Crown and Sceptre Part 71

"For the king," said Scarlett, thoughtfully.

"Yes, I suppose so, sir," said Nat, mournfully; "but I was thinking about the old home and my garden."

"Silence, there!" came in a stern voice from the leader of the troop; and the next instant the trumpet rang out, and they had to face about and trot behind the foremost troop of all, leaving another to face the coming enemy.

This went on till the slope was reached upon which General Hedley's men had been going through their evolutions in the morning; and here, in full view of the old Hall, Sir G.o.dfrey Markham and the colonel of the other regiment drew up in a favourable position for receiving the charge which seemed to be imminent from the action of the enemy.

This position would force the Parliamentarians to gallop up a hill, and it was the intention of Sir G.o.dfrey to meet them half-way with the _elan_ given by a rapid descent, when he hoped to give them a severe check, one which would enable him to either rid himself of his enemies or give him time to make good his retreat on one of the towns in his rear, where he hoped to find reinforcements.

All turned out as he expected, with one exception. The troop in which Scarlett rode was selected by him, naturally enough, to go on in front on the line of retreat, while the rest of his little force sat fast on the hill slope, waiting the moment when the enemy were coming up the hill for their own advance to be made.

The young officer at the head of the little troop of about forty men muttered angrily at having such a task thrust upon him, but he did his duty steadily and well, riding slowly on over the moor down toward the Manor, which, like the Hall, would be left upon their right.

As they pa.s.sed over the top of the hill, Scarlett glanced back to see that the enemy were evidently about to deliver their charge; and his heart beat painfully as he felt that he would have to imagine what would take place, and pray that no harm might happen to his father.

The next minute the long slope with its dotted trees was out of sight, and he was descending steadily, his ears strained to catch the sound of the impending shock, as the notes of a trumpet, softened by the distance, fell upon his ear, and then his heart gave a sudden bound, and seemed to stand still.

For at that moment their advance guard came galloping back, and before they could more than realise their danger, a line of fully a hundred and fifty men wheeled into sight, right in their front, from behind a patch of wood a hundred yards away, and came sweeping down upon them.

To have retreated would have meant annihilation, and with a ringing cheer the little band dashed down to meet their advancing foes.

Then, in the midst of the wild excitement, as the moor seemed to quiver beneath their horses' feet, there was a cheer, a clash of steel, and amidst shouts and the blaring of trumpets, the stronger prevailed over the weaker, and Scarlett found himself in the midst of a confused group of his men being driven back upon the main body higher and higher up the hill, till he reached the summit among a scattered party of his own side, through whose ranks the Puritans were riding furiously.

One glance showed him where his leaders were, and he made for the spot, fully realising that the Royal force had been driven back by the bold charge delivered, and then in the midst of the confusion consequent thereon, utterly routed and scattered by the das.h.i.+ng attack on their rear, while, to fulfil the truth of the adage about misfortunes never coming singly, a fresh troop wheeled up on their flank and completed the downfall.

"Ah, quick, my boy! Here!" cried a familiar voice, as Scarlett rode up, and a party of about fifty dashed down the slope, headed by Sir G.o.dfrey, and, hotly pursued by a squadron of the enemy, galloped round the head of the lake, leaping the stream and then the low stone wall of the Hall garden, to take refuge there.

As they reached this haven, a trumpet sounded a recall, and the pursuing squadron missed their opportunity of capturing the flying band, while, when they advanced again, it was to find that the horses were well secured within the Hall yard, whose stout oaken gates were closed, and that the old house was garrisoned by a desperate little force ready to withstand a siege.

"Better than giving up as prisoners, Scar, my boy," said Sir G.o.dfrey, sadly; "and better than being hunted down. All was over, and it was in vain to keep up the fight. It only meant the useless loss of brave men."

"Will they attack us here, sir?" said Scarlett.

"Most likely, and if they do, we'll fight till the very end--fight for our hearth and home, my boy. But there, we must do all we can to make the place more secure before night comes."

"Look!" said Scarlett, pointing.

"Yes, I see, my boy," said Sir G.o.dfrey, sadly; "completely scattered, and a strong body in pursuit. Ah, they are going to bivouac there, and we shall have them here directly foraging for food and shelter. Well, cheer up. These are times of reverses. They were here yesterday; it is our turn to-day."

And without another word, Sir G.o.dfrey went into the hall, to pay the double part of commander and host, his words and example soon putting spirit in the disheartened band.

"But we shall have to surrender, Sir G.o.dfrey, shall we not, unless we wait till dark, and then take our horses and try to get away?"

"You may depend upon one thing, gentlemen," said Sir G.o.dfrey, "the enemy are far stronger than we think. Every path will be carefully guarded, our horses are worn-out, and we are safe to be taken."

"But we cannot defend this place, sir," said another.

"Why not? I say, defend it as long as one stone stands upon another."

"But food--ammunition."

"Plenty, sir, for a month," continued the general, "unless all was carried off by our friends. No fear. Their occupation was too short, and we took them too much by surprise. Why, look there," he said, pointing to one corner of the hall, "there are enough of their pieces there to arm us all. What is it to be, gentlemen? Surrender or fight?"

For answer, hats were tossed in the air, and the carved beams of the roof rang with the hearty cheers of the Cavaliers, and the cry of--

"G.o.d save the king!"

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

WHAT FRED FOUND IN THE WOOD.

"Why, Fred, my boy, what a long face. What's the matter?"

For answer, Fred pointed to the trampled garden, the litter in the park, and the desolation visible at the Hall, where window cas.e.m.e.nts had been either smashed or taken off, and rough barricades erected; so that where all had once been so trim and orderly, desolation seemed to reign.

For the little band of devoted Royalists, under Sir G.o.dfrey Markham, had offered a desperate defence to every attempt made by the attacking party, which for want of infantry and guns, had settled down to the task of starving them out.

The prisoners and the wounded from the barn, irrespective of party, had been sent to the nearest town; and as no immediate call was being made upon his services, and his orders were to wait for reinforcements, so as to render the men under his command something like respectable in number, General Hedley set himself seriously to the task of crippling the Royalist forces, by securing the person of Sir G.o.dfrey Markham, whose influence in the district was very great, and whose prowess as a soldier had worked terrible disaster to the Puritan cause.

The little siege of the Hall had been going on four days, when Colonel Forrester, who had been with the relieving party, found his son contemplating the ruin.

"Yes," he said, "it is bad; but better so than that these Royalists should be destroying our home, my boy."

"Is it, father?" said Fred, doubtingly.

"Is it, sir? Of course. That is the home of our most deadly enemy, a man who has wrought endless mischief to our cause and country. Why, you do not sympathise with him?"

"I was not thinking of sympathy, father, but of the happy days Scar Markham and I used to spend here."

"Pis.h.!.+ Don't talk like a child, sir. You are growing a man, and you have your duty to do."

"Yes, father, and I'm going to try and do it."

"Of course. That's better, Fred. As to Markham, we are behaving n.o.bly to him by having his wife and daughter at the Manor, and caring for them there."

"I don't see much in that, father."

"What, sir?"

"Men do not make war upon women, and I think it was our duty to protect Lady Markham, and I acted accordingly."

Colonel Forrester turned fiercely upon his son, but checked himself.

"Humph! Yes. I suppose you were right, Fred. There, we need not argue such points as these. Too much to do."

"Of course, father; but one cannot quite forget the past."

"No, certainly not. But do your duty to your country, my boy, and leave the rest."