Part 7 (1/2)
”But why are you so ready to watch Freshwater to-night, Master Amyas?”
”Because, sir, those who come, if they coers, they dare not; and if they are bay's- as the westerly swell sets in As for landing at the town, that would be too great a risk; but Freshwater is as lonely as the Bermudas; and they can beach a boat up under the cliff at all tides, and in all weathers, except north and nor'west I have done it ive us the fruit of your experience now in your old age, eh? Well, you have a gray head on green shoulders, ht Who will you take with you to watch?”
”Sir,” said Frank, ”I will go withenough, and you brave enough, for ten; but still, the more the ht ask a first and last favor, worshi+pful sir,” said Frank, very earnestly, ”you would grant o to Freshwater butyou back shall be kept as secret as the commonweal and your loyalty shall permit I trust that we are not so unknown to you, or to others, that you can doubt for a moment but that whatsoever we may do will satisfy at once your honor and our own”
”My dear young gentleman, there is no need of so many courtier's words I am your father's friend, and yours And God forbid that a Cary--for I guess your drift--should ever wish to make a head or a heart ache; that is, h thou bray a fool in a mortar, yet will not his folly depart from him,'” interposed Frank, in so sad a tone that no one at the table replied; and few ed, till the two brothers were safe outside the house; and then-- ”Amyas,” said Frank, ”that was a Devon ”
”Impossible!”
”No, lad I have been secretary to a prince, and learnt to interpret cipher, and to watch every pen-stroke; and, young as I am, I think that I am not easily deceived Would God I were! Come on, lad; and strike no man hastily, lest thou cut off thine own flesh”
So forth the tent, along the park to the eastward, and past the head of the little wood-e to the cliff far below the in thethe steep hill-side, fenced with oak wood down to the water's edge, by a narrow forest path, to a point where two glens meet and pour their streaht into the sea below By the side of this waterfall a narrow path climbs upward from the beach; and here it was that the two brothers expected tohis station below Amyas He said that he was certain that Eustace himself would make his appearance, and that he washim to reason by parley; that if Amyas would keep watch soer would be impossible Moreover, he was the elder brother, and the post of honor was his right So A him promise that if more than one man came up the path, he would let the them to bay at the sah marl bank, and, bedded in luxuriant crown-ferns, kept his eye steadily on Frank, who sat down on a little knoll of rock (where is now a garden on the cliff-edge) which parts the path and the dark chasm dohich the stream rushes to its final leap over the cliff
There Alanced at whiles from Frank to look upon the scene around Outside the southind blew fresh and strong, and the ht danced upon a thousand crests of foaed point which sheltered the town, the sea did but heave, in long oily swells of rolling silver, onward into the black shadow of the hills, within which the town and pier lay invisible, save where a twinkling light gave token of soh for the boat which would return with dawn Here and there upon the sea, a black speck ht off the e two-erly he looked up the glen, and listened; but he heard nothing but the sweeping of the wind across the downs five hundred feet above, and the sough of the waterfall upon the rocks below; he saw nothing but the vast black sheets of oak-wood sloping up to the narrow blue sky above, and the broad bright hunter'sto each other, hawked to and fro, like ss, between the tree-tops and the sky
At last he heard a rustle of the fallen leaves; he shrank closer and closer into the darkness of the bank Then swift light steps-- not down the path, from above, but upward, from below; his heart beat quick and loud And in another half-ht, within three yards of Frank's hiding-place
Frank sprang out instantly Aht
”Stand in the queen's name!”
The man drew a pistol from under his cloak, and fired full in his face Had it happened in these days of detonators, Frank's chance had been ser business, and before the fizzing of the flint had ceased, Frank had struck up the pistol with his rapier, and it exploded harmlessly over his head The man instantly dashed the weapon in his face and closed
The blow, luckily, did not take effect on that delicate forehead, but struck hirace and agility was as fragile as a lily, and a very bubble of the earth, staggered, and lost his guard, and before he could recover hileam, and one, two, three blows fiercely repeated
Mad with fury, he ith theether so closely in the shade that he was afraid to use his sword point; but with the hilt he dealt a single blow full on the ruffian's cheek It was enough; with a hideous shriek, the fellow rolled over at his feet, and Ah
”Stop! stay!” almost screamed Frank; ”it is Eustace! our cousin Eustace!” and he leant against a tree
A towards hi--a scratch He has papers: I ao!”
