In Honour's Cause Part 67

"You'd better shut up your ears, Frank lad, and go on with your duties,"

he said one day. "But tell me first, what is the last news about Lady Gowan?"

"Ill, very ill," said the boy wearily. "All this is killing her."

"Then the bad news ought to be kept from her."

"Bad news!" gasped Frank. "Is it then so bad?"

"Of course; isn't it all bad?"

"Oh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the boy; "I thought there was something fresh-- something terrible. But how can the news be kept from her? The Princess goes and sits with her every day, and then tells her everything. She learns more than I do, and gets it sooner; but I can't go and ask her, for I always feel as if it were cruel and torturing her to make her speak about our great trouble while she is so ill. Now, tell me all you know."

"It is not much, boy. The Duke of Argyle is busy; he is now appointed to the command of the King's forces in Scotland, and some troops are being landed from Ireland to join his clans."

"Yes, yes; but in England?" cried the boy. "My father is not in Scotland. It is about what is going on in England that I want to know."

It was always the same, and by degrees, as the days went by, Frank learned that his father had, with other gentlemen, joined the Earl of Derwent.w.a.ter, and that they were threatening Newcastle.

It seemed an age before the next tidings came, and Frank's heart sank, while those in the Palace were holding high festival, for the Pretender's little army there had been beaten off, and was in retreat through c.u.mberland on the way to Lancashire.

A little later came news that in the boy's secret heart made him rejoice and brought gloom into the Palace. For it soon leaked out that the county militias had been a.s.sembled hastily to check the Pretender's forces, but only to be put to flight and scattered in all directions.

Then despatch after despatch reached the Palace from the north, all containing bad news. The rebels had marched on, carrying everything before them till they neared Preston in triumph.

"Then they'll go on increasing in strength," whispered Frank, as he sat with Captain Murray on the evening of the receipt of that news, "and march right on to London!"

"Want them to?" said the captain drily.

"Yes--no--no--yes--I don't know."

"Nice loyal sort of a servant the Prince has got," said the captain.

"Don't talk to me like that, Captain Murray," said the boy pa.s.sionately.

"I feel that I hate for the rebels to succeed; but how can I help wishing my father success?"

"No, you cannot," said the captain quietly. "But he will not succeed, my lad. He and the others are in command of a mere rabble of undisciplined men, and before long on their march they will be met by some of the King's forces sent to intercept them."

"Yes, yes," cried the boy, with his cheeks flushing, "and then?"

"What is likely to happen in spite of the training of the leaders? The undrilled men cannot stand against regular troops, even if they are enthusiastic. No: disaster must come sooner or later, and then there is only one chance for us, Frank."

"For us? I thought you said that the King's troops would win."

"Yes, and they will. I as a soldier feel that it must be so. We shall win; but I say there is only one chance for us as friends--a quick escape for your father to the coast and taking refuge in France. We must not have him taken, Frank, come what may."

"Thank you, Captain Murray," said the boy, laying his hand on his friend's sleeve. "You have made me happier than I have felt for days."

"And it sounds very disloyal, my boy; but I can't help my heart turning to my old friend to wish him safe out of the rout."

"Then you think it will be a rout?" panted Frank.

"It must be sooner or later. They may gain a few little advantages by surprise, or the cowardice of the troops; but those successes can't last, and when the defeat comes it will be the greater, and mean a complete end to a mad scheme."

"But the Prince must be with them by this time, sir."

"The Pretender? No; he is still in France without coming forward, and leaving the misguided men who would place him on the throne to be slaughtered for aught he seems to care."

Captain Murray proved to be a true prophet, for he had spoken on the basis of his experience of what properly trained men could do against troops hastily collected, and badly armed men whose discipline was of the rudest description.

Sooner even than the captain had antic.i.p.ated the news came in a despatch brought from the north of England. The Pretender's forces, under Lords Derwent.w.a.ter, Kenmuir, and Nithsdale, were encountered by the King's troops; and before the two bodies joined battle a summons was sent to the rebel army calling upon the men to lay down their arms or be attacked without mercy.

The Pretender's generals tried to treat the summons to surrender with contempt, laughed at it, and bade their followers to stand fast and the victory would be theirs. But, in spite of the exhortations of their officers, the sight of the King's regular troops drawn up in battle array proved too much for the raw forces. Probably they were wearied with marching and the many difficulties they had had to encounter.

Their enthusiasm leaked out, life seemed far preferable to death, and they surrendered at discretion.

There was feasting and rejoicing at Saint James's that night, when the news came of the bloodless victory; while in one of the apartments mother and son were shut up alone in the agony of their misery and despair, for whatever might be the fate of the common people of the Pretender's army, the action of the King toward all who opposed him was known to be of merciless severity. The leaders of the rebellion could expect but one fate--death by the executioner.

"But, mother, mother! oh, don't give way to despair like that," cried Frank. "We have heard so little yet. Father would fight to the last before he would fly; but when all was over he would be too clever for the enemy, and escape in safety to the coast."

"No," said Lady Gowan, in tones which startled her son. "Your father, Frank, would never desert the men he had led. It would be to victory or death. It was not to victory they marched that day."

"But his name is not mentioned in the despatch."

"No," said Lady Gowan sadly. "Nor is that of Colonel Forbes."

"Ah!" cried Frank; "and poor Drew, he would be there."

At last he was compelled to quit the poor, suffering woman; but before going to his own chamber, he went over to the officers' quarters, to try and see Captain Murray.

There was a light in his room, and the sound of voices in earnest conversation; and Frank was turning back, to go and sit alone in his despair, when he recognised the doctor's tones, and he knocked and entered.

The eager conversation stopped on the instant, as the two occupants of the room saw the boy's anxious, white face looking inquiringly from one to the other.

"Come in and sit down," said Captain Murray, in a voice which told of his emotion; "sit down, my boy."

Frank obeyed in silence, trying hard to read the captain's thoughts.

"You have come from your mother?"

"Yes; she is very ill."

"She has heard of the disaster, then?"

"Yes. The Princess went and broke it to her as gently as she could."

"And she told you?"

"Yes; she sent for me as soon as she heard."