Part 71 (2/2)

”Plenty, sir, for a month,” continued the general, ”unless all was carried off by our friends. No fear. Their occupation was too short, and we took them too much by surprise. Why, look there,” he said, pointing to one corner of the hall, ”there are enough of their pieces there to arm us all. What is it to be, gentlemen? Surrender or fight?”

For answer, hats were tossed in the air, and the carved beams of the roof rang with the hearty cheers of the Cavaliers, and the cry of--

”G.o.d save the king!”

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

WHAT FRED FOUND IN THE WOOD.

”Why, Fred, my boy, what a long face. What's the matter?”

For answer, Fred pointed to the trampled garden, the litter in the park, and the desolation visible at the Hall, where window cas.e.m.e.nts had been either smashed or taken off, and rough barricades erected; so that where all had once been so trim and orderly, desolation seemed to reign.

For the little band of devoted Royalists, under Sir G.o.dfrey Markham, had offered a desperate defence to every attempt made by the attacking party, which for want of infantry and guns, had settled down to the task of starving them out.

The prisoners and the wounded from the barn, irrespective of party, had been sent to the nearest town; and as no immediate call was being made upon his services, and his orders were to wait for reinforcements, so as to render the men under his command something like respectable in number, General Hedley set himself seriously to the task of crippling the Royalist forces, by securing the person of Sir G.o.dfrey Markham, whose influence in the district was very great, and whose prowess as a soldier had worked terrible disaster to the Puritan cause.

The little siege of the Hall had been going on four days, when Colonel Forrester, who had been with the relieving party, found his son contemplating the ruin.

”Yes,” he said, ”it is bad; but better so than that these Royalists should be destroying our home, my boy.”

”Is it, father?” said Fred, doubtingly.

”Is it, sir? Of course. That is the home of our most deadly enemy, a man who has wrought endless mischief to our cause and country. Why, you do not sympathise with him?”

”I was not thinking of sympathy, father, but of the happy days Scar Markham and I used to spend here.”

”Pis.h.!.+ Don't talk like a child, sir. You are growing a man, and you have your duty to do.”

”Yes, father, and I'm going to try and do it.”

”Of course. That's better, Fred. As to Markham, we are behaving n.o.bly to him by having his wife and daughter at the Manor, and caring for them there.”

”I don't see much in that, father.”

”What, sir?”

”Men do not make war upon women, and I think it was our duty to protect Lady Markham, and I acted accordingly.”

Colonel Forrester turned fiercely upon his son, but checked himself.

”Humph! Yes. I suppose you were right, Fred. There, we need not argue such points as these. Too much to do.”

”Of course, father; but one cannot quite forget the past.”

”No, certainly not. But do your duty to your country, my boy, and leave the rest.”

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