CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.
THE WASPS' NEST.
There was a sound in the darkness as if several men had drawn a deepbreath together, and then for a few moments all was very still, so stillthat Mark started when he heard his father's voice, and felt strange andwondered to hear the gentle tones in which he spoke.
"Do you feel that you can guide us all without lights?"
"Oh, yes; I have been so long in the dark, and have often come with myfather to fill the pitcher in that pool below."
"Rugg, you and your boy stay back, and keep the lights hidden," said SirEdward firmly.
"Oh!" cried the old miner, in a tone full of protest; and then hastily:"Right, Sir Edward."
"And be ready to bring the lanterns, and come to our help when called."
Dan Rugg growled his assent, but Dummy murmured angrily.
"Join yourselves together, my lads," whispered Sir Edward, "by carryingyour pikes each with the head upon the shoulder of the man before him--the man behind me to rest his in the same way as I lead. Ready?"
"Ay!" came in a low growl from out of the darkness.
"One word more," said Sir Edward sternly, and his words sent a thrillthrough Mark. "If the enemy surrenders, show mercy now: if he does not,remember not a man must escape."
A low deep murmur, full of hatred against the destroyers of their homes,came from the miners, and then in the renewed silence Sir Edward saidsharply:
"Mark, take this poor child's other hand, and protect her when I amaway. Now forward."
A little soft cold hand closed tightly upon Mark's, as he stepped toMinnie's side; and then slowly and silently the party advanced under thegirl's guidance for quite two hundred yards through what seemed to besolid darkness, out of which her voice came in a low whisper from timeto time.
"Stoop here--a little to the right--to the right once more--now throughthis narrow opening on the left. Only one can pass at a time: youfirst."
Mark led, and passed through a rift, to see a feeble glow upon his left,where a candle was stuck against the rock, and beneath it lay a figure,very dimly-seen, while, apparently coming through an opening farther on,they heard the low hoarse sound of voices; and words came suggestingthat the speakers were engaged in some game of chance.
Minnie withdrew her hands from her protectors, and hurried to kneel downby the figure in the corner, Sir Edward and Mark following, to bend overthe prisoner.
"Too weak," he panted--"I tried to come. Eden! A strange meeting, ohmine enemy! God forgive us all the past; and if when you--come back--aconqueror--for the sake of Him who died--protect my child.--Minnie!" hecried faintly, and the girl sank beside him with a wail.
Sir Edward went down on one knee, sought for, and took his enemy's hand.
"Can you hear?" he whispered.
A feeble pressure was the answer.
"Trust me. I will. Now we are in complete ignorance of the place, andmust be guided so as to succeed."
"You need no guidance," said Sir Morton feebly. "Cross yonder--there isan opening: follow the narrow passage for twenty yards, and there is abig chamber-like grotto, and upon your right an archway leading intoanother smaller chamber. The enemy--are there. You have them as in atrap."
Sir Morton Darley's voice grew a little firmer as he proceeded, and whenhe, ceased there was a low murmur of satisfaction, and the men's faces,dimly-seen, were turned to Sir Edward for the order to advance.
"Lay your pikes in that corner," he whispered. "It will be closequarters. Draw your swords."
The order had hardly been executed when there came suddenly angryshouts, sounding hollow and strange, multiplied as they were byreverberations.
"They know we are here, father," whispered Mark excitedly. But at thatmoment came distinctly the words:
"He cheated! A thief!" and the clashing of swords.
"Forward!" said Sir Edward, and closely followed by his son and NickGarth, whose breath came thickly, he followed the directions given bySir Morton Darley, guided more by the sounds, to reach the entrance to anatural chamber, with high Gothic roof and walls glittering withcrystals, which reflected the light of half--a--dozen candles stuck hereand there.
Mark saw all this at a glance, as he grasped the fact that the inmateshad broken into two parties, and were contending so fiercely that for afew moments they did not see the doorway crowded with angrycountenances, and were only brought to a knowledge of their peril by therush that was made by all but two of Sir Edward's men, who stayed backto guard the entry and cut off the escape of any who tried to get away.
The encounter was short and fierce, Sir Edward's men dashing forwardlike a wedge, striking with all their might; and at the end of a coupleof minutes' savage encounter, the mercenaries fighting like rats at bay,there was a terrible silence, broken only by muttered curses and groans,while eight men stood erect, half of whom had cast away their swords andfought with their miners' picks.
The scene was ghastly, as shown by two only of the candles, the resthaving been knocked down in the struggle.
"Hurt, Mark?" cried Sir Edward from the far end, where he stood sword inhand, supporting himself by the wall, and with his foot resting upon theburly body of Captain Purlrose.
"Not much, father," panted the lad. "Bit of a cut."
"How many escaped? I saw three make for the door."
"None, master," growled Nick Garth, who was upon the floor at the right."There they lay: those brave lads brought 'em down."
"Shout for the lanterns, Mark, boy," cried Sir Edward; and Mark reeledas he stepped over the bodies lying in the way.
