That day matters remained unchanged, save that only about a fourth of
the enemy were visible, there being mounted men stationed at intervals
upon the higher portions of the country round the castle, where they
could command a view of all the approaches; but towards evening these
men were relieved, and strong bodies appeared, but not for purposes of
attack, merely to draw in and take up stations at closer distances
before recommencing what Ben called "padrolling." Meanwhile, drilling
went on busily, and the arrangements were advanced for the proper
service of the guns.
A quiet, uninterrupted night succeeded, Roy having arranged with Ben to
divide the post-visiting with him and the corporal, who was now looked
upon as the third officer in command.
Roy saw but little of Master Pawson that evening. The secretary had
been very busy about the place all the day, and, making the excuse of
weariness after vainly trying to keep his eyes open, he retired early.
Two more days passed in the same way, valuable days to the garrison,
which went on with gun and sword practice from morn till night, and
rapidly approached a condition in which they would be able to give a
good account of themselves before the enemy.
On the afternoon of the fourth day, it was evident that a change was
taking place, for the head of a column of infantry became visible,
probably the men for whom the officer in command had been waiting.
Roy hurried to the top of the gate tower with Ben, and the secretary
followed, and was the first to point out that behind the regiment of
infantry, horses were visible--led horses; and no one was surprised,
when the infantry opened out a little, to see that four heavy guns were
being laboriously dragged along the rough country lane, a road-way ill
fitted to bear the pressure of the wheels with their burden.
"They mean business now," said Roy, who felt as if something was
compressing his heart.
"Oy, sir," said Ben, coolly; "they'll knock up an earthwork before
morning, and set the guns in a position for battering the gate-way."
"But you will not surrender, Roy?" said the secretary, excitedly.
"Not I," said Roy. "I told you so before."
"Not him, sir," said old Ben. "Let 'em batter. Them guns won't be
heavy enough to hurt the tower and walls more than to send chips of
stone flying."
"What about the drawbridge, Ben?"
"Oh, they can't hurt that, sir, because you'll give orders to lower that
down and hoist the portculley."
"Rather tempting for them to make a rush, Ben."
"Tchah, sir! We shall be keeping a good watch, and up and down bridge
and portcullis would be, long before they could get up to 'em. I
s'pose, sir, you'll make sure that old Jenks doesn't go across to his
gate-house."
"Of course."
"And I s'pose, sir, you'll have the two big guns hoisted up on to the
great tower now: we could easily dismount 'em and do that. They'll be
handier up there now, and very awkward for them as works the guns in
their earthwork."
"Yes, I shall order that to be done at once," said Roy, with a comical
look at his Mentor--one which Ben refused to see.
"And then, sir," he continued, "there's that there earthwork as'll stop
half the shot they send in through the gate-way, and send a lot of 'em
flying right up over the towers."
"What earthwork?"
"Well, sir, that one as you're going to start as soon as it's getting
dark. Ground's pretty soft for working, and we've got plenty of timber.
I s'pose you'll reg'larly fill up Jenks's gate-way, and leave quite a
deep ditch behind it on our side."
"Why not on their side, Ben?" said Roy, sharply.
"Why, of course, sir; I seemed to fancy this side; but t'other's better,
and all the earth we throw out of the ditch goes on the front and top in
a slope, eh?"
"Yes, of course; and turns the balls upward."
"Not many on 'em will go up, sir. Ground'll be too soft. They'll just
plump in there and stop; and so much the better for Royland Towers."
As they watched attentively, they found that the horses were halted, and
the guns drawn right in front of the castle gate, but at the distance of
quite half a mile. There the men seemed to be bivouacking; and the
smoke of several fires rose slowly in the air.
No more time was lost: the gunners were summoned, ropes got ready, some
heavy beams were hoisted up to the platform of the gate tower, and,
under the guidance of Ben and the corporal, a rough kind of crane was
fitted up; and after the guns had been dismounted, the carriages were
hoisted and placed in position behind the embrasures.
The heavier task was to come; but Ben and the three troopers seemed to
master every difficulty, carefully securing the guns with ingenious
knots of the ropes; and at last the word was given to hoist.
The hemp stretched and strained, and as the first gun rose a little from
the ground, it seemed to Roy as if the strands must give way, and he
ordered every one to stand well aside. Ben smiled.
"No fear of that, sir," he whispered. "Those are the toughest of hemp,
those ropes, and as the length gets shorter, the strain grows less.
Steady, my lads! a little at a time."
The hauling went on till the first gun was level with the top of the
battlements, when there was a clever bit of management with a big wooden
bar or two handled by the troopers on the roof, and the first gun was
easily dropped right upon its carriage.
"One," said Roy, with a sigh of relief, for he was in constant dread of
an accident.
"Ay, sir; and it will be two directly; and I wish it was three for the
enemy's sake."
The second gun was hoisted, and mounted rapidly, thanks to the trained
skill of the four regular soldiers; while the men from the mill who
helped looked on with profound admiration, though they were pretty
clever at moving stones.
