Boy's Ride

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER XII

  As Hugo and Humphrey with Fleetfoot in leash looked about them from thebacks of their horses, it suddenly occurred to the prudent serving-manthat to go to an inn was not the safest thing in the world for them todo. "Thou art like our young lord Josceline, and Josceline is like hisfather," said Humphrey. "And though they be few who would aid the kingagainst my lord now fled away to France, still there be a fewunprincipled knaves in every place. And though Lincoln had no longerago than nine years the good Hugh thou didst speak of for its bishop,still, if some knave abiding here should look upon thee and say,'Behold the son of De Aldithely! I will take him!' it might go ill withthee. Wherefore I know not what were best to do. We be now come here,and have no place to lay our heads. The woods and the fens be safer."

  Then Hugo smiled. "Thou speakest not of thyself, Humphrey," he said."How if some knave abiding here should think to take not only the sonof De Aldithely, but his brave serving-man also? Thou art more carefulof me than of thyself, and I shall call it to mind one day."

  "Ay, lad," said Humphrey, smiling in his turn. "Thou art as brave asany De Aldithely thyself. For who but the brave taketh time to think ofanother, and he only a serving-man, when himself is in danger? But allthis talk procureth us no safe place to lie, and methinks already therebe some in the streets that gape upon us."

  "No more than idlers ever do," responded Hugo, with assurance. "We betwo strangers, and Fleetfoot, moreover, is a fine hound and worth thelooking at."

  "Ay," said Humphrey, regretfully. "The hound is yet likely to get usinto trouble. But whither do we go? I would fain be out of the sight ofthese gazers."

  "Not to an inn, good Humphrey. I have here a ring from mine uncle, theprior, which, when I show it at certain places, will procure uslodging, and Lincoln is one of them. We go not down the hill toward theriver. Our place is here near the cathedral in the house of the canonRichard Durdent."

  Humphrey smiled. "It is good that thou hast for thine uncle a prior,"he said.

  "Ay," responded Hugo. "He is a kind uncle. Where I show his ring I getnot only lodging, but certain moneys to help me on my way. He thoughtit not best that I should travel far with much gold about me, whereforehe hath made these arrangements. He knoweth the canon Durdent of old."

  "I would see this ring," said Humphrey, curiously.

  "And so thou shalt," promised Hugo, "when we be safely lodged."

  "How far reacheth the ring?" inquired Humphrey.

  "Even to France," was the reply.

  "Then I would that thou wouldst trust it in my keeping," said Humphrey,earnestly.

  The boy looked at him; once more he beheld him rushing upon the spy inthe Isle of Axholme; once more heard his indignant cry, "And wouldstthou slay my dear lad?" His eyes shone, but all he said was, "I willtrust thee with the custody of the ring, Humphrey, save at such timesas I must have it to show."

  The serving-man smiled well pleased, though he said nothing; for therewas no time for words, since they had already come to the door of thehouse they sought.

  "The ring is a powerful one," said Humphrey, when they had been wellreceived and lodged. "I would fain see it."

  Hugo smiled and handed it to him. The serving-man took it in his largehand and regarded it narrowly. "After all it is but a carved fish on ared stone," he said.

  "Thou dost not ask what it betokeneth?"

  Humphrey glanced up quickly. "Thou canst make merry over my dreams," hesaid, "and what they betoken. And here thou comest with a circlet ofgold crowned with a red stone having the likeness of a fish on it. Andthou sayest it betokeneth somewhat. Thou mayest no more deride mydreams."

  "Nay, nay, my good Humphrey," laughed the boy. "Thou shalt have thydreams if thou wilt. But my uncle's priory is dedicated to St. Wilfrid,who taught the Sussex people to catch all fish, when before they knewonly how to catch eels. Therefore my uncle putteth a fish on the ring,that whosoever of his friends that seeth it may know it is the ring ofRoger Aungerville, prior of St. Wilfrid's."

  "So doth the fish of thine uncle give us lodging and safety," observedHumphrey, thoughtfully. "It is a good ring. I will hold it with allcare." And he drew forth the small pouch of gold pieces which Lady DeAldithely had given him, and put the ring carefully inside it. "Ithangeth about my neck, thou seest," he said, as he replaced the pouch,"and no man may take it unless he first taketh my head."

  "Or disableth thee with an arrow or a sword thrust," said Hugo.

  "Ay," answered Humphrey, gravely. "I had not spoken of arrows and swordthrusts. I have the hope that we may meet with neither. And though theway is long when one must creep and hide and crawl, and go to the southone day, to the southwest another, and the southeast another, yet theend cometh at last, and I have hope it be a good end. And now I askthee how long we bide and whence go we from here? Doth the ringdecide?"

  "Nay," replied Hugo. "Thou shalt have thy share of the making of plans.But I would fain learn what we may of the region round about, and ofthe safety or danger it holdeth for us ere we sally forth."

  "Why, now," said Humphrey, approvingly, "thou art learning craft. Forwho but a fool would be careless of danger? Thou art like my lord, whoknoweth when to strike and when to flee. And for that it is that hismen follow him madly in battle. For, if there be risk, they do know itto be necessary risk, with a certain gain to be obtained at the end ofit, if all go well. But if there be no gain in view, my lord leadeththem not into unnecessary danger, and so it is that he is a power andthe king hateth him. Thou doest well to look ahead of thee, for thereis no gain to be had from lying in the king's dungeon, but mayhap thoushalt lose thy head also, as well as thy liberty. But what doest thounow?"

