CHAPTER TWO.
A SUCCESSFUL DISGUISE.
On came the enemy with determination. Fiercely the battle raged--againand again the foot advanced up to the embankment, each time retreatingfrom the storm of bullets, case shot, and round shot poured into them,leaving the ground strewed with their comrades, some in the calm ofdeath, others struggling in vain efforts to rise and escape from thefield.
Again we thought that the fight for that day was over, when wedistinguished a horseman riding along the broken ranks of the Cavaliers,waving his sword, as if to lead them on. He advanced, but not a footwould they budge. They had that day gained a lesson they could not soeasily forget.
At length, losing patience, the Cavalier, who we had no doubt was thePrince himself, rode round to where his cavalry were posted. Theadvance was sounded, and now the horse, drawn up in the rear, urgedforward the foot with lances and pistol shots at their backs.
"They must come on this time," cried Lancelot; "if they don't, they'llget cut down by their friends in the rear."
"Then I hope that such will be their fate," said Dick. "See, the poorfellows are advancing. I pity them, for they well know how they will betreated by Colonel Blake."
As the enemy got within range of our firearms they were received withshowers of musket balls and case shot, which went through and throughtheir closed ranks, striking down dozens at a time, but still, urged onby their officers--who, to give them their due, fought with the mostheroic bravery--they advanced close up to our lines. Here they were metby pistols, pikes, and spears, and then, staggering, they broke andfled, followed by showers of missiles, until they were beyond our reach.
A loud shout rose all along our line, in which we in the tower joinedright heartily, but our troops were too wearied with the ceaselessexertions they had made during the whole of the afternoon to pursue thefugitives; indeed, it would have been the very thing the Prince wouldhave desired, as he would have been down upon them with his cavalry, andalthough they might have retreated to the lines, many a valuable lifewould have been sacrificed, and no advantage gained.
Colonel Blake therefore contented himself with the brilliant success hehad achieved. He had shown those haughty Cavaliers that the garrison ofLyme was not to be so easily overcome as they had thought, and hadtaught them what they were to expect should they again venture to assailus.
Such was the termination of the first day of the siege. Descending fromour tower with the satisfaction of having faithfully fulfilled ourpromise, we went down the lines to view more nearly the battle-field.The whole ground was strewed near and far off with the bodies of men andhorses. Parties were at once sent out to bring in any who might bestill living, and to bury the dead while the rays of the setting sungleamed on the white tents of the Royalist camp, which could be seen inthe distance.
Few doubted that another day would see a fresh attack made on ourentrenchments, but some were sanguine enough to believe that the Prince,after the lesson he had received, would retire. I asked my father whathe thought. He answered--
"The Royalists will not go away without further attempts to reduce thetown, for they know too well that if they do they will leave a vigilantenemy in their rear, under whose standard thousands of honest Puritanswill gladly gather to destroy the enemies of our country's freedom."
The next morning it was seen that the Cavaliers were busy erectingbatteries and throwing up earthworks on all the neighbouring heights, sothat they might command our forts and batter down our houses.
Notwithstanding the preparations made for the destruction of the town,Colonel Blake urged the garrison to resist to the bitter end, assuringthem that ere that should come Parliament would send them relief.
I cannot attempt to give a detailed account of the siege. Soon afterhis first repulse, Prince Maurice opened fire from his great guns placedon all the heights commanding the town, from the effects of which notonly the houses but our forts suffered. In a short time the fort at theCob was knocked to pieces by a battery which had been thrown up at HolmeBush, which also swept the bay, so as to render it dangerous for anyvessel to enter the harbour in the day time. Information was alsoreceived that the Cavaliers were busy throwing up another battery atColway Hill, in front of Colway House, and into this battery they wereseen dragging some of their largest ordnance. As it commanded DaviesFort, which was the key of our defences, the Colonel ordered a largebody of men to strengthen that fort as rapidly as possible. Volunteerswere not lacking, and Lancelot and I were allowed to help. We calledfor Dick Harvey on the way, and when the men saw three young gentlemen,the sons of the three principal persons in the place, labouring away ashard as any one, it encouraged them to still greater exertions, and in afew hours a bank twelve feet thick had been thrown up, which it was notlikely the shot from the enemy's guns could penetrate. Colonel Blakepassing while we were thus occupied, patted me on the head.
"Well done, young comrade," he said in a kind tone. "If we had agarrison of a few hundred boys like you, we might hold the place againstall assailants, without the help of more veteran troops."
The earthworks had been completed, and Lancelot and I were standing onthe top, surveying with no little pride the portion we had assisted inthrowing up, when I saw a puff of smoke issue from Colway Hill, followedby a thundering report, and a round shot plunged into the bank closebeneath our feet.
