CHAPTER XVIII
OF SIR RICHARD'S MEETING WITH THE FOOT-BOYS, AND HIS RETURN TO THE REDTAVERN
To gain to the abandoned shepherd's hut and rejoin de Claverlok was nowSir Richard's chief concern. As to what his subsequent course of actionshould be he could in no manner determine. He meant, after finding deClaverlok, to journey onward toward the Red Tavern, either to effectthe imprisoned maiden's release when he reached there, or to win heraway from her abductors should he chance to intercept them on his way.In carrying forward this enterprise he intended, if it were possible,to secure the grizzled knight's aid. After that (Sir Richard plannedit all out), a journey to the coast for the three of them, whencethey would take ship for France and push forward to Brittany and DukeFrancis's court. There they might tarry for awhile till he had securedhis patrimony--the which was a something very vague and shadowy to theyoung knight--and then, last of all, the great, wide world.
Desiring to minimize the dangers of pursuit and recapture, he tookthe first road leading from the main highway, which chanced to be onewinding to the eastward. After about an hour of hard riding, he madeout on the roadway, some distance ahead, the gray figure of a monkmounted upon a long-eared ass. There seemed to be something quitefamiliar to the young knight in the monk's attitude--bent far forward,with the sharp peak of his cowl alone appearing above his narrowshoulders.
The churchman turned to give Sir Richard greeting as he was upon thepoint of galloping by. It was Erasmus. He arched his brows as thoughsurprised at thus meeting with the young knight.
"Why," said the scholar, as Sir Richard slowed down and took his easypace, "I fancied that long ere this thou hadst joined my good friend,Bishop Kennedy. We made a vigorous but vain search for thee after thatambuscade among the Kilsyth Hills. But Lord Kennedy doubted not butthat the good knight, Sir Lionel de Claverlok, would soon fetch upwith thee and bring thee back. Ah! my friend, this fighting! Thesedireful conspiracies! 'Tis indeed a sad thing for both church andpopulace when jealous factions do thus selfishly bestir themselves."
For quite a space thereafter they rode along together in silence.
"Grant me pardon for my seeming impertinence," at length said Erasmus;"but curious am I to know whence thou hast come, sir knight?"
"I am just riding from Castle Yewe," replied Sir Richard.
"So!" exclaimed the scholar, now lifting his brows in a genuineamazement. "Methought, sir, that thou wouldst not long survive a visitthere. Ah! But mayhap no message from Henry was delivered to Douglasduring thy stay!"
"Why--friend Erasmus," said Sir Richard, "with my own hand did Ideliver it."
"But----"
"Aye--I know full well what you would say. The original was stolen fromme, I know. In truth, Erasmus, every mother's son in broad Scotlandseems to know. But I had been provided with a copy, the which Idelivered as fast as my horse could bear me to Yewe after my escapeupon the Kilsyth Hills. I know now that it was a warrant upon Douglasfor my undoing, but old fox here stood bravely beside me, and I amriding beside you to tell the tale. I' faith, since leaving Kenilworth,Erasmus, much have I learned of the world's merciless cruelties."
"Aye--well mayst thou say so, sir knight," agreed the scholar in asympathetic tone. "Listen--and mark well what I have to say," Erasmuspursued. "There is now, and right here in Scotland, a great conspiracyupon foot, the which doth involve, sir knight, a throne, and in whicheach of two powerful factions is striving mightily to gain but an inchof advantage above the other. Wouldst listen to the advice of somethingof a philosopher, a great deal of thy friend, and a close student ofthis question of politics?"
"I would most gladly hear it," declared Sir Richard.
"Then leave this conspiracy-ridden country and embark with me forFrance. A right puissant friend thou hast in old Duke Francis, sirknight."
The scholar's manner was openly and frankly sympathetic and friendly.Sir Richard was glad to discover one in whom he could confide and inwhom he could repose an absolute trust. He accordingly set out to makeErasmus acquainted with the story of his pilgrimage from Kenilworth toYewe, dwelling, with glowing words, upon the incident of the imprisonedmaid and the cutting of saffron velvet. He gave his vow to do devoir inher cause as his reason for not adopting Erasmus's advice of sailingwith him for France.
"'Tis a most interesting and thrilling tale," the scholar observed whenthe young knight had finished his narrative. "But why imperil thy lifefurther by remaining here to set free a maid whom thou hast never seen?A patch of velvet is a dangerously small matter from which to build avision of purity and beauty."
"An man wore coat of mail who said thus to me," said Sir Richard with asmile, "he'd have my gauntlet at his feet upon the instant."
