlow had left two ends of thread sticking out +from the place where he had ended his stitch. Besides, my thread +had been soaped, to make it work more easily. The thread in the +flap now was plainly not soaped; it was fibrous to the touch, not +sleeked down, as mine had been. + +When I went on deck, I found the ship driving fast down Channel, +making an excellent passage. I took up my place by the +mizzen-rigging, near which there were no seamen at work, so that +I could puzzle out a new hiding-place for my letters. I noticed, +as I stood there, that some men were getting a boat over the +side.: It seemed a queer thing to be doing in the Channel, so far +from the port to which we were bound; but I did not pay much +attention to it at the time, as I was very anxious. I was +wondering what in the world I could do with the pistol cartridges +which I had made that morning. I feared Aurelia. For all that I +could tell she was looking at me as I stood there, guessing, from +my face, that I had other letters upon me. It did not occur to me +that my anxiety might be taken for grief at having the satchel +searched. At last it came into my head that Aurelia, if she were +in the ship, would follow up that morning's work promptly, before +I could devise a fresh hiding-place. At any rate I felt pretty +sure that I should not be much out of that observation until the +night. It came into my head that the next attack would be upon my +boots; for in those days secret agents frequently hid their +papers above a false boot-sole, or stitched them into the double +leather where the beckets, or handles, joined the leg of the boot +at the rim. + +Sure enough, I had not been very long on deck when the ship's boy +appeared before me. He was an abject looking lad, like most +ship's boys. I suppose no one would become a ship's boy until he +had proved himself unfit for life anywhere else. Personally, I +had rather be a desert savage than a ship's boy. My experience on +La Reina was enough to sicken me of such a life forever. This +barquentine's boy came up to me, as I have said. + +"Sir," he said, "can I take away your boots to black, please?" + +"No," I answered, "my boots don't want blacking. I grease them +myself." + +"Please, sir," he said, "do let me take them away, sir." + +"No," I said. "I grease them myself, thank you." I thought that +this would end the business; but no such matter. + +"Please, sir," he said, "I wish you would let me take them away. +The captain'll wale me if I don't. He gave me orders, sir." + +"Don't call me 'sir,'" I said. "I'll see the captain myself." + +I walked quickly to the companion-way, below which (listening to +us, like the creature he was) sat the captain, carving the end of +a stick. + +"Please, sir," I said, "I've already greased my boots this +morning. I always grease them." (I had only had them about twelve +hours.) "If I blacked them they'd get so dry that they would +crack." + +"All right. All right, boy," he answered. "I forgot you wore +soft-leather boots. They're the kind they buy up to make salt +beef of at the Navy Yard." He grinned in my face, as though he +were pleased; but a few minutes later, when I had gone forward, I +heard him thrashing the wretched boy, because he had failed to +get the boots from me for him. + +I soon found that I was pretty closely watched. If I went forward +to the fo'c's'le, I found myself dogged by the ship's boy, who +was blubbering from his whipping, poor lad, as though his heart +would break. In between his sobs, he tried to tell me the use of +everything forward, which was trying to me, as I knew more than +he knew. If I went aft, the mate would come rolling up, to ask me +if I could hear the dog-fish bark yet. If I went below the +captain got on to my tracks at once. He was by far the worst of +the three: the other two were only obeying his orders. I went +into my cabin hoping to get rid of him there; but no, it was no +use. In he came, too, with the excuse that he wished to see if I +had enough clothes on my bunk. It was more worrying than words +can tell. All the time I wondered whether he would end by +knocking me senseless so that he might search my boots at his +ease. I had the fear of that strongly on me. I was tempted, yet +feared, to drive him from me by threatening him with my pistol. +His constant dogging of me was intolerable. But had I threatened +him, he would have had an excuse for maltreating me. My duty was +to save the letters, not to worry about my own inconveniences. +Often, since then, I have suffered agonies of remorse at not +giving up the letters meekly. Had I done so, I might, who knows, +have saved some two thousand lives. Well. We are all agents of a +power greater than ourselves. Though I was, it may be, doing +wrong then, I was doing wrong unwittingly. Had things happened +only a little differently, my wrong would have turned out a +glorious right. The name of Martin Hyde would have been in the +history books. He watched me narrowly as I took off my waistcoat +(pretending to be too hot), nor did he forget to eye the +waistcoat. "See here," he said. "Do you know how a sailor folds a +waistcoat? Give it to me now. I'll show you." He snatched it from +my hands with that rudeness which, in a boorish nature, passes +for fun; he only wished to feel it over so that if any letter +were sewn within it he might hear the paper crackle. The sailor's +way of folding a waistcoat, as shown by him then, was just the +way which bent all the cloth in folds. He seemed to be much +disgusted at hearing no crackling as he folded it. I could have +laughed outright at his woeful face, had I been less anxious. Had +he been worth his salt as a spy he would have lulled all my +suspicions to sleep before beginning to search for letters. +Instead of that he went to work as crudely as a common footpad.. + + + +CHAPTER XIII. IT BREEZES UP + +After I had taken off my waistcoat, I went out into the +'tweendecks, then into the grand cabin, then into the space below +the booms. He followed me everywhere, keeping me under +observation, till I was tempted to tell him where the letters +were, so as to have a little peace. At first he kept telling me +stories, or making bad jokes; but very soon he grew weary of +pretending; he became surly. At this point I asked him which was +his cabin. He glowered at me for asking such a question, but he +pointed it out to me. It was a cabin no larger than my own, on +the opposite (that is the port) side of the 'tweendecks. I took +the opportunity (it was a bold stroke, evidently displeasing to +him) of looking in; for to tell the truth I had a suspicion that +he slept in the grand cabin, on the top of the locker. I thought +that the stateroom had another inmate. When I looked into it I +expected to find myself in Aurelia's presence. I did not want to +see her; but I wished very eagerly to know if she were in the +ship or not. The stateroom was empty, but the bunk, which had +been slept in, was not yet made up. + +I do not know how much longer he would have dogged me about the +ship. To my great joy he was called from me by the mate, who +cried down the hatchway, bidding him come up at once, as there +was "something in sight." Captain Barlow evidently wanted me to +come on deck with him; but I was resolute. I said I would stop +below to have another try at his stories. He went on deck +surlily, saying something about "You wait," or "You whelp," I +could not catch his exact words. He turned at the hatchway to see +where I had gone. I had expected this move, so when he looked, he +saw me entering the grand cabin, just as I had said. I watched +him through the crack in the hinge; for I fully expected him to +return suddenly. As he did not return on the instant, I darted +into my own cabin just long enough to drop the letter cartridges +into an old tin slush-pot which was stowed in the locker below +the bunk. I had noted it in the early morning when I had done my +sewing. I pressed the cartridges into the slush, till they were +all hidden. In another instant of time the pot was back in the +locker among the other oddments while I was back in the cabin +hard at work at my sermons. I was conscious that the captain +glanced through the skylight at me. No doubt what he saw +reassured him. For the moment I felt perfectly safe. + +About half an hour later, I heard a great noise of hauling on +deck, followed by the threshing of our sails, as though they had +suddenly come aback. I knew enough of the sea to know that if we +were tacking there would be other orders, while, if the helmsman +had let the ship come aback by accident I should have heard the +officers rating him. I heard neither nor orders; something else +was happening. A glance out of the stern windows showed me that +the ship was no longer under way. She was not moving through the +water. It struck me that I had better go on deck to see what was +the matter. When I reached the deck I found that the barquentine +was hove-to (that is, held motionless by a certain arrangement of +the sails) about half a mile from a small full-rigged ship which +had hove-to likewise. The barquentine's boat was rapidly pulling +towards this full-rigged ship, with Captain Barlow sitting in the +stern-sheets. The ship was a man-of-war; for she flew the St. +George's banner, as well as a pennant. Her guns were pointing +through her ports, eight bright brass guns to a broadside. She +was waiting there, heaving in huge stately heaves, for Captain +Barlow's message. + +Now I had had alarms enough since I entered the Duke's service; +but I confess this sight of the man-of-war daunted me worse than +any of them. I knew that Captain Barlow had stopped her, so that +he might hand over my letters to her captain; that was easily +guessed The next question was, would the captain insist on taking +the messenger to be examined in person. It was that which scared +me worst. I had heard frightful tales about political prisoners. +They were shut up in the Tower dungeons, away below the level of +the Thames. They were examined there by masked magistrates who +wrung the truth from them by the "bootikins," which squeezed the +feet, or by the thumbscrews, which twisted the thumbs. My feet +seemed to grow red-hot when I thought of that horror. I knew only +too well that my youth would not save me. James the Second was +never moved by pity towards a beaten enemy. I watched the arrival +of the boat at the ship's side, with the perspiration running +down my face. I began to understand, now, what was meant by the +words high treason. I saw all the majesty of the English Navy, +all the law, all the noble polity of England, arrayed to judge a +boy to death, for a five minutes' prank. They would drag me on a +hurdle to Tyburn, as soon as torture had made me tell my tale. + +But enough of my state of mind. I saw Captain Barlow go up the +ship's gangway, where an officer no doubt received him. Very soon +afterwards he came down the gangway again, half followed by some +one who seemed to be ordering him. His boat then shoved off for +the barquentine. The man-of-war got under way again by swinging +her great mainyard smartly about. The smother at her bows gleamed +whiter at the very instant, as she gathered way. It was a blessed +sight to me, after my suspense, I assure you; but I did not +understand it till later. I learned later on that Captain Barlow +was one of a kind of men very common in those troublous times. He +was hedging, or trimming. He was quite willing to make money by +selling the Duke's plans to the King; but he had the sense to see +that the Duke's party might succeed, in which case the King's +favour would not be worth much. So his treason to the Duke +stopped short of the betrayal of men attached in any way to the +Monmouth party. He would betray letters, when he could lay his +hands on them unobserved; but he was not going to become an open +enemy to the Duke until he knew that the Duke's was the losing +side; then he would betray men fast enough. Until then, he would +receive the trust of both factions, in order to betray a portion +of the confidence received from them. + +The day dragged by for me somehow, uncomfortably, under the +captain's eye. It was one of the longest days I have ever known. +It sickened me utterly of the life of adventure to which I now +seemed pledged. I vowed that if I had the chance I would write to +my uncle from Mr. Blick's house, begging to be received back. +That seemed to be the only way of escape possible to me. It did +not seem hopeful; but it gave me some solace to think of it. I +longed to be free from these terrors. You don't know what an +adventurous life is. I will tell you. It is a life of sordid +unquiet, pursued without plan, like the life of an animal. Have +you seen a dog trying to cross a busy street? There is the +adventurer. Or the rabbit on the cliff, in his state of continual +panic; he, too, lives the adventurous life. What does the world +owe to the adventurer? But there. I become impatient. One patient +hero in his garret is worth all these silly fireworks put +together. + +One thing more happened on that day. The breeze freshened all the +afternoon till by bedtime it blew what is called a fresh gale. +Captain Barlow drove his ship till she shook to her centre, not +because he liked (like many sailors) to show his vessel's paces; +but because he sat at his bottle too long after dinner. He was +half drunk by supper time, too drunk to take the sail off her, so +we drove on down Channel, trusting to the goodness of the gear. +There would have been a pretty smash-up if we had had to alter +our course hurriedly. As it was we were jumping like a young +colt, in a welter of foam, with two men at the tiller, besides a +gang on the tackles. I never knew any ship to bound about so +wildly. I passed the evening after supper on deck, enjoying the +splendour of that savage leaping rush down Channel, yet just a +little nervous at the sight of our spars buckling under the +strain. The captain was drunk before dark; we could hear him +banging the table with his bottle. The mate, who was on the poop +with me, kept glancing from the spars to the skylight; he was +getting frightened at the gait we were going. "Young man," he +said, "d'ye know the sailor's catechism?" + +"No, sir," I answered. "Well," he said, "it's short but sweet, +like a ration of rum. What is the complete duty of a sailorman? +You don't know? It's this. OBEY ORDERS, IF YOU BREAK OWNERS. My +orders are not to take off sail till Mr. drunken Barlow sees fit. +You'll see a few happenings aloft just now if he don't see fit +soon." Just at that instant she gave a lurch which sent one of +the helmsmen flying. The mate leaped to his place with an angry +exclamation. "Another man to the helm," he cried. "You, boy. Run +below. Tell the captain she'll be dismasted in another five +minutes." He was in the right of it. A blind man could have told +that the ship was being over-driven. I ran down, as eager as the +mate to put an end to the danger. + +When I went below, I found the captain in my cabin, rummaging +everywhere. He had flung out the contents of the lockers, my +bedclothes, everything, in a jumble on the deck, which, in a +drunken aimless way he was examining by the light of a couple of +dip candles, stuck to the edge of the bunk. It was not a time to +mind about that. "Sir," I said, "the ship is sinking. Come on +deck, sir; take the sail off. The mate says the ship is sinking." + +"Eh," said the captain furiously. "You young spy. I command this +ship. What's the sail got to do with you?" He glared at me in +drunken anger. + +"You young whelp," he cried, grabbing me by the collar. "Where +are your letters? Eh? Where've you hid your letters?" + +At that instant, there came a more violent gust in the fierceness +of wind which drove us. The ship gave a "yank;" there is no other +word to express the frightful shock of her movement. She lay down +on her lee beam ends with a crash of breaking crockery. Casks +broke loose in the hold; gear fell from aloft; the captain was +flung under me against the ship's side. The deck beneath us +sloped up like a roof. In the roar of water rushing down the +hatch I remember thinking that the Day of Judgment was come. +Yells on deck mingled with all the uproar; I heard something thud +like a sledge-hammer on the ship's side. The captain picked +himself up holding his head, which was all one gore of blood from +the crack against the ship's side. "Beam ends," he said stupidly. +"Beam ends. Yes. Yes." He was dazed; he did not know what he +said; but some sort of sailor's instinct told him that he was +wanted on deck. At any rate he went out, pulling himself up the +steep deck with a cleverness which I had not expected. He left me +clutching the ledge of the bunk, staring up at the door away +above me, while the wreck of my belongings banged about at my +feet. I thought it was all over with the ship; but I was not +scared at the prospect of death; only a little sickish from the +shock of that sudden sweeping over. I found a fascination in the +horrible open door, the black oblong hole in the air through +which the captain had passed. I waited for the sea to pour down +it. I expected to see a clear mass of water with fish in it; +something quite calm, something beautiful, not the noisy horror +of the sea outside. I suppose I waited like that for a full +minute before the roar of the squall grew less. Then I told +myself that I must go on deck; that the danger would be less, +looking it in the face, than down there in the cabin. It was not +pleasant to go on deck, any more than it is pleasant to go +downstairs at two in the morning to look for burglars, but it was +better to be moving than staying still. I clenched my fist upon +the only dip which remained alight (the other was somewhere in +the jumble under my feet). Then, catching hold of the door-hook I +pulled myself up to the door, where I steadied myself for a +moment. While I stood there I had a horrible feeling of the ship +having died under my feet. She had been leaping so gallantly only +five minutes before. Now she lay with her heart broken, while the +seas beat her with great thumps. + +Two battle-lanterns lit the after 'tweendecks. There was a great +heap of staved in casks, slopping about in an inch or two of +water, all along that side, thrown there by the smash. I could +hear the men yelling on deck. Captain Barlow was swearing in loud +shouts. I could hear all this in the lull of the squall. I heard +more than that, as I stood listening. I heard the faint crying +out of a woman's voice from the steward's pantry (next door to +the captain's cabin) on the opposite side, across the steep, +tipped up slippery decks. At first I thought it must be the poor +cat; but as the wind passed, letting me hear more clearly, I +recognized that it was a woman's voice, crying out there in the +darkness with a note of pain. I did not think of Aurelia. She +never entered my head. All that I thought was "Poor creature! +What a place for a woman!" The ship was jerking, you might almost +call it gasping, as the seas struck her; it was no easy job to +climb along that roof-slope of the deck with nothing to hold on +by. I got across somehow, partly by luck, partly by fingernails. +I even managed to open the pantry door, which was another +difficulty, as it opened inwards, into the cabin. As I opened it, +a suck of wind blew out my light. There I was in the dark, with a +hurt woman, in a ship which for all I knew, might sink with all +hands in twenty seconds. It is queer; I didn't mind the ship +sinking. What I disliked was being in the dark with an unknown +somebody who whimpered. + +"Are you much hurt?" I asked. "Hold on a minute. I'll strike a +light." I shut myself into the cabin, so as to keep out the +draught. My feet kicked among the steward's crockery. It was as +dark in that cubby-hole as in a grave. The unknown person, +probably fearing me, thinking me some rough drunken sailor, was +crying out now more in terror than in pain. She was begging me +not to hurt her. I probably frightened her a good deal by not +replying. The tinder box took up all my attention for a good +couple of minutes. A tinder box is not a thing to get light by +hurriedly. You try some day, to see how quickly you can light a +candle by one. When I got the candle lit, I thought of the +battle-lanterns swinging outside all the time. I might have saved +myself all that trouble by using a little common sense. Well. +Wait till you stand as I stood, with your heart in your boots, +down in a pit of death, you'll see how much common sense will +remain in your fine brains. + +When the flame took hold of the wick, so that I could look about +me, I saw the lady Aurelia lying among the smashed up gear to +leeward. She had been lying down, reading in a sort of bunk which +had been rigged up for her on the locker-top. The shock had flung +her clean out of the bunk on to the deck. At the same moment an +avalanche of gear had fetched to leeward. A cask had rolled on to +her left hand, pinning her down to the deck, while a box of +bottles had cut the back of her head. A more complete picture of +misery you could not hope to see. There was all the ill-smelling +jumble of steward's gear, tumbled in a heap of smash, soaking in +the oil from the fallen lamp. There was a good deal of blood +about. Aurelia was lying in all the debris half covered with +salted fish from one of the capsized casks. They looked like huge +leaves. She seemed to have been buried under them, like a babe in +the wood. She grew calm when she saw me. "There are candles under +the bunk," she said. "Light two or three. Tell me what has +happened." + +I did not answer till I had lighted three or four more candles. +"The ship's on her beam ends," I said. "It's the captain's fault. +But never mind that. I must get you out. Are you badly hurt, do +you think?" + +"I'm all right," she said with a gasp. "But it's being pinned in +here. I thought I was going to be pinned down while I was being +drowned." + +"Shut your eyes, please," I said. "Bite your lip. It'll hurt, I'm +afraid, getting this cask off your hand. Are you ready. Now." I +did it as gently as I could; but it made me turn all cold to +think of the hand under all that weight. + +"Can you withdraw your hand, now?" I asked, tilting the cask as +far up as I could. + +"No," she said. "Look out. I'll roll out." In another two seconds +she was sitting up among the crockery with her face deathly white +against the bulkhead; she had fainted. There was a water-carafe +on a bracket up above my head. I splashed her face with water +from it till she rallied. She came to herself with a little +hysterical laugh, at the very instant when something giving way +aloft let the ship right herself again. "Hold on a minute," I +said. "Take this water. Now drink a little. I'll be back in a +moment." The ship was rolling drunkenly in the trough of the sea; +but I made a nimble rush to the cabin, where the captain's cruet +of brandy bottles still swung from a hook in the beams. I ran +back to her with a bottle of brandy. There were a few unbroken +mugs in the pantry, so I gave her a drink of brandy, which +brought the colour back to her cheeks. While she sat there, in +the mess of gear which slid about as the ship rolled, I got a +good big jug of water from the scuttle-butt in the 'tweendecks. I +nipped on deck with it to ask the mate for some balsam, an +excellent cure for cuts which most sailors carry to sea with +them. There was mess enough on deck in all conscience. I found +the foretopmast gone over the side, in a tangle of torn rope at +which all hands were furiously hacking. The mate was on the +fo'c'sle hacking at some gear with a tomahawk. I did not see the +captain. + +"Mr. mate," I cried. "I want some balsam, quick." + +"Get out of this," he shouted. "Get out of this. I can't attend +to your hurts. Don't come bothering here." + +"It's for the lady," I said, "the lady down below." + +"In my chest. Look in my chest till," he said. "Now stand dear. +I've trouble enough without ladies in the case. Are you all +clear, you, aft there?" + +"All gone here, sir," the men shouted back. "Shall we sling a +bowline over the foot?" + +"No," he shouted. "Look out. She's going." + +For just a second I saw the mass of spar all tangled up with sail +rise up on a wave as it drifted past. I found myself wondering +why we had all been in the shadow of death only a couple of +minutes before. There was no thought of danger now. I ran below +for the balsam, which I found without difficulty. + + + +CHAPTER XIV. A DRINK OF SHERBET + +I took what handkerchiefs I could find into the pantry with me. +"There's no danger," I said. "The ship's all right. How are you +now? Let me give you some more brandy." I gave her a little more +brandy; then I helped her on to the top of the locker. Pouring +out some water into the basin I bathed the cut on her head. It +was a clean long cut which would probably have gone through the +bone had not her hair been so thick. I dressed it as well as I +could with balsam, then bound it tightly up with a white +handkerchief. The hand was a good deal more, difficult to manage; +it was nastily crushed; though no bones were broken. The wrist +was