Part 40 (1/2)
”It may be what it will,” returned dick; ”and it must be as heaven please Reck we not a jot, but push on the livelier, and put it to the touch Up, friends--enough breathed”
As they advanced, the snow became more and more tra near to the encampment of a considerable force offroe and scattering bright sparks
And here, pursuant to dick's orders, hisstealthily in the covert, to surround on every side the ca Alicia in the shelter of a bulky oak, stole straight forth in the direction of the fire
At last, through an opening of the wood, his eye embraced the scene of the encaround, surrounded on three sides by thicket, and it now burned very strong, roaring aloud and brandishi+ng flames Around it there sat not quite a dozen people, war snoas traian to have a terriblethat he was out-manoeuvred At the sa his hands before the blaze, he recognised his old friend and still kindly ene a little back, he uise, Joanna Sedley and Sir Daniel's wife
”Well,” thought he to hiet my Joanna, and why should I complain?”
And then, from the further side of the enca that his men had joined, and the investment was complete
Bennet, at the sound, started to his feet; but ere he had ti upon his arms, dick hailed him
”Bennet,” he said--”Bennet, old friend, yield ye Ye will but spill men's lives in vain, if ye resist”
”'Tis Master Shelton, by St Barbary!” cried Hatch ”Yield me? Ye ask much What force have ye?”
”I tell you, Bennet, ye are both outnune would cry for quarter I have two score men at my whistle, and with one shoot of arrows I could answer for you all”
”Master dick,” said Bennet, ”it goes against my heart; but I must do my duty The saints help you!” And therewith he raised a little tucket to hiscall
Then followed afor the ladies, still hesitated to give the word to shoot, Hatch's little band sprang to their weapons and formed back to back as for a fierce resistance In the hurry of their change of place, Joanna sprang from her seat and ran like an arrow to her lover's side
”Here, dick!” she cried, as she clasped his hand in hers
But dick still stood irresolute; he was yet young to the ht of old Lady Brackley checked the coue His own men became restive Some of thean to shoot; and at the first discharge poor Bennet bit the dust Then dick awoke
”On!” he cried ”Shoot, boys, and keep to cover England and York!”
But just then the dull beat of many horses on the snow suddenly arose in the hollow ear of the night, and, with incredible swiftness, drew nearer and swelled louder At the sa tuckets repeated and repeated Hatch's call
”Rally, rally!” cried dick ”Rally upon me! Rally for your lives!”
But his men--afoot, scattered, taken in the hour when they had counted on an easy triuround severally, and either stood wavering or dispersed into the thickets And when the first of the horseh the open avenues and fiercely riding their steeds into the underwood, a few stragglers were overthrown or speared a the brush, but the bulk of dick's co
dick stood for athe fruits of his precipitate and unwise valour Sir Daniel had seen the fire; he had moved out with his main force, whether to attack his pursuers or to take them in the rear if they should venture the assault His had been throughout the part of a sagacious captain; dick's the conduct of an eager boy And here was the young knight, his sweetheart, indeed, holding hihtly by the hand, but otherwise alone, his whole coht and the wide forest, like a paper of pins in a bay barn
”The saints enlighten 's matter; this dothJoanna, he began to run
The silence of the night was now shattered by the shouts of thefugitives; and dick broke boldly through the underwood and ran straight before him like a deer The silver clearness of the moon upon the open snow increased, by contrast, the obscurity of the thickets; and the extreme dispersion of the vanquished led the pursuers into wildly divergent paths Hence, in but a little while, dick and Joanna paused, in a close covert, and heard the sounds of the pursuit, scattering abroad, indeed, in all directions, but yet fainting already in the distance
”An I had but kept a reserve of theether,” dick cried, bitterly, ”I could have turned the tables yet! Well, we live and learn; next tio better, by the rood”
”Nay, dick,” said Joanna, ”what ain”