The Prime Minister Part 14

Don Luis, having also his suspicions aroused, observed, as he looked round the room, that his luggage, with his holsters, had been piled up close to the recess in which the friar slept. It might, certainly, have been placed there by accident; but, for caution's sake, as he walked about the room, he very quietly removed his weapons, and hung them up close to his bed, carefully examining the primings of his pistols.

Pedro soon returned with the rest of the party, and, having a.s.sisted in undressing his master, who threw himself on the bed, he rolled himself up on the ground close to him, while the other men followed his example in another corner, from whence, in a few minutes, loud snores proceeding, gave notice of their being wrapt in sleep. A small lamp, burning in the centre of the room, gave a dim and uncertain light, throwing long shadows from the tables and chairs, and exhibiting a troop of mice, like tiny phantoms, playing on the floor, and picking up the crumbs from the evening repast. Having gazed at these objects for some time, till they grew still more confused, Don Luis could no longer resist the inclination he felt to close his eyes, persuading himself that, after all, there was no cause for fear.

Two or three hours pa.s.sed quietly away, when, on a sudden, he was awoke by an exclamation from Pedro; and, starting up, he beheld him grasping tightly the legs of a man, whom he recognised as the invalid friar; who, with uplifted arm, was on the point of plunging a long knife into poor Pedro, having already possessed himself of the holsters, when Don Luis sprang up, and seized him firmly.

"Spare my life, senhor," he said with the greatest coolness; "I was not going to take yours; but merely to carry your weapons out of harm's way; for I do not like to see such murderous things in the hands of youths."

While he was speaking, Pedro had contrived to rise and seize his other arm.

"How dare you tell me so abominable a falsehood?" exclaimed Don Luis.--"Wretch! you are in my power, and deserve to die."

"I am in your power at this moment, I very well know," answered the Friar; "but, if you were to kill me, you would not benefit yourselves.

I should therefore advise you to allow me to return quietly to bed, and I shall be grateful; if not, a cry from me would bring a whole party of men, who have sworn to avenge themselves on you, and who would make small ceremony in cutting all your throats, and burying you before morning."

"I grant you your life, then, in trust that you will show your grat.i.tude," said Don Luis.

"Was a Capuchin friar ever ungrateful?" exclaimed their prisoner.

"Well, then, I should advise you to barricade the door, load your arms, call your servants, and declare, if any body tries to enter, you will shoot me. Now, having given you my advice, let me go quietly to bed again, for I really am ill, and undertook only to withdraw your pistols, lest you should hurt anybody with them."

"Well, Senhor Frade," answered Don Luis, laughing, "you certainly are a most cool and impudent gentleman; but I will trust to you, when we have secured the door; in the meantime, you must consent to sit quiet for awhile, with your arms tied behind you, in this chair."

"Take care what you are about, senh.o.r.es. You hurt my arm, which I sprained badly the other day, or you would not have caught me so easily," observed the Friar.

"Oh!" thought Pedro, as he saw that the friar's arm was bandaged up and b.l.o.o.d.y, "Well, well, holy Father, you must sit quiet then," he added, aloud, then called to his fellow-servant: "Come here, Bento, and take the liberty of shooting the friar through the head, if he attempts to call out, while I a.s.sist our master in securing the fortress. I'll be answerable for your getting absolution."

The friar was therefore obliged to sit down, while Bento stood over him; Don Luis, and the rest of the party, with as little noise as possible, placing the tables and chairs against the door, though such a barricade would offer but slight resistance, should any strong force be used outside. They then examined the room well, to see that no one else was hidden there, and to discover if there were any other outlets, by which they might be surprised.

In the course of the search, as Pedro was looking into the cell of the friar, he discovered a broad-brimmed hat, thrown under the foot of the bed, so he brought it out, and placed it on that reverend person's head, nodding most approvingly, as if to an old acquaintance; then threw it back to whence he had taken it.

"You may now retire to your couch, Senhor Frade," said Don Luis.--"We will no longer disturb the tranquillity of your slumbers; and, on condition that you do your best to aid us, you shall not suffer."

"I promise you, on the honour of a friar, that if I can help it, no harm shall happen to you; and in return, you must promise me, on the honour of a fidalgo, that you will never mention to any human being that you have seen me here, or allow your people to do so, whatever your suspicions may be; for I have repented of certain little peccadillos I have committed, and intend to lead a new life."

"If you adhere to the conditions, I promise not to betray you," said Don Luis.

"Very well; and now, in mercy's sake, don't keep me up in the cold any longer," said the Friar.

"Permit me first, senhor, to deprive you of that delicate little penknife," said Pedro, taking the friar's dagger from his hands, "and now, pray retire to your couch."

The friar was not long in doing as he was ordered; and, as if to convince them of the purity of his conscience, he was soon fast asleep, as might be supposed from his loud snores.

Not long afterwards, some one was heard pressing against the door.

"Curses on the lazy friar," muttered a voice outside, in a low growl, yet loud enough to be heard through the crevices of the walls,--"He's snoring away like a hog, without thinking of his promise to us."

"Open the door, and steal softly in," said another voice. "You can easily get possession of their arms, when we can rush in to bind them, and then it will be time enough to bind the estalajadeiro, and the rest of the household, though I suspect Senhora Rosa will give us some little trouble; however, we can let her loose the first, to release the rest, when we are far off with the booty."

