Boy's Ride

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER V

  The fire was plentifully renewed, and Humphrey was preparing breakfastwhen, in the morning, Hugo awoke.

  With what seemed to the boy a reckless hand, the serving-man flungFleetfoot his breakfast. "He may eat his fill if he will," saidHumphrey, noting Hugo's expression of surprise. "He hath already solowered our store that more must be bought."

  "And where?" inquired Hugo.

  "At Ferrybridge," returned Humphrey, complacently, to Hugo's dismay.

  "I had thought best to avoid Ferrybridge," said Hugo. "I would swim thehorses across the Aire above the town."

  Humphrey seemed to ruminate a short time. Then he put on a look ofstupid wisdom. "Let us have breakfast now," he said.

  Hugo looked at him impatiently, and wondered how he could ever havefound such favor with Lady De Aldithely. But in silence he took thebrawn and oat-cake Humphrey gave him. The horses were already feeding,and, despatching his own breakfast with great celerity, Humphrey soonhad them ready for the day's journey. Still in silence Hugo mounted,for a glance at the stubborn Humphrey's face told him he might as wellhold his peace.

  Straight toward the river-bank rode Humphrey, while Hugo and Fleetfootfollowed.

  "There!" said Humphrey, when they had reached the river's brink. "Seestthou that thick across the stream? Swim thy horse and thy dog across,and bide there in that thick for me. I go to the town to buy supplies.Last night I did have two dreams. I had but gone to sleep when Idreamed I was going up a ladder. Knowest thou what that meaneth?"

  "Nay," replied Hugo. "I am not skilled in old woman's lore."

  Humphrey frowned. "Thou mayest call it what thou likest," he said, "butdreams be dreams; and this one signifieth honor. I waked only longenough to meditate upon it and fell asleep again, and dreamed I climbedonce more the big oak of yesterday. And that meaneth great preferment.Canst thou see now how I have no cause to fear king's men? For whathonor could it be to be caught by them? or what preferment to be laidby the heels in the king's dungeon? And canst thou see how it is meetfor me to go into the town, and for thee and the hound to swim theriver? I warrant thee the king's men, though they fill the streets ofFerrybridge, will be no match for me with such a dream as that."

  Then Hugo lost his temper. "Thou art a foolish fellow," he said, "andmoreover thou art but my servant. Where is thy prudence of yesterday? Iam of a mind to forbid thee to go into the town. But this I tell thee;I know this region by report. We be not so many miles from Pontefractcastle. If thou comest not to the thick by noon, Fleetfoot and Ijourney on southward, and thou mayest overtake us as thou canst."

  "I know not if I can come by noon," answered Humphrey, moresubmissively than he had yet spoken. "Never have I been in Ferrybridge.I know not what supplies I may find."

  "Take care thou find not the king's men," said Hugo. "At noon Fleetfootand I journey on." With that he directed his horse into the water,Fleetfoot followed, and Humphrey was left on the bank.

  "Ay," he said to himself, rather ruefully, "thou canst play the masteras haughtily as our young lord Josceline himself when it pleaseth thee.But for all that, last night I did go up a ladder and climb a tree. Nodoubt I shall yet prevail."

  Then he galloped off toward the town, where he mingled with the throngof people quite unnoticed in the number, for, in spite of the interdictwhich forbade amusements of all kinds, a tournament was to be held atDoncaster, and many were on the way to attend it. Since the kingscouted the interdict, many of the people braved it also, and the innswere already full. Humphrey was riding slowly along with curious eyeswhen, in the throng, he caught sight of Walter Skinner, the pompouslittle spy, who sat up very straight on his horse, and looked fiercelyaround, as if to warn the people of what they might expect if theyunduly jostled him, the king's man. For so he regarded himself,although he was only the hired spy of Sir Thomas De Lany.

  "A plague upon my dreams!" thought Humphrey, his native common sensegetting the better of his superstition. "I had never ventured my headin this noose but for them. I must now get it out as I can, but thatwill never be done by noon."

  Almost as soon as Humphrey had seen him, Walter Skinner had seenHumphrey, and had recognized both man and horse as the same he had seenfrom the treetop leaving the castle with Hugo the previous day. Notfinding any trace of the two in the neighborhood of Selby, he had comeon to Ferrybridge, while his companion, Richard Wood, had gone south bythe very way Hugo would start out on at noon. He gave no sign ofrecognizing Humphrey, however, and Humphrey seemed not to recognizehim.

  Said Walter Skinner to himself, "I will not alarm him, and the soonerhe will lead me to his master."

  While Humphrey thought, "I will not seem to see him, and when I can, Igive him the slip."

