In Honour's Cause: A Tale of the Days of George the First

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

  THE ATTEMPT AT RESCUE.

  Frank's eyes took all this in, and then turned dim with the emotion hefelt, and for a few moments everything seemed to swim round him. Hishorse, however, needed no guiding; it kept pace with its companion, andthe lad's emotional feeling passed off as he found himself in presenceof the officer in command of the escort and his subordinates, a warmgreeting taking place between Captain Murray and the principal officer,an old friend.

  "Don't seem regular, Murray; but with this note from the Prince, Isuppose I shall be held clear if you have come to help the prisonersescape," said the officer lightly.

  "Escape!" said Captain Murray sharply.

  "No, no; nonsense, old fellow," said the dragoon officer merrily. "Ofcourse I was bantering you."

  "Yes, I know," said Captain Murray quickly; "but we were stopped by acouple of mounted men a quarter of a mile back."

  "Highway men?"

  "I thought so at first; but they challenged us for a password."

  "Well! These fellows work hand and glove."

  "No," said Captain Murray, "I feel sure they were scouts, ridden forwardto get touch with you, and then go back and give warning."

  "What for? Whom to? You don't think it means an attempt to rescue?"

  "I do," said Murray firmly.

  "Thanks for the warning, old fellow," said the officer through histeeth. "Well, mine are picked men, and my instructions are that astrong detachment will be sent out to meet us, and vedettes planted allalong the road, to fall in behind us as we pass. Pity too. Whatmadness!"

  Frank's heart sank as he heard every word, while his attention wasdivided between the two dark carriages with their windows drawn up, andhe sat wondering which held his father.

  "Yes, madness," said the captain sadly. "I shall be very glad when myjob's at an end," said the dragoon officer. "It's miserable work."

  "Horrible!" replied Murray; and then he turned to Frank. "Hold my reinfor a few moments," he said; and, dismounting, he walked away with theofficers, to stand talking for a few minutes, while, as Frank satholding his companion's horse, and watching the well-guarded carriages,a distant neigh and the stamping of horses told of a strong detachmentguarding the rear.

  "If I only dared ride up to the carriages," thought the boy; and he feltthat he did dare, only that it would be useless, for without permissionthe dragoons would not let him pass.

  But a light broke through the mental darkness of despair directly, forMurray came back with the officer in command, a stern, severe-lookingman, but whose harsh, commanding voice softened a little as he laid onehand on the horse's neck, and held out his other to the rider.

  "I did not know who you were, Mr Gowan. My old friend, Captain Murray,has just told me. Shake hands, my lad. I am glad to know the brave sonof a gallant soldier. Don't think hardly of me for doing my dutysternly as a military man should. I ought perhaps to send you bothback," he continued in a low tone; "but if you and Captain Murray liketo ride by the door of the first carriage, you can, and I will instructthe officer and men not to hinder any reasonable amount of conversationthat may be held."

  "God bless you!" whispered Frank, in a choking voice.

  "Oh, don't say anything, my boy. Only give me your word, not as asoldier, but as a soldier's son, that you will do nothing to help eitherof the prisoners to escape."

  "Yes, I give you my word," said Frank quickly. He would have givenanything to be near his father and speak to him for a few minutes.

  "That will do.--Murray, we shall go on at a sharp trot; but you are bothwell mounted, I see." Then he said in an undertone: "I don't believethey will venture anything when they see how strong we are. If therascals do, I shall make a dash, standing at nothing; but at the firstthreatenings get the boy away. My instructions are that the prisonersare not to escape--_alive_!"

  "I understand," said Captain Murray; and he mounted his horse.

  The next minute an order was given in a low tone; it was passed on, andthe men sprang to their saddles. Then another order, "Draw swords!"There was a single note from a trumpet; and as Frank and Captain Murraysat ready, the officer in command led them himself, and placed one ateach door of the first carriage, a dragoon easing off to right and leftto make place for them.

  Frank's hand was on the glass directly, and the window was let down.

  "Father!" he cried in a low, deep voice, which was nearly drowned by thetrampling, crashing of wheels, and jingle of accoutrements, but heardwithin; and it was answered by a faint cry of astonishment, and therattle of fetters, as two hands linked together appeared at the window.

  "Frank, my dear boy! you here?"

