CHAPTER IV
A RAID AND A RAIDER
It was between eight and nine o'clock when the first of the enemyappeared on the road in the persons of two smart fellows in gleamingkilts and braided jackets. It was no more than just dusk, and I sawthat they were strangers to me. One was tall and broad, the othershorter and of very slight build. They came on towards us confidentlyenough. I was looking over Denny's shoulder; he held Constantine'srifle, and I knew that he was impatient to try it. But, inasmuch asmight was certainly not on our side, I was determined that rightshould abide with us, and was resolute not to begin hostilities.Constantine had at least one powerful motive for desiring ourdestruction; I would not furnish him with any plausible excuse forindulging his wish: so we stood, Denny and I at one window, Hogvardtand Watkins at the other, and quietly watched the approaching figures.No more appeared; the main body did not show itself, and the sound ofthe fierce chant had suddenly died away. But the next moment a thirdman came in sight, running rapidly after the first two. He caught theshorter by the arm, and seemed to argue or expostulate with him. For awhile the three stood thus talking; then I saw the last comer make agesture of protest as though he yielded his point unwillingly, andthey all came on together.
'Push the barrel of that rifle a little farther out,' said I to Denny.'It may be useful to them to know it's there.'
Denny obeyed; the result was a sudden pause in our friends' advance;but they were near enough now for me to distinguish the last comer,and I discerned in him, although he had discarded his tweed suit andadopted the national dress, Constantine Stefanopoulos himself.
'Here's an exercise of self-control!' I groaned, laying a detaininghand on Denny's shoulder.
As I spoke, Constantine put a whistle to his lips and blew loudly. Theblast was followed by the appearance of five more fellows; in three ofthem I recognised old acquaintances--Vlacho, Demetri and Spiro. Thesethree all carried guns. The whole eight came forward again, till theywere within a hundred yards of us. There they halted, and, with asudden swift movement, three barrels were levelled straight at thewindow where Denny and I were stationed. Well, we ducked; there is nouse in denying it; for we thought that the bombardment had reallybegun. Yet no shot followed, and after an instant, holding Denny down,I peered out cautiously myself. The three stood motionless, their aimfull on us. The other five were advancing warily, well under theshelter of the rock, two on the left side of the road and three on theright. The slim boyish fellow was with Constantine on the left; amoment later the other three dashed across the road and joined them.In a moment what military men call 'the objective,' the aim of thesemanoeuvres, flashed across me. It was simple almost to ludicrousness;yet it was very serious, for it showed a reasoned plan of campaignwith which we were very ill-prepared to cope. While the three held usin check, the five were going to carry off our cows. Without our cowswe should soon be hard put to it for food. For the cows had formed inour plans a most important _piece de resistance_.
'This won't do,' said I. 'They're after the cows.' I took the riflefrom Denny's hand, cautioning him not to show his face at the window.Then I stood in the shelter of the wall, so that I could not be hit bythe three, and levelled the rifle, not at my human enemies, but atthe unoffending cows.
'A dead cow,' I remarked, 'is a great deal harder to move than a liveone.'
The five had now come quite near the pen of rude hurdles in which thecows were. As I spoke, Constantine appeared to give some order; andwhile he and the boy stood looking on, Constantine leaning on his gun,the boy's hand resting with jaunty elegance on the handle of the knifein his girdle, the others leapt over the hurdles. Crack! went therifle, and a cow fell. I reloaded hastily. Crack! and the second cowfell. It was very fair shooting in such a bad light, for I hit bothmortally; my skill was rewarded by a shout of anger from the robbers.(For robbers they were; I had bought the live stock.)
'Carry them off now!' I cried, carelessly showing myself at thewindow. But I did not stay there long, for three shots rang out, andthe bullets pattered on the masonry above me. Luckily the coveringparty had aimed a trifle too high.
'No more milk, my lord,' observed Watkins in a regretful tone. He hadseen the catastrophe from the other window.