”Villain! givehis foot onceEustace, whose jaas broken across
”You struck me foully fro out, in that faint and foolish attempt to prove Amyas not so very much better a man
”Hound, do you think that I dare not strike you in front? Give me your papers, letters, whatever Popish devilry you carry; or as I live, I will cut off your head, and take the your corpse Give the his foot on him afresh, he raised his sword
Eustace was usually no craven: but he was cowed Between agony and shame, he had no heart to resist Martyrdoles on Tower Hill or Tyburn, before pitying, or (still better) scoffing ly business there in the dark forest; and as he lay, a streahty cousin's broad clear forehead, and his long golden locks, and his white terrible blade, till he seemed, to Eustace's superstitious eye, like one of those fair young St Michaels tra on the fiend, which he had seen abroad in old German pictures He shuddered; pulled a packet froiven it”
”Swear to me that these are all the papers which you have in cipher or out of cipher Swear on your soul, or you die!”
Eustace swore
”Tell me, who are your accomplices?”
”Never!” said Eustace ”Cruel! have you not degradedface in his hands
One hint of honor entle as a lamb He lifted Eustace up, and bade him run for his life
”I am to owe my life, then, to you?”
”Not in the least; only to your being a Leigh Go, or it will be worse for you!” And Eustace went; while A up the precious packet, hurried to Frank He had fainted already, and his brother had to carry him as far as the park before he could find any of the other watchers The blind, as far as they were concerned, was coht the packet had landed they knew not where; and so all returned to the court, carrying Frank, who recovered gradually, having rather bruises than wounds; for his foe had struck wildly, and with a tre hand
Half-an-hour after, Amyas, Mr Cary, and his son Will were in deep consultation over the following epistle, the only paper in the packet which was not in cipher:-- ”'DEAR BROTHER N S in Chto et Ecclesia
”This is to inform you and the friends of the cause, that S Josephus has landed in S with holy zeal to ifolium, and to expiate their offences (which I fear ation of our most holy faith I have purified the fort (which they are strenuously rebuilding) with prayer and holy water, from the stain of heretical footsteps, and consecrated it afresh to the service of Heaven, as the first-fruits of the isle of saints; and having displayed the consecrated banner to the adoration of the faithful, have returned to Earl Desmond, that I may establish his faith, weak as yet, by reason of the allureh since, by the valor of his brother James, he that hindered was taken out of the way (Iin the eyes of Heaven!), the young man has lent a , do it quickly, for a great door and effectual is opened, and there are many adversaries But be swift, for so do the poor lambs of the Church tremble at the fury of the heretics, that a hundred will flee before one Englishman And, indeed, were it not for that divine charity toward the Church (which covers the multitude of sins) hich they are resplendent, neither they nor their country would be, by the carnal judgreat labor in their behalf For they the, theft, and drunkenness, vain babbling, and profane dancing and singing; and are still, as S Gildas reports of them, 'more careful to shroud their villainous faces in bushy hair, than decently to cover their bodies; while their land (by reason of the tyranny of their chieftains, and the continual wars and plunderings a their tribes, which leave them weak and divided, an easy prey to the lishwoman) lies utterly waste with fire, and defaced with corpses of the starved and slain But what are these things, while the holy virtue of Catholic obedience still flourishes in their hearts? The Church cares not for the conservation of body and goods, but of immortal souls
”If any devout lady shall so will, you may obtain from her liberality a shi+rt for this worthless tabernacle, and also a pair of hose; for I am unsavory to myself and to others, and of such luxuries none here has superfluity; for all live in holy poverty, except the fleas, who have that consolation in this world for which this unhappy nation, and those who labor a the brother, ”N S”
See note at end of chapter
”Sir Richard ht hundred men landed! We must call out the Posse Cooof the of them,” answered Will; ”but where is Mr Winter and his squadron?”
”Safe in Milford Haven; a o,” said Aht Sir Richard must know all first”
”And we ans? God help us--they are at e for yourself, ently: ”would it not be rank treason to let these foxes escape, while we have this dao ht, and Will shall go with you Call a grooray; he willfellow on his back, than the little pony astride of which Mr Leigh ca As for Frank, the ladies will see to hih, too, to have so fine a bird in their cage for a week or two”
”And my mother?”
”We'll send to her to-morrow by daybreak Come, a stirrup cup to start with, hot and hot Now, boots, cloaks, swords, a deep pull and a warm one, and away!”
And the jolly old man bustled them out of the house and into their saddles, under the broad bright winter's moon
”You must make your pace, lads, or the moon will be down before you are over the moors” And so away they went