His call was responded to directly by Dan Rugg and his son, bothstanding aghast for a few moments before energetically setting to workto help their friends, who, saving the two who had guarded the entrance,were wounded to a man, while of Captain Purlrose's party, four and theirleader were dead, the others lying disabled to wait their turn of helpfrom their captors, who, now that the rage of battle was at an end, wereready to show mercy to their wounded foes.
Sir Edward was so badly hurt that after a brave struggle he had to giveup, and leave the ordering of the work now necessary to his son, whobegan by having his father borne to the chamber where Minnie crouched,trembling with horror, by her half-insensible father's side; but uponbeing reassured by the information that her captivity was at an end, sherevived, and devoted herself to helping the wounded with all a truewoman's zeal.
Mark's next task was to go with Dan Rugg and Dummy to the entrance,wondering the while at the extent of the place and the hoard of allnecessaries which the fellows had collected in the cavern.
Upon reaching the wall beyond which the guard were stationed, still inperfect ignorance of what had taken place within, a few shouts set themen to work, the defence was rapidly demolished, and the wounded wereborne out into the light--a ghastly procession, though not a manmurmured; and as soon as they were laid upon the heather, began to chateagerly together about the success of the underground expedition.
As for the wounded prisoners, they were kept under guard in thechamber--where the wall had just been destroyed.
The two great enemies were borne out last; and as Mark followed with thetrembling girl upon his arm, he looking proud and satisfied, in spite ofa stained bandage upon his forehead, and she with her face unnaturallywhite and her eyes closed, unable to bear the light after so long animprisonment in the depths of the cavern, Nick Garth raised himself uponhis elbow and uttered a shout which rose into a rousing cheer.
"God bless you, Mistress Minnie!" cried the man hoarsely, "and you too,youngster. You're a brave lad, and I'll never call you an enemy again."
"Humph! No," said Dan Rugg, who was close to him. "I s'pose all that'sdead as mutton now. Look here, Nick Garth, I never see a man who couldfight as well as you, and if you'd got a decent paw I'd say shakehands."
"Say it, mate," said Nick, and he painfully lifted a wounded arm, toplace his bandaged hand in that of the old miner who had hated him allhis
life.
A man had been started off as soon as the news was known to fetch morehelp from the Black Tor; and, as tidings fly swiftly, assistance sooncame from every farm and cottage for miles, the women flocking up toErgles, and eagerly helping to bear the sufferers to their homes.
Sir Edward and Sir Morton went last, each borne upon a litter, Minniebeing provided with a pony, led by one of her father's men, who kept onshaking his head and saying that he couldn't understand it, for itseemed so strange that his master and young mistress and their leadersshould be going up to the Black Tor.
He said this to Nick Garth, who was lying with closed eyes upon aroughly-made litter of poles.
"Well," said Nick roughly, "who can? It's 'cause they say the worldturns round, and sometimes we're standing on our heads and sometimes onour feet; we're on our heads now, and it's o' no use to kick when yourlegs are in the air."
There was one more task to see to, though, before Mark left the place,with its plunder in charge of Dan Rugg and a guard, so that the robbers'stores could be restored to their rightful owners.
Over this matter Mark had a whispered consultation with the two woundedknights, and then went off to Rugg.
"Well, yes, Master Mark," said that worthy; "I was thinking o' somethingo' that sort. Right in that little chamber place. A good thick wall,and well made, with plenty o' lime. It wouldn't seem Christian-like tothrow 'em out on the hill among the stones; and you see there's so manyravens and crows."
Dummy Rugg kept as close to Mark as he could in these busy times, andtried several times to speak to him, but without success. At last,though, the opportunity came.
"Oh, Master Mark," he said, in a tone full of reproach; "you ought tohave spoke out."
"When? What about?"
"When I was sent back to take care of those nasty old lanterns. But itserves you right. If I'd been there at the fight you wouldn't have beenhurt like that."
"And perhaps you'd have been killed. Get out, you ungrateful dog!"
"Dog, am I? Well, it's enough to make me bite."
"Bite away, then, Dummy. I can't lift my arm to hit you now."
"Then I'll wait till you get well again. But it was mean. I never seemto get a chance."
"Well, you are a grumbler, Dummy. Here, you've done what none of uscould do--shown us how to end all this trouble, and pleased everybody,and yet you're not happy."
"Happy?" said the boy; "who's to be happy after what I've done? Why, Ishan't never dare to come past Ergles now in the dark."
"Why?"
"'Cause old Purlrose and his men'll come popping out to haunt me forgetting 'em killed. I shall never like to come by there again."
"They won't come out this way, Dum," said Mark, trying to look veryserious; "they'll come the other way, and get into the mine to lie inwait for you in the dark parts, and heave blocks of stones at you."
"Think they will, Master Mark?" gasped the boy, and his eyes and mouthopened wide.
"Sure to."
"Get out: you're laughing at me."
"I'm more disposed to cry; to think of such a stout, brave lad as youshould believe such nonsense."
"Nonsense?" cried Dummy. "What, don't you be--believe in ghosts andbor--bogies, Master Mark?"