so much swollen that I had to cut open the sleeve of her +man's riding jacket. Then I bathed the hand with cold water mixed +with vinegar (which I had heard was cooling) till I felt that the +time had come to bandage it, so that the patient might lie down +to rest. She had been much shaken by her fall. I don't think it +ever once occurred to me to think of her as my enemy. I felt too +much pity for her, being hurt, like that. "Look here," I said. +"You'll have to wear that arm in a sling. I'll bandage it up for +you nicely." She bore my surgery like the hero she was; it didn't +look very wonderful when it was done; but she said that the pain +was a good deal soothed. That was not the end though. I had to +change cabins with her, since I could not let a hurt woman sleep +in that bunk in the pantry; she might so easily be flung from it +a second time. So I shifted her things into my cabin, where I +made all tidy for her. As for the precious slush can, I stowed +that carefully away, at the back of some lumber in one of the +pantry lockers, where it would not be found. Altogether, it took +me about twenty minutes to make everything ready, by which time +the little accident on deck had been forgotten, except by those +who had to do the work of sending up a new topmast; a job which +kept all hands busy all night. The ship was making a steady three +knots. under her reduced sail when I helped Aurelia across to her +new room. There was no more thought of danger. + +As I paused at the cabin door, to ask if there was anything more +which I could do for her, the lady turned to me. + +"What is your name?" she asked. I am ashamed to say that I +hesitated, being half inclined to give her a false name; for my +time of secret service had given me a thorough distrust of pretty +nearly everybody. She noticed my hesitation. "As a friend to +another friend," she added. "Life isn't all the King's service." + +"My name is Martin Hyde," I said. + +"Mine is Aurelia," she replied, "Aurelia Carew. Will you remember +that?" I told her that I should certainly remember that. "We seem +to have met before," she said, "more than once." + +"Yes," I answered, smiling. She, too, smiled, but she quickly +became grave again. + +"Mr. Martin Hyde," she said, with a little catch in her voice, +"we two are in opposite camps. But I don't know. After this, it's +difficult. I warn you." Here she stopped, quite unable to go on. +"I can't," she continued, more to herself than to me, "I can't. +They oughtn't to have put this on me. They oughtn't. They +oughtn't." She laid her unhurt hand on my shoulder for a moment. +"Let me warn you," she said earnestly, "that you're in danger." + +"In danger from you?" I asked. + +"Don't ask me more," she said, "I hate myself for telling you +even that. Oh, it's terrible to have to do it. Go now. Don't ask +me more. But I had to warn you. But I can't do it myself." I did +not know what to make of this; but I gathered that her task +(whatever it was) from which she had shrunk so bitterly in the +Dutch town only the night before, was now to be deputed to +another, probably to the captain, perhaps to the Dartmouth +justices. I did not like the thought; but I thanked her for +warning me, it was generous of her to warn me. I took out the +dagger with which she had tried to stab me. "You said we were in +opposite camps, Miss Carew," I said. "But I wouldn't like to keep +this. I mean I wouldn't like to think that we were enemies, +really." I daresay I said other foolish things as well, at the +same time. + +"Yes, keep it," she said. "I couldn't bear to have it again. But +be warned. Don't trust me. While we're in opposite camps you be +warned. For I'm your enemy, then, when you least expect it." + +Nothing much happened the next day until the evening, by which +time we were off the Isle of Wight. With the aid of the mate, I +doctored Aurelia's hand again; that was the only memorable event +of the day. In the evening, the captain (who had been moody from +his drunkenness of the night before) asked me to sing to him in +the great cabin. I was surprised at the request; but I knew a few +ballads, so I sang them to him. While I was singing, Aurelia +entered the cabin; she sat down on one of the lockers below the +great window. She looked very white, in the gloom there. She did +not speak to me; but sat there restlessly, coughing in a dry +hacking way, as though one of her ribs had been broken in the +fall. I lowered my voice when I noticed this, as I was afraid +that my singing might annoy her; I thought that she was suffering +from her wound. The captain told me to pipe up; as he couldn't +hear what my words were. I asked Aurelia if my singing worried +her; but instead of answering she left the cabin for a few +minutes. When she came back, she sat with her face in her hand, +seemingly in great pain. I sang all the ballads known to me. When +I had finished, the captain grunted a note of approval. "Well," +he said, "so there's your ballads. That's your treat. Now you +shall have mine." A little gong hung in the cabin. He banged upon +it to summon his boy, who came in trembling, as he always did, +expecting to be beaten before he went out. "Bring in a jug of +cool water," he said. "Then fetch them limes I bought." As the +boy went out, the captain turned to me with a grin. "Did you ever +drink Turk's sherbet?" he said. + +"No," I answered. "I've never even heard of it. What is it?" + +"Why," he said, "it's a drink the heathen Turks make out of +citron. A powder which fizzes. I got some of it last autumn when +I made a voyage to Scanderoon. It's been too cold ever since to +want to drink any, as it's a summer drink mostly. Now you shall +have some." He took down some tumblers from the rack in which +they stood. "Here's glasses," he said. "Now the sherbet is in +this bottle here." He produced a pint glass bottle from one of +the lockers. It was stopped with a wooden plug, carved in the +likeness of a Turk's head. It was about three parts full of a +whitish powder. A label on the side of the bottle gave directions +for its preparation. + +When the boy returned with his tray, the captain squeezed the +juice of half a lime into each of the three tumblers. "That's the +first thing," he said. "Lime juice. Now the water." He poured +water into each glass, till they were nearly full. "White of egg +is said to make it better," he said to me. "But at sea I guess we +must do without that. Now then. You're the singer, so you drink +first. Be ready to drink it while it fizzes; for then it's at its +best. Are you ready?" I was quite ready, so the captain filled +his spoon with the soft white powder. Glancing round at Aurelia I +saw that she had covered her eyes with her hand. "Won't Miss +Carew drink first?" I asked. + +"I don't want any," she said in a low voice. Before I could speak +another word the captain had poured his heaped spoonful of powder +into my glass. "Stir it up, boy," he cried. "Down with it while +it fizzes." Aurelia rose to her feet, catching her breath +sharply. + +I remember a pleasant taste, as though all of the fruits of the +world had been crushed together into a syrup; then a mist surged +all about me, the cabin became darker, the captain seemed to grow +vast, till his body filled the room. My legs melted from me. I +was one little wavering flame blowing about on great waves. +Something was hard upon my head. The captain's hand (I could +feel) was lifting my eyelid. I heard him say "That's got him." +Instantly a choir of voices began to chant "That's got him," in +roaring, tumultuous bursts of music. Then the music became, as it +were, present, but inaudible; there were waves of sound all round +me, but my ears were deafened to them. I had been put out of +action by some very powerful drug, I remember no more of that +evening's entertainment. I was utterly unconscious. + +I came to, very sick, some time in the night. I was in the bunk +in the pantry; but far too helpless in my misery to rise, or to +take an account of time. I lay half-conscious till the morning, +when I fell into a deep sleep, which lasted, I may say, till the +evening; for I did not feel sufficiently awake to get up until +about half-past five. When I did get up, I felt so tottery that I +could hardly keep my feet. Someone, I supposed that it was +Aurelia, had placed a metal brandy flask, with a paper roll +containing hard-boiled eggs, on my wash-hand-stand. I took a gulp +of the brandy. In the midst of my sickness I remember the shame +of it; the shame of being drugged by those two; for I knew that I +had been drugged; the shame of having given up like that, at the +moment when I had the cards in my hand; all the cards. I was +locked into the pantry; all my clothes were gone. I found myself +dressed in a sailor's serge-shirt. All my other property had +vanished. I remember crying as I shook at the door to open it; it +was too strong for me, in my weak state. As I wrestled with the +door, I heard the dry rattling out of the cable. We had come to +anchor; we were in Dartmouth; perhaps in a few minutes I should +be going ashore. Looking through the port-hole, I saw a great +steep hill rising up from the water, with houses clinging to its +side, like barnacles on the side of a rock. I could see people +walking on the wharf. I could see a banner blowing out from a +flagstaff. + +A few more gulps of brandy brought me to myself I was safe +anyhow; my cartridges had not been found. I dropped them one by +one into the metal-flask. Whatever happened, no one would look +for them there. Then I banged at the door again, trying to make +people hear. Nobody paid any attention to me; I might have spared +myself the trouble. Long afterwards, I learned that I was +detained while Captain Barlow spoke to a magistrate about me, +asking if I might be "questioned," that is, put to the +thumbscrews, till it could be learned whether I carried a verbal +message to my uncle, Mr. Blick. The magistrate to whom he first +applied was one of the Monmouth faction as it happened, so my +thumbs escaped; but I had a narrow escape later, as you shall +hear. About an hour after the ship came to anchor, the cabin-door +was opened by a sailor, who flung in an armful of clothes to me, +without speaking a word. They were mostly not my own clothes; the +boots were not mine; my own boots, I guessed, had been cut to +pieces in the letter-hunt. All the clothes which were mine had +had the seams ripped up. All my cartridges had been taken. About +half of my money was gone. The only things untouched were the +weapons in the belt. I laughed to myself to think how little +reward they had had for all their baseness. They had stooped to +the methods of the lowest kind of thieves, yet they had failed. +They had not found my letters. My joy was not very real; I was +too wretched for that. Looking back at it all long after, I think +that the hardest thing to bear was Aurelia's share in the work. I +had not thought that Aurelia would join in tricking me in that +way. But while I thought bitterly of her deceit, I thought of her +tears on the balcony in the Dutch city. After all, she had been +driven into it by that big bully of a man. I forgave her when I +thought of him; he was the cause of it all. A brute he must have +been to force her into such an action. Presently the mate came +down with orders to me to leave the ship at once. I asked him for +my own clothes; but he told me sharply to be thankful for what I +had, since I'd done no work to earn them; by work he meant the +brainless manual work done by people like himself. So going on +deck I called a boatman, who for twopence put me ashore on the +Kingswear side of the river. He gave me full directions for +finding Mr. Blick's house, telling me that in another five +minutes I should come to it, if I followed my nose. As I started +from the landing place I looked back at the barquentine, where I +had had so many adventures. She was lying at anchor at a little +distance from the Dartmouth landing place, making a fair show, +under her flag, in spite of her jury foretopmast. As I looked, +the boatman jogged my elbow, pointing across the river to the +strip of road which edges the stream. "A young lady waving to +you," he said. Sure enough a lady was waving to me. I supposed +that it was Aurelia, asking pardon, trying to show me that we +parted friends. I would not wave at first; I was surly; but after +about a minute I waved my hat to her. Then I set off up the road +to Mr. Blick's. Ten minutes later, I was in Mr. Blick's house, +telling him all that I have now told you. + +Mr. Blick kept me in his house for a day or two less than four +weeks, when business took him to Exeter. I went with him; for he +gave out that he was taking me to school there, as his dead +sister had wished. His real reason was to pass the word through +the country that King Monmouth was coming. He was one of the few +men in full knowledge of the Duke's plans; but as we went about +from town to town, spreading the word among the faithful, I saw +that the Duke was expected by vast numbers of the country folk. +Our clients were not much among the gentry; they hung by +themselves, as, in this country, they always will, in times of +popular stir. But among the poorer people, such as small farmers, +or common labouring men, we were looked for as men sent from on +high. At more than one little quiet village, when we went into +the inn-parlour, we saw the men looking at us, half frightened, +half expectant, as though we, being strangers, must needs have +news of the King for whom they longed. Often some publican or +maltster would tell us that Gyle (their name for the unfortunate +Argyle, then a defeated man in Scotland, if not already put to +death for his rebellion) was taken, looking at us carefully as he +spoke, for fear lest we should be of the wrong side. Then, if we +seemed sympathetic, he would tell us how perhaps another would +have better luck elsewhere. After that, we would tell our news. +It was dangerous work, though, carrying that message across the +country. In many of the towns we found guards of the Devon red +regiment of militia. I am quite sure that if Mr. Blick had not +had me by his. side, as an excellent excuse for travelling to +Exeter, he would have been lodged in gaol as a suspicious +character. The soldiers had arrested many travellers already; the +gaols were full. King James's great man in those parts, the Earl +of Albemarle, knew very well that something was in the air; but +as he was a great lord the hearts of the poor were hidden from +him. He had no guess of what was planning. In a way, the Duke's +affairs were very well planned. The eastern end of Devon, all +Somerset, with the western end of Dorset, were all ripe to rise, +directly he appeared. They knew that he was coming; they were +prepared to join him; they knew at about what time he would come, +at about a fortnight from hay-harvest. Already, quite unknown to +the authorities, we had men picked out to carry the news of the +landing to different parts of the country. So far, I think, the +Duke's affairs were well planned. But though we had all this +enthusiasm in three counties, besides promises of similar risings +in London, we were in no real case to take the field. Our +adherents, however numerous, however brave, were only a mob, when +all is said; they were not an army. The Duke thought that the +regular army, or at least some regiments of it, would desert to +him, as happened some years later, when the great Prince William +did what my master attempted. But my master forgot that he had +neither the arms nor the officers to make his faction a likely +body for regular troops to join. + + + +CHAPTER XV. THE ROAD TO LYME + +We spread the tidings as far as Exeter, where Mr. Blick made some +pretence of handing me over to a schoolmaster, one Hubble, a +red-faced, cheery clergyman, one of the most ardent rebels on our +side. Indeed, the clergymen everywhere supported us, as defenders +of the Protestant faith, which that dastard James would have +destroyed. Mr. Hubble made some excuse for not taking me in at +the instant; but gave us letters of introduction to people in +towns further on, so that we could pass the militia without +difficulty, to give the news in western Dorset. So after waiting +for a little while in Exeter, gathering all the news we could of +the whereabouts of the troops of militia, we pushed on eastward, +by way of Sidmouth, to the big town of Dorchester. As we came +east, we found the militia very much more suspicious than they +had been on the western side of Exeter. At every little town we +found a strong guard so placed that no one could enter without +passing under the captain's eye. We were brought before militia +captains some two or three times a day. Sometimes we were +searched; sometimes, if the captain happened to be drunk, we were +bullied with threats of the gaol. Mr. Blick in these cases always +insisted on being brought before the magistrate, to whom he would +tell a fine indignant tale, saying what a shame it was that he +could not take his orphan nephew peaceably to school, without +being suspected of complicity in a rebellion. He would then show +Mr. Hubble's letters, or some other papers signed by the +Dartmouth magistrates. These always cleared our characters, so +that we were allowed to proceed; but I did not like the way in +which our descriptions were taken. Once on our journey, shortly +after we had left Sidmouth, where the soldiers had been very +suspicious, we turned out of the highway to leave word at a town +called Seaton. We spread the watchword at several villages near +the sea, before we came to Seaton, so that we were rather late in +arriving. Thinking no wrong, we put up at one of the inns in +Seaton, intending to pass the night there. We were at supper in +our inn, when some yeomanry rode up to the door, to ask the +landlord if an elderly man had passed that way with a boy. The +landlord, who was a good deal scared by the soldiers, showed the +captain in to us at once. We were quite as much scared to see him +as the landlord had been. The captain of the soldiers was the +very man who had given us such a searching examination in +Sidmouth that morning. + +"Well," he said to Mr. Blick, "I thought you were going to +Dorchester. What brings you here?" "Sir," said Mr. Blick, "we've +been so much interrupted by soldiers that we hoped to travel away +from the main-roads." + +"Well, sir," said the captain, "I've had you watched. Since you +left Sidmouth, you've been into every inn upon the road, +listening to a lot of seditious talk about Argyle. That's not my +point, though. You gave out to me that you were going to +Dorchester. Instead of that you slink off the Dorchester road at +the first opportunity. You will have to explain yourself to my +superiors. You're under arrest." + +"Sir," said Mr. Blick, "I am sorry that you should think ill of +me. We will gladly come with you to answer for our conduct to the +authorities. But while the horses are being saddled, perhaps you +will join us at supper. Landlord, bring a couple of bottles more. +The captain sups with us." + +But though the captain drank his couple of bottles of port, he +did not become any gentler with us. As soon as supper was over we +had to ride on again, with the troopers all round us. + +"Sir," said Mr. Blick, "may I ask you where we are going with +you?" + +"Axminster," said the captain. + +"Well. That's on my way," said Mr. Blick. + +"It'll probably end your way, for some time," said the captain. + +"I'm perfectly willing to abide by the decision of the +authorities," Mr. Blick answered calmly. "But what is the meaning +of all these soldiers everywhere? I've asked the people; but +nobody seems able to give a straight answer." + +"I think you know what the soldiers mean well enough," answered +the captain. "If you hadn't known you wouldn't have turned out of +the highway." + +At about midnight we reached Axminster. We were taken before a +couple of officers who sat at work by candlelight over a mass of +papers, in an upper chamber of an inn. They had a wild air of +having been without sleep for some time. Their muddy riding boots +were drying in front of the fire. They had a map of the +countryside before them, all stuck about with little flags, some +red, some yellow, to show where the different troops of militia +were stationed. After saluting these officers, the captain made +his report about us, saying that we were suspicious persons, who +had started from Sialmouth, towards Dorchester. He had waited to +receive word from the troops stationed along the highway of our +arrival at various points upon the road; but, failing to hear +about us, he had searched for us, with the result that he had +found us at Seaton, some miles out of our way. The officers +questioned us closely about our plans, making notes of what we +said. They kept referring to a book of letters, as though to +verify what we said. Mr. Blick's answers made them take a +favourable view of us; but they told him in a friendly way that +the officer had done right to arrest us. They complimented the +captain on his zeal. Meanwhile, they said, since we were going to +Dorchester, we could not object to going with a military escort. +A troop of cavalry was to start in a couple of hours; we could go +with that. + +We were in Dorchester for a few days, always under the eye of the +soldiers. It was a bustling, suspicious time full of false +alarms. Mr. Blick told me that the message "King Golden Cap. +After six one," meant that the Duke was to be expected off Golden +Cap, a cliff a few miles from Lyme Regis, any day after the first +of the sixth month. He was on tenter-hooks to be in Lyme to greet +him on his arrival; but this he could not hope to do. We were +watched too carefully to be able to get away to a place upon the +sea-coast. We had to be very careful how we sent our secret +message abroad into the country. I have never known a time so +full of alarms. People would ride in to the town at night with +word that Monmouth was landed, or that there was fighting all +along the coast, or that King James was dead. The drums would +beat; the cavalry would come out clattering. People would be +crying out. The loyal would come to their doorsteps ready to fly +further inland. Every night, if one lay awake, one could hear the +noise of spades in back gardens where misers were burying their +money. Then, every day, one would see the troopers coming in, +generally two at a time, with a suspected man led by a cord +knotted to his two thumbs. Dorchester gaol was full of suspected +people, who were kept in prison indefinitely, without trial, in +very great discomfort. King James was afraid, he did not really +know of what, so he took measures not so much to prevent trouble +as to avenge his own fear. Mr. Blick used to send me to the +prison every morning with loaves of fresh bread for the +prisoners. + +At last, after midnight, in the night of the 11th of June, a +memorable day for the West, riders came in with news which +destroyed the night's rest of the town. Monmouth had landed at +Lyme the evening before, after sailing about in sight of the town +all day. That was news indeed. It made a strange uproar in the +streets. The trumpets blew from every inn-door to summons the +billeted soldiers. Officers ran about bawling for their +sergeants; the sergeants hurried about with lanterns, rousing the +men from where they slept. All the streets were full of cavalry +men trying to form in the crowd. At last, when they were formed, +a trumpet sounded, making everyone keep silence. Then in the +stillness an officer shouted out an order, which no one, save a +soldier, could understand. Instantly the kettle-drums began to +pound; the swords jingled; the horses whinnied, tossing up their +heads. The soldiers trotted off smartly towards Bridport, leaving +the town strangely quiet, strangely scared, to discuss the great +news from Lyme. + +I was watching the crowd at my bed-room window when the horsemen +trotted off. While I stood looking at them, Mr. Blick ran +upstairs, bidding me to come down at once, as now there was a +chance to get to Lyme. "Come quick," he said. "The troops are +gone. We must follow on their tracks. It'll be too late later in +the morning." In less than twenty minutes we were trotting after +the soldiers at a good pace, passing some scores of men on foot +who were hurrying, as they said, to see the battle. Mr. Blick +wore a sword which clattered as he rode. The people hearing the +noise thought that he was an officer, perhaps a colonel, riding +with his servant. Many of the men asked him where the battle was +to be, whether it would begin before daylight, whether Monmouth +was come with the French, all sorts of questions, to which we +answered at random. In the light summer night we had a fair view +of things. When we dismounted to lead our horses up or down the +steep hills of that road, the straggling sight-seers came all +round us as we walked, to hear what we had to tell. We could see +their faces all about us, strange in the dusk, like ghosts, not +like real men. At the top of one hill, Mr. Blick warned them to +look out for themselves. He told them that before morning the +highway would be