"Nay, nay, my good sir knight--thou knowest well that I am speakingfriendlywise," said Erasmus. "The age of ostentatious chivalry ispassing. Anon will come a time when sane deeds and true shall take theplace of those of bombast and display. I am speaking from my heart andfor thy own good, sir knight. An thou wouldst consent to join me, Ishould be most happy."
Sir Richard disavowed any intention of leaving Scotland till he hadaccomplished his self-imposed mission. But he was thankful to haveErasmus for a companion, and continued to ride with him till they cameinto the town of Kirkintilloch, where they halted together at an inn,supping there and making merry till somewhat later in the evening thanSir Richard had intended to stay. During supper hour they had out theirargument upon the subject of the waning of chivalry. That is to say,the scholar argued and Sir Richard listened and denied. After that, toprove to the grave student that chivalry was not in its decline, theyoung knight had the buxom serving-maid sew him a cord to the patch ofsaffron velvet, whereupon he fastened it above his eye, vowing that hewould not remove it till its fair owner should herself part the string.
About the hour when Sir Richard concluded that he could possibly remainno longer, there was a sharp driving of sleet against the tavernwindows. Appreciating that there was danger of missing his way in thedarkness and storm, and a warm and comfortable bed appealing morepleasantly to his imagination than a night ride in the cold, he came tothe conclusion to make a night of it and remain.
When he came down early the next morning there was a thin scattering ofsnow on the ground. Upon nearing the tap-room, after instructing thehostler to bring around his horse, he heard the sound of loud talk andlaughter. He observed the precaution of peering through a window beforeventuring inside. He saw, seated about a table therein, a half dozenguards from Castle Yewe.
Without waiting to receive the inn-keeper's reckoning, Sir Richard beata precipitate retreat toward the stables. Ordering his stallion madeready upon the instant, he tossed the groom a generous handful of coinsand made off at a rattling pace through the dull streets of the littletown.
He soon drew beyond the limits of Kirkintilloch, and came presentlyto a road that he fancied would lead him somewhere near to the hutin which he hoped that de Claverlok would be awaiting his coming. Hissearch, however, was unfruitful of result. All day he rode, describinggreat squares and detours. Upon many occasions he was obliged to plungeswiftly into nearby forests in order to avoid bands of horsemen, whichseemed to be scouring the country upon every hand. He dared not stop atanother inn, and so took pot-luck in the most remote farm cottages andherders' huts that he could find. The patch upon the young knight's eyeproved to be a source of infinite amusement to the pastoral folk withwhom he ate and drank.
That night he was forced to seek an asylum within the dismal walls ofa monastery, whereupon he became the unwilling recipient of the goodprior's gentle harangue upon the wickedness of registering licentiousand worldly vows. He charged upon the young knight to seek his Maker'spardon, and remove the yellow patch, the which Sir Richard quietlylistened to till his head nodded sleepily above the table. The goodfather then tendered him his blessing and conducted him to a pallet ofstraw in one of the unoccupied cells.
He was away at dawn of the next day to resume his wanderings above the
moors and downs.
When occupying the hut with de Claverlok he had been so intent upondelivering Henry's warrant to Douglas that he had not troubled himselfto register surrounding landmarks. This, coupled with the fact thathe was now obliged to keep a sharp lookout for straggling guards andsearching parties, rendered his search a most difficult one. Indeed,though much regretting to do so, he was forced at length to abandonit, concluding that the wiser plan would be to strike a straight linein the direction of the Sauchieburn Pass. Upon once reaching there, hefelt confident that he could easily retrace his way to the abandonedhut.
It was near the hour of compline when, after having ridden aconsiderable distance through a forest of pines and hemlocks, he cameupon a road stretching through the wood at a right angle to the rathernarrow trail that he had been following. As he emerged upon thishighroad, which he instantly knew to be the one of which he had been insearch, he heard a sharp noise of crackling and breaking twigs to hisleft. With a ready hand upon his bridle, prepared, if need were, towheel and bear away, he glanced in the direction whence the sound hadcome.
Two mounted foot-boys, wearing the Douglas colors, were upon thepoint of leading a third horse--which was caparisoned for a lady'sriding--within the shadows of the trees. Seeking himself to avoiddiscovery, Sir Richard was not in fear of those in a similarpredicament.
So--"What, ho there, boys!" he shouted, riding swiftly down upon them;"can you tell me whether this is the Sauchieburn Pass?"