  The boy could not answer, but leaned over toward the carriage with hishand grasped between his father's.

  "Hah! this is a welcome home!" cried Sir Robert cheerily. "Gentlemen,my son."

  "There's Captain Murray at the other window," gasped out Frank at last.

  "Ah! more good news," said Sir Robert. "Murray, my dear old fellow,this is good of you."

  The prisoner's voice sounded husky, as he turned his head to the rightin the darkness.

  "I can't shake hands even if you wished to, for we are doubly fetterednow."

  "Gowan, I'm glad to meet you again," said the captain hoarsely.

  "God bless you, old friend! I know you are. I see now; you broughtFrank here to meet me. Like you, old fellow. There, I cannot talk toyou. But you know what I feel."

  "Yes. Talk to your boy," cried Murray. "Quick, while you can. Theorder to trot will come directly."

  "Yes. Thanks," said Sir Robert; and he turned back to his son, whoclung to his hands. "Quick, Frank boy. Your mother--well?"

  "Very, very ill. Heart-broken."

  "Hah!" groaned Sir Robert.

  "But, father, these handcuffs? Surely you are not--"

  "Yes, yes. I'm a dangerous fellow now, my boy. We are all chained handand foot like the worst of criminals, my friends and I."

  "Oh!" groaned Frank.

  "Bah! Only iron," said Sir Robert bitterly. "Never mind them now.Tell me of your mother. Are you still at the Palace?"

  "Yes; the Princess--the Prince--will not hear of our leaving, and--"

  Then a note from a trumpet rang out, the horses sprang forward at asharp trot, and the dragoon on Frank's left changed his sword to hisleft hand, so as to place his right on the rein of the boy's charger,though it was hardly needed, the well-trained horse bearing off a littleto avoid injury from the wheel, but keeping level with the window, sothat from time to time, though conversation was impossible, father andson managed to bridge the space between them and touch hands.

  It was fortunate for the lad that he was mounted upon a trained cavalrycharger, for he had nothing to do but keep his seat, his mount settlingdown at once to the steady military trot side by side with the horsenext to it, and keeping well in its distance behind the horse in front,so that the rider was able to devote all his attention to the occupantof the carriage, who leaned forward with his head framed in the darknessof the window, as if pictured in the sight of his son, possibly for thelast time, for in those hours Sir Robert Gowan had not the slightestdoubt as to what his fate would be.

  On his side, Frank sat in his saddle watching his father's dimly seenface, but ready to start and glance in any direction from which a freshsound was heard.

  The first time was on reaching the turnpike gate, where the toll-takerseemed disposed to hesitate about letting the advance guard pass. Theresult was an outcry, which sent Frank's heart with a leap toward hislips, for he felt certain that the attack had commenced. But theforemost men dismounted, seized the gate, lifted it off its hook hinges,and cast it aside, the troops and carriages thundered through, and madethe people of Highgate village come trooping out in wonder to see whatthis invasion of their quiet meant.

  Then the descent of the hill commenced, with the heavy old-fashionedcarriages swaying on their C-springs; but no slackening
of speed tookplace, and the artillerymen hurried their horses along, as if the loadthey drew were some heavy gun or a waggon full of ammunition.

  Twice over Frank gazed at the foremost carriage in alarm, so nearly wasit upset in one of the ruts of the ill-kept road; but the rate at whichthey were going saved it, and they thundered along without accident towhere the gradient grew less steep.

  There was very little traffic on the road at that time of the night, andnot many people about, while before those who were startled by the noiseof the passing troops had time to come out the prisoners had gone by.

  Holloway and Highbury were passed, and Islington reached, but no sign ofan attempt at rescue caught Frank's anxious eyes; neither was there anyappearance of fresh troops till the head of the escort turned down theroad which entered the city at the west end of Cheapside. But here theboy started, for they passed between two outposts, a couple of dragoonsfacing them on either side of the road, sitting like statues till thewhole of the escort had passed, when they turned in after it, fourabreast, and brought up the rear, but some distance in front of the rearguard.

  At the end of another fifty yards two more couples were seen, and at theend of every similar interval four more dragoons turned in at the rear,strengthening the escort, while it was evident that they had previouslycleared the road of all vehicles, turning them into the neighbouringways, so that the cortege was enabled to continue its progress at thesame steady military trot as they had commenced with on leavingHighgate.

