by G. A. Henty
Chapter 10: Kidnapping A Minister.
In spite of the war between the two countries, communications werefrequent. Smuggling boats brought over, with their cargoes of wineand brandy, Huguenot fugitives; and, by the same means, secretagents carried back news of events in Paris to the Government.Having decided upon making for the coast without delay, Desmondand his friends next discussed the port to which they had besttravel, and which seemed to offer the fairest opportunities. Theyagreed that Weymouth seemed to be most advantageous, as it wasfrom there that the communications with Brittany were chieflymaintained.
At the same time, it was evident that considerable difficultywould be experienced in discovering the men engaged in suchtraffic, and in making an arrangement with them, and it wasall-important that no time should be lost, for there was no sayingwhen the trial might come on.
"If we could but get hold of Godolphin," Desmond said, nextmorning, "we might get an order, from him, to embark in one of theboats that carry his agents."
The others laughed.
"Yes; and if you could get hold of Anne, you might persuade her tosign an order for the release of our comrades."
Desmond did not answer, but sat thinking for a few minutes.
"It is not so impossible as you seem to imagine," he said, atlast. "Doubtless, like everyone else, he goes in a sedan chair tothe meeting of the council, and returns in the same manner. Thereare two ways in which we could manage the matter. Of course, hehas his own chair, with his chair men in livery. We might eithermake these men drunk and assume their dress, or attack themsuddenly on the way; then we should, of course, gag and bind them,and carry him here, or to some other place that we might decideupon, and force him to give us an order for the boatmen to take usacross the channel, at once. Of course, we should have horses inreadiness, and ride for the coast. We should have a twelve hours'start, for it would be that time before our landlady came in asusual, with our breakfast, when Godolphin would, of course, bereleased."
The two officers looked at each other, astounded at the audacityof the scheme that Desmond had quietly propounded. O'Sullivan wasthe first to speak.
"Are you really in earnest, Kennedy?"
"Quite in earnest. I do not see why it should not be done."
"Well, you are certainly the coolest hand I ever came across,"O'Neil said. "You are proposing to seize the first minister inEngland, as if it were merely an affair of carrying off a prettygirl quite willing to be captured. The idea seems monstrous, andyet, as you put it, I do not see why it might not succeed."
"I hardly think that it could fail," Desmond said quietly. "DeTulle managed to carry off the Baron de Pointdexter's daughterfrom the court of Versailles, and did so without any hitch ordifficulty. Surely three Irishmen could arrange an affair of thissort as well as a French vicomte."
"If it is to be done," O'Sullivan said, "I think the second planis best. You might fail in making the chair men drunk, or at anyrate sufficiently drunk to allow them to be despoiled of theirclothes; whereas you could have no difficulty in silencing acouple of chair men by a sudden attack--a sharp rap on the headwith these bludgeons ought to settle that affair."
"Quite so," Desmond agreed; "and while Mike and one of us were soemployed, the other two might throw open the doors of the chair,and gag Godolphin before he was conscious of what was happening."
"It all seems simple enough, Kennedy, and, if it were a citizen,one would think nothing of the undertaking. But it is nothingshort of high treason for us thus to make free with the person ofthe chief minister of England."
"That is a matter that does not concern me at all, O'Neil. If wewere captured now, we should be executed for high treason with theothers; and if we carried off Anne herself, they could not do muchmore to us.
"Now, it seems to me that if you are both agreed that we shouldcarry out the plan, the first thing to be done is to arrange forhorses; or, better still, for a light cart to carry the four ofus. I should think that Mike would, among his acquaintances, beable to hear of a man with a couple of fast horses and such a cartas we require, who would agree to drive us to the coast, arranginga change of horses on the way. He could offer ten louis, whichwould be a sum that a man of that kind would be well satisfiedwith."
"I will see to that, your honour. I have no doubt that I can findsuch a man without difficulty. When would you want him?"
"Tonight, certainly, with the arrangement that, if we do not cometo the appointed spot, we shall be there tomorrow night. Recollectten louis is all we can afford, but if he wants any more, he musthave it.
"Well, we will leave that to you."
