The Young Castellan: A Tale of the English Civil War

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER NINETEEN.

  THE YOUNG CASTELLAN SPEAKS OUT.

  The day passed anxiously on, and it was getting well towards sunset, butthere was no sign of the farm men, neither did the enemy appear insight. Farmer Raynes appealed to Roy again and again for permission togo in search of his people; but, anxious as the young castellan was fornews, he could not risk losing one of the strongest and most dependablemen he had.

  "They may get here yet, Master Raynes," he said; "and I'd give anythingto see them; but I'd rather lose the swords of all ten than lose yours."

  "Mean that, Master Roy?" said the bluff farmer, looking at himsearchingly.

  "Mean it? Of course!"

  "Thank ye, sir. Then I'll stop; but I feel as if I'd failed you at apinch by only coming alone."

  "Then don't think so again," said Roy, "but help me all you can with themen, for I'm afraid we are going to have a hard fight to save theplace."

  "Oh, we'll save it, sir. Don't you fear about that," said Raynes; andhe went away to join Ben and talk about the chances of the partyreaching the castle.

  In the guard-room the matter was also eagerly discussed; for the help often sturdy lads was badly needed, as all knew. Sam Donny, who wasrather inflated by the success which had attended him and his companionsthat day, gave it as his opinion that the labourers had been takenprisoners solely because they had not thought to go down and crawl as heand his companions had that day.

  Roy had hurriedly snatched a couple of meals, and tried to cheer hismother about their prospects, but to his surprise, he found that she wasready to try and console him about the loss of ten good strong men.

  "But do you think they have thought better of it, and are afraid to comein?" said Master Pawson at their hurried dinner.

  "No, I do not," said Roy. "I will not insult the poor fellows bythinking they could be such curs."

  "Quite right, Roy," said the secretary, eagerly. "I was wrong. I'mafraid I understand books better than I do men. Yes; they must havebeen taken prisoners, I'm afraid."

  The evening meal had just been commenced when there was a shout from oneof the towers.

  Roy hurried out, full of hope that the ten men had been descried; but hewas soon undeceived, for on mounting to his favourite post ofobservation it was to see that a long line of horseman was approachingfrom the direction of Dendry Town, the orange sunlight making their armsglitter as they came gently on, spreading out to a great length, till atlast Ben gave it as his opinion that there were at least five hundredmen.

  Hardly had he come to this conclusion when another body of men wasdescried approaching from the east, and in the face of this danger thedrawbridge was raised, the portcullis lowered, and a trumpet-callsummoned the men to the guns.

  "They mean it then to-night, Ben," said Roy, whose heart now beat fast,and he turned to the old soldier, who, with a grim look of pride in hisface, was affixing the silken flag to the rope, ready for hauling upwhen the enemy drew near.

  Before Ben could reply, to Roy's surprise, Lady Royland came up thespiral stairs, and stepped out upon the leads, followed by MasterPawson, who looked sallow of aspect, but perfectly calm.

  "You here, mother?"

  "Yes, my boy; and why should I not be? I am visiting all the towers tothank the men for their brave conduct in coming here for our defence.How many do you muster now?"

  "Thirty-six only," replied Roy.

  "Well, thirty-six brave men are better than five hundred cowards.--Howmany men do you think there are coming against us, Martlet?"

  "Seven or eight hundred, my lady."

  "And will they attack this evening?"

  "No, my lady; they don't come to attack strongholds with mounted men.They're coming to call upon us to throw open the gates and surrender theplace; and this is the answer, I think, my lady, is it not?" and hepointed to the flag.

  "Yes, Martlet," said Lady Royland, flushing; "that is our answer to suchan insolent demand."

  She turned and left the tower, attended by Master Pawson, and Royremained there watching the long line of mounted men approaching withtheir arms glittering in the light. "Seven or eight hundred," he said,half aloud, "against thirty-six."

  "Haven't counted the guns, Master Roy, nor the moat, nor the towers, norall the other strong things we have. Pah! what's a regiment of horseagainst a place like this? But they know, and they're only coming tobully us, sir."

  "I hope you are right, Ben," said the lad, seriously; and he waited forthe approach of the men till they were halted about a couple of hundredyards away from the tower on which he stood, forming up in squadrons;and after a time an officer, bearing a little white flag, advanced,followed at a short distance by a couple of troopers. Roy's heart beatfast, for he felt that a crucial time had come.

  "You'll have to go down, Master Roy; and we must lower the bridge foryou to go out and meet him and hear what he has to say."

  "Must I, Ben?"

  "Of course, sir; and, if you give the order, the corporal and I willcome behind you as your guard."

  "And suppose, when the bridge is down, the others make a rush?"

  "Flag o' truce, sir. But if they did, our guns would sweep 'em away."

  "And what about us, Ben?"

  "Well, sir," said the old fellow, drily, "we should be swep' away too."

  "I say, Ben!"

  "Yes, sir, sounds nasty; but soldiers has to take their chance o' thatsort o' thing, and look at the honour and glory of it all. Ready, sir?"

  "Yes," said Roy, in a husky voice; and a minute later he stood with thetwo martial-looking figures behind, and the drawbridge slowly descendedin front. The two guns were manned, a small guard of three was behindeach, and the port-fires sparkled and shot tiny little flashes of fireas if eager to burst out into flame.

