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Crown and Sceptre: A West Country Story, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 47. At The Point Of The Sword |
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_ CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN. AT THE POINT OF THE SWORD Fred Forrester had been expecting the challenge from the moment they began to move, but so suddenly and unexpectedly did it come at last, that he remained for the moment speechless, gazing at the dimly seen figure framed in the arched way, with the light playing upon the sword extended toward his breast. Samson was the first to speak. "Take hold of the candle now," he whispered, "and I'll rush him. There isn't room to strike, sir; and I can put aside his point." "No, no," said Fred, forcing himself to the front, and addressing him who barred the way. "Put up your sword; we are friends." "Friends!" came back mockingly. "Then put up your own weapon." "Of coarse," said Fred, quickly sheathing his sword. "I didn't know who might be here. Scar Markham, we're come to help you." "To help?" said the guardian of the vault, in a voice which sounded strangely hollow in the narrow place. "Is this some fresh treachery?" "What!" shouted Fred, angrily, as he stepped forward and pressed right up to the point of the sword. Military life and training both were forgotten, and in an instant the lad felt back in the old boyish days sit home, when some sharp contention had taken place between him and his companion. "Stand back, sir!" said Scarlett, sternly, "or--" "No, you wouldn't," cried Fred. "Put down your sword. You wouldn't be such a coward. How dare you accuse me of treachery?" Without a moment's hesitation, the sword-point was dropped, and Fred cried eagerly-- "Now, then, come out into the daylight, and--Oh, what a fool I am! Scar Markham, we've come to help you. I say, where's Sir Godfrey? Is he safe?" Scarlett tried to answer, but his feelings were too much for him. Hunger, misery, confinement in that dark, depressing place, and the mental agony he had been called upon to bear, rendered him speechless, and he half turned away. Fred sprang at once to his side, and his quick movement excited Scarlett's suspicion for the moment; but he thrust his sword back into its sheath, and stood there motionless. "Look here," said Fred, excitedly, "of course, we're enemies, Scar; but we want to help you all the same." "I suppose we must surrender now," said Scarlett, sadly. "I can do no more. Have you your men outside?" "No; I haven't got my men outside," cried Fred, in a boyish, petulant way. "Can't you believe me? What am I to say?" "Nothing, Fred Forrester," replied Scarlett, mournfully. "I believe you, though we can't shake hands now." "Can't we?" said Fred, in a disappointed tone. Scarlett shook his head. "I have held out as long as I could. I thought we might escape; but it was impossible with two wounded men, and I could not get through the lines in search of food." Fred raised the light above his head, and then bent down over where he could see some one lying on the stone floor. "Yes; he is asleep," said Scarlett, sadly. "Is he much hurt?" whispered Fred. "Terribly; but he is better now, and--" "Here he is, Master Fred," whispered Samson, as he knelt beside the grim-looking figure of his brother, who seemed to be smiling mockingly in his face. "Nice object, isn't he? Brother to be proud on!" "Silence!" said Fred, sternly; and at that moment there was an ejaculation, a hasty movement, and Sir Godfrey made an effort to raise himself upon his arm, the light, feeble as it was, dazzling him so that he could not see. "Scarlett! My boy! Are we prisoners, then?" "No, Sir Godfrey," cried Fred, hastily; "right or wrong, I'd sooner go and jump off Rill Head into the sea than give you up." "Ah, my lad," said Sir Godfrey, faintly, "these are sad times; but, for pity's sake, tell me--my wife and child?" "Quite, quite safe, Sir Godfrey." "Ah!" ejaculated the wounded man; and then, as he stretched out his hand to Fred, "God bless you for that news!" Fred eagerly grasped the extended hand, and wrung it, to turn directly after in a shamefaced way toward Scarlett, as if apologising to him for letting his father grasp hands with so bitter a foe. Scarlett stood gazing sadly at him for a few moments, and then slowly raised his own cold, thin hand, which was literally snatched by Fred, and the lads stood together in silence, neither daring to trust himself to speak. Fred was the first to break the silence. "What would it be best for me to do, Sir Godfrey?" he said at last. "Send for some of your men, my boy, and I will