Then he went on to the others:
"We had better go down to Saint James's. Mike can go out and buyus three shock wigs, with which we can cover our hair and look ourparts better. We had better separate when we get there, and watchthe entrances to the palace, gazing about like rustics; then wecan get into a conversation with any servant that we see, and tryand find out from which door members of the council usually issue,and at about what hour. We could succeed without that, because weshould notice the chairs waiting for them. Still, it is as wellthat we should get all the information we can. There will be,doubtless, personages leaving who have been with the PrincessAnne. They might go out by another entrance, and therefore weshould miss our man."
"You will have more than the two chair men to deal with, yourhonour, for there are sure to be two link men with the chair."
"Well, it will be as easy to dispose of four men as of two, Mike."
"Every bit, your honour, and the more of them the more divarsion."
An hour later they set out, now so well disguised that no onewould have dreamt that the three Irishmen were officers in aFrench regiment; and before noon Desmond succeeded in obtaining,from a scullion employed in the palace, the particulars that herequired. On saying that he had but just come to London, andwanted to get a sight of the great people, the present of ashilling sufficed to extract the information from the boy; andDesmond then rejoined his companions, and they at once returned totheir lodgings, where they found Mike awaiting them.
"I have managed it, your honour, but it will cost twelve louis. Iwent to the man from whom I got the saws, and he said at once thatthe affair could be managed easily, and, sure enough, he took meto the shop of a man who, he said, sometimes acted with cracksmen.The fellow was sharp enough to see, at once, that it was somethingspecial that we wanted the horses for, but after some bargaininghe agreed to do it for twelve gold pieces, and, if necessary, toget a change of horses twice on the road. He will be ready withhis cart at twelve o'clock, a hundred yards or so outside the lasthouses on the south side of the Old Kent Road. I could not tellhim which port you would go to, but he said from there he could goto Dover, or turn off so as to make for Southampton or Weymouth.It is to be twelve pounds if it is to Dover or Southampton;fifteen pounds if it is to Weymouth."
"That is satisfactory," Desmond said. "Now we have nothing else todo till ten o'clock tonight, when, as the boy said, the councilgenerally ends; though we will be there an hour earlier, in casethey should leave before. Now I think we had better find out whereGodolphin's house is, and fix upon the best spot for the attack,and how we shall each station ourselves."
This part of the business offered no difficulties. They found thatthe minister would probably be carried through Saint James's Park,and they fixed upon the spot where they would await his coming.
Mike was to attack the first porter. O'Sullivan was to followclose behind him and, at the same moment, fell the rearmost man.O'Neil and Desmond, who were to conceal themselves among trees onopposite sides of the path, were to spring out and strike down thelink bearers, and then enter the chair and bind and gag theminister.
Mike was sent out to buy a pot of black paint, with which toefface the gildings of the chair, and to reduce its appearance tothat ordinarily used by the citizens. He was ordered to get asupply of rope, and some wood, to make gags for the men they wereto stun.
The o
thers were to post themselves at the spot agreed on, whileDesmond was to remain at the entrance to the palace by whichministers would issue, to note Lord Godolphin's chair, and, whenhe was fairly on his way, to follow it for a short distance tomake sure that it was being taken through the park, and then torun on and warn the others to be in readiness.
On their return to their lodging, they ate the dinner that Mikehad got in for them, and, as they drank their wine, laughed andjoked over their enterprise; for, now that they were fairlyembarked upon the scheme, the two officers were as eager asDesmond in the matter, and were much more excited over theprospect than he was.
Before nine o'clock, they and Mike were posted in the park, andDesmond was at the entrance to the palace. Here seven or eightchairs, with their bearers and link men, were assembled. As mostof the porters were hired men, Desmond readily entered intoconversation with them, and expressed his desire to see the greatpersons and learn which were their chairs, so that he should knowthem as they entered them.
In half an hour there was a stir, and a servant, coming out,shouted:
"His Grace the Duke of Somerset's chair."
This was at once brought up to the door. Next came a call for thechair of Mr. Henry Boyle, who was followed by Harcourt, theattorney general, then the chair of My Lord Godolphin wassummoned.
Desmond and three or four others, who had gathered to see themembers of the council come out, had been ordered off by thesentries as soon as the first chair was called, but remained nearenough to hear the names. To his satisfaction, Godolphin's chairwas carried off in the direction they had anticipated, and he atonce ran on and joined his companions.
Presently, the lights carried by the two link men were seenapproaching, and, as the chair came abreast of him, he shouted:
"Now!"
