Black Tor: A Tale of the Reign of James the First

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TWENTY.

  ALLIED FORCES.

  The crescent moon sank like a thin curve of light in the western skysoon after nine o'clock that night. At ten the last light disappearedat both places connected with the adventure, when Mark Eden loweredhimself from his window on to the top of the dining-hall bay, and fromthence to the ground.

  Soon after, there was a faint whispering and chinking, and three darkfigures, carrying swords and pikes, descended the steep zigzag to thebottom of the great tongue of rock, where six men were lying downwaiting; and a few minutes later, all well-armed, they were tramping insingle file through the darkness toward Steeple Stone. Their youngleader, armed only with his sword, and wearing a steel morion of ratherantiquated date, which could only be kept in place by a pad formed of acarefully folded silk handkerchief, was at their head; and in obedienceto his stern command, not a word was spoken as they made for theappointed tryst.

  A similar scene had taken place in the dry moat of Cliff Castle; and atthe head of his little party of eight, Ralph Darley was silently on hisway to the Steeple Stone, a great rugged block of millstone-grit, whichrose suddenly from a bare place just at the edge of the moor.

  The night was admirable for the venture, for it was dark, but not toomuch so, there being just enough light to enable the men to avoid thestones and bushes that lay in their way, which was wide of any regularpath or track.

  Ralph's heart throbbed high with excitement, and in imagination he sawthe gang of ruffians beaten and wounded, secured by the ropes he had hadthe foresight to make Nick Garth and Ram Jennings bring, and draggedback at dawn to the Castle to receive the punishment that his fatherwould measure out.

  He was a little troubled about that, for he felt that it was possiblesome objection might be raised by Mark Eden; and he was also a littleuneasy about the first encounter of the two little bands of men sohostile to one another. But his followers were amenable to discipline,and one and all so eager for the fray, that he soon forgot all aboutthese matters in the far greater adventure to come, and marched steadilyon, keeping a bright look out, till he was nearing the solitary rock.

  "See any one, Nick?" he whispered to his head man.

  "No, sir. All as still and lonesome as can be."

  "Then we are first," whispered Ralph. "I am glad. We'll march closeup, and then crouch down round the stone till the others come."

  Nick grunted; and they tramped softly on over the grass and heath, withall looking grim and strange, the utter stillness of the night out thereadding to the solemnity of the scene.

  But they had not taken half-a-dozen paces toward the block, seen dimlyagainst the starless sky, when there was a sharp chink, and a familiarvoice cried:

  "Who goes there?"

  "`Allies,'" said Ralph promptly.

  "Halt!" cried the leader.

  "Advance!" came back; and directly after, the two lads were face toface, comparing notes.

  "Began to think you were Purlrose's men," whispered Mark.

  "And I that you had not come."

  "Been here some time, and the lads are all lying down. Now then, whatare our plans? I want to get to work."

  "March together in single file, about five yards apart, straight for thecave. Get within fifty yards, halt, and let two advance softly toreconnoitre."

  "Can't do better," said Mark softly. "But we must keep very quiet, incase any of them are out marauding."

  "Yes, of course. When we get up to the mouth of the cave, we must halton one side, light our torches, and rush in. We must leave it to themen then."

  "Oh yes; they'll do it. They've all got their blood up. We mustsucceed."

  "But what about the torches?"

  "Got plenty for both, and two men have got mine lanterns alight undertheir gaberdines. Better pass round torches for your men now."

  Ralph agreed that this would be best, and Mark summoned Dummy with afaint bird-like chirrup, and made him bring the links.

  Then at a word, Mark's men sprang up, and after marking down the spotbelow the dimly-seen top of the mountain-limestone ridge, beneath which,half-way down, as they well knew, the cavern lay, the two partiesmarched on in silence side by side, pausing every few minutes, inresponse to a shrill chirp, while the leaders took a few paces ahead tomake a keen observation and whisper a few words.

