CHAPTER XII.
HOW THE DARK MASTER WAS RUINED.
The fear that had come upon the O'Donnells was so great that not untilpikemen entered the castle from the camp could the Dark Master get menat the doors of the hall. And this proved the salvation of Brian andCathbarr, for when they left the hall by the rear door and slippedthrough the corridors, they came out upon the rear or seawardbattlements of the castle.
These they found denuded of men, while from the courtyard and front ofthe keep were rising shouts and batterings, whereat Cathbarr chuckled.
"They are all drawn around to the front, brother. Now, how to get downfrom here?"
Brian looked around in the starlight, but saw that there was no gate orother opening in the walls. He began to lose hope again; once the DarkMaster had burst into the great hall he would scatter men over the wholecastle, and their shrift would be short. At this point the walls weresome thirty feet high, and pointing out to the sea stood four of thebastards, with balls piled beside them.
"Now if we had a rope," he said, "the matter would not be hard. Is thatboat near the shore?"
"Not so far that I cannot make them hear," grinned Cathbarr, opening hismouth to shout, but Brian stopped him.
"Be careful--do you want to draw down the O'Donnells likewise? Now, cutthe ropes from these cannon, and if we have time we shall yet get downsafe."
Cathbarr rushed off in delight, and began hewing at the recoil-ropeswhich bound the bastards and their carriages to their places. Brianfollowed him, seizing the ropes and trying to knot the strands hastilyand with no little pain to himself; but now the hope of escape began tothrill through him, and for the first time since sighting the DarkMaster's stronghold he began to think that he might yet get away.However, he could do little knotting with one hand, and not untilCathbarr impatiently took over the task was it finished. At the sameinstant a great burst of yells rose over the castle.
"Hasten!" cried Brian, as the other began fastening the line to acannon. "I can use one hand--"
"Save your strength," grunted Cathbarr, lifting him after swinging theloop of his ax around his neck. "Catch me about the neck with your goodarm, and trust me for the rest, brother."
Brian did as he was ordered, since there was no time for lowering himdown. The giant scrambled over the edge, gripping the twisting rope, andBrian tightened his lips to keep down his groans, for the agony wascruel to him. He was forced against the body of Cathbarr, and swirlafter swirl of pain went over him at each touch on his burns.
The giant grunted once or twice, for he had many slight wounds also, butwith the rope gripped in hands and feet, he lowered away steadily. Atlength they reached the ground, and the scattered rocks along the shorewere but a few yards away.
Cathbarr sent his bull-like voice roaring out at the stars, while Brianclung weakly to him and searched the waters. He could see nothing, butsuddenly there drifted in a faint shout, and Cathbarr bellowed oncemore.
"Swim for it," said Brian, as torches began to move along the wallsabove. "If those cannon are not loaded, we're safe."
Cathbarr nodded, and caught up the body of Brian tenderly enough in onearm, as he splashed out. The icy water shocked Brian's brain awake anddrove the pain out of him momentarily, and before Cathbarr waswaist-deep he heard a hail and saw the dark shape of a galleyapproaching.
Muskets flashed out from the walls, and their bullets whistled overhead,but five minutes later Brian was on the galley, Cathbarr was clamberingover the side, and the light boat was being rowed out again.
Brian thought his senses were slipping away when he found Nuala O'Malleyherself holding his head as he lay in the stern, while men flung cloaksaround him; but warm tears dripped on his face, and she patted his armsoothingly.
"Lie quiet," she said, but Brian would not, for already his brain wasleaping ahead, and he knew that there was work to be done.
"Tell me," he asked eagerly, "are my men camped around the royalists?Is help indeed coming to you from the North?"
"Yes," she replied, trying to quiet him. "A pigeon came in from Erristo-day, with word that two ships with men were on the way to help me.When I returned from the South and found that the plague had been atGorumna, I sent off asking for help, and now it is coming."
"Then send word to Turlough!" cried Brian eagerly. "Tell him to throw mymen on the royalist camp _to-night_ and drive the pikemen into thecastle! Colonel Vere is dead, and there is such confusion that all willthink we have more than two hundred men. If we can leaguer them thereuntil your ships come, we may win all at a blow!"