"Come down, youngsters!" shouted my father, who had just before enteredthe fort. "More of those iron balls will be coming in this direction.You must not run the risk of losing your lives when you cannot advanceour good cause." We unwillingly obeyed, but we had not gone far beforea succession of reports showed that the enemy had already got severalguns into position, and had not the fort been strengthened, it wouldsoon have been rendered untenable. Numerous successive attacks weremade, but were repulsed as the first had been.
Poor little Audrey and Cicely were in a great state of alarm while thefiring continued, naturally fearing that the whole town would soon bebattered down.
At length, however, the Royalists drew off, and we were left in quietfor nearly a week. The time was spent in strengthening thefortifications and drilling the volunteers. We had spies in the camp ofthe Cavaliers, who managed under cover of the night to come into thetown with information of what they were about. One piece of news theybrought caused Governor Ceely and my friend Dick much anxiety. It wasthat Mr Harvey, Dick's father, who, having been absent from the townwhen the Cavalier army arrived before it, had been unable to join us,was made prisoner, and was now in the camp. Dick was afraid that thePrince would hang him, as he had others, and talked much with Lancelotand me of a plan for rescuing him; still, for a long time we couldstrike out nothing feasible. Dick, like a good son, was ready to runevery risk, and I was ready to assist him if I could obtain my father'sleave, as was also Lancelot.
We took Audrey and Cicely into our councils. Audrey proposed that sheand Cicely should go to the camp and try to bribe the guards to let MrHarvey escape.
"Bad as the Cavaliers may be, they won't injure two young girls, andPrince Maurice, who is a gentleman, would be sure to treat us withcourtesy," observed Audrey. "You, Lancelot, and Dick might, in themeantime, during the night, row along the coast, and landing, obtain ahorse, with which you can wait outside the Royalists' camp, until MrHarvey, being free, finds you and gallops off."
"No, no, such a plan I can never agree to," exclaimed Lancelot. "Iwould sooner trust you two girls in a den of lions than amongst thoseMalignants. We must devise some other plan; I am sure that our fatherswould not consent. Mr Harvey was taken without arms, and nothing canbe proved against him."
This conversation took place on the 6th of May, 1644, and good reason Ihad for remembering the date. The weather had hitherto been fine, butsoon after midday it began to blow hard from the southward, and the seascame rolling into our little harbour. Lancelot, who had gone away,returned in a hurry, accompanied by Dick, and asked him to assist inhauling up his boat, which ran
a chance of being dashed to pieces, asTom Noakes, who had charge of her, was likely to be engaged on thelines. We all three hurried down. When we got there, we found a numberof men, who, as the enemy were quiet, had left their posts in order tosecure their craft from the tempest. Evening was approaching, and asthe gale was rapidly increasing there was no time to be lost. We foundthe boat tumbling and tossing about at her moorings, exposed to greatrisk of being run down by the smaller vessels which were standing in forshelter. To get on board was the difficulty, as no other boat was athand, so Lancelot, pulling off his clothes, and swimming through thefoaming sea, was soon on board.
"Stand by, to haul her up as she comes in," he shouted out, as he castoff the moorings. Then springing aft, he seized an oar. It was wellthat he did so, for just then a vessel which had rounded the Cob cametearing up under her foresail, the man at the helm apparently not seeingthe boat in the way.
Lancelot shouted lustily and plied his oar, the craft just scraping thestern of the boat as she luffed up to come to an anchor. We were on theeast shore, the most exposed side of the harbour, it should beunderstood. Dick and I stood by to seize the boat as she struck thebeach. Lancelot, leaping on shore, slipped into his shirt and hauledaway likewise, but with our united strength we could scarcely havesucceeded, had not Martin Shobbrok come to our aid. Fortunately therewere some rollers near at hand, and by their means we at length got theboat hauled up out of harm's way.
Never had I seen our harbour in a state of greater confusion. Thesmaller craft continued to stand in sometimes two or three together,many of them running foul of one another before they could bring up, andothers being driven on shore.
The larger vessels outside were getting down fresh anchors, and severalmaking sail were endeavouring to beat out of the bay, to obtain anoffing where they could ride out the gale.
A large number of the townsmen were engaged in securing the vessels,when sounding high above the roar of the tempest a rapid fusillade washeard in the direction of the lines, while shot after shot from theenemy's batteries came hurtling into the town.
"The soldiers would be at their suppers at this hour," exclaimed Martin."I fear me much that the place has been surprised, and if so, it willgo hard with us. Hasten to your homes, young gentlemen, and await theissue; I must to my post."
