Part 38 (1/2)
From different quarters, as he rode on, the sounds of violence and outrage cae-hammer on some barricaded door, and now the miserable shrieks of women
dick's heart had just been awakened He had just seen the cruel consequences of his own behaviour; and the thought of the su in the whole of Shoreby filled hith he reached the outskirts, and there, sure enough, he saw straight before him the same broad, beaten track across the snow that he had marked from the summit of the church Here, then, he went the faster on; but still, as he rode, he kept a bright eye upon the fallen men and horses that lay beside the track Many of these, he was relieved to see, wore Sir Daniel's colours, and the faces of sonised
About half-way between the town and the forest, those who had plainly been assailed by archers; for the corpses lay pretty closely scattered, each pierced by an arrow And here dick spied a lad, whose face was soly familiar to him
He halted his troop, dismounted, and raised the lad's head As he did so, the hood fell back, and a profusion of long brown hair unrolled itself At the same time the eyes opened
”Ah! lion driver!” said a feeble voice ”She is farther on Ride--ride fast!”
And then the poor young lady fainted once again
One of dick'scordial, and with this dick succeeded in reviving consciousness Then he took Joanna's friend upon his saddlebow, and once more pushed toward the forest
”Why do ye take irl ”Ye but delay your speed”
”Nay, Mistress Risingham,” replied dick ”Shoreby is full of blood and drunkenness and riot Here ye are safe; content ye”
”I will not be beholden to any of your faction,” she cried; ”set me down”
”Madam, ye know not what ye say,” returned dick ”Y' are hurt”--
”I am not,” she said ”It was my horse was slain”
”It matters not one jot,” replied Richard ”Ye are here in the midst of open snow, and compassed about with enemies Whether ye will or not, I carry you with me Glad am I to have the occasion; for thus shall I repay some portion of our debt”
For a little while she was silent Then, very suddenly, she asked:
”My uncle?”
”My Lord Risinghaive you, madam; but I have none I saw him once in the battle, and once only Let us hope the best”
CHAPTER V--NIGHT IN THE WOODS: ALICIA RISINGHAM
It was almost certain that Sir Daniel hadthe heavy snow, the lateness of the hour, and the necessity under which he would lie of avoiding the few roads and striking across the wood, it was equally certain that he could not hope to reach it ere the morrow
There were two courses open to dick; either to continue to follow in the knight's trail, and, if he were able, to fall upon hiht in camp, or to strike out a path of his own, and seek to place himself between Sir Daniel and his destination
Either scheme was open to serious objection, and dick, who feared to expose Joanna to the hazards of a fight, had not yet decided between them when he reached the borders of the wood
At this point Sir Daniel had turned a little to his left, and then plunged straight under a grove of very lofty timber His party had then formed to a narrower front, in order to pass between the trees, and the track was trod proportionally deeper in the snow The eye followed it under the leafless tracery of the oaks, running direct and narrow; the trees stood over it, with knotty joints and the great, uplifted forest of their boughs; there was no sound, whether ofof a robin; and over the field of snow the winter sun lay golden a netted shadows
”How say ye,” asked dick of one of the ht on, or strike across for Tunstall?”
”Sir Richard,” replied the man-at-arms, ”I would follow the line until they scatter”
”Ye are, doubtless, right,” returned dick; ”but we caht hastily upon the errand, even as the time commanded Here are no houses, neither for food nor shelter, and by the ers and an empty belly How say ye, lads? Will ye stand a pinch for expedition's sake, or shall we turn by Holywood and sup with Mother Church? The case being somewhat doubtful, I will drive no man; yet if ye would suffer me to lead you, ye would choose the first”