Maid Sally Part 24

She got into the barn and filled the front of the coat with hay. This she carried to Hotspur, who enjoyed the crisp breakfast greatly.

"I wish I could bring you water, dear," she said, "but how am I to get my own breakfast?"

For with all her shrewdness, the maiden had given not one thought to food when she started out, and a healthy maid of fourteen could not long be unmindful of hunger after a four hours' ride.

In a few moments however, she was to be glad of having made friends with the great dog. For a colored boy put a pan with meat bones, cold biscuit, and a basin of water by the shed, for the dog's breakfast.

As the boy slouched away, up crept Sally, and s.n.a.t.c.hed two of the biscuit, and oh, what luck! a good doughnut, long and twisted, was close against the biscuit. She s.n.a.t.c.hed that too.

"Surely I may have part of the dog's food without stealing," she said.

Then she cast about in her mind how next to proceed. Time was precious.

Now it may well be supposed that during her long ride so bright a maid as Sally would have tried to think of some plan that might help her once she reached her journey's end. And she had not forgotten that all she had heard and learned about the present condition of her Fairy Prince had come to her as she sat by a tree.

"Might not a tree help me again?" she asked. "Could I but make a sound, or give a sign, it surely would help me, if only the young Prince came near enough. I can think of no other way unless I hide about the house and watch my chance for a quick word."

Ah, but with others around, how long might it be ere the chance would come. And time was pa.s.sing swiftly away.

A fine elm stood before the house, and Sally resolved to scramble into it and at least take a good look around. The branches grew closely, and fortunately came nearer the ground than was usual.

She watched some time before daring to climb, but at length she found a place where she could seat herself, and the great boughs made a very good screen.

Another precious hour went by; it was between five and six o'clock.

Farm-hands were at work. Sally could see them in the distance.

All at once she caught her breath in the way natural to her when surprised or excited.

For there at the front door stood her Fairy Prince, but with how gloomy and clouded a face! And close beside him was a strong and stalwart man.

"His guard!" whispered Sally. "Shameful, oh, shameful!"

The two strolled out and down the path. Sally nearly choked as they paused close by the tree. In her hand she held a bit of bark, picked with a purpose.

The older man turned his head. Down fluttered a bit of bark close to young Lionel's feet. Down fluttered another. The young man looked up.

Sally made a swift sign.

"I wonder which way is the wind," said Lionel; "the vane is just out of sight."

The man walked a few yards away toward a corner of the house.

"Don't look up," called Sally, in a loud whisper, "but Hotspur is here.

Down in the dell to the right. Run! he is only lightly tied. The others will be at Pamunkey turnpike at noon."

The man was already turning back, and Sally was surprised and, ah! how greatly disappointed to see her Fairy Prince go quietly with him to the porch.

Did he not hear her? Did not he believe her? The days were such as to make men crafty, quick to catch an idea, swift to use it.

Aha! as the front door, heavy and thick, was reached and both were stepping in, Lionel gave the man a sudden push, sending him head-long into the hall; then he slammed to the door, and rushed like mad to the dell sloping off to the right.

In a moment the great door opened and the attendant and another man ran out, but almost the next instant Sally, straining her ears, heard the rush and sweep of a fleet horse that seemed to scud like the wind, and--her Fairy Prince was free!

"There he goes! And I helped him!" gasped Sally, hugging her own young breast and quivering in every limb.

The men looked right and left and listened, half deceived by the sound.

At last, far down the road, they saw horse and man, but going at a pace it were mere folly to strive to overtake.

"We cannot catch him, and if we could he would defend himself now," said the man who had guarded Lionel, in a voice of anger and concern. "Woe the day! What will Sir Percival say?"

"His orders were that not an instant was he to be out of our sight,"

said the other man. "One or the other of us was to be on the watch."

"And he was not out of my sight," said the first man. "I only left his side a moment before to look at the weatherc.o.c.k, and he stood alone just where I left him as I turned back. We came through the doorway together, then he pushed me fairly over and ran away. Woe the day! I shall lose both respect and reward."

"How in the name of Great Caesar could he have gotten a message about the horse?" asked the second man. "I have seen no one around."

"Nor have I," was the reply. "Beshrew me, but I could half believe the Fairies or the witches have been about! It is a mystery indeed."

He added, gloomily:

"Now I must acquaint Sir Percival of what hath happened, and, by my faith, I had rather take a ducking or show a broken limb."

It seemed to Sally that the men would never be done looking about, peering here and there, but keeping near the house, as if bent on finding some one who had helped Lionel's escape. It was not until the middle of the morning that they went into the barn; then, with many a halt, she finally let herself down from the tree, but only to hide behind another.

Sally was thankful when at last she found herself in the road after creeping from one cover to another. Then, with a slouching step, she moved more rapidly away.

For a long time she kept steadily on, then, at a great field she was pa.s.sing, an ox team, loaded with marshy gra.s.s, came toward the road.

"Might I cotch a ride?" she said to the man who was guiding the oxen.

"Tired, are ye?" called the man.

"Tired I'll be afore I gets to Homeview," said Sally.

Homeview was a plantation near Williamsburg.

"Get ye up then," said the man. "I goes far as Humphrey Three Corners, that's all."

By walking and begging many a mile's ride, and also by begging two or three cups of milk, Sally reached Parson Kendall's near supper time, as hungry and f.a.gged a maiden as one would wish to see.

She managed to enter the porch and hang up the coat and hat without being seen by any of the parson's family. Then she started for the library, but met the parson in the hall.

"Whither away, maiden?" cried the parson, sternly.

"I would have speech with thee in the library," said Sally, rather faintly.

"And I would have speech with _thee_!" the parson replied.

Not a word spake good Parson Kendall while Sally told her story.