The besiegers were checked. They leapt out of the pen with alacrity. Isuppose they realised that they were exposed to my fire while at thatparticular angle I was protected from the attack of their friends.They withdrew to the middle of the road, selecting a spot at which Icould not take aim without showing myself at the window. I dared notlook out to see what they were doing. But presently Hogvardt risked aglance, and called out that they were in retreat and had rejoined thethree, and that the whole body stood together in consultation and wereno longer covering my window. So I looked out, and saw the boystanding in an easy graceful attitude, while Constantine and Vlachotalked a little way apart. It was growing considerably darker now, andthe figures became dim and indistinct.
'I think the fun's over for to-night,' said I, glad to have it over socheaply.
Indeed what I said seemed to be true, for the next moment the groupturned and began to retreat along the road, moving briskly out of oursight. We were left in the thick gloom of a moonless evening and thepeaceful silence of still air.
'They'll come back and fetch the cows,' said Hogvardt. 'Couldn't wedrag one in, my lord, and put it where the goat is, behind the house?'
I approved of this suggestion; Watkins having found a rope, I armedDenny with the rifle took from the wall a large keen hunting-knife,opened the door and stole out, accompanied by Hogvardt and Watkins,who carried their revolvers. We reached the pen without interruption,tied our rope firmly round the horns of one of the dead beasts and setto work to drag it along. It was no child's play, and our progress wasvery slow, but the carcase moved, and I gave a shout of encouragementas we got it down on to the smoother ground of the road and hauled italong with a will. Alas, that shout was a great indiscretion! I hadbeen too hasty in assuming that our enemy was quite gone. We heardsuddenly the rush of feet; shots whistled over our heads. We had butjust time to drop the rope and turn round, when Denny's rifle rangout, and then--somebody was at us! I really do not know exactly howmany there were. I had two at me, but by great good luck I drove mybig knife into one fellow's arm at the first hazard, and I think thatwas enough for him. In my other assailant I recognised Vlacho. The fatinnkeeper had got rid of his gun and had a knife much like the one Icarried myself. I knew him more by his voice as he cried fiercely,'Come on!' than by his appearance, for the darkness was thick now.Parrying his fierce thrust--he was very active for so stout a man--Icalled out to our people to fall back as quickly as they could, for Iwas afraid that we might be taken in the rear also.
But discipline is hard to maintain in such a force as mine.
'Bosh!' cried Denny's voice.
'_Mein Gott_, no!' exclaimed Hogvardt. Watkins said nothing, but foronce in his life he also disobeyed me.
Well, if they would not do as I said I must do as they did. The lineadvanced--the whole line, as at Waterloo. We pressed them hard. Iheard a revolver fired, and a cry follow. Fat Vlacho slackened in hisattack, wavered, halted, turned, and ran. A shout of triumph fromDenny told me that the battle was going well there. Fired withvictory, I set myself for a chase. But, alas, my pride was checked.Before I had gone two yards, I fell headlong over the body for whichwe had been fighting (as Greeks and Trojans fought for the body ofHector), and came to an abrupt stop, sprawling most ignominiously overthe cow's broad back.
'Stop! Stop!' I cried. 'Wait a bit, Denny! I'm down over this infernalcow.' It was an inglorious ending to the exploits of the evening.
Prudence or my cry stopped them. The enemy was in full retreat; theirsteps pattered quick along the rocky road; and Denny observed in atone of immense satisfaction:
'I think that's our trick, Charley.'
'Anybody hurt?' I asked, scrambling to my feet.
Watkins owned to a crack from the stock of a gun on his rig
htshoulder, Hogvardt to a graze of a knife on the left arm. Denny wasunhurt. We had reason to suppose that we had left our mark on at leasttwo of the enemy. For so great a victory it was cheaply bought.
'We'll just drag in the cow,' said I--I like to stick to mypoint--'and then we might see if there's anything in the cellar.'