"Yea, sir knight," one of the foot-boys replied, halting his horsealong the border of the road. "And for a-many a wearisome hour, sirknight, have----"
"Sh-h-h!" cautioned the other from the bushes. "Remember, Harold, ourheads will surely pay the forfeit of an indiscretion.... Yet, ... 'tisa tiresome business to be held here for none knows how long in a darkand dreary----"
"Oh ho!" the first then interrupted angrily, "and who is 't now that'stalking to the ax? Yet--an she would but come--we might return in----"
"Ah ha!" wailed the second; "now you've finished the whole cursed job!My name's not Thomas, an I give you not a sound buffeting for----"
"A truce to your quarreling," interrupted Sir Richard. "I have otherbusiness, my boys, besides putting your precious heads in jeopardy.Come ahead, give me your stories after a more complete and lessdisjoined fashion. By my knightly sword no harm shall befall either ofyou because of the telling--I am ready."
"'Tis thus, good sir knight," spoke the one whom his companion hadcalled Harold: "Now three days gone our worshipful master, LordDouglas, ... on whom may God's blessing rest, ... commanded us to trappalfrey for a maid, ride upon the Sauchieburn Pass to the southernextremity of the Forest of Lammermuir and await there her coming.Upon the maiden joining us we were bade to conduct her, along unusedby-roads, safely back to Castle Yewe. Full two days have we waitedhere, sir knight, with nothing better to sleep in o' nights but a thintent in the forest. Every hour between dawn and darkness we but standhere with chattering teeth, idly shivering and watching, withoutwarrant to sally forward or return. Is 't not, thinkest thou, a sad anddismal undertaking?"
"That it is, Harold, my boy," Sir Richard heartily agreed. "An you butgive me pause to consider," he added, "mayhap I may find out a way toaid you in your adventure."
Sir Richard had known at once for whom the boys had been dispatched,and was relieved to discover that the part of his plan relating tothe imprisoned maiden was turning out so happily. He was puzzled tounderstand, however, why the boys had been stationed at such a greatdistance from the Red Tavern. It was at least a full day's journey fromthat part of the forest to the inn. It occurred to him that Douglasmight have sent guards ahead of the foot-boys, and that when the maiddid put in her appearance, it would be in the company of an armedband. While he was trying to arrive upon the wisest course of action,fragmentary whisperings between the foot-boys were carried to his ears.
"By the mass!" one of them was saying, "an it were not for the patch onthe eye, and the scrag o' beard on the chin, I would take my oath that'tis the very knight who overthrew every fighting Jack in Castle Yewe.Can'st not tell, Thomas, by the sweep o' the nose o' him, and the sharpeye--and the brow?"
"Marry! Mayhap, and 'tis," the other said. "I saw him but the once, youmust remember. 'Twas when he cut him down the mighty Sandufferin. Hewas certes a----"
"Hark ye, boys," Sir Richard broke in upon their whisperedconversation; "an I agree to yield you somewhat of my assistance, willyou take oath with raised hands not to make mention of this meeting tothy master?"
Upon such easy terms they both seemed delighted to purchase the youngknight's aid. He thereupon lined them along the road, with upliftedhands, and caused them to repeat the most solemn oath within his powerto conjure up. Instructing them to await his return, and promising todo his best to bring along the maiden, he left them smiling by theroadside and fared on southward.
Within a very short time he had drawn clear of the forest. Looking tothe left, he noted the spur of stunted pines sweeping down over themoor. Beyond it he could see the bleak dunes and the promontory uponwhich had been pitched the pavilion of purple and black. The gray mistrising out of the sea made an appropriate and effective background forit all.
His mind was deeply engaged with the subject of his quest, when, uponrounding a rather lofty brae, he came suddenly upon the Red Tavern.Surprised beyond the power of speech, thought, or action he reined inhis stallion. For a considerable time he sat motionless, taking in thedifferent points of the structure. There were left no doubts, when hehad finished with his examination, but that it was the same. With aredoubled intensity of imagery, the weird tales of the haunted, flyingtavern came trooping back to his mind.
How under the heavens the inn had come there he made no attempt tofathom. It occurred to him at first that it must have been standingthere all along, but he dismissed this thought when he had noted thefact that, during his enforced march with Bishop Kennedy's company, hewould have been obliged to pass beside its door. That it was indeedthere, and a palpable something to be accounted for, however, he couldno longer deny.
"Well," Sir Richard at length concluded, "I made my entrance upon thismysterious series of mishaps through yon sinister door. 'Twould be mostfitting that my exit from them should be by the same route."
Whereupon, like a man in a trance, he rode up, dismounted, and knockedaloud upon the red-daubed planks.
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