  "Why, I fain would sleep, having had no rest in the night. But thecanon knoweth naught of that, nor may I tell him. He must be busy tilleven, and so he sendeth me to view the cathedral; and thou mayest gowith me."

  To this Humphrey made no reply, but followed his young master insilence.

  The verger who took them in charge was an ancient man called Paulinusof Mansfield, having been born in that place. And he soon saw that whathe had to show of the unfinished cathedral was lost on the heavy-liddedboy who was half asleep, and upon the Saxon serving-man, who felt nointerest in such matters. Wherefore when he came from the chapter-houseinto the cloisters he, being old and feeble, was fain to sit down on astone bench and rest; and he motioned Hugo to a seat beside him.

  Humphrey had the idea that, at all times and in all places, wisdom waswith the aged. Besides, the old verger reminded him, in certainparticulars, of his own grandsire, who was a great talker and who knewmore of all matters concerning the countryside than half a dozen othermen.

  And he now cast such an expressive glance upon Hugo and gave such ameaning nod toward Paulinus, that the boy must perforce haveunderstood, even if he had not added in a tone too low to catch thesomewhat deaf ears of the old man, "Ask him what thou wouldest know."

  At once Hugo threw off his drowsiness and, in the most pleasing mannerhe could summon, requested to be informed of the surrounding district.

  "It is easy to see thou art a stranger," said the gratified old man."And thou wouldest know the region round about Lincoln?" he repeated."Thou hast come to him who can tell thee of it, for I was born andbrought up in these parts. It is truly a noble region on all sides savethe east, where lieth the fen country. For here cometh the kingfrequently to take his pleasure. And that is oft pleasure to him whichwould be none to gentler minds."

  At this Hugo turned startled eyes on Humphrey, who stood at a littledistance, but who did not appear to notice his look.

  "Hast ever seen the king?" inquired Paulinus.

  "Nay," replied Hugo.

  "Nor need thou wish so to do," returned the aged Paulinus. "I speak tothee in confidence, for surely thou art a worthy youth or thou wouldestnot be guest to the Canon Durdent. The king is the youngest and theworst son of the wicked Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is now, by themercy of God, dead. I could tell thee tales of t
he king's cruelty thatwould affright thee, but I will not. He loveth to hunt in the Forest ofSherwood, and therefore hath he castles and lodges hereabout, which hedoth frequent as it pleaseth him. And he hath ever had a liking for thatcastle at Newark which our bishop of Lincoln, Alexander the Magnificent,did build. I could tell thee tales of the dungeons there--knowest thouwhat they be like?" And he paused and looked at Hugo, who was somewhatpale, for the word "dungeon" had come to have a fearsome meaning to him.

  "Nay," answered the boy, "I know not."

  "Thou goest in the castle through a passage to the northwest corner,where is a door which is guarded. Here is the solid rock; and insidethat door be two dungeons scooped out of it. No stair descendeth tothem. Those who occupy them at the king's will are lowered into them bya rope, and there is no chance by which they may escape. There theyabide in darkness, and no skill, or cunning, or bravery can avail themso that they may escape." The old man paused.

  Presently Hugo asked, "And where lieth this castle from here?"

  "It lieth to the southwest, less than a score of miles away."

  Hugo said nothing, and, after a short silence, Paulinus began again:"If thou shouldest journey hence a little south of west, then wouldestthou come to Clipstone Palace, which lieth not far from Mansfield,where I was born. Here the king doth sometimes frequent, and fromthence he goeth to hunt in the forest. But better men than he havefrequented it when his father, King Henry, and his brother, KingRichard, did sojourn there. Thinkest thou to journey that way?"

  "Nay," replied Hugo. "Methinks our way lieth not toward Clipstone."

  "Mayhap it were better to journey by Newark, where be the dungeons Ihave told thee of; and so, when thou hast viewed that castle, journeyon southward to Nottingham, where the king hath another castle whichoft holdeth many prisoners. He keepeth there certain children, thehostages he demandeth of their fathers. And no man knoweth when theywill die, for that is a matter of the king's pleasure."

  The old verger now seemed to fall into a reverie, in which he remainedso long that Hugo rose from the stone bench, thus rousing him. Slowlyhe raised himself from his seat, having apparently forgotten all thathe had just been saying, and conducted them to the entrance, where hebade them adieu.

  "I fear to bide here longer," said Humphrey, as they returned to thecanon's house. "Let us away to the fens on the east of this place, and,through their wilds, make our way southward."

  Hugo reflected. Then he answered, "Thou art right, Humphrey. It werenot best to journey so near the king's castles and dungeons. We willaway to-morrow morn to the fens."

  This, however, they were unable to do. The canon desired not to partwith his friend's nephew so soon. Seeing which, Humphrey consoledhimself for the delay by buying ample stores of provisions, with whichhe so loaded the horses that the canon wondered. "There be towns allthe way from hence to London, and inns in all the towns," he said."Thou mayest journey without that packhorse load."

  But Humphrey was obstinate. "The goods be bought," he said stubbornly.

  The canon who knew not that they intended to travel through the fensand avoid the towns, looked pityingly at Hugo. "I see thou hast amaster in thy man," he observed. "I wonder thine Uncle Roger did notchoose for thee a more obedient servant."

  It was on the tip of the boy's tongue to tell him that his uncle'sprudence had furnished him with no servant at all. But, at a warningglance from Humphrey, he kept silence. And then, with the blessing ofthe canon, they set out down the hill through the narrow street towardthe river, which they crossed and found themselves outside the town.