Master Fred, sir. I can bear allI get."
"Go back to your quarters, sir. You are under arrest, mind, I will dealwith you to-morrow."
Samson gave Fred a meaning look as he was marched off, and Fred's agonyof spirit increased as he asked himself whether he ought not to confidein his father. A dozen times over he was about to speak, but only tohesitate, for he knew that the colonel would sacrifice his friend on thealtar of duty, even if he had to sacrifice himself.
"I must save them," muttered Fred, as he went slowly back to his tent."I am not firm and stern like my father;" and then, as soon as he wasalone, he sat down to think of how he was to contrive the escape unaidedand alone.
Night came, with his mind still vacillating, for he could see no way outof his difficulty, and, to render his position more difficult, thecolonel came to his tent and sat till long after dark chatting about thelikelihood of the war coming to an end, and their prospects of once moresettling down at the home whose open doors were so near.
"And the Royalists, father? What of them?" said Fred at last.
"Exiles, I fear, my boy, for their cause is lost. They must suffer, aswe must have suffered, had our side gone to the wall."
"Father," said Fred, "if you could help a suffering enemy now, would youdo it?"
"If it was such help as my duty would allow--yes; if not, no.Recollect, we are not our own masters, but servants of the country.Good night, my boy. I think you may sleep in peace to-night;" and hestrode out of the little tent, where his seat had been a horseman'scloak thrown over a box.
"Sleep!" said Fred to himself, "with those poor fellows starving in thathole. I must, I will help them, and ask his forgiveness later on. Buthow?"
"Pst! ciss!" came from the back of the tent.
CHAPTER FORTY NINE.
SAMSON IS NOT TO BE BEATEN.
"What's that? Who's there?" said Fred, sharply.
"Pst! Master Fred. Don't make all that noise. You'll have the guardhear you."
The mischief was done, for there was the tramp of feet, and directlyafter a sergeant and his men stopped opposite Fred's tent.
"Must have been somewhere here," said the sergeant, in a deep voice.
"Yes," said Fred, stepping to the tent opening; "it was I, sergeant. Ithought I heard some one call."
"No, sir; all's well. Good night, sir."
"Good night."
"You nearly did it that time, Master Fred," whispered Samson. "Whatmade you holloa like that?"
"You, sir. How came you here?"
"Slit a hole in the guard tent, and crept out; that's all, sir. Tentwalls are soft enough. Now, then, are you ready?"
"Ready? Yes--no--what can we do?"
"What you said, sir."
"But we cannot take them to the place to starve."
"Who's going to, sir?"
"What do you mean?"
"Only that I crept out o' the tent hour and a half ago, ran down to theManor--easy enough in the dark--and told 'em what to do as soon as itwas light in the morning, and then ran back."
"But the rope?"
"Here it is, sir; wound round me like a belt. Come along, and let'sgo."
"But the horse--how are we to get Sir Godfrey there?"
"I dunno, sir, only that we've got to try. Come on; we can only make amess of it."
Fred hesitated no longer; but taking his sword and cloak, he stepped outinto the dark night, joined his man, and then stole with him cautiouslyalong the tents to where the horses were tethered. Samson untied thehalters which kept them prisoners, and led them silently away over thesoft glass.
The task proved more easy than they had expected, for there were nowatchers near. Strict ward and watch were kept, but only by those onduty. Those who were off devoted the time to rest and sleep.
All round the camp there was every precaution taken against surprise;but in the interior of the tented space there seemed to be none tointerrupt.
"Bridles, saddles?" whispered Fred.
"If we can't do what we want without them, sir, we shan't do it at all,"said Samson. "Tie your halter to his head, and leave the horses alone.The two beasts 'll follow us like dogs, and it's all right so long asthey don't whinny."
Samson was correct. The two horses followed them like dogs, their hooftramp being almost inaudible, and they went on through the darkness at apace which seemed terrible to Fred in its sluggishness, nearly down tothe lake, and then round its western end, and in front of the ruinedHall.
"We shall never get them there."
"Oh yes, we shall, if we can get them through the lines, and it's sodark that I don't feel no fear of that. Now, sir, we'll tether them tothese two trees, and then get to work."
Fred followed his companion's example, glancing round from time to time,and listening as every sigh of the wind seemed to be the breath of awatcher; and then, tethering his steed, which calmly began to crop theluxuriant grass, Fred started for the wilderness, his sword drawn tofeel his way beneath the trees, and at last contrived to reach the spotwhere they had entered from time to time.
"Shall I go first, Master Fred?" whispered Samson.
"No, no."