  "All still," said Ralph, after the last of these pauses, which tookplace where the slope had grown steep, and they had about a quarter of amile to go upward to reach the entrance to the cavern.

  "Are you sure we're aiming right?" whispered Mark.

  "Certain. The hole is below that sharp point you can see against thesky. I remember it so well. Saw it when the men had surrounded us, andthe captain was making signs."

  "Keep on, then," whispered Mark. "Let's get one on each side of themouth, light our torches, and rush in. We'll go in side by side, andthe men must follow as they can."

  The march upward in the darkness was resumed almost without a word, butno regular lines could be kept to now, on account of the blocks of stoneprojecting, rough bushes, and cracks and deep crevices, which becamemore frequent as they progressed. Then, too, here and there they cameupon heaps of broken fragments which had fallen from above, split awayby the frosts of winter.

  Hearts beat high from excitement and exertion, for the slope grew moresteep now, and an enemy would have been at great advantage above them,if bent on driving them back.

  But all remained still: there was no warning of alarm uttered by sentry,no shrill whistle; and so utterly death-like was all around, that Ralphwhispered to Mark, who was close beside him now:

  "I believe they must be all out on some raid."

  "Seems like it," whispered back Mark; and they paused to let their menget close up, for the entrance could now dimly be made out, some twentyyards higher.

  "Better take your lantern," whispered Mark. "Then give the word afteryou are up, on one side, and we the other. We must go in at once then,for the light will startle them if they're there."

  The lantern, carefully shaded, was passed to Nick Garth, and once morethey pressed on, the men spreading out a little on either side now, soas to get level with the entrance, which gradually grew more plain, inthe shape of a narrow cleft, little more than wide enough to admit oneat a time; and they saw now that stones had been roughly piled beneathit to form a rough platform in front.

  Still no sound was heard, and the next minute the two little groupsclustered in their places close by the platform; Ralph gave the word,the lanterns were bared, and thrown open, and three links at a timethrust in, to begin burning, though not so quickly as their ownerswished, while men stood on either side with pikes levelled, ready toreceive the enemy should a rush be made from inside.

  It was a picturesque scene, as the light from the lanterns gleamed dimlyupon eager faces, and lit up the bright steel weapons. Then, one afterthe other, the torches began to burn and send upward little clouds ofpitchy smoke, the light growing brighter and brighter, and throwing upthe grey stones and darkening the shadows, till all were armed with ablazing light in their left hands, and sword or pike in their right,while between the two parties the mouth of the cave lay dark andforbidding, but silent as the grave.

  "Ready?" whispered Ralph.

  "Ready!" came from Mark.

  "Then forward!" cried the former, and, sword in hand, the two ladsstepped from right and left on to the platform, their shadows sent firstinto the dark rift; while the Ruggs crowded after Mark, and Nick Garthand Ram Jennings shouldered them in their effort to keep their placesclose behind Ralph.

  "Hang the link!" cried Mark suddenly. "Here, Darley, do as I do."

  He threw his flaming torch right forward into the cave as far as itwould go, and it struck against the wall and dropped some dozen yardsin, and lay burning and lighting up the rugged passage.

  "I'll keep mine till we get past yours," said Ralph in a hoarse whisper;and the lads pressed in, side by side, to find that the link was burnin
gat an abrupt corner, the passage turning sharply to the right.

  Mark stopped and picked up his link, but before he could throw it again,Ralph stepped before him over the rugged floor and hurled his light, tosee it fall right ahead, after also striking against the wall.

  "Zigzags," said Mark in a sharp whisper. "Here, mind what you're doingwith those pikes."

  "All right," was growled, but the men who held the weapons did notwithdraw them, two sharp points being thrust right forward, so as toprotect the two leaders, the holders being Dan Rugg and Nick Garth.Both Mark and Ralph objected to this again, but it was no time forhesitation. At any moment they might be attacked, and they were allwondering that they had heard nothing of the enemy, all being singularlystill, save a low murmuring sound as of falling water at a distance.

