The Black Tor Part 21

Then the cob raised its dripping mouth, which it had kept with lips very close together, to act as a strainer to keep out tadpoles, water-beetles, leeches, or any other unpleasant creatures that might be in the water, took two or three steps back and aside, and then, noticing that there was a goodly patch of rich juicy herbage close by the spring, it lowered its head once more, uttered a snort as it blew the gra.s.s heavily, to drive off any flies that might be nestling among the strands, and began to crop, crop at the rich feed.

"Oh come, I'm not going to stand that," cried Mark, dragging at the pony's head. "You're so full of oats now that you can hardly move, and he'll be looking back directly, and thinking I'm afraid to come on."

The cob's head was up: so was its obstinate nature. It evidently considered it would be a sin to leave such a delicious salad, so tempting and juicy, and suitable after a peck or two of dry, husky oats; and, thoroughly determined not to pa.s.s the herbage by, it set its fore feet straight out a good distance apart, and strained at the reins till, as Mark pulled and pressed his feet against the stirrups, it seemed probable that there would be a break.

"Oh, you brute!" cried the lad angrily; "you ugly, coa.r.s.e, obstinate brute! Pony! You're not a pony, I feel sure; you're only a miserable mule, and your father was some long-eared, thick-skinned, thin-tailed, muddle-headed, old jacka.s.s. Look here! I'll take out my sword, and p.r.i.c.k you with the point."

The cob evidently did not believe it, and kept on the strain of the bit, till the lad took a rein in each hand, and began to saw the steel from side to side, making it rattle against the animal's teeth.

This seemed to have a pleasant effect on the hard mouth, and produced the result of the cob nodding its head a little; and just then, to Mark's great disgust, Ralph turned his head and looked back.

"There! I expected as much. Now go on, you beast, or I'll kill you."

The pony snorted with satisfaction, for in his excitement, the rider had slackened the reins a little. Down went the animal's muzzle; there was another puff to blow away the insects, and it began to crop again, with that pleasant sound heard when grazing animals are amongst rich herbage.

Then followed a fresh struggle, and the pony won, taking not the slightest notice of the insulting remarks made by its rider about its descent, appearance, and habits.

But at last, perhaps because it had had its own way, more probably because it was not hungry, and just when the rider was thinking of getting down to walk, and sending Dummy Rugg to find the animal next day, it raised its head, ground up a little gra.s.s between its teeth and then began to follow Ralph once more, as he trudged on without turning his head again.

Still, try as he would, Mark could not get the animal to break into a canter; in fact, the way was impossible; and when the sun had sunk down below the western hill, which cast a great purple shadow, to begin rising slowly higher and higher against the mountain on his left, he and Ralph were still at about the same distance apart.

"I can't halloa to him to stop," muttered Mark angrily; "I don't want to seem to know him, but to overtake him, and appear surprised, and then break into a quarrel hotly and at once. Oh! it's enough to drive anyone mad. You brute! I'll never try to ride you again."

Rather hard, this, upon the patient beast which had carried him for many miles that day, and was carefully abstaining now from cantering recklessly amongst dangerous stones, and giving its master a heavy fall.

But boys will be unreasonable sometimes, almost as unreasonable as some men.

Finding at last that drumming the cob's sides was of no use, jerking the bit of not the slightest avail, and that whacks with the sheathed sword only produced whisks of the tail, Mark subsided into a sulky silence, and rode at a walk, watching the enemy's back as he trudged steadily on.

The vale grew more gloomy on the right side, the steep limestone hill being all in shadow, and the rough blocks looked like grotesque creatures peering out from among the blackening bushes; and as he rode on, the lad could not help thinking that by night the place might easily scare ignorant, untutored, superst.i.tious people, who saw, or fancied they saw, strange lights here and there.

"And in the sunshine it is as bright as the other hill," thought Mark, as he glanced at the left side of the dale; "not very bright, though.

It's a desolate place at the best of times;" and once more he glanced up the steep slope on his right.

"Wonder why they call it Ergles," he mused. "Let's see; it's up there where the cave with the hot spring is. Not a bit farther on."

He was still a long distance from home, and knowing that before long Ralph Darley would turn off to the left, he again made an effort to urge on the cob, but in vain.

"And he'll go home thinking I'm afraid," muttered the lad; "but first time I meet him, and he isn't a miserable, wretched, contemptible cripple, I'll show him I'm not."

