The MS. in a Red Box

  CHAPTER XX

  When we looked to our hurts we were astonished at the slightness ofthem. My shoulder had been struck by a bullet on the rebound, whichhad penetrated but a little way and was easily removed; Anna hadescaped with a few bruises; Martha's cut on the head was nasty, but notserious. We had a laugh over the doctor's wound, which could not bediscovered, nor was there a spot of blood anywhere on his clothing. Hemust have been splashed with water, which he had imagined was his ownblood. Bess had had very much the worst injuries, her hands and armsand face being bruised and cut badly, but the doctor shook his headchiefly at a bruise on her breast. How she had kept firm grip on poleand pistol after that sickening blow--nay, how she had held up at all,he declared he did not understand. She smiled and said he had not beenused to doctoring gipsies. While Doctor Goel attended to us, I sent alad to bring such of my old servants and neighbours as might be willingto help me against the mob, which I felt sure would appear shortly.Boswell would stir them on with all his craft, I knew. Happily, it hadalready been made known that it was not I who had been buried in theBelton churchyard, and my friends were ever talking of me, Dame Druryassured me. Her husband begged me to go away, and when he found Iwould not budge, he growled at the risk he ran of losing property, andperhaps of seeing his house in flames, in a quarrel which was none ofhis. Dame Drury took a more cheerful view of the matter, being surethat "t' young squire" would not see them come to harm in the end. Shebustled about to get breakfast for us, and while we were eating it, shetold me that "cousin John was all of a dither" in his great desire tosee me, and begged the young lady would honour him by going with me tohis chamber. He lay fully dressed, as his custom was, on his couch,trembling with eagerness, and, to my amazement, he half rose from hisbed to greet Anna, to whom he spoke with a courtly grace peculiar tohim above all the men I have ever known.

  In answer to his inquiries, I ran over the main events of the lastmonth, and let him know how things stood with us at present. A greathurrahing rose outside, and when I went to the window I saw about fiftymen, all, or nearly all, armed with guns and poles. On sight of methey cheered madly again, and again. They were Beltonians, full offriendliness for me, and more than willing for a fray.

  "Tell us what you want with us, Mister Frank," some one called out.

  "Tell off three men," I replied, "one to watch on the upper road, oneon the lower road, and one at the landing-place to watch the river. Ifany one sees the mob coming, let him fire as a signal. I'll tell therest my tale and what help I ask of you."

  Three men marched off at once to do my bidding.

  "Friends and neighbours," I began, "we have no time to waste, so I willbe brief. As you know, it was given out that I was dead, and a man wasburied under my name in our churchyard; but I had been kidnapped andcarried off to Melwood Priory. There my enemy cut and carved my faceto make me look the picture of the man who had been buried as FrankVavasour. And I was marked on the chest as he had been marked.See"--and I threw open my vest. "This devilish bit of cunning was doneto make me pass as a man who was under sentence of transportation toVirginia as a slave. But why? Because I loved a young lady on whomLord Sheffield had set his fancy." Here I had to stop while my hearersgroaned and eased their feelings with some strong language. "My lordthought it would punish me for my presumption, and also leave the ladyat his mercy, if I were so disposed of. But I broke my prison." Themen hurrahed until I held up my hand. "After all, I was caught, andtaken to Hull to lie in prison until the ship was ready to sail. ThereGod sent me a friend, who delivered me, and only last evening I came toSandtoft to see my lady. In the night, as I dare say you know, anattack was made on the settlement. I believe it was egged on by myLord Sheffield. Certain I am that his agents stirred up some foolishpeople to mob my lady as a witch, on purpose that he might come withsome of his retainers to carry her off to Normanby House, underpretence of rescue. He did not know I was on the spot. When I steppedforth to save her from his clutches, he drew pistol. Now I give you myword that, though I had sword by my side and pistol in my belt, Itouched neither. I knocked him down, and he fell stunned."

  "Same as if a horse had kicked him, I warrant," said a voice.

  "Now they give out that I killed him."

  "Mighty good riddance!" shouted another voice.

  "Well, I didn't wish to kill him, and I don't believe I did; but if Idid, I am willing to give myself up----"

  "Nay, that you shan't!" came from several parts of the group.

  "I am willing to give myself up to the coroner, or any one who has ajust right to try me, but not into the hands of my enemies, who havebeen the tools of my Lord Sheffield, for it is too much their interestto have my life."

  "Mustn't be taken to torture chamber!" a voice called out.

  Torture chamber was the people's name for the dungeon in CastleMulgrave, where the Lord President of the Council of the North was wontto examine prisoners. From that chamber men had come with maimed limbsand shaken wits, men whose only crime was their unwillingness to givethe testimony which his lordship desired.