  "They must be all out," said Mark in a low voice. "Gone on some raid.Well, we shall catch them when they come back."

  Chirp!

  "Who did that?" said Ralph quickly, at the sound of a steel weaponstriking against the rock.

  But no one answered; and as they advanced slowly, and Mark stooped topick up his burning link once more where it lay against the corner ofthe natural passage, Ralph seized the opportunity to change his sword tohis left hand, and swing his round the corner out of sight.

  They heard it fall, and the glow struck against the wall to their left,lighting up the passage beyond the corner.

  "Take care, Master Mark," whispered Dan Rugg.

  "Ay, and you too, Master Ralph," whispered Nick Garth. "P'r'aps they'relying wait for us."

  "No," said Mark, aloud. "They're away somewhere, and I hope theyhaven't seen our lights."

  Whizz--thud!

  There was an involuntary start from the attacking party, for at thatmoment the burning link Ralph had thrown came sharply back, struckagainst the wall where the glow had shone just before, and dropped,blazing and smoking, nearly at their feet.

  "That settles it," said Mark excitedly.

  "Yes, and that explains the chink I heard. They're waiting for us.Ready? We must charge."

  Ralph's words were followed by the pressing forward of the men behind--those of each family being eager to prove their valour by being beforetheir rivals; and the next minute half-a-dozen were round the corner,with the two lads at their head, to find that the passage had suddenlywidened out into a roomy chamber, toward whose high roof the smoke fromthe torches slowly ascended, and contracted again at the end, about adozen yards away.

  "Yes, I remember," whispered Ralph. "I had forgotten: it goes off in apassage round to the left again at that corner."

  The men crowded in after them, finding ample room now, and all lookedabout, puzzled, for the enemy who had hurled back the link, several ofthose present being ready to place a strange interpretation upon themystery.

  But the explanation was plain enough when they reached the end of thechamber, where the onward passage was but a crack some two feet wide,with a bristling palisade of pike-heads to bar their further progress.There was no hesitation. At the sight of something real to attack, Markuttered a shout.

  "Here they are, lads," he cried. "Now for it! Pikes."

  The men, Edenites and Darleyites, closed in together, forgetting alltheir animosities, and their pike-heads gathered into a dense mass,clashing against those which bristled in the narrow opening, clinkedagainst the stone sides, and rattled, as the holders thrust and stabbedaway past their young leaders' shoulders, for, to their great disgust,both Mark and Ralph found that they could do nothing with their swords.

  And now the silence which had reigned was further broken by the excitedcries of the men, given at every thrust they made into the opening,their attack eliciting yells of defiance, oaths, and threats of whatwould be done directly.

  The fight went on for a few minutes, with apparently no effect on eitherside, the attacking party being unable to reach the defenders, while thelatter seemed to be too much crippled for space to attack in turn,contenting themselves with presenting their bristling points against theadvance.

  "Halt!" cried Mark suddenly. "This is of no use."

  "No," growled Nick Garth, as, in obedience to the order, the men drewback a couple of yards, to stand, though, with their pikes directed atthe narrow opening.

  "Come out, you rats, and fight fair," roared Dan Rugg; and there was aderisive shout of laughter, which echoed through the chamber, followedby the hoarse voice of Captain Purlrose.

  "Go home, bumpkins!" he shouted, "or we'll spit you all together likelarks."

  "Beast!" shouted back Mark; and stepping forward he hurled his linkright in over the pike-heads, amongst their holders, eliciting a seriesof thrusts and furious yells, as he took one step back, and fell backthe next. A savage roar rose from his men, answered by another fromwithin.

  "Hurt, Mark Eden?" cried Ralph excitedly, catching at his brotherleader, and saving him from going down.

