"What's that? Who's there?" said Fred, sharply.
"Pst! Master Fred. Don't make all that noise. You'll have the guard
hear you."
The mischief was done, for there was the tramp of feet, and directly
after a sergeant and his men stopped opposite Fred's tent.
"Must have been somewhere here," said the sergeant, in a deep voice.
"Yes," said Fred, stepping to the tent opening; "it was I, sergeant. I
thought I heard some one call."
"No, sir; all's well. Good night, sir."
"Good night."
"You nearly did it that time, Master Fred," whispered Samson. "What
made you holloa like that?"
"You, sir. How came you here?"
"Slit a hole in the guard tent, and crept out; that's all, sir. Tent
walls are soft enough. Now, then, are you ready?"
"Ready? Yes--no--what can we do?"
"What you said, sir."
"But we cannot take them to the place to starve."
"Who's going to, sir?"
"What do you mean?"
"Only that I crept out o' the tent hour and a half ago, ran down to the
Manor--easy enough in the dark--and told 'em what to do as soon as it
was light in the morning, and then ran back."
"But the rope?"
"Here it is, sir; wound round me like a belt. Come along, and let's
go."
"But the horse--how are we to get Sir Godfrey there?"
"I dunno, sir, only that we've got to try. Come on; we can only make a
mess of it."
Fred hesitated no longer; but taking his sword and cloak, he stepped out
into the dark night, joined his man, and then stole with him cautiously
along the tents to where the horses were tethered. Samson untied the
halters which kept them prisoners, and led them silently away over the
soft glass.
The task proved more easy than they had expected, for there were no
watchers near. Strict ward and watch were kept, but only by those on
duty. Those who were off devoted the time to rest and sleep.
All round the camp there was every precaution taken against surprise;
but in the interior of the tented space there seemed to be none to
interrupt.
"Bridles, saddles?" whispered Fred.
"If we can't do what we want without them, sir, we shan't do it at all,"
said Samson. "Tie your halter to his head, and leave the horses alone.
The two beasts 'll follow us like dogs, and it's all right so long as
they don't whinny."
Samson was correct. The two horses followed them like dogs, their hoof
tramp being almost inaudible, and they went on through the darkness at a
pace which seemed terrible to Fred in its sluggishness, nearly down to
the lake, and then round its western end, and in front of the ruined
Hall.
"We shall never get them there."
"Oh yes, we shall, if we can get them through the lines, and it's so
dark that I don't feel no fear of that. Now, sir, we'll tether them to
these two trees, and then get to work."
Fred followed his companion's example, glancing round from time to time,
and listening as every sigh of the wind seemed to be the breath of a
watcher; and then, tethering his steed, which calmly began to crop the
luxuriant grass, Fred started for the wilderness, his sword drawn to
feel his way beneath the trees, and at last contrived to reach the spot
where they had entered from time to time.
"Shall I go first, Master Fred?" whispered Samson.
"No, no."
"Better let me. I'm thicker-skinned, and it's going to be all feeling,
sir."
But Fred would not give up, and, entering the tangled underwood at once,
he went cautiously on, till about half-way, when a rush through the
bushes brought his heart to his mouth.
"Only rabbit, sir. Keep on," grumbled Samson.
"Think we are going right?"
"Yes, sir, far as I can tell; but it's blind man's work."
Instinct or guess-work, one or the other, led them right to the fallen
tree, when the hole was soon discovered, and Fred crept through and
dropped into the passage, closely followed by Samson.
"Don't find fault, sir," whispered the latter, as he touched the bottom,
"I should ha' done it, only I was took."
"What do you mean?"
"Brought a light."
"Never mind; I can find my way."
"Let me go first, sir."
"No; follow closely, and don't talk now."
"Only this one word, sir," whispered Samson, holding tightly by his
master's arm. "When we get 'em safe off, and my brother Nat starts
boasting, mind, sir, it was to help Sir Godfrey and Master Scar I came--
not him."
"Silence!"
"How like his father he do grow!" muttered Samson; and he obeyed.