  "I don't think there is much fear of that with so many brave fellows tostand by me; but if I should be taken or killed, I beg you to defendthis lady and her father until they are under the roof of the Vicar ofCrowle."

  So saying, I drew Anna forward to the window. My words had taken thecolour out of her face and set her trembling, but she spoke with aclear voice--

  "Oh, I am sure you will not let him be killed or taken!"

  The sight of her pale face, and the sound of her sweet tones utteredfrom quivering lips, roused the men to the highest pitch, and theyanswered with one voice--

  "Never--never!"

  So I went to work about our defence, placing twenty men round thehouse, under such shelter as we could find or make with bundles ofreeds from Drury's stack, or anything that came handy. Twenty more Idisposed in a half circle about fifty yards away, facing the road bywhich the enemy must come. Five of our best shots I appointed to guardthe approach by the river, strictly charging them not to leave theirpost; and the remainder of our men, twelve in number, I sent to thehigher ground overlooking the road, so as to be ready to take ourenemies on the flank.

  After our disposition had been made, we were reinforced by sixteen men,whom I sent to join the twelve on the higher ground; bidding them hidethemselves until they heard three blasts from a horn, when they were tofire and charge down the hill. I had meant to take the command of thispart of my force myself; but as young Mell came in the last company,and he was both cool-headed and courageous, I entrusted him with it.We had ample time for our preparations, for we saw nothing of an enemybefore seven o'clock, when there came in sight a big, disorderlycrowd--about a hundred men in number as near as I could reckon--armedwith poles, crossbows, slings, knives, and a few guns. Two or threewomen accompanied the band.

  A little way up the slope, above my semicircle of men, stood an oldpollard willow, which I climbed as a post of observation, keeping mybody in the shelter of its trunk, and having my face well shieldedamong the young shoots. I could see no Mulgrave livery in the crowd,so I concluded Boswell held the earl's men in reserve. The mob camealong in a straggling fashion, and did not appear to look for any kindof defence outside the house, or to note our preparations, so well weremy men covered. When they came within fifty or sixty paces, I cried,"Halt, or we fire."

  The foremost of them stood and stared; but those behind pressed themforward. Some of them espied me, and sent a shower of bolts and stonesabout my head. At the same moment my men fired, and a dozen of theenemy fell. This, or some command from the middle of the crowd,brought them to a stand long enough for my men to reload and prime.There was no howling or yelling on the part of the others, whichassured me of the presence among them of men who understood somethingof discipline, I heard a low buzz of talk among them, and then Boswellcame to the front.

  "Give me a hearing, you men of Belton. We have no quarrel with you.We want the
murderer of my Lord Sheffield," he shouted.

  "And the witch!" bawled and screamed a score of voices.

  "And the witch," added Boswell.

  "Steady, men. Don't let him draw your fire," said I. "There's a rushcoming. Shoot, and retire."

  The words were scarce out of my mouth, when the mob hurled a volley ofshots, stones, and bolts, very much at random, and made forward at arun. Again more than a dozen of them dropped under my men's fire; butthe rest continued the charge, breaking into shouts of triumph as theysaw my Beltonians run to cover. Their shouts changed to yells andcurses, as they received a well-directed fire from the second ring, andI hoped they would turn and run. But they came on, more enraged thandaunted by their losses, and we were quickly engaged in a hand-to-handfight, in which, strange to say, I had little active share, for four ofmy men gave me to understand they were my bodyguard, and they stuck tome so closely that I could not make play with my stout ash pole. So Imade the best use of my eyes and ears, and it was well that I wascompelled to do so, for while we were being swept to and fro, smitingand stabbing in a wild medley, some twenty-five or thirty horsemen camegalloping along the lower road--Mulgrave men--with long muskets.

  I blew my horn thrice, and the sound almost stopped the fight round thehouse. Up rose the trusty Mell and his men, and one half of themfired. Before the Mulgrave fellows could handle their pieces, four orfive saddles were empty and two or three horses were down. The secondhalf of Mell's men fired, while their comrades were reloading, withequal effect. The earl's retainers were not valiant enough to await athird volley, but fled helter-skelter the way they had come, all butthose who could neither ride nor run. Mell followed them out of myview, and our scrambling struggle, which had slackened for the last fewminutes, went on again fiercely.

