Boy's Ride

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER VI

  The part of Yorkshire which they had been traversing abounded inrivers. The Wharfe and the Aire, the first of which joins the Ouseeight miles south, and the second eighteen miles southeast of York,they had already crossed. They were now near the Went, and here, asHugo discovered the next morning, it was Humphrey's decision to stay aday or two.

  "I go no further without a dream," he declared. "Last night I slept toosound to have one. And moreover I wish not to fall in with thesegalloping king's men. Let them ride up and down till they think ussecurely hid away in some religious house, since they find us not inthe wood. So shall we go the safer on our way to Doncaster."

  Hugo had thought much the evening before, and he had resolved todispute Humphrey in future no more than was necessary. For he now sawthat, though he was but a serving-man, Humphrey knew more of Yorkshirewoods than his master. He therefore made no objection when Humphreyannounced his decision, much to the serving-man's surprise, for he hadexpected opposition. Finding none, he enlarged his air of importance,and bade Hugo stay where he was while he took the horses down to thestream for water.

  Hugo, putting a strong restraint on himself, obeyed, and was rewardedon the serving-man's return with the promise that, as soon as the dogcame in and was tied, he might venture forth with Humphrey to explorethe region.

  "Thou must know," remarked Humphrey, "that we be on the high bank. Onthe other side of the valley sloping coppices abound, and therein can Ishow thee many badger holes. Hast ever seen a badger hunt?"

  "Nay," answered Hugo.

  "I was but twenty years old," continued Humphrey, "when first I camethrough these woods, and on the bank across the valley from this pointI did see a badger hunt. Three men and two dogs did I see, and theyfive did at length dig out one badger. The old badger was inside thehole taking his sleep, for it was ten o'clock in the morning. And abadger not only sleepeth all day in summer, but day and night inwinter. Thou knowest that?"

  "Yea," replied Hugo. And added that at his uncle's priory he hadoccasionally eaten badger meat, which was very good.

  "Cured like ham, was it?" inquired Humphrey.

  "Yea," responded Hugo.

  Humphrey nodded his head approvingly. "A priest," he said, "for knowingand having good eating."

  The two sat silent a few moments waiting for Fleetfoot, who did notcome, and then Humphrey continued: "The badger hath a thick skin. Hegoeth into a wasp's nest or a bees' nest, and the whole swarm may stinghim and he feeleth it not."

  "What doth the badger in wasps' nests and bees' nests?" inquired Hugo.

  "Why, he will eat up their grubs. The eggs make footless grubs, andthese the badger eateth. My grandsire went a journey through this woodonce on a moonlight night. He rode slowly along, and at a certain placewas a bees' nest beside the path, and there, full in the moonlight, wasa badger rooting out the nest. Out swarmed the bees, and several didsting the horse of my grandsire at the moment when he had taken goodaim at the badger with his stick. The horse bolted, and my grandsirefound himself lying in the path with his neck all but broken, and thebees taking vengeance on him for the trespass of the badger. He hathhad no liking to bees or badgers since that day."

  "He still liveth, then?" asked Hugo.

  "Ay," returned Humphrey, much pleased at the question. "Hale and heartyhe is, and ninety-six years of age."

  By common consent both now paused to listen for Fleetfoot. Hearingnothing Humphrey continued, "Didst ever see a tame badger?"

  "Nay," was the reply.

  "A badger becometh as tame as a dog, if he be taken young. Report hathit that there is great sport in London at the public houses baiting thebadger. I know not how it may be."

  And now Fleetfoot came. Not joyfully, but slinking, for he knew he hadbeen doing wrong. Three partridges, a fox, and a badger he had slainsince Humphrey had seen him, and he wore a guilty look.

  "Thou wilt do no more than tie him with the willow thong," observedHumphrey, eyeing Fleetfoot with disfavor. "Were he mine, I should beathim. The king maketh nothing of lopping off a man's hand or foot forsuch a trespass, or even putting out of his eyes. And should thekeepers discover what he hath done, it were all the same as if we haddone it."

  "Nay, Humphrey," said Hugo, smoothing the dog's head. "Perchance hehath taken no more than the partridge thou sawest."

  For answer Humphrey struck lightly the dog's rounded-out side. "Tell menot," he said, "that one partridge hath such a filling power. Elsewould I feed only on partridges. Moreover, he is a knowing dog, and seehow he slinketh. He would not be that cast down for one partridge, Iwarrant thee."

  "It may be thou art right," replied Hugo, as he tied up Fleetfoot.