  Again and again Frank, now growing breathless, had hoped that thewalking pace would once more be renewed, so as to afford him a chance tospeak to his father; but he wished in vain, for, except at two sharpturnings, the whole body of dragoons swept along at the sharp trot, andwithout change, saving that as London was neared the men flanking thecarriages were doubled.

  But though no sign of rescue caught Frank's eyes, he saw that thestationing of the dragoons to keep the way and the turning of thetraffic out of the road had had their effect; for at every step thecollection of people along the sides and at the windows increased, till,when the road changed to a busy London street, there was quite a crowdlining the sides.

  "There will be no rescue," sighed the lad; and he turned from sweepingthe sides of the street to gaze sadly at his father, whose face he couldnow see pretty plainly, as they passed one of the dismal street lampswhich pretended in those days to light the way.

  He could see that, brief as the time had been since he last saw hisfather, his countenance had sadly altered. There was a stern, carewornlook in his eyes, and he looked older, and as if he had been exposed toterrible hardships. He noted too that he did not seem to have had theopportunity given him of attending to his person, but had been treatedwith the greatest of severity.

  The lad's gloomy musings on the aspect of the face which beamed lovinglyupon him, the eyes seeming to say, "Don't be down-hearted, boy!" weresuddenly brought to an end by a check in their progress, for the advanceguard, from being a hundred yards ahead, had by degrees shortened thespace to fifty, twenty, and ten yards, and finally was only the front ofthe column. But still they had advanced at a trot, and the officer incommand sent orders twice over for the vanguard to increase theirdistance.

  "Tell him I can't," said the officer in front. "It can only be done byriding over the people."

  And now the men stationed to keep the way had utterly failed, the peoplehaving crowded in from the side streets north of Saint Martin's-le-Grandtill the pairs of dragoons were hemmed in, and in spite of severalencounters with the crowd they were forced to remain stationary.

  The check that came was the announcement that the trot could no longerbe continued, and, perforce, the escort advanced at a walk; while, asFrank glanced round for a moment, it suddenly struck him that, save atthe windows of the houses, there was not a woman to be seen, the crowdconsisting of sturdy-looking men.

  The lad had no eyes for the crowd, though. The relapse into a walk hadgiven him the opportunity for grasping his father's hand again, and SirRobert said to him hurriedly:

  "My dearest love to your mother, Frank lad. Tell her, whatever happens,I have but one thought, and that it is for her, that we may meet inhappier times."

  "Meet in happier times" rang through Frank like a death-knell, for hegrasped what his father meant, and tried to speak some words of comfort,but they would not come. Even if they had, they would have been drownedby a tremendous cheer which arose from the crowd and went rollingonward.

  "The wretches!" muttered Frank; and he turned to look round, with hiseyes flashing his indignation. Then, as the cheer went rolling awayforward, he repeated his words aloud, unconscious that they would beheard.

  "The wretches! It is not a sight."

  "They're a-cheering of 'em, sir," said the dragoon at his elbow, "nothooting 'em, poor fellows!"

  Frank darted a grateful look in the man's eyes, and his heart leapedwith excitement as the light flashed upon him. It was a manoeuvre, andthere would be an attempt to rescue, after all.

  "I believe we're in for a row, sir," continued the man, leaning over tohim and speaking in a low voice. "Strikes me the best thing for you todo would be to step into the carriage to your friend before the fightbegins: I'll hold your horse."

  "I!" said Frank sharply. "I wouldn't be such a cur."

  "Well said, youngster. Then you try and stick by me. We shall be inthe thick of it, and nobody shall hurt you if I can help it."

  "Do--do you think, then, that there will be trouble?"

  "Yes, for some of us, sir," said the man. "They mean to try and get theprisoners, and the attack will be here."

  Frank was unconscious of a movement behind him, till a horseman forcedhis way in between him and the dragoon, and Captain Murray said sharply:

  "Try and ease off, my man."

  "Not to be done, sir," replied the dragoon.

  "There's going to be an attempt at rescue, Frank," whispered thecaptain. "Shake hands with your father before we are forced away."

  At that moment word was passed along from the rear, running from man toman as they still kept on at a slow walk:

  "Flats of your swords; drive them back."

