Part 21 (1/2)
”Never mind,” said Amyas, who suspected some plot on the old man's part ”He'll take care of himself, I'll warrant him”
”No fear of that, sir;” and the four tars were soon snoring in concert round the fire, while Amyas laid himself on the settle, with his saddle for a pillow
It was about ht, when Amyas leaped to his feet, or rather fell upon his back, upsetting saddle, settle, and finally, table, under the notion that ten thousand flying dragons were bursting in theclose to his ear, with howlsonly a flock of terror-stricken geese, which flew flapping and screa round the corner of the house; but the noise which had startled them did not pass; and anotheron in the courtyard, and that Yeo was hallooing lustily for help
Out turned theover pails and pitchers, and into the courtyard, where Yeo, his back against the stable-door, was holding his own ainst a dozen eese screas screamed, donkeys screamed, Mary screamed from an upper ; and to complete the chorus, a flock of plovers, attracted by the noise, wheeled round and round overhead, and added their screa went on, but the fight ceased; for, as Amyas rushed into the yard, the whole party of ruffians took to their heels, and vanished over a low hedge at the other end of the yard
”Are you hurt, Yeo?”
”Not a scratch, thank Heaven! But I've got two of theainst the wall Your horse did for t'other”
The woundedas Aroaned and choked for breath
”Carry hi, in the straw Have a care, o in! the horses are near ht out after a while With him all was over They could feel neither pulse nor breath
”Carry hi of all this?”
Yeo's story was soon told He could not get out of his Puritan head the notion (quite unfounded, of course) that Eustace had meant to steal the horses He had seen the inn-keeper sneak off at their approach; and expecting soht in the stable
As he expected, an atteuess, for he had fastened it inside), and two fellows caan to loose the beasts Yeo's account was, that he seized the big felloho drew a knife on him, and broke loose; the horses, terrified at the scuffle, kicked right and left; onefor help, with Yeo at his heels; ”Whereon,” said Yeo, ”seeing a dozen ht best to shorten the nuh, and stood on my ward; and only just in time I hat's more; there's two arrows in the house wall, and two or three ht up as I went out, for I had hung it close by the door, you see, sir, to be all ready in case,” said the cunning old Philistine-slayer, as they went in after the wounded h the low doorway into the back- kitchen when a fresh hubbub arose inside--ainst the doorway, and beheld, as soon as he could see for the flashes in his eyes, an old acquaintance, held on each side by a sturdy sailor
With one arm in the sleeve of his doublet, and the other in a not over spotless shi+rt; holding up his hose with one hand, and with the other a candle, whereby he had lighted hie, stood Mr Evan Morgans, alias Father Parsons, looking, between his confused habilie (as Yeo told him to his face), ”the very moral of a half- plucked turkey-cock” And behind hih
”We found thethese here two out by the front door,” said one of the captors
”Well, Mr Parsons,” said Amyas; ”and what are you about here? A pretty nest of thieves and Jesuits we see, sir,” said Parsons, stoutly ”By your leave, I shall prepare this my wounded lamb for that account to which your man's cruelty has untimely sent him”
The wounded man, who lay upon the floor, heard Parsons' voice, and moaned for the ”Patrico”
”You see, sir,” said he, pompously, ”the sheep know their shepherd's voice”
”The wolves you mean, you hypocritical scoundrel!” said Aust ”Let the fellow truss up his points, lads, and do his work After all, the ”
”The requisite matters, sir, are not at hand,” said Parsons, unabashed
”Eustace, go and fetch his matters for him; you seem to be in all his plots”
Eustace went silently and sullenly
”What's that fresh noise at the back, now?”
”Theover her uncle; the fellow thatsneak ae came up It was him the horse killed”
It was true The wretched host had slipped off on their approach, si outlaws to the spoil; and he had been filled with the fruit of his own devices
”His blood be on his own head,” said Amyas
”I question, sir,” said Yeo, in a low voice, ”whether some of it will not be on the heads of those proud prelates who go clothed in purple and fine linen, instead of going forth to convert such as he, and then wonder how these Jesuits get hold of theive place to the devil in their sheepfolds, sure he'll coospel land!”
And, indeed, the sight was curious enough For Parsons was kneeling by the side of the dyingearnestly to the confession which the ibberish, between the spasms of his wounded chest Now and then Parsons shook his head; and when Eustace returned with the holy wafer, and the oil for extreme unction, he asked him, in a low voice, ”Ballard, interpret for me”
And Eustace knelt down on the other side of the sufferer, and interpreted his thieves' dialect into Latin; and the dying man held a hand of each, and turned first to one and then to the other stupid eyes,--not without affection, though, and gratitude
”I can't stand thisbefore my eyes, and it's on my conscience to speak a word in season”
”Silence!” whispered A him back by the arm; ”he knows them, and he don't know you; they are the first who ever spoke to him as if he had a soul to be saved, and first coood See, thealready”
”But, sir, 'tis a false peace”
”At all events he is confessing his sins, Yeo; and if that's not good for him, and you, and me, what is?”
”Yea, Aht person”
”How do you know his words will not go to the right person, after all, though he may not send them there? By heaven! the ue of brutal deeds had been gasped out; but ere the words of absolution could follow, the head had fallen back, and all was over
”Confession in extremis is sufficient,” said Parsons to Eustace (”Ballard,” as Parsons called him, to Amyas's surprise), as he rose ”As for the rest, the intention will be accepted instead of the act”
”The Lord have mercy on his soul!” said Eustace
”His soul is lost before our very eyes,” said Yeo
”Mind your own business,” said Amyas
”Humph; but I'll tell you, sir, what our business is, if you'll step aside with me I find that poor fellow that lies dead is none other than the leader of the Gubbings; the king of them, as they dare to call him”
”Well, what of that?”