The Young Castellan Part 48

"You don't think that's right?" said Roy, quickly.

"Well, sir, I wouldn't have presumed to interfere with my commanding officer's orders 'fore any one else. But--"

"Now don't talk nonsense, Ben," said Roy, warmly. "There's no one here but Master Pawson, who is as anxious about preserving the place as we are."

"Indeed, I am," said the secretary, earnestly.

"So don't let's have any of that silly ceremony. I wish you wouldn't pretend to believe I was so conceited."

"I don't, captain," said Ben, abruptly; "only want you to see when you're wrong."

"Then speak out at once. Now then; you don't think it worth while to man these guns now?"

"No, sir. If they hear us at work, and attack, we've got to retreat over the bridge fast as we can, and get it hoisted. Say you've got these guns manned and loaded, a shot or two might check the attacking party; but how in the dark are we to know when it is best to fire? How are we to take aim? And what's to prevent our hitting friends instead of enemies."

"Fire high, over their heads."

"That's wasting two good charges for the sake of making a noise. I don't think I'd trouble about them to-night, sir."

"No; you're right.--Eh, Master Pawson?" said Roy.

"I don't much understand these things," said the secretary; "but it sounds the more sensible idea. You're not offended by my speaking out?"

"_No_; but I soon shall be if you all treat me as if I thought of nothing but dressing up as a soldier, and wanting to have my own way over matters where I'm wrong. Come along, down."

Roy led the way down through the corner turret, Master Pawson following and Ben coming last; while, as they wound round the narrow spiral, the secretary turned his head to whisper--

"He'll make a splendid officer, Martlet."

The only reply he obtained was a very hog-like grunt; then Ben spoke to himself:

"I wish to goodness you were along o' the enemy, or anywhere but here; you're supposed to be a friend, but somehow I can't never feel as if you are one. My cantank'rousness, I s'pose. Not being a scholard like you, maybe. Anyhow, though, I'm more use just now than you are; not but what that's easy, for you aren't none at all."

By this time they were down in the gate-way once more, where the portcullis was raised as silently as possible in the darkness, the bridge lowered, and the heavily laden working-party, followed by their guard marched slowly and silently out; a second strong guard was posted at the far end of the bridge to cover the retreat if one should have to be made--these last being under the command of the corporal; and Master Pawson volunteered in a whisper to stay with the men. Roy acquiesced, feeling rather glad to be without his company.

Next a halt was called, and all listened as they gazed out in the darkness in the direction of the enemy. Then feeling how commanding a position the latter had in the possession of their hors.e.m.e.n to act as scouts, and who might approach very near unseen, and discover the plans of the night, Roy gave orders for the guard at the end of the bridge to advance two men, to station them as sentries at equal distances, to keep in touch with the working-party.

"Fiddler's right," growled Ben, to himself. "He will make a splendid officer one of these days."

The next minute the work was silently begun, the guard being thrown out in a half-moon formation in front of the outer gate-way which covered the bridge.

Ben's plans were very simple. He had the heaviest beams they had brought stretched across the gate-way, as high as they could reach overhead, and propped against the masonry on either side with shorter beams; then poles, planks, and f.a.gots were stretched in a slope from the ground to the crossing timbers, so as to make a scarp; and, as soon as this was done, shovel and pick were set to work to dig a deep wide ditch, the earth from which was thrown up over the wood; while men on either side filled baskets and carried their loads to pile upon the slope as well.

It was roughly done work, but every shovelful added to the strength of the bank, which rapidly grew in thickness as the hours glided on, the workers being relieved from time to time to do duty as guards, while the guard took their turn at shovelling and filling.

There was no halting, the men having refreshments served out to them by Roy's forethought as they were relieved; and so the work went on till towards dawn, when a couple of men were strengthening the bank from behind with short pieces of wood wedged up against the crossbeams, as the weight of the earth began to make them bend.

"You'll have to set a party to work by daylight, filling up on this side, Master Roy," said Ben, quietly. "If we heap up earth and turf here, it will be the best support, and a regular trap for all their b.a.l.l.s."

