The Children of the New Forest Part 36

"Yes, and they are improved in appearance already since they have been here. Alice has got her geese and ducks, and I have made a place large enough for them to wash in, until I have time to dig them out a pond."

"I thought we had gathered more hay than you required; but with this addition, I think you will find none to spare before the spring."

"So far from it, that I have been mowing down a great deal more, Edward, and it is almost ready to carry away. Poor Billy has had hard work of it, I a.s.sure you, since he came back, with one thing and another."

"Poor fellow! but it won't last long, Humphrey," said Edward, smiling; "the other horses will soon take his place."

"I trust they will," said Humphrey, "at all events by next spring; before that I do not expect that they will."

"By-the-by, Humphrey, you recollect what I said to you that the robber I shot told me just before he died."

"Yes, I do recollect it now," replied Humphrey; "but I had quite forgotten all about it till you mentioned it now, although I wrote it down that we might not forget it."

"Well, I have been thinking all about it, Humphrey. The robber told me that the money was mine, taking me for another person; therefore I do not consider it was given to me, nor do I consider that it was his to give. I hardly know what to do about it, nor to whom the money can be said to belong."

"Well, I think I can answer that question. The property of all malefactors belongs to the king; and therefore this money belongs to the king; and we may retain it for the king, or use it for his service."

"Yes, it would have belonged to the king, had the man been condemned, and hung on the gallows as he deserved; but he was not, and therefore I think that it does not belong to the king."

"Then it belongs to whoever finds it, and who keeps it till it is claimed-which will never be."

"I think I must speak to the intendant about it," replied Edward; "I should feel more comfortable."

"Then do so," replied Humphrey; "I think you are right to have no concealments from him."

"But, Humphrey," replied Edward, laughing, "what silly fellows we are! we do not yet know whether we shall find any thing; we must first see if there is any thing buried there; and when we have done so, then we will decide how to act. I shall, if it please G.o.d, be over again in a fortnight, and in the mean time, do you find out the place, and ascertain if what the fellow said is true."

"I will," replied Humphrey. "I will go to-morrow, with Billy and the cart, and take a spade and pickax with me. It may be a fool's errand, but still they say, and one would credit, for the honor of human nature, that the words of a dying man are those of truth. We had better go back now, for I think dinner must be ready."

Now that they had become so intimate with Patience Heatherstone-and, I may add, so fond of her-there was no longer any restraint, and they had a very merry dinner party; and after dinner, Patience went out with Alice and Edith, and looked over the garden and farm. She wished very much to ascertain if there was any thing that they required, but she could discover but few things, and those only trifles; but she recollected them all, and sent them to the cottage a few days afterward. But the hour of parting arrived, for it was a long ride back, and they could not stay any longer if they wished to get home before dark, as Mr. Heatherstone had requested Edward that they should do; so the horses were brought out, and wishing good-by, they set off again-little Edith crying after them, "Come again soon! Patience, you must come again soon!"

CHAPTER XX.

The summer had now advanced, when Oswald one day said to Edward,

"Have you heard the news, sir?"

"Nothing very particular," replied Edward; "I know that General Cromwell is over in Ireland, and they say very successful; but I have cared little for particulars."

"They say a great deal more, sir," replied Oswald; "they say that the king is in Scotland, and that the Scotch have raised an army for him."

"Indeed!" replied Edward, "that is news indeed! The intendant has never mentioned it to me."

"I dare say not, sir; for he knows your feelings, and would sorry to part with you."

"I will certainly speak to him on the subject," said Edward, at the "risk of his displeasure; and join the army I will, if I find what you say is true. I should hold myself a craven to remain here while the king is fighting for his own, and not to be at his side."

"Well, sir, I think it is true, for I heard that the Parliament had sent over for General Cromwell to leave Ireland, and lead the troops against the Scotch army."

"You drive me mad, Oswald! I will go to the intendant immediately!"

Edward, much excited by the intelligence, went into the room where he usually sat with the intendant. The latter, who was at his desk, looked up, and saw how flushed Edward was, and said very quietly,

"Edward, you are excited, I presume, from hearing the news which has arrived?"

"Yes, sir, I am very much so; and I regret very much that I should be the last to whom such important news is made known."