We did drag in the cow; we dragged it through the house, and finallybestowed it in the compound behind. Hogvardt suggested that we shouldfetch the other also, but I had no mind for another surprise, whichmight not end so happily, and I decided to run the risk of leaving thesecond animal till the morning. So Watkins ran off to seek for somewine, for which we all felt very ready, and I went to the door withthe intention of securing it. But before I shut it, I stood for amoment on the step, looking out on the night and sniffing the sweet,clear, pure air. It was in quiet moments like these, not in such atumult as had just passed, that I had pictured my beautiful island;and the love of it came on me now and made me swear that these fellowsand their arch-ruffian Constantine should not drive me out of itwithout some more, and more serious, blows than had been struck thatnight. If I could get away safely and return with enough force to keepthem quiet, I would pursue that course. If not--well, I believe I hadvery bloodthirsty thoughts in my mind, as even the most peaceable manmay, when he has been served as I had and his friends roughly handledon his account.
Having registered these determinations, I was about to proceed with mytask of securing the door, when I heard a sound that startled me.There was nothing hostile or alarming about it; rather it was patheticand appealing, and, in spite of my previous fierceness of mood, itcaused me to exclaim, 'Hullo, is that one of those poor beggars wemauled?' For the sound was a faint distressed sigh, as of somebody insuffering; it seemed to come from out of the darkness about a dozenyards ahead of me. My first impulse was to go straight to the spot,but I had begun by now to doubt whether the Neopalians were notunsophisticated in quite as peculiar a sense as that in which theywere good-hearted, and I called to Denny and Hogvardt, bidding thelatter to bring his lantern with him. Thus protected, I stepped outof the door in the direction from which the sigh had come. Apparentlywe were to crown our victory by the capture of a wounded enemy.
An exclamation from Hogvardt told me that he, aided by the lantern,had come on the quarry; but Hogvardt spoke in disgust rather thantriumph.
'Oh, it's only the little one!' said he. 'What's wrong with him, Iwonder.' He stooped down and examined the prostrate form. 'By heaven,I believe he's not touched--yes, there's a bump on his forehead, butnot big enough for any of us to have given it.'
By this time Denny and I were with him, and we looked down on theboy's pale face, which seemed almost deathlike in the glare of thelantern. The bump was not such a very small one, but it could hardlyhave been made by any of our weapons, for the flesh was not cut. Amoment's further inspection showed that it must be the result of afall on the hard rocky road.
'Perhaps he tripped on the cord, as you did on the cow,' suggestedDenny with a grin.
It seemed likely enough, but I gave very little thought to thequestion, for I was busy studying the boy's face.
'No doubt,' said Hogvardt, 'he fell in running away and was stunned;and they didn't notice it in the dark, or were afraid to stop. Butthey'll be back, my lord, and soon.'
'Carry him inside,' said I. 'It won't hurt us to have a hostage.'
Denny lifted the lad in his long arms--Denny was a tall powerfulfellow--and strode off with him. I followed, wondering who it was thatwe had got hold of: for the boy was strikingly handsome. I was last inand barred the door. Denny had set our prisoner down in an armchair,where he sat now, conscious again, but still with a dazed look in hislarge dark eyes as he glanced from me to the rest and back again tome, finally fixing a long gaze on my face.
'Well, young man,' said I, 'you've begun this sort of thing early.Lifting cattle and taking murder in the day's work is pretty good fora youngster like you. Who are you?'
'Where am I?' he cried, in that blurred indistinct kind of voice thatcomes with mental bewilderment.
'You're in my house,' said I, 'and the rest of your infernal gang'soutside and going to stay there. So you must make the best of it.'
The boy turned his head away and closed his eyes. Suddenly I snatchedthe lantern from Hogvardt. But I paused before I brought it close tothe boy's face, as I had meant to do, and I said:
'You fellows go and get something to eat, and a snooze if you like.I'll look after this youngster. I'll call you if anything happensoutside.'