Fred wondered to himself that he felt no shrinking at the strange task,
before creeping step by step into the utter darkness of this place; but
he was strung up now, and determined to carry his task through, come
what might.
Never before had the way seemed so long ere he struck his foot against
the first short flight of steps; and then, as he reached the top
unchallenged, a horrible sense of dread assailed him, for all was as
silent as it was dark, and he asked himself what had happened to his
friends.
He stood listening, but could hear nothing; and at last he gripped
Samson by the shoulder, and whispered--
"What does it mean? Have they gone?"
"That's what I was asking myself, sir. Speak--or shall I? Anybody
here?" he said aloud.
There was a whispering echo, nothing more, and Fred felt the cold
perspiration ooze from his brow, as he tried to imagine what could have
happened since they were there last.
Those moments seemed long-drawn minutes, and then relief came in a long,
low sigh; and as that ended, the breathing of a sleeper and a restless
movement were plainly heard from the corner of the vault.
"Hist!" whispered Samson; "hear that, sir?"
"Yes; they are asleep."
"No, sir; that behind us?"
"No."
"Listen."
Fred listened intently, and his hand went to the hilt of his sword, for,
sure enough, there was the sound of steps coming slowly and cautiously,
and as if he who made them listened, along the passage from the
direction of the lake.
"Some one tracking us," said Fred, with his lips to his follower's ear.
"Stand aside. Don't strike. Let him enter, and then we must seize and
gag him when I say `_Now_!'"
A pressure of Samson's ear against his lips told of his acquiescence,
and they stood, one on each side of the arched opening, waiting as the
steps came nearer, apparently more and more cautiously, till the
stairway was reached, against which whoever it was stumbled slightly,
and then ascended with many pauses, and stepped right inside the vault,
breathing heavily, and seeming to listen.
"What shall I do?" thought Fred. "Seize him, or what?"
"Master Fred--Master Fred, do say `_Now_', or our chance is gone," said
Samson to himself; and as if this was communicated to the young officer
by some peculiar sense, he was drawing in his breath previous to giving
the word and dashing at their tracker, when a low, piteous voice said
half aloud--
"Gone, or he has forgotten us. What shall--"
"Don't you talk like that o' Master Fred, sir," cried Samson, in
indignant tones.
"Scar!" cried Fred; and he threw his arms round his boyhood's companion,
who uttered a low sigh, and would have sunk to the stony floor but for
Fred's support.
"Samson."
"Well, sir, what did he mean by scaring us and talking like that?"
"Have you been outside?"
"No," said Scarlett, in a low, hesitating voice. "I was ill and
feverish. I went to the end to get some water, and I think I must have
fallen down and slept. I have not slept much, and it has been so long
and dark, and I thought you had forsaken us."
"Forsaken you!" cried Fred, reproachfully. "But your father--and Nat?"
"I hardly know; they seem to have done nothing but sleep."
"Don't talk now. Rouse them at once. You must escape."
"Escape? Where?"
"I have provided the refuge for you. Horses are waiting in front of the
Hall. Now, let's try and get them out at once."
"In front of the Hall?" said Scarlett, whose weakness seemed to be
chased away by his old friend's words.
"Yes."
"Fred, we can get down from the oak chamber into the ruins. A piece of
the wall has fallen. Will not that be a better way?"
"Of course," cried Fred. "Then wake them at once."
This was done, and the news of the coming of help conveyed to Sir
Godfrey and his man, who rose with pain to their feet; but it soon
became evident that the former could not stir a step, though Nat
declared he could walk anywhere, and nearly fell on trying to cross the
vault.
"It is of no use," said Scarlett; "but I thank you, Fred Forrester, and
I can never call you enemy again."
"No," said Sir Godfrey, piteously. "I am too weak to stir; but God
bless you, my brave, true boy--never our enemy again."
"Look ye here," said a gruff voice, "I don't know nothing 'bout no other
way, so you've got to show me or lead me. I'll hold a strap in my
teeth, and some one can lead me by that. What you've got to do, Master
Fred, is to set Sir Godfrey well on my back, and I can carry him
anywhere. Never mind about that brother o' mine. Chuck him down in any
corner, if he won't walk. I aren't going to carry him."
