Part 68 (2/2)

”I'll have one prisoner, at all events,” growled the man, fiercely; and he gave Fred's horse a savage kick in the ribs, with the intention of making him start away.

Had the horse followed the enemy's wishes, his rider would have been unseated, but, instead of starting away, the well-drilled beast pressed closer alongside the horse by his side, and Fred still clung to the saddle.

”Ah, you wretched young Puritan sp.a.w.n! Would you sting?” growled the man, as Fred made a desperate effort to use his sword. ”Then take that.”

The Cavalier rose in his stirrups, and was in the act of striking with all his might, when a fresh sword parted the air like a flash, swung as it was by a muscular arm, and the middle of the blade caught the Cavalier trooper right upon the plated cheek-strap of the morion he wore, dividing it so that the steel cap flew off, and the man dropped back over the cantle of his saddle, his frightened horse making a bound forward and carrying his master a dozen yards before he fell heavily on the heath.

”Who says I can't use a sword as well as a scythe?” cried a familiar voice.

”Oh, Samson, you've saved my life,” cried Fred.

”Serve you right, too, my lad--I mean, serve him right, too. Trying to chop down a boy like you.”

”I am sorry. Look, look, look!” cried Fred, excitedly.

”Eh? Look? What at?”

”Over yonder, where all those Cavaliers are crowding together to make another charge.”

”Yes, I see 'em. What a state their horses are in!”

”But don't you see Scarlett Markham? And who's that with them? I see now. Your brother.”

”What, Nat? Where, where? Let me get at him. There's going to be a prisoner took now, Master Fred, and he'll have to look sharp to get away.”

Samson set spurs to his horse, but Fred checked him by seizing the bridle.

”No, no,” he said; ”keep by me, and let's close up to the general. This is no time for personal feelings, Samson. We must think only of our party.”

”Ah, well, I won't hurt him, Master Fred; but how would you like your brother to be hunting you about the country, as Nat has been hunting us?

Wouldn't you like to have a turn at him?”

”I have no brother, Samson,” replied Fred, as he glanced in the direction where, about a hundred yards away, Scarlett was in the midst of a group of the Cavaliers, who were steadily driving the grim Cromwellian troopers before them, and effectually keeping them from combining so as to retaliate with effect.

Then Scarlett was hidden from his sight, and yielding slowly step by step, the Parliamentarians kept up a defiant retreat.

It might be supposed that at such a time the slaughter would be terrible; but, after the first onset, when men went down headlong, the number of killed and wounded were few. For there were no withering volleys of musketry, no field-pieces playing upon the disorganised cavalry from a distance; it was a sheer combat of mounted men armed with the sword, against whose edge and point defensive armour was worn; and in consequence many of the wounds were insignificant, more injuries being received by men being dismounted than by the blades.

The officers of the retreating party kept up their efforts to rally their little force, but always in vain, for the gathering together of a cl.u.s.ter of men resulted in the Cavaliers making that the point for which they made, and they carried all before them.

”They are more than two to one, literally,” growled the general, fiercely, as he felt that there was nothing to be done but to summon his men to follow, and, taking advantage of the fresher state of their horses, put on all the speed they could, and make for a valley right ahead, where they might elude their pursuers, and accepting the present defeat endeavour to make up for it another time.

Giving the order then, the trumpet rang out, and the men sullenly obeyed, setting spurs to their horses, and for the most part extricating themselves from their pursuers, whose horses began to stagger and even stop as their masters urged them to the ascent of a slope, up which the Parliamentarians were retreating.

This being the case, their own leader ordered his trumpeter to sound a halt, and the successful party set up a tremendous cheer as they waved their hats and flashed their swords in the suns.h.i.+ne.

”Yes,” muttered General Hedley, as he looked back at his triumphant enemies exulting over his defeat, but too helpless to pursue, ”make much of it; a reverse may come sooner than you expect.”

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