"Better let me. I'm thicker-skinned, and it's going to be all feeling,sir."
But Fred would not give up, and, entering the tangled underwood at once,he went cautiously on, till about half-way, when a rush through thebushes brought his heart to his mouth.
"Only rabbit, sir. Keep on," grumbled Samson.
"Think we are going right?"
"Yes, sir, far as I can tell; but it's blind man's work."
Instinct or guess-work, one or the other, led them right to the fallentree, when the hole was soon discovered, and Fred crept through anddropped into the passage, closely followed by Samson.
"Don't find fault, sir," whispered the latter, as he touched the bottom,"I should ha' done it, only I was took."
"What do you mean?"
"Brought a light."
"Never mind; I can find my way."
"Let me go first, sir."
"No; follow closely, and don't talk now."
"Only this one word, sir," whispered Samson, holding tightly by hismaster's arm. "When we get 'em safe off, and my brother Nat startsboasting, mind, sir, it was to help Sir Godfrey and Master Scar I came--not him."
"Silence!"
"How like his father he do grow!" muttered Samson; and he obeyed.
Fred wondered to himself that he felt no shrinking at the strange task,before creeping step by step into the utter darkness of this place; buthe was strung up now, and determined to carry his task through, comewhat might.
Never before had the way seemed so long ere he struck his foot againstthe first short flight of steps; and then, as he reached the topunchallenged, a horrible sense of dread assailed him, for all was assilent as it was dark, and he asked himself what had happened to hisfriends.
He stood listening, but could hear nothing; and at last he grippedSamson by the shoulder, and whispered--
"What does it mean? Have they gone?"
"That's what I was asking myself, sir. Speak--or shall I? Anybodyhere?" he said aloud.
There was a whispering echo, nothing more, and Fred felt the coldperspiration ooze from his brow, as he tried to imagine what could havehappened since they were there last.
Those moments seemed long-drawn minutes, and then relief came in a long,low sigh; and as that ended, the breathing of a sleeper and a restlessmovement were plainly heard from the corner of the vault.
"Hist!" whispered Samson; "hear that, sir?"
"Yes; they are asleep."
"No, sir; that behind us?"
"No."
"Listen."
Fred listened intently, and his hand went to the hilt of his sword, for,sure enough, there was the sound of steps coming slowly and cautiously,and as if he who made them listened, along the passage from thedirection of the lake.
"Some one tracking us," said Fred, with his lips to his follower's ear."Stand as
ide. Don't strike. Let him enter, and then we must seize andgag him when I say `_Now_!'"
A pressure of Samson's ear against his lips told of his acquiescence,and they stood, one on each side of the arched opening, waiting as thesteps came nearer, apparently more and more cautiously, till thestairway was reached, against which whoever it was stumbled slightly,and then ascended with many pauses, and stepped right inside the vault,breathing heavily, and seeming to listen.
"What shall I do?" thought Fred. "Seize him, or what?"
"Master Fred--Master Fred, do say `_Now_', or our chance is gone," saidSamson to himself; and as if this was communicated to the young officerby some peculiar sense, he was drawing in his breath previous to givingthe word and dashing at their tracker, when a low, piteous voice saidhalf aloud--
"Gone, or he has forgotten us. What shall--"
"Don't you talk like that o' Master Fred, sir," cried Samson, inindignant tones.
"Scar!" cried Fred; and he threw his arms round his boyhood's companion,who uttered a low sigh, and would have sunk to the stony floor but forFred's support.
"Samson."
"Well, sir, what did he mean by scaring us and talking like that?"
"Have you been outside?"
"No," said Scarlett, in a low, hesitating voice. "I was ill andfeverish. I went to the end to get some water, and I think I must havefallen down and slept. I have not slept much, and it has been so longand dark, and I thought you had forsaken us."
"Forsaken you!" cried Fred, reproachfully. "But your father--and Nat?"
"I hardly know; they seem to have done nothing but sleep."
"Don't talk now. Rouse them at once. You must escape."
"Escape? Where?"
"I have provided the refuge for you. Horses are waiting in front of theHall. Now, let's try and get them out at once."
"In front of the Hall?" said Scarlett, whose weakness seemed to bechased away by his old friend's words.
"Yes."
"Fred, we can get down from the oak chamber into the ruins. A piece ofthe wall has fallen. Will not that be a better way?"
"Of course," cried Fred. "Then wake them at once."
This was done, and the news of the coming of help conveyed to SirGodfrey and his man, who rose with pain to their feet; but it soonbecame evident that the former could not stir a step, though Natdeclared he could walk anywhere, and nearly fell on trying to cross thevault.
