Boy's Ride

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER XIV

  Although there were those who had looked upon Hugo and Humphreycuriously in the streets of Lincoln, there were none sufficientlyinterested to observe what direction they took after they had left thetown. And none saw them leave the road and betake themselves to thefens as safer for their journey. So east of the heights, which, to theeast of Lincoln, extend in a southeasterly direction, they rode,picking their way as they might, and hopeful that now all enemies werethrown off their track.

  "It is a weariness to be pursued so many days," said Hugo. "I wouldfain breathe easily once more."

  "Ay, lad," returned Humphrey. "But that is what cannot be done in thisworld. When thou art forty years old, as I am, thou wilt see that everyman hath his enemies and every bird and beast also, as we may perchancesee in this wild fen country. It is good, therefore, to breathe aseasily as one can and think no more about it. Knowest thou what thesefens be like?"

  "Nay; but mine uncle hath told me that they be vast, and that here andthere half-wild people live in huts along the reedy shores; and thatsouth lieth the goodly town of Peterborough, as well as the abbey ofCrowland."

  "Doth the ring avail at Peterborough?"

  "Yea, if I have need; but there will be none." And he glanced with asmile at the heavily loaded horses they rode, and bethought himself ofhis plentiful supply of gold pieces. "What hast thou in all these bagsand packs, Humphrey?" he asked.

  "Why, the answer to that question is not so simple," was the reply. "Idid but buy somewhat of all I saw, and did bestow it the best I could,so as to leave room for our legs on the sides of the horses. Should thespy pursue us, he would soon come up with us, for flee we could not, soloaded down. But I look not for him. No doubt he still lodgeth in theIsle of Axholme, and the other spy we have not of late heard from. Ifwe but keep clear of beaten paths, we be safe enough. I will hope tohave a dream to-night."

  Hugo did not reply; he was looking about him in much enjoyment. The daychanced to be clear, and as far as he could see lay the level of thefen-lands. Here were trees, some straight, others leaning over thewater; there were islands of reeds, and yonder the water shimmering onits shallow, winding way, so sluggish as to be almost stagnant. Thewhole region was alive with sound,--the cries of water-fowl, the songsof birds, and the croak of frogs. And when he rode along the water'sbrink, an occasional fin flashed out. Humphrey watched him withapproval. "Ay, lad," he said, "thou wilt soon be wise in fen lore, forthou hast a heart to it. I will tell thee now that I have wherewith tofish in one of these same packs. Mine ears were not idle in the town,and I did learn that perch and red-eye and roach and bream frequent thewaters of the fen."

  "And didst thou ask what fish were in the fen?" asked Hugo, in alarm.

  "Nay, lad, most surely not. But when I did see fish for sale I didpraise their beauty, and they that had them did of themselves tell mewhere they did catch them. There be more ways of finding out thingsthan by asking of questions."

  They were now come to a small, grassy isle fringed with reeds. "Here dowe get down," said Humphrey. "I would fain see if we do not catch someof those same fish for our dinner. And here is grass, moreover, wherethe horses can graze."

  Slowly and carefully boy and man disengaged themselves from the baggagethat almost encased them and dismounted. "If thou dost get a dreamto-night, Humphrey," said Hugo, laughingly, "I hope thou wilt discoverwhat we shall do with all this stuff."

  "I dream not to find out such a thing as that," returned theserving-man, good-naturedly.

  The horses were soon tied out, and the fishing-lines and hooksunpacked. Then Humphrey, going out on a fallen log which was halfsubmerged, carefully plumbed the water to see how deep it was, whileHugo watched him in wonder. Next he took from another package someground bait consisting of meal, and balls made of bread and grain,worked up in the hand. This he threw into the water, which was here buttwo feet deep. Then in a whisper he said, "All this I did learn inLincoln." And he bade Hugo hold his line so that the bait on the hookwas about an inch from the bottom.

  Hugo obeyed, and in a moment was rewarded with a red-eye about a footlong. At the same time Humphrey drew out another. And before long theyhad half a dozen each, for the red-eye was always sure to be one of acrowd, and it was so greedy that it took the bait readily.

  "No more to-day," said Humphrey, winding up his line, "for we alreadyhave more than we can eat, and I hold it sin to slay what we cannoteat. This was I taught by my grandsire, who ever said that evil wassure to befall those who did so. And I would we could put the life backinto half we have taken; but they did bite so readily that we had toomany suddenly. Still, if we eat naught to speak of but fish, we maymake away with most and so be spared evil."

  While Humphrey dressed the too numerous fish, Hugo sought sufficientfuel to cook them, and came back to find the serving-man wellsatisfied. "Even as I did begin to dress the fish," he said, "therecame a sound of wings, and I looked up and did behold a glede. And Idid cease to move; so came he nearer, and did snatch a fish. Then cameanother and did snatch a fish. In quietness I did wait. Then came thefirst glede back and did take a fish, and the second did like-wise.And, by waiting with patience, the gledes did take two more. And now wehave but six fish, and no evil will befall us, for those we can eat."

  Hugo smiled, for the big serving-man had spoken with the faith of achild.

  Their noon rest taken, they went on again toward the south and came bynightfall to what Humphrey decided to be a suitable place to pass thenight. "I mean not," he said, "that the place would please me were weout of the fen. But being in the fen, why, there be worse places thanthis to be found; for it is not a bog nor a slough, and there be reedsin plenty near by."

  "Do we make a fire?" asked Hugo, mindful of their experience in theIsle of Axholme.

  "Yea," answered the serving-man. "If we make the fire perchance someevil person seeth us, perchance not. If we make not the fire, the chillof the fen doth get into our bones. Seest thou how the mist arises? Andwe be not like the holy hermits of these haunts to withstand chill andvapors."