Almost simultaneously, the four heavy cudgels alighted on theheads of the four men, levelling them senseless to the ground; andO'Neil and Desmond sprang to the chair, and wrenched the dooropen, while O'Sullivan and Mike bound the four men, and thrust thegags into their mouths. Lord Godolphin had been thrown from hisseat by the sudden fall of his bearers, and was seized and boundbefore he was conscious of what had happened. Then his captorsassisted the others in carrying the fallen men to some distancefrom the path.
A couple of minutes sufficed to cover the gilding and armorialbearings upon the chair. The torches were still burning on theground. One of these was stamped out. Desmond took the other. Mikeand O'Sullivan went between the poles, and adjusted the leathernstraps over their shoulders, and started.
Emerging from the park at Charing Cross, past the old church ofSaint. Martin's in the Fields, and keeping round the walls toHolborn Bars, they made their way to their lodging, and Godolphinwas carried into their room, which was on the ground floor. Mikeand O'Neil then took the chair away, and left it in a narrowalley, where it was not likely to attract attention until themorning.
Not until they returned was anything said to their prisoner. Ithad been agreed that O'Neil, as the senior, was to be spokesman ofthe party.
"Lord Godolphin," he said, "I regret that circumstances haveobliged us to use force towards you, but our necessities compel usto leave the country at once, and it has appeared to us that in noway could we get away so expeditiously as with the aid of yourlordship. We will now set you free. I must tell you, beforehand,that if you attempt to raise your voice and give the alarm, weshall be constrained to blow out your brains."
Mike now released him from the bonds, and removed the gag from hismouth, but for a time the minister was incapable of speech, beingchoked by anger at the treatment he had met with.
"You will repent this outrage," he burst out, at last.
"I think not, sir," O'Neil said, quietly. "At any rate, we arequite ready to take our chance of that. In order that you may feelat ease with us, I have no hesitation in telling you who we are.We are the three French officers who, as no doubt you have heard,yesterday escaped from Newgate, and we are anxious to get out ofthe country as soon as possible. It will be also a guarantee toyou that we have no designs on either your pockets or yourperson."
Angry as he still was, it was evident, by the expression of thetreasurer's face, that the information was a relief to him, forindeed he had supposed that he had been carried off by politicalenemies, and was very uncertain as to what would befall him.
"What is it that you require, then?" he asked, after a pause.
"Merely this, sir. That you will give us an order, upon an agentthrough whom you communicate with France, to take us across thechannel immediately."
"Well, gentlemen," Godolphin said, more calmly, "I must say yourcoolness surprises me. Your escape yesterday was, of course,reported to us; and the manner in which you obtained that rope, bywhich you descended, is a mystery that the jail authorities arewholly unable to solve.
"If you obtain the order you desire, will you give me your word ofhonour that it shall be used in a manner in no way hostile to theinterests of this country, but solely, as you say, for the purposeof conveying you across the channel?"
"That promise we give willingly. We must ask you to pledge yourhonour, as a gentleman, that the order you give us will be agenuine one--a matter that we cannot ascertain until we arrive atthe address given. We are willing to play fairly with you, sir,but if you do not do the same, we shall certainly return toLondon, though in some different guise, and, if so, I warn youthat no guards will save you from our vengeance."
"You need not threaten, sir," Lord Godolphin said calmly. "I willgive you the order, to the person to whom such communications areaddressed, and it shall be couched in the same words as usual."
Desmond placed a sheet of paper, pen, and ink before him. He,dating it from the Treasury, wrote:
To John Dawkins, Mariner, High Street, Rye. Urgent.
On the receipt of this, you will at once convey the bearer, andthree persons with him, and land them in some convenient spot inFrance.
He then added his signature.
"Now, gentlemen, what next?" he said, looking up.
O'Neil looked at his companions, and then they spoke for a momenttogether.
"We are about to start at once, my lord," he said, "and it was ourintention to have left you bound and gagged, until the morning,when the woman of the house would have assuredly found you andreleased you. But, as you have acceded to our request at once, wewill, if you give us your word of honour that you will raise noalarm, and say no word of this business until eight o'clocktomorrow morning, let you depart at once."
