Part 3 (1/2)

”You won't stop us, my good man,” answered d.i.c.k, going up and slipping a silver crown into his hand. ”We have come to see our father, and surely you would not interfere with two young children like us, who can do no harm to anyone.”

The man, a fresh recruit, who knew nothing about military discipline, having pocketed the coin, was easily persuaded to allow us to proceed.

The next sentry d.i.c.k managed in the same way. We advanced, d.i.c.k holding my hand, until we were within the camp. Several persons spoke to us, but did not seem to think it necessary to interfere with our progress, and at length, by dint of inquiring the way we found ourselves standing before a large tent, occupied we were told, by Prince Maurice.

We were waiting for leave to enter, when the curtain was drawn aside, and a Cavalier in cuira.s.s and plumed hat, a light moustache, his locks curling over his shoulders, came forth.

”Who are you, my pretty maiden?” he asked, looking at d.i.c.k.

”An' it please you, sir, I've come to see my father, who, we have heard, is a prisoner in the camp, though why or wherefore he is detained we cannot tell, for no more peaceable gentleman is to be found in the south of England. We wish to deliver some messages to him, and learn how he fares. Have we your permission, for you are, I opine, the general of this army?”

The Prince, for that such he was we knew by the way the officers who stood round addressed him, smiled as he replied--

”Say, who is your father?”

”Master Harvey, your highness,” answered d.i.c.k.

”You have an arrant rebel for a father, then, I fear,” said the Prince.

”Please, your highness, I know nothing of politics; all I desire is to have a few words with my father, whom I am bound to honour, whether Royalist or Roundhead, and then to quit the camp and return home.”

The Prince, after exchanging a few words with one of the gentlemen standing by, handed a piece of paper, on which he had written a few lines, to d.i.c.k.

”Take this, maiden,” he said; ”it will gain your object. But, understand, after you have seen your father, for your own sake, without loss of time, you must return home.”

Thankful that we had so easily accomplished the first part of our enterprise--accompanied by one of the officers, who undertook to show us the way--we set off for the cottage in which we were told Mr Harvey with other prisoners were confined.

CHAPTER THREE.

IN THE ENEMY'S HANDS.

Mr Harvey looked so astonished when d.i.c.k and I were introduced, that he almost betrayed us. Quickly, however, recovering himself, he opened his arms and embraced us affectionately. The other prisoners, gentlemen well acquainted with him, seeing that he wished to be alone, retired to the farther end of the room, when d.i.c.k lost no time in whispering into his ear the plan we had arranged for his liberation.

He listened with a thoughtful brow, and d.i.c.k continued to press its adoption, but I much feared that he would not agree.

”I will try it,” he said at last; ”but you, my children, must hasten from the camp; it is no place for young persons, and should I fail to escape, you will be made to suffer.”

Though d.i.c.k begged hard to remain, his father was firm, and told us to return by the way we had come, hoping that we might get free without further questions being asked us.

Having taken an affectionate farewell of Mr Harvey, we set out, d.i.c.k cleverly replying to all the questions put to us, and, with much less difficulty than we had expected, we gained the outskirts of the camp.

Instead of returning to Lyme, we kept on towards Charmouth, to a spot where we had agreed to meet Lancelot. To our infinite satisfaction we found that he had obtained a horse and left if in Charmouth Wood as arranged, under charge of a lad who had been directed to stay there until Mr Harvey appeared, being supplied with food for himself and corn for the animal.

We would gladly have remained to see the success of our undertaking, but Lancelot was impatient to get back to relieve the anxiety which his father and mother would feel when his absence was discovered. We therefore set off to return to the sh.o.r.e, keeping a look-out to ascertain that we were not watched.

We had reached the top of the cliffs, and were about to descend, when we caught sight in the distance of a party of horse galloping towards us.

”They are out on a foraging expedition, probably,” observed Lancelot.

”We must get away before they come here, or they will be apt to inquire our business.”

Whether we had been seen or not, it was impossible to say. We, however, made the best of our way down the cliff; on reaching the bottom we found Tom waiting for us, and forthwith set to work to launch the boat. We had scarcely got her into the water when some of the men we had before seen appeared at the top of the cliffs. They hailed us, and ordered us to come back.