"Do I look as if I did?" cried Mark contemptuously. "You wait till Iget well, and if you tell me then that you believe in such silly oldwomen's tales, I'll kick you."
Dummy grinned.
"You wouldn't," he said. "But I say, Master Mark, think old Purlrosewill haunt me?"
"Bah!" ejaculated Mark. "There, come along; I want to get home and letMaster Rayburn do something to my bit of a wound. It hurts so I canhardly walk."
"Here, let me carry you, Master Mark. Pig-a-back. I can."
"No, no, Dummy, old lad; but you come to the castle to-morrow, and sayyou are to walk up and see me. I shall have to be put to bed, I expect,in the same room with young Ralph Darley."
"Then I shan't come," said the boy, scowling.
"Why?"
"'Cause I don't like him, and I don't like to see his father and theirgirl took there as if they were friends."
"They are now, Dum, and there isn't going to be any more fighting in thevale."
It was a strange scene when the slow procession wound its way up thezigzag, at the top of which Mary Eden and Master Rayburn were waitingwith the women and the tiny wounded garrison to receive the fresh partyof injured folk.
Mary ran to her wounded father to embrace him, and then to MinnieDarley, to whom she held out her hands, and the people cheered as thetwo girls kissed.
Mary was about to lead the trembling girl in, but she shook her head andwent to her father's side; and then Mary looked round for her brother,and ran to him, as he came up leaning upon Dummy's arm.
"Oh, Mark, darling! hurt?" she cried, flinging her arms about his neck.
"Just a bit," he said, with a sickly smile. "You do as Minnie Darleydid. Never mind me; go and stay with father. He's more hurt than he'llown to. Ah, Master Rayburn! brought you some more work, but we've burntout the wasps."
"My brave boy!" cried the old man, wringing his hands. "There, I'llcome to you as soon as I can. I must go to those who are worse."
"Yes, yes," said Mark; "I've got my doctor here. But tell me--youngRalph?"
"Recovered his senses, and asked about his father and sister."
"Come along, Dummy," said Mark faintly; "let's go and tell him we'vebrought them safe; and then you shall wash and bind up my cut."
He uttered a faint "Ah!" and would have fallen but for the boy's readyarm; and the next minute he was being borne up the steps, pig-a-backafter all, though he had scouted the offer before. He had fainted deadaway.
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.
A DEAD FEUD.
Time glided away as fast in the days of James the First as it does inthe reign of our gentle Queen; and a year had gone by in the quietpeaceful vale, where, to a man, all who had been in the great troublehad more or less quickly recovered from their wounds.
The prisoners were the worst sufferers, and in the great friendly peacebrought about between the old lords of the land, partly by their ownmanly feeling and the love that had somehow sprung up among theirchildren, the greatest of all the Christian virtues took deep root, andflourished in a way that would have put the proverbial green bay tree toshame.
Hence it was that, as very slowly one by one the miserable crippledprisoners, so many wrecks, diseased by their own reckless life andcrippled by their wounds, struggled back slowly to a condition in whichperhaps a few years were left them for a better life, they were leftentirely in Master Rayburn's hands; and first one and then another wassent off with a little money and a haversack of food to seek his friendsand trouble the peaceful valley no more.
It took nearly the year before the last of the wretched crew badefarewell to the place, grateful or ungrateful, according to his nature,after going through a long course of physical suffering; and by thattime Cliff Castle was pretty well restored, and the two lads, after along absence, were back home again to the land of mighty cliff, greenforest, and purling stream.
It was on one of those glorious early summer mornings when the air seemsfull of joy, and it is a delight even to exist, that, as the sycamoresand beeches in their early green were alive with song, there came arattle of tiny bits of spar against Mark Eden's casement window, and hesprang out of bed to throw it open and look down upon Ralph Darley,armed with lissom rod over his shoulder and creel on back.
"Oh, I say," he cried, "asleep, and on a morning like this!"
"Yes, but you're too soon."
"Soon? Why, I'm a quarter of an hour late. Be quick, the May-fly areup, and the trout feeding like mad, and as for the grayling, I saw thebiggest--oh! do make haste."
"Shan't be long."
"And Mark, tell Mary that father is going to bring Min up about twelve,and they are to meet us with the dinner-basket up by the alder weir.Well, why don't you make haste and dr
ess?"
"I was thinking," said Mark, with a broad smile.
"What about?"
"Oh, here's Dummy with the net," cried Mark. "Hi! you sir! why didn'tyou come and call me at the proper time?"
"Morn', Master Ralph," said the lad, with a friendly grin. Then with anill-used look up at the window:
"'Tis proper time. You said six, and it aren't that yet."
"There," cried Mark; "you are too soon."
"Very well. It was so fine; but I say, what were you thinking about?"
Mark grinned again.
"Is it so very comic?" said Ralph impatiently.
"That depends on what you say."
"Well, let's hear."
"I was thinking that you and I have never finished that fight."
"No; you haven't been down to steal our ravens. I say, Mark, what doyou say? Shall we? They're building there again."
"Let 'em," said Mark, "in peace."
THE END.
Black Tor: A Tale of the Reign of James the First Page 31