patrolled by troops who would take them in +charge as suspicious characters trying to join Monmouth, which +actually happened the next day when the militia officers realized +that war had begun. His words scared off a number ,of them; but +many kept on as they were going, to see the great battle, which, +they said, would begin as soon as it was light. + +When the sun began to peep, we turned off the highway in order to +avoid Bridport, which we passed a little after dawn. A few miles +further on we felt that we could turn into the road again as we +were safe from the militia at that distance. Then, feeling happy +at the thought of the coming contest, which, we felt sure, would +be won by our side, we pressed our tired nags over the brook +towards the steep hill which separates Charmouth from Lyme. + +It was early morning, about five o'clock, when we came to +Charmouth; but the little town was as busy as though it were noon +on fair-day. The street was crowded. People were coming in from +all the countryside. A man was haranguing the crowd from a +horseless waggon drawn up at an inn. The horses had no doubt been +pressed into Monmouth's service some hours before. I should think +that there must have been three hundred people listening to the +orator. Men, already half drunk, with green boughs in their hats, +were marching about the town in uneven companies, armed with +clubs torn from the hedges. Weeping women followed them, trying +to persuade their sons or husbands to come home. Other men were +bringing out horses from private stables. People were singing. +One man, leaning out of a window, kept on firing his pistol as +fast as he could load. Waving men cheered from the hill above. +The men in the town cheered back. There was a great deal of noisy +joking everywhere. They cheered us as we rode through them, +telling us that Monmouth had arms for all. One poor woman begged +Mr. Blick to tell her man to come home, as without him the +children would all starve. The crowd groaned at her; but Mr. +Blick stopped them, calling the husband, who was in a sad +state of drunken vainglory, to leave the ranks in which he tried +to march. "We don't want fathers of families," he cried. "We want +these tight young bachelors. They're the boys." Indeed, the tight +young bachelors felt that this was the case, so the woman got her +man again; lucky she was to get him. As far as I could judge, the +crowd imagined us to be great officers; at any rate our coming +drew away the listeners from the waggon. They came flocking to +our heels as though we were the Duke himself. A drummer beat up a +quickstep; the crowd surged forward. We marched across the fields +to Lyme, five hundred strong. One of the men, plucking a sprig of +hawthorn from the hedge, asked me to wear it in my hat as the +Duke's badge, which I did. He called me "Captain." "Captain," he +said. "We had a brush with them already, this morning, along the +road here. Two on 'em were killed. They didn't stay for no more." +So fighting had begun then, the civil war had taken its first +fruits of life. There could be no more shillyshallying; we had +put our hands to a big business. In spite of the noise of the +march, my spirits were rather dashed by the thought of those two +men, lying dead somewhere on the road behind us, killed by their +own countrymen. + +We are said to be a sober people; but none of those who saw Lyme +that morning would have had much opinion of our sobriety. +Charmouth had been disorderly; Lyme was uproarious. Outside the +town, in one of the fields above the church, we were stopped by +a guard of men who all wore white scarves on their arms, as well +as green sprays in their hats. They stopped us, apparently, +because their captain wished to exercise them in military +customs. They were evidently raw to the use of arms. They handled +their muskets like spades. "Be you for Monmouth, masters?" they +asked us, grinning. When we said that we were, this very +unmilitary guard told us to pass on. "Her've got arms for all," +they said. "The word be 'Fear nothing but God.'" Some of them +joked with friends among our party. They waved their muskets to +us. + + + +CHAPTER XVI. THE LANDING + +Inside the town, there was great confusion.Riotous men were +foraging, that is, plundering from private houses, pretending +that they did so at the Duke's orders. The streets were full of +people, nearly all of them men, the green boughs in their hats. +On the beach two long lines of men with green scarves on their +arms were being drilled by an officer. Horses were picketed in a +long line up the main street; they were mostly very poor +cart-stock, ill-provided, as I learned afterwards, with harness. +Men were bringing hay to them from whatever haystack was nearest. +From time to time, there came a loud booming of guns, above the +ringing of the church bells. Three ships in the bay, one of them +La Reina, were firing salutes as they hoisted their colours. It +was all like a very noisy fair or coronation day. It had little +appearance of an armed invasion. We found the Duke busy with Mr. +Jermyn enlisting men in a field above the town. + +"That's not Mr. Jermyn. That's Lord Grey," Mr. Blick said, on +hearing me exclaim. "Mr. Jermyn's only the name he goes by. He's +my Lord now, you must remember." + +Just then the Duke caught sight of us riding up. He took us for +local gentry, coming in to volunteer. He came smiling to welcome +us. It must have been a shrewd disappointment to him to find that +we were not what he thought. All his hopes were in the gentry, +poor man. By the time we were on our feet with our hats off he +had turned his back upon us as though to speak to Lord Grey, but +really, I believe, to hide his chagrin. When he turned to us +again both of them welcomed us, saying that there was work enough +for all, in enlisting men, making out billets, etc. So without +more ado we gave our horses to the ostlers at an inn. Mr. Blick +at once began to blarney the standers-by into joining, while I, +sitting at a little table, in the open air, wrote out copies of a +letter addressed to the local gentry. My copies were carried from +Lyme by messengers that afternoon but, alas for my master, they +did not bring many gentry to us. + +Now while I was writing at the table, under the great flapping +standard, with the Duke, in his purple coat, walking about in +front of me, I had a pretty full view of the crowd which ringed +us in. We were circled about by a crowd of gaping admirers; from +whom, every minute, Mr. Blick, or the Duke, or Lord Grey, would +select a sheepish grinning man to serve under our colours. Among +the crowd I noticed a little old lame man with a long white +beard. He was a puppet-man, who was making the people laugh by +dancing his puppets almost under the Duke's nose. As he jerked +the puppet-strings, he played continually on his pan-pipes the +ribald tune of "Hey, boys, up go we," then very popular. The Duke +spoke to him once; but he did not answer, only bowed very low, +with his hat off, which made the people think him an idiot or a +jester. They laughed heartily at him. After a bit, it occurred. +to me that this old puppet-shaker always crept into the ring +(with his hat off to receive alms) whenever the Duke spoke aside +to Lord Grey, or to some other officer. I watched him narrowly to +make sure, because something in his manner made me suspect that +he was trying to catch what our leaders said to each other. I +tried to recall where I had seen the old man; for I had seen him +before. He had been at Exeter on the day we set out for Sidmouth, +so much I remembered clearly; but looking at him carefully, with +my head full of memories of faces, it seemed to me that he had +been at Dorchester also. Surely an old man, lame in the left leg +like this man, had gone down a narrow lane in front of me in +Dorchester. I had not thought of it in Dorchester; but I thought +of it now, with a feeling that it was strange to meet again thus +in Lyme. I took good stock of the man, wondering if he were a +spy. He was a dirty old man enough. His dirty fingers poked +through ragged mittens. His cheeks were all swathed up in a +woollen comforter. I made the mistake of looking at him so hard +that I made him look at me. Seeing that I was staring at him, +with a face full of suspicion, he walked boldly up to me, holding +out his hat for my charity. We stared at each other, while he +blew a blast on his pan-pipes, at which everybody laughed. + +"Come, come, boy," said Lord Grey to me, "we want those letters +done. Never mind about the puppets. Here, old man" (giving him a +penny), "you take yourself off now. Or are you going to enlist?" + +The people laughed again at this, while the old man, after a +flourish of his hat to me, piped up lively quickstep, called +"Jockeys to the Fair." + +He disappeared after this. I did not see him again until our +troubles began, later in the morning. I was finishing off the +last of my letters, when some of our scouts rode in to make a +grave report to the Duke. They had ridden in pretty hard, their +horses were lathered all over. They themselves were in an +internal lather; for they had just had their first sight of war. +They had come into touch (so they declared) with the whole of +Albemarle's militia, marching out to attack them. On being +questioned, it turned out that they had heard this from an +excited labourer who had run to them with the news, as they stood +guard in a roadside field a few miles out of Lyme. They +themselves had seen nothing, but the news seemed so probable that +the Duke acted on it. He sent me off at once with a message to a +clever, handsome gentleman who was in charge of the cavalry in +the street. It was in giving the message that I saw the old man +again. He was them limping up the street on the. Sidmouth road, +going fast, in spite of his lameness. I gave my message to the +captain, who commanded his trumpeter to call to arms. The +trumpeter blew nobly; but the sight of the confusion afterwards +showed me how little raw troops can be trusted. There was a hasty +scramble for horses rather than a setting forth. Some men +quarreled over weapons; others wrestled with harness; others ran +about wildly, asking what was happening, was it to be a battle, +what did blowing .on the trumpet mean? Some few, thinking the +worst, got wisdom in those few moments. They took horses from the +ranks, but instead of forming up with the regiments, they +galloped off home, having had enough of soldiering at the first +order. The foot behaved rather better, knowing, perhaps, that if +they fought they would be behind hedges, in some sort of shelter. +Even so, they seemed a raw lot of clumsy bumpkins as they marched +up. Many of them were in ploughmen's smock-frocks; hardly any of +them had any sense of handling their guns. They had drums with +them, which beat up a quickstep, giving each man of them a high +sense of his importance, especially if he had been drinking. +People in the roadway cheered them, until they heard that there +was to be a battle. Those who were coming in to join us found it +a reason for hesitation. + +After a lot of confusion, the army drew out of Lyme along the +Sidmouth road, followed by a host of sightseers. Some of the best +mounted rode on ahead at a trot, under the handsome man, Mr. +Fletcher, who was their captain. I followed on with the +foot-soldiers, who marched extremely slowly. They halted at their +own discretion; nor did they seem to understand that orders given +were to be obeyed. What they liked, poor fellows, was to see the +women admiring them. The march up the hill out of Lyme was a long +exhibition of vanity, the women waving their handkerchiefs, the +men putting on all sorts of airs, jetting like gamecocks. When we +got up to the top of the hill, I saw the old lame puppet-man, +sitting on the edge of the wild, unenclosed, gorse-covered +common-land which stretches away towards the town of Axminster. +He was watching us with deep interest. Our men were spreading out +into line upon this common. The horse was ranging on, bobbing +about, far ahead. The foot were looking about eagerly as they got +out of the ranks in which they had marched; but they could see no +trace of any enemy. I caught sight of the Duke four hundred yards +away, a little figure sitting alone on his horse, in front of +half a dozen others. They were all scanning the country, all the +way round. Presently I called out that I saw the enemy. Half a +dozen cavalry were riding up a combe far off. But they were our +own men, not the militia. They were some of our scouts riding off +as "feelers" to spy out Albemarle's position. All the time that +we were up there on the hill, the little old man portered about +among the men, now listening to what they had to say, now asking +the soldiers to look at his pretty puppets. When the returning +scouts brought word that no troops were near us, so that we were +free to march back again, he was still there, packing up his +puppets in tarred canvas, as though about to march off to the +next market-town. We marched past him, as he sat in the heather. +I passed quite close to him, staring at him hard, for to tell the +truth he was on my mind. I was suspicious of him. He took off his +hat to me, with a smile; but he did not speak. Then my troops +swung round, down the hill, leaving him alone there, watching the +men pass. + +Other things put him out of my mind during the afternoon. I was +kept busy writing orders to scouts; for we were sending out +scouts in every direction, partly to protect us from surprise, +partly to direct new recruits to our headquarters. Mr. Blick, who +knew the ground dictated the letters, helped by Mr. Fletcher, who +studied a big map with great attention; I was writing all that +afternoon. Lyme grew noisier during the day, as the recruits +became more drunk. Many steady men turned away from us when they +saw our disorder. I myself had been brought up to abhor +drunkenness. I found the state of drunken uproar very terrible. I +feared that such an army would never achieve any great deed. I +thought that such sin would be punished. Our soldiers were not +behaving like knights sworn to a good cause; but like boors at a +fair. That day we lost our only good officer, Mr. Fletcher. + +I have spoken of this gentleman. He was in command of the horse +under Lord Grey. He was a much better soldier than my Lord; a +better officer, too; a better man. Now in the day's confusion, +with everything topsy turvy, the Duke's messenger, "Old Dare," +rode into Lyme from Taunton, where he had galloped the day before +to spread the news of our arrival. This Dare was a +quick-tempered, not very clever, popular man with a great deal of +influence in the countryside. On his way back to us from Taunton, +someone lent, or gave, him a very fine horse. It may have been +meant as a gift to the Duke; I do not know. Anyhow Old Dare rode +in on this horse with letters from Taunton, which he handed to +Mr. Fletcher to give to the Duke. Fletcher, our cavalry +commander, had as yet no horse; so seeing the splendid charger on +which Old Dare rode, he ordered Old Dare to give it up to him. He +was the real commander of the army, with a military right, if no +real right, to take what horse he liked from any subordinate +officer. But Old Dare, like so many of our men, had no knowledge +of what soldier's discipline meant. He saw, in Fletcher, a +gentleman with whom he had lived as an equal for the last +fortnight. He was not going to give up his horse like that; not +he. Fletcher (speaking sharply) told him to obey without further +words, at which Dare in a sudden flush of temper struck him with +his riding switch. Fletcher was not a patient man. He could not +let an act of gross mutiny pass unpunished, nor would he suffer +an insult. He shot Dare dead upon the spot, in full view of some +hundreds of us. It was all done in an instant. There was Dare +lying dead, never to stir again. There was Fletcher, our only +soldier, with a smoking pistol in his hand, thinking that he had +taught the army a lesson in obedience. There was the army all +about him, flocking round in a swarm, not looking at it as a +military punishment but as a savage murder, for which he deserved +to be hanged. Then the Duke hastened up to make things quiet, +before the army avenged their friend. He drew Fletcher aside, +though the people murmured at him for speaking to a murderer. He +was unnerved by Fletcher's act. He had no great vitality. Sudden +crises such as this unnerved him, by using up his forces. A +crisis of this kind (a small thing in a great rebellion) was +often enough to keep his brain from considering other, more +important, more burning questions concerning the entire army. The +end of this business was as unhappy as its beginning. Fletcher, +our only soldier, was sent aboard the frigate in which the Duke +had sailed from Holland. When the tide served, she set sail with +him for Corunna in Spain. With him she carried all our hopes of +success, together with a quantity of stores which would have been +of use later in the expedition. As I left the Cobb, or pier, +which makes Lyme harbour, I saw the little lame puppet-man +turning away from the beach with a company of men who wore our +green boughs. For a few steps I hurried towards him, so that I +might overhear what he was saying; I made so sure that he was a +spy. Mr. Blick, to whom I told my fears, bade me not to worry +myself. "Why, boy," he said, "there are five hundred spies in +Lyme; but they can't hurt us. Before they can get off to tell our +enemies all about us there won't be any enemies left. We shall be +marching at once. We shall drive everything before us." He spoke +with such confidence that I believed him; yet the old man +troubled me, for all that. When you see a face continually, at a +time when you are excited, you connect the face with your +excitement; it troubles your nerves. + +The day wore by with all the unreality of a day of confusion. I +was kept at work until the light was gone; then served at the +Duke's table while he supped, then snatched a hurried supper +while he talked with his officers. After supper, I had to go from +billet to billet, looking for people whom the officers wished to +see. Something very important was in the air. The discussion in +the inn's great room was the first serious council of the war. +About eleven o'clock, Lord Grey came out of the room, telling me +to follow him. We went out into the street, where presently our +men began to fall in, four or five abreast, about a hundred ranks +of them. A few cavalry came, too, but not enough, I heard Lord +Grey say, not enough to do any good with. In spite of all the +efforts of those who loved us (by efforts I mean the robbing of +farm-stables) we were very short of horses. Those which we had +were not good; they were cart, not saddle-horses, unused to the +noise of guns. Still, such as they were, they formed up in the +street ahead of the foot. The force took a long time to form; for +the men kept saying that they had forgotten something, their +powder-horn, their cartridges, their guns, even. Then they had to +run back to their billets to fetch whatever it was, while those +who remained behind, puzzled at the movement so late at night, +when they wished to sleep, began to get nervous. They began to +ask where it was that we were going, was it to Axminster, or to +Bridport + + + +CHAPTER XVII. A VOICE AT DAWN + +Word was passed about that we were going to surprise the militia +at Bridport at dawn. We were told to keep quiet on the march, +after passing Charmouth, as the night was so still that we should +be heard far off. We did not know how near the Bridport outposts +might come to us under cover of the night. "You come with us, +Martin," said Lord Grey: "Take a horse. If we win Bridport you'll +have to gallop back with the news." I was made a little nervous +by the thought of going into battle so soon; but gulping down my +fears I mounted a marsh-mare which stood near the inn door. I +hoped sincerely that no militia bullet would find any part of +either of us. Then the drums began to play us out of the town +with their morning roll. A fife whined out, going down to our +marrows with its shrillness. Lights showed at the windows. We saw +dark heads framed in yellow patches. People called to us. In the +door of the great inn stood Monmouth; his face seemed very white +in the glare of the torches. He raised his hand to us as we +passed him. The last thing I noticed of the town, for I rode in +the rear with Lord Grey, were the ranks passing the lamp on the +town hall. They came up to it in waves, their cloaks showing in +glimmer for an instant. Then they passed on into the night, +sliding forwards slowly with a steady roll, like the moving of +waves to the shore. + +We were a long time riding; so long that the dawn was on us by +the time we were within shot of the enemy. I don't remember very +much about the ride, except that it was unreal, very unreal; for +the mists came down, blotting the world from us, so that we rode +in a swirl of cold grey, amid a noise of dropping. When we got to +the top of the long hill after Chideock I was bidden halt at a +cross-roads, with a waggon full of ammunition, while the force +moved on to the attack. The hills were showing up clearly above +the mist; but the valley lay like a sea, a great grey formless +level, like some world of the ghosts. The troops passed down in +it, moving pretty briskly, lest the mist should lift before they +were in position. Most of them knew the country, so that they +could well walk confidently; but their quickness had something +nervous in it, as though they were ill at ease. Very soon they +were out of sight, out of hearing, swallowed up in the fog. + +I waited a long time (as it seemed) up there at the cross-roads. +After a long wait I rode a little down the hill, from sheer +anxiety. I pulled up in a bank of cloud, through which I could +see dimly, in the growing light, for about a dozen yards. I was +leaning well forward, listening for the sound of shooting, when +something made me look down. Someone was standing at my side, +slipping something into my pocket. It gave me a start. I clutched +at the person. It was the old lame puppet-man who had been at +Lyme the day before. "Latter for ee," he said in a whisper. "Read +en, unless you'm a fool." His hand pressed lightly on my bridle +hand for an instant; then he ducked sideways swiftly into the +wilderness of ferny gorse at the side of the road, where I could +not hope to follow him, even if the mist had not hidden him. +Something in the voice, something in the lightness of the touch +startled me into the knowledge. As he ducked, it came over me +that this old man was Aurelia disguised, come to spy upon us, but +bent, also, on giving me a warning, some little kind word of +advice, at the beginning of my lord's war. I ought to have +recognized her before. I had been blind. She had been under my +eyes the whole day, yet I had never once suspected, no one, of +all that army, had suspected. She had been disguised by a +master-hand. She had played her part like a great actress. It was +terrible to think of the risk she was running. One man's +suspicion, in a time of war, would have been enough to give her +to a horrible death. I tried to follow her into the jungle into +which she had vanished; but my horse would not face the furze. I +tried hard to see her, but it was no use; the tangle was too +thick; she had gone. I called out to her softly; but I got no +answer; only, at some little distance away, I heard a twig snap +under a passer's foot. + +In a momentary clearing of the mist, I pulled out my letter. It +was written in a fine, firm hand, with signature. It was a short, +purposeful letter, which kept sharply to the point. It only +contained two lines. "Your Duke's cause is hopeless. He has no +possible chance. Take the Axminster road to safety." That was the +whole letter. It gave me a feeling of uneasiness; but it did not +tempt me to desert. I thought that if I deserted I might very +well be tortured into betraying all that I knew of the Duke's +plans, while I doubted very much whether the Duke's body- servant +would find mercy from the merciless, frightened King. What was I +to do, even if I escaped from the King's party? I was too young +for any employment worthy of my station in life. I had neither +the strength nor the skill for manual labour. Who would employ a +boy of my age on a farm or in a factory? All that I could hope +would be to get away to sea, to a life which I had already found +loathsome. As to going back to my uncle's house, I doubt if I +would have gone, even had I had the certainty of getting to it +safely. When a boy has once taken to an adventurous life, nothing +but very ill health will drive him back to home-life. Yet there +was the thought of Aurelia. Somehow the thought of her was a +stronger temptation than any fear of defeat. I would have liked +to have seen that old enemy of mine again. + +I was thinking over the letter, wondering what would come to the +Duke's cause, when the valley below me began to ring with firing. +A heavy fire had begun there. It thundered in a long roll, which +died