CHAPTER VII
DICK'S REVENGE
The next morning Dick was afoot before the sun, and, having dressedhimself to the best advantage, with the aid of the Lord Foxham'sbaggage, and got good reports of Joan, he set forth on foot to walk awayhis impatience.
For some while he made rounds among the soldiery, who were getting toarms in the wintry twilight of the dawn and by the red glow of torches;but gradually he strolled farther afield, and at length passed cleanbeyond the outpost, and walked alone in the frozen forest, waiting forthe sun.
His thoughts were both quiet and happy. His brief favour with the dukehe could not find it in his heart to mourn; with Joan to wife, and myLord Foxham for a faithful patron, he looked most happily upon thefuture; and in the past he found but little to regret.
As he thus strolled and pondered, the solemn light of the morning grewmore clear, the east was already coloured by the sun, and a littlescathing wind blew up the frozen snow. He turned to go home; but even ashe turned, his eye lit upon a figure behind a tree.
"Stand!" he cried. "Who goes?"
The figure stepped forth and waved its hand like a dumb person. It wasarrayed like a pilgrim, the hood lowered over the face, but Dick, in aninstant, recognised Sir Daniel.
He strode up to him, drawing his sword; and the knight, putting his handin his bosom, as if to seize a hidden weapon, steadfastly awaited hisapproach.
"Well, Dickon," said Sir Daniel, "how is it to be? Do ye make war uponthe fallen?"
"I made no war upon your life," replied the lad; "I was your true frienduntil ye sought for mine; but ye have sought for it greedily."
"Nay--self-defence," replied the knight. "And now, boy, the news of thisbattle, and the presence of yon crooked devil here in mine own wood,have broken me beyond all help. I go to Holywood for sanctuary; thenceover-seas, with what I can carry, and to begin life again in Burgundy orFrance."
"Ye may not go to Holywood," said Dick.
"How! May not?" asked the knight.
"Look ye, Sir Daniel, this is my marriage morn," said Dick; "and yon sunthat is to rise will make the brightest day that ever shone for me. Yourlife is forfeit--doubly forfeit, for my father's death and your ownpractices to meward. But I myself have done amiss; I have brought aboutmen's deaths; and upon this glad day I will be neither judge norhangman. An ye were the devil, I would not lay a hand on you. An ye werethe devil, ye might go where ye will for me. Seek God's forgiveness;mine ye have freely. But to go on to Holywood is different. I carry armsfor York, and I will suffer no spy within their lines. Hold it, then,for certain, if ye set one foot before another, I will uplift my voiceand call the nearest post to seize you."
"Ye mock me," said Sir Daniel. "I have no safety out of Holywood."
"I care no more," returned Richard. "I let you go east, west, or south;north I will not. Holywood is shut against you. Go, and seek not toreturn. For, once ye are gone, I will warn every post about this army,and there will be so shrewd a watch upon all pilgrims that, once again,were ye the very devil, ye would find it ruin to make the essay."
"Ye doom me," said Sir Daniel gloomily.
"I doom you not," returned Richard. "If it so please you to set yourvalour against mine, come on; and though I fear it be disloyal to myparty, I will take the challenge openly and fully, fight you with mineown single strength, and call for none to help me. So shall I avenge myfather, with a perfect conscience."
"Ay," said Sir Daniel, "y' have a long sword against my dagger."
"I rely upon Heaven only," answered Dick, casting his sword some waybehind him on the snow. "Now, if your ill-fate bids you, come; and,under the pleasure of the Almighty, I make myself bold to feed yourbones to foxes."
"I did but try you, Dickon," returned the knight, with an uneasysemblance of a laugh. "I would not spill your blood."
"Go, then, ere it be too late," replied Shelton. "In five minutes I willcall the post. I do perceive that I am too long-suffering. Had but ourplaces been reversed, I should have been bound hand and foot someminutes past."
"Well, Dickon, I will go," replied Sir Daniel. "When we next meet, itshall repent you that ye were so harsh."
And with these words, the knight turned and began to move off under thetrees. Dick watched him with strangely mingled feelings, as he went,swiftly and warily, and ever and again turning a wicked eye upon the ladwho had spared him, and whom he still suspected.
There was upon one side of where he went a thicket strongly matted withgreen ivy, and, even in its winter state, impervious to the eye. Herein,all of a sudden, a bow sounded like a note of music. An arrow flew, andwith a great, choked cry of agony and anger, the Knight of Tunstallthrew up his hands and fell forward in the snow.
Dick bounded to his side and raised him. His face desperately worked;his whole body was shaken by contorting spasms.
"Is the arrow black?" he gasped.
"It is black," replied Dick gravely.
And then, before he could add one word, a desperate seizure of painshook the wounded man from head to foot, so that his body leaped inDick's supporting arms, and with the extremity of that pang his spiritfled in silence.
The young man laid him back gently on the snow and prayed for thatunprepared and guilty spirit, and as he prayed the sun came up at abound, and the robins began chirping in the ivy.
When he rose to his feet, he found another man upon his knees but a fewsteps behind him, and, still with uncovered head, he waited until thatprayer also should be over. It took long; the man, with his head bowedand his face covered with his hands, prayed like one in a great disorderor distress of mind; and by the bow that lay beside him, Dick judgedthat he was no other than the archer who had laid Sir Daniel low.
At length he also rose, and showed the countenance of Ellis Duckworth.
"Richard," he said, very gravely, "I heard you. Ye took the better partand pardoned; I took the worse, and there lies the clay of mine enemy.Pray for me."
And he wrung him by the hand.
"Sir," said Richard, "I will pray for you, indeed; though how I mayprevail I wot not. But if ye have so long pursued revenge, and find itnow of such a sorry flavour, bethink ye, were it not well to pardonothers? Hatch--he is dead, poor shrew! I would have spared a better; andfor Sir Daniel, here lies his body. But for the priest, if I mightanywise prevail, I would have you let him go."
A flash came into the eyes of Ellis Duckworth.
"Nay," he said, "the devil is still strong within me. But be at rest;the Black Arrow flieth nevermore--the fellowship is broken. They thatstill live shall come to their quiet and ripe end, in Heaven's goodtime, for me; and for yourself, go where your better fortune calls you,and think no more of Ellis."