CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
MASTER RAYBURN ADVISES.
Captain Purlrose and his merry men had found a place just to theirliking, where they lived like pigs in a hole of the earth, and asvoraciously. He chuckled and crowed as they ate and drank, and waitedtill their stock of provisions began to grow low, and then started offupon a fresh expedition, to gather tribute, as he called it. He did notexpose himself to any risks, but kept his ascendancy over his men bysheer cunning and ability in making his plans, leading them to wherethey could come quite unexpectedly upon some lonely cottage orfarmhouse, ill-use and frighten the occupants nearly to death, addinginsult to injury by loading the spoil of provisions, or whatever itpleased them to take, on the farmer's horses, leading them away, andafter unloading them at the cave, setting them adrift.
The captain laughed at all threats, for he felt that no one would dareto follow him to his stronghold; and if an attack were made, he knewthat he could easily beat it off. The only two people near who were atall likely to trouble him were his old captain, Sir Morton Darley, andSir Edward Eden.
"And they'll talk about it, and and threats, and never come."
He seemed to be right, for as report after report of raids being made,here and there in the neighbourhood of the two strongholds reached theirowners, Sir Morton Darley would vow vengeance against the marauders, andthen go back to his books; and Sir Edward Eden would utter a vow that hewould hang Captain Purlrose from the machicolations over the gateway atthe Black Tor, and then he would go into his mining accounts, and hearthe reports of his foreman, Dan Rugg, about how many pigs there were inthe sty--that is to say, pigs of lead in the stone crypt-like placewhere they were stored.
And so time went on, both knights having to listen to a good manyupbraidings from Master Rayburn, who visited and scolded them well fornot combining and routing out the gang from their hole.
"I wish you would not worry me, Rayburn," said Sir Morton one day, inRalph's presence. "I don't want to engage upon an expedition which mustend in bloodshed. I want to be at peace, with my books."
"But don't you see that bloodshed is going on, and that these ruffiansare making the place a desert?"
"Yes," said Sir Morton, "it is very tiresome. I almost wish I had takenthem into my service."
"And made matters worse, for they would not have rested till you hadmade war upon the Edens."
"Yes," said Sir Morton, "I suppose it would have been so."
"Why not get the men quietly together some night, father, and if I wentround, I'm sure I could collect a dozen who would come and help--menwhose places have been robbed."
"That's right, Ralph; there are people as much as twenty miles away--twelve men? Five-and-twenty, I'll be bound."
"Well, I'll think about it," said Sir Morton; and when Master Rayburnwalked home that day, Ralph bore him company part of the way, andchatted the matter over with him.
"I'm getting ashamed of your father, Ralph, lad. He has plenty ofweapons of war, and he could arm a strong party, and yet he doesnothing."
"I wish he would," said the lad. "I don't like the idea of fighting,but I should like to see those rascals taken."
"But you will not until your father is stirred up by their coming andmaking an attack upon your place."
"Oh, they would not dare to do that," cried Ralph.
"What! why, they are growing more daring day by day; and mark my words,sooner or later they'll make a dash at the Castle, and plunder theplace."
"Oh!" ejaculated Ralph, as he thought of his sister.
"I wish they would," cried the old man angrily, "for I am sick of seeingsuch a state of things in our beautiful vales. No one is safe. It wasbad enough before, with the petty contemptible jealousies of your twofamilies, and the fightings between your men. But that was peacecompared to what is going on now."
"Don't talk like that, Master Rayburn," said Ralph warmly. "I don'tlike you to allude to my father as you do."
"I must speak the truth, boy," said the old man. "You feel it now; butsome day, when you are a man grown, and your old friend has gone tosleep, and is lying under the flowers and herbs and trees that he lovedin life, you will often think of his words, and that he was right."
Ralph was silent.
"I am not a man of war, my boy, but a man of peace. All the same,though, whenever either your father or young Mark Eden's arms his men todrive these ruffians out of our land, I am going to gird on my oldsword, which is as bright and sharp as ever, to strike a blow for thewomen and children. Yes, for pretty Minnie Darley, and Mary Eden too.For I love 'em both, boy, and have ever since they were bairns."
