In Honour's Cause Part 50

He struck Frank sharply across the face with his glove, as he stepped forward to pa.s.s, and quick as lightning the boy replied with a blow full in the cheek, which sent him staggering back, so that he would have fallen had it not been for the wall.

In an instant court rules and regulations were forgotten. The boys knew that they wore swords, and these flashed from their scabbards, ornaments no longer, and the next moment they crossed, the blades gritted together, thrust and parry followed, and each showed that the instructions he had received were not in vain.

What would have been the result cannot be told, save that it would have been bitter repentance for the one who had sent his blade home; but before any mischief had been done in the furious encounter, the doors at either end of the anteroom were opened, and the Prince and the officers from the audience chamber with the guards from the staircase landing rushed in, the former narrowly escaping a thrust from Andrew's sword, as with his own weapon he beat down the boys'.

"How dare you!" he cried.

"Now!" cried Andrew defiantly to Frank, as he stood quivering with rage--"now is your time. Speak out; tell the whole truth."

"Yes, the whole truth," said the Prince sternly. "What does this brawl mean?"

Frank did not hesitate for a moment.

"It was my fault, your Royal Highness," he cried, panting. "We quarrelled; I lost my temper and struck him."

"Who dared to draw?" thundered the Prince.

"We both drew together, your Royal Highness," cried Frank hurriedly, for fear that Andrew should be beforehand with him; "but I think I was almost the first."

"You insolent young dogs!" cried the Prince; "how dare you brawl and fight here!--Take away their swords; such boys are not fit to be trusted with weapons. As for you, sir," he said, turning fiercely on Frank, "like father like son, as you English people say. And you, sir--you are older," he cried to Andrew. "There, take them away, and keep them till I have decided how they shall be punished.--Come back to my room, gentlemen. Such an interruption is a disgrace to the court."

He turned and walked toward the door, followed by the three officers, one of whom on entering looked back at the lads and smiled, as if he did not think that much harm had been done.

But neither of the lads saw, for Andrew was whispering maliciously to Frank:

"You dared not speak. You knew how I should be avenged."

"Yes, I dared; but I wasn't going to be such a coward," cried Frank sharply.

"Ah, stop that!" cried the officer who held the boys' swords, and had just given orders to his men to take their places in front and rear of his prisoners. "Do you want to begin again? Hang it all! wait till you get to the guardroom, if you must fight."

"Don't speak to me like that!" cried Andrew fiercely. "It is not the custom to insult prisoners, I believe."

"Forward! march!" said the officer; and then, to Frank's annoyance, as well as that of Andrew, he saw that the officer was laughing at them, and that the men were having hard work to keep their countenances.

Five minutes later they had been marched down the staircase, across the courtyard, to the entrance of the guardroom, where, to Frank's great mortification, the first person he saw was Captain Murray.

"Hallo! what's this?" he cried. "Prisoners? What have you lads been about?"

"Fighting," said Frank sullenly, Andrew compressing his lips and staring haughtily before him, as if he felt proud, of his position.

"Fighting! With fists?" cried Captain Murray.

"Oh no," said the officer of the guard; "quite correctly. Here are their skewers."

"But surely not anywhere here?"

"Oh yes," said the officer mirthfully; "up in the anteroom, right under the Prince's nose."

"Tut--tut--tut!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Captain Murray, half angry, half amused.

"The Prince came between them, and the tall c.o.c.k nearly sent his spur through him," continued the officer. "I s'pose this means the Tower and the block, doesn't it, Murray? or shall we have the job to shoot 'em before breakfast to-morrow morning?"

"If I were only free," cried Andrew, turning fiercely on the officer, "you would not dare to insult me then."

"Then I'm very glad you are not. I say, why in the name of wonder are you not in the service, my young fire-eater? You are not in your right place as a page."

"Because--because--"

"Stop! that will do, young man," said Captain Murray sternly. "Let him be," he continued to his brother-officer. "The lad is beside himself with pa.s.sion."

"Oh, I've done; but are they to be put together? They'll be at each other's throats again."

"No, they will not," said Captain Murray. "Frank, give me your word as your father's son that this quarrel is quite at an end."

"Oh yes, I've done," said the boy quickly.

"And you, Mr Forbes?"

"No," cried Andrew fiercely. "I shall make no promises. And as for you, Frank Gowan, I repeat what I said to you: every word is true."

"You think it is," said Frank quietly, "or you wouldn't have said it.

But it isn't true. It couldn't be."

"That will do, young gentlemen," said Captain Murray sternly. "I should have thought you could have cooled down now. Now, Mr Forbes, will you give me your word that you will behave to your fellow-prisoner like a gentleman, and save me the unpleasant duty of placing you in the cell."

"Yes. Come, Drew," said Frank appealingly. "We were both wrong. I'll answer for him, Captain Murray."

"Well, one can't quarrel if the other will not. You can both have my room while you are under arrest. Place a sentry at their door," and turning to his brother-officer, and, giving Frank a nod, as he looked at him sadly and sternly, Captain Murray walked away.

A few minutes later the key of the door was turned upon them, and they heard one of the guard placed on sentry duty outside.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

"WHAT DID HE SAY?"

Frank threw himself into a chair, and Andrew Forbes began to walk up and down like a newly caged wild beast.

Frank thought of the last time he was in that room, and of Captain Murray's advice to him; then of the quarrel, and his companion's mad words against his father. From that, with a bound, his thoughts went to his mother. What would she think when she heard--as she would surely hear in a few minutes--about the encounter?

He felt ready to groan in his misery, for the trouble seemed to have suddenly increased.

Andrew did not speak or even glance at him; and fully a quarter of an hour pa.s.sed before Frank had decided as to the course he ought to pursue. Once he had made up his mind he acted, and, rising from his chair, he waited until his fellow-prisoner was coming toward him in his wearisome walk, and held out his hand.

"Will you shake hands, Drew?" he said.

The lad stopped on the instant, and his face lit up with eagerness.