Part 23 (1/2)

”From Holland!” repeated the sailor. ”No. She came down the coast from the north three days ago, with beasts for the army.”

Mike stood for a moment thunderstruck. Then, without a word to the sailor, he turned and ran back at full speed through the town up to the camp. At a headlong pace he made his way through the camp until he stopped at the tent of General Leslie. He was about to rush in without ceremony when the sentinel stopped his way.

”Please let me pa.s.s,” he panted. ”I would see the general on a matter of the utmost importance.”

The sentries laughed.

”You don't suppose,” one of them said, ”that the general is to be disturbed by every barefooted boy who wants to speak to him. If you have aught to say, you must speak first to the lieutenant of the guard.”

”Every moment is of importance,” Mike urged. ”It is a matter of life and death. I tell you I must see the general.” Then at the top of his voice he began to shout, ”Sir David Leslie! Sir David Leslie!”

”Silence there, young varmint, or I will wring thy neck for thee!”

exclaimed the soldier, greatly scandalized, seizing Mike and shaking him violently. But the boy continued to shout out at the top of his voice, ”Sir David Leslie! Sir David Leslie!”

CHAPTER XXII.

KIDNAPED.

Unable to silence Mike's shouts, the scandalized guards began dragging him roughly from the spot, cuffing him as they went. But the door of the tent opened, and General Leslie appeared.

”What means all this unseemly uproar?” he asked.

”This malapert boy, general, wished to force his way into your tent, and when we stopped him, and told him that he must apply to the lieutenant of the guard if he had aught of importance which he wished to communicate to you, he began to shout like one possessed.”

”Loose him,” the general said. ”Now, varlet, what mean you by this uproar?”

”Forgive me, sir,” Mike pleaded, ”but I come on an errand which concerns the life of my master, Colonel Furness.”

”Come within,” the general said briefly, for by this time a crowd had gathered round the tent. ”Now,” he went on, ”what is it you would tell me?”

”I would ask you, sir, whether an hour since you sent an order to my master that he should forthwith go on board the s.h.i.+p Royalist to inspect recruits and stores of arms just arrived from Holland?”

The general looked at him in astonishment.

”I sent no such order,” he said. ”No s.h.i.+p has arrived from Holland of that or any other name. What story is this that you have got hold of?”

”My master received such an order, sir, for I heard him read it aloud, and he started at once with his major to carry out the order. Knowing, sir, how great, as you are doubtless aware, is the enmity which the Earl of Argyll bears to my master, I followed him to the port, and there learned that the s.h.i.+p called the Royalist had not come from Holland, but is a coaster from the north. I found, moreover, that she was but yesterday named the Royalist, and that she was before known as the Covenant, and that she is commanded by a Campbell. Then it seemed to me that some plot had been laid to kidnap my master, and I ran straight to you to ask you whether you had really ordered him to go on board this s.h.i.+p.”

”This must be seen to at once,” the general said; for having been present at the scene when Harry produced Cromwell's letter, he knew how deadly was the hatred of the earl for the young colonel. ”Without there!” he cried. A soldier entered. ”Send the lieutenant of the guard here at once.” The soldier disappeared, and the general sat down at his table and hastily wrote an order. ”Lieutenant,” he said, when the officer entered, ”give this letter to Captain Farquharson, and tell him to take his twenty men, and to go on the instant down to the port. There he is to take boat and row out to the s.h.i.+p called the Royalist. He is to arrest the captain and crew, and if he see not there Colonel Furness, let him search the s.h.i.+p from top to bottom. If he find no signs of him, let him bring the captain and six of his men ash.o.r.e at once.”

As soon as he heard the order given Mike, saluting the general, hurried from the tent, and ran at full speed to the camp of Harry's regiment.

There he related to Donald Leslie and William Long the suspicious circ.u.mstances which had occurred, and the steps which the general had ordered to be taken.

”This is bad news, indeed,” Captain Leslie exclaimed; ”and I fear that the colonel has fallen into the hands of Argyll's minions. If it be so Farquharson is scarce likely to find the Royalist at anchor when he arrives at the port. Come, Long, let us be stirring. I will hand over the command of the regiment to Grahame till we return. While I am speaking to him pick me out ten trusty men.”

He hurried off, and in five minutes was hastening toward the port, with William Long, Mike, and ten men. Such was the speed they made that they reached the quay just at the same time with Captain Farquharson and his men.

Mike gave a cry of despair. The Royalist had disappeared. He ran up to a sailor who was still sitting on an upturned basket, smoking as he had left him before.