The Black Tor Part 54

"Not it. I know to a quarter of a minute when it will fire, and I shall hold it till then. That'll give me time to jump the wall. Quick, sir, please."

It was no time for hesitation, and feeling that his old servant at the mine could be trusted, Sir Edward climbed the wall, and Dummy, showing his teeth in a satisfied grin, opened the door of the lantern.

The next moment Dan had held the end of the short fuse he had provided to the candle, and a slight spluttering began.

"Over with you," growled Dan, as his son snapped to the lantern door.

"Take care of yourself, daddy," said the boy coolly.

"You be off," growled Dan, and Dummy placed the lantern on the top of the breastwork, and vaulted over amongst the men, who were crouching down behind, to be out of the blast.

All this had taken place unknown to the defenders, who, from the narrowness of the entrance, were shut off from seeing the quaint, sardonic face of the old miner, as he stood holding the bag, with the burning fuse spluttering and sending up its curls of greyish smoke.

The men held their breath, and Mark's eyes dilated as he watched the brave old fellow holding the bag, in the full knowledge that if he held the powder a moment too long he must be shattered to pieces.

It was a combination of the familiarity which breeds contempt and the confidence born of long experience which made Dan Rugg stand there so coolly for what seemed to be a long time before turning as he watched the burning fuse.

"Heads down there," he said suddenly; "she's going off."

There was a quick movement, but Mark felt as if he was held by a nightmare dream, and he stood there watching, as the old man took a couple of steps forward, and now for the first time in full sight of those who held the fence of cross pikes.

In an instant there was a wild yell, and the pikes went down with their heads to the stones, and disappeared, but it was as Dan Rugg raised the bag above his head, and hurling it right into the cavern pa.s.sage, he started aside to the shelter of the wall, while now by a step aside Mark also reached shelter. Then there was a roar and a burst of flame and smoke came as from the mouth of a cannon, and the men sprang up again to cheer.

"Steady--steady!" cried Sir Edward. "Now, my lads, over the wall with you, and follow me; never mind the smoke. Rugg, have another charge ready; we shall want it soon."

"Ay, Sir Edward, that was a failure. I didn't hold it long enough.

They had time to get away."

Sir Edward and his son entered the murk, and had to feel their way, and halted.

"Light torches," cried Mark: and half-a-dozen were lit and pa.s.sed in, when once more the party advanced, expecting to be attacked, but the blast had produced a scare, though it had done no serious harm, save tearing down a few stones, and instead of attacking, the marauders stood on their defence in the place familiar to Mark and some of the men.

There was again the same bristling array of pikes in the opening; and after a renewed summons to surrender, the old miner proceeded coolly to prepare a second bag of powder.

This was fired, but the explosion did not take place till some time after the defenders of the cavern had retreated; and for a while the pa.s.sage was so stifling with the fumes that it was impossible to go on, so the party had to draw back to allow them to be dissipated.

At last it was deemed prudent to proceed, and once more the advance was ordered, the men eagerly obeying; and with torches adding their smoke to that already hanging in the gloomy cracks and vaults, they pressed on till once more the way was blocked.

It was no array of spear-points in a narrow pa.s.sage, but in this case the solid blocking of a wall of stone, built-up with care, the stones well wedged in, a narrow opening left for the retreat of the defenders having been filled up since their last retreat, and the wonder to those who examined it was that it had been so quickly secured.

The choice of position, though, had been well made, for the pa.s.sage was not above four feet wide at this point, and the roof had sunk till it was in this particular spot only five in height.

Once more the powder was brought forward by Dummy, the bag laid close to the bottom stones, the fuse added, and lit, and the party retired to a safe distance, to wait until the powder had swept the barrier away.

The explosion was long in coming, and when it did, with a mighty roar, an hour had to be pa.s.sed before another advance was made, but no farther than the wall, which was found apparently quite uninjured, though the powder had brought down a huge ma.s.s from the roof.

"Pull it down," said Sir Edward impatiently, and a couple of the men-- there was no room for more--attacked the well-fitted stones, but only for one to start back with a cry of rage and pain, his hand to his side.

"Hurt?" cried Mark excitedly, and he ran to the man's aid, to be sent staggering back by a heavy blow.

It was Sir Edward's turn to rush to his son, and he too reeled as he received a thrust, but in the case of both, the pike-thrusts did not penetrate their clothes, the point of the weapon having been turned, unknown to the man who used it, by a thrust against the rock.

It was a warning, and throwing the light of the torches well upon the built-up wall, a couple of the men found the holes through which the thrusts had been made, and advancing cautiously to send their pikes through, had to leap back again, for the enemy thrust at them. Nick struck in turn, though, and a yell of pain told that it was not without effect.

"Keep back," cried Sir Edward, as his men advanced recklessly, and when the wounded man had been drawn away and carried out, after a rough bandage had been applied to his wound, Sir Edward turned to his son.

"You must be hurt, my boy," he whispered.

"I was, father, horribly."

"But I mean wounded."

"Only my doublet," said the lad merrily. "What are we to do now?"

After a few moments' thought, as Nick Garth had been so able, Sir Edward decided to let him try again, which he eagerly did, feigning so as to draw a thrust from the enemy, and darting aside and close up to the wall. Then, as the man withdrew his pike, Nick, holding his own short, thrust it through after it, and again there was a yell of pain, but almost at the same moment Ram Jennings was just reached by a thrust through another hole, and sprang back, roaring like a wild beast.

"Yah! don't howl like that," cried Nick angrily; "do as I do."

But poor Ram Jennings preferred to stand nursing his injured arm, and watching his fellow ramming away with his pike, as if loading a gun, till suddenly it was jerked out of his hand, and drawn through the wall.

"Look at that," he growled. "Here, give's hold of another."

But Sir Edward ordered him back.

"It's of no use, my lad," he cried; "come away."

"All very well to say come away, captain," growled the man, as he stood close up, "but if I stir, I shall get a hole through me."

Sir Edward saw the man's difficult position, and gave an order in a low tone, when every man bearing a light ran back and round one of the corners, leaving the cavern in darkness.

Nick took advantage thereof, and sprang away from his perilous position.

The rattle of a pike-staff against the stones told that a thrust had been made at him in the darkness.

"Are you hit?" cried Mark anxiously.

"Ay, youngster, but on'y with the staff," growled Nick; and the order for the lights to be brought back was given and obeyed.

"Another, Rugg," said Sir Edward laconically, and Dan, who had a bag ready, primed with fuse, laid it on the stony floor, picked it up on the point of a pike, and advanced to place it against the wall.

A couple of thrusts were made at it directly, but he lowered it, and the enemy could not force their points down low enough to reach it. But as Dan placed it against the bottom of the wall the pikes were aimed now at his breast.

"Back!" roared Sir Edward, as Mark rushed at the man to drag him away.

"All right, Master Mark," said Dan coolly; "my arms and my pike are as long as theirs. They can't reach me. They've got all the thickness of the wall to push through as well;" and he coolly placed the powder-bag and arranged the fuse ready for being lighted.

"I did not think of that, Dan," said Mark.

"Ay, but I did," said the old fellow, chuckling. "Now, Dummy, my boy, son, bring a lighted torch."