surrender." "Father!" cried Scarlett, in anguished tones. "It is not fair to you to keep you shut up in this dreadful place. Let us give up, and--No, you can leave me safely in Fred Forrester's hands. He will not hinder your escape." "No, father," said Scarlett, sadly, "he will not." "What do you mean, my boy?" "You know, father." "Yes," said Sir Godfrey, after a pause; and his voice sounded sadly weak and broken. "I have prayed to him to escape, Fred; but he would never leave me, and he will not go now." "No, father! I will not go now," said Scarlett, turning away. There was silence for a few minutes, and then Fred said slowly, and in a discontented way-- "I'm very sorry, Sir Godfrey, but I'm too stupid to think of anything better. This is a terrible place; but I suppose you must be here till you grow strong enough to walk or ride. We shall have to bring you food and things as well as we can." "No, my boy," said Sir Godfrey, sadly; "you must not compromise yourself by helping the enemy." "But, then, I don't feel as if you are an enemy, Sir Godfrey. There, it's of no use; come what may, I will help you." "Don't want to speak without leave, Master Fred, sir," said Samson, in his gruff tones; "but I've been thinking about my brother here." "Yes, Samson; quite right," said Fred. "No, sir, it ain't quite right. He'll be no end of time getting well in a place like this." "I'm afraid so, Samson." "Well, sir, why not you and me and Master Scarlett there set to work first dark night, and get 'em away, one at a time, on old Dodder?" "The pony?" "Yes, sir." "But where to, man--where to?" "Well, sir, I've been thinking about that, and I thought of the Manor, where they'd be comfortable; but that place wouldn't be safe, nor the barns nor stables, nor none of the cottages round." "No; it would be madness to attempt it." "But it wouldn't be, if we got 'em to the Rill caves." "Samson!" cried Fred; "the very place." "Hah!" ejaculated Samson, drawing along breath, as if perfectly satisfied with himself. "What do you say, Scarlett, to that?" "Yes," replied Scarlett, thoughtfully, "if you think it could be done." "If it could be done," said Sir Godfrey, faintly. "I might live if you could get me there, Scar, my boy. For their sake--for their sake," he added sadly to himself. "Oh, I know it could be done," said Samson. "If Master Fred makes up his mind to do it, and asks me to help him, it's as good as done. Hear that, you ugly Coombeland ruffian?" he added in a whisper, as he pressed his doubled first in the semi-darkness against his brother's nose. "Just you wait till I get well," whispered back Nat, doubling his own fist and holding it against Samson's nose in return. "Yes, and just you wait till I get you well," whispered Samson. "I'd give it to you now, only it would be like hitting at a bit o' clay. Why, you're as soft as boiled bacon! I'd be ashamed to call myself a man!" "Just you say all that again when I get well," whispered Nat. "Yes, that I will a hundred times over.--Yes, sir?" "We must be going now, Samson. Leave what food you have." "I stood it in the corner there, sir." "And the flint, steel, tinder, and matches. I wish I had thought to bring more candles. This one will not last very long." "So you did, Master Fred. Leastwise, I did. There's five there, and one before makes six." "Hah! that's right," cried Fred, joyfully. "Then, now you can have a light sometimes: and look here, Scar Markham--to-morrow I'll go and look at the Rill caves, and see what can be done, so be ready to escape at a moment's notice. We may come any time now. Good-bye, Sir Godfrey. Lady Markham shall know that you and Scarlett are safe." "It is compromising yourself, my boy," said Sir Godfrey; "but I cannot say to you forbear." "Good-bye!" "God bless you, my lad! and may this war soon cease," added the knight to himself, as his son followed their two visitors to the opening. "Till we meet again, Scar Markham," whispered Fred, as Samson climbed out first to reconnoitre. "Till we meet again, Fred," said Scarlett, once more holding out his hand. "As friends?" "As enemies in name. Thank you, for my father's sake." "It's all clear, Master Fred," was whispered down the hole; and, after another word or two of warning to be prepared for a sudden move, Fred seized Samson's extended hand, leaped up out of the hole, and they made their way back to camp unquestioned, while Scarlett Markham crept back to his father's side, to sit there, listening to his breathing, and to think of the possibility of escape to the cavern beneath Rill Head, where perhaps they might end by obtaining a boat to go right away. _ |
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