down, momentarily, into single sputterings through which one +could hear shouting. About twenty minutes after the beginning of +the shots, when all the party on the hill-top were edging nearer +to the battle, taking a few steps at a time, on tenter-hooks to +be engaged, we heard a great gallop of horses' hoofs coming to us +at full tilt. At first we were scared by this, for the noise was +tremendous, too great, we inexperienced soldiers thought, to be +caused by our little troop of cavalry. We thought that it was the +Bridport militia charging down on us, after destroying our +friends. The mist by this time was all blowing clear, though +wisps of it clung along the hedgerows in unreal rolling folds. +The day above was breaking in the sultry blue summer dimness. We +could see, I suppose, for a quarter of a mile, straight down the +road. + +We had swung round, facing towards Lyme, when the noise of the +hoofs first came to us. When the turn of the road showed us a +squad of cavalry coming to us at the charge, led by half a dozen +riderless horses, we waited for no more. We spurred up our nags +in a panic, till we, too, were going full tilt for Lyme, shouting +out as we went any nonsense which came to our heads. We were in a +panic fear; I believe that the horses in some way felt it too. We +galloped back to Chideock as though we were chased by witches, +while the gun-firing at Bridport steadily grew less, till at last +it stopped altogether. At Chideock, some of the cavalry came up +with us. They were our own men, our own troop of horse, not an +enemy after all. The riderless horses were a few of the militia +charges which had been seized from a cavalry outpost to the west +of the town. We had bolted from our own crazy terror. But we were +not the only fleers. Our cavalry had bolted first, at the first +volley outside the town. It is unjust to say that they were +afraid. Lord Grey was not a coward; our men had stout hearts +enough; but they had not reckoned on the horses. The first +discharge of guns scared the horses almost frantic. They swung +about out of action in a couple of seconds. Another volley made +them all bolt. It was when they were bolting that the men began +to grow alarmed. Fear is a contagious thing; it seems to pass +from spirit to spirit, like a flame along a powder train, till +perhaps a whole army feels it. Our horsemen pulled up among us in +Chideock in as bad a scare as you ever saw; it was twenty minutes +before they dared walk back to find out what had happened to the +foot at Bridport, after their retreat. + +Our foot came back very angry with the horse. They had fired away +a lot of powder to very little purpose, before orders reached +them, bidding them retire. They had not wished to retire; but at +last they had done so sullenly, vowing to duck Lord Grey for +deserting them. We had taken about a dozen horses without +harness, instead of the two hundred equipped chargers which we +had promised ourselves. + +We had killed a few of the militia, so everybody said; but in the +confusion of the powder-smoke who could say how many? They were +certain that none of our own men had been killed; but in a force +so newly raised, who could say for certain which were our own +men? As a matter of fact several of our men had been taken by the +royalists, which is as much as to say that they had been killed. +Altogether the affair had been a hopeless failure from the very +beginning. The foot had learned to despise the horse. The horses +had learned to be afraid of gun-fire. The cavalrymen had learned +to despise Lord Grey. The militia had learned to despise us. The +only valuable lesson that our men had learned was that a battle +was not so terrible a thing. You knelt down, fired your gun, +shouted, borrowed your neighbour's drinking bottle, took a long +swig, then fired again, with more shouting, till somebody clapped +you on the shoulder with orders to come away. But this lesson, +precious as it was did not console our men for their beating. +They were cross with the long night-march as well as with Lord +Grey's desertion. We dragged our way back to Lyme very slowly, +losing a good fifty of our number by desertion. They slipped away +home, after falling out of the ranks to rest. They had had enough +of fighting for the Duke; they were off home. The officers were +strict at first, trying to stop these desertions; but the temper +of the men was so bad that at last they gave it up, hoping that +some at least would stay. That was another evil consequence of +fighting for the crown with an undisciplined mob; they could +sustain defeat as ill as they could use victory. We did not trail +into Lyme until after noon; for we marched like snails, fearing +that the militia would follow us. When we got into camp, the men +flung their arms from them, careless of the officer's orders. All +that they wanted was sleep (we had eaten a late breakfast at +Charmouth), they were not going to do any more soldier's foolery +of drill, or sentry-go. As for Lord Grey, whom everybody called a +coward, the Duke could not cashier him, because he was the best +officer remaining to us. Poor Fletcher, who might have made +something of our cavalry, was by this time far away at sea. The +other officers had shown their incapacity that morning. For my +own part, I chose out a snug billet on a hearthrug in the George +Inn, where I slept very soundly for several hours. While I slept, +the Duke held a melancholy council to debate what could be done. + +They say that he ought to have marched that morning to Exeter, +where Lord Albemarle's militia (all of them ripe for rebellion) +would have joined him. + +Exeter or Bristol, one or the other, would have been a fine plume +in his cap, a strong, fortified town, full of arms, where he +could have established himself firmly. I do not know why he +decided against marching to Exeter. He may have had bad reports +of troops being on the road waiting for him; or he may have +thought that his friends (who were plentiful on the Bristol road) +would rally to him as soon as he appeared. He was deceived by +those protesting gentry, his friends, who had welcomed him so +warmly only a few months before. He thought that all the +countryside was ready to join him. He had been deceived, as +perhaps a cleverer man would have been deceived, by the warmth of +his welcome on his earlier visit. An Englishman is always polite +to a Duke when he meets him in a friendly gathering. But when the +Duke says, "Lend me all your ready money, together with your +horses, or rather give them to me, since I am the King," his +politeness leaves him; he gets away to London to warn the police +as fast as his horse will take him. Thus it was with the Duke's +friends scattered about along the main-road from Lyme to Bristol. + +I know not who persuaded the Duke to march; probably it was Grey; +it may have been Venner; it may have been a momentary mad +resolution caused by a glass of wine. They say that he was solemn +about it, as though he expected to fail. Perhaps he would have +gone back to Holland if the ship had been still in the harbour, +but of course she had gone away. He would not go in La Reina; for +she was sluggish from barnacles, having been long un-careened. +The Channel at this time was full of ships looking for him; how +he escaped them when he sailed from Holland I cannot think. He +hesitated for a long time, poor man, before deciding; no man +could have acted more like a Stuart, at such a time. When the +decision was made he gave word to start early on the following +morning. But this I did not know till one A.M, when Lord Grey +routed me out from my berth on the hearth-rug, so that I might go +from house to house, calling up our officers. + +I suppose that all our officers were out of bed by two o'clock, +yet it took them eight hours to get their men together, into some +sort of order. We were hardly ready for the road at ten A.M. when +the drums beat up to play us out of the town. As I was the Duke's +servant, I was allowed to ride by my master; I daresay people +thought that I was the young Prince. We marched up the hill +gaily, with a multitude flocking all about us, but there were +many of that crowd who looked doubtfully at my master's sad face, +thinking that he looked over-melancholy for a conquering king. + +We marched out of Lyme into a valley, through a sort of suburb +called Uplyme. After that we marched steadily up hill, a long +climb of two miles, having a great view of the countryside on our +left hand. Our right was shut from us by a wooded hill. It was a +warm, sunny June day: the grass just ripe for hay harvest; the +country at its best; everything at its full flower, so that you +wondered at the world's abundance. We sent out scouts, when we +were about a mile from Lyme; but when we were at the top of the +hill we could see for ourselves, without putting scouts abroad. +We could see horsemen on the high ground away to the left, two or +three hundred of them. Besides these there were some companies of +foot drawn up in good order in the fields outside Axminster, at +some distance from the town. When this army caught sight of us, +it began to file off towards the town, as though to dispute it +with us, so our advanced guard pushed on to drive them out of it. +The sight of so many men in order, was a very moving one. To see +them advance their colours, to see the light on the shifting +steel, to hear the low beating hum of the feet was stirring to +the heart. Word ran along the line that there was going to be a +battle. Our foot left the road, so as to spread out into line in +the open, where they could take up positions behind hedges. I was +sent back to the rear at this instant, to order up the ammunition +waggons, so that I missed some part of the operations; but I +shall never forget how confidently our men spread out; they +marched as though they were going into the fields for partridges. +The drums began again, to hearten them, but there was no need for +drums in that company; they began to sing of their own accord, +making a noise which drowned the drums altogether. I gave my +orders to the ammunition waggons, which were blocked in a jumble +of sightseers, camp-followers, etc., etc., so that they could +hardly move. The drivers got me to charge my horse through the +mob to make a path, which I did, with a good deal of pain to +myself, for the people thus thrust aside struck at me. The +drivers struck out at them in return; we had a little fight of +our own, while Axminster was being won. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. I SPEAK WITH AURELIA + +The next thing which I remember was coming out of the mob with +the waggons just behind me, going at a smart pace to a position +on the army's right. The road was pretty full of all sorts of +people; but as we shouted for them to clear the way, they made a +lane for us. I saw the Duke's little clump of staff-officers on a +pitch of rising ground, but there was no firing; only a noise of +many voices singing. Just as we were about to turn off the road +into the fields behind our right wing, I saw the little old lame +puppet-man sitting on a donkey by the ditch at the side of the +road. I shouted to the drivers to pass on, which they did, at +full tilt, while I drew rein by the old man's side. "Aurelia," I +said, "this is no place for you. Do get away from here before +they find you out." + +"Why," she said, very calmly, in the broad burring man's voice +which she imitated so exactly. "I be come 'ere to find you out. +You'm going to your death, boy. You get out of this 'ere army +afore you're took. I tell ee thy Duke be a doomed man. Look at +en's face. Why, boy, there be eleven thousand soldiers a-marching +to put er down. You've only a got a quarter of that lot. Come out +of en, boy. Do-an't ee be led wrong." I was touched by her kind +thought for me; she was risking her life for me for the second +time, but in the hurry of the moment I could not put words +together to thank her. + +"Aurelia," I said, "I can't talk to you now. Only get out of +this. Don't stay here. I'm all right." + +"No, Martin," she said, in her ordinary voice, "you're not all +right. Come out of this. Slip away tonight to Newenham Abbey. It +be over there, not more than a couple of miles. Oh, come, come. I +can't bear to see you going away to certain death. I KNOW that +this force cannot win." + +"Yes, Aurelia," I answered. "But I'm not going to be a hang-back +for all that. I'm not going to be a coward. You risk a horrible +death, only to tell me not to do the same. You wouldn't give up a +cause you believed in, merely because it was dangerous. I'll +stick by my master, Aurelia. Don't try to tempt me." + +She would have said more; she would perhaps have persuaded me +from my heroics, had not the guns begun firing. That broke the +spell with a vengeance; nothing could be done after that. I shook +up my horse, hardly pausing to say "God bless you." In another +minute she was out of sight, while I was cantering off to the +extreme right wing with the Duke's orders to his officers to cut +in on the road to Chard. As I rode along, behind the scattered +line of our men, I could see the rolls of smoke from the firing +on the left. The men on the right were not firing, but being raw +troops they were edging little by little towards the firing, in +which I do not doubt they longed to be, for the sake of the +noise. They say now that the Duke threw away this battle at +Axminster. He could have cut Albemarle's troops to pieces had he +chosen to do so. They made a pretty bold front till we were +within gunfire of them, when they all scattered off to the town +pell-mell. While they were in the town, we could have cut them +off from the Chard road, which would have penned them in while we +worked round to seize the bridges. After that, one brisk assault +would have made the whole batch of them surrender. Some of our +officers galloped from our right wing (where I was) to see how +the land lay, before leading off their men as I had brought them +word. A few of them fired their pistols, when they came to the +road, which was enough to make the right wing double forward to +support them without orders. In a minute about a thousand of us +were running fast after our officers, while the Duke's aides +charged down to stop us. He had decided not to fight, probably +thinking that it would do his cause no good by killing a lot of +his subjects so early in his reign. We know now that had he made +one bold attack that morning, the whole of Albemarle's force, +with the exception of a few officers, would have declared for +him. In other words we should have added to our army about a +thousand drilled armed men who knew the country through which we +were to pass. By not fighting, we discouraged our own army, who +grumbled bitterly when they found their second battle as +ineffectual as the fight at Bridport. + +I remember next that I saw the whole of Albemarle's troops flying +for their lives along the Chard road, flinging away their weapons +as they ran. They had the start of us; but a resolute captain +could have brought them to a stand, by pushing forward his +cavalry. However "a bridge of gold to a flying foe" is a good +saying. We let them go. When our cavalry advanced (to keep them +on the move, not to fight with them) they passed the time in +collecting what the militia had flung away; about four thousand +pounds' worth of soldiers' stores, chiefly uniforms. I went +forward with the horse on that occasion. I picked up altogether +about a dozen muskets, which I gave to some of our men who were +armed only with clubs. Then I rode back to report myself ready +for service to my master, who was getting ready for camp, +thinking that his men had done enough for one day. + +It was a sad waste of time. A rough camp was formed. We went no +further for that time. About half a precious day was wasted, +which might have brought us nearly to Taunton under a resolute +man, sworn to conquer. Some of our men went out to forage, which +they did pretty roughly. It was theft with violence, coloured +over by some little touch of law. The farmers who were unpopular +thereabouts had their cattle driven off; their ricks carted off; +their horses stolen; their hen-roosts destroyed. We were like an +army of locusts, eating up everything as we passed. Our promises +to pay, when the King came to his own, were really additional +insult; for the people robbed knew only too well how Stuart kings +kept their promises. One strange thing I saw that night. The men +who were cooking their newly stolen beef at the camp-fires kept +crying out for camp-kettles in which to boil the joints. We had +no camp-kettles; but an old man came forward to the Duke's +quarters to ask if he might show the men how to cook their meat +without kettles. The Duke at once commanded him to show us how +this might be done. Like most useful inventions, it was very +simple. It was one of those things which are forgotten as life +becomes civilised, but for want of which one may perish when one +returns to barbarity, as in war. The old man began by placing +stout poles in tripods over the camp-fires, lashing them firmly +at the top with faggot-binders. Then he took the hide of one of +the slaughtered cattle, gathering it up at the corners, so as to +form a sort of bag. He cut some long narrow strips from the hide +of the legs, with which to tie the four corners together. Then he +lashed the four corners to the tripod, so that the bag hung over +the fire. + +"There," he said. "There is your kettle. Now put water into en. +Boil thy victuals in er. That be a soldier's camp-kettle. You can +carry your kettle on your beef till you be ready for en." + +Indeed, it proved to be a very good kind of a kettle after one +got used to the nastiness of it, though the smell of burning hair +from the kettles was disgusting. To this day, I have only to +singe a few hairs in a candle to bring back to my mind's eye that +first day in camp at Axminster, the hill, the valley ringed in by +combes, the noise of the horses, the sputtering of the fires of +green wood, the many men passing about aimlessly, wondering at +the ease of a soldier's life after the labour of spring +ploughing. It was a wonderful sight, that first camp of ours; but +the men for the most part grumbled at not fighting; they wanted +to be pushing on, to seize the city of Bristol, instead of +camping there. How did they know, they said, that the weather +would keep fine? How were we to march with all our ten baggage +waggons if the weather turned wet, so that the roads became +muddy? The roads in those parts became deep quagmires in rainy +weather. A light farmer's market cart might go in up to the axles +after a day's steady rain. To march through such roads would +break the men's hearts quicker than any quantity of fighting, +however disastrous. Thus they grumbled about the camp-fires, +while I bustled over the Duke's dinner, in the intervals of +running errands for the colonel. + +That evening, after the summer dusk had come, but before the army +had settled to sleep, I heard an old man, one of our cavalrymen, +talking to another trooper. "Ah," he said, "I was fighting in the +old wars under Oliver. I've seen wars enough. You mark my words, +boy, this army won't do much. We've not got enough men, for one +thing. We could have had fourteen thousand or more if he'd +thought to bring muskets for en. We've not got cavalry, that's +another thing. When us do come face to face with all the King's +men us shall be sore put to it for want of a few trusty horses. +Horsemen be the very backbones of armies in the field. Then, boy, +we not got any captains, that's worst of all. The Duke's no +captain. If he'd been a captain her'd have fought this morning. +Them others aren't captains neither, none of them. Besides, what +are they doing sitting down in camp like this when we ought to be +marching? Us ought to be marching. Marching all night, never +setting down once, marching in two armies, one to Exeter, one to +Bristol. Us'd 'ave the two towns by late tomorrow night if us was +under old Oliver. It'll take us a week to get to Bristol at this +rate. By that time it will be full of troops, as well as secured +by ships. As for us, by that time we shall have troops all round +us, not to speak of club-men." + +"Ah," said the younger man. "What be club-men, gaffer?" + +"You'll know soon enough what club-men are," the old man +answered, "if there's any more of this drunken dirty robbery I +saw this afternoon. Those thieves who stole the farmer's cattle +would have been shot in Oliver's time. They'd have cast lots on a +drum in sight of all on us, drawn up. The men who got the low +numbers would have been shot. The captains would have pistolled +them where they stood. If this robbing goes on, all the farmers +will club together to defend themselves, making a sort of second +army for us to fight against. That is what club-men means. It's +not a nice thing to fight in a country where there are club-men +all round you. No, boy. So what with all this, boy, I be going to +creep out of this 'ere army. I do-an't like the look of things, +nor I do-an't like the way things are done. If you take a old +man's advice you'll come too." + +"Noa," said the honest oaf, "I be agoin' to vight. I be a-goin' +to London town to be a girt sol-dier." + +"Ah," said the old man, shortly, "you be a vule, Tummas. Wish ee +good day, maister." Then the old man turned sharply on his heel +to leave the camp, which he did easily enough, for he knew +several of the sentries. Even if he had not known them, it would +have made little difference, because our sentries were so lax +that the camp was always swarming with strangers. Women came to +see their husbands or sweethearts. Boys came out of love of +mischief. Men came out of curiosity, or out of some wish to see +things before they decided which side to take. Our captains were +never sure at night how many of their men would turn up at muster +the next morning. + +After the old man had deserted, I sat down on the high ground +above the camp, in the earthen battery where our four little guns +were mounted. I was oppressed with a sad feeling that we were all +marching to death. The old man's words, "we shall have troops all +round us," rang in my head, till I could have cried. My mind was +full of terrible imaginings. I saw our army penned up in a little +narrow valley where the roads were quagmires, so that our guns +were stuck in the mud, our horses up to their knees, our men +floundering. On the hills all round us I saw the King's armies, +fifty thousand strong, marching to music under the colours, +firing, then wheeling, forming with a glint of pikes, bringing up +guns at a gallop, shooting us down, while we in the mud tried to +form. I knew that the end of it all would be a little clump of +men round the Duke, gathered together on a hillock, holding out +to the last. The men would be dropping as the shot struck them. +The wounded would waver, letting their pike-points drop. Then' +there would come a whirling of cavalry, horses' eyes in the +smoke, bright iron horse-shoes gleaming, swords crashing down on +us, an eddy of battle which would end in a hush as the last of us +died. I saw all these pictures in my brain, as clearly as one +sees in a dream. You must not wonder that I looked over the misty +fields towards Newenham Abbey with a sort of longing to be there, +well out of all the war. It was only a mile from me. I could slip +away so easily. I was not bound to stay where I was, to share in +the misery caused by my leader's want of skill. Then I remembered +how my father had believed in the right of the Duke's cause. He +would have counselled me to stay, I thought. It seemed to me, in +the dusk of the night, that my father was by me, urging me to +stay. The thought was very blessed; it cleared away all my +troubles as though they had not been. I decided to look no more +towards Newenham; but to go on by the Duke's side to whatever +fortune the wars might bring us. Somehow, the feeling that my +father was by me, made me sure that we were marching to victory. +I went to my quarters comforted, sure of sleeping contentedly. + +Like the rest of us, I had to sleep in the open, without any more +shelter than a horse-cloth. Even the Duke was without a tent that +night. He slept in camp with us, to set an example to his men, +though he might well have gone to some house in the town. I liked +the notion of sleeping out in the open. In fine warm summer +weather, when the dew is not too heavy, it is pleasant, until a +little before the dawn, when one feels uneasy, for some reason, +as though an enemy were coming. Perhaps our savage ancestors, the +earliest ancient Britons, who lived in hill-camps, high up, with +their cattle round them, expected the attacks of their enemies +always at a little before the dawn; so that, in time, the entire +race learned to be wakeful then, lest the enemy should catch the +slumberers, with flint-axe heads in the skull. It may be that to +this day we feel the fear felt by so many generations of our +ancestors. On this first night in camp, I found that many of the +men were sleeping uneasily, for they did not know the secret of +sleeping in the