"Thank you for your courtesy, gentlemen, and for your confidencein my honour. I am, indeed, anxious to return home at once. If Ido not do so, there will be a hue and cry for me, and by the timeI return in the morning all London will know that I am missing. Inaturally should not wish this adventure to become a matter ofcommon talk: in the first place, because the position in which youhave placed me can scarcely be called a pleasant one; andsecondly, because the success of your enterprise might lead othersto make similar attempts on my person, or that of my colleagues.Even now, I fear that my servants, when sufficiently recovered,will go to my house and give the alarm."
"I do not think that that is likely to be the case, my lord,"O'Neil said, "as we took the precaution of gagging and bindingthem, and laid them down some distance from the roadside. If, onyour return home, you find they have not arrived, you have but tosend a couple of your servants out to release them. You can givethem strict orders that no word is to be said of the affair, andmake them to understand you were attacked in error, and that theruffians who took part in the outrage at once released you, upondiscovering your identity."
"Very good, sir," Godolphin said, with a grim smile. "I mustreally compliment you all on your fertility of resource andinvention. And now, is there anything else that I can do for you?"
"There is one small favour," Desmond said. "Your lordship hasdoubtless twenty guineas in your possession. You would greatlyoblige us if you would give us them, for so many louis. These
youwill have no difficulty in exchanging, whereas the exhibition ofFrench money, on our part, might excite suspicion."
Lord Godolphin placed his hand in his pocket, drew out a heavypurse, and, opening it, counted out twenty guineas. O'Neil tookthese up, and handed to him twenty louis pieces.
"One more question, gentlemen. What has become of my sedan chair?"
"It is in an alley, hard by," O'Neil said, "and as we areourselves going in your direction we will carry it to your door."
"You are obliging, indeed, sir. If it had been found, theescutcheon on the panels would have shown that it was mine."
"I fear, my lord, that you will have to have it repainted; for,before starting with you, we took the precaution to put blackpaint over the gilding and panels. Still, the lining and fittingswould show that it belonged to some person of wealth andimportance. As you have been so obliging to us, we will gladlyescort you, with it, to your door."
"I shall be glad, indeed, of that, gentlemen, for I certainlyshould not care about travelling alone through these lanes andalleys, which have by no means a good reputation."
"We are ready to start at once, my lord," O'Neil said. "We have along journey to perform, and, although there is now no need forextraordinary speed, we shall be glad to be off."
They were ready at once, having settled with their landlady beforestarting out in the evening, telling her that they had heard of ajob and should start early in the morning. Mike and Desmondfetched the empty chair, and they then started, Godolphin walkingwith the other officers in front.
"This is the most surprising adventure that ever happened to me,"Lord Godolphin said; "and it is a pity that officers who possessthe wit to plan an escape from Newgate, and to ensure a speedyflight from the country by carrying me off, are not in the serviceof Her Majesty."
"We may yet be in the British service some day, my lord,"O'Sullivan laughed; "but I may tell you that my friend, andmyself, disclaim any credit in contriving the matter of which youspoke, that being solely the work of our young comrade, who is atpresent the youngest ensign in our regiment."
"Then he must be a shrewd fellow, indeed," Godolphin said, "likelyto do service in any position to which he may attain."
They walked sharply. Several times rough men came and peered atthem, but Godolphin was wrapped in a cloak, and the appearance ofthose with him showed that hard knocks, rather than booty, wouldbe the result of interfering with them. On reaching LordGodolphin's house they placed the sedan chair on the steps.
"Goodnight to you, gentlemen, and good fortune!" Lord Godolphinsaid. "The lesson has not been lost, and I shall take good care,in future, to have a strong escort."
They then crossed Westminster Bridge, and made rapidly for thespot where the cart was waiting for them.
"You are an hour after your time," the man said. "I had begun tothink that something had gone wrong with you."
"That is not the case," O'Neil said; "but we have certainly beendetained longer than we anticipated."
"Where are we going to?"
"To Rye."
"That will suit me very well," the man said. "I have friends alongthat road, and shall have no trouble about horses."
They started at once, at a rattling pace, the animals, though butsorry-looking creatures, being speedy and accustomed to longjourneys. It was evident, from the man's manner, that he believedhis passengers were cracksmen who had just successfully carriedout an enterprise of importance. He expressed surprise that theyhad brought no luggage with them.