"It is of no use," said Scarlett; "but I thank you, Fred Forrester, andI can never call you enemy again."
"No," said Sir Godfrey, piteously. "I am too weak to stir; but Godbless you, my brave, true boy--never our enemy again."
"Look ye here," said a gruff voice, "I don't know nothing 'bout no otherway, so you've got to show me or lead me. I'll hold a strap in myteeth, and some one can lead me by that. What you've got to do, MasterFred, is to set Sir Godfrey well on my back, and I can carry himanywhere. Never mind about that brother o' mine. Chuck him down in anycorner, if he won't walk. I aren't going to carry him."
Nat uttered a low grunt, and muttered something out of the darknessabout kicking, as, after a vain protest, Sir Godfrey was helped on toSamson's back, the sturdy fellow stooping down, and then rising up witha bit of a laugh.
"Dessay him I was named after was pretty strong; but he couldn't ha'carried you, sir, any better than that."
"My brave-hearted fellow!" said Sir Godfrey, faintly; and he set histeeth hard to keep back a moan of pain.
"Now, then," said Samson, "what sort of a way is it?"
"Just like that we came," said Fred, quickly as he drew Nat's arm overhis shoulder.
"Then I don't want no leading," said Samson; "some one go first, and Ican feel my way with my ears."
"Go first, Scar," whispered Fred. "Don't speak; only tell him when youreach the stairs. Now, forward!"
"Forward it is, gen'lemen. March! Never mind about that Nat. Got himall right, Master Fred?"
There was a low chuckle by Fred's ear that sounded like one of Samson's,as he answered--"Yes. Go on."
"Go on it is, gen'lemen; give the old donkey the spur, if he won't go."
The long passage was slowly traversed, and then began the toilsomeascent of the stairs leading to the oak chamber, poor Nat being veryfeeble, and Fred's task hard; but the top was reached at last, and thesoft fresh night air blew freely upon the rescuers' heated brows, as,under Scarlett's guidance, they crossed the little room to the cornerwhere the wall had fallen away.
Here greater difficulties began in the getting down to the level of theground floor, stones giving way, and the darkness adding to thedifficulty. Once there was quite a little avalanche of calcinedmaterial; but perseverance won, and all stood safely at last on thetrampled lawn in front of the ruined Hall.
"Shall we let them rest here for a bit?" whispered Fred.
"No, Master Fred, sir; they must rest on the horses' backs. Come on;they're not fifty yards away."
A low whinny from one of the faithful beasts followed this speech, andthe party listened in dread that the sound might have been heard.
"Come on, sir," whispered Samson; "heard or no, now's our time;" and hewalked quickly to where the horses were tethered, with the others closebehind. "Now, sir," he said in a whisper, "I've got to get you on thathorse. If you can put a leg over, do. If you can't--"
Answer came in the shape of a brave effort on Sir Godfrey's part, andthe next instant he was sitting erect on the horse's back.
"Hooroar!" whispered Samson. "Now t'other one. Foot in my hands like alady. Nat, old chap. Ready? Up you go. That's brave. Yah! I forgotas we was enemies. Come along. You lead him, Master Fred, as you wouldbring him along."
"Can you walk all right, Scar?" whispered Fred.
"Yes. I'll take hold, though, of the horse's mane."
"Ready, Samson?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then, forward, and not a word; we must leave everything to chance. Ouronly hope is that we may pass between the sentinels, and that thedarkness may screen us from their eyes."
A quarter of an hour's slow and careful progress over the soft grassymoor, and then they stopped short, for there was the chink of metal andthe sharp stamp of a horse.
"If ours challenge him with a neigh, we are lost," thought Fred, as hestood trembling, and patting his horse's nose.
"Poor old lad, then!" whispered Samson; and, their attention taken bytheir masters' caressing hands, the brave beasts remained silent, andthen moved on till there was a road to be crossed, and Samson halted.
"Can't help it, sir; there's no other way," he whispered; "and it's allstones."
"Forward!" whispered Fred; and they crossed the road, but not withoutmaking a sharp sound or two. Then they were once more on the soft turf,and bore away more and more to their right, till Scarlett whispered--
"Are you making for the shore?"
"No; for the Rill Head--the cavern," said Fred.
"Then it must be close here, for we are only a little way from the edgeof the cliffs."
Endorsement of his words came in the low roar of a breaking wave frombelow; and just then the stars peeped out from behind a cloud, and theysaw exactly where they stood.