  Just then, as Roy was watching the heads of the three mounted men comingslowly forward, and, as the end of the bridge sank, seeing their chests,the horses' heads, and finally their legs come into sight, Ben leanedtowards him, and said, in a whisper--

  "They don't know how young you are, sir. Let 'em hear my dear oldcolonel speaking with your lips."

  "Yes," said Roy, huskily; "but what am I to say, Ben?"

  "You don't want no telling, sir. Advance now."

  The officer had halted his men about fifty yards from the outer gate,and rode forward a few paces before drawing rein and waiting for someaction on the part of those he had come to see; and he looked rathersurprised as they stepped forward now, crossed the bridge, and advancedto meet him. For he had not anticipated to find such carefulpreparations, nor to see the personage who came to meet him in soperfect a military trim, and supported by a couple of soldiers whosebearing was regular to a degree.

  The officer was a grim, stern, hard-looking, middle-aged man, and hisgarb and breastplate were of the commonest and plainest description. Heseemed to glance with something like contempt at the elegantly flutedand embossed armour the boy was wearing, and, above all, at the gay sashLady Royland's loving hands had fastened across his breast. But hisattention was keen as he scanned the soldierly bearing of Ben and thecorporal, and a feeling of envy filled his breast as he compared themwith his own rough following. Perhaps he would not have thought so muchif he had seen the rest of the garrison, but they were too distant.

  Roy saluted the officer, and drew a deep breath as he tried to string uphis nerves till they were stretched like a bow. For Ben's words hadgone home, and he felt fully how big a part he had to play.

  The officer saluted in response in a quick, abrupt manner, and saidshortly:

  "I come from the general commanding the army here in the west, to demandthat you give up peaceable possession of this castle, once the propertyof the rebel, Sir Granby Royland, who is now in arms against theParliament of England."

  Roy gave a start at the word "rebel," and felt the hot blood rise to hischeeks. That insult acted like a spur. The nervous trepidation hadgone, for there was no room for it alongside of the anger wh
ich flashedthrough him. Ben was right: the boy knew what to say. It was thereready, and only wanted bringing out.

  "Look here, sir!" he cried, sharply; "you come here under a flag oftruce to deliver a message, but that does not warrant insolence."

  "Insolence?" said the officer, sternly.

  "Yes. I hold no parley with a man who dares to call my father, KingCharles's faithful servant, a rebel."

  "Then go back, boy, and send your mother to make the arrangement forhanding over the keys of the castle," said the officer, with a smile ofcontempt, "for I suppose the Dame Royland is here."

  "Lady Royland is here, sir; and I, her son, tell you to inform yourrebel general that we here recognise no authority but that of hismajesty the king, and that we consider it a piece of insolentbraggadocio for him to send such a demand."

  "Indeed!" said the officer, laughing. "Well crowed, young game-cock!"

  "Yes," muttered Ben; "and you mind his spurs."

  "Have you anything more to say?" cried Roy.

  "Yes; a good deal, my boy, and I will not notice your young, hot-bloodedwords. You have allowed your men to perform an act this morning thatmay mean serious consequences for you."

  "I do not understand your meaning, sir."

  "Yes, you do, boy," said the officer, sternly. "You allowed your men tofire upon a picket of our cavalry."

  "Of course. You allowed your cavalry, as you term them, to try and ridedown six unarmed men on their way to the castle, and I gave orders forthem to be stopped, and they were stopped."

  "I have no time to argue these things with you, sir. I have only thisto say: if you give up the keys to me at once, your people can disperseunharmed to their homes, and Dame Royland and her son can depart withsuch personal effects as she desires, to go wherever she pleases, and anescort will be provided for her protection."

  "And, if she declines this offer, sir, as my father's steward of hisestates and possessions?"

  "Your father has neither estate nor possessions now, my boy; he is aproclaimed rebel. If this kindly offer is refused, and you are both soweak and vain as to resist, the place will be battered down and left inruins, while the sufferings and slaughter of your people will be at yourdoor. Now, sir, briefly, what message am I to take back to thecommanding officer?"

  "God save the king!" cried Roy, warmly.

  "That is no answer, sir--only the vain cry of an enthusiastic, misledboy. What am I to say to the general in chief?"

  "That Lady Royland will hold Royland Castle in the king's name as longas one stone stands upon another, and she has a brave following tofight."

  The officer raised his hand in salute, turned his horse and rode back,while Roy stood there with his heart throbbing as he watched the threefigures depart, and wondered whether it was really he who had spoken, orall this scene in the deepening evening were part of a feverish dream.

  He was brought back to the present by the deep gruff voice of Ben.

  "There, sir," he said, with a look of pride at the boy in whose traininghe had had so large a share, "I knew you could."

  At the same moment Roy glanced at the corporal, who smiled and salutedhim proudly.

  "I only wish, sir," he said, "that the colonel had been here."

  Roy turned to recross the bridge, feeling as if, in spite of all, thiswas part of a dream, when something on high began to flutter over thegreat gate tower, and glancing up, it was to see there in front, gazingdown at them as she leaned forward in one of the embrasures, LadyRoyland.

  "What is it to be, Roy?" she cried, as he came closer. "Peace or war?"

  "War!" he replied, sternly; and the sound seemed to be whispered in manytones through the great archway as the portcullis fell with its heavyclang and the drawbridge began to rise.