THE ATTACK.
Many of our readers, who have searched with curious eye through the
various localities and peculiar points of interest at Stratford, will
doubtless recollect a small antiquated-looking inn, situated on the
Avon's bank,--a building whose outward favour and stout-timbered walls,
together with its massive chimneys and general appearance, would
proclaim it to have been a house of some mark in its day.
At the period of our story this building had degenerated from a goodly
farm-house to a hostel called the Checquers, and was the house of
entertainment generally used by the commoner sort of wayfarers. It was a
house altogether of no very good repute, in which the brawl and the
night-shriek might be occasionally heard by the more respectable
dwellers in the town,--a house often visited too by the watch, and
carefully looked after by the authorities.
It was a dwelling also often changing owners, and had been lately taken
by a stranger, a dark, taciturn, evil-looking host, whose appearance
nobody liked, consequently he was but ill supported.
In short, since the present landlord had been its occupant, save and
except an occasional guest who appeared to have arrived from foreign
parts, and departed as quickly and silently as he had come, the
Checquers was almost without guests. So that, albeit its former
dissolute repute might be said to have departed from it, the inn had now
assumed a mysterious sort of note, and was as celebrated for closed
doors and quietude, as it had before been for riot and open debauchery.
Some said the landlord was a Jesuit; others, that he was an emissary of
the Spaniard; whilst others again affirmed he was both the one and the
other, and all agreed that he was an ill-favoured, unneighbourly, and
exceedingly disagreeable person.
It was at this hostel, Master Neville and his associates had previously
taken up their quarters, and here they had been frequently visited
during the dark hours by certain cavaliers who hitherto had seldom
remained till dawn.
Master Muddlework, the head constable of the town, had considered it
consistent with his duty twice to visit the Checquers, in order to
observe these suspicious-looking strangers, but each time he had done so
he had failed in finding anything to fasten his suspicions upon; so that
whether a good look-out was kept, and the major portion of the strangers
had concealed themselves, or that they were really absent at the moment
of his visit, the functionary had, as we have said, quite failed in
observing anything unusual or particular; except it was the mysterious
quietude and closed-up doors and shutters of the sometime rollicking
hostel.
In short, nothing could exceed the degree of interest with which this
inn and its occupants were at this moment regarded,--an interest which
had become general throughout the town, all on a sudden apparently, and
it was towards this hostel, as our readers doubtless are aware, that Sir
Thomas Lucy and his party were now advancing.
To the suggestion of Grasp, that it would be better, he thought, to wait
till the shadows of evening had descended before they approached the
town, Sir Thomas gave a decided negative. All dark doings, he said, were
foreign to his nature. He had proceeded by the shortest and most
expeditious route towards his design, as in duty bound, the moment he
heard of this vile assemblage, and, Heaven willing, he would proceed as
straight to the capture of the caitiffs.
With military precision and precaution, however, he gave directions so
as to ensure the more sure success of his undertaking, and halting for a
few moments in the road, he divided his party in twain, sending one
portion full trot forwards, with orders to make a slight detour, and
enter the town on the further side, whilst he so timed his own movements
as to come within hail of the suspicious hostel at the precise moment
his other party approached it.
This done, according to previous concert, the two portions extending
from the right and left, in a moment completed a very pretty cordon
around the hostel; so that not a mouse could shew its nose outside the
walls without being seen. Quickly as this movement had been executed, it
had been as quickly seen by the inmates apparently; for the door in the
rear, which had been open the moment before, was immediately closed and
secured.
This proceeding convinced Sir Thomas in a moment that the inmates of the
hostel kept a good look-out, and at the same time led him to suspect
what he indeed quickly found, namely, a desperate resistance. Such
indeed might reasonably be expected, for the vigilance of the Queen's
council was at this time so keen, and the various plots of the day so
continually being discovered by one chance or other, that there was
small hope of success, unless the utmost secresy was maintained.
