CHAPTER SIXTY THREE.
AN EXCITING EPISTLE.
"Trevor!" cried the colonel to his troop captain, now also upon hisfeet, and sharing his excitement; "send out an orderly to summon Harleyand our other officers. Perhaps you had best go yourself. You knowwhere to find them, I suppose?"
"I think I do, colonel."
"Use all despatch. As we've made up our minds to this thing, the soonerwe're in the saddle the better."
The counsel to make haste was little called for. Eustace Trevor itchedto be in the saddle, as ever disciple of Saint Hubert on the first dayof foxhunting. But just as he was about to step over the threshold ofthe outer door, he saw a party approaching evidently with the design toenter. Two individuals they were, a man and woman, still within the dimlight of the overshadowing houses. For all, he had no difficulty inrecognising them. Colossal stature as theirs was far from common; thepair being Rob Wilde and Winny.
He saw them with some surprise--at least the woman. For he had notexpected seeing her there. There she was, though; and, as quickintuition told him, her presence might have some bearing on that he wasabout to issue forth, for he awaited their coming up.
Soon they stood at the door, face to face with him; the sergeantsaluting soldier fashion, while the woman curtseyed.
"You, Winifred!" exclaimed the young officer. "I was not aware of yourbeing in Gloucester."
"Her han't been in it more'n ten minutes, captain," said the sergeant,speaking for her. "I ha' just lets her in at the gate. Her be wantin'a word wi' the colonel."
"She'll be welcome to that, I'm sure. But first go in yourself andsee."
This was in accordance with military etiquette, indeed regulations; nostranger admitted to the presence of a commanding officer without beingannounced, and permission given. Rob himself came not under the rule,and was about to pass inside; when a thought occurring to CaptainTrevor, the latter turned upon his heel and preceded him.
"Well, Wilde, what is it?" asked Sir Richard, as they entered the room.Eagerly, too, seeing that the features of the big sergeant wore aportentous expression. "Any trouble with your gate-guard?"
"No, Colonel; nothin' o' that."
"Some news come in?"
"Just so, Sir Richard; an' not o' the best neyther."
"Indeed! What news? Whence?"
"Fra Ruardean, or, to speak more partickler, fra Hollymead House."
Both colonel and captain were now all ears. No spot on the habitableglobe had such interest for them as Hollymead House, and from nowherewas intelligence so eagerly desired.
"Tell it, sergeant!" was the impatient command.
"A party o' the King's soldiers be quartered there--cavalry."
"O God?" exclaimed Eustace Trevor, almost in a groan; the knight alsoshowing grievously affected. "How did you get this news?"
"Win ha' brought it."
"Win?"
"Yes, colonel. Her be outside the door--waitin' permission to speak wi'you. She ha' been trusted wi' a letter from the young ladies."
"Bring her in--instantly!"
"Singular coincidence, Trevor!" said Sir Richard, as the sergeant passedout. "Already at Hollymead! Just what we've been fearing!"
"Indeed, so. And all the more reason for our being there too."
"I wonder who they are. Lingen's, think you?"
"Rob says they're quartered there. That would hardly be Lingen's--sonear his own garrison at Goodrich? More like some of Lord Herbert'sHorse from Monmouth. And I hope it may be they."
"Ah! true; it might be worse. But we'll soon hear. The cadgeress cantell, no doubt; or it'll be in the letter."
The door, reopening, showed the Forest Amazon outside, Rob conductingher in. They could see that she was wet to the waist, her saturatedskirt clinging around limbs of noble outline; while her heaving bosomwith the heightened colour of her cheeks, told of a journey but justcompleted, and made in greatest haste.
"You have a letter for me?" said Sir Richard interrogatively, as shestepped inside the room. "Yes, your honner, fra Hollymead." She spokewith hand raised to her head, as if adjusting one of the plaits of herhair. Instead, she was searching among them for the concealed epistle.Which, soon found, was handed over to him for whom it was intended.
No surprise to Sir Richard at seeing a thing more like curl-paper thanletter. It was not the first time for him to receive such, in a similarway; and, straightening it out under the lamplight, he was soonacquainted with its contents.
So far from having the effect of allaying his excitement they butincreased it, and he cried out to the sergeant, as he had to thetrumpeter,--
"Quick to the men's quarters, Wilde, and help getting all ready for theroute! Hubert's there by this time, and will have sounded the`Assembly.' Read that, Trevor! There's something that concerns you,"and he handed the letter to his troop captain.
The sergeant hurried away, leaving Win to be further questioned by thecolonel. And while this was going on the young officer perused theepistle, to be affected by it in a similar fashion. It ran thus:--
"Ill tidings, Richard. Prince Rupert here, with his escort--about twohundred. Has just arrived, and intends staying the night; indeed, tillfather return home, he says. I hope father will not come home, unlessyou come with him. I'm sure they mean him harm. That horrid man,Lunsford, is in the Prince's suit; Reginald Trevor too. Winny will tellyou more; I fear to lose time in writing. _Dear Richard! come if youcan_."
So the body of the epistle, with below a postscript, in a differenthandwriting, well-known to Eustace Trevor:--"Dearest Eustace! we are indanger, I _do_ believe." The words were significant; and no form ofappeal for rescue could have been more pressing. Nor was such needed;neither any urging of haste upon the men thus admonished.
Never was squadron of cavalry sooner in the saddle, after gettingorders, than was "Walwyn's Horse" on that night. In less than twentyminutes later, they went at a gallop through the north-western gate ofGloucester, opened to give them exit; then on along the floodedcauseway, riding rowells deep, plunging and flinging the spray-dropshigh in air, till every man was dripping wet, from the plume in his hatto the spurs upon his heels.