  "No: feel stupid," panted Mark, who looked confused and dizzy; "pointstruck this stupid steel cap;" and he tore it off, and threw it down,though it had in all probability saved his life; the step back he hadtaken, however, had lessened the force of the thrust. "Better now.--Here, stop them. They are doing no good."

  For enraged by what had taken place, the attacking party had rushed inagain, to go on stabbing and thrusting away with their pikes, keeping upa series of rattlings and clashings, till Ralph made his voice heard,and they drew back, growling angrily, and the weird light shed by thetorches showed that blood had begun to flow from hands and arms.

  "We must do something different to this," cried Ralph, as soon as theyells of derision which greeted their repulse were over.

  "Yes, young idiot! Go home to bed," shouted the captain hoarsely. Thenhe burst into a savage tirade of curses, for Dummy, in his rage at beingright at the back, had thrown another blazing torch straight in over thebristling pike-heads, lighting up the interior, and showing the savagefaces of the defenders close together. Ralph judged that the link hadstruck the captain.

  "Stand fast, men," he whispered. "We may make them charge out that way.Go on, Dummy, and half-a-dozen more of you throw in your links alltogether."

  The order was obeyed, after the torches had been waved into a fierceblaze, and they flew in, scattering drops of burning pitch, bringingforth an outburst of yells of rage and pain, and a quick movement showedthat the marauders were about to rush out. But the voice of CaptainPurlrose was heard thundering out the words:

  "Stand fast! Only a few drops of pitch, and a singe or two. Here, twoof you, throw them back." An exchange of burning missiles now tookplace for a few minutes, which soon ended on the part of the defenders,who, roaring with rage and pain, kept on trampling out the torches nowthrown.

  "Stop!" cried Mark. "It's of no good. The cowards will not come out.Here, Ralph Darley."

  There was a few moments' whispering, resulting in orders being given tothe men, two of the Edens, and two of the Darleys standing aside, readyfor some action.

  "Now for another charge," whispered Mark. "Take as long a hold of yourpikes as you can, and when I give the order, let your points be alltogether like one. Ready? Forward!"

  As the little party advanced, with their pike-heads almost touching,while those of their enemies were advanced to defend the opening, thetwo men on either side darted close up, shielded by the wall, passedtheir arms over with a quick motion, and each grasped and held fast oneor two pike-shafts, in spite of the efforts of their holders to get themfree.

  But there were enough left to defend the hole, and one by one, in spiteof the desperate efforts made to hold them, the imprisoned weapons wereat last dragged away, to reappear, stabbing furiously, till, breathlesswith their exertions, the men once more drew back, several of the Edensin their rage snatching their small mining-picks from their belts, onehurling his into the hole, a wild yell telling that it had done itswork.

  "Well," said Mark despondently, "what can we do?"

  "Wait and see if they will
come out and attack us. We are wastingstrength."

  "Yes. It's no good. We ought to have brought a lot of blasting-powder,Dan, and blown them out."

  "Yes, Master Mark; but we didn't know. My advice is that we go backnow, and come again."

  "Why, you're hurt," said Ralph excitedly, as he saw the blood streamingdown the man's arm.

  "Ah, so's a lot of us, young master," growled the man. "Look at yourown lads."

  Ralph took and raised a torch, and saw that half his own party,including Nick Garth and Ram Jennings, were suffering from cuts andstabs in their arms.

  "Oh, they're nowt," growled Nick. "They've got it worse inside. Nowthen, let's go at 'em again, or we shall never do it."

  Another yell of defiance came from the passage, followed by mockinginvitations to them to come on again.

  "Yah! You aren't men," roared Ram Jennings. "Rats, that's what youare--rats. Only good to go and fight wi' women."

  "It's of no good," said Mark bitterly. "I feel done. I haven't had asingle cut or thrust at one of the brutes; neither have you. We can'tdo it."

  "I don't like to say so," said Ralph, "but my father was a soldier, andhe said a good officer never wasted his men."

