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Athelstane Ford
BY
ALLEN UPWARD
AUTHOR OF "THE PRINCE OF BALKISTAN," "A CROWN OF STRAW,"
"SECRETS OF THE COURTS OF EUROPE," ETC
London
C. ARTHUR PEARSON LIMITED
HENRIETTA STREET W.C.
1899
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I. COUSIN RUPERT GAINS A RECRUIT 1
II. THE TAVERN OF THE "THREE-DECKER" 14
III. THE BEGINNING OF THE RIVALRY 27
IV. "A LA MORT" 41
V. ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP 55
VI. IN THE POWER OF THE ENEMY 69
VII. THE SIEGE OF GHERIAH 83
VIII. IN THE COMPANY'S SERVICE 96
IX. THE SPY 112
X. TAKEN CAPTIVE 128
XI. THE BLACK HOLE 152
XII. RUPERT IN A NEW LIGHT 163
XIII. A NIGHT ADVENTURE 180
XIV. IN A STRANGE LAND 197
XV. THE COMING OF SABAT JUNG 212
XVI. A BATTLE IN THE DARK 227
XVII. A MISSION OF DANGER 244
XVIII. MEER JAFFIER'S OATH 260
XIX. PLASSY 276
XX. RETRIBUTION 288
XXI. COLONEL OLIVE'S MESSAGE 302
XXII. AFTER MANY DAYS 312
ATHELSTANE FORD
CHAPTER I
_COUSIN RUPERT GAINS A RECRUIT_
It has not happened to many men, as I think, to have fallen into the
hands of as cruel and bloodthirsty a monster as ever defiled God's
earth, and to have escaped to tell the tale. Yet it is of this that I
have come to write; and of all the hardships and perils which I went
through from the time I fled from my father's house to seek for
treasure in the East Indies; and of the battles in which I fought; and
of the madness of love and jealousy which I knew; and of how the man I
trusted became my enemy, and pursued me with his vengeance; and of the
treasure which I found in the palace of the Hindoo king; and of how I
returned at last to my own home.
Nor do I greatly expect that the hearing of these things will be
effectual to hinder those who come after me from adventuring in their
turn, for young blood will have its way, like sap in the veins of a
growing tree. But there are times when I think that if I could have
looked forward and seen what was to come, and all the dire straits
through which I was to pass--both among my own countrymen and in those
distant lands--I might have given a different welcome to my cousin
Rupert when he came riding into Brandon, on the evening of that day
which was to be the last of my boyhood.
I had come out of the house before supper was laid, as I often used,
and had made my way along the edge of the dyke which runs through our
meadows into the broad, which we call Breydon Water; and there by the
margin of the broad I stood, while the sun was setting behind me, and
watched the light flush and fade over the grey spire and high red
roofs of Yarmouth town. Many a night I had come there to the same spot
and gazed with wistful eyes at that prospect; for though I was, in a
manner, familiar with the old town, and had gone in there on market
days many a time since I was a boy, yet, at this hour, and seen across
the water in the bright blaze of the sunset, it seemed to be strangely
removed and glorified--like that city which Christian had a prospect
of from the Delectable Mountains--and I could never think of it as
other than an enchanted region, the gate of the great world, where
the hours throbbed with action, and life was more full and splendid
than in our lonely grange among the broads; and my heart was fretted
within me, and day by day the longing grew upon me to break out of the
narrow limits in which my life was bound, and take my way thither into
the glamour and the mystery of the world.
Then all at once, as I stood there and gazed, I was aware of the sound
of a horse's hoofs coming over the wet grass, and turned and saw my
cousin riding towards me on his black mare and waving his whip to me
as he came.
I had a great affection for my cousin in those days, mingled with a
sort of dreadful admiration for the character he bore. He was my elder
by nearly ten years, and had been, in my eyes, a man ever since I was
a child, so that I looked up to him with reverence, and thought
nothing so delightful as to have him come down, bringing the air and
rumour of the outside world into our quiet homestead. Indeed, he
seemed to be of a superior order to us, and might almost be reckoned
as one of the gentry, for his father came of the Gurneys of Lynn, and
had set up a great brewery of ale there, by which he enriched himself
past all counting. How such a man had come to marry my aunt I never
knew, for my father kept silence on the subject, and Rupert himself
could tell me nothing of his mother, who had died when he was but an
infant. Nor was there much intercourse between our families, except
that twice a year, at Lady-day and Christmas, Mr. Gurney would send
us a barrel of his best brewing; and once a year, on the 1st of
January--for he would give no countenance to the feasts of the
Church--my father despatched a pair of fine turkeys to Lynn.
Cousin Rupert always showed a friendship for us, and I believe would
have given us his company more often but for my father's disapproval
of his manner of life; for he was already known as a wild companion,
and one who set little store by religion and respectability. There was
even a scandalous report that he had been fined by the Aldermen of
Yarmouth under the new statute made against profane swearing. They had
fixed his fine, so it was said, at two shillings, being the penalty
for common persons above the degree of a day labourer; but my cousin
Rupert, taking out his purse with a great air, demanded to have his
oath assessed like a gentleman's, and paid down a silver crown upon
the table.