"Then you shall show him now," the cob seemed to say, for it broke into a smart canter, but only because the bottom of the dale was here free from stones, and in a very short time Ralph was overtaken.

"Here, hi! fellow! clear the road," shouted Mark; and he essayed to stop. But now, the way being good, the cob was anxious to get on and reach its stable, pa.s.sing Ralph quickly enough, and enraging its rider more and more.

"Oh, you brute, you brute!" he muttered. "Now he can't help thinking I'm afraid of him. If I only had a whip."

For the moment Mark felt disposed to turn in the saddle, and make some insulting gesture at the lad behind--one that would make him, if he had any courage within, come running rapidly in pursuit. But the act would have seemed too weak and boyish, when he wanted to be manly; and he refrained, contenting himself with dragging hard at the rein, till a hundred yards farther the ground grew stony again, and the pony dropped into a walk, and picked its way in and out more slowly than ever.

This had the result that Mark desired, for a glance back showed him that Ralph was coming on fast, and in a few minutes he had overtaken him, just as he sprang off his pony and faced round.

"Oh, it is you," said Mark haughtily.

"Yes," said Ralph, meeting his eyes boldly.

"I thought it was. Well, you are not lame now?"

"No."

"And I see you have a sword."

"Yes, I have my sword."

"Then as we are equal now, and if you are not afraid, we may as well have a little conversation with them."

"Fight?" said Ralph quietly. "Why?"

"Ha-ha!" laughed Mark, with his face flushing. "Why? Because we are gentlemen, I suppose; because we have been taught to use our swords; at least I have; and it's the worse for you if you have not."

"But I have," said Ralph firmly, his own cheeks beginning to look hot; "but I don't see that this is a reason why we two should fight."

"Then I'll give you another," cried Mark; "because you are a Darley, and I am an Eden, and we cannot meet without drawing swords. Your people were always a set of cut-throats, murderers, robbers, and thieves."

"It's a lie," cried Ralph hotly. "My people were always gentlemen. It was your people who always insulted ours, as you are insulting me now, and did a few minutes ago, when you pa.s.sed me going quietly on my way."

"That's enough," said Mark sharply. "Out of the way, beast," and he drew his sword and struck the cob sharply on the flank, sending it trotting onward at the risk of breaking its knees.

"This is your doing," said Ralph quietly, as he threw down his rod, and pa.s.sed the strap of his creel over his head, to swing it after.

"Bah! don't talk," cried Mark hotly. "This place will do. It is as fair for you as for me."

He made a gesture with his sword toward a tolerably level spot, and Ralph bowed his head.

"Then draw," cried Mark, throwing down his cap.

Ralph followed his example, and the next moment his own bright blade leaped from its sheath, and without further preliminary, they crossed their trusty blades, which emitted a harsh grating noise as they played up and down, flashing in the paling evening light, each awaiting the other's attack.

Mark, in the fear that his enemy would doubt his prowess, began the attack; and in defending himself from his adversary's thrusts Ralph soon showed him that he had learned the use of his thin rapier from a master the equal of his own teacher, thus making the hot-headed youth more cautious, and ready to turn aside the thrusts which followed when he ceased his own.

They fenced equally well, and for a few minutes no harm was done. Then all at once, in response to a quick thrust, a spot appeared high up above the russet leather boot which came half-way up Mark's thigh, and Ralph leaped back with a strange feeling of compunction attacking him that he could not understand.

"Nothing," cried Mark angrily; "a scratch," as he pressed his teeth upon his nether lip; and they crossed swords once more, with the wounded lad commencing the attack with as much vigour as before. And now, forgetful of everything but the desire to lay one another _hors de combat_, they thrust and parried for the next minute, till Ralph uttered a faint cry, as his adversary's sword pa.s.sed through his doublet, between his right arm and ribs, a sharp pang warning him that the blade had pierced something more than the velvet he wore.

Mark dropped the point of his blade, for at that moment a whistle rang out, and he looked inquiringly in the direction from which it had come, leaving himself quite open to any treacherous attack had it been intended.

But none was meant, Ralph standing with his left hand pressing his side, just below the armpit, as another whistle was heard from a fresh direction. Others followed, and the adversaries looked sharply at each other.

"Not birds," said Ralph quickly.

"Don't look like it," said Mark bitterly, as he drew his breath with a hissing noise, as if in pain.