Ralph went back home to Cliff Castle, thinking very deeply about the oldman's words, and wishing--and planning in a vague way--that he and MarkEden could be friendly enough to act in some way together without thehelp or knowledge of their fathers, and make an attack upon these men,so as to put an end to a state of things which kept all women-kindprisoners in their homes, and the men in a state of suspense as to whennext they should be attacked and plundered of all they had.
It was only natural that Master Rayburn should talk in an almost similarway to Mark Eden and his father, but only for Sir Edward to promise andnot perform. And one day the old man actually took Ralph's idea, andsaid suddenly to Mark:
"Look here, young fellow, why don't you take the bit in your teeth,collect your men quietly, get Ralph Darley to do the same, and you boysgo together and thrash those ruffians out, kill them, or take themprisoners. Old as I am, I'll come and help."
"Yes, why not?" cried Mark eagerly. "No," he said directly; "theDarleys would not and could not join us even if I were willing; and I'mnot."
Old Master Rayburn's words went deeper into the breasts of the two ladsthan they knew. Their natures were in those early days rather liketinder, and in his angry flint and steely way, the old man had struck aspark into each, which lay there latent, waiting to be blown into a hotglow; and who should perform that office but Captain Purlrose himself?
It was in this way. One bright morning, Sir Edward was examining ayoung partly-broken horse that had been reared in the pastures acrossthe river, and expressed himself delighted with its appearance.
"What do you say to it, Mark?" he cried. "Not strong enough to carryme, but I should think it would suit Mary exactly."
"Couldn't be better, father," said the lad, though he felt a littledisappointed, for he half expected that his father would have given itto him.
"Call her, then, and she shall try it. And by the way, Mark, there isthat other--that chestnut--which will do for you."
The lad flushed with pleasure, for he had fully believed that his fatherintended the handsome, strongly made chestnut for his own use. MaryEden was fetched, came out, and tried the gentle, slightly-builtpalfrey, and the chestnut was brought too, proving everything that couldbe desired.
"There!" said Sir Edward, after their paces had been tried in one of themeadows; "now you are both better mounted than any young people in theMidlands, so go and have a good round together, and get back well beforedark. Don't distress the horses, and go right away, and make a round tothe west, so as not to go near Ergles. Not that the scoundrels woulddare to attack you."
Ten minutes after, brother and sister were riding slowly along the trackon the other side of the river, Mary enjoying the change after beingshut up for some weeks; and in consequence, the round was extended to agreater distance than the pair had intended. It was getting towarddark, and they were approaching one of the narrow ravines through whichthe river ran, one which hardly gave room for the horse track as well,when Mary said merrily:
"You must take the blame, Mark, for we shall not be home by dusk."
"Oh yes, we shall," he replied. "Once we are through these rocks, we'llcut right across country, and--who are those people in front?"
"Carriers, with pack horses and donkeys," said his sister; "and theyhave heavy loads too."
Mark looked long and hard at the party
, which was partly hidden by thetrees, and then agreed with his sister.
"Yes," he said; "the horses are loaded with sacks of corn seemingly."
The people with their stores of provender were some distance ahead, andMark thought no more of them, for, soon after, his attention was takenup by a group of men behind them a few hundred yards, walking, andcoming on hurriedly, as if to overtake them.
"Let's ride on faster, Mary," he said rather quickly.
"Why? What is the matter?"
"Nothing now; only I don't quite like the look of the men behind."
"Not robbers, are they?"
"Oh no, I think not; only we hear so much about Captain Purlrose's men,it sets one thinking that every man one sees is a marauder. But itwould not matter if they were; we could soon leave them behind."
They rode on, entering the straits, as the place was called from theriver contracting, as it did in several other places, and runningbetween two upright walls of rock. The men were some distance behind,and they had ceased to trouble about them, when, to Mark'sconsternation, on passing round one of the curves in the track, he foundthat there in front the narrowest part was blocked by the horses withtheir loads; and a something in the aspect of the party of men in chargeof the laden beasts slightly startled him, for he thought themsuspiciously like some of Purlrose's followers.
