CHAPTER XVII
BETRAYED
A congregation exceptionally large under existing circumstancesassembled on Sunday morning before the church of Caio. Fear lest theNormans and English quartered in the place should find fresh occasionagainst the unhappy people, were they to absent themselves as onprevious Sundays, led a good many to swallow their dislike of the manforced upon them as pastor, and to put in an appearance in the house ofGod.
They stood about, waiting for the bell to sound, and looked shrinkinglyat the hideous spectacle of the two men suspended by the bell, and atthe vacant spaces soon to be occupied by others. At the foot of thegallows sat Sheena moaning, and swaying herself to her musical andrhythmic keening.
Around the Court or Council-House stood guards. All those standingabout knew that within it were Howel and three others, destined toexecution during the week.
They spoke to each other in low tones, and looks of discouragementclouded every face. What could these inhabitants of a lone green basinin the heart of the mountains do to rid themselves of their oppressorsand lighten their miserable condition? Griffith ap Rhys, the Prince, hadappeared among them for a moment, flashed on their sight, and had thendisappeared. Of him they had heard no more.
Some went into the church, prayed there awhile, and came out again. Thenew Archpriest had not put in an appearance.
It was then whispered that he had left Caio during the week, and was notreturned.
Sarcastic comments passed: such was the pastor thrust on them whoneglected his duties.
But Cadell was not to blame.
He had left Llawhaden, and had made a diversion to Careg Cennen by thebishop's orders. The road had been bad and his horse had fallen lame, sothat he had been unable to reach his charge on Saturday afternoon. Totravel by night in such troubled times was out of the question, and hedid not reach Caio till the evening closed in on the Sunday.
It was not, however, too dark for him to see that the frame supportingthe bell presented an unusual appearance. He walked towards it, and thenobserved a woman leaning against one of the beams of support.
"Who are you? What has been done here?" he asked.
"There is my man--I am Sheena. They have hung him, and I am afraid ofthe night ravens. They will come and pluck out his eyes. I went to seemy babe, and when I returned there was one perched on his shoulder. Idrove it away with stones. There will be a moon, and I shall see themwhen they come."
"Who are you?"
"I am Sheena--that is my man."
"Go home; this is no place for you."
"I have no home. I had a home, but the Norman chief drove us out, me andmy man, that he might have it for himself; and we have been in a cowshedsince--but I will not go there. I want no home. What is a home to mewithout him?"
"Who has done this? Why has this been done?" asked Cadell.
"Oh, they, the Saxons, have done it because we will not give up ourpriest, our chief. And my man was proud to die for him. So are therest--all but Madoc."
"The rest--what do you mean?"
"They will hang them all, down to the last man, for none will betray thechief. They will go singing to the gallows. There was but Madoc, and himthe devils will carry away; I have seen one, little and black, slinkingaround. I will sit here and drive devils away, lest coming for Madocthey take my man in mistake."
Cadell was shocked and incensed.
He hasted at once to the house in which Rogier was quartered. He knewthat he had turned out the owners that he might have it to himself.
Rogier and two men were within. They had on the table horns and a jug ofmead, and had been drinking.
Said one man to his fellow, "The Captain shall give me Sheena, when shehas done whimpering over her Welshman."
"Nay," quoth the other, "she is a morsel for my mouth, that has beenwatering for her. He cannot refuse her to me."
"You, Luke! You have not served him so long as have I."
"That may be, but I have served him better."
"Prove me that."
"I can interpret for him, I know sufficient Welsh for that."
"Bah! I would not dirty my mouth with that gibberish."
"You have not the tongue wherewith to woo her."
"But I have a hand wherewith to grip her."
"The captain shall decide between us."
"Be it so. Now, captain, which of us is to comfort Sheena in herwidowhood?"
"It is all cursed perversity of Luke to fancy this woman. Before longthere will be a score of other widows for him to pick among. There iseven now that wild cat, Angarad."
"I thank you. Let the captain judge."
Then said Rogier. "Ye be both good and useful men. And in such a matteras this, let Fortune decide between ye. There is a draught-board; settleit between you by the chance of a game."
"It is well. We will."