  So up and down the narrow streets rode these two, Walter Skinnerlooking fiercely upon the innocent throng, and Humphrey apparentlygazing about him with all a countryman's curiosity. Noon came andHumphrey managed to find a place for himself and horse at an inn. "Imay as well eat and drink," he said, "for what profit is it to be goingup and down these narrow streets? At every turn is this little cock ofa king's man who, though he croweth not with his mouth, doeth so withhis looks. I know not for whom he is seeking. Not for me, or he wouldassail me and capture me and put me to the torture to tell him whereHugo is, for he thinketh Hugo is Josceline, which he is not, but astranger, and a headstrong one. There is nothing in dreaming of goingup a ladder or climbing a tree, if I get not the better of him." And sohe betook him to his dinner.

  The little spy followed him, and the innkeeper was obliged to makeroom for him also, which, when Humphrey saw, he changed his opinion asto whom the spy was in search of. "He thinketh," said Humphrey tohimself, with sudden enlightenment, "to follow me quietly and so findHugo."

  Humphrey was ever a gross eater, and Walter Skinner watched him withgreat impatience and dissatisfaction. For Humphrey ate as if no anxietypreyed upon his mind, but as if his whole concern was to make away withall placed before him.

  The Little Spy and Humphrey]

  "It may be," reflected Walter Skinner, "that he hath bestowed hismaster, as he thinketh in safety, in a neighboring abbey or priory.From whence my master will not be long in haling him out. For whatcareth the king for abbots or priors? And so let him leave off thispartridge dance he hath been leading me about the streets." And hescowled upon the apparently unconscious serving-man.

  "Ay, let him scowl," thought Humphrey, with his mouth full of savoryviands that filled him with satisfaction. "He may do more scowling ereevening if he like. I did go up a ladder and climb a tree last night."

  His dinner over, Humphrey went out to the stables, whither WalterSkinner followed him as if to look after the welfare of his own horse,thus confirming Humphrey's suspicion that he had recognized him. Andthe serving-man at once put on an air of self-confidence and pride inhis own wisdom which effectually concealed his anxiety from thewatching Walter Skinner. He entered into conversation with the grooms,and let fall, in a loud voice, such a weight of opinions as must havecrushed any intelligent mind to consider. And there about the stableshe stayed; for the grooms took to him, and evidently regarded him assome new Solomon.

  The impatient Walter Skinner listened as long as he could, but seeing,at last, that Humphrey's wisdom was from an unfailing supply, he wentback to the inn, after beckoning one of the grooms to him and givinghim a piece of money, in return for which, as he pompously instructedhim, he was to keep an eye on Humphrey, and on no account to allow himto escape him; at the same time he threw out hints about the king andhis wrath if such a thing should happen.

  The groom, who was himself a Saxon, and who hated all king's men,listened respectfully, took the coin, said that he had but two eyes,but he would use them to see all that went on before him, and returnedto the stables, where he at once told Humphrey what had passed. "I havea hatred to the king and his men," declared the groom.

  "And what Saxon hath not?" asked Humphrey. "I have lived forty years,and in all that time the No
rmans grow worse, and this John is worst ofall."

  "Perchance thy master is oppressed by him," ventured the groom.

  "Perchance he is, and his lady and his son likewise," returnedHumphrey.

  The groom looked at him. "I ask thee to reveal nothing," he saidsignificantly. "I have but two eyes, and I must use them, as I said, tosee, all that goeth on before me. Do thou but ask Eric there to showthee the way out of the town before the curfew ring. He hateth king'smen worse even than I. My master will summon me to the house shortly,according to his custom. That will be the time for thee, for I can inno wise see what goeth on behind my back, nor did I promise to do so."

  At once Humphrey betook himself to Eric, explained matters so far as hedared, and received the groom's ready promise to guide him out of thetown, which he did within an hour, while Walter Skinner sat impatientlywaiting for him to reenter the inn from the stables. Eric did more forhim also; for he provided him with provender for the horses andabundant provisions for himself, Hugo, and the dog, receiving therefora good price which he promised to transmit to his master.

  "And now," said Humphrey to himself, when he was well quit of the town,"if the time cometh when Saxon as well as Norman hath preferment, mydevice shall be a ladder and a tree. And may the king's man have a goodsupper at Ferrybridge and be long in the eating of it."