Ten minutes later they were close by the narrow entrance, and as Fredsearched for the exact place he uttered a cry of satisfaction, for thereby the gaping rift lay two large bundles, whose contents he pretty wellguessed.
CHAPTER FIFTY.
BACK TO CAMP.
"Now, Samson," whispered Fred, "we must trust to our horses standingfast."
"You let their halters lie on the ground, sir, and they'll not move,"was the reply. "Wait a minute, till I've unrolled the rope from mywaist, and then I'm ready."
"What can I do?" said Scarlett, in a low anxious voice.
"Nothing, sir. Now, Master Fred, let's get them two down first off thehorses, and they can lie on the grass till we're ready for them. Then,if you think as I do, me being strongest, you'll go down fi
rst, while Ihold the rope."
"Can you?"
"Can I?" exclaimed Samson, in a tone full of contempt. "Then whenyou're down, I'll lower down the stuff first, and you take it and castthe rope loose each time; and next, I'll let Sir Godfrey down and MasterScar, and then--"
He stopped short.
"Your brother," said Fred, sharply. "We cannot do better."
Everything was done according to Samson's plans, beginning with thehelping down of the two wounded riders, after which Fred took the end ofthe rope, and was lowered into what, in spite of his determination,seemed to be an awful chasm.
But he had no time to think, for directly he touched the shaley floor,the rope was drawn up, and almost directly after, he was hastily takingfrom the rope the burdens which it bore, while, to his surprise,Scarlett came next.
"You?" said Fred in his wonder.
"Yes; I thought I could help most here; and it seemed so terrible aplace for you to be alone."
"Scar!" whispered Fred, quickly, as a thought struck him, due toSamson's general forethought, "open those bundles, and see if there isanything to get a light."
Sir Godfrey was lowered down, and when Fred was helping Nat to sinkgently on the flooring of the cave, the sharp clicking of flint andsteel fell upon his ears, and soon after the gloomy place was illuminedby a candle stuck in a niche of the rock.
"I wouldn't be longer than 'bout an hour, Master Fred, sir," came downthe opening. "We may as well get back safe if we can."
Fred answered, and then set to work, to find that the forethought ofthose at the Manor had provided ample store for the prisoners; and ifever wine was welcome to man, it was to the sufferers lying exhaustedthere upon the shaley bed of the cave.
"As soon as I am up," said Fred at last, "I shall throw down the rope,and with the light you can explore the lower part of the cave, and seewhat means there are of getting to the mouth; for sooner or later a boatand men shall come to take you both where you will. Now, Scar Markham,God bless you, and good-bye!"
Fred had previously bidden Sir Godfrey farewell. Nat had sunk into thesleep of exhaustion long before, and now he stood grasping Scarlett'shands in his.
"Some day," said the latter, sadly, "this war must end, and then we maymeet again."
"And not till then, Scar, for I can--I must do no more. Good-bye."
He snatched his hands from the grasp that held them, caught hold of therope, and calling up to Samson, in another minute he was half-way up,but only to call down to Scarlett--
"Have no fear about supplies; there are those not far away who will seethat you have all you want."
There was no reply, for in his weakness and misery Scarlett Markham hadthrown himself upon his face, and lay for hours almost without moving,and till long after the light had burned out, and the faint bluish dawnrose from the chasm below.
Meanwhile Fred had reached the top, lowered down the rope till itsweight made it glide swiftly from his hands, and then mounted his horseto ride back, through the darkness, trusting to chance to reach the campunchallenged.
This time they were not so successful, for all at once a sharp voicebade them halt and give the word.
"Forward's the word, Master Fred," whispered Samson, "full speed, kneeto knee."
Their horses answered to the touches of their heels, and bounded throughthe darkness, the man who challenged trying to fire in their direction;but the match merely made the priming flash, and before he couldcommunicate with his fellows, Fred and Samson were far over the moortoward the park, dashing by an outpost, whose men fired and raised thealarm. It was too late to stop the adventurous pair, who were close upto the tents and off the horses, which they left to their fate, whilethe men whom they encountered now treated them as others who had beenalarmed by the firing on the moor. Drums were beating, trumpetssounding, and men mustered quickly, waiting a night attack, till thesentinels were questioned and told their tale. An hour more, and it wasbroad daylight, and the men dismissed, after what was treated as a falsealarm.
"And when I went to the tethering stakes, Master, Fred, sir," whisperedSamson, "there were our horses standing alongside o' the others, withtheir halters hanging down just as if they'd never left their places."
"But weren't you missed? You were a prisoner."
