COLONEL BLOOD AND NED WARBECK.
When Wildfire Ned had hurried away with Ellen Harmer from the scene
of strife, he was careful that no one should know whither he had
taken her.
In order to thwart Colonel Blood, whom he knew would try to ferret
her out, he hired a coach, and, with Lieutenant Garnet and himself
inside, he trusted the reins to Bob Bertram, who lashed up the
animals, and started off at a great pace towards the town residence
of Sir Richard Warbeck.
“You have done for Phillip Redgill at last,” said Garnet, in a
whisper, for fear of disturbing the sleeping girl.
“Yes, I think so,” Ned replied; “but it was in fair fight.”
“Oh, no doubt of that. I did not see it, but was told by those who
did; in fact, I was too much engaged in storming the Block-house to
observe anything but the skeleton devils jumping out of window into
the river.”
“How the old building did burn, to be sure; such a blaze.”
“Yes; it was a grand sight, and lit up that part of the town most
beautifully.”
“A fit end for such an infamous rendezvous.”
“So say I, and a gallant exploit it was, and reflects all honour on
those engaged in it.”
“I wonder what the king will say to it when he hears it?”
“Why, reward all who were concerned in it; at least, he ought to do
so, if he’s got a spark of generosity in him.”
“What do you intend?” asked Garnet, after a pause.
“I shall leave Ellen in charge of my uncle, and go to the palace at
once.”
“But how can you gain admission?”
“Easily enough,” said Ned. “Do you see this ring? I found it near the
ale-house.”
“What a splendid one it is. Why, it is a signet ring,” said Garner,
“and bears the royal coat of arms.”
“So it does; and inside, as you will perceive, it has the royal
cipher, with the inscription, ‘Whoever presents this is admitted.’”
“How could it have been lost?” said Garnet, closely examining it.
“There is no doubt it belongs to the king.”
“I know it does.”
“How?”
“Ellen Harmer explained it all to me. Captain Jack and his men
entered Colonel Blood’s house, and while there discovered the king,
who was bent, during the colonel’s absence, to forcibly abduct her.
The king was recognised by Captain Jack, and to regain his freedom
without discovery by any one of the colonel’s household he gave the
ring to Captain Jack; in the hurry, I suppose, he lost it.”
“It was a lucky discovery for you,” said Garnet.
“Yes; and I intend to make the best possible use of it, as you will
see,” said Ned, “and this very night also.”
By this time, and while they thus conversed in whispers, the carriage
drove up to Sir Richard Warbeck’s residence.
The door was soon opened, and, to the old knight’s great surprise,
Ned explained to him all that had happened.
“What, in another scrape?” said Sir Richard, “and bring a lady home
with you?”
“Yes, uncle,” said Ned, laughing; “one who is beautiful, and
deserving of the temporary protection she asks of you.”
“Whether beautiful or not an injured female is always welcome to the
shelter and protection of my roof, Ned.”
With the greatest gallantry the old knight opened the carriage door,
and assisted Ellen Harmer up the stone steps into his princely,
hospitable mansion.
“To the palace, Bob,” said Ned, jumping into the carriage again.
“Where?” asked the old knight, in wonder. “Bent on some other mad
freak to-night? Stop! stop! Ned; here, stop!”
But before he could be heard Bob Bertram lashed up the horses, and
drove rapidly towards the palace.
[Illustration: A DEATH-BED CURSE.—(_See No. 24._)]
On their way they overtook a procession of linkmen, who were slowly
moving along towards the hospital.
On a shutter they bore the bleeding body of an almost lifeless man.
“Who is that?” asked Ned, as he passed them by.
“A man that young Warbeck fought a duel with.”
“He is not dead, you say?”
“No, not quite.”
“He must have had as many lives as a cat, then,” said Ned. “What does
the surgeon say?”
“That, perhaps, by a miracle he may recover.”
“The devil!” said Garnet. “Why, you’ll have to fight him over again.”
“Without the headsman or hangman cheats me,” said Ned, laughing; “but
there’s no telling what may happen. Drive on, Bob; be lively, my lad.”
Bob whipped his horses, and soon drove up to the palace yard.
“Halt!” said the hoarse voice of the sentinel, as the carriage
approached.
Bob saw the sentinel lower his musket at him, and he pulled up his
horses on the instant.
In a moment an officer advanced to the carriage door, and, in rather
a sharp, impertinent manner, demanded to know who and what they were,
and the business they came upon at such an unreasonable hour.
“Our names you are at liberty to know, sir,” said Ned, “but not our
business. We are naval officers in his majesty’s service; our errand
is of the greatest importance, and brooks no delay.”
“I don’t know that,” said the officer. “The king has been disturbed
in his slumbers twice to-night; therefore, you had better call at the
levée in the morning, if you are officers and do not wish to anger
him.”
“Leave that to us, good sir. You may rely upon it,” said Ned, “if our
business were not of the utmost consequence, we are by far too good
subjects to annoy the king.”
“But what sign have you that warrants me in waking the king?”
“This,” said Ned, presenting the ring; “take that to his majesty.
When he sees it he will not deny us admission to his presence,
whatever the hour may be.”
The officer took the royal ring and examined it.
He forthwith went up to the king’s chamber, and, it must be
acknowledged, that Charles, majesty as he was, was full of wrath at
being disturbed in his slumbers.
When, however, the officer in attendance presented to him the ring,
he looked amazed.
He rubbed his eyes and yawned.