Martin, without waiting to see what we should do, taking his musket,which he had placed near the boat, hurried away, as did all the menengaged in securing the vessels. We followed, eager to know what wastaking place. The sound of bursting hand-grenades, the reports ofmuskets and pistols, the shouts and shrieks which reached our ears,showed us that the fight was raging much nearer than usual.
"There's no doubt about the enemy being in the town," cried Lancelot."We may as well die fighting as be killed like rats in a hole. Come on,lads!"
We dashed forward through the market square, in a street leading fromwhich towards the lines we could see, by the bright and rapid flashes,that hot fighting was going on. A party from the harbour had come upjust in time to stop the entrance into the square, and with loud shoutsthey pressed onwards, while from the windows of every house there burstforth bright flashes from arquebuse, musket, and pistol. To force ourway in that direction was impossible, so, led by Lancelot, we made awide circuit, until we reached the neighbourhood of the lines, where wefound a furious fight was also raging.
We met on our way several wounded men supported by mourning parties ofwomen, who had ventured up, even to the scene of the conflict, for thesake of succouring those who had been struck down. Still, the fight inthe centre of the town continued, and at length we learned from one ofthe wounded men that a large body of Cavaliers had forced their way intothe town, when Colonel Blake, closing in on their rear, had cut themoff, but though Malignants as they were, like gallant men they werefighting desperately.
Meanwhile another party outside were endeavouring to drive back thegarrison and rescue them. The darkness increased, the south windbringing up a thick fog, which prevented our assailants from seeingtheir way. Often the hand-grenades they intended for us were thrownamong their own companions, while our people plied them with everyweapon which could be mustered. The bullets came pinging against thewall above where we were standing, but in our eagerness we boys heedednot the risk we were running.
"Let us fight too!" exclaimed Lancelot, and we made our way on to thetrenches, where not only the soldiers, the volunteers, and the townsmenwere fighting, but women, with muskets in their hands, were firing away,encouraging their companions with shouts and cheers. Lancelot had gothold of a musket belonging to one of the garrison who had fallen, andhad taken his powder-horn and shot-belt. Dick and I, after huntingabout, succeeded in finding a couple of horse-pistols, but scarcely hadwe fired them than the din in front of us ceased, though the report offirearms to the right and left of us still continued. We could hear thetramp of men and the cries and groans of the wounded in front, but theuproar towards the market-place was quelled. No shots were heard, noclashing of swords, no shouts and shrieks.
"The enemy have retreated! The Malignants are flying!" was the crypassed along the lines.
Still, we could scarcely believe it possible. But an hour had passedsince the attack had commenced, and our little garrison had driven backonce more the well-equipped troops of Prince Maurice.
The storm raged fiercely during the night, and many fearing that anotherattack might be made, the greater portion of the garrison remained underarms, ready for any emergency.
Not until morning was the full extent of the Cavaliers' loss discovered.Within the lines well-nigh four hundred men lay stark and stiff wherethey had fallen, struck down by the fire from the houses and the fierceonslaught in front and rear, few prisoners having been taken.
Outside the trenches a hundred more strewed the ground, among them manyofficers of distinction, including Colonel Blewett, a gallant gentleman,greatly esteemed by Maurice. We knew this, because early in the morningthe Prince sent a herald to request that he might be restored if aprisoner, or that his body might be given up if dead.
A prisoner he was not, for every officer who had come inside the lineshad been slain. The Colonel answered that the body should be restoredif found, provided our people were not injured while searching for itand burying the dead. Before long the body of the Cavalier wasdiscovered where he had fallen, at the entrance of the town, leading onhis men. It was placed with all decency in a coffin, and Colonel Blakesent word that it was ready to be delivered up, and that he hoped, inreturn, his friend Mr Harvey would be set at liberty.
The Prince, to the indignation of the garrison, replied that they mightkeep the body, and refused to give up Mr Harvey. The coffin was,notwithstanding, carried to the lines opposite Holme Bush, when a signalwas made to the heralds to come for it. Colonel Blake stood by toreceive them.
"Have you any orders to pay for the shroud and coffin?" he asked.
"We have received none," was the answer.
"Take them, notwithstanding," answered the Colonel, curling hiswhiskers, as was his wont when angered. "We are not so poor but that wecan afford to give them to you."
The body was taken up by the men sent to fetch it, and slowly theywended their way back to the camp. An officer approached while the flagof truce was flying. He was one with whom Colonel Blake was acquainted.
"Here, friend," he said, "you see the weakness of our works. We trustnot to them. Tell Prince Maurice that should he desire to come in, wewill pull down a dozen yards, so that he may enter with ten men abreast,and we will give him battle."
"Not so," answered the Royalist, stung by the reproach to the militaryprowess of his party. "We will take our own time, but will come erelong."
The Colonel replied by a scornful laugh.