  The next minute, just as a fresh cheer was being started, the trumpetrang out behind "Trot!" and the men put spurs to their horses, anddashed on, driving a road through the crowd; and, amidst a savageyelling and hooting which took the place of the hearty cheer for theprisoners, the escort literally forced their way for another fiftyyards, the men in advance striking to right and left with the flats oftheir heavy cavalry swords.

  But it was soon evident that they were slackening speed, and the trumpetrang out again, but with an uncertain sound, for it was nearly drownedby the angry yelling which arose. The command was _gallop_, but theexecution of the order was _walk_, and a minute later the whole escortcame to a stand, literally wedged in, with the frightened horsesstanding shivering and snorting, only one here and there trying to rearand plunge.

  "We're caught, Frank lad. Think of nothing but keeping your seat. Takeout a pistol, and point it at the first man who tries to drag you fromyour horse. Ah! I thought so."

  Orders were passed along now to the dragoons to defend themselves, forefforts were being made to drag some of the outside men from theirhorses. Blades flashed on high, cut and point were given, and amidsthowlings and savage execrations blood began to flow.

  And now, as if by magic, sticks and swords appeared among the crowd; menwho had forced their way under the horses' necks, or crept under them,appeared everywhere; and amidst a deafening roar, as the seething massswayed here and there, Frank caught sight of two men busy just beforehim, doing something with knives. One of the dragoons noticed it too,and he leaned forward to make a thrust at one of the two; but as he bentover his horse's neck a cudgel was raised, fell heavily across the backof his neck, and he dropped forward, and was only saved from falling bya comrade's help.

  "They've cut the traces," said Captain Murray hoarsel
y. "It's anorganised attempt."

  As he spoke men were rising amongst them; and, before Frank couldrealise how it happened, a dozen filled up the little spaces about thecarriage, while moment by moment the dragoons were being rendered morehelpless. The blows they rained down were parried with swords; theywere dragged from their horses; and, in several cases, helped by theirfellows, men climbed up behind them, and pinioned their arms.

  Organised indeed it seemed to be, for while the greater part of therioters devoted their attention to rendering the great escort helpless,others kept on forcing their way till they had surrounded the carriages,trusting to their companions to ward off the blows directed at them, butin too many cases in vain.

  Frank tried his best to remain near his father, but he was perfectlyhelpless, and had to go as his horse was slowly forced along, till hewas several yards away from the carriage door, at which he could stillsee the prisoner watching him as if thinking only of the safety of hisboy, while the captain was still farther away, using his pistol to keepoff attempts made to dismount him.

  All attempts at combination were getting useless now for the troops, andit was every man for himself; but the mob did not seem vindictive onlywhen some dragoon struck mercilessly at those who hemmed him in, whenthe result rapidly followed that he was dragged from his horse andtrampled underfoot.

  Sir Robert was now shut out from his son's gaze by several men forcingthemselves to the carriage door, and Frank was rising in his stirrups totry and catch another glimpse of him, when in the wild swaying about ofthe crowd his horse was forced nearer to Captain Murray, an eddy sendingthe captain fortunately back to him, so that their horses made aneffort, and came side by side once more, snorting and trembling withfear.

  "The men are helpless, Frank lad," said the captain, with his lips tothe lad's ear. "They can do nothing more. They are literally wedgedin."

  "My father?" panted Frank.

  "It will be a rescue, my lad."

  An exultant roar rose now from the dense mass of people which filled thewide street, and, separated from each other, as well as from theirofficers, the dragoons ceased to use their swords, while the men roundthem who held them fast wedged waved their sticks and hats, cheeringmadly.

  "Told you so, sir," shouted some one close behind them; and Frankturned, to see a dragoon, capless and bleeding from a cut on hisforehead, sitting calmly enough on his horse.

  "Can't do any more, sir," said the man, in answer to a frown fromCaptain Murray. "They've got my sword. It's the same with all of us.We couldn't move."

  The cheering went on, and in the midst of it the carriages began tomove, dragged by the crowd, for there was not a soldier within a dozenyards. The clumsy vehicles were being dragged by hand, and the horsesled away toward a side street, while the cheering grew more lusty thanever, and then changed into a yell of execration.

  "What does that mean?" said Captain Murray excitedly.

  "I don't know," said Frank, having hard work to make himself heard."Let's try and get to the carriage."