“The devil take the impudent rogue!” said he. “But, as I have given
my word of honour, why, admit him at once.”
In a moment afterwards Ned Warbeck and Garnet were striding up the
broad staircase towards the king’s bed-chamber.
The king, propped up in bed, was flushed with anger; but when he
perceived it was not Captain Jack, to whom he had given the ring, he
appeared the more amazed.
The door was closed upon Ned and Garnet, but the half sleepy page, in
revenge for being awakened from sleep, listened at the door and heard
all he could.
Ned Warbeck, in a few words, explained all that had happened that
night, and about his finding the ring.
The king seemed at first very much annoyed, but he laughed off the
matter, and said upon his word that the story about his intruding
into Ellen Harmer’s chamber in Colonel Blood’s mansion was all a
fiction.
“Call to-morrow at the levée,” said he, “and I will see that justice
is done both to you and the injured maid; but to-night I am weary.
No, not to-morrow; I forgot there is no levée until Thursday, so that
you will have ample time to arrange everything to your satisfaction.
And in token of how much I appreciate your valour in the affair of
to-night with the gang of that rascal, Captain Jack, and the terrible
Skeleton Crew, I fully pardon from all transgressions whoever aided
you in defeating the villains.”
“Thanks, your majesty. But what document have we to prove it?” said
Ned.
“Give me pen, ink, and paper.”
These were found upon a side table.
With a hurried scrawl, the king wrote down a few words, granting a
free pardon for all officers in favour of those who had assisted Ned
and Garnet.
Moreover, he signed the paper, and sealed it with his own signet ring
and gave it to Ned.
But, while this was going on in the royal chamber, Bob Bertram, in
the palace-yard, was very near getting in a serious difficulty.
Ned and Garnet had not left him more than five minutes, when Colonel
Blood hastily rode up and dismounted from his horse.
He perceived the carriage, and began to question Bob.
“Whose vehicle is that, sirrah?” he asked, looking at it attentively.
“It looks like a hired one.”
“It is my master’s, sir,” answered Bob.
“And who is your master?”
“A gentleman, sir.”
“If you answer me in that manner again I’ll knock you off your seat.
Who is your master, sirrah?”
“Captain Warbeck, of the royal navy.”
“Ha! and is he with the king?”
“He is.”
“The devil! before me again, eh?” said Blood, angrily, but in an
under tone. “What’s his business here at such an unseemly hour?”
“You had better ask him, sir; he won’t be long.”
“Confound the impudence of the rascal. What is your name?”
“Bob Bertram,” was the answer, “and not ashamed to own it,” said
Bob, with all the innocence in the world, and never dreaming of the
consequences.
“Bertram, Bertram?” said Colonel Blood, thinking. “I have heard that
name before.”
“Perhaps so, sir; but what of it?”
Colonel Blood did not answer at the moment, but referred to a small
gold-clasped memorandum book he carried in his breast pocket.
“Robert Bertram,” said he, turning over the leaves quickly. “Yes, of
course; I thought I could not be mistaken. You came from Darlington?
Your father was murdered——”
Poor Bob never thought of this.
He shook in every limb, and very nearly fell from his high seat.
His confusion was evident to Colonel Blood, who laughing said,
“And so you are the servant of Ned Warbeck, eh? If the master is only
like the servant, now. Here, guard,” said he, “seize this man; he is
a murderer; seize him, I say, in the king’s name.”
“In the king’s name, hold off your hands,” said Ned Warbeck, in a
passion, as he and Garnet now advanced into the moonlight.
The soldiers knew not what to do.
“Who are you, sir, that dares interfere in this serious matter? This
fellow is a murderer, or, at least, suspected of being such.”
“He is no murderer, sir,” said Ned Warbeck, “and, if he was, I have
the king’s pardon. Read,” said he, placing the royal warrant under
the astonished colonel’s eyes.
“Your name, sir?” asked Blood, sternly.
“You have no right to demand it,” said Ned, proudly.
“But, suppose I insist upon knowing it, and that of your friend?”
“Insist, sir?”
“Yes, insist.”
“If you wish to meet me on important business in a _private_ manner,”
Ned haughtily replied, “there is my card,” said he, giving it to the
colonel.
“And, sir, here is _mine_,” said the colonel, biting his lip in anger.
“I do not need it. I know you too well already, colonel.”
“Ah, indeed.”
“You understand me?”
“I do. We shall meet again.”
“When you like, and where you like,” said Ned, with a light laugh.
“Perhaps we may meet too quickly for your own liking, young sir.”
“That cannot be. I fear you not.”
“You may learn to do so to your cost, Warbeck.”
“It remains with you, then, to name the day and hour. I am always
ready to accommodate gentlemen in a small way.”
With these words, Ned and Garnet jumped into the coach, and drove
homewards.
“I must clip that youngster’s wings,” said the colonel; “he is
inclined to fly too high.”
“Then, colonel, you will have great trouble, I fear,” said one of the
royal pages, who, in crossing the palace yard, had heard all that;
had been said.
“Who is that?” asked the colonel, hastily.
“Your friend Simon, the page.”
“Ah, Simon, have you been disturbed again?”
“Yes, by those two hot-headed fellows who have just left you.”
“What news? Did you happen to ascertain their business at this late
hour?”
“I did.”
“Indeed, what was it?”
“Come this way; we must not be overheard. It concerns you greatly.”
“You speak seriously.”
“I do; come this way. I will tell you all, and put you on your guard
with the king.”
Blood and the page entered a doorway, and were lost to sight and
hearing.