Discipline was relaxed over this manual labour, with the consequence
that Sam Donny's tongue began to run rather freely, a certain intimacy
having existed in the past between Roy and the miller's man connected
with the demand and supply of meal-worms for catching and feeding
nightingales, which came about as far west as the castle and no farther.
"Beat us chaps to 'a done that, Master Roy," he said.
"Captain Roy," growled Ben.
"Ay. Forgetted," said the man. "T'other seems so nat'ral. Beat us
chaps, Captain Roy. We'm as strong as them, but they've got a way a
handling they brass guns as seems to come nat'ral to 'em like. But if
they'll come to the mill, we'll show 'em something along o' flour-sacks,
and the grinding-stones as'll make 'em stare. Every man to his trade."
"Well, you're a soldier now, Sam Donny, and you must learn to handle
guns as well as you handle sacks of flour."
"We will, master--I mean cap'n. I should just like me and my mates to
have the letting o' them guns down again. May we, sir?"
"No. Absurd."
"But we'd get 'em up again, sir."
"Wait till the enemy have gone," said Roy, "and then we'll see."
A portion of the afternoon was devoted to taking up the necessary
ammunition and re-arranging the top platform they had to prepare for the
guns; and just at dusk, after the sentinels had been doubled, a strong
party stood in the gate-way, armed with shovel and pick, waiting for the
bridge to be lowered. Another party had a number of beams; and, lastly,
already drawn up, stood a guard prepared to watch over the safety of the
workers, and hand them weapons for their defence, if, perchance, they
were seen by the enemy, and an attempt made to rush in.
But no sign was given to warn the parliamentarians, and Roy and the
secretary stood on the platform of the great gate-way, watching the
enemy, till, in the dim light, a body of men marched to the front,
halted a quarter of a mile from the gate; a large square was rapidly
marked out with pegs, and then an order seemed to be given, for the
party began at once to dig and throw up a breastwork, evidently for the
shelter of their guns.
Master Pawson watched everything eagerly, and kept on pointing out what
was going on, while Roy leaned upon one of the guns, saying, "I've been
wondering whether these guns will carry as far as that work they are
making--I mean so as to hit hard."
"They think they will not," said the secretary, "and have placed their
battery just out of reach."
"How do you know?" said Roy, sharply.
"I--oh, of course, I don't know," said Master Pawson; "it is only what I
judge from seeing them make their battery there."
"Oh, I see," said Roy, quietly. And he thought no more of the remark
just then. He waited till the figures of the men digging grew more and
more indistinct, and then quite invisible from where they stood; and he
was just about to descend, when the sergeant joined them, to say,
respectfully--
"We're all ready, sir, and I've got some more poles and planks out of
the wood-house."
"Then we'll start at once," said Roy; "but I'll have these guns manned
at once to cover our working-party."
Ben coughed.
"You don't think that's right?" said Roy, quickly.
"Well, sir, I wouldn't have presumed to interfere with my commanding
officer's orders 'fore any one else. But--"
"Now don't talk nonsense, Ben," said Roy, warmly. "There's no one here
but Master Pawson, who is as anxious about preserving the place as we
are."
"Indeed, I am," said the secretary, earnestly.
"So don't let's have any of that silly ceremony. I wish you wouldn't
pretend to believe I was so conceited."
"I don't, captain," said Ben, abruptly; "only want you to see when
you're wrong."
"Then speak out at once. Now then; you don't think it worth while to
man these guns now?"
"No, sir. If they hear us at work, and attack, we've got to retreat
over the bridge fast as we can, and get it hoisted. Say you've got
these guns manned and loaded, a shot or two might check the attacking
party; but how in the dark are we to know when it is best to fire? How
are we to take aim? And what's to prevent our hitting friends instead
of enemies."
"Fire high, over their heads."
"That's wasting two good charges for the sake of making a noise. I
don't think I'd trouble about them to-night, sir."
"No; you're right.--Eh, Master Pawson?" said Roy.
"I don't much understand these things," said the secretary; "but it
sounds the more sensible idea. You're not offended by my speaking out?"
"_No_; but I soon shall be if you all treat me as if I thought of
nothing but dressing up as a soldier, and wanting to have my own way
over matters where I'm wrong. Come along, down."
Roy led the way down through the corner turret, Master Pawson following
and Ben coming last; while, as they wound round the narrow spiral, the
secretary turned his head to whisper--
"He'll make a splendid officer, Martlet."
The only reply he obtained was a very hog-like grunt; then Ben spoke to
himself:
"I wish to goodness you were along o' the enemy, or anywhere but here;
you're supposed to be a friend, but somehow I can't never feel as if you
are one. My cantank'rousness, I s'pose. Not being a scholard like you,
maybe. Anyhow, though, I'm more use just now than you are; not but what
that's easy, for you aren't none at all."