  Hugo looked at him in surprise. "How knowest thou of holy hermits?" heasked.

  "I did even learn of them in Lincoln. It was the canon's servant whodid tell me of St. Guthlac and St. Godric. He did know more of the holyhermits than of his master's service, I warrant thee. And that is anevil knowledge for a servant that bids him talk to the neglect of hismaster's good."

  The fire alight, the two lay down, Hugo to fall asleep and Humphrey torise at intervals through the night and throw on reeds that so the fenmists might work no harm to the boy, to whom he was now as devotedlyattached as ever he was to Josceline. The morning's breakfast was fromthe packs which Humphrey acknowledged were too full for prudentcarrying; and by the time Walter Skinner arose at the Swan they wereoff again, still southward. They were now nearer the coast, and a greatfen eagle flew screaming over their heads. "To dream that eagles do flyover your head doth betoken evil fortune," remarked Humphrey, gravely."But I think we need not fear those eagles which do not fly in dreams."

  And now in the yard of the Swan all was astir. Elfric had taken BlackDick out and gently exercised him so that his spring-halt need not beat once apparent, and there was no little anxiety on the part of thehost to get rid of his guest expeditiously. The spy, however, with hisusual dulness, did not perceive it, but took all this effusive serviceas his rightful due. "I will requite thee later, worthy host," he saidgrandly. "I will not fail to set thee before the king in the light of atrusty innkeeper." With this farewell he rode pompously out of the yardand slowly down the hill street to the river, and so passed out of thetown. And, being out, he paused to consider his course.

  "Shall I go to the fen in pursuit of them, or shall I go downNottingham way?" he said. "I will go Nottingham way. I will be no moreplanted in mire like a rush. Nay, verily. Not to find all the younglords and Saxon serving-men in creation. I serve the king; and will gonot into bogs and fens suitable for Saxon outcasts and no others. Andif
they be wise they will do the same."

  Having come to this decision, he put spurs to Black Dick and was offsouthwest, while slowly Hugo and Humphrey journeyed on southeast.Presently the horse began to heave. "Why, where is thy speed ofyesterday, Black Tom?" cried Walter Skinner. "Thou didst not heave whenI clung round thy neck on the way to Lincoln town." He gave the bridlea sharp jerk, suddenly turning the horse which now began to show thespring-halt with which he was afflicted. "Why, what sort of a dance isthis?" cried Walter Skinner. "Thou art a strange beast. Verily, thouart like some people--one thing yesterday and another to-day. I can saythis for thee--thou wert black yesterday, and thou art still blackto-day."

  He had not gone far when he came up with a man riding slowly along, anddecided to take him into his confidence so far as to ask if he had seenthose he sought. Accordingly he crowded Black Dick close alongside ofthe stranger's horse, and, giving him a meaning glance, said, "Hastthou seen a young lord this morn?"

  The stranger looked astonished, as well he might.

  "Ay," said Walter Skinner, much gratified. "I said a young lord. Mayhapthou art not used to consort with such, but a young lord is not muchmore to me than his Saxon serving-man. And that remindeth me--hast seenthe serving-man also?"

  "Nay," answered the stranger, mildly. "I have seen neither."

  "And that is strange, too," said Walter Skinner. "Why, bethink thee,man! Thou must have seen them. They did leave Lincoln but yester morn.And if they came not this way, which way did they go? Answer me truly,for I warn thee, I serve the king."

  The stranger reaffirming that he had seen neither the young lord norhis serving-man, Walter Skinner was obliged to be content. "They be asslippery as eels," he cried. "And that remindeth me, I did eat eels forbreakfast at the Swan this morn."

  Then, without a word of leave-taking, he rode off, Black Dick doing hisafflicted best, and Walter Skinner wondering how he could have been somistaken in the animal. "The thief that stole him did well to be rid ofhim," he said. "And that he should put him off on me is but anotherindignity I have suffered on this chase. The king hath ever alengthening score to pay, and nothing but a dukedom will content me.And why should I not be a duke? Let Richard Wood say what he likes,worse men than I have been dukes. Ay, and more basely born."

  By noon he had come to Newark. "And here will I pause and search thetown for them," he said. "If they know not of them, why, theirignorance is criminal. A loyal subject should know what concerneth hisking. And it concerneth the king that these two be found."

  Now it chanced that the king was then at Newark and about to set offfor Clipstone Palace. Which, when Walter Skinner heard, he declaredproudly, "I will have speech of him."

  "Thou have speech of him!" exclaimed an attendant. "Thou art mad."

  "Nay, verily, I am not mad. Am I not Walter Skinner, hired by theking's minister to bide in a high tree that overlooketh De Aldithelycastle? I tell thee, I will see the king." And, the party nowapproaching, he broke through all restraint and rode close up besidethe king. "May it please thy Majesty," he began, "there be those thatdo keep me back from speech with thee. Ay, even though I do tell themthat I serve thee."

  The king looked at him, laughed rudely, and motioned one of hisattendants to remove him. But the little man waved the attendant off,and cried out so that all might hear, "Didst not thy minister hire meto bide in the tall tree that overlooketh De Aldithely Castle?"

  At the mention of the name De Aldithely the king paused, and seemed tolisten. Seeing which, Walter Skinner went on: "And, when all the restwere gone to York, did I not see the young lord and his Saxonserving-man ride forth? And did I not give chase? And do I not now seekthem on this wind-broken and spring-halt horse as best I may?"

  The king beckoned the little man nearer.

  "Where hast thou sought?" he asked.

  "In the wood, in the swamp, and in the town," was the proud answer. "Ibe not like Richard Wood, who did set out to help me. For I have comeup with them three several times, and he not once."

  The king turned to one of his attendants. "Take thou the madman intocustody," he said. "We will presently send to De Aldithely castle tosee if these things be so."