open. They did not know that to sleep comfortably +in the open one must dig a little hole in the ground, about as +big as a porridge bowl, to receive one's hipbone. If you do this, +you sleep at ease, feeling nothing of the hardness of the bed. If +you fail to do it, you wake all bruised, after a wretched night's +tumbling; you ache all the next day. + +After grubbing up a hollow with my knife, I swathed myself in my +blanket with a saddle for pillow. I watched the stars for a +while, as they drifted slowly over me. The horses stamped, +shaking their picket-ropes. The sentries walked their rounds, or +came to the camp-fires to call their reliefs. The night was full +of strange noises. The presence of so many sleeping men was +strange. It was very beautiful, very solemn. It gave one a kind +of awe to think that thus so many famous armies had slept before +the battles of the world, before Pharsalia, before Chalons, +before Hstings. Presently the murmuring became so slight that I +fell asleep, forgetting everything, only turning uneasily from +time to time, to keep the cool night wind from blowing on my +cheeks so as to wake me. + +It must have been two in the morning when I was wakened by some +armed men, evidently our sentries, who rolled me over without +ceremony. + +"Wake up, young master," they said, grinning. "You'm wanted. You +be to get up to go a errand. You be a soldier now. You does your +sleeping in peace-times when you be a soldier," I sat up blinking +my eyes, in the early light, thinking how nice t'other forty +winks would be. + +"Heigho," I yawned. "All right. I'm awake. What is it? What's the +matter?" + +"Lord Grey be a wanting you, young master," said one of the men. +"Down there, where them horses be in the road." I picked myself +up at that, wishing for a basin of water into which I might shove +my head. + +"Yes, yes," I said. "Thank you. I'll go down." I left my blanket +where it was, as I expected to be back in a few minutes. I walked +down hill out of the camp to the road where the horses stood; +there were four horses, two of them mounted. The mounted men were +regular country bumpkins, with green sprays in their hats, like +the rest of our men; but their horses were pretty good, much +better than most of those we had. One of them was a stocky old +cob, which was no doubt to be mine. The other was a beast with +handsome harness for Lord Grey. "Alas," I thought. "No more sleep +for me. I've got to ride. I wonder where we are going." The men +touched their hats to me; for as I was in the Duke's retinue I +was much respected. Some of them no doubt thought I was a +princeling or little lord. + +"Where are we going?" I asked the troopers. + +"Going scouting out towards Colyton yonder, sir," said one of +them. "Us be to pick up his Lordship in the town." + + + +CHAPTER XIX. I MEET THE CLUB MEN + +I wondered when I was to get breakfast; but I knew Lord Grey well +enough to know that he was not a man to go willingly without food +for more than a few hours at a time. Breakfast I should have +presently, nor would it be skin-boiled beef, smelling of singed +hair. So I mounted my cob with a good will. The first trooper +rode by my side, the other waited for a moment to examine the +feet of Lord Grey's charger. He trotted after us, leading the +riderless horse, some fifty yards behind us. We trotted smartly +through Axminster, where we set the dogs barking. People sprang +from their beds when they heard us, fearing that we were an army +coming to fight. We cantered out of the town over the river, +heading towards a hilly country, which had few houses upon it. I +looked back after leaving Axminster, to see if Lord Grey wanted +me. He had mounted his horse somewhere in the town; but he was +now a couple of hundred yards behind us, riding' with a third +man, whom I judged to be Colonel Foukes, by his broad white +regimental scarf. After we had gone a few miles, we came to a +cross-roads where my guide bade me halt to wait for orders. +The others had pulled up, too. I could see Lord Grey examining a +map, while his horse sidled about across the road. The trooper +who had been riding with him, joined us after a while, telling us +to take the road to our right, which would take us, he said, +towards Taunton. We were to keep our eyes skinned, he said, for +any sign of armed men coming on the high-road from Honiton, so as +to threaten our left flank. The gentlemen were going to scout +towards the sea. At eight o'clock, if we had seen no trace of any +armed force coming, we were to make for Chard, where we should +find the Duke's army. We were to examine the roads for any signs +of troops having passed recently towards Taunton. We were to +enquire of the country people, if troops were abroad in that +countryside, what troops they might be, how led, how equipped, +etc. If we came across any men anxious to join the Duke we were +to send them on to Chard or Ilminster, on the easterly road to +Taunton. We were to ride without our green boughs, he said; so +before starting on our road we flung them into the ditches. Lord +Grey waved his hand to us, as he turned away with his friend. We +took off our hats in reply, hardly in a soldierly salute; then we +set off at a walk along the Taunton road. It is a lonely road +leading up to the hills, a straight Roman road, better than any +roads laid in England at that time; but a road which strikes +horror into one, the country through which it runs is so bleak. + +By about six o'clock (according to one of the troopers, who +judged by the height of the sun) we were in a clump of firs high +up on a hill, looking over a vast piece of eastern Devon. We had +scouted pretty closely all round Honiton, examining the country +people, without hearing of any troops. We were now looking out +for some gleam upon a road, some rising of dust over a hedge, +some scattering of birds even, any sign of men advancing, which +might be examined more closely. The morning was bright; but the +valleys had mist upon them, which would soon turn to the +quivering blue June heat-haze. The land lay below us, spread out +in huge folds; the fields, all different colours, looked like the +counties on a map; we could see the sea, we could see the gleam +of a little river. We could see Axminster far to the east of us; +but the marching army was out of sight, somewhere on the Chard +high-road. After scanning pretty well all around us, I caught +sight of moving figures on the top of one of the combes to south +of us. We all looked hard at the place, trying to make out more +of them. They were nearly a mile from us. They seemed to be +standing there as sentries. At first we thought that they must be +people with Lord Grey; but as we could see no horses we decided +that they could not be. One of the men said that as far as:i,'l +he'd heard tell like, the combe on which they stood was what they +call a camp, where soldiers lived in the old time. He didn't know +much more about it; but he said that he thought we ought to +examine it, like, before riding on to some inn where we could +breakfast. + +The other man seemed to think so, too; but when we came to talk +over the best way of doing our espials, we were puzzled. We +should be seen at once if we went to them directly. We might be +suspected if we approached them on horseback. If the men went, +they might be detained, because, for all that we knew, the combe +might be full of militia. So I said I had better go, since no one +would suspect a boy. To this the men raised a good many +objections, looking at each other suspiciously, plainly asking +questions with their raised eyebrows. I thought at the time that +they were afraid of sending me into a possible danger, because I +was a servant attached to the Duke's person. However, when I said +that I would go on foot, taking all precautions, they agreed +grudgingly to let me go. + +I crept along towards this combe on foot, as though I were going +bird's nesting. I beat along by the hedges, keeping out of sight +behind them, till I was actually on the combe's north slope, +climbing up to the old earthwork on the top. I took care to climb +the slope at a place where there was no sentry, which was, of +course, not only the steepest bit of the hill but covered with +gorse clumps, through which I could scarcely thrust my way. Up +towards the top the gorse was less plentiful; there were immense +foxgloves, ferns, little marshy tufts where rushes grew, little +spots of wet bright green moss. Yellow-hammers drawled their +pretty tripping notes to me, not starting away, even when I +passed close to them. All the beauty of June was on the earth +that day; the beauty of everything in that intense blue haze was +wonderful. + +The top of the combe was very steep, steeper than any of the +ascent, because it had been built up like an outer wall by the +savages who once lived there with their cattle. I could see just +the bare steep wall of the rampart standing up in a dull green +line of short-grassed turf against the sky, now burning with the +intense blue of summer. One hard quick scramble, with my +fingernails dug into the ground, brought my head to the top of +the rampart, beyond which I could see nothing but great ferns, a +forest of great ferns, already four or five feet high, stretching +away below, into the cup of the camp or citadel. I did not dare +to stand up, lest I should be seen. I burrowed my way among the +ferns over the wall into the hollow, worming my way towards the +edge of the fern clump so that I could see. In a minute, I was +gazing through the fern-stems into the camp itself; it was a +curious sight. + +About fifty people (some of them women) were sitting about a +hollow in the ground, which I guessed to be a sort of smokeless +fireplace or earth-oven. Everywhere else, all over the hollow of +the camp, which must have been a full three hundred yards across, +were various kinds of farm-stock, mostly cattle, though there +were many picketed horses, too. At first I thought that I had +climbed into a camp of gipsies, which gave me a scare; for +gipsies then were a wild lot, whom wise folk avoided. Then, as I +glanced about, I saw a sentry standing not thirty yards from me, +but well above me, on the rampart top. He was no gipsy. tie was +an ordinary farmer's lad, with the walk of a ploughman. His +sleeves, which were rolled back, showed me a sun-burnt pair of +arms, such as no gipsy ever had. What puzzled me about him was +his heavy double-barrelled pistol, which he carried in his right +hand, with something of a military cock, yet as though awed by +it. He was not over sure of that same pistol. I could see that he +confounded it in some way with art-magic. + +Then I remembered what the old soldier had said the night before +about club men. This camp must be a camp of club men, I thought. +They had come there to protect their stock from the rapine of our +vile pillagers, who had spread such terror amongst the farmers +the day before. Perched up on the combe, with sentries always on +the look-out, they could see the Duke's raiders long before they +came within gunshot. If an armed force had tried to rush the +camp, after learning that the beasts were shut up within it +(which, by the way, no man could possibly suspect until he saw +them from the rampart top), the few defenders clubbed together +there could have kept them out without difficulty; for there was +only one narrow entrance to the camp, so constructed that any one +entering by it could be shot at from three sides, if not from all +four. I looked about me carefully from my hiding-place, till I +decided that I could get a better view from another part of the +fern clump. I began to wriggle through the thick, sweet-scented +stalks, towards the heart of the camp, going with infinite care, +so as not to break down the fern into a path. I hoped to make no +more stir among the fern-tops than would be made by one of the +many pigs scattering about in the enclosure. + +While I was crawling along in this way, I suddenly heard a +curious noise from an intensely thick part of the fern in front +of me. It was a clinking noise, followed by a sort of dry +rasping, as though a very big person were gritting his teeth very +hard. It stopped suddenly, but soon began again. I thought that +it must be some one mending harness with a file, or perhaps some +old sheep or cow, with the remnants of a bell about her neck, +licking a stone for salt. As was in an adventure, I thought that +I would see it out to the end; for I was enjoying my morning. In +spite of the want of breakfast I felt very like a red Indian or a +pirate, creeping through the jungle to the sack of a treasure +train. So I wormed on towards the noise. As I came near to it, I +went more cautiously, because in one of the pauses of the noise, +I heard a muttered curse, which told me that the unseen +noise-maker was a man. If I had been wise I should have stopped +there; for I had learned all that I came out to learn. But I was +excited now. I wished to see everything, before creeping away +unseen to make my report. Perhaps I wished to see something which +had nothing to do with the club men, a private main of cocks, +say, or a dog, or bull-baiting, carried on with some of the +squire's creatures, but without his knowledge. I had a half wish +that I might have something of the kind to report; because in my +heart I longed to say nothing to any of the Duke's party which +might lead to the ruin of these poor people who were trying so +hard to protect their property. + +A few feet further on, I was wishing most heartily that I had +never left my room in London. It was like this. In the very heart +of the fern clump, where the ferns were tallest, a little spring +bubbled out of the ground, at the rate, I suppose, of a pint of +water in a minute. The ferns grew immensely thick there; but +someone had thinned out a few of the roots from the ground, +leaving the uprooted plant with the ferns still living, to form a +rough kind of thatch above a piece of earth big enough for a +man's body. In the scented shade of this thatch, with the side of +his face turned towards me, a big, rough, bearded man sat, filing +away some bright steel irons which were riveted on his ankles. He +swore continually in a low whisper as he worked, not even pausing +in his curses when he spat on to the hollow scraped in the irons +by his file. He was the fiercest looking savage of a man I have +ever seen. His face had a look of stern, gloomy cruelty which I +shall never forget. His general appearance was terrible; for he +had a face burnt almost black by the sun (some of it may have +been mud) with a nasty white scar running irregularly all down +his left cheek, along the throat to the shoulder. He was not what +you might call naked. a naked man, such as I have seen since in +the hot countries, would have looked a nobleman beside him. He +wore a pair of dirty linen knickerbockers, all frayed into +ribbons at the knees, a pair of strong hide slippers bound to his +ankles by strips of leather, a part of a filthy red shirt without +sleeves, a hat stolen from a scarecrow, nothing else whatever, +except the mud of many days' gathering. His shirt was torn all +down the back in a great slit which he had tried to secure by +what the sailors call "Bristol buttons," i.e. pieces of string. +The red flannel hung from him so as to show his back, all +criss-crossed with flogging scars. I knew at once from the irons +that he was a criminal escaped from gaol; but the criss-crossed +scars taught me that he was a criminal of the most terrible kind, +probably one who had shipped into the Navy to avoid hanging. + +I took in a view of him before he saw me. His image was stamped +on my brain in less than ten seconds. In the eleventh second, I +was lying on my back in the gloom of the fern-growth, with this +great ruffian on my chest, squeezing me by my windpipe. I cannot +say that he spoke to me. It was not speech. It was the snarling +wild beast gurgle which passes for speech in the slums of our +great cities, as though all the filth of a low nature were +choking in the throat at once. He was on me too quickly for me to +cry out. I could only lie still, cackling for breath, while the +fierce face glowered down on me. I understood him to say that he +would have my windpipe out if I said a word. I suppose he saw +that I was only a very frightened boy; for his clutch upon me +relaxed, after a few awful, gasping moments. When he loosed his +hold, his great hand pawed over my throat till he had me by the +scruff of the neck. He drew me over towards the spring, as one +would draw a puppy. Then, still crouching in the fern, he hurried +me to a single stunted sloe-bush which grew there. "Go down, +you," he said, giving me a shove towards the bush. "Down th' +'ole." + +Just behind the sloe-bush, under a fringe of immense ferns, was +an opening in the earth, about eighteen inches high, by two feet +across. It was like a large rabbit or fox earth, except that the +mouth of it was not worn bare. I did not like the thought of +going down th' 'ole; but with this great griping fist on my nape +there was not much sense in saying so. I wormed my way in, helped +on by prods from the file. It was a melancholy moment when my +head passed beyond the last filtering of light into the tomb's +blackness, where not even insects lived. After a moment of +scrambling I found that the passage was big enough for me to go +on all fours. It was a dry passage, too, which seemed strange to +me; but on reaching out with my hand I felt that the walls were +lined with well laid stones, unmortared. The roof above me was +also of stone. You may wonder why I did not shoot this ruffian +with my pistol. You boys think that if you had a pistol you would +shoot any one who threatened you. You would not. When the moment +comes, it is not so easily disposed of. Besides, a filthy, +cursing pirate on your throat checks your natural calm most +strangely. + +The passage led into the swell of the rampart for about twenty +yards, where it opened into a dimly lighted chamber about four +feet high. A little blink of light came through a rabbit hole, at +the end of which I saw a spray of gorse with the sunlight on it. +I could see by the dim light that the chamber was built of +unmortared stones, very cleverly laid. The floor of it was +greasier than the passage had been, but still it was not damp. On +one side it had a bed of heather stalks, on the other there was +something dark which felt like cold meat. The man came grunting +in behind me, clinking his leg-irons. After groping about in a +corner of the room he lighted a stinking rushlight by means of a +tinder box. + + + +CHAPTER XX. THE SQUIRE'S HOUSE + +"There," he said, not unkindly, "there's a nice little 'ome for +yer. Now you, tell me wot you were doing spying on me. First of +all, 'ave you any money?" He did not wait for me to answer, but +dug his hands into my pockets at once, taking every penny I had, +except a few shillings which were hidden in my belt. He did not +see my belt, as I had taken to wearing it next my skin, since I +began to follow the wars. I feared from the greed which showed in +all his movements that he vas going to strip me; but he did not +do so, thinking, no doubt, that none of my clothes would fit his +body. + +"Well," he said, in his snarling beast voice, "wot's up 'ere, +with all these folk brought their beasts 'ere?" + +I told him that the Duke had come co fight for the crown of +England, with the result, as I supposed, that the country people +dared not trust their live-stock at home, for fear of having them +pillaged. He seemed pleased at the news; but being an utter wild +beast, far less civilized than the lowest savage ever known to +me, he showed his pleasure by hoping that the rich (whom he +cursed fluently) might have their heads pulled off in the war, +while as for the poor (the farmers close by us) he hoped that +they might lose every beast they owned. "Do 'era good," he said. +"Now," he went on, "are you come spying 'ere along of the +farmers?" + +"No," I said, "I am a servant of the Duke's, riding out to look +for the militia." + +"Ah," he said. "Are yer, cocky? 'Ow'm I to know that?" + +"Well," I said, "Look at my hands. Are they the hands of a +farmer?" + +"No," he said. "No, Mister stuck-up flunkey, they ain't. I s'pose +yet proud of yet 'ands. I'll 'ave yer wait at table on me." He +seemed to like the notion: for he repeated it many times, while +he dug out hunks of cold ham with his file, from the meat which I +had felt as I crawled in + + "'Ow proud I dig + A'unk a cold pig" + +he sang, as he gulped the pieces down. It was partly a nightmare, +partly very funny. I was not sure if he was mad, probably he was +mad, but being down in the burrow there, in the half darkness, +hearing that song, made me feel that I was mad; it was all a very +terrible joke; perhaps madness affects people like that. At last +I spoke to him again. + +"Sir," I said, "I've been up since two this morning. Give me a +hunk of cold pig, too. I'm half-starved." + +"'Elp yourself, can't yer?" he snarled. "Oo'm I to wait on yer?" +Then, very cunningly, he put in, "'Ave you got a knife on yer?" + +"No," I said cautiously, "I've got no knife," which was a lie; I +did not wish my knife to go the same way as the money. He gave me +some cold pig, very excellent ham it was, too, for which I was +very thankful. He watched my greediness with satisfaction. I ate +heartily when I saw that my confident way with him had made him +more tender towards me. + +"Yes," he snorted. "Per'aps you ain't been lying to me after all. +Now 'ow long will these blokes be up the 'ill 'ere?" I did not +know that; but I supposed that they would go home directly the +Duke's army had got as far, say, as Taunton. "But," I added, "the +Duke may be beaten. If he's beaten, all this part will be full of +troops beating every bush for the rebels." He swore at this; but +his curses were only designed to hide his terror. + +"Could a fellow get to sea," he said in a whining tone. "Could a +poor fellow in trouble slip away to sea, now, at one of these +seaport towns? Boy, I been livin' like a wild beast all the way +from Bristol, this two months. I didn't kill the feller; not +dead. The knife only went into 'im a very little way, not more'n +a inch. I was raised near 'ere at a farm. So I knowed of this +'ere burrow. I got 'ere two days ago, pretty near dead. Now I +been penned up from the sea by these farmers comin' 'ere, doin' +swottin' sentry-go all round me. I tell yer, I'll cut up sour, if +they pen me in, now I'm so near got away. I been with Avery. They +call Avery a pirate. They said I was a pirate. It's 'anging if. +they ketch me. Do yer think I could get away to Lyme or some +place, to get took into a ship?" I told him, no; because I knew +from what Lord Grey had told me, that the Channel was full of +men-of-war searching every ship which hove in sight; besides, he +did not look to me to be a very promising hand for a captain to +take aboard. + +"All the same," he said, "I got to risk it. You say there may be +troops coming?" + +"As for that," I answered, "the troops may be here at any moment +from Exeter or Honiton. They've arrested hundreds of people +everywhere around. You'd better stay in the burrow here." He did +not pay much attention to what I said. He cursed violently, as +though he were a bag-pipe full of foul words being slowly +squeezed by some player. At last he crawled to the passage, +foaming out incoherently that he would show them, he would, let +them just wait. + +"You stay 'ere, he said. "If I find you follerin' me, I'll mash +your 'ed into that much slobber." He showed me a short piece of +rope which he had twisted, sailor fashion, so as to form a handle +for a jagged piece of flint, which, as I could see, had been used +on some one or something quite recently. + +"Mogador Jack," he said, "'e don't like people follerin' 'im." +With that he left me alone in the burrow, wondering, now that it +was over, why he had not killed me. He left me quite stunned; his +sudden coming into my life had been so strange. It was unreal, +like a dream, to have been in an ancient Briton's burial-chamber +with a mad old pirate who had committed murder. But now that he +had gone, I was eager to go, too, if it could be managed. I would +not stay there till the brute came back, in spite of that flint +club. After waiting some little time, during which, I felt sure, +he was waiting for me at the door of the burrow, I took out my +pistol. I examined the charge to see that all was well; then very +cautiously, I began to crawl up the passage, with my pistol in my +hand. + +I waited for some minutes near the door, trying to convince +myself by the lie of the shadows outside that he was crouched +there, ready for me. But it seemed safe. I could see no shadow at +all except the tremulous fern-shadows. At last I took off my coat +as a blind. I flung it through the doorway, with some force, to +see if it would draw him from his hiding. Nothing happened. The +ruffian did not pounce upon it. I took a few long breaths to +hearten me; it was now or never. I shut my eyes, praying that the +first two blows might miss my head, so that I should have time to +fire. Then, on