The men seated themselves at the board. The draught-men employed wereknucklebones of sheep, some blackened.
While thus engaged, Cadell came in.
"Rogier!" he exclaimed, "what is the meaning of this? There be men hungto my belfry."
"Aye! And ere long there shall be such a peal of bells there as willsound throughout Wales, and this shall be their chime: 'Pabo, priest,come again!' By the Conqueror's paunch, I will make it ring in everyear, so that he who knows where he is hidden will come and declare it."
"Consider! You make the place intolerable for me to perform my duty in."
"Thy duty! That sits light on thy shoulders, I wot. Here have the poorsheep been waiting for their shepherd all the morn, and he was away."
"I have been with the bishop."
"I care not. I shall find Pabo ere long."
"But his fatherliness holds that Pabo the Archpriest was burnt."
"And we know that he was not."
"If there be found one calling himself Pabo--and he is in no mightydesire that such should be discovered--then let him be esteemed animpostor--a false Pabo."
"How so?"
The chaplain looked at the men and did not answer.
"But none has as yet been discovered," said Rogier.
"Do not press to find one--not in this manner."
"I shall not desist till he is given up. I have said so, and will be asgood as my word."
As he spoke, a face looked in at the door, then, after an inspection, abody followed, and Goronwy approached stealthily.
He stood before Cadell with his eyes twinkling with malevolence, and hissharp white face twitching with excitement, nodding his head, he said--
"He is here--he, Pabo, and she also whom the great Baron, the bishop'sbrother, desires; they are both here. Know well that it is I who havetold you this, and it is I who claim the reward."
"The reward!"
"Aye, the Archpriesthood, which thou wilt resign for a rich benefice.Let me tell thee--here thou canst not live. They will hate thee, theywill not receive the Sacraments from thy hand, they will baptize theirchildren themselves rather than commit them to thee. The word of God,coming from thy lips, will have lost all savor. They will die and beburied on the mountains under cairns, as in the old pagan times, ratherthan have thee bless their graves. No--this is no place for thee. Whatthe captain has done has driven barbed iron into their souls; they willhave none of thee. But I am of the stock of Cunedda--me they willwelcome, and I will be the bishop's henchman."
"Pabo here!" exclaimed Cadell, and looked round at Rogier, who hadunderstood nothing that had passed in this brief colloquy, as it hadbeen spoken in Welsh. The man who did understand the tongue was toodeeply engrossed in his game to hearken.
"Aye, aye, Pabo is here--he and Morwen. I have just seen them; they cametogether down the glen, and are in the house of Howel ap John. Be speedyand have them secured, or they may again escape. Pabo is for you--andfor him," he pointed to the Norman captain, "for him the comely Morwen,whom he has been looking for. Say, didst thou obtain for me the promisefrom the bishop?"
"What says this misshapen imp?" asked
Rogier.
Then the young man sidled up to him, and, plucking at his sleeve andpointing through the door, said: "La--Pabo! Morwen, la!"
"By the soul of the Conqueror," exclaimed the Norman, "if that be so,Pabo shall be strung up at the door of his church at daybreak!"
Turning to his men, with his hand he brushed the knucklebones off theboard. "Ye shall conclude the game later--we have higher sport in viewnow."
The men started to their feet with oaths, angry at the interruption,especially he who considered that he had won an advantage over hisfellow.
"I would have cornered him in three moves!" he shouted.
"Nay, not thou; I should have taken thy men in leaps!"
"Another time," said Rogier. "The man we seek has run into our hands."Then to the boy: "Where is he hiding?"
Goronwy understood the question by the action of his hands, and repliedin the few words he had picked up of French, "La--maison, Howel."
"He shall be swung at once," said Rogier; "and then the first object onwhich the eyes of all will rest when they come out of their houses withthe morrow's sun will be this Archpriest they have been hiding from me."
"Nay," said Cadell, "that may not be. I have orders to the contraryunder the hand and seal of the bishop." He unfolded the instructions.
Rogier cursed. "Well," said he, "Pabo to me matters but little--so longas I lay my hand on Morwen."
Pabo, the Priest: A Novel Page 17