After a few unselfish protests they did as I bade them. I was leftalone in the hall with the prisoner; soon merry voices from thekitchen told me that the battle was being fought again over the wine.I set the lantern close to the boy's face.
'H'm,' said I, after a prolonged scrutiny. Then I sat down on thetable and began to hum softly that wretched chant of One-EyedAlexander's, which had a terrible trick of sticking in a man's head.
For a few minutes I hummed. The lad shivered, stirred uneasily, andopened his eyes. I had never seen such eyes; I could notconscientiously except even Beatrice Hipgrave's, which were in theirway quite fine. I hummed away; and the boy said, still in a dreamyvoice, but with an imploring gesture of his hand:
'Ah, no, not that! Not that, Constantine!'
'He's a tender-hearted youth,' said I, and I was smiling now. Thewhole episode was singularly unusual and interesting.
The boy's eyes were on mine again; I met his glance full and square.Then I poured out some water and gave it to him. He took it with atrembling hand--the hand did not escape my notice--and drank iteagerly, setting the glass down with a sigh.
'I am Lord Wheatley,' said I, nodding to him. 'You came to steal mycattle, and murder me, if it happened to be convenient, you know.'
The boy flashed out at me in a minute.
'I didn't. I thought you'd surrender if we got the cattle away.'
'You thought!' said I scornfully. 'I suppose you did as you were bid.'
'No; I told Constantine that they weren't to--' The boy stopped short,looked round him, and said in a surprised voice, 'Where are all therest of my people?'
'The rest of your people,' said I, 'have run away, and you are in myhands. And I can do just as I please with you.'
His lips set in an obstinate curve, but he made no answer. I went onas sternly as I could.
'And when I think of what I saw here yesterday, of that poor old manstabbed by your bloodthirsty crew--'
'It was an accident,' he cried sharply; the voice had lost itsdreaminess and sounded clear now.
'We'll see about that when we get Constantine and Vlacho before ajudge,' I retorted grimly. 'Anyhow, he was foully stabbed in his ownhouse for doing what he had a perfect right to do.'
'He had no right to sell the island,' cried the boy, and he rose for amoment to his feet with a proud air, only to sink back into the chairagain and stretch out his hand for water.
Now at this moment Denny, refreshed by meat and drink and in thehighest of spirits, bounded into the hall.
'How's the prisoner?' he cried.
'Oh, he's all right. There's nothing the matter with him,' I said, andas I spoke I moved the lantern, so that the boy's face and figure wereagain in shadow.
'That's all right,' observed Denny cheerfully. 'Because I thought,Charley, we might get a little information out of him.'
'Perhaps he won't speak,' I suggested, casting a glance at the captivewho sat now motionless in the chair.
'Oh, I think he will,' said Denny confidently: and I observed for thefirst time that he held a very substantial-looking whip in his hand;he must have found it in the kitchen. 'We'll give the young ruffian ataste of this, if he's obstinate,' said Denny, and I cannot say thathis tone witnessed any great desire that the boy should prove at oncecompliant.
I shifted my lantern so that I could see the proud young face, whileDenny could not. The boy's eyes met mine defiantly.
'Do you see that whip?' I asked
. 'Will you tell us all we want toknow?'
The boy made no answer, but I saw trouble in his face, and his eyesdid not meet mine so boldly now.
'We'll soon find a tongue for him,' said Denny, in cheerful barbarity;'upon my word, he richly deserves a thrashing. Say the word, Charley!'
'We haven't asked him anything yet,' said I.
'Oh, I'll ask him something. Look here, who was the fellow with youand Vlacho?'
Denny spoke in English; I turned his question into Greek. But theprisoner's eyes told me that he had understood before I spoke. Ismiled again.
The boy was silent; defiance and fear struggled in the dark eyes.
