Boy's Ride

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER II

  Life was rather monotonous at the castle, as Hugo found. Occasionallythe men-at-arms sallied out, but there were no guests, for Lady DeAldithely was determined to keep her son, if possible, and would trustfew strangers. It was a mystery to Humphrey why she had trusted Hugo.

  "I may have dreams of earthquakes," he grumbled, "and what doth itcount? Naught. Here cometh a lad, most like sent by the Evil One, andhe is taken in, and housed and fed, and his hound leeched; and he goethoften to my lady's bower to chat with her; and often into the tilt-yardto practise with our young lord Josceline; and often lieth on therushes in the great hall at the evening time before the fire with themen-at-arms; and he goeth to the gates with the warder and the grooms;and on the walls with William Lorimer; and Robert Sadler followeth himabout to have speech with him and to hear what he will say; and he isas good as if he were My Lord Hugo with everybody, when he is but Hugo,a strange lad, and no lord at all."

  It was as Humphrey had said. Hugo was a favorite with all in thecastle. His company was a great solace to Lady De Aldithely inparticular. She was drawn to trust him, and every day confided more andmore to him concerning her painful and perilous situation. "I amconvinced," she said one day when two weeks had passed, "that there ismischief brewing. I fear that I shall lose my boy, and it will breakhis father's heart."

  Hugo looked sympathetic.

  "Thou knowest that fathers' hearts can break," she said. "Our firstKing Henry fell senseless when his son was lost."

  "What fearest thou, Lady De Aldithely?" asked Hugo.

  "Treachery," was the answer. "There is some one within the castle wallswho will ere long betray us."

  Hugo was silent a while. He was old for his years, very daring, andfond of adventure. And he loved Lady De Aldithely not only for herkindness to him, but for the attention she had given to Fleetfoot. Atlast he spoke. "I have a plan. But, perchance, thou mistakest and thereis no traitor within the walls."

  Lady De Aldithely looked at him quickly. "Nay, I am not mistaken," shesaid.

  "Then this is my plan," announced Hugo. "Josceline and I be alike. Iwill personate him. In a week Fleetfoot will be quite recovered. Wewill go forth. They who watch will think they see Josceline and pursueme. I will lead them a merry chase, I warrant thee."

  "But, my boy!" cried Lady De Aldithely. "What wild plan is this? Thoulead such evil men a merry chase? Speak rather of the dove leading thehawk a merry chase."

  "Even so I will lead them," declared Hugo. "If they catch me, theyshall do well."

  Lady De Aldithely smiled at the boyish presumption. "My poor lad!" shesaid. "How if they catch thee with an arrow as they caught Fleetfoot?Thou mightest find no castle then to give thee shelter, no leech tosalve thy wound."

  "For thee, because of thy kindness, I will risk that," declared Hugo,after a pause.

  Lady De Aldithely put up her hand. "Hush!" she said. "Speak no more atpresent to me, and nothing on the subject at any time to any but me. Ihear footsteps."

  The footsteps, bounding and light, drew nearer, and presently Joscelinelooked in at the door. "Come, Hugo!" he cried. "Let us away to thetilt-yard and do our exercise."

  Josceline was already an esquire, and very diligent in the exercisesrequired of an esquire as a part of his training for knighthood. Butnot more diligent than Hugo had been during his stay at the castle. ForHugo felt himself at a disadvantage on account of having been bred upat the priory, and was eager to make up for his shortcomings. In alltheir practice Robert Sadler, one of the men-at-arms, was present. Andboth boys liked him very well. He was not a young man, being some sixtyyears old, and gray and withered. He was of Irish parentage, and shortin stature; and he had a tongue to which falsehood was not so much astranger as the truth. He was also as inquisitive as a magpie, andready to put his own ignorant construction on all that he saw andheard. The two boys, however, had never stopped to think of hischaracter. He was always praising their performances in the tilt-yard,and always deferring to them, so that they regarded him very favorablyand were quite ready to abide by his judgment. To-day he was waitingfor them with a tall horse which he held by the bridle. "I would fainsee both of you vault over him," he said.

  Josceline advanced, put one hand on the saddlebow and the other on thehorse's neck, and vaulted over fairly well. After him came Hugo, whoseperformance was about equal to Josceline's.