"I begin to fear that as soon as they begin to fire they will batter it all to pieces, Ben."

"Dessay they'll damage it a bit, sir; but if they do, we must mend it; and every night we work, we can get it stronger and more earthy.

Nothing like soil to swallow b.a.l.l.s. Of course it's no use as a defence, because the enemy could come round either end; but it'll do what's wanted, sir--stop the shot from hitting the bridge-chains and smashing through the grating. h.e.l.lo! what's that?"

_That_ was a challenge, followed by a shot, and the rush of feet as the sentries thrown out ran back. This was followed by the trampling of hoofs, and the shouting of orders, as a small body of horse made a dash at the working-party, sweeping by the gate, but only to be received by a scattered volley as they were dimly seen riding out of the black darkness and disappearing again. But not without coming to the closest of close quarters, for there was the clashing noise of swords striking against steel, and, in the brief time occupied by their pa.s.sing, blows were returned amidst angry shouting, and several dull thuds told that the blows had taken effect on horse or man.

It was merely the work of moments, the charge having been delivered from the left by a party of mounted men who had evidently been reconnoitring along by the edge of the moat, and came up at a slow walk unheard by the sentries on the walls. Then, finding the working-party before them, they had charged and galloped clear.

Roy fully expected another attack, for which he was now well prepared, the workers having seized their weapons; but all was still, and he was arguing with himself as to whether it would not be as well to work on till daybreak, when a voice from out of the darkness said, faintly--

"Will some 'un come and lend me a hand?"

"Sam Donny!" cried Roy, and, in company with Ben, he ran forward for quite forty yards before they came upon the man lying p.r.o.ne upon the earth.

"Why, Sam!" cried Roy; "are you hurt?"

"Well, it's only a scratch, sir; but it do hurt, and it's a-bleeding like hooroar. One on 'em chopped at me with his sword. I'd only got a pick, you see; but I hit at him with that, and somehow it got stuck, and I was dragged ever so far before I had to let go. He's got the pick in his big saddle, I think. But I'll pay for it, sir, or get you a new one."

"Never mind the pick, Sam. Where are you hurt?"

"Oh, down here, on my right leg, sir. He made a big cut at me; but I'll know my gen'leman again. I'll have a sword next time and pay him back; and so I tell him." Ben was down upon his knees, busy with a scarf, binding the wound firmly, a faint suggestion of the coming day making his task easier; and, summoning help, a rough litter was formed of a plank, and the wounded man rapidly carried in over the bridge.

That brought the defensive operations to an end, for Roy withdrew his men into the castle, and the daylight showed their rough work, which pretty well secured the gate-way; but it also displayed the work of the enemy, who had constructed a well-shaped earthwork, out of whose embrasures peered a couple of big guns.

The rapidly increasing light, too, showed something more, for about a couple of hundred yards from the outworks, a horse, saddled and bridled, lay upon its side, quite dead; for the terrible stroke the miller's man had delivered with his pickaxe had struck into the horse's spine.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

LADY ROYLAND TURNS NURSE.

Roy was face to face with the first of the stern realities of war, as he hurried into the long chamber beneath the eastern rampart, which Lady Royland had set apart for the use of any of the men who might, she said, "turn ill."

Poor Sam Donny had fainted away before he reached the hospital-room, and upon Roy entering, eager to render a.s.sistance, it was to find himself forestalled by Lady Royland, who, with the old housekeeper, attended to the wounded man.

Lady Royland hurried to her son, as he appeared at the door.

"No," she said, firmly, "not now: leave this to us. It is our duty."

"But, mother, do you understand?" protested Roy.

"Better, perhaps, than any one here," she replied. "Go to your duties; but come by-and-by to see how the poor fellow is. It will cheer him."

Roy could not refuse to obey the order, and hurried back to meet Ben on the way to the sufferer's side.

"Not go in?" said the sergeant. "Her ladyship says so? Oh, very well-- then of course it is all right."