my back, with my pistol raised over my head, I +forced myself out with every muscle in my body. I leaped to my +feet on the instant, quickly glancing round for the madman, +swinging my pistol about with my finger hard on the trigger. He +was not there, after all. I might have spared myself the trouble. +I was alone there in the fern, within earshot of a murmur of +voices, talking excitedly. I was not going to spy into any more +secrets. I was going to get out of that camp cost what it might. +I made one rush through the fern in the direction of the rampart, +shoving the stalks aside, as a bull knocks through jungle in +Campeachy. In thirty steps I was clear of the fern, charging slap +into a group of people who were giving brandy to the sentry, whom +I had passed but a little while before. He was bleeding from a +broken wound on his pretty hard Saxon skull. He was not badly +hurt, for he was swearing lustily; but he had been stunned just +long enough for my pirate man to strip him. He was dressed now in +a pair of leather gaiters, all the rest of his things had been +taken, the pistol with them, I saw all this at a glance, as I +charged in among them. I took it all in, guessing in one swift +gleam of comprehension, exactly what had happened there, as my +pirate made his rush for freedom. There was no time to ask if my +guess were right or not. + +"Out of my way," I shouted, shoving my pistol towards the nearest +of the group. "Out of my way, or I shall fire." They made way for +me. I charged down hill by the way I had come. Some one cried +"Stop en." Another shouted "Shoot en, maister." There came a +great bang of a gun over my head. But I was going down hill like +a rabbit, into the gorse, into the bracken, into the close cover +of the heath. Glancing back, I saw a dozen excited people rushing +down the rampart after me. Some flung stones; some ran to catch +horses to chase me. But I had the start of them. I was down the +hill, over the hedge, in the lane, in no time. There, a hundred +yards away, I saw my friends the troopers leading my cob. I +shouted to them. They heard me. They came up to me at a gallop. +In ten seconds more we were sailing away together. + +"You been getting into scrapes, master," said one of the +troopers. "You doan't want to meddle with the folk in these +parts." + +"No," said the other, with a touch of insolence in his voice. "So +your master may find, one of these fine days." Being mindful of +the Duke's honour, I told the man to mind his own business, which +he said he meant to do, without asking my opinion. After that we +rode on together a little heated, till we were out of sight of +the combe, where I had had such a startling adventure. + +After another hour of riding, we pulled up at the garden gate of +an old grey handsome house which stood at some distance from the +road. I asked one of the troopers who lived in this house. He +said that it was an old Abbey, which belonged to Squire; but that +we were to leave word there of the Duke's movements, "for Squire +be very 'tached to the Protestants; besides he'll give us a +breakfast. Sure to." We left our horses at the gate while we +walked up to the house. A pretty girl, who seemed to know one of +the men, told us to come in, while she got breakfast for us. +"Squire," she said, "would be glad to hear what was going on; for +he was that given up to the soldiers we couldn't hardly believe." +We were shown down a long flagged corridor to a little cool room +which looked as though it had once been the abbot's cell. It had +a window in it, looking out upon a garden in full flower, a +little rose garden, covered with those lovely bushes of old +English red single roses, the most beautiful flower in the world. +The window was large, but the space of it was broken up by stone +piers, so that no pane of glass was more than six inches wide. I +mention this now, because of what happened later. There was not +much furniture in the room; but what there was was very good. +There was an old Dutch pewter jug, full of sweet-williams, on the +table. On the wall' there was a picture of a Spanish gentleman on +a cream-coloured, fat handsome little horse. Together they looked +very like Don Quixote out for a ride with his squire. The two +troopers left me in this room, while they went off to the +kitchen. Presently the servant came in again, bringing me a noble +dish of breakfast, a pigeon pie, a ham, a jar of preserved +quince, a honeycomb, a great household loaf, newly baked, a big +quart jug full of small beer. I made a very honest meal. After +eating, I examined the room. There was tapestry over one part of +the wall. It concealed a little low door which led to what had +once been the abbot's fishpond, now a roofed-in bath-house, where +one could plunge into eight feet or so of (bitterly cold) spring +water. This bath-house was some steps lower than the little +dining room. It was lighted by a skylight directly over the bath. +It had no other window whatever. After examining the bath, +wishing that I had known of it before eating, I went back to the +dining room, where the servant was clearing away the food. + +"I hope you enjoyed your breakfast, sir," she said. + +"Yes, thank you, very much indeed," I answered. + +"Squire will be down d'reckly, sir," she said. "If you will +please to make yourself at home." I made myself at home, as she +desired, while she, after a few minutes, took away the soiled +plates, leaving all the other things on the side-board, ready for +dinner. I noticed that she smiled in a rather strange way as she +drew to the door behind her. + +I loitered away about half an hour, waiting for the squire to +come. As he did not come, I turned over the books on the shelves, +mostly volumes of plays, the Spanish Tragedy, the Laws of Candy, +Love Lies a Bleeding, etc., four plays to a volume in buckram +covers. I was just getting tired of All for Love, when I heard a +footstep in the passage outside. I thought that I would ask the +passenger, whoever it might be, for how much longer the squire +would keep me waiting. I was anxious about getting back to the +army. It was dangerous to straggle too far from the Duke's camps +when unbeaten armies followed on both his wings. So I went to the +door to learn my fate at once. To my great surprise I found that +I could not open it. It was locked on the outside. The great +heavy iron lock had been turned upon me. I was a prisoner in the +room there. Thinking that it had been done carelessly, I beat +upon the door to attract the man who passed down the passage, +calling to him to turn the key for me so that I might get out. +The footsteps did not pause. They passed on, down the corridor, +as though the man were deaf. After that a fury came upon me. I +beat upon the door for five minutes on end, till the house must +have rung with the clatter; but no one paid any attention to me, +only, far away, I heard a woman giggling, in an interval when I +had paused for breath. The door was a heavy, thick oak door, +bound with iron. The lock was a bar of steel at least two inches +thick; there was no chance of getting it open. Even firing into +the lock with my little pistol would not have helped me; it would +only have jammed the tongue of steel in its bed. I soon saw the +folly of trying to get out by the door; so I turned to the +window, which was more difficult still, or, if not more +difficult, more tantalizing, since it showed me the free garden +into which one little jump would suffice to carry me. But the +closely placed piers of stone made it impossible for me to get +through the window. It was no use trying to do so. I should only +have stuck fast, midway. I began at once to pick out the mortar +of the pier stones with my knife point. It was hopeless work, +though, for the old monks had used some cement a good deal harder +than the stones which it bound together. I could only dig away a +little dust from its surface. That way also was barred to me. +Then I went down to the bathing-chamber, hoping that there +would be some way of escape for me there. I hoped that the escape +pipe of the bath might be a great stone conduit leading to a +fish-pond in the garden. It was nothing of the sort. It was a +little miserable leaden pipe. I beat all round the walls, praying +for some secret door, but there was nothing of any use to me, +only a little iron ventilator high up, big enough to take my +head, but nothing more. As for the skylight over the bath, it was +beyond my reach, high up. For the moment I could see no means of +getting to it. I went back to the dining room to give another +useless pounding to the door. My head was full of miserable +forebodings; but as yet I suspected merely that I had been caught +by some sudden advance of militia. Or perhaps the squire had laid +plans to get information from one who knew the Duke. Perhaps I +had been lured away specially by one hungry for the King's good +opinion. Or could it be Aurelia? Whatever it was, I was trapped, +that was the terrible thing. I was shut up there till my enemy, +whoever it was, chose to deal with me. I was in arms against the +ruling King of England; everybody's hand would be against me, +unless my own hands helped me before my enemies came. My first +thought was to get the table down the steps, to make a bridge +across the bath, from which I could reach the skylight. This I +could not do at first; for being much flustered, I did not put +the table-leaves down. Until I knocked them down in my hurry they +kept me from dragging the table from the dining room. When I got +it at last into the bath-room, I found that it would not stretch +across the water: the legs were too close together, as I might +have seen had I kept my wits about me. I could think of no other +way of getting out. + +I went back disheartened to the dining room, dragging my coat +behind me. The first thing which I saw was a letter addressed to +me in a hand already known to me. The letter lay on the floor on +the space once covered by the table. As it had not been there +when I dragged the table downstairs, someone must have entered +the room while I was away. I opened the letter in a good deal of +flurry. It ran as follows: + +"Dear Martin Hyde:--As you will not take a sincere friend's +advice, you have to make the best of a sincere adviser's +friendship. You did me a great service. Let me do you one. I hope +to keep you an amused prisoner until your captain is a beaten +man. By about three weeks from this 26th of June we shall hope to +have made you so much our friend that you will not think of +leaving us. May I make a compact with you? Please do not shoot me +with that pistol of yours when I bring you some supper tonight. +That is one part of it. The other is this. Let us be friends. We +know all about you. I have even talked to Ephraim about you. So +let us make it up. We have been two little spit fires. At any +rate you have. Let us be friends. What sorts of books do you like +to read? I shall bring you some story-books about ghosts, or +about red Indians. Which do you like best? I like red Indians +myself. I suppose you, being a man, like ghosts best. Your +sincere friend Aurelia Carew. Who by the by thinks it best to +warn you that you had not better try to get up the chimney, as it +is barred across. She hopes that the table did not fall into the +bath." + + + +CHAPTER XXI. MY FRIEND AURELIA AND HER UNCLE + +It was a friendly letter, which relieved me a good deal from my +anxieties; but what I could not bear was the thought that the +Duke would think me a deserter. I made up my mind that I would +get away from that house at the first opportunity, so as to +rejoin the Duke, to whom I felt myself pledged. But in the +meantime, until I could get away, I resolved to make the best of +my imprisonment. I was nettled by Aurelia's tone of superiority. +I would show her, as I had shown her before, that my wits were +just as nimble as hers. A few minutes after the letter had been +read, she held a parley with me through the keyhole. + +"Mr. Martin Hyde. Are you going to shoot me?" + +"No, Miss Carew, though I think you deserve it." + +"You won't try to get away if I open the door?" + +"I mean to get away as soon as ever I get half a chance." + +"I've got three men with me at the door here." + +"Oh. Very well. But you just wait till I get a chance." + +"Don't be so bloodthirsty, Mr. Martin Hyde. Now, I'm coming in to +talk with you. No pistols, mind. Not one." + +"I've promised I won't shoot. You might believe a fellow. But I +mean to get away, remember. Just to show you." + +She opened the door after that, a brown, merry Aurelia, behind +whom I could see three men, ready to stop any rush. They closed +the door behind her after she had entered. + +"Well," she said, smiling. "Will you not shake hands with me, +Martin Hyde?" + +"Yes," I said, "I will shake hands. But you played a very mean +trick, I think. There." + +"You mustn't think me mean," she answered. "I don't like mean +people. Now promise me one thing. You say you are going to run +away from us. You won't run away from me when I am with you, will +you?" + +"No," I said, after thinking this over, to see if it could be +twisted into any sort of trap, likely to stop my escape. "I will +not. Not while I am with you." + +"That's right," she said. "We can go out together, then. Now +you've promised, suppose we go out into the garden." + +We went into the garden together, talking of every subject under +the sun but the subject nearest to our hearts at the moment. I +would not speak of her capture of me; she would not speak of the +Duke's march towards Taunton. There was some constraint whenever +we came near those subjects. She was a very merry, charming +companion; but the effect of her talk that morning was to make me +angry at being trapped by her. I looked over the countryside for +guiding points in case I should be able to get away. Axminster +lay to the southeast, distant about six miles; so much I could +reckon from the course of our morning's ride. I could not see +Axminster for I was shut from it by rolling combes, pretty high, +which made a narrow valley for the river. To the west the combes +were very high, strung along towards Taunton in heaps. Due east, +as I suspected, quite near to us, was Chard, where by this time +the Duke must have been taking up his position. Taunton I judged +(from a mile-stone which we had passed) to be not much more than +a dozen miles from where I was. I have always had a pretty keen +sense of position. I do not get lost. Even in the lonely parts of +the world I have never been lost. I can figure out the way home +by a sort of instinct helped by a glimpse at the sun. When I go +over a hill I have a sort of picture-memory of what lies behind, +to help me home again, however tortuous my path is on the other +side. So the few glimpses which I could get of the surrounding +country were real helps to me. I made more use of them than +Aurelia suspected. + +We were much together that day. Certainly she did her best to +make my imprisonment happy. In the evening she was kinder; we +were more at ease together; I was able to speak freely to her. + +"Aurelia," I said, "you risked your life twice to warn me." + +"That's not quite true, Martin," she said. "I am a government +spy, trusted with many people's lives. I had other work to do +than to warn a naughty boy who wanted to see what the ghosts +were." I was startled at her knowing so much about me; she +laughed. + +"Well," she said, "I like you for it. I should have wanted to see +them myself. But the ghost-makers are scattered far enough now." + +"All the same, Aurelia," I said, "I thank you for what you did +for me. I wish I could do something in return." She laughed. + +"Well," she said, "you were very kind in the ship. You were a +good enemy to me then. Weren't you?" + +"Yes," I said, "I beat you properly on the ship. I carried the +Duke's letters in my pistol cartridges, where you never suspected +them. The letters which were in the satchel I forged myself after +I got on board. If you'd not been a silly you'd have seen that +they were forged." + +"So that was why," she said. "Those letters gave everybody more +anxious work than you've any notion of. Oh, Martin, though, I +helped to drug you to get those letters. It was terrible. +Terrible. Will you ever forgive me?" + +"Why, yes, Aurelia," I said. "After all, it was done for your +King. Just as I mean to run away from here to serve mine. All is +fair in the King's service. Let us shake hands on that." We shook +hands heartily, looking into each other's eyes. + +"By the way," I said, "where did you get to that day in Holland, +when I got the letters from you?" + +"Ah," she answered, "you made me like a wildcat that day. I +nearly killed you, twice. You remember that low parapet on the +roof? I was behind that, waiting for you with a loaded pistol. +You were all very near your deaths that morning. In the King's +service, of course. For just a minute, I thought that you would +climb up to examine that parapet. What a crazy lot you all were +not to know at once that I was there! Where else could I have +been?" + +"Well," I answered, "I beat you in the ride, didn't I? You +thought yourself awfully clever about that horse at the inn. +Well, I beat you there. I beat you in the race. I beat you with +my letters to the Dutchman. I beat you over those forgeries." + +"Yes, indeed," she said. "I can beat all the men in your Duke's +service. Every one. Even clever Colonel Lane. Even Fletcher of +Saltoun. But a boy is so unexpected, there's no beating a boy, +except with a good birch rod. You beat me so often, Martin, that +I think you can afford to forgive me for tricking you once in +bringing you here." + +"I shall beat you in that, too, Miss Carew," I said; "for I mean +to get away from you as soon as I can." + +"So you say," she said. "But we have club men walking all round +this house all night, as well as sentries by day, guarding the +stock. Your gang of marauders will find a rough welcome if they +come for refreshments here." + +Even as she spoke, there came a sudden crash of fire-arms from +the meadows outside the garden. About a dozen men came hurrying +out of the house with weapons in their hands, among them a big, +fierce-looking handsome man, who drew his sword as he ran. + +"That is my uncle, Travers Carew," said Aurelia. "He owns this +property. He wants to meet you." There came another splutter of +fire-arms from the meadows. "Come," she said. "We'll see what it +is. It is the Duke's men come pillaging." + +We ran through a gate in the wall into an apple-orchard, where +the Carew men were already dodging among the trees towards the +enemy. There was a good deal of shouting, but the tide of battle, +as they call it, the noise of shots, the trampling of horses, had +already set away to the left, where the enemy were retreating, +with news, as I heard later, that the militia held the Abbey in +force. The Carew men came back in a few minutes with a prisoner. +He had been captured while holding the horses of two friends, who +had dismounted to drive off some of the Carew cattle. He said +that the attack had been made by a party of twenty of the Duke's +horse, sent out to bring in food for the march. They had +scattered at the first discharge of fire-arms, which had +frightened them horribly, for they had not expected any +opposition. The frightened men never drew rein till they galloped +their exhausted horses into Chard camp, where they gave another +touch of dejection to the melancholy Duke. As for the prisoner, +he was sent off under guard to Honiton gaol; I don't know what +became of him. He was one of more than three thousand who came to +death or misery in that war. They said that he was a young +farmer, in a small way, from somewhere out beyond Chideock. The +war had been a kind of high-spirited frolic for him; he had +entered into it thoughtlessly, in the belief that it would be a +sort of pleasant ride to London, with his expenses paid. Now he +was ended. When he rode out with bound hands from the Carew house +that evening, between two armed riders, he rode out of life. He +never saw Chideock again, except in the grey light of dawn, after +a long ride upon a hurdle, going to be hanged outside his home. +Or perhaps he was bundled into one of the terrible convict ships +bound for Barbadoes, with other rebels, to die of small-pox on +the way, or under the whip in the plantations. + +After this little brush, with its pitiful accompaniment, which +filled me full of a blind anger against the royal party, so much +stronger, yet with so much less right than ours, I was taken in +to see Sir Travers Carew. He had just sent off the prisoner to +Honkon, much as he would have brushed a fly from his hand. He had +that satisfaction with himself, that feeling of having supported +the right, which comes to all those who do cruel things in the +name of that code of unjust cruelty, the criminal law. He looked +at me with rather a grim smile, which made me squirm. + +"So," he said, "this is the young rebel, is it? Do you know that +I could send you off to Honiton gaol with that poor fellow +there?" This made my heart die; but something prompted me to put +a good face on it. + +"Sir," I said, "I have done what my father thought right. I don't +wish to be treated better than any other prisoner. Send me to +Honiton, sir." + +"No," he said, looking at me kindly. "I shall not send you to +Honiton. You are not in arms against the King's peace, nor did +you come over from Holland with the Duke. I can't send you to +Honiton. Besides, I knew your father, Martin. I was at college +with him. He was a good friend of mine, poor fellow. No, sir, I +shall keep you here till the Duke's crazy attempt is knocked on +the head. I think I can find something better for you to do than +that fussy old maid, your uncle, could. But, remember, sir. You +have a reputation for being a slippery young eel. I shall take +particular pains to keep you from slipping out of my hands. But I +do not wish to use force to your father's son. Will you give me +your word not to try to escape?" + +"No," I answered, sullenly. "I won't. I mean to get away directly +I can." + +"Come," he said kindly, "we tricked you rather nastily. But do +you suppose, Martin, that your father, if he were here, would +encourage your present resolutions? The Duke is coming (nearly +unprepared) to bring a lot of silly yokels into collision with +fully trained soldiers ten times more numerous. If the +countryside, the gentry, the educated, intelligent men, were +ready for the Duke, or believed in his cause, they would join +him. They do not join him. His only adherents are the idle, +ignorant, ill-conditioned rogues of this county, who will neither +fight nor obey, when it comes to the pinch. I do not love the +present King, Martin, but he is a better man than this Duke. The +Duke will never make a king. He may be very fit for court-life; +but there is not an ounce of king in him. If the Duke succeeds, +in a year or two he will show himself so foolish that we shall +have to send for the Prince of Orange, who is a man of real, +strong wisdom. We count on that same prince to deliver us from +James, when the time is ripe. It is not ripe, yet. I am telling +you bitter, stern truth, Martin. Now then. Let me have your +promise not to continue in the service of this doomed princeling, +your master. Eh? What shall it be?" + +"No," I said, "that's desertion." + +"Not at all," he answered. "It is a custom of war. Come now. As a +prisoner of war, give me your parole." + +"You said just now that I was not a prisoner of war," I answered. + +"Very well, then," he said. "I am a magistrate. I commit you add +suspected person. Hart! Hart!" (Here he called in a man-servant.) +"Just see that this young sprig keeps out of mischief. Think it +over, Mr. Martin. Think it over." + +In a couple of minutes I was back in my prison cells, locked in +for the night, with neither lamp nor candle. A cot had been made +up for me in a corner of the room. Supper was laid for me on the +table, which had been brought back to its place. There was +nothing for it but to grope to bed in the twilight, wondering how +soon I could get away to what I still believed to be a righteous +cause in which my father wished me to fight. I slept soundly +after my day of adventure. I dreamed that I rode into London +behind the Duke, amid all the glory of victory, with the people +flinging flowers at us. But dreams go by contraries, the wise +women say. + +I was a full fortnight, or a little more, a prisoner in that +house. They treated me very kindly. Aurelia was like an elder +sister. Old Sir Travers used to jest at my being a rebel. But I +was a prisoner, shut in, watched, kept close. The kindness jarred +upon me. It was treating me like a child, when I was no longer a +child. I had for some wild weeks been doing things which few men +have the chance of doing. Perhaps, if I had confided all that I +felt to Aurelia, she would have cleared away my troubles, made me +see that the Duke's cause was wrong, that my father would wish +his son well out of civil broils, however just, that I had better +give the promise that they asked from me. But I never confided +really fully in her. I