  "It was the cousin to the king that could not do so well as that,"commented Robert Sadler.

  "And how knowest thou that?" asked Josceline, complacently. "Didst thousee him?"

  "See him!" exclaimed Robert Sadler. "I have seen him more times thanthou art years old. And never did he do so well as thou and Hugo."

  With hearts full of pride the two went from vaulting over the horse tostriking heavy blows with a battle axe.

  "Ah!" cried Robert Sadler. "Could the cousin to the king see thestrokes that ye make, he were fit to die from shame. He can strike notmuch better than a baby. I could wish that all mine enemies mightstrike me no more heavily than the cousin to the king."

  "This cousin to the king must be worthless," observed Josceline, hisface red from the exertion of striking.

  "Worthless!" exclaimed Robert Sadler. "It were not well that the kingheard that word, but a true word it is. Worthless he is."

  "I knew not that the king had a cousin," observed Hugo, with upliftedaxe.

  "There was never a man born," declared Robert Sadler, recklessly, "whohad not a cousin. And would the king that hath everything else belacking in a common thing like a cousin? Thy speech is well nightreasonable. But strike thou on. I will not stay to see thee put theking's cousin to shame, and then hear thee deny there is such a one."And he stalked off to the stables leading the horse.

  "I fear thou hast angered him," said Josceline. "But no matter. He willnot harbor anger long." And so it proved. For before the two hadfinished striking he had returned to the tilt-yard apparently full ofgood humor.

  Two days went by. Then Lady De Aldithely spoke again to Hugo of hisproject. "Hast abandoned thy plan?" she asked.

  "Nay, my lady," he replied. "How should I abandon it? Is it not a goodone?"

  "Good for my son," admitted Lady De Aldithely, "but bad for thee."

  "Thou wilt find it will be bad for neither," said Hugo, stoutly. "I amresolved."

  Lady De Aldithely sighed in relief. "Come nearer," she said. "I wouldconfide in thee, and none but thou must hear. I have discovered thetraitor within our walls. For a sum of money he will deliver my son tothe king. Ask me not how. I have discovered it."

  Hugo looked at her and his eyes flashed indignation. "DeliverJosceline, he shall not!" he cried.

  "He could but for thee, for we are powerless."

  "Then again I say, he shall not."

  "Come nearer still," said Lady De Aldithely. "I would tell thee theman's name. What sayest thou to Robert Sadler?"

  Hugo stared. "Robert Sadler!" he repeated. "Why, 'tis he of all themen-at-arms, save William Lorimer, who is kindest to Josceline and me.He will be ever with us; in the tilt-yard, in the stables, in the hall,everywhere."

  "To watch you," said Lady De Aldithely. "To mark what you say. To catchyour plans."

  "He shall catch no more plans from me!" cried Hugo, indignantly. "Iwill speak no more with him, nor be with him."

  "Ah, but thou must," counselled Lady De Aldithely. "Wert thou to turnfrom him, as thou sayest, he would know at once thou hadst been warnedagainst him, and would hasten his own plans. What said he to theeyesterday?"

  "He did ask me when I should leave the castle."

  Lady De Aldithely's face clouded with anxiety. "And what didst thouanswer?" she asked.

  "I said it might be one day and it might be another. For thou didstforbid me to speak of my plan."

  "I marvel at thy prudence," smiled Lady De Aldithely. "Where didst thoulearn it?"

  "From my uncle, the prior. He never telleth aught to any man. And noone can wring from him ay or nay by a question." />
  "A blessing upon him!" breathed Lady De Aldithely.

  The boy's eyes brightened. "He is a good man, my uncle, the prior," hesaid. "And ever he saith to me, 'In troublous times a prudent tongue isworth ten lances and shields.'"

  Lady De Aldithely smiled. "May he keep his priory in peace," she said."'Twere a pity that he should lose it."

  Hugo looked at her gratefully. Not every one so leniently regarded theprior's prudence. In more than one quarter his reticence was severelyblamed. By some it was called cowardice, by others self-seeking.