"No, sir, s'pose not. I should ha' thought they'd ha' looked at me nowand then; but I'd done nothing very wrong, and when a man did tramp intothe tent, he found me lying down, and didn't see the slit through whichI crept out and in."
"Then you are released, Samson?"
"Yes, sir; your father ordered me to be let out, and, oh, how sleepy Ido feel! I say, though, sir, if the colonel know'd all we done lastnight, what would he say?"
"Don't talk about it, my good fellow. I hope he would be glad at heart;but as a soldier--Samson, we must keep our secret, perhaps for years."
Samson gave his mouth a slap with his horny palm, and walked away.
CHAPTER FIFTY ONE.
GREETINGS AFTER LONG YEARS.
During the month which followed Sir Godfrey's escape, the forces of theParliamentarians achieved success after success, Colonel Forrester andhis son being despatched with a little column to the east two dayslater.
The dilemma to Fred before starting seemed terrible, but just as he feltthat there was nothing left for him to do but confess all he had done tohis father, he encountered Samson.
"Why, Master Fred!" he exclaimed, "you look as if you'd got the worrieson you."
"Worry? Why, man, we have to march almost directly, and those poorpeople in the cave are--"
"What poor people? in what cave? Only wish I was one of 'em. Having itluscious, that's what they're a-having, Master Fred, sir. Chicken andeggs, and butter and new bread, and milk and honey, and nothing to do.Blankets to wrap 'em in, and cider and wine, and ladies to go and talkto 'em."
"Samson, are you sure of this?" cried Fred, joyfully.
"Wish I was as sure as all this human being cock-fighting was nearlyover, Master Fred."
"Then you've been over?"
"'Course I have, sir. I aren't like the colonel, about here all theseweeks, and never going home nor letting you go. I got leave this time,for I met the general, and told him how near I was to my garden, and howanxious I was about the weeds, and he laughed and give me a passdirectly."
"And my mother?"
"Your mother, Master Fred? Why, I couldn't get to know about them inthe cave for her asking me questions about the colonel and her boy! Shewould call you a boy, sir, though you think you're a man, and no moremuscle in your arms than a carrot."
"But the people in the cave, Samson?"
"Don't I tell you they're all right, sir--right as right can be; andfirst chance there's going to be a boat round from Barnstaple to takeSir Godfrey and Miss Lil and my lady away across the sea to France, andPshaw! I never heard the like of it; they're going to take that greatrough ugly brother of mine with them. They're all right."
Many weeks of busy soldiering followed, by which time the king's powerwas crushed, and the Parliamentary forces had swept away all opposition.Regiments were gradually disbanded, and the Forresters at last returnedto the Manor, from which Colonel Forrester's stern sense of duty hadkept him away, as much as the calls of his military life.
"There, Samson," he said, smiling, as they rode home, "you may sheatheyour sword, and sharpen your rusty scythe; while you, Fred--what are weto do with you? Send you back to school?"
"No, father, I must be what I am--a soldier still," said Fred, proudly;"but I hope in peace more than in war."
"Yes; we have had enough of war for years to come."
The colonel drew rein that sunny afternoon as they were passing theruined Hall, and Fred heard him sigh, but he forgot that directly afterin his eagerness to get home; and soon after father and son were lockedin turn in sobbing Mistress Forrester's arras.
There was abundance to tell that night as they sat in the old, old room,where mother and son exchanged gla
nces, each silently questioning theother with the eye as to whether the time had not come for telling all;but still they hesitated, till all at once Colonel Forrester exclaimedsadly--
"This is nearly perfect happiness--home and peace once more; but it isnot complete. You say Lady Markham and her daughter left a month agofor France?"
"Yes, dearest," replied Mistress Forrester.
"Ah!" sighed the colonel, "I'd give all I have to know that mine enemywas saved from the horrors of that terrible evening."
"Will you give your forgiveness, father?" said Fred, rising.
"Forgiveness?"
"Yes: to one who was somewhat of a traitor to his cause."
"My boy! what do you mean?" cried the colonel; and Fred told all heknew, Mistress Forrester supplementing his narrative with a vividdescription of how the fugitive Royalists had been helped into thecavern, and had then escaped by sea.
The colonel rose, and stood staring straight before him, and then heslowly went to the door, signed to them not to follow, and they heardhim go upstairs, where, in dread at last, Mistress Forrester followed,to find him on his knees.
When, half an hour after, he returned to the dining-room, his faceseemed changed, and there was a bright look in his eyes as if a weighthad been lifted from his mind, while twice over his son heard himwhisper softly--"Thank God! Thank God!"
It was after years had passed, and various political changes had takenplace, that one bright May day, bright as such