  "Yea, that I may be," returned Humphrey, importantly. "A man that hathdreams of going up a ladder and climbing a tree in the same night ismost likely to be right when it cometh to measuring up the trespassesof a straying deerhound. For why should a man be advanced to prefermentand honor except that he hath merit? And to dream of going up a ladderand climbing a tree is sure warrant that he hath it. And now fare weforth to see this Brockadale."

  Hugo having finished tying Fleetfoot securely with a tether so shortthat he could not gnaw through it, followed Humphrey, and the dogattempted to follow Hugo, much to Humphrey's satisfaction. "Ay, thouwouldst follow, wouldst thou?" he said. "Bide where thou art with thehorses, and think on thy evil deeds." Then turning to the boy he added,"If thou wilt not beat him, Hugo, my chiding may do him some good."

  It was a most beautiful little valley that the boy saw when he stood onthe edge of a hill on its northern side and gazed down into it, whileHumphrey stood by pointing out its features with the air of aproprietor. Green and lovely it stretched away to the southeast sometwo miles, as Humphrey told him. Through it flowed the Went, bendingand turning, its banks lined with osiers and willows. Wooded hills werethe northern, and sloping coppices the southern boundary of the vale.

  The two had not ventured out into the open. They were still in theshelter of the trees. "The Normans rule, and honest men must skulk andhide," observed Humphrey, with some bitterness.

  "Lord De Aldithely is a Norman," remarked Hugo. "So also am I."

  "Ay," rejoined Humphrey, "but all Normans are not alike bad. Thou artnot the king, moreover, nor is my lord, who is an honest man andstandeth bravely by the people, and is opposed to murder and robbery.Therefore is he fled, and therefore is our young lord Josceline indanger, and therefore are we skulking and hiding and leading the king'smen this chase. The times be evil; and who knoweth what shall amendthem?"

  Hugo did not reply. His eye had caught sight of the flash of sunlighton steel down the valley, and he pointed it out to Humphrey.

  "Up! up!" cried Humphrey. "Up into yon spreading oak at the edge of thevale. There shall we be concealed, and yet see all."

  "They come from toward Doncaster, do they not?" asked Hugo when theywere safely out of sight among the branches.

  "Ay," answered Humphrey. "Nor was it for naught that I did sleep toosound to dream last night, else might we have been on the way toDoncaster, and so, perchance, have met them."

  The party drew nearer, and soon the keen eyes of Humphrey and Hugoresolved them into three men-at-arms led by Walter Skinner.

  "Three soldiers and a king's man to take a boy and a man!" laughedHumphrey. "It must be that they have a good opinion of our bravery."

  "Or of thy cunning," said Hugo, to whom Humphrey had a short whilebefore revealed all that had befallen him in Ferrybridge.

  "Oh, ay," answered Humphrey, complacently. "I have my share, no doubt.A man doth not live forty years with treachery on all sides of him andlearn nothing. My head had been off my shoulders ere this, had notsome measure of cunning done its part to keep it on. They will beat upthe whole forest hereabout for us, I doubt not. If I get a good dreamto-night, we go on to-morrow."

  Hugo smiled. He thought it strange that a man so sensible, in manyrespects, as Humphrey should pin such faith to dreams. So he saidteasingl
y: "How if thou get not the dream to-night, nor yet to-morrownight? Do we bide here until the dream come, if that be nextMichaelmas?"

  The serving-man seemed puzzled. Then he answered: "Nay, to be sure.Then would the summer be done; and, moreover, I never went so longwithout the right dream in my life."

  Nearer and nearer drew the horsemen until, in the vale just oppositeand below Hugo and Humphrey, they dismounted. "Here do we stop," saidWalter Skinner. "I warrant you they be hereabouts, else have the fatpriests lied when they denied they were in abbey and priory."

  "Ay," answered one of the men-at-arms. "They be hereabouts, no doubt,if they be not farther to the east, when thy fellow will catch them ifwe miss them. I marvel thou hast not come up with them before now. Thousayest this is the third day of their flight?"

  This seeming to reflect on the ability of the pompous little WalterSkinner, he frowned. And drawing himself up importantly he said, "Theyoung lord hath to his servant a Saxon who knoweth well these parts."

  "Some deer-stealer, without doubt," observed the man-at-arms.

  "And he goeth not straight forward," continued Walter Skinner, "elsehad I met him. But he creepeth here, and hideth there, and goeth inretired paths."

  "And all to balk thee!" said the big man-at-arms, regarding with scarceconcealed contempt the little strutting spy.