  Straight to the thicket rode Humphrey at a good pace, but he found noHugo there. "Here is a snarl to be undone!" he cried. "The lad is tooheadstrong. Perchance he hath already run into the noose of the otherking's man. For who knoweth where he is? And I shall be held to answerfor it. This cometh of a man being servant to a boy and a stranger atthat. I will away after him." So saying, he rode to the south, givingall habitations of men and walks of forest rangers a wide berth, andhoping sincerely that Hugo before him had done the same. "For the lad,"said he, "is in the main a good lad. And how can I face my lady if harmcometh to him? It is no blame to him that he hath not a knack at dreamsto help him on his way."

  At the last word his horse shied; for out of the undergrowth at theside of the little glade through which he was riding fluttered apartridge, while, after it, floundering through the bushes with a greatnoise, came Fleetfoot. In vain Humphrey tried to call the dog from hisprey. In a twinkling the unhappy bird was in the hound's mouth andFleetfoot was off again to the thicket to supplement his scant dinnerwith a bird of his own catching.

  "Here be troubles enough!" cried Humphrey. "King's men on our track,and now partridge feathers to set the keepers and rangers after us.Well, I will push through this underbrush to the right. Perchance Hugorideth in the bridle-path beyond, since it was from that part the dogcame. And he shall put the hound in leash. I am resolved on it. I haveno mind to have hand or foot lopped off that so a deerhound may havehis fill of partridges."

  With a frown he pushed through the underbrush. The sun was setting whenhe emerged into a path and, at a little distance, caught sight of Hugojogging slowly along and looking warily about him. He dared not signalhim by a whistle, so, putting spurs to his loaded horse, he advanced asfast as he was able, and shortly after came up with the lad, his angerat Fleetfoot's trespass rather increased than abated, and, inconsequence, with his manner peremptory.

  "Into the thick here to the right," he growled, laying his hand on thebridle of Hugo's horse. "The sun is now set, and we go no fartherto-night. In this stretch robbers abound, and I have no mind to facethree dangers when two be enough."

  Hugo looked at him inquiringly.

  "Yea, by St. Swithin!" went on the angry serving-man. "King's men andpartridge feathers be enough without robbers." And giving Hugo's horse,which he had now headed toward the thicket, a slight cut on the flankwith his whip, he drove Hugo before him, much to the boy's indignation."Thou hast been drinking!" he cried, turning in his saddle. "Strike notmy horse again."

  They were barely screened from sight when Humphrey, his head turnedover his shoulder, held up his hand warningly. A horse was coming onthe gallop. A second elapsed, and then Walter Skinner went by. He haddiscovered Humphrey's flight a half-hour after Eric had led him out ofthe city, but the grooms had successfully delayed him half an hourlonger. Then he had started in pursuit, and had gone thundering alongat such a pace that he could hear nothing nor see anything that was notin full view. This new sight of danger at once pacified both Hugo andHumphrey. The boy forgot what he had been pleased to regard as theinsubordination of his servant, and Humphrey forgot the anger he hadfelt against Fleetfoot and his master.

  As soon as they dared, they pushed cautiously farther into the thicket,and presently Humphrey dismounted and tied his horse. Here was nograssy spot within enclosing underbrush where comfort might be found.There was such a place not far off, but Humphrey would not go to it.With his knife he set to work clearing a place large enough for thetied horses to lie down in. Cutting every stick into the very ground,he laid the cut brush in an orderly heap, and thus made a bed forhimself and Hugo. Then without a word he went out on foot and down tothe bank of the Went, peeled a willow, and came back with a long stripof its bark. "Thou wilt tie this to the collar of thy dog," he said."He hath been trespassing, and hath taken a partridge. Should the keeperdiscover it and us, thy hand or foot, or mine, must pay for it."

  "How knowest thou that Fleetfoot did take a partridge?" asked Hugo,with disbelief in his tone.

  "I did see him," replied Humphrey. "And noting whence he came, I didfind thee, and none too soon."

  There was a short silence. Then Hugo said: "A partridge is not much;and, as thou sayest, if thou hadst not seen Fleetfoot, thou hadst notfound me in time; and so the spy would now have me in custody.Therefore Fleetfoot should not have too much blame."

  "Ay," grumbled Humphrey. "Thou art ready with thy excuses for thy dog."

  "He is all I have, Humphrey," returned Hugo, quietly. "But I promisethee he shall be put in leash on the morrow if he cometh." And helistened anxiously for some sound of his dog's approach. But he heardnone.

  And now Humphrey's good-nature was quite restored, so that he said:"Think no more of the hound to-night. He hath begun on a partridge. Mayhe not end on a deer; and, if he doth, may the keeper set its loss downto these prowling robber bands. It is well with us thus far."

  By this time the horses were fed and supper was over, all having beenaccomplished in darkness, and Humphrey lay down to sleep.