The Young Castellan Part 59

But he had something else to take his attention directly as he glanced round the walls.

There, standing at the window of the north-west tower, was the upper part of the figure of Master Pawson, framed as it were in stone; and Roy turned away in disgust as a hearty cheer arose, and he saw it was to welcome the brave fellows, who marched from their prison of the night, bandaged, bruised, and sadly damaged in their personal appearance, but with heads erect and keeping step with Ben Martlet, who looked as if he were flushed with victory instead of labouring under defeat.

The men were drawn up in line in the middle of the narrow square, and as they caught sight of Roy just by the general, their military manners gave place to a touch of human nature, for Ben nodded eagerly to his young captain, and wounded and sound all waved steel cap or hand, Farmer Raynes the latter in a left-handed way, for his right was in a sling; and then all burst into a cheer.

Just then, behind the prisoners and over the heads of the line of mounted men, whose horses' hoofs were trampling the flower-beds, Roy caught sight of something white in the open hospital window, and his heart leaped as his mother waved her handkerchief to him, wafting away with it the last trace of the vile mist Master Pawson had raised around her by his a.s.sertion.

Roy eagerly responded to the salutation, and then had his attention taken up by the action of the general, who walked along the little line of prisoners, who, to a man, returned his stern scrutiny with a bold, defiant stare. Then turning to Ben, he said--

"How many of these are disciplined soldiers, sergeant?"

"All of 'em far as we could make 'em," replied Ben.

"Yes. But how many were in the Royalist army?"

"Three and me," said Ben.

"You three men, two paces to the rear," said the general, sharply; and the three troopers stepped back.

"Nay, nay!" shouted Farmer Raynes, angrily. "Share and share alike. We were all in it; and I say if you shoot them, shoot us, too;" and he stepped back, the others after a momentary hesitation following his example.

There was a murmur in the Parliamentary ranks as the men witnessed this little bit of heroism, and the general shouted his next order in a very peremptory way.

"Attention!" he cried, addressing the prisoners. "I do not shoot brave men in cold blood, only cowards and traitors."

"Then have that hound down from yon window, general," cried Ben, excitedly, pointing to where Master Pawson stood looking on, "and shoot him. Nay, it's insulting good soldiers to ask 'em to do it, sir. We've an old stone gallows here on the ramparts; have him hung."

A yell of execration burst from the prisoners, and the ex-secretary disappeared.

"Silence!" cried the general. "Attend there. You, sergeant, and you three men, will you take service under the Parliament, and keep your ranks with the promise of early promotion?"

"Shall I speak for you, comrades?" asked Ben.

"Yes," they cried together.

"Then not a man of us, sir. We're Sir Granby Royland's old troopers, and we say, G.o.d save the king!"

The general made a sign, and the four men were surrounded and marched to one side in the direction from whence they had been brought; while at another sign, the rest of the prisoners, with Farmer Raynes at their head, closed up in line.

"What are you?" said the general, sternly, beginning with the st.u.r.dy tenant of the estate.

"Farmer."

"And you?"

"Butler."

And so all along the line, each man making his response in an independent, defiant tone.

"Will you come and serve the Parliament?" said the general. "I want strong, brave men."

He looked at Farmer Raynes as he spoke, but glanced afterwards at every man in turn.

"Then you must go and look for 'em somewhere else, squire. You won't find a man on Sir Granby Royland's estate."

A murmur from the rank showed how the rest acquiesced.

The general made a sign, and a squad of musketeers surrounded the men.

"Go back to your homes, my lads; but remember, if you are found in arms again, you will be shot. Escort these men beyond the moat."

Farmer Raynes turned sharply to Roy.

"Can't help ourselves, captain," he cried, loudly; "but shot or no, we're ready when you want us again.--Good-bye, Martlet, old comrade.-- Take care of him, general, for he's as fine a soldier as ever stepped.-- Now, my lads, three cheers for my lady, and then march."

The prisoners burst into a hearty roar, and were then escorted through the gate-way and over the drawbridge beyond the strong picket stationed by the earthwork. Here they cheered loudly again.

"Hallo! who are you?" said the general, sharply, as his eyes lit upon the flowing white hair and beard of the tottering old gate-keeper, who, fully armed, and with his head erect, took a few paces forward from where he had stood before un.o.bserved.

"Sir Granby's oldest follower, and his father's afore him," said Jenk, in his feeble, quavering voice. "Do I go with Ben Martlet and t'others to the prison?"

"No," said the general, shortly; "stop and attend to your young master, and mind you don't get playing tricks with that sword."

"But I'm a soldier as has sarved--"

"Silence, Jenk!" said Roy, hastily stepping to his side. "You must not desert me; I'm quite alone now."

"Oh, very well, if it's like that, sir, I'll stop with you," quavered the old man; and he stepped stiffly behind his young master, unconscious of the smiles and whispers which arose.

Half an hour later the new garrison had settled down to its quarters; the three heavy guns from the battery had been brought in and planted in the gate-way to sweep the approach, and Royland Castle was transformed into a Parliamentary stronghold, protected by whose guns a little camp was formed just beyond the moat, and occupied by the cavalry of the force.

Ben and his three comrades were placed in a room opening on the court-yard, with leave to go anywhere about the quadrangle, with a sentry placed over them--hardly a necessity, for they were all suffering from wounds, of which, however, they made light when Roy went to them, setting him a capital example of keeping a good heart.

Then, finding himself fully at liberty to go where he pleased, the sentries saluting and letting him pa.s.s, Roy made for the hospital-room, longing for and yet dreading the interview, fearing as he did to witness his mother's despair.

To his surprise, as she eagerly caught his hands in hers, her face was wreathed in smiles, and she strove to comfort him.

"Defeated, Roy; but even your enemies honour you for your brave defence," she whispered.

"Ours, mother; not mine only," he said. And then, feeling that he could not even allude to the traitor who carefully kept out of his way, he went round to the men's beds with Lady Royland. The place was pretty full now, but in spite of serious wounds the room looked cheerful, and the men of both sides received them with smiles. There was only one sad face, and that was Sam Donny's, for he had taken to his bed again, "from weakness," Lady Royland said.

She pa.s.sed on to the next bed, and Roy sat down by the poor fellow for a few minutes, to take his hand, gazing the while in his drawn and wrinkled face.

"I'm very, very sorry, Sam," Roy said, gently. "Come, you must try and get right again."

"Yes, captain," said the man loudly, with a groan. "I was to have been out in a few days if I hadn't turned worse. This doctor don't understand my case."

"What is it?" said Roy, anxiously. "Has your wound broken out again?"