  "Well, we're wasting ours," said Mark bitterly, "We must give up, andcome again."

  "Stop," whispered Ralph. "I know. Give orders to your men quietly, andI'll do so to mine. Then we'll throw the torches in at them with allour might, and give a shout, and retreat as if we were beaten."

  "And stop on each side of the mouth to catch them as they pursue us,"said Mark excitedly, catching at the idea. "That's it."

  The next moment they were hurrying from man to man, who heard themsulkily, growling and panting in their rage. But they obeyed theirleaders' orders, getting their remaining links well ablaze, the holdersforming in front, and the rest quietly and quickly filing out by theother end of the chamber.

  "Now!" shouted Ralph suddenly. "In with them."

  There was a rush of light, and the fiery missiles flew in through theopening, falling amongst the defenders, and leaving the chamber incomparative darkness, amidst which was heard the quick tramping of feet,mingled with the yells of rage from the defenders.

  The next minute, with Mark and Ralph coming last, all were outside themouth of the cavern, grouped in two parties, with presented weapons,breathing the soft, cool night air, and waiting for the attack of theirfoes.

  Sound after sound came from the opening, but not such as they longedwith bated breath to hear. Once there was a loud order which camerolling out, and a little later a gleam of lights was seen, but no rushof footsteps, no sign of pursuit; and suddenly a voice broke the silenceof the peaceful night air, as Nick Garth roared out:

  "'Taren't likely. Rats won't show for hours after the dogs have hunted'em in their holes."

  "Ah! might wait for a week," growled Dan Rugg. "It's all over forto-night."

  "They're right, Eden," whispered Ralph.

  "Yes: they're right," said Mark, with a groan. "We're beaten--beaten,like a pack of cowards. Let's go home."

  "I did not see much cowardice," said Ralph bitterly. "But it's allover, and we must retreat. Give the word."

  "What! to retreat?" cried Mark passionately. "I'll die first."

  "It is not fair to the men to keep them longer."

  "Well, you're a soldier's son, and know best, I suppose. Give the wordyourself."

  Ralph hesitated, for his companion's words seemed to be tinged by asneer, but he knew that it was madness to stay, and hesitating nolonger, he gave the word to retire.

  "We're not going back for your orders," said one of Mark's followerssurlily.

  "Yes, you are," cried his young master fiercely. "Back home now.March!"

  There was a low growling on both sides, but the orders were obeyed, andslowly and painfully the two parties, stiff with exertion, and smartingwith wounds, filed over the steep stone-besprinkled slope.

  As they walked down, the two lads drew closer together, and at lastbegan to talk in a low voice about their failure.

  "Head hurt much?" said Ralph.

  "Yes, horribly; and I've left that old iron pot behind. Air's cool toit, though."

  "Shall I bind it up?"

  "No: don't bleed. I say."

  "Yes."

  "How are we going to meet our fathers to-morrow morning? Nice state thepoor lads are in."

  Ralph uttered a gasp at the thought of it. There was no leadingprisoners back in triumph, with their hands bound behind them. Theywere beaten--cruelly beaten, and he was silent as his companion, as theytramped slowly on, at the head of their men, till the Steeple Stone wasseen looming up ahead, where they would separate, little thinking thatthe worst was to come.

  The lads halted to listen whether there was any sound of pursuit, andthe men filed slowly by till they were fifty yards ahead, when all atonce voices were heard in altercation, angry words were bandied fromside to side; and spurred by the same feeling of dread, the two leadersdashed forward again.

  Too late! The smouldering fires of years of hatred had been blown up bya few gusty words of bitter reproach. Nick Garth had in his pain anddisappointment shouted out that if the party had been all Darleys theadventure would have succeeded.

  Dan Rugg had yelled back that it was the Darleys who played coward andhung back; and the next moment, with a shout of rage, the two littleparties were at one another, getting rid of their rage anddisappointment upon those they looked upon as the real enemies of theirrace.