ページの画像
PDF
ePub

always stands fire well, as well as a salamander. I could be sworn he has tasted nothing since yesterday week, except acorns or berries-unless he has eaten his own flesh, which we sometimes drive 'em to do."

Sir Everard Sydney groaned audibly, and covered his face with his hands at the horrid picture.

"And," proceeded the sergeant, "if I leave him now, notwithstanding all my care he may get away, and some one else may catch him and get the reward; for I suppose they won't keep him in the nunnery, and he's not able to go far, for he has neither money nor strength-has he Bill?" "How do you know that he has no money?" inquired Captain Sydney.

"Why, we found a sort—that is, Bill there found a sortof pocket-book of his, with some few Dutch pieces and some papers in it.”

"Dutch pieces and papers!" repeated Major Raymond: "how many Dutch pieces, and where are the papers?"

"They weren't Dutch pieces exactly, your honour," said Bill, looking much annoyed; "they were only Holland sixpences, and a few doits, and such like."

"But the papers?"

"I know nothing about them; they couldn't be no great things," replied the sergeant, "from the looks of them; what did you do with them, Bill?"

"I did nothing with them that I know of," replied the fellow, sullenly; "you knows you took the bag yourself."

A look of stern reproof was his only answer: "I will find the papers if they are to be found, your honour; Bill, here, though very observant, which is the reason he goes with me everywhere, has no sort of memory; but in regard of the Outlaw, your honour; what I principally thought, couldn't you manage to get him away? bribe him out of his sanctuary, as he calls it? He'd come as clean as a cucumber if either of your honours would give your words for his safety, and then we could grab him; couldn't we, Bill ?" "Quite easy," chimed in Bill.

"Such mode of acting would ill tally with our honour; and you, as a soldier, ought to know better."

66

Humph! Colonel Kirke—”

"Don't quote Colonel Kirke, or any other colonel, to me, sir. I know my duty without reference to any officer," said

the hot Irishman; "I command you instantly to head-qua ters; and as on your way to London you can pass throug Beaulieu, see that a due guard is set round St. Mary's priory to prevent the Outlaw's escape, until his majesty's pleasur is known. That, at least, will not violate the sanctuary. “I have done it already, please your honour; not a win dow or a door that is not guarded; and even if he was able to travel, I defy him to put the muzzle of a bullrush outside the walls without its being seen; that is, unless, as I said before, the devil helps him."

Sir Everard Sydney half rose from his chair; and then, unconscious of the movement, which was only observed by his son, sank back into his former position.

"If he were not so marked a man," said Cuthbert Raymond, "it would not be of so much consequence."

""Tis true," replied Basil; " and much as I admire both his bravery and his boldness, I should be sorry to meet him, for-"

Before Basil could finish his sentence, the echo of Sergeant Snap'em, as the fellow was frequently called, who had stationed himself near the window, moved silently from his stand, and pointing towards the lawn, on which rested the pale and holy moonlight, the officers as well as the sergeant saw distinctly the shadows of two men creeping along the range of trees that skirted the sward.

"By the living light!" whispered the sergeant, "one of those is he! And now I see the other is that murmuring idiot,--Ralph Bradwell, they call him---stay; gentlemen, stay." He raised the firelock to his shoulder; and as the window where the anxious party stood was in the shade, those without could not see the movements of those within; he silently undid the fastenings, and crouching down like a tiger preparing for the fatal spring, waited until the unsuspecting man came under cover of his gun.

This was all the work of a moment, and of so swift a moment that neither of the officers was sufficiently collected to issue any decided order to the ruffian, who thirsted for blood and wealth: his finger was on the lock, and the Outlaw's destruction inevitable-until old Sir Everard, who, when the approach of the Outlaw was first announced, seemed the most bewildered of the assembly, sprang forward, and striking the gun from the sergeant's hand, uttered in a loud tone

the single word, "Denward!" The piece went off, notwithstanding; and though two men fled across the lawn, one of them was observed lagging on his way, and after proceeding a few steps, to sink upon the sward. It was the awkward and bent form of the faithful Ralph, easily distinguished, even at a distance, from the tall and stately figure of the persecuted Outlaw.

:

CHAPTER VI.

What hapless hap had I for to be born
In these unhappy times, and dying days
Of this now doting world, when good decays,
Love's quite extinct, and Virtue's held a scorn!
When such are only prized by wretched ways
Who with a golden fleece them can adorn!
When Avarice and Lust are counted praise
And bravest minds live, orphan-like, forlorn!
DRUMMOND.