  There was a sort of method in the fighting of the Boswell party: theytried hard to drive or draw us to the rear of the house. Seeing this,I and my bodyguard worked round toward the front, and as we were doingso we heard a shot and a cry, "This way, Belton men!" The voice wasJohn Drury's, I could swear. We rushed round, and for an instant stoodas if thunderstricken, for, sure enough, there was John Drury at thelanding-place, bare-headed, his face of a death-like pallor, raisinggun to shoulder.

  About fifty yards down stream were three boats filled with men. Someof them fired at us as we ran up to John, but did no hurt to any of us,while his shot brought down its man. Two of our men, who haddisengaged themselves from the hurly burly, now loaded their guns andfired on the boats. To my unspeakable relief, Mell and his men ran upto our assistance, and poured such a steady fire on them as quicklydrove them out of range.

  Leaving four men with John to guard against their return, the rest ofus ranged ourselves in line at a little distance from the scufflingmass, and I shouted--

  "This way, friends, and leave the rascals to us."

  Most of our men obeyed promptly, and as soon as they had got out of thethrong reloaded their guns. We were now the stronger party, aboutsixty, with firearms. The others had more men disabled than we, sothat in numbers we were nearly equal; but they were at a disadvantagein the matter of weapons, and not a little disheartened by roughhandling and the discomfiture of the horsemen, as I gathered by thecurses which I overheard on "the mongrel curs."

  So when I bade them throw down their weapons, they pitched poles,knives, crossbows, guns to the ground. They showed some surprise at mypicking them out one by one, bidding each go about his business, but totake his part in carrying off their wounded men. In this way I let goall but Boswell and thirteen gipsy fellows, whom I had securely boundand laid far apart one from another, Boswell I bestowed safely in anouthouse under the watch of two guards. My purpose in this was tolearn the truth about Jim Ulceby's death. As soon as the prisoners hadbeen dealt with, I sent some of my men to Crowle to ascertain whetherMr. and Mrs. Graves were at the vicarage; some to Sandtoft to learn howthings stood there, and particularly to inquire for Mr. Ulceby; andsome to Butterwick to glean what tidings they might of the action ofthe earl with regard to his son's death. Doctor Goel, assisted by Annaand her maid, had attended to the half-dozen of our men whose injuriesdemanded a surgeon's care, and Dame Drury, with her grumbling husband'shelp, was busy supplying food and drink to our good friends. Now I hadleisure to question John concerning the marvel of his rising from thebed on which he had lain helpless so long.

  "I know no more than you," he answered. "I lay at the window, in a badhumour enough that I was as useless as a log, looking out over the fen,and I saw boats on the river. The men you had posted at thelanding-place had disappeared--gone to join their comrades in the fray,I suppose. I called out, but nobody heard, and the boats drew nearerand nearer; if they were not beaten back you would be taken unawares bya fresh attack. Without thinking about the wonder of it, I sprang offmy bed, rushed downstairs, took my cousin's gun, and ran out. 'Twasthe will of Heaven, a miracle on your behalf, and on mine."

  I feared his strength, so suddenly restored, might as suddenly fail,but it did not. So far as we could see, he was hale and vigorous, andas active as any man among us. The doctor cheered us by saying that ina number of such recoveries, which were well attested, the cure hadbeen lasting. I spoke of my astonishment on seeing John move as if torise when I took Anna to his chamber.

  "Now you speak of it, I remember that," said John; "and it makes myrestoration to accord with ancient precedent. An angel was sent toheal me. 'Tis a miracle in proper form and order."

  Though he spoke so lightly, the shining in his eyes were eloquent offeeling too deep for words.

  In the course of the day, our scouts returned with the information thatthe vicar of Crowle had returned to his parish; that the Dutch haddriven off the invaders of their settlement, and Mr. Ulceby wouldshortly arrive; that the old earl was said to be half mad with rage andgrief, and had issued proclamation of a hundred pounds reward for myapprehension and of severe punishment for any person who should aid orharbour me. As President of Council he declared me an outlaw forhaving resisted the King's authority with violence, plotted against thelife of the royal commissioner, and murdered Lord Sheffield. Ordershad been given that all ports were to be watched, and all outgoingvessels to be searched, and these orders were being carried north,south, east, and west with all speed. Warrants had been issued for thearrest of Doctor Goel, his daughter and servants. Mr. Ulceby and hisman rode up while we held debate over these tidings.