"A very good plan, doubtless; but I am not going to run the chance of being shot by that hot-headed youngster. What can have become of the frade? Hark! the lazy brute is still snoring on, forgetful of our interests."

"Will nothing waken him?" said another voice. "Try the door again."

Another attempt was now made to open the door without noise. Don Luis and his servants stood prepared, with pistols in hand, to defend themselves, while Pedro kept his eye on the snoring friar, who, the more the people outside spoke, made the louder nasal music to drown their voices. After the door had been several times gently shaken, and the wooden fastening turned in several ways to no purpose--

"Carramba!" exclaimed one of the voices. "They have secured the door inside, and, unless that houndish friar will wake up, we shall be foiled completely. Curses on the fool! There he snores away. This delay will never do; we must dash open the door, and cut all their throats."

"By Saint Anthony, nothing would give me greater satisfaction," said another. "I long to revenge myself for the loss that youth caused us yesterday, and see, Heaven has delivered him into our hands!"

"So do I; but the estalajadeiro declared he would have no murder, nor any of the horses taken, which might be traced to give his house a bad name; and that n.o.body should know he had a hand in it."

"That is very well; but I should like to know what we are to do then?"

asked another.

"There is only one way left: dash the door off its hinges, tie the young fidalgo and his servants to the beds, and walk off with whatever we may find convenient."

"Agreed, agreed!" said two or three voices. "Your plan is a good one, Rodrigo. Call the others up stairs. Remember, we all rush in together; and do not forget to give the friar a good beating, as if by mistake, to punish him for his stupidity. We would dash his brains out if he were not useful."

The Friar snored louder than ever. Several feet were heard ascending the stair; then there was a sudden rush, and the ill-secured door was dashed off its hinges with a loud noise, falling inside, when a dozen or more dark forms were seen attempting to scramble over the tables and chairs.

Don Luis fired his pistol, unwisely, perhaps--one ought to try negotiation before going to war--and the ball took effect on some one in the rear; then changing his sword to the right hand, he rushed forward to meet the first who should enter, while his servants discharged their pistols at the aperture, now crowded with human beings.

"Murder! murder!" shouted the Friar, leaping up in his bed, as if just awoke from sleep; but Pedro kept his eye upon him.

"Carramba! fire in on them, or we shall have more holes in our ribs than the doctors can cure."

"Hold!" shouted the Friar: "if you do, you will kill me, you fools!"

The robbers heeded him not, throwing a volley into the room; but no one fell. At the same time, a shrill female voice was heard crying out, "Murder! murder!"

"On, comrades! We must not be baulked by this foolery!" and before the smoke cleared away, making a desperate rush, they leaped over all obstacles into the room, the headmost attacking Don Luis with great fury; but they were not good swordsmen, and for several pa.s.ses he easily kept them at bay. Numbers, however, must soon have overpowered him, those behind again loading their muskets, when he received succour from a quarter he little expected.

"I will keep my promise, and soon clear the room of these rascals, while you go and aid your master," cried the Friar to Pedro. "By all that is sacred, I will."

Before Pedro had time to answer, he sprang up, seizing a thick oak stick from the head of the bed, and rushed towards the robbers, flouris.h.i.+ng it over his head, and exclaiming, "I will pay you for your kind intentions towards me, my masters."

This sudden reinforcement made the parties more equal; for Pedro, seeing that the friar really intended to aid them, was able to a.s.sist his master. Down came the friar's stick on the head of the foremost robbers, and blow after blow descended with more execution than the swords of Don Luis and his party.

"The friar has turned traitor," shouted several voices. "Cut him down, cut him down!"

"Hold, hold, ye fools!" cried the Friar, in return. "Back, back, or it will be the worse for you!"

At that instant the innkeeper seemed aroused from his slumbers; for his voice, also, was heard exclaiming, "Back, back, ye cursed idiots! What!

would you have my house looked upon as a den of thieves for this night's work? Back, back! or by the Holy Virgin some of you will not live to repent it!"

He seemed to be enforcing his orders by blows; for a scuffle was heard outside, above which arose the shrill tones of a woman's voice, the robbers appearing to be giving way.

The man with whom Don Luis was chiefly engaged glared fiercely on him.

"You killed my brother yesterday, and I will be revenged on you," he exclaimed. "I know you, Don Luis d'Almeida: you foiled me before; but we shall meet again ere long, when this blade shall drink your life's blood:" saying which, with curses on his companions for their cowardice, he bounded down the stairs after them, leaving Don Luis and his attendants masters of the room; while the innkeeper and the friar were seen on the top of the stairs, the latter still flouris.h.i.+ng his cudgel, and vehemently abusing the banditti in no measured terms. The voices of the robbers were heard outside, in high and fierce dispute, the sounds gradually dying away as they gained a greater distance from the house.

The innkeeper, followed by the friar, then entered the apartment, making many apologies for the outrage. "I hope, senhor, you will not bring ruin on an unfortunate man, by mentioning the occurrences of the night,"

he said, in a supplicating tone. "You see, senhor, I am entirely in the power of those gentlemen, and could not avoid what happened; therefore, as none of your party are hurt, and you have wounded two of the banditti, I trust that this punishment will satisfy you."