Since then he had been away beyond seas, nor had I set eyes on him for
the best part of three years. It was thought that he had been taking
some part in the wars which then raged all over Europe; and difficult
enough it was to understand what they were all about, and whom we were
fighting; for at one time we were on the side of the great Empress
Maria Theresa, and against the young King of Prussia, who was dubbed
an infidel; and then later on we were fighting against the Empress--it
is true she was a Papist--and King Frederic was in all men's mouths
as the Protestant hero: I remember myself seeing his portrait painted
up on the sign-board of the inn at Blundell. However, we were always
against the French, whatever happened.
But, as it turned out, all this had no concern with my cousin. I
cannot tell how glad I was to see him back again, and I think he was
not ill-pleased at seeing me.
"Hallo, is that young Athelstane!" he called out as soon as he was
near enough. "Come on with me, cousin, and help me to put up my horse.
I have ridden out from Yarmouth, and I mean to sleep here to-night."
He sounded his words in the mincing, London fashion, which was then
beginning to spread among the better class in Norfolk; but I cannot
imitate his speech, and so write it down as if it were plain English.
Quick as my feet could carry me I ran forward in front of the horse,
and was there with the gate of the yard open before my cousin came up.
My father turned out of doors at the clatter, and looked not over
pleased when he caught sight of Rupert's dark face. However, he was a
man who would never shut the door against his own blood, and he gave
him some sort of a friendly greeting.
"Well, Nephew Rupert, how long have you been back in England?" he
asked him, as soon as the horse had been taken in and given its feed.
"It is scarce a month since I landed," my cousin answered; "but being
in Yarmouth, and you so near, I could not forbear riding over to spend
a night with you."
By this time we were come into the house, and my mother was in the
hall to welcome him, which she did with great kindness; for though he
was not of her kin, I believe she loved him better than my father did.
But that is saying little, for who was there about her that she did
not love? Even those who held aloof from my father as a stubborn
Independent had a kindness for my mother, who seemed to understand
nought of differences in religion, except between Christian and
heathen.
My father was of a different stamp. It was his boast that he was
related to the family of the famous John Bradshaw, the judge who
pronounced sentence on King Charles I, and whose house stands on
Yarmouth quay to this day. My father has many a time pointed it out to
me, and told me of the secret conclave held there of the Independent
leaders, when it was resolved to bring the unfortunate king to the
block. I have often thought that it was well for us that my father was
a freeholder, owning the fee simple of Brandon Farm; for the gentry
around were now all become staunch Churchmen, though loyal to King
George II, and showing no favour to the young Pretender in his late
desperate rebellion. Of that, however, I remember little, being scarce
twelve years old when it occurred.
With the Rector of Brandon parish we held scant intercourse, except at
tithing time, when my father always received him with grim civility
and bade him take what the law gave him, since title from the Gospel
he had none. Our only friend in the neighbourhood was one Abner
Thurstan, a farmer who lived over the border in Blundell parish; but
as he was an Anabaptist--or Baptist as they were then beginning to
call themselves--and my father had a great contempt and dislike for
the visionary ideas of that sect, even he came but seldom to our
house. His daughter Patience was a great favourite with my mother; and
for that matter I did not dislike the child, and would oftentimes
pluck her an apple from our trees or cut a whistle for her out of a
twig of elder wood.
The man whom my father most held in esteem was Mr. Peter Walpole, a
wool factor of Norwich, and a very religious man. He had a great gift
in the expounding of Scripture and in prayer, and it was his custom
once in every month to ride over to our house from Norwich of a
Saturday and hold a service on the next day for such as chose to come.
This was before the Methodists had arisen in our parts, and there was
no other means of hearing the Gospel in country places, the Church
clergy being for the most part men of the world.
Lest I seem to be wandering from my story, let me say here that my
father had been in treaty with this Mr. Peter Walpole concerning my
apprenticeship to him in Norwich. After moping a long time at the
dullness of my life in Brandon I had plucked up courage to tell my
father that I would fain be abroad. He heard me less unkindly than I
had feared, and contrived this plan for settling me away from home for
a few years, after which, he was pleased to say, I might have sense
enough to wish to come back. Good Mr. Walpole came into the scheme
very readily, and I believe it was only a matter of fifty pounds
between them before the thing could be carried out; but each held
firmly to his own view of the bargain, and though there was the same
friendship between them as ever, and Mr. Walpole prayed over the
business in our house, they could by no means come to terms.
Things stood at this pass, and I was sorely impatient with it all,
when, as I have said, my cousin Rupert arrived, and, for good or evil,
gave my life a far different turn.
As soon as my father had seen to it that the cloth was laid for four,
and sent down the maid with orders to fill a jug from the barrel on
the right-hand side of the cellar door, he turned to Rupert.
"You shall taste your father's brewing," he said. "I trust all is well
with him?"
"I have no doubt it is, and I am much obliged to you, sir," answered
he carelessly. "To tell you the truth, I have not yet found my way to
Lynn."
"What, nephew! Have you come here before paying your respects to your
own father?"