moped a good deal, much worried in my +mind. I began to get a lot of unworthy fancies into my head, +silly fancies, which an honest talk would have scattered at once. +I began to think from their silence about the Duke's doings that +his affairs were prospering, that he was conquering, or had +conquered, that I was being held by this loyalist family as a +hostage. It was silly of me; but although in many ways I was +a skilled man of affairs, I had only the brain of a child, I +could not see the absurdity of what I came to believe. It worried +me so much that at the end of my imprisonment I became very +feverish; really ill from anxiety, as prisoners often are. I +refused food for the latter part of one day, hoping to frighten +my captors. They did not notice it, so I had my pains for +nothing. + +I went to bed very early; but I could not sleep. I fidgeted about +till I was unusually wakeful. Then I got out of bed to try if +there was a way of escape by the old-fashioned chimney, barred +across as it was, at intervals, by strong old iron bars. I had +never thought the chimney possible, having examined it before, +when I first came to that house; but my fever made me think all +things possible; so up I got, hoping that I should have light +enough to work by. + + + +CHAPTER XXII. THE PRIEST'S HOLE + +It was too dark to do much that night, but I spent an hour in +picking mortar from the bricks into which the lowest iron bar had +been let. After a brief sleep I woke in the first of the light +(at about one o'clock) ready to go at it again. My fever was hot +upon me. I don't think that I was quite sane that day; but all my +reason seemed to burn up into one bright point, escape, escape at +all costs, then, at the instant. I must tell you that the +chimney, like most old chimneys, was big enough for a big boy to +scramble up, in order to sweep it. For some reason, the owners of +the house had barred the chimney across so that this could not be +done. They swept it, probably, in the effective old-fashioned way +by shooting a blank charge of powder from a blunderbuss straight +up the opening. The first two iron bars were so placed that it +was only necessary to remove one to make room for my body. +Further up there were others, more close together. The fire had +not been lighted for many years; there was no soot in the +passage. There was a jackdaw's nest high up. I could see the old +jackdaw looking down at me. Up above her head was a little square +of sky. I did not doubt that when I got to the top I should be +able to scramble out of that square on to the leads, then down by +a water-spout, evading the sentries, over the garden wall to +freedom. After half an hour of mortar picking I got one end of +the lowest iron bar out of its socket. Then I picked out the +mortar from the other end, working the bar about like a lever, to +grind the fulcrum into dust. Soon I had the bar so loose that I +was able to thrust it to one side, leaving a passage big enough +for my body. + +I was very happy when this was done. I went back to the room to +make up a packet of food to take with me. This I thrust into an +inner pocket, before launching out up the hole. When I had +cleaned up the mess of mortar, I started up the chimney, +carefully replacing the bar behind me. Soon I was seven or eight +feet above the room, trying to get at the upper bars. I was +scrambling about for a foothold, when I noticed, to my left, an +iron bar or handle, well concealed from below by projecting +bricks. I seized hold of it with my left hand, very glad of the +support it offered, when, with a dull grating noise, it slid +downwards under my weight, drawing with it the iron panel to +which it was clamped. I had come upon a secret chamber in the +chimney; there at my side was an opening big enough for a man's +body. I was pretty well startled by it, not only by the +suddenness of the discovery, but from the fear I had lest it +should lead to some inhabited room, where my journey would be +brought to an end. I peered into it well, before I ventured to +enter. It was a little low room, about five feet square, lit by +two loopholes, which were concealed from outside by the great +growth of ivy on the side of the house. I clambered into it with +pleasure, keeping as quiet as I could. It was a dirty little +room, with part of its floor rotten from rain which had beaten in +through the loopholes. It had not been used for a great while. +The pallet bed against the wall was covered with rotten rags, dry +as tinder. There were traces of food, who could say how ancient, +in a dish by the bed. There was a little crucifix, with a broken +neck-chain, lying close to the platter. Some priest who had used +this priest-hole years before had left it there in his hurry; I +wondered how. Something of the awe which had been upon him then +seemed to linger in the place. Many men had lain with beating +hearts in that room; the room seemed to remember. I have never +been in a place which made one's heart move like that room. Well. +The priest's fears were dead as the priest by this time. Nothing +but the wreck of his dinner, perhaps the last he ever ate, +remained to tell of him, beside the broken symbol of his belief. +I shut-to the little panel-door by which I had entered, so that I +might not have the horrible fancy that the old priest's shaven +head was peering up the chimney at me, to see what I was doing in +his old room, long since given over to the birds. + +As I expected, there was a way of escape from the hiding-place. A +big stone in the wall seemed to project unnecessarily; the last +comer to that room had shut the door carelessly; otherwise I +might never have found it. Seeing the projecting stone, I took it +for a clue feeling all round it, till I found that underneath it +there was a groove for finger tips. The stone was nothing more +than a large, cunningly fashioned drawer, which pulled out, +showing a passage leading down, down, along narrow winding steps, +just broad enough for one man to creep down at a time. The stairs +were more awesome than the room, for they were dark. I could not +see where they led; but I meant to go through this adventure, now +that I had begun it. So down I crept cautiously, clinging to the +wall, feeling with my feet as I went, lest there should be no +step, suddenly, but a black pit, far down, into which a man might +fall headlong, on to who knows what horrors. I counted the steps. +I thought that they would never end. There were thirty-seven +altogether. They brought me to a dark sort of room, with damp +earth for its floor, upon which water slowly dropped from some +unseen stalactite. I judged that I must be somewhere under the +bath-chamber, not more than ten feet from the abbot's old +fish-pond. If there was a way out I felt that it must be to my +left, under the garden; not to my right, which would lead back +under the body of the house. + +Very cautiously I felt along to my left, till I found that there +was indeed a passage; but one so low that I had to stoop to get +along it. A few steps further brought me with a shock against a +wall, a sad surprise to me, for I thought that I was on the road +to safety. When I recovered from my fear I felt along the wall +till I found that the passage zigzagged like a badger's earth. It +turned once sharply to the right, going up a couple of steps, +then again sharply to the left, going up a few more steps, then +again to the right up one step more, to a broader open stretch, +lit by one or two tiny chinks, more cheering to me than you can +imagine. I guessed that I was passing at last under the garden, +having gone right below the house's foundations. The chinks of +light seemed to me to come from holes worn in the roof by rabbits +or rats. They were pleasant things to see after all that groping +in the blackness of night. On I went cautiously, feeling my way +before me, till suddenly I stopped dead, frightened terribly, for +close to me, almost within touch as it seemed, some men were +talking to each other. They were evidently sitting just above my +head, in the cool morning, watching for me to come through my +window, as I suppose. They were some of Sir Travers's sentries. A +moment's thought told me that I had little to fear from them, if +I moved quietly in my burrow. However, as my walk was often +noisy, through stumblings on stones, I waited till they moved +off, which was not for some minutes. One of the men was asking +the other what was the truth about the Duke. + +"Why," his mate answered, "they say as he got beat back coming +towards London. They say he be going to Bridgewater, now, to make +it a castle, like; or perhaps he be a coming to Taunton. They say +he have only a mob, like, left to en, what with all this rain. +But I do-an't know. He be very like to come here agen; so as +us'll have to watch for our stock." + +"Ah?" said the first. "They did say as there was soldiers come to +Evilminster. So as to shut en off, like. I seed fires out that +way, myself, like camp-fires, afore it grew light. They do say +the soldiers be all for the Duke." + +"Yes," the other answered, "he be very like to win if it come to +a battle. He'd a got on to London, I dare-say, if the roads had +but been dry." + +"What do ee say to a bit of tobaccy, master?" said the first, +after a pause. + +"Why, very well," said the other. At this instant, without any +warning, something in the wall of my passage gave way, some bit +of rotten mortar which held up a stone, or something of the sort. +At any rate, a stone fell out, with a little rush of rotten +plaster, making a good deal of noise, though of course it seemed +more to me than to the men outside. + +"What ever in the world was that?" said one of them. + +"I dunno," said the other. "It seemed to come from down below +somewhere, under the earth, like. Do you think as it could be a +rabbit?" + +"It did sound like a stone falling out of a wall," came the +answer. "I dunno. Where could it a come from?" + +They seemed to search about for some trace of a rabbit; but not +finding any, they listened for another stone to fall. + +"I tell you what I think," said the first man. "I believe as +there be underground passages all over these here gardens. Some +of them walks sound just as hollow as logs if you do stamp on +'em. There was very queer doings here in the old monks' time; +very queer. Some day I mean to grub about a bit, master. For my +old grandmother used always to say as the monks buried a lot of +treasure hereabouts in the old time." + +"Ah?" said the other. "Then shall us get a spade quiet like, to +see if it be beneath." The other hesitated, while my heart sank. +I very nearly went back to my prison, thinking that all was over. + +"No," said his comrade. "Us'll ask Sir Travers first. He do-an't +like people grubbing about. Some of his forefathers as they call +them weren't very good, I do hear, neither. He do-an't want none +of their little games brought to light, like." + +After this, the men moved off, to some other part of their beat. +I went on along the passage quickly, till suddenly I fell with a +crash down three or four steps into a dirty puddle, knocking my +head as I fell. I could see no glimmer of light from this place; +but I groped my way out, up a few more steps further on into a +smaller, dirtier passage than the one which I had just left. +After this I had to crawl like a badger in his earth, with my +back brushing against the roof, over many masses of broken +brickwork most rough to the palms of my hands. All of a sudden I +smelt a pleasant stable-smell. I heard the rattle of a halter +drawn across manger bars. I heard a horse paw upon the ground +quite close to me. A dim, but regular chink of light showed in +front of me, level with my head as crawled. Peering through it, I +saw that I was looking into a stable, almost level with the +floor; the passage had come to an end. + +By getting my fingers into the crack through which I peered, I +found that I could swing round some half a dozen stones, which +were mortared together, so as to form a revolving door. It worked +with difficulty, as though no one had passed through by that way +for many years; but it worked for me, after a little hard +pushing. I scrambled through the narrow opening into a roomy old +stable, where some cart-horses peered at me with wonder, as I +rose to my feet. After getting out, I shut to my door behind me, +so firmly that I could not open it again; there must have been +some spring or catch which I could not set to work. Two steps +more took me out of the horses' stalls into the space behind, +where, on a mass of hay, lay a carter, fast asleep, with the +door-key in his hand. By his side lay a pitchfork. He was keeping +guard there, prepared to resist Monmouth's pillagers. + +He slept so heavily that I was tempted to take the key from his +hand. Twice I made little half steps forward to take it; but each +time something in the man's look daunted me. He was a +surly-looking man who, if roused suddenly, in a locked stable, +might lay about him without waiting to see who roused him. He +stirred in his sleep as I drew near him for the second time; so I +gave up the key as a bad job. The loft seemed to be my only +chance; as there was only this one big locked double door upon +the lower floor, I clambered up the steep ladder to the loft, +hoping that my luck there might be better, but resolved, if the +worst came, to hide there in the hay until the carter took the +horses to work, leaving the doors open. + +I had hardly set my foot upon the loft floor, when one of the +horses, hearing some noise outside, or being moved by some evil +spirit, whinnied loudly, rattling his halter. The noise was +enough to arouse an army. It startled the carter from his bed. I +heard him leap to his feet with an oath; I heard him pad round +the stable, talking to the horses in turn; I heard him unlock the +door to see what was stirring. I stood stock-still in my tracks, +not daring to stir towards the cover of the hay at the farther +end of the loft. I heard him walk slowly, grunting heavily, to +the foot of the ladder, where he stopped to listen for any +further signal. If he had come up he must have caught me. I could +not have escaped. But though he seemed suspicious he did not +venture further. He walked slowly back to his bed, grunting +discontentedly. In a few minutes he was sound asleep again; for +farming people sleep like sailors, as though sleep were a sort of +spirit muffling them suddenly in a thick felt blanket. After he +had gone off to sleep, I took off my boots, in order to put them +on under my stockings, for the greater quiet which that muffling +gives to the tread. Then I peered about the loft for a way of +escape. + +There were big double doors to this upper loft, through which the +hay could be passed from a waggon standing near the wall. These +doors were padlocked on the inside; there was no opening them; +the staples were much too firm for me to remove without a +crowbar. The other openings in the walls were mere loophole +slits, about four feet long but only a few inches broad. There +were enough of these to make the place light. By their light I +could see that there was no way of escape for me except by the +main door. I was almost despairing of escape from this prison of +mine, when I saw that the loft had a hayshoot, leading downwards. +When I saw it I fondly hoped that it led to some outer stable or +cart-shed, separated from that in which the carter slept. A +glance down its smooth shaft showed me that it led to the main +stable. I could see the heads of the meditative horses, bent over +the empty mangers exactly as if they were saying grace. Beyond +them I saw the boots of the carter dangling over the edge of the +trusses of hay on which he slept. I stepped back from this shaft +quickly because I thought that I might be seen from below. My +foot went into the nest of a sitting hen, right on to the +creature's back. Up she started, giving me such a fright that I +nearly screamed. She flew with a cackling shriek which set all +the blackbirds chippering in the countryside. Round the loft she +scattered, calling her hideous noise. Up jumped the carter, down +came his pitchfork with a thud. His great boots clattered over +the stable to the ladder. Clump, clump, he came upstairs, with +his pitchfork prongs gleaming over his head like lanceheads. I +saw his head show over the opening of the loft. There was not a +second to lose. His back of course was still towards me, as the +ladder was mercifully nailed to the wall. Before he turned I slid +over the mouth of the shaft down into the hayrack of the old +brute who had whinnied. I lit softly; but I certainly shocked +that old mare's feelings. In a second, before she had time to +kick, I was outside her stall, darting across the stable to the +key, which lay on the truss of hay, mercifully left there by its +guardian. In another second the lock had turned. I was outside, +in the glorious open fields again. Swiftly but silently I drew +the key out of the lock. One second more sufficed to lock that +door from without. The carter was a prisoner there, locked safely +in with his horses. I was free. The key was in my pocket. Yonder +lay the great combes which hid Taunton from me. I waved my hat +towards them; then, with a wild joyous rush, I scrambled behind +the cover of the nearest hedge, along which I ran hard for nearly +a quarter of a mile. + +I stopped for a few minutes to rest among some ferns, while I +debated how to proceed. I changed the arrangement of my +stockings; I also dusted my very dirty clothes, all filthy from +that horrid passage underground. "Now," I said to myself, "there +must be many ways to Taunton. One way, I know, leads along this +valley, past Chard there, where the houses are. The other way +must lie across these combes, high up. Which way shall I choose, +I wonder?" A moment's thought showed me that the combes would be +unfrequented, while the valley road, being the easy road, which +(as I knew) the Duke's army had chosen, would no doubt be full of +people, some of them (perhaps) the King's soldiers, coming up +from Bridport. If I went by that road my pursuers would soon hear +of me, even if I managed to get past the watchers on the road. On +the other hand, Aurelia would probably know that I should choose +the combe road. Still, even if she sent out mounted men, she +would find me hard to track, since the combes were lonely, so +lonely that for hours together you can walk there without meeting +anybody. There would be plentiful cover among the combes in case +I wished to lie low. Besides, I had a famous start, a five hours' +start; for I should not be missed until eight o'clock. It could +not then have been much more than half-past two. In five hours an +active boy, even if he knew not the road, might put some half a +dozen miles behind him. I say only half a dozen miles, because +the roads were the roughest of rough mud-tracks, still soft from +the rains. As I did not know the way, I knew that I might count +on going wrong, taking wrong turns, etc. As I wished to avoid +people, I counted on travelling most of the way across country, +trusting to luck to find my way among the fields. So that, +although in five hours I should travel perhaps ten or twelve +miles, I could not count on getting more than six miles towards +Taunton. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. FREE + +For the first hour or two, as no one would be about so early, I +thought it safe to use the road. I put my best foot foremost, +going up the great steep combe, with Chard at my back. + +The road was one of the loneliest I have ever trodden. It went +winding up among barren-looking combes which seemed little better +than waste land. There were few houses, so few that sometimes, on +a bit of rising ground, when the road lifted clear of the hedges, +one had to look about to see any dwelling of men. There was +little cultivation, either. It was nearly all waste, or scanty +pasture. A few cows cropped by the wayside near the lonely +cottages. A few sheep wandered among the ferns. It was a very +desolate land to lie within so few miles of England's richest +valleys. I walked through it hurriedly, for I wished to get far +from my prison before my escape was discovered. No one was there +to see me; the lie of the valley below gave me my direction, +roughly, but closely enough. After about an hour of steady, +fairly good walking, I pulled up by a little tiny brook for +breakfast. I ate quickly, then hurried on, for I dared not waste +time. I turned out of the narrow cart-tracks into what seemed to +be a highroad. + +I dipped down a hollow, past a pond where geese were feeding, +then turned to a stiff steep hill, which never seemed to end for +miles. The country grew lonelier at every step; there were no +houses there; only a few rabbits tamely playing in the outskirts +of the coverts. A jay screamed in the clump of trees at the +hill-top; it seemed the proper kind of voice for a waste like +that. Still further on, I sat down to rest at the brink of the +great descent, which led, as I guessed, as I could almost see, to +the plain where Taunton lay, waiting for the Duke's army to +garrison her. There were thick woods to my right at this point, +making cover so dense that no hounds would have tried to break +through it, no matter how strong a scent might lead them. It was +here, as I sat for a few minutes to rest, that a strange thing +happened. + +I was sitting at the moment with my back to the wood, looking +over the desolate country towards a tiny cottage far off on the +side of the combe. A big dog-fox came out of the cover from +behind me, so quietly that I did not hear him. He trotted past me +in the road; I do not think that he saw me till he was just +opposite. Then he stopped to examine me, as though he had never +seen such a thing before. He was puzzled by me, but he soon +decided that I was not worth bothering about, for he made no +stay. He padded slowly on towards Chard, evidently well-pleased +with himself. Suddenly he stopped dead, with one pad lifted, a +living image of alert tension. He was alarmed by something coming +along the road by which I had come. He turned his head slightly, +as though to make sure with his best ear. Then with a single +beautiful lollopping bound he was over the hedge to safety, going +in that exquisite curving rhythm of movement which the fox has +above all English animals. For a second, I wondered what it was +that had startled him. Then, with a quickness of wit which would +have done credit to an older mind, I realized that there was +danger coming on the road towards me, danger of men or of dogs, +since nothing else in this country frightens a fox. It flashed in +upon me that I must get out of sight at once; before that danger +hove in view of me. I gave a quick rush over the fence into the +tangle, through which I drove my way till I was snug in an open +space under some yew trees, surrounded on all sides by brambles. +I shinned up one of the great yew trees, till I could command a +sight of the road, while lying hidden myself in the profuse +darkness of the foliage. Here I drew out my pistol, ready for +what might come. I suppose I had not been in my hiding-place for +more than thirty seconds, when over the brow of the hill came Sir +Travers Carew, at a full gallop, cheering on a couple of hounds, +who were hot on my scent. Aurelia rode after him, on her famous +chestnut mare. Behind her galloped two men, whom I had not seen +before. In an instant, they were swooped down to the place where +the dog-fox had passed. The hounds gave tongue when they smelt +the rank scent of their proper game; they were unused to +boy-hunting. They did not hesitate an instant, but swung off as +wild as puppies over the hedge, after the fox. The horsemen +paused for a second, surprised at the sudden sharp turn; but they +followed the hounds' lead, popping over the fence most nimbly, +not waiting to look for my tracks in the banks of the hedge. They +streamed away after the fox, to whom I wished strong legs. I knew +that with two young hounds they would never catch him, but I +hoped that he would give them a good run before the sun killed +the scent. I looked at the sun, now gloriously bright over all +the world, putting a bluish glitter on to the shaking oak leaves +of the wood. How came it that they had discovered my flight so +soon since it could not be more than six o'clock, if as much? I +wondered if it had been the old carter, who had never really seen +me. It might have been the old carter; but doubtless he drummed +for a good while on the door of the stable before anybody heard +him. Or it might have been one of the garden sentries. One of the +sentries might well have peeped in at the window of my room to +make sure that I was up to no pranks. He could have seen from the +window that my bed was empty. If he had noticed that, he could +have unlocked my door to make sure, after which it would not have +taken more than a few minutes to start after me. I learned +afterwards that the sentry had alarmed the house at a little +before five o'clock. The carter, being only half-awake when he +came after me, suspected nothing till the other farm-hands