Part 61 (1/2)

A feeble pressure was the answer.

”Trust me. I will. Now we are in complete ignorance of the place, and must be guided so as to succeed.”

”You need no guidance,” said Sir Morton feebly. ”Cross yonder--there is an opening: follow the narrow pa.s.sage for twenty yards, and there is a big chamber-like grotto, and upon your right an archway leading into another smaller chamber. The enemy--are there. You have them as in a trap.”

Sir Morton Darley's voice grew a little firmer as he proceeded, and when he, 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 close quarters. Draw your swords.”

The order had hardly been executed when there came suddenly angry shouts, sounding hollow and strange, multiplied as they were by reverberations.

”They know we are here, father,” whispered Mark excitedly. But at that moment came distinctly the words:

”He cheated! A thief!” and the clas.h.i.+ng of swords.

”Forward!” said Sir Edward, and closely followed by his son and Nick Garth, whose breath came thickly, he followed the directions given by Sir Morton Darley, guided more by the sounds, to reach the entrance to a natural chamber, with high Gothic roof and walls glittering with crystals, which reflected the light of half--a--dozen candles stuck here and there.

Mark saw all this at a glance, as he grasped the fact that the inmates had broken into two parties, and were contending so fiercely that for a few moments they did not see the doorway crowded with angry countenances, and were only brought to a knowledge of their peril by the rush that was made by all but two of Sir Edward's men, who stayed back to 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 das.h.i.+ng forward like a wedge, striking with all their might; and at the end of a couple of 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 and fought with their miners' picks.

The scene was ghastly, as shown by two only of the candles, the rest having been knocked down in the struggle.

”Hurt, Mark?” cried Sir Edward from the far end, where he stood sword in hand, supporting himself by the wall, and with his foot resting upon the burly 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 reeled as he stepped over the bodies lying in the way.

His call was responded to directly by Dan Rugg and his son, both standing aghast for a few moments before energetically setting to work to 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 their leader were dead, the others lying disabled to wait their turn of help from their captors, who, now that the rage of battle was at an end, were ready to show mercy to their wounded foes.

Sir Edward was so badly hurt that after a brave struggle he had to give up, and leave the ordering of the work now necessary to his son, who began by having his father borne to the chamber where Minnie crouched, trembling with horror, by her half-insensible father's side; but upon being rea.s.sured by the information that her captivity was at an end, she revived, and devoted herself to helping the wounded with all a true woman'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 h.o.a.rd of all necessaries which the fellows had collected in the cavern.

Upon reaching the wall beyond which the guard were stationed, still in perfect ignorance of what had taken place within, a few shouts set the men to work, the defence was rapidly demolished, and the wounded were borne out into the light--a ghastly procession, though not a man murmured; and as soon as they were laid upon the heather, began to chat eagerly together about the success of the underground expedition.

As for the wounded prisoners, they were kept under guard in the chamber--where the wall had just been destroyed.

The two great enemies were borne out last; and as Mark followed with the trembling girl upon his arm, he looking proud and satisfied, in spite of a stained bandage upon his forehead, and she with her face unnaturally white and her eyes closed, unable to bear the light after so long an imprisonment in the depths of the cavern, Nick Garth raised himself upon his elbow and uttered a shout which rose into a rousing cheer.

”G.o.d bless you, Mistress Minnie!” cried the man hoa.r.s.ely, ”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's dead as mutton now. Look here, Nick Garth, I never see a man who could fight as well as you, and if you'd got a decent paw I'd say shake hands.”