The next minute he was awake to the fact that they were in danger, forfrom behind a block of stone a slight figure, whose hands were boundwith cords, and who made Mark stare, suddenly started to his side,shouting:
"Ride for it! ride! You are in a trap."
There was no time for hesitation. Two men dashed after the prisonerthey had made, and in another instant they would have had him, but forMark's quick movement. He caught his sister's rein, touched his horse'sside with the spurs, and the two active animals sprang between the menand their quarry as they were sharply turned.
"Lay hold of my nag's mane, Darley," he shouted to the prisoner, whoheld up his bound hands, and caught at the dense mass of hair,succeeding in holding on, while Mark now drew his sword.
"Oh Mark!" cried his sister, "is there any danger?"
"Not if you sit fast," he cried.--"Can you keep up if we canter?"
"Try," said the prisoner excitedly. "If not, go on, and saveyourselves."
The horses broke into a sharp canter, keeping well together, as the menthey had seen following them with drawn swords, and joined up across thenarrow way, shouted to them to stop.
Mark's reply to this was a yell of defiance.
"Sit fast, Mary," he cried. "They must go down before your horse."
The girl made no answer, but crouched lower in her saddle, as they rodeon, Mark in his excitement pressing home his spurs, and causing hishorse to make a frantic leap. But there was no collision; the menleaped off to right and left to avoid the charge, and the next momentthey were behind.
"Well done!" cried Mark excitedly. "Well done, six! Ah!--Here, canteron, Mary. I'll soon overtake you."
He checked and turned his own steed, to dash back, for he had suddenlyfound that the bound given when he used his spurs was too much for RalphDarley's hold on the mane, and he had turned, to see the lad lying inthe track with the men about to seize him and drag him away.
Without a moment's hesitation, Mark charged at the enemy again, and asthey fled he chased them, sword in hand, for some little distance beforeonce more turning to rejoin Ralph, who had struggled to his feet, readyto cling once more to the horse's mane, a task made more easy by Markcutting through the bonds with his sword.
Mary was waiting a little farther back, and the trio had to go back somedistance to reach a fresh track across country, the enemy making no signof pursuit, but getting on with their plunder.
"They completely deceived me," Ralph told his companions. "I took themfor carriers."
"Ah! as I did," said Mark grimly.
"And when it was too late, I saw my mistake, for they seized and boundme, and," added the lad bitterly, "they have got my sword and belt."
Ralph walked by his companions almost in silence the rest of the timethat they were together, both Mark and his sister appearing troubled byhis presence, and it seemed a great relief to all when a path wasreached which would enable Ralph to reach Cliff Castle, the othershaving some distance farther to go to reach an open part passable bytheir steeds.
"I thank you, Master Mark Eden," he said quietly; and then, raising hiscap to Mary Eden, he leapt over the stones which led to the top of aslope, and soon disappeared from their sight.
"What were you thinking, Mark?" said Mary, breaking the silence at last.
"That this would not be a bad place if we had no enemies. What were youthinking?"
"Plenty of things," said the girl sadly.
"Well, tell me some."
"I'm tired, and hungry, and thirsty. It will soon be dark. Father willbe angry because we have been so long; and I am getting frightened."
"What of?" said Mark sharply.
"Of meeting with the robbers again."
"I should almost like to," cried Mark fiercely.
"Oh Mark!" cried the girl in dismay.
"Well, if you were not here," he said, with a laugh.
"It's getting too bad. Once upon a time there was only the Darleys tomind. Now these people--this Captain Purlrose and his men--seem tobelong to the land, and father will not fight them. Oh, if I only weremaster, what I would do! There, canter, and let's get home. I want tothink."
Home was reached, and Sir Edward made acquainted with the encounter, atwhich he frowned, but said very little that night, except once, when hesuddenly broke out petulantly:
"It seems, Mark, as if you were always running against this boy ofDarley's. Have the goodness in future to go some other way."