Part 6 (1/2)
And above all rang out the fierce, raucous blaspheroans, the prayers, and curses of their victims
All this Sir Crispin saw and heard, and in the ot his own sorry condition, and left unheeded the pike-butt ith the Puritan at his heels was urging hith in a quarter unknown to hi wide, and across the threshold, in and out, moved two continuous streams of officers and men
A while Crispin and his captors stood in the spacious hall; then they ushered hiht face to face with a ht, red and coarse of countenance and large of nose, who stood fully armed in the centre of the chamber
His head was uncovered, and on the table at his side stood the morion he had doffed He looked up as they entered, and for a few seconds rested his glance sourly upon the lank, bold-eyed prisoner, who coldly returned his stare
”Who told hi
”One whose offence is too heinous to have earned him a soldier's death, my lord,” answered Pride
”Therein you lie, you damned rebel!” cried Crispin ”If accuse you uessed the ainst you and a score of you curs, and that not until I had cut down seven of theer, and let hie whether you lied or not Tell him, too, that you, who--”
”Have done!” cried Croagged Now, Colonel, let us hear your accusation”
At great length, and with endless interlarding of proverbs did Pride relate how this i ood his escape when otherwise he must have fallen into their hands He accused him also of thetroopers, and urged Cronant as he deserved
The Lord General's answer took expression in a for hiht ed with the saave Charles Stuart his horse at Saint Martin's Gate But for hi man had been taken”
”So he has escaped!” cried Crispin ”Now, God be praised!”
Cromwell stared at him blankly for a moment, then:
”You will do well, sir,” he muttered sourly, ”to address the Lord on your own behalf As for that young man of Baal, yourmercy in which the Lord hath vouchsafed us victory to-day shall He also deliver the nant youth intohis capture your life, sir, shall pay forfeit You shall hang at daybreak together with that other nant who assisted Charles at the Saint Martin's Gate”
”I shall at least hang in good coive you thanks”
”You will pass the night with that other fool,” Cro the interruption, ”and I pray that you may spend it in such meditation as shall fit you for your end Take hi
”What now?”
Crispin caught not his answer, but his half-whispered words were earnest and pleading Cromwell shook his head
”I cannot sanction it Let it satisfy you that he dies I condole with you in your bereaveht that your son died in a Godly cause be of comfort to you Bear in mind, Colonel Pride, that Abraham hesitated not to offer up his child to the Lord And so, fare you well”
Colonel Pride's face worked oddly, and his eyes rested for a second upon the stern, unht inhis shoulders in token of unwilling resignation, he withdrehilst Crispin was led out
In the hall again they kept hith an officer cauardroom Here they stripped him of his back-and-breast, and when that was done the officer again led the way, and Crispin followed between two troopers Theya passage to a door by which a soldier stood uard At a word fro the heavy bolts, he opened the door Roughly the officer bade Sir Crispin enter, and stood aside that he ht pass
Crispin obeyed him silently, and crossed the threshold to find hilooain behind him His stout heart sank a little as he realized that that closed door shut out to hiain would he cross that threshold, and that would be the preface to the crossing of the greater threshold of eternity
Then so stirred in one of that room's dark corners, and he started, to see that he was not alone, re that Cromwell had said he was to have a companion in his last hours