  "Impossible, my lad," said Captain Murray. "Great heavens! what agehenna!"

  The yelling rose louder than ever from the direction of Cheapside, anddirectly after the cause was known, for a heavy, ringing volley rang outclear and sharp above the roar of the crowd, and went on reverberatingfrom side to side of the street.

  Hardly had it died away when another rattling volley came from the otherdirection; and in answer to an inquiring look from Frank, Captain Murrayplaced his lips to the boy's ear.

  "The foot guards," he cried; "the mob is between two fires."

  The pressure was now terrible, the crowd yielding to the attack fromboth directions, and yells, wild cries, and groans rose in one horriblemingling, as for a few minutes the seething mass of people were driventogether in the centre formed by the carriages; and from where he sat,gazing wildly at the chaos of tossing arms and wild faces, whose ownersseemed now to be thinking of nothing but struggling for their lives,Frank could see men climbing over their fellows' heads, dashing inwindows, and seeking safety by climbing into the houses, whose occupantsin many cases reached down to drag people up out of the writhing massbeneath. In half a dozen places streams could be seen setting into theside streets; and mingled with the attacking party, dragoons of theescort, perfectly helpless, were pressed slowly along, and in everyinstance with one, sometimes with two men mounted behind them.

  Frank caught these things at a glance, while his and the captain'smounts were being slowly forced farther away from the carriages, whichwere once more stationary, jammed in by the densest portion of thecrowd.

  And now, without a thought of his own safety, the boy's heart began tobeat high, for not a single dragoon was near the prisoners, and somestrange movement was evidently taking place there, but what, it was somemoments before he could see.

  It seemed to him that several people there had been injured, and thatthose between him and the first carriage had been crushed to death,while the crowd were passing the bodies over their heads face upwardtoward the narrow side street up which an effort had been made to dragthe carriages.

  As far as he could make out by the lamplight, that was it evidently, andso strangely interested was the lad, so fascinated by the sight, that hepaid no heed to a couple more volleys fired to right and left. For themoment he hardly knew why he was watching this. Then it came home tohim as he twice over saw a gleam as of metal on one of the bodies whichfloated as it were over a forest of hands and glided onward toward andup the side street.

  "Look, boy! Do you see?" said Captain Murray, with his lips close tothe lad's ear. "They have dragged the prisoners out, and are passingthem over the heads of the crowd."

  Frank nodded his head sharply without turning to the speaker, for hecould not remove his eyes from the scene till the last fettered figurehad passed from his sight.

  And now at length the awful pressure began to relax, for the half-dozenstreams were setting steadily out of the main street, while in severalspots where dragoons had sat wedged in singly two had drifted together.Then there were threes and fours, and soon after a little body of abouttwenty had coalesced, stood in something like order, and were able tomake a stand. Right away toward Cheapside there was now visible beneatha faint cloud of smoke, which looked ruddy in the torch- and lamplight,a glittering line above the heads of the still dense crowd, and Frankgrasped the fact that they were bayonets. Then turning in the otherdirection he saw, far up the street toward Islington, another glitteringline, showing that a second body of infantry barred the way.

  And now once more came the sound of firing, and Frank's heart resumedits wild beating, for it came rolling down the side street nearlyopposite to him, that up which he had seen the prisoners passed, and heknew that troops must be guarding the end.

  This was plain enough, for the steady stream passing up it grew slower,then stopped; there was a tremendous shouting and yelling, and the humantide came slowly rolling back, then faster and faster, till it set rightacross the main street, and joined one going off in the oppositedirection.

  Soon after, to the boy's horror, he caught sight of one of the prisonersbeing borne along over the heads of the returning crowd; then of anotherand another. And now, as the two lines of dimly seen bayonets drewnearer in both directions, there was once more the sound of the trumpet;and in half a dozen places the dragoons began to form up, and, minute byminute growing stronger in the power to move, swords were seen to flash,and they forced their way through the stream, cutting it right across,and hemming in the portion of the crowd over whose heads the perfectlyhelpless prisoners were being borne.

  This manoeuvre having been executed, the rest proved simple. Knot afterknot of the dragoons forced their way up to what had become theirrallying-point, the foot guards were steadily advancing up and down themain street toward the carriages, and another company was steadilydriving the people back along the side street up which the prisoners hadbeen borne.