Ordering his party instantly to dismount, (whilst the horses were put in
charge of a small reserve,) Sir Thomas drew back and desired Grasp to
advance to the fore door of the Checquers, and demand admittance in
form.
"An it so please your worship," said Grasp, "I had rather not take upon
myself so much of the responsibility of the action as that would amount
to. Your honour is a justice of the peace, and may therefore reasonably
take the lead. I will follow and bear witness to the lawfulness of
whatsoever it may please your valour to perform; but I had rather not
strike the first blow."
"Or receive it either, I believe," said Sir Thomas, _sotto voce_. "'Tis
well," he added aloud, and immediately setting spurs to his palfrey, he
was, the next moment, beside the strong iron-studded front-door of the
hostel, which he struck forcibly with the butt-end of his riding-whip.
As he expected, the door was fastened, and to his repeated summons no
answer was returned. At length he uplifted his voice, and in a loud
tone, demanded instant admittance in the Queen's name. Upon this the
lattice-window was thrown open, and a man's head appeared at it,--a
pale, cadaverous-looking wretch, with long lank hair, and glassy and
excited eye.
"What seek you here?" he said. "There is death in the house, and the
doors are closed against visitors to-day."
"Let them open to those who come in the Queen's name," said Sir Thomas.
"I come to seize the persons of all within this house. Dead or alive, it
matters not, I will arrest the bodies of all here consorting and
assembling."
"Ah," said the man, "and who then art thou, thus commissioned, and from,
whom hast thou such authority?"
"I am Sir Thomas Lucy, of Charlecote," returned the knight, "and if I
mistake not, thou art Ralph Somerville, of Warwick."
"And how if we refuse you admittance?" said Somerville. "How then, Sir
Thomas Lucy, of Charlecote?"
"Then I will make forcible entry," said Sir Thomas, "and those who
oppose me must be content with the mishaps that attend such procedure."
"Of what are we accused, that we are thus molested in our retirement?"
said Somerville.
"Of high treason, in conspiring to take the life of our blessed and
gracious Queen Elizabeth," said Sir Thomas.
"Then receive the wages of your service, heretic," said Somerville, at
the same moment discharging the contents of a petronel full in Sir
Thomas's visage.
The weapon was thrust so near to the face of the knight that the powder
blackened his features, but the ball, luckily, just missed his head, and
passing downwards on his cuirass, glanced off harmless.
"'Tis well," he said, with his usual coolness, as Somerville immediately
closed the window. "Forwards, men, and force the doors instantly."
The house had, apparently, been prepared in anticipation of such an
assault; for, as the party advanced to the attack, several calivers were
discharged from loop-holes, which had been made in the walls at the
upper part, and two of Sir Thomas's men were shot dead ere they could
reach the doors.
As the remainder, however, did so, they found the entrance so strongly
barricaded that their efforts to get in were fruitless; whilst at the
same time they were exposed to the bullets of those within during the
attempt. Sir Thomas saw this in a moment, as he rode about
superintending the affair, and indeed drawing several discharges from
the besieged upon his own person.
With military quickness and decision he immediately dismounted, and
rallying some half-a-dozen of his men who were bearing back from the hot
fire of the besieged, he seized upon a ladder which he espied lying near
a sort of outhouse in the rear. This he ordered his people to man on
either side, and leading them on, sword in hand, they rushed with
terrible force against the back door of the hostel, giving it such a
shock, that door and lintels together were nearly unshipped.
"Another rush," cried Sir Thomas; "one more, and we have them!"
Accordingly on dashed the men with this novel battering-ram, and again
and again they assailed the door. Any one who could have observed Grasp
at this moment, would have doubtless considered that he had suddenly
gone mad, since what between his anxiety to be amongst the first, and
near Sir Thomas Lucy, and his mortal fear of the whistling balls, he cut
a most ridiculous figure. One moment he rushed forward, with the party
who were using the ladder as a battering-ram; the next, as the sharp
report of a well-loaded caliver jarred his ears, he fairly bolted off,
turning again when he had gained a few paces to the rear, flourishing
his blue bag, and shouting at the assailants with all his might, to
break in and take the rebels.
