Part 7 (2/2)

”The heat of the fire in a house like this will crack stone walls,” he said.

He then took off his cloak and threw it over the stone, dressing it down tightly to prevent the smoke from curling in. Through the loophole they could now hear a roar, and crackling sounds, and a sudden glow lit up the country.

”The flames are bursting through the windows,” Harry said. ”They will bring our troop down ere long.”

”The troop will do us no good,” Prince Rupert replied. ”All the king's army could not rescue us. But at least it would be a satisfaction before we die to see these crop-eared knaves defeated.”

Minute after minute pa.s.sed, and a broad glare of light illumined the whole country round. Through the slit they could see the Roundheads keeping guard round the house in readiness to cut off any one who might seek to make his escape, while at a short distance off they had drawn up the main body of the force. Presently, coming along the road at a rapid trot, they saw a body of horse.

”There are our men,” the prince exclaimed.

The Roundheads had seen them too. A trumpet was sounded, and the men on guard round the house leaped to their horses, and joined the main body, just as the Cavaliers charged upon them. The Roundheads fought stoutly; but the charge of the Cavaliers was irresistible. Furious at the sight of the house in flames, and ignorant of the fate which had befallen their prince and their master's son, they burst upon the Roundheads with a force which the latter were unable to withstand. For four or five minutes the fight continued, and then such of the Roundheads as were able clapped spurs to their horses and galloped off, hotly pursued by the Cavaliers. The pursuit was a short one. Several of the Cavaliers were gathered at the spot where the conflict had taken place, and were, apparently, questioning a wounded man. Then the trumpeter who was with them sounded the recall, and in a few minutes the Royalist troops came riding back. They could see Jacob pointing to the burning building and gesticulating with his arms. Then a party dashed up to the house, and were lost to sight.

The prince and Harry both shouted at the top of their voices, but the roar of the flames and the crash of falling beams deadened the sound.

The heat had by this time become intense. They had gradually divested themselves of their clothing, and were bathed in perspiration.

”This heat is terrific,” Prince Rupert said. ”I did not think the human frame could stand so great a heat. Methinks that water would boil were it placed here.”

This was indeed the case--the human frame, as is now well known, being capable of sustaining a heat considerably above that of boiling water.

The walls were now so hot that the hand could not be borne upon them for an instant.

”My feet are burning!” the prince exclaimed, ”Reach down that ladder from the wall.”

They laid the ladder on the ground and stood upon it, thus avoiding any contact with the hot stone.

”If this goes on,” Prince Rupert said, with a laugh; ”there will be nothing but our swords left. We are melting away fast, like candles before a fire. Truly I do not think that there was so much water in a man as has floated down from me during the last half-hour.”

Harry was so placed that he could command a sight through the loophole, and he exclaimed, ”They are riding away!”

This was indeed the case. The whole building was now one vast furnace, and having from the first no hope that their friends, if there, could have survived, they had, hearing that Lady Sidmouth and her daughter had been taken to Storton, determined to ride thither to take them from the hands of the Roundheads, and to learn from them the fate of their leaders.

Another two hours pa.s.sed. The heat was still tremendous, but they could not feel that it was increasing. Once or twice they heard terrific crashes, as portions of the wall fell. They would long since have been roasted, were it not for the cool air which flowed in through the long loophole, and keeping up a circulation in the chamber, lowered the temperature of the air within it. At the end of the two hours Harry gave a shout.

”They are coming back.”

The light had now sunk to a quiet red glow, so that beyond the fact that a party was approaching, nothing could be seen. They rode, however, directly toward the turret, and then, when they halted, Harry saw the figures of two ladies who were pointing toward the loophole. Harry now stepped from the ladder on to the door and shouted at the top of his voice through the loophole. The reply came back in a joyous shout.

”We are being roasted alive,” Harry cried. ”Get ladders as quickly as possible, with crowbars, and break down the wall.”

Men were seen to ride off in several directions instantly, and for the first time a ray of hope illumined, the minds of the prince and Harry that they might be saved. Half an hour later long ladders tied together were placed against the wall, and Jacob speedily made his appearance at the loophole.

”All access is impossible from the other side,” he said, ”for the place where the house stood is a red-hot furnace, Most of the walls have fallen. We had no hope of finding you alive.”

”We are roasting slowly,” Harry cried. ”In Heaven's name bring us some water.”

Soon a bottle of water was pa.s.sed in through the loophole, and then three or four ladders being placed in position, the men outside began with crowbars and pickaxes to enlarge the loophole sufficiently for the prisoners to escape. It took three hours' hard work, at the end of which time the aperture was sufficiently wide to allow them to emerge, and utterly exhausted and feeling, as the prince said, ”baked to a turn,”

they made their way down the ladder, being helped on either side by the men, for they themselves were too exhausted to maintain their feet.

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