Nuala found instantly that there was meat in the plan, and as they wererowing out to meet one of her caracks, promised to send in the galleywith word to Turlough when they got aboard the larger ship.
This they were no great while in doing. Brian knew nothing of it, forupon the Bird Daughter's word he had dropped away into a faint oncemore. With this Nuala O'Malley was quite content, so that when Brianwakened he was greatly refreshed and found himself lying bandaged on abunk with the sunlight coming through a stern-port beside him, and theBird Daughter watching him with food and drink ready.
"Take of this first," she smiled; "then we will talk."
Brian obeyed, being very thirsty and ravenously hungered. He had littlepain except when he tried to move, and so he ate as he lay, propped upwith folded garments, and watched the Bird Daughter. She refused tospeak until he had eaten the meat and cakes she had fetched, but when hesmiled and asked for a razor her grave face rippled with frank laughter,and her deep violet eyes danced as they looked into his.
"I am sorry I have none," she said mockingly. "So you must wait till wecome to port again. Just at present we are off Slyne Head and bearingnorthward."
"What!" Brian stared at her. "Are you in jest?"
It appeared that she was not, for she was sailing north to meet thoseships of her kinsmen, and to hasten them back with her. MeantimeCathbarr had been sent ashore to meet Turlough and hold the Dark Masterand his royalists in check. Nuala had sent fifty of her men to joinTurlough, left twenty to hold her castle, and had ten with her upon thecarack. It seemed likely that Turlough and Cathbarr could hold the DarkMaster penned up for a few days at least, even with fewer men; if theycould not, said Nuala shortly, they had best sit at spinning-wheels forthe rest of their lives.
"You are a wonderful girl!" said Brian, and fell asleep again.
He remembered little of that voyage, for they met two caracks crowdedwith men off Innishark that afternoon, found they were the expectedO'Malleys from the North, and turned back with them at once. Brianwakened again that same evening, but Nuala refused to let him go on deckuntil the following morning, when they sighted Bertraghboy Bay. ThenBrian discarded most of his bandages, dressed, and, with his left arm ina sling, joined the Bird Daughter on the quarterdeck. He found that hisburns were well on toward healing, for he could walk slowly withoutgreat pain, and had every confidence that he could sit a horse if needbe.
Sailing past Bertragh Castle, the three ships went on up the bay andcast anchor. It was not hard to see that Turlough and Cathbarr had donetheir work well, for in passing the castle they had made out that theroyalist pikemen had been driven inside, and there was some musketry tobe heard at times. No sooner had the anchor-cables roared out, indeed,than a band of men came riding toward the shore, and Nuala sent off aboat for them. She had known nothing of Cathbarr's deeds at the castleuntil Brian had told her of them, and on seeing that the giant was amongthose coming off, she smiled at Brian.
"Now you shall see how a girl can conquer a giant, Yellow Brian!"
Brian laughed and waved a hand to Turlough, who was beside Cathbarr inthe boat. As the men came over the rail, Nuala quietly pushed him asideand faced the giant, sharply bidding him kneel. Cathbarr had been allfor rushing forward to Brian, and obeyed with an ill grace, when Nualaquickly leaned forward and kissed him on the brow.
"That is for bravery and faith," she said. "Truly, I would that youserved me!"
&
nbsp; Poor Cathbarr grew redder than the Bird Daughter's cloak. He started tohis feet, gazed around sheepishly, found all men laughing at him--anddid the best thing he could have done, which was to go to his kneesagain and put Nuala's hand to his lips.
"While my master serves you, I serve you," he blurted out, and thisanswer must have pleased Nuala mightily, for she flushed, laughed, andbade all down into the cabin.
Brian greeted Turlough with no little joy, but beyond assurances thatall went well, gained no knowledge of what had happened. Nuala had sentfor the O'Malley chieftains, and proposed to hold a conference at once.
The O'Malleys arrived from the other ships in a scant fiveminutes--dark, silent men who spoke little, but spoke to the point. ArtBocagh, or the Lame, had had one leg hamstrung in his youth, but Briantook him for a dangerous man in battle; while his cousin Shaun theLittle was a very short man with tremendous shoulders.