  "And now thou knowest the worst," said Lady De Aldithely. "Within threedays I will contrive to send Robert Sadler hence on an errand. When heis gone thou shalt go forth in the daylight, and that same night my sonand I will flee into Scotland. There, if no one tracks our steps, wemay be safe. Were I to drive Robert Sadler forth as a traitor, I knowfull well that some other would arise in his place to practisetreachery against us. And so we flee."

  And now Hugo drew himself proudly up. He felt that he was trusted andthat he was doing a knight's part in rescuing a lady in distress,though he had not, as yet, taken his knightly vow, and was not even anesquire.

  Lady De Aldithely saw it and smiled. "Thou must put off that high look,dear lad," she said. "It might beget wonderment in the brain of RobertSadler, and so lead him to seek its cause. Look and act as thou hast inthe past. Call to mind thine uncle, the prior, and guard not only thytongue, but the glance of thine eye, and the carriage of thy body."

  Hugo blushed. "I fear I am like to mar all without thy counsel," hesaid humbly.

  "Thou art but a lad," replied Lady De Aldithely, kindly, "and mycounsel thou shalt freely have. And now I must tell thee that thou artto take our good Humphrey with thee on thy journey."

  Hugo started and looked disappointed. But all he said was, "Dost notthink him very like an old crone, with his dreams and his omens and hischarms?"

  "I may not criticise Humphrey thus," said Lady De Aldithely, gravely,"because I know his great faithfulness to me and mine. And thou knowestthere is much superstition abroad in the land--too much to make it justto single out Humphrey for dislike because he is tainted with it. Isend him with thee because I have the highest regard for thy safety.Thou wilt consent to take him to attend thee?"

  "If thou require it," answered Hugo, reluctantly.

  "I do require it," said Lady De Aldithely, "and I thank thee foryielding. Now go. Come not again to me until Robert Sadler be well spedon his journey. Had I but known that he was treacherous and greedy ofgold, no matter how gained, he had never been admitted to these walls."

  Obediently Hugo left the apartment and slowly descended the windingstair. And almost at the small door of the stairway tower he foundRobert Sadler waiting for him. The traitor was growing impatient andwas now resolved to proceed more boldly. "Thou stayest long with herladyship," he began. "I had thought the sun would set or ever thou camedown the stair."

  Hugo did not meet his glance. He was trying hard to conceal the suddenaversion he had to the man-at-arms, the sudden desire he felt to lookhim scornfully in the face, and then turn on his heel and leave him.And he knew he must succeed in his effort or Josceline was lost.

  Meanwhile the man-at-arms stole questioning glances at him. He couldsee that the boy was not his usual self, but he did not guess the causeof his changed manner. With his usual prying way he began:

  "Thou hast been here now a fortnight and more. Perchance her ladyshipwill be rid of thee. Was't of that she spake to thee?"

  And now Hugo had sufficiently conquered himself so that he dared tolift his eyes. Innocently he looked into the traitor's face. "We spakeof my uncle, the prior," he said.

  For a moment Robert Sadler was silent. "That is it," he thought. "Shewill send him packing back to his uncle. The lad wishes not to go.Therefore he looks down. Now is the time to ask him about the posternkey. When one is angered a little then is when he telleth what he hathdiscovered."

  He cast a searching look at Hugo, but by it he learned nothing. The boynow began to take his way toward the tilt-yard, and Robert Sadler keptclose at his side, talking as he went.

  "Women be by nature suspicious, you will find," he began. "They be everthinking some one will be breaking in; and ever for having some one onguard. Her ladyship now--surely thou knowest she keepeth the posternkey herself, and will trust no one with it. The grooms and the warderat the great gate she will trust, but it is the postern she feareth,because she thinketh an enemy might be secretly admitted there. Knowestthou where she keepeth the key? I would but know in case my lordreturneth suddenly, and, perchance, pursued, since the king will havehis head or ever he cometh to his home, he hath such an enmity againsthim. And all because my lord spake freely on the murder of Arthur andother like matters. He might be sped to his death awaiting the openingof the postern while her ladyship was coming with the key."

  "Cometh the lord soon, then?" asked Hugo, interestedly.

  "That no man can tell," answered Robert Sadler. "He is now safe oversea in France; but he might be lured back if he knew the young lordJosceline was in peril."

