Johnny Ludlow Second Series Part 60

King's donkey regaled himself with morsels of herbage, the donkey-boy lay stretched beside him, and we boys raced about. When an hour or two had pa.s.sed, and we were as hot as fire and more hungry than hunters, we bethought ourselves of dinner. King got on his donkey again, and the rest of us whipped him up. When half-way down we saw Dr. Teal gesticulating and shouting, telling us to come on and not keep dinner waiting longer.

We had it in the room behind the well. It was a squeeze to sit round the table. Cold meats, and salad, and pastry, and all sorts of good things.

Dan was next to me; he said he could hardly eat for thirst, and kept drinking away at the bottled ale.

"My dear," said Mrs. Todhetley to him by-and-by, "don't you think you had better drink some water instead--or lemonade? This bottled ale is very strong."

"I am afraid it is," said Dan. "I'll go in for the tarts now."

The room was stuffy; and after dinner a table was carried out to a sheltered place near the well: not much better than a little ledge of a path, but where we could not be overlooked, and should be quite out of the way of the hill-climbers. The bank rose perpendicularly above us, banks descended beneath to goodness knew where; there we sat at dessert, all sheltered. I think dark trees and shrubs overshaded us; but I am not altogether sure.

How it came about, I hardly know: but something was brought up about King's store of ballads, and he was asked to give us his favourite one, "Lord Bateman," for the benefit of the company. He turned very shy, but Captain Sanker told him not to be silly: and after going white and red for a bit, he began. Perhaps the reader would like to hear it. I never repeat it to myself, no, nor even a verse of it, but poor King Sanker comes before me just as I saw him that day, his back to the ravine below, his eyes looking at nothing, his thin hands nervously twisting some paper about that had covered the basket of raspberries.

Lord Bateman was a n.o.ble lord, A n.o.ble lord of high degree: He s.h.i.+pped himself on board a s.h.i.+p; Some foreign country he would see.

He sailed east, he sailed west, Until he came unto Turkey, Where he was taken, and put in prison Until his life was quite weary.

In this prison there grew a tree: It grew so very stout and strong: And he was chained by the middle Until his life was almost gone.

The Turk, he had one only daughter, The fairest creature eye e'er did see: She stole the keys of her father's prison, And said she'd set Lord Bateman free.

"Have you got houses?--have you got lands Or does Northumberland belong to thee?

And what would you give to the fair young I Who out of prison would set you free?"

"Oh, I've got houses, and I've got lands, And half Northumberland belongs to me; And I'd give it all to the fair young lady That out of prison would set me free."

Then she took him to her father's palace, And gave to him the best of wine; And every health that she drank to him Was "I wish, Lord Bateman, you were mine.

"For seven long years I'll make a vow; And seven long years I'll keep it strong: If you will wed no other woman, I will wed no other man."

Then she took him to her father's harbour, And gave to him a s.h.i.+p of fame; "Farewell, farewell to you, Lord Bateman; I fear I never shall see you again."

When seven long years were gone and past, And fourteen days, well known to me; She packed up her gay gold and clothing, And said Lord Bateman she would see.

When she came to Lord Bateman's castle, So boldly there she rang the bell: "Who's there, who's there?" cried the young proud porter: "Who's there, who's there, unto me tell?"

"Oh, is this Lord's Bateman's castle?

And is his lords.h.i.+p here within?"

"Oh yes, oh yes," cried the young proud porter: "He has just now taken his young bride in."

"Tell him to send me a slice of cake, And a bottle of the best of wine; And not to forget the fair young lady That did release him when close confined."

Away, away went this young proud porter, Away, away, away went he; Until he came unto Lord Bateman, When on his bended knees fell he.

"What news, what news, my young porter; What news, what news have you brought unto me?"

"Oh, there is the fairest of all young ladies That ever my two eyes did see.

"She has got rings on every finger, And on one of them she has got three; And she has as much gold round her middle As would buy Northumberland of thee.

"She tells you to send her a slice of cake, And a bottle of the best of wine; And not to forget the fair young lady That did release you when close confined."

Lord Bateman in a pa.s.sion flew; He broke his sword in splinters three; "I'll give all my father's wealth and riches Now, if Sophia has crossed the sea."

Then up spoke his young bride's mother-- Who never was heard to speak so free: "Don't you forget my only daughter, Although Sophia has crossed the sea."

"I own I've made a bride of your daughter She's none the better nor worse for me; She came to me on a horse and saddle, And she may go back in a carriage and three."

Then another marriage was prepared, With both their hearts so full of glee: "I'll range no more to foreign countries, Since my Sophia has crossed the sea."

King stopped, just as shyly as he had begun. Some laughed, others applauded him; and the Squire told us that the first time he had ever heard "Lord Bateman" was in Sconton's show, on Worcester racecourse, many a year ago.

After that, we broke up. I and some of the boys climbed up straight to Lady Harcourt's Tower again. A few Frogs were about the hills, but they did not come in contact with us. When we got back to St. Ann's the tea was ready in the room.

"And I wish to goodness they'd have it," cried Dan, "for I'm as thirsty as a fish. I've been asleep out there all the while on the bench in the sun. Can't we have tea, mother?"

"As soon as ever the gentlemen come back," spoke up Mrs. Teal, who seemed to like order. "They went down to look at the Abbey."

They were coming up then, puffing over the walk; Tod and Fred Sanker with them. We sat down to tea; and it was half over when the two young Sankers, King and Toby, were missed.

"Tiresome monkeys!" cried the captain. "I never came over here with a party yet, but we had to spend the last hour or two hunting some of them up. Well, I'll not bother myself over it: they shall find their way home as they can."

Toby ran in presently. He had only been about the hills, he said, and had not seen King.

"I dare say King's still in the place where we had dessert," said Hetta Sanker, just then thinking of it. "He stayed behind us all, saying he was tired. You boys can go and see."

I and Jim Teal ran off together. King was not there. One of the women at the well said that when she went out for the chairs and things, just before tea-time, n.o.body was there.

"Oh, he'll turn up presently," said the captain. And we went on with our tea, and forgot him.

It was twilight when we got down to the village to start for home. The Squire set off first: the same party with him as in the morning, except that Mrs. Teal took her husband's place. When they were bringing out the post-carriage, King was again thought of.

"He has stayed somewhere singing to himself," said Mrs. Sanker.

We went off in different directions, shouting our throats hoa.r.s.e. Up as far as St. Ann's, and along the hill underneath, and in all the corners of the village: no King. It was getting strange.

"I should hope none of those impudent Frogs have made off with him!"

cried Toby Sanker.

"They are capable of anything, mind you," added Dan.

One vanload of Frogs had started; the other was getting ready to start. The boys, gaping and listening about, saw and heard all our consternation at the dilemma we were in. Mrs. Todhetley, who did not understand the state of social politics, as between them and the college school, turned and inquired whether they had seen King.

"A delicate lad, who walks lame," she explained. "We think he must have fallen asleep somewhere on the hill: and we cannot start without him."

The Frogs showed themselves good-natured; and went tearing up towards the hill to look for King. In pa.s.sing the Unicorn, a pleasure-party of young men and women, carrying their empty provision-baskets, came running downwards, saying that they had heard groaning under a part of the hill--and described where. I seemed to catch the right place, as if by instinct, and was up there first. King was lying there; not groaning then, but senseless or dead.

Looking upwards to note the position, we thought he must have fallen down from the place where we had sat at dessert. Hetta Sanker said she had left him there by himself, to rest.

"He must have dropped asleep, and fallen down," cried Dr. Teal.