Nuala took her seat at the head of the stern-cabin table, and theposition of affairs was gone over carefully.
It seemed that no sooner had Turlough learned from Cathbarr of what hadtaken place in the castle, and that Brian was safe on shipboard, thanhe drove his men down pell-mell on the camp, just before dawn. Any otherman would have been exhausted by the events of that night, but Cathbarrhad led them in the assault. The result had been that, with hardly anyresistance, they had slain some four-score of the pikemen, and wouldhave captured or slain them all had it not been for the Dark Master'scannon which drove them back.
The better part of the royalist officers had fallen, either then orunder the ax of Cathbarr in the hall of the castle. In fact, afterlearning that he had slain some nineteen persons on that occasion,Cathbarr had taken no few airs upon himself. Vanity was to him asnatural as to a child, and Brian hugely enjoyed watching the giantstrut. However, what remained of Vere's five hundred pikemen were in thecastle, joined to the Dark Master's men; and Turlough's advice was thatsince there must be some seven hundred mouths to feed, the safest planwas to bide close and force the fight to come to them, rather than totake it to O'Donnell.
"There is reason against that, Turlough Wolf," said Brian quickly. "TheDark Master has men on the hills, and if news is borne to Galway of whathas happened, we are like to have a larger army on our heels than we cancope with."
"I have attended to O'Donnell's watchers," said Turlough grimly. "WhenCathbarr bore word of the pact from Gorumna Castle, I sent out horsemenand we swept the hills bare of men. O'Donnell has no more than are inthe castle, and a score of our own men are on the roads, watching forany ill."
"How many men have we in all?" spoke up Lame Art O'Malley. "In our shipsthere are sixty men we can spare for land battle."
"That gives us three hundred in all," replied Turlough to Nuala'squestioning glance. "If we take a strong position we should sweep mostof O'Donnell's men away at the first charge."
"There you are wrong," said Brian, shaking his head. "Those pikemen arebad foes for cavalry, and our two hundred horsemen would shatter on themif they stood firm."
"Not if we choose our ground," said the Bird Daughter, her eyesflashing. "Nay, _I_ am master here, my friends! Now this is my rede. Weshall not waste men by attacking the castle, unless forced to it by anarmy from Galway. Instead, we will wait until the Dark Master is drivenout by hunger; then we will fall on him and destroy him utterly.
"Yellow Brian, you have some knowledge of war, and you shall take thismatter in charge. Cathbarr, do you command fifty horse, with the menfrom our ships here, and keep the Dark Master in play. With theremainder, we shall wait in whatever spot Brian shall choose, and beforemany days are sped I think that Bertragh will be mine again."
The Bird Daughter had her way, since none could find much against herplan; and that afternoon Brian went ashore with her and the O'Malleys,leaving the three ships at anchor under a small guard. Turlough had madecamp a short mile from the castle, on a little hill among the farms;both Nuala and the O'Malley men were somewhat surprised at finding theO'Donnell women and children safe and untouched in their own steads.
"I saw to that," laughed Turlough, slanting his crafty eyes at Brian. "Ihad but to threaten them in Brian's name, and the men only were slain."
"I think that you are a hard master," laughed Nuala, but Brian smiledand pointed to his men, who were pouring out to meet him with shouts ofjoy.
"All men do not rule by fear alone, Bird Daughter," he said quietly. Shegave him a quick glance. "I found these men riffraff of the wars, andwhile they have no such love for me as Cathbarr here, I think they hadliefer follow me than any other leader."
After that Nuala said little concerning Brian's discipline.
That night Nuala and Brian took up headquarters at one of the largerfarms, and while Cathbarr went before the castle to keep the Dark Masterin check and allow none to leave the place, they called in a number ofthose men O'Donnell had loaned to Brian, and questioned them about theprovisioning of the castle.
From these they found that there was good store of all things for theusual garrison, but with seven hundred men to feed the Dark Master wouldbe forced out speedily. So with the dawn Brian and Turlough rode forthto select a battleground, and while Brian was very sore and ridingcaused him great pain at first, he soon found himself in better shape.
Turlough picked a hollow in the road a mile farther from the castle,flanked on either hand by woods and hillsides where men might liehidden. Brian found it good, and that afternoon a part of their horsemenwere shifted thither in readiness.