By this time they were down in the gate-way once more, where the
portcullis was raised as silently as possible in the darkness, the
bridge lowered, and the heavily laden working-party, followed by their
guard marched slowly and silently out; a second strong guard was posted
at the far end of the bridge to cover the retreat if one should have to
be made--these last being under the command of the corporal; and Master
Pawson volunteered in a whisper to stay with the men. Roy acquiesced,
feeling rather glad to be without his company.
Next a halt was called, and all listened as they gazed out in the
darkness in the direction of the enemy. Then feeling how commanding a
position the latter had in the possession of their horsemen to act as
scouts, and who might approach very near unseen, and discover the plans
of the night, Roy gave orders for the guard at the end of the bridge to
advance two men, to station them as sentries at equal distances, to keep
in touch with the working-party.
"Fiddler's right," growled Ben, to himself. "He will make a splendid
officer one of these days."
The next minute the work was silently begun, the guard being thrown out
in a half-moon formation in front of the outer gate-way which covered
the bridge.
Ben's plans were very simple. He had the heaviest beams they had
brought stretched across the gate-way, as high as they could reach
overhead, and propped against the masonry on either side with shorter
beams; then poles, planks, and fagots were stretched in a slope from the
ground to the crossing timbers, so as to make a scarp; and, as soon as
this was done, shovel and pick were set to work to dig a deep wide
ditch, the earth from which was thrown up over the wood; while men on
either side filled baskets and carried their loads to pile upon the
slope as well.
It was roughly done work, but every shovelful added to the strength of
the bank, which rapidly grew in thickness as the hours glided on, the
workers being relieved from time to time to do duty as guards, while the
guard took their turn at shovelling and filling.
There was no halting, the men having refreshments served out to them by
Roy's forethought as they were relieved; and so the work went on till
towards dawn, when a couple of men were strengthening the bank from
behind with short pieces of wood wedged up against the crossbeams, as
the weight of the earth began to make them bend.
"You'll have to set a party to work by daylight, filling up on this
side, Master Roy," said Ben, quietly. "If we heap up earth and turf
here, it will be the best support, and a regular trap for all their
balls."
"I begin to fear that as soon as they begin to fire they will batter it
all to pieces, Ben."
"Dessay they'll damage it a bit, sir; but if they do, we must mend it;
and every night we work, we can get it stronger and more earthy.
Nothing like soil to swallow balls. Of course it's no use as a defence,
because the enemy could come round either end; but it'll do what's
wanted, sir--stop the shot from hitting the bridge-chains and smashing
through the grating. Hello! what's that?"
_That_ was a challenge, followed by a shot, and the rush of feet as the
sentries thrown out ran back. This was followed by the trampling of
hoofs, and the shouting of orders, as a small body of horse made a dash
at the working-party, sweeping by the gate, but only to be received by a
scattered volley as they were dimly seen riding out of the black
darkness and disappearing again. But not without coming to the closest
of close quarters, for there was the clashing noise of swords striking
against steel, and, in the brief time occupied by their passing, blows
were returned amidst angry shouting, and several dull thuds told that
the blows had taken effect on horse or man.
It was merely the work of moments, the charge having been delivered from
the left by a party of mounted men who had evidently been reconnoitring
along by the edge of the moat, and came up at a slow walk unheard by the
sentries on the walls. Then, finding the working-party before them,
they had charged and galloped clear.
Roy fully expected another attack, for which he was now well prepared,
the workers having seized their weapons; but all was still, and he was
arguing with himself as to whether it would not be as well to work on
till daybreak, when a voice from out of the darkness said, faintly--
"Will some 'un come and lend me a hand?"
"Sam Donny!" cried Roy, and, in company with Ben, he ran forward for
quite forty yards before they came upon the man lying prone upon the
earth.
"Why, Sam!" cried Roy; "are you hurt?"
"Well, it's only a scratch, sir; but it do hurt, and it's a-bleeding
like hooroar. One on 'em chopped at me with his sword. I'd only got a
pick, you see; but I hit at him with that, and somehow it got stuck, and
I was dragged ever so far before I had to let go. He's got the pick in
his big saddle, I think. But I'll pay for it, sir, or get you a new
one."
"Never mind the pick, Sam. Where are you hurt?"
"Oh, down here, on my right leg, sir. He made a big cut at me; but I'll
know my gen'leman again. I'll have a sword next time and pay him back;
and so I tell him." Ben was down upon his knees, busy with a scarf,
binding the wound firmly, a faint suggestion of the coming day making
his task easier; and, summoning help, a rough litter was formed of a
plank, and the wounded man rapidly carried in over the bridge.
That brought the defensive operations to an end, for Roy withdrew his
men into the castle, and the daylight showed their rough work, which
pretty well secured the gate-way; but it also displayed the work of the
enemy, who had constructed a well-shaped earthwork, out of whose
embrasures peered a couple of big guns.
The rapidly increasing light, too, showed something more, for about a
couple of hundred yards from the outworks, a horse, saddled and bridled,
lay upon its side, quite dead; for the terrible stroke the miller's man
had delivered with his pickaxe had struck into the horse's spine.