All that day we enjoyed unusual quiet, for the Royalists had not theheart again to attack us, though we were well aware they would do soshould occasion favour them.
Day after day and week after week went by
, still our garrison held out.Our provisions were running short, as was our ammunition, and shouldthat fail us--notwithstanding all the heroic efforts which had beenmade--we should be compelled to yield.
My friend Dick was still very anxious about his father.
"I have an idea!" exclaimed Lancelot. "You, Dick, are like your sisterMildred. Probably the Prince is not aware she is not in the town. Whatsay you to dressing up in her clothes, and taking Ben with you? he canpretend to be your brother. He looks so young, no one would think ofinjuring him more than they would you, supposing you to be a girl. Youcan steal out at night; go boldly to the Prince, and say you wish to seeyour father. He will scarcely refuse you. You can then tell Mr Harveyyour plan, and he is a man of wealth; the chances are he'll find themeans of bribing his guards. I meantime will sail along the shore, andlanding, arrange as I proposed about a horse, which I will have ready atthe foot of Charmouth Rise."
We kept our plan secret. I had some doubt whether I was acting rightly,but I trusted that my father would not blame me. Audrey and Cicely weredelighted, and soon rigged up Dick, so that the keenest eye would nothave discovered that he was a boy.
That very night Lancelot, accompanied by Tom Noakes, who had charge ofhis boat, put out of the harbour, and favoured by a light breeze, stoodalong the shore. We slipped out and crept along past the sentries,making our way to the east of Colway Hill. Every moment we expected tobe discovered, but a thick fog favoured our design, and we got away,creeping along hedges and under banks, until we were clear outside theenemy's entrenchments as well as our own.
Proceeding northward, we reached a wide-spreading tree on the top of ahigh bank, where we sat down to rest and consult as to our futurecourse. The moon rising and the fog blowing off, we saw spread outbefore us the white tents of the Cavalier army, covering a wide extentof ground. We agreed that it would be wise to wait until daylight,lest, approaching the camp, we might be shot by the sentries. Dickproduced some food which he had brought in his pocket. We ate it withgood appetites. We then stretched ourselves on the sward, not supposingthat we should go to sleep, but in spite of our anxiety we dropped off.When we awoke it was broad daylight.
It was fortunate we were not discovered, for Dick's dress looked sodraggled and dirty that no one would have taken him for a young lady. Iset to work to brush and clean him, and make him more presentable. Wehad resolved to walk boldly on unless challenged, until we could reachthe Prince's tent, when Dick would ask leave as if his request was sureto be granted to see his father as though on family matters. Ifrefused, we would wait about the camp until we could find an opportunityof gaining our object. We came sooner than we expected on a sentry, whoat once challenged us.
"You won't stop us, my good man," answered Dick, going up and slipping asilver crown into his hand. "We have come to see our father, and surelyyou would not interfere with two young children like us, who can do noharm to anyone."
The man, a fresh recruit, who knew nothing about military discipline,having pocketed the coin, was easily persuaded to allow us to proceed.The next sentry Dick managed in the same way. We advanced, Dick holdingmy hand, until we were within the camp. Several persons spoke to us,but did not seem to think it necessary to interfere with our progress,and at length, by dint of inquiring the way we found ourselves standingbefore a large tent, occupied we were told, by Prince Maurice.
We were waiting for leave to enter, when the curtain was drawn aside,and a Cavalier in cuirass and plumed hat, a light moustache, his lockscurling over his shoulders, came forth.
"Who are you, my pretty maiden?" he asked, looking at Dick.
"An' it please you, sir, I've come to see my father, who, we have heard,is a prisoner in the camp, though why or wherefore he is detained wecannot tell, for no more peaceable gentleman is to be found in the southof England. We wish to deliver some messages to him, and learn how hefares. Have we your permission, for you are, I opine, the general ofthis army?"
The Prince, for that such he was we knew by the way the officers whostood round addressed him, smiled as he replied--
"Say, who is your father?"
"Master Harvey, your highness," answered Dick.
"You have an arrant rebel for a father, then, I fear," said the Prince.
"Please, your highness, I know nothing of politics; all I desire is tohave a few words with my father, whom I am bound to honour, whetherRoyalist or Roundhead, and then to quit the camp and return home."
The Prince, after exchanging a few words with one of the gentlemenstanding by, handed a piece of paper, on which he had written a fewlines, to Dick.
"Take this, maiden," he said; "it will gain your object. But,understand, after you have seen your father, for your own sake, withoutloss of time, you must return home."
Thankful that we had so easily accomplished the first part of ourenterprise--accompanied by one of the officers, who undertook to show usthe way--we set off for the cottage in which we were told Mr Harveywith other prisoners were confined.