* * * * *
For the next three days there was little done. Twice the Dark Masterattempted sallies with what few horsemen he had left, but on eachoccasion Cathbarr's horse smote his men and drove them back. To be sure,O'Donnell thundered with his bastards, but the guns only burned up goodpowder, for Brian would allow no assault made.
By Turlough's advice, however, they brought about the Dark Master's fallthrough certain prisoners made in the two sallies.
These captives were led through the depleted central camp, though theyknew nothing of that picked place farther back. Having been allowed tosee what men Brian had here, Turlough slyly drove Cathbarr into paradinghis vanity before them; and in all innocence the giant told how he couldput the Dark Master's men to flight single-handed, and of his anxietylest the O'Donnells should fear to fight in the open. What was more,Brian affected to be utterly shattered by his wounds, and with that theprisoners were sent back with a message offering quarter to all withinthe castle save the Dark Master himself.
Early the next morning a horseman came riding fast from Cathbarr withword that the garrison was stirring. Without delay, Brian donned amail-shirt, bound his useless left arm to his side, and mounted. TheBird Daughter insisted on accompanying him, and stilled his dismayedprotests by asserting her feudal superiority; in the end she had herway.
Leaving her kinsmen and a hundred more men to dispute O'Donnell'spassage and give back slowly before him with Cathbarr, she and Brianrode to their men among the trees on the hillsides over the hollow inthe road. Here they had a hundred and fifty men, composed of the Scotstroopers and the pick of the others, and Nuala took one side of the roadwhile Brian took the other. Then, being well hidden, they waited.
Brian was savagely determined to slay the Dark Master that day, and camenear to doing it. Presently a man galloped up to say that O'Donnell andsix hundred men were on the road, having left the rest to hold thecastle. A little later Cathbarr's retreating force came in sight, andafter them marched O'Donnell. He had deployed his muskets in front andrear, and rode in the midst of his pikemen, whose banner of England blewout bravely in the morning wind.
At the edge of the dip in the road Cathbarr led his men in full flightdown the hollow and up the farther rise, where he halted as if todispute the Dark Master further. There were barely a dozen mounted menwith O'Donnell, and he made no pursuit, but marched steadily along withhis muskets pecking at Cathbarr's men. When he had come between thewooded hillsides, h
owever, Cathbarr came charging down the road; thepikemen settled their pikes three deep to receive him, and with thatBrian led out his men among the trees and swooped down with an axswinging in his right hand.
Alive to his danger, the Dark Master tried to receive his charge, butat that instant Nuala's men burst down on the other flank. Brian headedhis men, and at sight of him a yell of dismay went up from theO'Donnells. A moment later the pikemen's array was broken and the fightdisintegrated into a wild affray wherein the horsemen had much thebetter of it.
Brian tried to cut his way to the Dark Master, but when O'Donnell sawthe pikemen shattered he knew that the day was lost. He gathered hisdozen horsemen and went at Cathbarr viciously; Brian saw the two meet,saw O'Donnell's blade slip under the ax and Cathbarr go from the saddle,then the Dark Master had broken through the ring and was riding hard forthe North.
Brian wheeled his horse instantly, found the Bird Daughter at his side,and with a score of men behind them they rode out of the battle inpursuit. It proved useless, however, for the Dark Master had the betterhorseflesh; after half an hour he was gaining rapidly, and with a bittergroan Brian drew rein at last.
"No use, Nuala," he said. "I must wait until my strength has come backto me, for I have done too much and can go no farther."
The girl reined in beside him, and her hand went out to his, and hefound himself gazing deep into her eyes.
"For what you have done, Brian," she said simply, "thanks. Now let usride back, for I think there is work before us, and we shall see theDark Master soon enough."
"I am not minded to wait his coming," quoth Yellow Brian darkly, andthey returned.
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK. Don't forget this magazine is issued weekly,and that you will get the continuation of this story without waiting amonth.
Nuala O'Malley
by H. Bedford-Jones
Author of "Malay Gold," "The Ghost Hill," "John Solomon, Supercargo,"etc.
This story began in the All-Story Weekly for December 30.