  "In peril, sayest thou?" asked Hugo. He was learning his lesson ofself-control fast.

  "Why else are we mewed up here in the castle?" demanded the man-at-arms."I be weary of so much mewing-up. If the king will have our young lordJosceline to keep in his hand so that he may thereby muzzle his father,why, he is king. And he must have his will. Sooner or later he will haveit. Why, who can stand against the king?"

  "And how can that muzzle his father?" asked Hugo.

  "Why, if Lord De Aldithely, who is a great soldier, and a great help tovictory wherever he fighteth, should join with King Louis of France tofight against our king--why, then it would go ill with Josceline if hewere biding in the king's hand. And, knowing this, his father wouldforbear to fight, and so be muzzled."

  "And Josceline would not otherwise be harmed?" asked Hugo.

  "Why, no man knoweth that," admitted the man-at-arms. "The rage of theking against all who have offended him is now fierce, and he stoppethat nothing."

  "I know not so much as some of such matters," observed Hugo, quietly.

  "Nor needest thou," answered the man-at-arms. "It is sufficient forsuch as be of thy tender years to know the whereabouts of the posternkey. I would ask the young lord Josceline, but, merry as he is, heturneth haughty if one ask what he termeth a meddling question. Hewould say, 'What hast thou to do with the whereabouts of the posternkey?' And then he would away to his mother with a tale of me, and thekey would be more securely hidden than before."

  "And Lord De Aldithely still further endangered if he came riding andpursued?"

  "Even so. I see that thou art a clever lad. Much cleverer than thyyears warrant. And I warn thee, speak to no one of what I have said tothee, or it may be worse for thee. But tell me plainly, since we havegone so far, knowest thou the whereabouts of the key?"

  "Nay," answered Hugo. "I know not. I have never before thought of thepostern and its key."

  The traitor's frowning face cleared. "I believe thou speakest truly,"he said. "Thou art so full of being a knight that thou thinkest only ofknightly exercises in the tilt-yard. I will speak a good word for thee,and it may be thou wilt be admitted a page to the Earl of Hertford."

  "And hast thou influence there?" inquired Hugo, with assumed interest.

  "Yea, that have I," answered Robert Sadler, falsely. For he had noinfluence anywhere. "I will so speak for thee that thou wilt be pagebut a short while before thou art made an esquire. Do thou but bidequiet concerning what hath passed between us, and thou shalt fare neverthe worse."

  Then he departed to the stables and Hugo was left alone. To be able toconceal what one feels is a great accomplishment. Rarely do people ofany age succeed in doing so, and it was with a feeling of exultationover his success that the boy looked after Robert Sadler.

  The next day Lady De Aldithely summoned her men-at-arms before her inthe castle hall. She had a missive in her
hand. "I must send one of youon a journey," she said. "More than one I cannot now spare to go toChester. Who will take this missive from me to the town of Chester, andbring back from my aunt what it calleth for?"

  A light flashed in the eyes of Robert Sadler which Lady De Aldithelyaffected not to see. The opportunity he had been seeking was beforehim. He would go out alone, but he would not return alone. When thedrawbridge should be lowered to admit him on his return the king'smessengers with a troop of horse would be at hand. They would make arush while he held parley with the old warder. They would gain entranceto the castle; Josceline would be taken, and the reward for his owntreachery would be gained. He had plenty of time to think of all this,for the men were slow to offer. Aside from Robert Sadler they were alltrue and devoted adherents of the De Aldithelys, and each one imaginedthe castle and its inmates safer because of his presence. Thereforenone desired to go.

  "No man seemeth willing to do thy ladyship's behest," said RobertSadler, with a crafty smile. "I will, by thy leave, undertake it."

  Lady De Aldithely looked calmly upon him. "Thou shalt do so, RobertSadler," she said courteously, "and thou hast my thanks for theservice. Thou shalt depart to-morrow morn, and thou shouldest return bythe evening of this day week. See that thou bringest safely with theewhat the missive calleth for."

  "I will return at eventide of this day week," promised the traitor ashe received the missive.

  "And now," he said to himself, when Lady De Aldithely had retired fromthe hall, "let her keep the postern key. I care not for it."