Crown and Sceptre Part 88

"Well, sir, I hear that's to be it, unless a stronger party comes and drives us away. Seems to me as we're like the little ones playing king o' the castle; and no sooner is one up a-top than another comes and pushes him down. But, Master Fred; had your breakfast, haven't you?"

"Yes," said Fred, whose thoughts were at the ruins.

"So have I, sir. Well, look here, sir; I want to see whether the slugs and snails have been at that there food in the wood. What do you say to going to see?"

"We cannot go till night, Samson," said Fred, sadly.

"Yes, we can, sir. Look here; I'll cut a couple o' long willows, and get some worms in the Hall garden, and I dare say I can find a basket.

Then let's you and me go careless like to the far end of the lake, just as if we were going to try for a fish or two, and n.o.body will notice us then. Once we are there, we can creep up through the bushes to the wilderness, and get that bit o' food."

"And see if your brother is better?"

"Nay, nay; I'm not going to take all that trouble 'bout such a fellow as him, sir. 'Tis 'bout that food I'm thinking. Shall we go, sir?"

"Yes, Samson, yes; and look here: don't try to deceive me like this, because it will not do."

"Oh well, it never was no use to argue with you, sir, when you was a schoolboy. Now you're a young officer, you're harder still. There, I'm not going to say any more; but is it likely I should do all this 'bout an enemy, unless it was to make him a prisoner? There, I'm off to get them rods and worms."

Samson went across to the Hall garden, and shortly afterwards reappeared with a pot and basket.

"We can get the two rods somewhere down by the lake," he said; and one of the sentinels as he stood, firelock in hand, smiled grimly, and thought of how he would like to leave his monotonous task, and go down to the lake side to fish, after the fashion he had so loved when a boy.

This man watched them right to the edge of the water, where he saw Samson select and cut two long willow rods, and strip them clean of leaf and twig before shouldering them, and marching on beside his master.

"It's well to be them," grumbled the man, "for who knows whether in these days of bloodshed a lad may ever have a chance to fish again?"

He shouldered his firelock, and continued his slow tramp to and fro, looking out for the enemy, but more often turning his gaze toward his fishing friends.

"Bring the hooks and lines, Master Fred?" said Samson, as they went on toward the west end of the lake.

"Hooks and lines? No."

"Well, sir, we can't fish without lines. Didn't I tell you to get 'em while I got the worms?"

"No."

"Well, now, that's strange. But I did mean to, sir. What are we to do?

Go back?"

"No, no! Don't let's waste time."

"But we can't catch no fish without a hook."

"We don't want to catch any fish."

"But we want people to think we do."

"Yes; and if they see us with rods down by the water, they will think so."

"More stoopids they, sir. I needn't carry this here ugly pot o' worms and the basket, then, no longer, sir?"

"Yes, you must. Don't throw them away. We had better keep up the look of being fishermen."

"Very well, sir; just as you like. But I say, Master Fred, what's the good of all this? Don't let's go."

"Not go?"

"I don't see why we should take the trouble to go and look after a fellow like Nat. He never was any credit to me, and he never will be.

Like as not, if he gets better, he'll give me a topper."

"Come along, and hold your tongue, Samson. Do you suppose I can't see through you?"

"Yes, I do, sir," said Samson, with a chuckle. "Chap did try to make a hole through me just after we turned soldiers, but it's all grown up again. I say, Master Fred, though, ser'us--think Nat is alive?"

"Yes, of course, poor fellow! No, don't hurry now. Some one may be watching us. Let's pretend to be picking out a good place."

"Poor fellow!" grumbled Samson, as he obeyed, and began holding overhanging boughs aside and leaning over the water. "Don't suppose you'd say, 'Poor fellow!' if I was to be lying wounded there, Master Fred."

"No, of course not," said Fred, angrily; "I should say I was very glad to get rid of you, and I wouldn't stir a step to bring you bread or water or anything."

Samson stopped short, and burst into a roar of laughter.

"What's the matter, now?" cried Fred, wonderingly.

"Oh, you can tell 'em when you like, sir," cried Samson. "Haw, haw, haw! No, no, no; you won't get me to believe that. But let's get on, sir; we're 'bout out o' sight of the sentries. No; there's one looking at us over the hill. Let's sit down just yonder, and seem to begin."

A glance casually taken showed the wisdom of this proceeding, and one chose a spot by a tree, the other went twenty yards further toward the wood, and they began to go through the motions of people fishing, changing their places from time to time, Samson pa.s.sing right on beyond Fred, and the latter after a few minutes going on past Samson, till they were well in among the trees, and not far from the steep rocky bank where the pa.s.sage came down to the lake.

For the first time since the discovery, Fred went on without recalling that day when they drained the place, for he was too eager to go in search of Nat, who must be, he felt sure, lying somewhere in the wood, weak and suffering, and praying for their help.

"Now," said Samson, at last, "let's carry our rods a little way in and hide 'em with the basket, ready for us when we've done. I may pitch the pot o' worms away now, sir, mayn't I?"

"No, no; put them with the basket. There, in that bush--that's the place."

The rods were thrust in amongst the thick undergrowth, and then Fred took a final look round, seeing nothing, and then leading the way, easily enough now by day, for the displaced twigs showed to their practised eyes where they had pa.s.sed before.

But even now it was no easy task to achieve before they came to the fallen oak, with its two mighty trunks, the one living, the other dead.

Then they stopped--startled; for there was a loud rustling, the leaves and twigs were forced apart, and for the moment they felt that they were discovered.

"Only a rabbit," said Samson, coolly, as the sound died away. "What a noise them little chaps can make, Master Fred! Go along."

"No, no; stop," cried Fred.

"It was only a rabbit, sir."

"Yes, I know; but don't you see?"