"It is, as you say, important news," replied the intendant; "but if you will sit down, we will talk a little upon the subject."

Edward took a chair, and the intendant said,

"I have no doubt that your present feeling is to go to Scotland, and join the army without delay."

"Such is my intention, I candidly confess, sir. It is my duty."

"Perhaps you may be persuaded to the contrary before we part," replied the intendant. "The first duty you owe is to your family in their present position; they depend upon you; and a false step on your part would be their ruin. How can you leave them, and leave my employ, without it being known for what purpose you are gone? It is impossible! I must myself make it known, and even then it would be very injurious to me, the very circ.u.mstance of my having one of your party in my service. I am suspected by many already, in consequence of the part I have taken against the murder of the late king, and also of the lords who have since suffered. But, Edward, I did not communicate this intelligence to you for many reasons. I knew that it would soon come to your ears, and I thought it better that I should be more prepared to show you that you may do yourself and me harm, and can do no good to the king. I will now show you that I do put confidence in you; and if you will read these letters, they will prove to you that I am correct in what I a.s.sert."

The intendant handed three letters to Edward, by which it was evident that all the king's friends in England were of opinion that the time was not ripe for the attempt, and that it would be only a sacrifice to stir in the matter; that the Scotch army raised was composed of those who were the greatest enemies to the king, and that the best thing that could happen for the king's interest would be that they were destroyed by Cromwell; that it was impossible for the English adherents of Charles to join them, and that the Scotch did not wish them so to do.

"You are no politician, Edward," said the intendant, smiling, as Edward laid the letters down on the table. "You must admit that, in showing you these letters, I have put the utmost confidence in you."

"You have, indeed, sir; and, thanking you for having so done, I need hardly add that your confidence will never be betrayed."

"That I am sure of; and I trust you will now agree with me and my friends that the best thing is to remain quiet."

"Certainly, sir, and in future I will be guided by you."

"That is all I require of you; and, after that promise, you shall hear all the news as soon as it arrives. There are thousands who are just as anxious to see the king on the throne again as you are, Edward-and you now know that I am one of them; but the hour is not yet come, and we must bide our time. Depend upon it, General Cromwell will scatter that army like chaff. He is on his march now. After what has pa.s.sed between us this day, Edward, I shall talk unreserved to you on what is going on."

"I thank you, sir, and I promise you faithfully, as I said before, not only to be guided by your advice, but to be most secret in all that you may trust me with."

"I have confidence in you, Edward Armitage; and now we will drop the subject for the present; Patience and Clara want you to walk with them, so good-by for the present."

Edward left the intendant, much pleased with the interview. The intendant kept his word, and concealed nothing from Edward. All turned out as the intendant had foretold. The Scotch army was cut to pieces by Cromwell, and the king retreated to the Highlands; and Edward now felt satisfied that he could do no better than be guided by the intendant in all his future undertakings.

We must now pa.s.s over some time in a few words. Edward continued at the intendant's, and gave great satisfaction to Mr. Heatherstone. He pa.s.sed his time very agreeably, sometimes going out to shoot deer with Oswald, and often supplying venison to his brother and sisters at the cottage. During the autumn, Patience very often went to the cottage, and occasionally Mr. Heatherstone paid them a visit; but after the winter set in, Edward came over by himself, shooting as he went; and when he and Smoker came to the cottage, Billy always had a journey to go for the venison left in the forest. Patience sent Alice many little things for the use of her and Edith, and some very good books for them to read; and Humphrey, during the evenings, read with his sisters, that they might learn what he could teach them. Pablo also learned to read and write. Humphrey and Pablo had worked at the saw-pit, and had sawed out a large quant.i.ty of boards and timber for building, but the building was put off till the spring.