"I am afraid it is even so; and I will not pay you so poor a
compliment as to remark that Brandon Grange lies forty miles nearer to
Yarmouth than King's Lynn."
"Fie, young man, I am ashamed to hear you! I doubt whether I ought to
have let you cross my threshold if I had known of this. Jessica," he
added, turning to my mother, "here is a youth who comes to pay you a
visit before he has so much as set eyes on Lynn brewery, after three
years!"
And thrice during the evening he returned to the same subject, each
time rating master Rupert soundly for his filial neglect, and pointing
out the many advantages which his father's rich house at Lynn had over
what it pleased him to call the homely grange of Brandon.
He questioned Rupert while we supped concerning his adventures, and
what quarter of the world he had been in. But as to this my cousin
maintained a singular reserve, merely stating that he had spent most
of the time on a voyage round the Cape of Good Hope to the factories
of the great East India Company, of Leadenhall Street in the City of
London.
All this time I listened, saying nothing, for it was not my father's
custom to permit me to speak in his presence, unless I was first
questioned. I cared for this the less because I knew that as soon as
we were upstairs together my cousin would unburden himself to me
freely. And already I scented some mystery under his guarded speech,
which made me impatient for the time when we should be alone. I
listened with an ill grace to the chapter which my father read to the
household after supper, and it seemed to me that he had never prayed
at such length and to so little purpose. I thought it especially
needless that he should petition, for the space of full five minutes,
for the fruitfulness of our flocks, for by this time the ewes had all
dropped their lambs, and not one of them was a weakling.
Nevertheless it was over at last, and I quickly lighted the candle and
conducted my cousin upstairs. He was always my bedfellow on the
occasions of his visits to Brandon, and never spared to keep me awake
as long as it pleased him to talk to me.
As soon as we were snugly settled in bed, Rupert, as I had expected,
laid aside his reserve.
"Now, Cousin Athelstane, what do you suppose it is that has brought me
here?"
I could only shake my head in sign of pure ignorance.
"I will tell you. I have come here to offer you a berth on board my
ship, the _Fair Maid_, now lying in Yarmouth river."
My breath was fairly taken away by this announcement. All the dreams I
had cherished for so long seemed suddenly to have put on substance,
and what was yesterday a thousand miles away had come at one word
within my reach. Yet I could only stammer out--
"The _Fair Maid_? Is that the ship in which you went to the East
Indies? And is she bound thither again?"
Rupert nodded his head.
"She sails as soon as ever she can be fitted out, and we are shipping
the bravest fellows in all Norfolk for our crew. A word in your ear,
cousin: we sail with letters of marque against the Frenchmen, and it
will go hard if you or I come back with less than a thousand pounds to
our share."
"What! Is the _Fair Maid_ a privateer?"
I spoke in some dismay, for in those days privateers bore a bad name.
They were commissioned only to prey upon the commerce of such
countries as we were at war with, but it was currently believed that
they did not always look too closely at the flag of a vessel which
fell in their way, and that if peace was proclaimed while they were
abroad on a cruise they took care not to hear of it till such time as
suited their convenience. Among good men, therefore, they were
esteemed little better than pirates, and I could understand why my
cousin had been so chary in speaking about his voyage to my father.
"You needn't look so scared, youngster," he said, noting my behaviour.
"Our commission was signed by his Majesty King George himself; and
even the Frenchmen we took had nothing to complain of beyond the loss
of their property, and occasionally their lives when we found that
necessary to our own safety."
I felt my flesh creep, and yet the fascination of it was stronger than
the dread.
"You mean you killed them?" I asked, gazing into his face as if I had
never seen it before.
"We had to, sometimes, lest they should tell tales against us. Off
Mauritius we were chased more than once by a sloop of war, and it
would have gone hard with us if we had been captured. The French there
have got a devil of a governor, La Bourdonnais, and he has vessels
perpetually prowling up and down in those seas, and as far as
Pondicherry and Chandernagore. But what do you say, cousin? Are you
man enough to join us? You have the right stuff in you, I warrant--all
the Fords have. Our great-grandfather fought at Naseby, and though he
was a scurvy Roundhead, I'll swear he gave a good account of himself."
I hesitated, my whole heart on fire to accept, and yet held back by a
subtle distrust for which I could in no way account.
"Come, boy, you have only to slip away to-morrow night, after I have
gone, and join me privately in Yarmouth, at the sign of the
'Three-decker.' I will tell my worthy uncle in the morning that I am
on my way to East Dereham and Lynn, so it will be long enough before
they suspect where you are gone. And by the time the hue and cry
reaches Yarmouth you shall be safely stowed in the hold of the _Fair
Maid_, or maybe in a snug attic of the tavern, where only a bird could
find you out."
I made little more ado, but gave my consent, whereupon my cousin,
reaching down to the pocket of his breeches which he had cast on the
foot of the bed, drew out a golden guinea, which he pressed into my
hand.
"Here is handsel for your engagement," he said. And that settled, he
turned over and betook himself to sleep, leaving me to get out of bed
and extinguish the light.
But I could not sleep so easily, and lay there tossing and turning far
into the night, while I speculated on the new life that lay before me
and all the great deeds I would do.