  "A brave attempt, Frank,"
said Captain Murray; "but they have failed.Come along;" and, dizzy with excitement, the boy felt his horse begin tomove beneath him toward the escort which formed a crescent round thecarriages in double rank, through which they passed slowly the men ofthe crowd they had entrapped, till some forty or fifty only remained,whose retreat was cut off by the bristling line of bayonets drawn acrossthe side street down which they had come.

  Frank had no eyes for the scene behind him, now shown by the light ofmany smoky torches,--the roadway littered with hats, sticks, and torngarments, trampled people lying here and there, others who had beenborne and laid down close to the houses, whose occupants were now comingout to render the assistance badly enough needed, for even here manywere wounded and bleeding from sword cuts: of the ghastly traces of thefiring, of course, nothing was visible there. He did not heed eitherthe state of the dragoons, who had not escaped scot free, many of thembeing injured by sword and cudgel; some had been dragged from theirhorses and trampled; others stood behind the double line, separated fromtheir mounts, which had gone on with the crowd; most of them werehatless, while several had had their uniforms torn from their backs.

  Frank had no eyes for all this; his attention was too fully taken up bythe proceedings near the carriages, where the fettered and handcuffedprisoners--five--were being passed in by men of the foot guards, whothen formed up round the vehicles, toward which the two teams of horseswere now brought back, the men roughly knotting together the cut traces,and fastening them ready for a fresh start toward the prison.

  "One of the prisoners has been carried off, Frank," whispered CaptainMurray then; and in a weak voice the lad said:

  "My father?"

  "No, my lad; he is in the second carriage now." The next minute orderswere given, and the dragoons advanced to clear the way for thecarriages, now surrounded by the bristling bayonets of half a regimentof foot guards, who refused passage to Captain Murray and the boy, sothat they had to be content with riding in front of the rear guard ofdragoons.

  And now once more the yelling of the crowd arose from the direction ofCheapside, where the mob had again gathered strongly; but no mercy wasshown. The heavy mass of dragoons that formed the advance guard hadreceived their orders to clear the way, and, finding a determinedopposition, the trumpet rang out once more, and they advanced at agallop, trampling down all before them for a few minutes till the crowdbroke and ran. The way was clear enough as at a double the Grenadierscame up, and passed round the angle at Newgate Street, the escortdriving the mob before it; and the wide space at the west end of the OldBailey was reached.

  This was packed with troops, who had preserved an opening for thecarriages, and into it the Grenadiers marched, and formed up round themassive prison gates. And now Frank made an effort, with CaptainMurray's assistance, to get to the carriage door again for one shortfarewell. But in the hurry and excitement of the time, the pass fromthe Palace and the military uniform the captain wore went for nothing,the dense mass of Grenadiers stood firm, and very few minutes sufficedfor the prisoners to be passed in and the gates closed. A strong forceof infantry was stationed within and without, for the authoritiesdreaded an attack upon the prison; and the regiment of dragoons that hadbeen detailed to meet the escort and guard the road to Islingtonpatrolled the approaches, while the rest marched off to their quartersamidst the hooting and yelling of the crowd.

  Captain Murray turned off at once into a side street, and rode besideFrank for some distance, respecting in silence his young companion'sgrief, hardly a word passing till they reached the Guards' stables andleft their horses, which looked, by the light of the men's lanthorns, asif they had passed through a river. Then the pair hurried across thePark, feeling half-stunned by their adventure, Frank so entirely,exhausted that he would have gladly availed himself of his friend's arm.

  But he fought hard, and just as the clock was striking twelve he madehis way to his mother's room, wondering whether he was to be called uponto face some fresh grief. But he found Lady Gowan lying awake, andready to stretch out her hands to him.

  "You saw him, Frank?" she whispered; and the disorder of his appearanceescaped her notice.

  "Yes, mother; I rode beside him, and he spoke to me."

  "Yes, yes; what did he say?" cried Lady Gowan.

  Frank delivered his father's loving message, and his mother's eyesclosed.

  "Yes," she said softly, "to meet again in happier times." Then,unclosing her eyes again, she moaned out, "Oh, Frank, Frank, my boy, myboy!" and he forgot his own weakness and suffering in his efforts toperform the sacred duty which had fallen to his lot.