'You see he's an obstinate beggar,' said Denny, as though he hadobserved all necessary forms and could now get to business; and hedrew the lash of the whip through his fingers. I am afraid Denny wasrather looking forward to executing justice with his own hands.
The boy rose again and stood facing that heartless young ruffianDenny--it was thus that I thought of Denny at the moment; then onceagain he sank back into his chair and covered his face with his hands.
'Well, I wouldn't go out killing if I hadn't more pluck than that,'said Denny scornfully. 'You're not fit for the trade, my lad.'
I did not interpret this time; there was no need; the boy certainlyunderstood. But he had no retort. His face was buried in those slimhands of his. For a moment he was quite still: then he moved a little;it was a movement that spoke of helpless pain, and I heard somethingvery like a stifled sob.
'Just leave us alone a little, Denny,' said I. 'He may tell me what hewon't tell you.'
'Are you going to let him off?' demanded Denny, suspiciously. 'Younever can be stiff in the back, Charley.'
'I must see if he won't speak to me first,' I pleaded, meekly.
'But if he won't?' insisted Denny.
'If he won't,' said I, 'and you still wish it, you may do what youlike.'
Denny sheered off to the kitchen, with an air that did not seek toconceal his opinion of my foolish tender-heartedness. Again I wasalone with the boy.
'My friend is right,' said I gravely. 'You're not fit for the trade.How came you to be in it?'
My question brought a new look, as the boy's hands dropped from hisface.
'How came you,' said I, 'who ought to restrain these rascals, to be attheir head? How came you, who ought to shun the society of men likeConstantine Stefanopoulos and his tool Vlacho, to be working withthem?'
I got no answer; only a frightened look appealed to me in the whiteglare of Hogvardt's lantern. I came a step nearer and leant forward toask my next question.
'Who are you? What's your name?'
'My name--my name?' stammered the prisoner. 'I won't tell my name.'
'You'll tell me nothing? You heard what I promised my friend?'
'Yes, I heard,' said the lad, with a face utterly pale, but with eyesthat were again set in fierce determination.
I laughed a low laugh.
'I believe you are fit for the trade after all,' said I, and I lookedat him with mingled distaste and admiration. But I had my last weaponstill, my last question. I turned the lantern full on his face, Ileant forward again, and I said in distinct slow tones--and thequestion sounded an absurd one to be spoken in such an impressiveway:
'Do you generally wear--clothes like that?'
I had got home with that question. The pallor vanished, the haughtyeyes sank. I saw long drooping lashes and a burning flush, and theboy's face once again sought his hands.
At that moment I heard chairs pushed back in the kitchen. In cameHogvardt with an amused smile on his broad face; in came Watkins withhis impassive acquiescence in anything that his lordship might order;in came Master Denny brandishing his whip in jovial relentlessness.
'Well, has he told you anything?' cried Denny. It was plain that hehoped for the answer 'No.'
'I have asked him half-a-dozen questions,' said I, 'and he has notanswered one.'
'All right,' said Denny, with wonderful emphasis.
Had I been wrong to extort this much punishment for my mostinhospitable reception? Sometimes now I think that I was cruel. Inthat night much had occurred to breed viciousness in a man of the mostequable temper. But the thing had now gone to the extreme limit towhich it could go, and I said to Denny:
'It's a gross case of obstinacy, of course, Denny, but I don't seevery well how we can horsewhip the lady.'
A sudden astounded cry, 'The lady!' rang from three pairs of lips,while the lady herself dropped her head on the table and fenced herface round about with her protecting arms.
'You see,' said I, 'this lady is the Lady Euphrosyne.'
For who else could it be that would give orders to ConstantineStefanopoulos, and ask where 'my people' were? Who else, I also askedmyself, save the daughter of the noble house, would boast the air, thehands, the face, that graced our young prisoner? And who else wouldunderstand English? In all certainty here was the Lady Euphrosyne.