  There was that in the manner of the man-at-arms that nettled WalterSkinner, so that he became more pompous than before and, resolved toshow the soldier how high he stood in the king's counsel, he saidhaughtily: "Why, it were best he balk me, if he knew what will come tohis young master when I find him. King John, as thou knowest, hath aspecial hatred toward his father, Lord De Aldithely."

  "De Aldithely, sayest thou?" interrupted the man-at-arms.

  "Ay, and he is resolved the son shall not live, no more than his ownnephew Arthur."

  "And he will put him to death?" asked the man-at-arms.

  "Why, not speedily," answered Walter Skinner, importantly, "but cat andmouse fashion, by which he will be the longer dying, and his father themore tormented. He will speedily give orders also to raze his castle asa nest of traitors."

  "Whence hadst thou this?" demanded the man-at-arms.

  Walter Skinner stood off and looked at him. Then, with an air of greatmystery, he said: "It is whispered about. I may not say more. Itbecometh me not."

  The man-at-arms now rose from the ground where he had thrown himselfand mounted his horse. "I seek not the young lord," he said. "I betrayno mouse to the cat, least of all the son of the brave De Aldithely. Iwill back to my own master from whom thou didst borrow me. I will saythou needest me not and hast bid me return. When thou art tired of thylife, say thou otherwise." And he looked meaningly at him.

  "I go with thee," said the second man-at-arms, springing from theground.

  "And I also!" exclaimed the third.

  In vain Walter Skinner tried to restrain them. They clattered off downthe valley whence they had come, and were soon out of sight on theirway to Doncaster.

  The sound carried well here; the voices of the men were loud; and Hugoand Humphrey, whose ears were keen, heard with consternation all thatpassed. "I fear it meaneth death to thee also if thou be caught," saidHumphrey. "For it is a serious thing to dupe a man of the king's rage.This calleth for dreams, and that right speedily, if we are not to fallinto his hands."

  The disappointed Walter Skinner made no attempt to depart. "Here will Istay a while," he said, "and berate the folly that did tell them thepurpose of the king and the name of the young lord. I did think toraise myself in authority over them by showing that I did know theking's counsel, and, in so doing, I did forget that for murdering ofArthur all men hate him, and few will help him to his will uponothers." Moodily he threw himself upon the grass, having staked hishorse, and soon left off berating himself by falling into a soundsleep. The sun reached the meridian, and he still slept. It came to bemid-afternoon and still he moved not, for he had ridden hard and hadbeen deprived of his rest the night before. His tethered horse at lastwhinnied softly and then loudly. And, to the dismay of Hugo andHumphrey, he was answered by their own horses in the thicket. But stillthe king's man moved not.

  "Would that I knew certainly that he sleepeth," said Humphrey,anxiously. "For then we might come down and escape."

  "Nay, nay," objected Hugo, earnestly. "Seest thou not how a littlesound goeth far here? The rustling of the leaves and rattling of theboughs as we descend might awake him."

  Humphrey looked at him. "Ay, poor mouse!" he said. "Mayhap thou artright."

  And now Walter Skinner stirred in his slumber. Once more his horsewhinnied loudly. Once more the horses in the thicket answered; and thespy, broad awake, sprang to his feet. "Aha, Fortune!" he cried, "thouart with me."

  "Nevertheless," observed Humphrey, softly, "if thou hast not dreamed ofgoing up a ladder and climbing a tree, all may not go so well with theeas thou thinkest."

  Leaving his horse, the spy climbed the wooded hill, at the top of whichhe paused just under the oak in which Hugo and Humphrey were concealed.The horses whinnied no more, though he waited a few moments hoping tohear them. "I will on," he cried impatiently. "'Twas from thisdirection the answer came." And away he hurried on foot, for heimagined that those he sought were hidden near at hand, and waiting forthe night to come ere they resumed their journey. He knew that he alonecould not capture them, but if he could get on their trail and dog themunseen till he could get help he would be sure of them.

  As soon as the spy was out of sight Humphrey began to descend the tree.

  "Whither goest thou?" asked Hugo.

  "Thou shalt see," returned Humphrey.

  With speed he ran down the hill, breaking a switch of birch as he ran.He hastened to Walter Skinner's horse, cut him loose from his tether,and struck him sharply with the birch rod. Away galloped the horse downthe valley, while Humphrey hastened back to his place in the tree."Fortune may be with him," he said to Hugo, "but his horse is not.Mayhap I need not another dream, for, by the one I had, I think we havegot the better of him. Moreover, there will be no more whinnying forour horses to answer."