The reader may recollect that Edward had proposed to Humphrey that he should ascertain whether what the robber had stated before his death relative to his having concealed his ill-gotten wealth under the tree which was struck by lightning was true. About ten days afterward Humphrey set off on this expedition. He did not take Pablo with him, as, although he had a very good opinion of him, he agreed with Oswald that temptation should not be put in his way. Humphrey considered that it would be the best plan to go at once to Clara's cottage, and from that proceed to find the oak-tree mentioned by the robber. When he arrived at the thicket which surrounded the cottage, it occurred to him that he would just go through it and see if it was in the state which they had left it in; for after the intendant had been there, he had given directions to his men to remain and bury the bodies, and then to lock up the doors of the cottage, and bring the keys to him, which had been done. Humphrey tied Billy and the cart to a tree, and walked through the thicket. As he approached the cottage he heard voices; this induced him to advance very carefully, for he had not brought his gun with him. He crouched down as he came to the opening before the cottage. The doors and windows were open, and there were two men sitting outside, cleaning their guns; and in one of them Humphrey recognized the man Corbould, who had been discharged by the intendant as soon as his wound had been cured, and who was supposed to have gone to London. Humphrey was too far off to hear what they said; he remained there some time, and three more men came out of the cottage. Satisfied with what he had seen, Humphrey cautiously retreated, and, gaining the outside of the thicket, led away Billy and the cart over the turf, that the noise of the wheels might not be heard.

"This bodes no good," thought Humphrey as he went along, every now and then looking back to ascertain if the men had come out and seen him. "That Corbould we know has vowed vengeance against Edward, and all of us; and has, no doubt, joined those robbers-for robbers they must be-that he may fulfill his vow. It is fortunate that I have made the discovery and I will send over immediately to the intendant." As soon as a clump of trees had shut out the thicket, and he had no longer any fear of being seen by these people, Humphrey went in the direction which the robber had mentioned, and soon afterward he perceived the oak scathed with lightning, which stood by itself on a green spot of about twenty acres. It had been a n.o.ble tree before it had been destroyed; now it spread its long naked arms, covering a large s.p.a.ce of ground, but without the least sign of vegetation or life remaining. The trunk was many feet in diameter, and was apparently quite sound, although the tree was dead. Humphrey left Billy to feed on the herbage close by, and then, from the position of the sun in the heavens, ascertained the point at which he was to dig. First looking around him to see that he was not overlooked, he took his spade and pick-ax out of the cart and begun his task. There was a spot not quite so green as the rest, which Humphrey thought likely to be the very place that he should dig at, as probably it was not green from the soil having been removed. He commenced at this spot, and, after a few moments' labor, his pick-ax struck upon something hard, which, on clearing away the earth, he discovered to be a wooden lid of a box. Satisfied that he was right, Humphrey now worked hard, and in a few minutes he had cleared away sufficiently to be able to lift out the box and place it on the turf. He was about to examine it, when he perceived, at about five hundred yards' distance, three men coming toward him. "They have discovered me," thought Humphrey; "and I must be off as soon as I can." He ran to Billy, who was close to him, and bringing the cart to where the box lay, he lifted it in. As he was getting in himself, with the reins in his hands, he perceived that the three men were running toward him as fast as they could, and that they all had guns in their hands. They were not more than a hundred and fifty yards from him when Humphrey set off, putting Billy to a full trot.

The three men, observing this, called out to Humphrey to stop, or they would fire; but Humphrey's only reply was giving a lash to Billy, which set him off at a gallop. The men immediately fired, and the bullets whistled past Humphrey without doing any harm. Humphrey looked round, and finding that he had increased his distance, pulled up the pony, and went at a more moderate pace. "You'll not catch me," thought Humphrey; "and your guns are not loaded, so I'll tantalize you a little." He made Billy walk, and turned round to see what the men were about; they had arrived at where he had dug out the box, and were standing round the hole, evidently aware that it was no use following him. "Now," thought Humphrey as he went along at a faster pace, "those fellows will wonder what I have been digging up. The villains little think that I know where to find them, and they have proved what they are by firing at me. Now, what must I do? They may follow me to the cottage, for I have no doubt that they know where we live, and that Edward is at the intendant's. They may come and attack us, and I dare not leave the cottage tonight, or send Pablo away, in case they should; but I will tomorrow morning." Humphrey considered, as he went along, all the circ.u.mstances and probabilities, and decided that he would act as he at first proposed to himself. In an hour he was at the cottage; and as soon as Alice had given him his dinner-for he was later than the usual dinner hour-he told her what had taken place.

"Where is Pablo?"

"He has been working in the garden with Edith all the day," replied Alice.