"Serve the warrant, take the body, seize the person!--Take them dead or
alive!" he cried, as he jumped about. Meantime the ladder, being well
and chivalrously managed, at about the fourth rush carried in the door,
and Sir Thomas, with portentous strength, carried his body along with it
into the kitchen of the inn, a petronel in one hand and his heavy rapier
in the other, closely followed by his men. Contrary to his expectations,
however, the apartment was empty; "Guard the entrance!" he cried, as he
dashed into the next apartment. "The villains will escape us yet! Kill
whoever attempts to get out!"
Rapidly, and followed by his men, Sir Thomas made search through the
lower portion of the hostel, without, however, finding a soul, although
it was evident they had but the moment before escaped, the rooms being
filled with the smoke of their discharged fire-arms. Glancing round
upon his followers, who were now for the most part within the hostel, he
directed them instantly to search the upper flooring, whilst he kept
guard below.
This was, however, more easily said than done. The staircase was found
to be impracticable, being barricaded by a large quantity of faggots,
which had been drawn up and jammed tightly together.
"Ah," said Grasp, whose ferret eyes were everywhere at once, "may I
never draw an inference again, if I do not think the rogues have
ascended by a ladder through yonder trap, and then drawn the ladder up
after them."
At this moment, and whilst all paused to consider the next move, the
barrels of several calivers were thrust through as many holes which had
been perforated through the ceiling, and a very lively discharge was
kept up upon Sir Thomas and his party, which killing one of the men,
quickly sent Grasp and the rest out of the doors; Grasp, who in his
hurry and agitation being the last, closing the door behind him, and
actually shutting Sir Thomas up alone amongst his foes.
"Heaven bless and preserve us all from conspirators," said the lawyer,
jumping about and wringing his hands, as he hastily glanced amongst the
scared domestics, "they have shot, killed, and destroyed the knight of
Charlecote, as sure as I am a sinner! Sir Thomas Lucy is certainly
murdered outright by this nest of vipers, for I see him not amongst us
here?"
Confusion and dismay, indeed, sufficiently pervaded the attacking party.
They readily imagined their lord and master was slain, and to the horror
of such a catastrophe was added their doubts as to what was next to be
done; so that whilst some drew off from the near vicinity of tho house,
others mounted their horses, and set off full cry to the town to get
assistance.
In short, the assaulters felt the want of a second in command. They were
struck with dread at the supposed death of their leader, and the head
falconer being killed also, there was no one to lead them, to the
recovery even of the old knight's body, if he was indeed shot, or his
rescue, if only wounded.
Grasp, however, did all he could to exhort some half-a-dozen who
remained to make another attempt, to gain the interior. But the men very
wisely demurred.
"Who think ye is to enter yonder dark place, to be killed like a fox in
a hole?" said one.
"Nay," said another, "the matter is now none of ours to meddle with. If
our master be killed by these villains, some one else must take it up,
we have no further warranty to go forward; all we can do is to wait till
assistance comes from the town."
In the midst of this colloquy, (and which had hardly taken as many
moments as words used,) to the astonishment of the speakers, the sound
of firing again commenced within the dwelling,--quick, short, and
rapid, sounded the shots; whilst the old inn, as the gazers regarded
it, although it seemed convulsed with internal discord, remained closed
up, and its exterior undisturbed as if nothing extraordinary was going
on. At the same moment, too, shouts and sounds from the town proclaimed
that the townsfolk were coming to the scene of action.
"Gad he here," said Grasp, "what may this portend? The miscreants surely
cannot be contending against each other, and cutting their own throats
from sheer disappointment at being discovered in their villany!"
At this moment, and in the midst of these speculations upon the matter,
the door opened, and enveloped in a volume of smoke, which burst out
with him, begrimed too with soot and dirt, appeared Sir Thomas himself,
who instantly closing the door after him, and coughing violently from
the effects of the fumigation he had endured, waved his sword for his
people again to advance.