They did not care to undeceive him. Mike had brought with him abottle of good brandy, and a drink of this soon removed thevexation the man had felt at being kept waiting for them.
Twice during the journey they changed horses, each time at smallwayside inns, where some password, given by the driver, at onceroused the landlord into activity. But a few minutes were spent inthe changes, and the fifty miles to Rye were accomplished in sevenhours--a very unusual rate of speed along the badly kept roads ofthe period. When the car drew up in the High Street of Rye, thefour occupants were scarce able to stand, so bruised and shakenwere they by their rapid passage over the rough road.
They handed the twelve pounds agreed upon to the driver, addinganother as a token of their satisfaction at the speed at which hehad driven them, and then enquired for the house of WilliamDawkins. It was close by, and upon knocking at the door, it wasopened by the man himself.
"I have a message to deliver to you, in private," O'Neil said.
The man nodded, and led the way indoors, where the letter washanded to him.
"That is all right," he said. "My craft is always ready to setsail, at an hour's notice, and if the wind holds fair I will landyou on the French coast before nightfall. I see that your businessis urgent, or you would not have put on disguises before leavingLondon. I suppose you have brought other clothes to land in?"
"We have not," O'Neil said. "We came away in such a hurry that wedid not think of it until on the road, and then we thought that wemight procure them here."
"There will be no difficulty about that," the sailor said. "I willgo out, and warn my men that we shall sail in half an hour, andthen I can get any garments that you desire; for, doubtless, youdo not wish to attract comment by the purchase of clothes thatwould seem unfitted to your present position."
"That is so," O'Sullivan said, "and we shall gladly embrace youroffer. We should like three suits, such as are worn by persons offair position in France, and one proper for a serving man."
"I cannot get you quite French fashion, sir, but they do notdiffer much from our own; and with a cloak each, I have no doubtthat you would pass without attracting attention--that is, ofcourse, if you speak French well."
"As well as English," O'Neil said. "Here are seven pounds in gold,which will, I should think, be sufficient. If not, we are providedwith French gold, for use after landing there."
"I have no doubt it will suffice, sir. If not, I will pay what isthe excess, and you can settle with me afterwards."
In three-quarters of an hour after their arrival at Rye, they weredressed in their new disguises and on board the little lugger,which at once started down the river, which was at that time muchmore free from shoals and difficulties than it is at present.
"Your boat seems fast," Desmond remarked, as, having cleared themouth of the river, she put out to sea.
"She is fast, sir; the fastest thing that sails out of Rye. Sheneeds be, for the gentlemen who come to me are always in a hurry."
"I suppose you have no fear of English cruisers?"
"Not at all. I have the order you brought with you, and have onlyto show it to any English ship of war that overhauls us, for themto let us go on at once. I am careful when I get near the Frenchcoast, for although their big craft never venture out far, thereare numbers of chasse-maree patrolling the coast. However, even ifcaught by them, it would be but a temporary detention, for I amwell known at Etaples, which is always my port, unless speciallydirected to land my passengers elsewhere."
The wind was fresh and favourable, and at six o'clock in theafternoon they entered the little port. Some gendarmes came downto the wharf.
"We need have no fear of them," William Dawkins said. "Theirlieutenant is paid handsomely for keeping his eyes shut, andasking no questions."
"So you are back again," the officer said. "Why, it is not a weeksince you were here!"
"No, it is but six days since I sailed."
"And you have four passengers?"
"That's the number, sir. The Irish gentlemen are desirous ofentering the service of France."
The officer nodded.
"Well, gentlemen, you will find plenty of your countrymen inParis; and, as everyone knows, there are no better or braversoldiers in His Majesty's service."
The friends had already enquired, from William Dawkins, whetherthere was any passage money to pay, saying that they had forgottento ask before starting.
"Not at all. I am well paid by Government. My boat is alwaysre
tained at a price that suits me well, and I get so much extrafor every voyage I make. No, sir, thank you; I will take nothingfor myself, but if you like to give half a guinea to the crew, todrink success to you, I will not say no."
The party made no stay at Etaples, but at once ordered a chaiseand post horses. Then, changing at every post house, and sufferingvastly less discomfort than they experienced in the journey toRye--the roads being better kept in France than they were on theEnglish side of the channel--they arrived in Paris at eleveno'clock next day.