  The first thing, it seemed to me, was to send away the Beltonians, whomight be held the less blamable for protecting me and my friends, ifthey could prove they had dispersed on hearing the terms of the earl'sproclamation. With a good deal of difficulty, I prevailed on the bravefellows to leave us. The next question was how to convey my lady andher father and servant to a place of safety, and Mr. Ulceby proposedthey should ride with him to Hull, where he would put them aboard oneof his own ships bound for Amsterdam; and the doctor now being free toreturn to Holland, it was so agreed. Anna besought me to go along withthem, but as I was sure that my being with them would be likely ratherto hinder their escape than to favour mine, I did not consent. JohnDrury promised to accompany them as far as Hull, and to bring me wordwhen they were out of Humber. My lady would fain have had Bess go withher, now that she had cut herself off from her own people, but Besswould not, and said she had already engaged to render certain servicesto Dame Drury, for which she was to receive food and shelter.

  "But what is your intent?" asked John, turning to me.

  "To hide in a retreat not far away, which is impossible of access toany one who does not know the road, and it needs wary walking, evenwhen one does know it, for it winds through quaking bog and mire-pitsand hidden pools."

  "You mean Lindum," said Bess. "No one knows the way but the hermit."

  "You are mistaken, Bess," I answered. "Daft Jack knows it well, and sodo I. I spent a week there last autumn, and promised the hermit Iwould spend another with him this year. I shall be in safety the
re,and when the hue and cry is over, I will make my way to Holland."

  "I think your plan is admirable," said John. "It is the last place inthe world your enemies will think of, and if they find you are there byany chance, they will be much at a loss to get at you. I will remainhere in readiness to join you when it is prudent to break cover. Hasthe hermit pigeons, do you know?"

  "Flocks of them."

  "Then you have but to bring a few to Messic Mere, or send them by yourhost, and I shall be provided with messengers in case of need. I willbe on the water early on Wednesday, and every day after, until I see orhear from you."

  Then arose question what to do with our prisoners, and in particularwith Boswell. On going to look into the outhouse in which he had beenconfined, I found the place empty. When the Beltonians withdrew Iforgot Boswell, and he had contrived to escape. This hastened ourproceedings. With so wily an enemy at liberty, and perhaps spying uponus, it was needful to be as quick and crafty as we knew how to be. Indealing with the other men, we took counsel with Bess, who bade me andJohn talk roughly to them of our intent to shoot them, and while wewere threatening, up came she to make intercession for them, and topromise on their behalf that they would take no part against us, if wespared their lives. She swore them to this in words which the gipsiesconsider most binding. So I bade her release them at a time when Ihoped the travellers would be well on their way. Mr. Ulceby gave upfor the present the endeavour to ascertain the truth concerning hisson's death, John Drury vowing to search out the matter on his return.

  It was not easy to find horses for the party going to Hull. Mr. Ulcebyand his man had their roadsters, and John was to take my Trueboy, whowas much too frisky after his long idleness, though John had seen to itthat he had some exercise every day, to be ridden by a novice. Druryhad two horses, one a decent nag, on which the dame went to market, andthis we saddled for Anna. The other was too old and heavy for our use,but John caught a sober steed which had carried one of the Mulgravetroopers, and induced the doctor to mount him, taking Martha onpillion. They trusted to doing better in Belton.

  Leave-taking had to be short, and for once I was glad that so it mustbe, for my love was more despondent than I had ever known her.

  "To go over sea and leave you, encompassed with so many perils andpursued by enemies so bitter and cunning and cruel, nearly breaks myheart," said she. "Be persuaded to come with us, Frank."

  "That will I not, sweetheart, for there will be sharp watch kept for meat the port; and if you and your father are seen with me, there will besmall hope of your gaining your country, whereas now you may beprotected by a man well known."

  I tried to comfort her by reminding her how marvellously I had beenhelped and delivered hitherto; but she took no cheer, saying that I hadnever before been in such evil plight; again and again entreating me togo with them, so that I was driven to be hard with her, for, indeed,every minute of delay was dangerous. Thus it fell that we partedhurriedly at the last, and she rode away very sorrowful.

  When she had passed out of my sight, I made haste to prepare for myjourney, Bess and the dame assisting me. They found clothing for me inwhich I looked like a marshman, and put more plaister on my face, thebetter to disguise me. I took gun, pistols, pole and knife, flint andtinder, a pair of cleat-boards, and a good supply of powder, andthought I had all I could need; but the dame would have me take a pastyand a bottle of wine.

  "Nay, dame," said I, "there is no occasion to carry victual for myshort journey."

  "Call yourself a marshman, and don't know how short journeys turn outto be long ones! Many a man has rued he did not take meat and drinkwith him when he set out to cross fen."

  So, not to vex the kind soul, I added her provision to my load, and setoff within an hour of sunset for the hermitage of Richard Bland, whowas commonly called by the few who knew him "the Wizard" or "theMadman" of Lindholme.