came +for the horses, at about six o'clock, when, the key being gone, +he had to break the lock, vowing that the rattens had took his +key from him in the night. My disappearance puzzled everybody, +because I had hidden my tracks so carefully that no one noticed +at first how the chimney bars had been loosened. No one in that +house knew of the secret room, so that the general impression was +that I had either squeezed myself through the window, or blown +myself out through the keyhole by art-magic. The hounds had been +laid along the road to Chard, with the result that they had hit +my trail after a few minutes of casting about. + +Now that they were after me, I did not know what to do. I dared +not go on towards Taunton; for who knew how soon the squire would +find his error, by viewing the fox? He was too old a huntsman not +to cast back to where he had left the road, as soon as he learned +that his hounds had changed foxes. I concluded that I had better +stay where I was, throughout that day, carefully hidden in the +yew-tree. In the evening I might venture further if the coast +seemed clear. It was easy to make such a resolution; but not so +easy to keep to it; for fifteen hours is a long time for a boy to +wait. I stayed quiet for some hours, but I heard no more of my +hunters. I learned later that they had gone from me, in a wide +circuit, to cut round upon the Taunton roads, so as to intercept +me, or to cause me to be intercepted in case I passed by those +ways. The hounds gave up after chasing the fox for three miles. +The old squire thought that they stopped because the sun had +destroyed the scent. With a little help from an animal I had +beaten Aurelia once more. When I grew weary of sitting up in the +yew tree, clambered down, intending to push on through the wood +until I came to the end of it. It was mighty thick cover to push +through for the first half mile; then I came to a cart-track, +made by wood-cutters, which I followed till it took me out of the +wood into a wild kind of sheep-pasture. It was now fully nine in +the evening, but the country was so desolate it might have been +undiscovered land. I might have been its first settler, newly +come there from the seas. It taught me something of the terrors +of war that day's wandering towards Taunton. I realized all the +men of these parts had wandered away after the Duke, for the sake +of the excitement, after living lonely up there in the wilds. +Their wives had followed the army also. The while population +(scanty as it was) had moved off to look for something more +stirring than had hitherto come to them. I wandered on slowly, +taking my time, getting my direction fairly clear from the +glimpses which I sometimes caught of the line of the highway. At +a little after noon I ate the last of my victuals near a spring. +I rested after my dinner, then pushed on again, till I had won to +a little spinney only four miles from Taunton, where my legs +began to fail under me. + +I crept into the spinney, wondering if it contained some good +shelter in which I could sleep for the night. I found a sort of +dry, high pitched bank, with the grass all worn off it, which I +thought would serve my turn, if the rain held off. As for supper, +I determined to shoot a rabbit with my pistol. For drink, there +was a plenty of small brooks within half a mile of the little +enclosure. After I had chosen my camp, I was not very satisfied +with it. The cover near by was none too thick. So I moved off to +another part where the bushes grew more closely together. As I +was walking leisurely along, I smelt a smell of something +cooking, I heard voices, I heard something clink, as though two +tin cups were being jangled. Before I could draw back, a man +thrust through the undergrowth, challenging me with a pistol. Two +other men followed him, talking in low, angry tones. They came +all round me with very murderous looks. They were the filthiest +looking scarecrows ever seen out of a wheat-field. + +"Why," said one of them, lowering his pistol, "it be the Duke's +young man, as we seed at Lyme." They became more friendly at +that; but still they seemed uneasy, not very sure of my +intentions. + +"Where is the Duke?" I asked after a long awkward pause. "Is he +at Taunton?" They looked from one to the other with strange looks +which I did not understand. + +"The Duke be at Bridgewater," said one of them in a curious tone. +"What be you doing away from the Duke?" + +"Why," I said, "I was taken prisoner. I escaped this morning." + +"Yes?" they said with some show of eagerness. "Be there many +soldiers hereaway, after us?" + +"No. Not many," I said. "Are you coming from the Duke?" + +"Yes," said one of them, "we left en at Bridgewater. We have been +having enough of fighting for the crown. We been marching in mud +up to our knees. We been fighting behind hedges. We been +retreating for the last week. So now us be going home, if us can +get there. Glad if we never sees a fight again." + +"Well," I said, "I must get to the Duke if I can. How far is it +to Bridgewater?" + +"Matter of fifteen mile," they said, after a short debate. +"You'll never get there tonight. Nor perhaps tomorrow, since we +hear the soldiers be a coming." + +"I'll get some of the way tonight," I said; but my heart sank at +the thought; for I was tired out. + +"No, young master," said one of the men kindly, "you stop with us +for tonight. Come to supper with us. Us 'ave rabbits on the +fire." Their fortnight of war had given them a touch of that +comradeship which camp-life always gives. They took me with them +to their camp-fire, where they fed me on a wonderful mess of +rabbits boiled with herbs. The men had bread. One of them had +cider. Our feast there was most pleasant; or would have been, had +not the talk of these deserters been so melancholy. They were +flying to their homes like hunted animals, after a fortnight of +misery which had altered their faces forever. They had been in +battle; they had retreated through mud; they had seen all the +ill-fortune of war. They did all that they could to keep me from +my purpose; but I had made up my mind to rejoin my master; I was +not to be moved. Before settling down to sleep for the night I +helped the men to set wires for rabbits, an art which I had not +understood till then, but highly useful to a lad so fated to +adventurous living as myself. We slept in various parts of the +spinney, wherever there was good shelter; but we were all so full +of jangling nerves that our sleep was most uneasy. We woke very +early, visited our wires, then breakfasted heartily on the +night's take. The men insisted on giving me a day's provision to +take with me, which I took, though grudgingly, for they had none +too much for themselves, poor fellows. Just before we parted I +wrote a note to Sir Travers, on a leaf of my pocketbook. "Dear +Sir Travers," I wrote, "These men are well-known to me as honest +subjects. They have had great troubles on their road. I hope that +you will help them to get home. Please remember me very kindly to +your niece." After folding this very neatly I gave the precious +piece of impudence to one of the men. "There," I said, "if you +are stopped, insist on being carried before Sir Travers. He knows +me. I am sure that he will help you as far as he can." For this +the men thanked me humbly. I learned, too, that it was of service +to them. It saved them all from arrest later in the same day. + +Having bidden my hosts farewell, I wandered on, keeping pretty +well in cover. I saw a patrol of the King's dragoons in one of +the roads near which I walked. The nets were fast closing in on +my master: there were soldiers coming upon him from every quarter +save the west, which was blocked too, as it happened, by ships of +war in the Channel. This particular patrol of dragoons caught +sight of me. I saw a soldier looking over a gate at me; but as I +was only a boy, seemingly out for birdsnests, he did not +challenge me, so that by noon I was safe in Taunton. I have no +clear memory of Taunton, except that it was full of people, +mostly women. There were little crowds in the streets, little +crowds of women, surrounding muddy, tired men who had come in +from the Duke. People were going about in a hurried, aimless way +which showed that they were scared. Many houses were shut up. +Many men were working on the city walls, trying to make the place +defensible. If ever a town had the fear of death upon it that +town was Taunton, then. As far as I could make out it was not the +actual war that it feared; though that it feared pretty strongly, +as the looks on the women's faces showed. It feared that the +Duke's army would come back to camp there, to eat them all up, +every penny, every blade of corn, like an army of locusts. +Sometimes, while I was there, men galloped in with news, +generally false, like most warmews, but eagerly sought for by +those who even now saw their husbands shot dead in ranks by the +fierce red-coats under their drunken Dutch general. Sometimes the +news was that the army was pressing in to cut off the Duke from +Taunton; that the dragoons were shooting people on the road; that +they were going to root out the whole population without mercy. +At another time news came that Monmouth was marching in to music, +determined to hold Taunton till the town was a heap of cinders. +Then one, bloody with his spurred horse's gore, cried aloud that +the King was dead, shot in the heart by one of his brother's +servants. Then another came calling all to prayer. All this +uproar caused a hurrying from one crowd to another. Here a man +preached fervently to a crowd of enthusiasts. Here men ran from a +prayer-meeting to crowd about a messenger. Bells jangled from the +churches; the noise of the picks never ceased in the trenches; +the taverns were full; the streets swarmed; the public places +were now thronged, now suddenly empty. Here came the aldermen in +their robes, scared faces among the scarlet, followed by a mob +praying for news, asking in frenzy for something certain, however +terrible. There several in a body clamoured at a citizen's door +in the like fever of doubt. There was enough agony of mind in +Taunton that day to furnish out any company of tragedians. We +English, an emotional people by nature, are best when the blow +has fallen. We bear neither doubt nor rapture wisely. Our +strength is shown in troublous times in which other people give +way to despair. + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. THE END + +Among all the confusion, I learned certainly from some deserters +that the Duke was at Bridgewater, waiting till his men had +rested, before trying to break through to the north, to his +friends in Chester. He had won a bad name for himself among his +friends. Nobody praised him. The Taunton people, who had given +him such a splendid welcome ten days before, now cursed him for +having failed; they knew too well what sort of punishment was +sure to fall upon them, directly the fighting came to an end. +Somehow all their despairing talk failed to frighten me. I was +not scared by all the signs of panic in the streets. I was too +young to understand fully; but besides that I was buoyed up by +the belief that I had done a fine thing in escaping from prison +in order to serve the cause dear to my heart. My heart told me +that I was going to a glorious victory in the right cause. I +cannot explain it. I felt my father in my heart urging me to go +forward. I would not have drawn back for all the King's captains +in a company riding out against me together. I felt that these +people were behaving absurdly; they should keep a brave patient +face against their troubles. Tomorrow or the next day would see +us in triumph, beating our enemies back to London, to the +usurper's den in Whitehall. + +It drew towards sunset before I had found a means to get to +Bridgewater. The innkeepers who in times of peace sent daily +carriers thither, with whom a man could travel in comfort for a +few pence, had now either lost their horses, or feared to risk +them. No carriers had gone either to Bridgewater or to Bristol +since the Duke marched in on the fourth day of his journey; nor +had the carriers come in as usual from those places; the business +of the town was at a standstill. I asked at several inns, but +that was the account given to me. There was no safety on the +roads. The country was overrun by thieves, who stole horses in +the name of the Duke or of the King; nothing was safe anywhere. +The general hope of the people was for Monmouth to be beaten +soon, or to be victorious soon. They had lost quite enough by +him; they wanted the rebellion over. + +At last, just when I had begun to think the thing hopeless, I +found an honest Quaker about to ride to Bridgewater with a basket +of Bibles for the Duke's men. He did not ask me what my business +at Bridgewater might be; but he knew that no one would want to go +there at such a time without good cause. "Well," he said, "if you +can ride small, you shall ride behind me, but it will be slow +riding, as the horse will be heavily laden." He was going to +start at eight o'clock, so as to travel all night, when the +marauders, whether deserters from the Duke or ill-conditioned +country people, were always less busy. I had time to get some +supper for myself in the tavern-bar before starting. Just as we +were about to ride off together, when we were in the saddle, +waiting only till some carts rolled past the yard-door, I had a +fright, for there, coming into the inn yard, was one of the +troopers who had beguiled me from the Duke's army that day at +Axminster. I had no doubt that he was going from inn to inn, +asking for news of me. We began to move through the yard as he +came towards us; the clack of the horse's feet upon the cobbles +made him look up; but though he stared at me hard, he did so with +an occupied mind; he was in such a brown study (as it is called) +that he never recognized me. A minute later, we were riding out +of town past the trench-labourers, my heart going pit-a-pat from +the excitement of my narrow escape. I dared not ask the Quaker to +go fast, lest he should worm my story from me, but for the first +three miles I assure you I found it hard not to prod that old nag +with my knife to make him quicken his two mile an hour crawl. +Often during the first hours of the ride I heard horses coming +after us at a gallop. It was all fancy; we were left to our own +devices. My pursuers, I found, afterwards, were misled by the +lies of the landlord at the inn we had left. We were being +searched for in Taunton all that fatal night, by half a dozen of +the Carew servants. + +Bridgewater had not gone to bed when we got there. The people +were out in the streets, talking in frightened clumps, expecting +something. After thanking the Quaker for his kindness in giving +me a lift I asked at one of these clumps where I could find the +Duke. I was feeling so happy at the thought of rejoining my +master, after all my adventures, that I think I never felt so +happy. + +"Where can I find the Duke?" I asked. "I'm his servant, I must +find him." + +"Find him?" said one of the talkers. "He's not here. He's marched +out, sir, with all his army, over to Sedgemoor to fight the +King's army. It's a night attack, sir." + +I was bitterly disappointed at not having reached my journey's +end; but there was a stir in the thought of battle. I asked by +which road I could get to the place where the battle would be. +The man told me to turn to the right after crossing the river. +"But," said he, "you don't want to get mixed up in the fighting, +master. There be thousands out there on the moor. A boy would be +nowhere among all them." + +"Yes," said another. "Better stay here, sir. If the Duke wins +he'll be back afore breakfast. If he gets beat, you'd be best out +of the way." + +This was sound advice; but I was not in a mood to profit by it. +Something told me that the battle was to be a victory for us; so +I thanked the men, telling them that I would go out over the moor +by the road they had mentioned. As I moved away, they called out +to me to mind myself, for the King's dragoons were on the moor, +as a sort of screen in front of their camp. By the road they had +mentioned I might very well get into the King's camp without +seeing anything of my master. One of them added that the battle +would begin, or might begin, long before I got there, "if the +mist don't lead en astray, like." + +It took me some few minutes to get out of the gates across the +river; for there was a press of people crowded there. It was as +dark as a summer night ever is, that is, a sort of twilight, when +I passed through, but just at the gates were two great torches +stuck into rings in the wall. The wind made their flames waver +about uncertainly, so that sometimes you could see particular +faces in the crowd, all lit in muddy gold light for an instant, +before the wavering made them dark again. Several mounted men +were there, trying to pass. Among them, in one sudden glare, I +saw Aurelia on her Arab, reined in beside Sir Travers, whose +horse was kicking out behind him. I passed them by so close that +I touched Aurelia's riding habit as I crept out of the press. +They were talking together, just behind me, as I crept from the +town over the bridge above which the summer mists clung, almost +hiding the stream. Aurelia was saying "I only hope we may be in +time." "Yes, poor boy," said Sir Travers. "It will be terrible if +we are too late." It gave me a pang to hear them, for I knew that +they were talking about me. + +I crept into the shelter of the bridge parapet while they rode on +past me. The mist hid them from me. The town was dark above the +mist like a city in the clouds. The stars were dim now with the +coming of day. A sheep-bell on the moor made a noise like a +nightbird. A few ponies pastured on the moor trotted away, +lightly padding, scared, I suppose, by the two riders. Then, far +away, but sounding very near at hand, for sound travels very +strangely in mist, so strangely that often a very distant noise +will strike loudly, while it is scarcely heard close to, there +came a shot. Almost instantly, the air seemed full of the roar of +battle. The gun-fire broke out into a long irregular roar, a fury +of noise which roused up the city behind me, as though all the +citizens were slamming their doors to get away from it. I hurried +along the road towards the battle, praying, as I went, that my +master might conquer, that the King's troops had been caught +asleep, that when I got there, in the glory of dawn, I might find +the Duke's army returning thanks in their enemy's camp. I pressed +on along the rough moor road until the dawn came over the far +horizon, driving the mists away, so that I could see what was +doing there. + +I saw a great sweep of moorland to my left, with a confused crowd +of horsemen scattering away towards a line of low hills some +miles beyond. They were riding from the firing, which filled all +the nearer part of the moor with smoke, among which I saw moving +figures, sudden glimpses of men in rank, sudden men on horseback, +struggling with their horses. The noise was worse than I had +expected; it came on me with repeated deafening shocks. I could +hear cries in the lulls when the firing slackened; then the +uproar grew worse again, sounds of desperate thuds, marking +cannon shot. I heard balls going over my head with a shrill +"wheep, wheep," which made me duck. A small iron cannon ball spun +into the road like a spinning top, scattering the dust. It wormed +slowly past me for a second, then rose up irregularly in a bound, +to thud into the ditch, where it lay still. I saw cannon coming +up at a gallop, with many horses, on the bare right flank of the +battle. Another ball came just over my head, with a scream which +made my heart quite sick. I sat down cowering under a ruined +thorn-tree by the road, crying like a little child. It must have +been a moment after that when I saw a man staggering down the +road towards me, holding his side with both hands. He fell into +the road, dead, not far from me. Then others came past, some so +fearfully hurt that it was a miracle that they should walk. They +came past in a long horrible procession, men without weapons, +without hands, shot in the head, in the body, lacerated, +bleeding, limping, with white drawn faces, tottering to the town +which they would never see again. I shut my eyes, crouching well +under the tree, while this fight went on. It was nothing but a +time of pain, a roaring, booming horror with shrieks in it. I +don't know how long it lasted. I only know that the shooting +seemed suddenly to pass into a thunder of horse-hoofs as the +King's dragoons came past in a charge. Right in front of me they +galloped, hacking at the fleers, leaning out from their saddles +to cut at them, leaning down to stab them, rising up to reach at +those who climbed the banks. Under that tide of cavalry the +Duke's army melted. They fought in clumps desperately. They flung +away their weapons. They fled. They rushed down desperately to +meet death. It was all a medley of broken noises, oaths, stray +shots, cries, wounded men whimpering, hurt horses screaming. The +horses were the worst part of it. Perhaps you never heard a horse +scream. + +That morning's work is all very confused to me. I remember seeing +men cut down as they ran. I remember a fine horse coming past me +lurching, clattering his stirrups, before leaping into the river. +I remember the stink of powder over all the field; the strange +look on the faces of the dead; the body of a trumpeter, kneeling +against a gorse-bush, shot through the heart, with his trumpet +raised to his lips, the litter everywhere, burnt cartridges, +clothes, belts, shot, all the waste of war. They are in my mind, +those memories, like scattered pictures. The next clear memory in +my mind, is of a company of cavalry in red coats, under a fierce, +white-faced man, bringing in a string of prisoners to the King's +camp. A couple of troopers jumped down to examine me. One had the +face of a savage; the other was half drunk. "You're one of them," +they said. "Bring him on." They twisted string about my thumbs. I +was their prisoner. They dragged me into the King's camp, where +the white-faced man sat down at a table to judge us. + +I will not talk of that butchery. The white-faced man has been +judged now, in his turn; I will say no more of him. When it came +to my turn, he would hear no words from me; I was a rebel, fit +for nothing but death. "Pistol him" was all the sentence passed +on me. The soldiers laid hands on me to drag me away, to add my +little corpse to the heap outside. One of the officers spoke up +for me. "He's only a boy," he said. "Go easy with the boy. Don't +have the poor child killed." It was kindly spoken; but quite +carelessly. The man would have pleaded for a cat with just as +much passion. It was useless, anyway, for the colonel merely +repeated "Pistol him," just as one would have ordered a wine at +dinner. "Burgundy." "No, the Burgundy here is all so expensive." +"Never mind, Burgundy." So I was led away to stand with the next +batch of prisoners lined against a wall to be shot. My place was +at the end of a line, next to a young sullen-looking man black +with powder. I did not feel frightened, only hopeless, quite +hopeless, a sort of dead feeling. I remember looking at the +soldiers getting ready to shoot us. I wondered which would shoot +me. They seemed so slow about it. There was some hitch, I think, +in filling up the line; a man had proved his innocence or +something. + +Then, the next instant, there was Aurelia dragging the +white-faced man from his table. I dimly remember him ordering me +to be released, while Sir Travers Carew gave me brandy. I +remember the young sullen-looking man's face; for he looked at +me, a look of dull wonder, with a sort of hopeless envy in it, +which has wrung my heart daily, ever since. "Mount," said +Aurelia. "Mount, Martin. For God's sake, Uncle Travers, let us +get out of this." They were on both sides of me each giving me an +arm in the saddle, as we rode out of that field of death through +Zoyland village towards the old Abbey near Chard. + +I shall say little more, except that I never saw my master again. +When they led him to the scaffold on Tower Hill I was outward +bound to the West Indies, as private secretary to Sir Travers, +newly appointed Governor of St. Eulalie. We had many of +Monmouth's men in St. Eulalie after the Bloody Assizes; but their +tale is too horrible to tell here. You will want to know whether +I ever saw Aurelia again. Not for some years, not very often for +nine years; but since then our lives have been so mingled that +when we die it will be hard to say which soul is which, so much +our spirits are each other's. So now, I have written a long +story. May we all tell our tales to the end before the pen is +taken from us. + + + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of Martin Hyde, by John Masefield + diff --git a/old/old/mhyde10.zip b/old/old/mhyde10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..c39a545 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/old/mhyde10.zip |