"FATHER!" exclaimed Basil Sydney, in a tone of the deepest agony, while the soldiers and the impetuous Major Raymond rushed upon the track of the fugitives; "father! let what will betide, you are utterly and hopelessly ruined! You have long been suspected of favouring the Orange plot, and to that has been attributed my slow promotion. Now there is an end on't! On Cuthbert I could rely-could stake my soul's salvation on his silence, on his kindnessbut these myrmidons! O father! father! would that I had died long since!"

"The will of God be done, Basil!" replied the old gentleman; "but I could not see him stricken; I bless the Almighty that they could not know the signal-word; for he is fleet of foot, and surely will be saved."

"But poor Ralph-I almost hope he is dead--for if he lives, they will obtain all from his simplicity."

"Now the Lord forgive you, Basil, for such a thought; I fear me he is ill wounded, yet will they extract nothing from him-the creature is, indeed, faithful in spirit and in truth."

"Father, I cannot remain here; I must stir in this business, to wash away the odium from our house. To-morrow we will talk further."

Basil passed from the room, and followed the same path which Major Raymond had taken; doubtless with the sincere hope that their pursuit might be fruitless. He had not, however, proceeded far, when a low moaning noise attracted his attention, and on examining a thicket, he perceived his old friend Ralph, whose hands were tightly bound together with the sergeant's sash, sitting moaning on the ground.

"Ralph, Ralph!" said Basil, intent on trying his fidelity— "whom were you with?"

How should Ralph know, young master? the poor simple pigeon meets many a bird on its way, and flies a bit in its company, without asking where it comes from or whither it goes."

[ocr errors]

"Has your companion reached his hiding-place in safety?"

"How should Ralph know? the wild-cat tells not its dwelling to the squirrel."

"This will do," thought the young captain, and went on, hallooing occasionally on his way; and, indeed, that portion of the forest which they traversed, leading to Brokenhurst village, was pretty well alive, as the foresters, ever on the alert, had issued from thence; and though they took no part in the chase, which the soldiers so actively engaged in, they must not be imagined uninterested spectators of the

scene.

On every knoll of ground commanding a prospect of the race, for so it might literally be called, groups of twos and threes assembled, and that so speedily and suddenly that one might have fancied the forest-king had summoned his spirits from hill and dale; but the bonny lady-moon, ever at her bo-peep ways, played a sad trick with the sergeant-in revenge for his seeking to appropriate her holy light to an evil purpose: at the very instant when he was gaining on the hunted man, the Outlaw was seen to climb the artificial mound of earth which surrounds the singular and beautiful old church of Brokenhurst; he crawled over it with fainting steps, and already the shout of exultation rose to the sergeant's lip; but before he could give it utterance, the beams

became obscure, a dark filmy cloud floated over the moon, and when the party arrived at the mound, they were utterly unable to ascertain at which point he had ascended.

While they stood debating this important matter, the vapour sailed majestically up the blue sky, obscuring, in their turn, some of the countless stars that sparkled in the everlasting heavens. One would have thought the moon laughed at her mischief, for she shone more brightly than ever when her shining was vain! Every mound was looked at, the steel bayonet was rudely thrust into many a peaceful grave; the fine yew-tree, which at that time was in its full beauty, was searched, even to its extremest branches, which are said to be sixty feet from the ground. The church-door was burst rudely in, to discover if again he had sought refuge at the altar. The pursuit was continued, but in vain; and with oaths, deep and bitter, the soldiers, who had been joined by Captain Sydney, returned weary and dispirited, just as the morning broke upon Sydney Pleasance.

"I will not go to bed, Basil; I will sit with you; we are both in trouble," said Major Raymond. "I would not for a thousand gold pieces that this had chanced. I know not what face to put upon it; that unfortunate idiot is dumbdumb; and yet I must send him before a magistrate, or expose him to the mercies of martial law.”

66

Ralph is continually wandering about, night and day; he knows no rest; he is ever, too, with beggars, and gipsies, and trampers: he is not an accountable creature, Cuthbert; all my father's servants can testify that."

"You would not testify it," replied Major Raymond, emphatically: "and look ye here, captain mine; albeit, Heaven knows! our blessed king has enough, and too much to engross his attention in the way of great troubles, he would be more anxious, more disturbed, by an event like this, than if called to meet William of Nassau in the field to-morrow." "I know it, my friend," said Basil, mournfully; "and situated as I am, I can hardly be expected to give you counsel. Do whatever you consider your duty, and though harsh, I will not-must not-dispute its fitness."

The two young men looked at each other with a long and anxious gaze; and Cuthbert Raymond at length broke the painful silence by the simple sentence of,

"Your father, Basil-"

« 前へ次へ »