Nat uttered a low grunt, and muttered something out of the darkness
about kicking, as, after a vain protest, Sir Godfrey was helped on to
Samson's back, the sturdy fellow stooping down, and then rising up with
a bit of a laugh.
"Dessay him I was named after was pretty strong; but he couldn't ha'
carried you, sir, any better than that."
"My brave-hearted fellow!" said Sir Godfrey, faintly; and he set his
teeth hard to keep back a moan of pain.
"Now, then," said Samson, "what sort of a way is it?"
"Just like that we came," said Fred, quickly as he drew Nat's arm over
his shoulder.
"Then I don't want no leading," said Samson; "some one go first, and I
can feel my way with my ears."
"Go first, Scar," whispered Fred. "Don't speak; only tell him when you
reach the stairs. Now, forward!"
"Forward it is, gen'lemen. March! Never mind about that Nat. Got him
all right, Master Fred?"
There was a low chuckle by Fred's ear that sounded like one of Samson's,
as he answered--"Yes. Go on."
"Go on it is, gen'lemen; give the old donkey the spur, if he won't go."
The long passage was slowly traversed, and then began the toilsome
ascent of the stairs leading to the oak chamber, poor Nat being very
feeble, and Fred's task hard; but the top was reached at last, and the
soft fresh night air blew freely upon the rescuers' heated brows, as,
under Scarlett's guidance, they crossed the little room to the corner
where the wall had fallen away.
Here greater difficulties began in the getting down to the level of the
ground floor, stones giving way, and the darkness adding to the
difficulty. Once there was quite a little avalanche of calcined
material; but perseverance won, and all stood safely at last on the
trampled lawn in front of the ruined Hall.
"Shall we let them rest here for a bit?" whispered Fred.
"No, Master Fred, sir; they must rest on the horses' backs. Come on;
they're not fifty yards away."
A low whinny from one of the faithful beasts followed this speech, and
the party listened in dread that the sound might have been heard.
"Come on, sir," whispered Samson; "heard or no, now's our time;" and he
walked quickly to where the horses were tethered, with the others close
behind. "Now, sir," he said in a whisper, "I've got to get you on that
horse. If you can put a leg over, do. If you can't--"
Answer came in the shape of a brave effort on Sir Godfrey's part, and
the next instant he was sitting erect on the horse's back.
"Hooroar!" whispered Samson. "Now t'other one. Foot in my hands like a
lady. Nat, old chap. Ready? Up you go. That's brave. Yah! I forgot
as we was enemies. Come along. You lead him, Master Fred, as you would
bring him along."
"Can you walk all right, Scar?" whispered Fred.
"Yes. I'll take hold, though, of the horse's mane."
"Ready, Samson?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then, forward, and not a word; we must leave everything to chance. Our
only hope is that we may pass between the sentinels, and that the
darkness may screen us from their eyes."
A quarter of an hour's slow and careful progress over the soft grassy
moor, and then they stopped short, for there was the chink of metal and
the sharp stamp of a horse.
"If ours challenge him with a neigh, we are lost," thought Fred, as he
stood trembling, and patting his horse's nose.
"Poor old lad, then!" whispered Samson; and, their attention taken by
their masters' caressing hands, the brave beasts remained silent, and
then moved on till there was a road to be crossed, and Samson halted.
"Can't help it, sir; there's no other way," he whispered; "and it's all
stones."
"Forward!" whispered Fred; and they crossed the road, but not without
making a sharp sound or two. Then they were once more on the soft turf,
and bore away more and more to their right, till Scarlett whispered--
"Are you making for the shore?"
"No; for the Rill Head--the cavern," said Fred.
"Then it must be close here, for we are only a little way from the edge
of the cliffs."
Endorsement of his words came in the low roar of a breaking wave from
below; and just then the stars peeped out from behind a cloud, and they
saw exactly where they stood.
Ten minutes later they were close by the narrow entrance, and as Fred
searched for the exact place he uttered a cry of satisfaction, for there
by the gaping rift lay two large bundles, whose contents he pretty well
guessed.