Part 2 (1/2)
”Well, well--since he's dead, there's an end to it”
”Heaven rest his soul!”himself piously
And with that he dish folly he had wrought--the wanton destruction of aof a wo
”It will tax our wits to get you out of Penrith,” said Crispin Then, turning and looking into the Irishan,” he added
”Not so a ”Such a march as this is little to my taste Bah! Charles Stuart or Oliver Cro or Coan be the better or the richer under one than under the other? Oddslife, Cris, I have trailed a pike or handled a sword in well-nigh every arreat art of war than all the King's generals rolled into one Think you, then, I can rest content with a miserable coarly pay doubtful? Whilst, should things go ill--as well they e will be a swift death on field or gallows, or a lingering one in the plantations, as fell to the lot of those poor wretches Noll drove into England after Dunbar Soul of my body, it is not thus that I had looked to fare when I took service at Perth I had looked for plunder, rich and plentiful plunder, according to the usages of warfare, as a fitting reward for a toilsoh
”Thus I knoar, and for this have I followed the trade these twenty years Instead, we have thirty thousandto battle as prim and orderly as a parcel of acolytes in a Corpus-Christi procession
'Twas not so bad in Scotland haply because the country holds naught a man may profitably plunder--but since we have crossed the Border, 'slife, they'll hang you if you steal so ”
”Why, true,” laughed Crispin, ”the Second Charles hath an over-tender stoh an eneetting that he has yet to conquer it, and--”
”Was it not also his father's kingdoan
”Yet tied since we followed the fortunes of the Martyr In those days you ht help yourself to a capon, a horse, a wench, or any other trifle of the enemy's, without ever a word of censure or a question asked Why, man, it is but two days since His Majesty had a poor devil hanged at Kendal for laying violent hands upon a pullet Pox on it, Cris,up, I swore to fall behind at the earliest opportunity, and to-night's affair makes this imperative”
”And what may your plans be?” asked Crispin
”War is haentle's army is like to yield me no profit, faith, I'll turn et out of Penrith with my life, I'll shave th; don a cuckoldy steeple hat and a black coat, and carry my sword to Cromith a line of text”
Sir Crispin fell to pondering Noting this, and iht the reason:
”I take it, Cris,” he put in, keenly glancing at the other, ”that you are much of my mind?”
”Maybe I aan, ”need we part coerness in his tone, born of the adh soldier of fortune held one whom he accounted his better in that saet, Harry”
”Not so! Surely on Cromwell's side your object--”
”T'sh!+ I have well considered My fortunes are bound up with the King's
In his victory alone lies profit for an, but the profit of those broad lands that for nigh upon twenty years have been in usurping hands The profit I look for, Hogan, is h, and of thisCharles If the King doth not prevail--which God forfend!--why, then, I can but die I shall have naught left to hope for froretful s with you is not to be dreaood half-hour did he devote to it, but in vain Realizing at last the futility of his endeavours, he sighed and moved uneasily in his chair, whilst the broad, tanned face was clouded with regret Crispin saw this, and approaching him, he laid a hand upon his shoulder
”I had counted upon your help to clear the Ashburns frorio--”
”Faith, I may aid you yet Who shall say?” Then of a sudden there crept into the voice of this hardened pike-trader a note of soft concern
”Think you there be danger to yourself in reer? Toharboured omery's Foot suspects you”