In spite of the war between the two countries, communications were
frequent. Smuggling boats brought over, with their cargoes of wine
and brandy, Huguenot fugitives; and, by the same means, secret
agents carried back news of events in Paris to the Government.
Having decided upon making for the coast without delay, Desmond
and his friends next discussed the port to which they had best
travel, and which seemed to offer the fairest opportunities. They
agreed that Weymouth seemed to be most advantageous, as it was
from there that the communications with Brittany were chiefly
maintained.
At the same time, it was evident that considerable difficulty
would be experienced in discovering the men engaged in such
traffic, and in making an arrangement with them, and it was
all-important that no time should be lost, for there was no saying
when the trial might come on.
"If we could but get hold of Godolphin," Desmond said, next
morning, "we might get an order, from him, to embark in one of the
boats that carry his agents."
The others laughed.
"Yes; and if you could get hold of Anne, you might persuade her to
sign an order for the release of our comrades."
Desmond did not answer, but sat thinking for a few minutes.
"It is not so impossible as you seem to imagine," he said, at
last. "Doubtless, like everyone else, he goes in a sedan chair to
the meeting of the council, and returns in the same manner. There
are two ways in which we could manage the matter. Of course, he
has his own chair, with his chair men in livery. We might either
make these men drunk and assume their dress, or attack them
suddenly on the way; then we should, of course, gag and bind them,
and carry him here, or to some other place that we might decide
upon, and force him to give us an order for the boatmen to take us
across the channel, at once. Of course, we should have horses in
readiness, and ride for the coast. We should have a twelve hours'
start, for it would be that time before our landlady came in as
usual, with our breakfast, when Godolphin would, of course, be
released."
The two officers looked at each other, astounded at the audacity
of the scheme that Desmond had quietly propounded. O'Sullivan was
the first to speak.
"Are you really in earnest, Kennedy?"
"Quite in earnest. I do not see why it should not be done."
"Well, you are certainly the coolest hand I ever came across,"
O'Neil said. "You are proposing to seize the first minister in
England, as if it were merely an affair of carrying off a pretty
girl quite willing to be captured. The idea seems monstrous, and
yet, as you put it, I do not see why it might not succeed."
"I hardly think that it could fail," Desmond said quietly. "De
Tulle managed to carry off the Baron de Pointdexter's daughter
from the court of Versailles, and did so without any hitch or
difficulty. Surely three Irishmen could arrange an affair of this
sort as well as a French vicomte."
"If it is to be done," O'Sullivan said, "I think the second plan
is best. You might fail in making the chair men drunk, or at any
rate sufficiently drunk to allow them to be despoiled of their
clothes; whereas you could have no difficulty in silencing a
couple of chair men by a sudden attack--a sharp rap on the head
with these bludgeons ought to settle that affair."
"Quite so," Desmond agreed; "and while Mike and one of us were so
employed, the other two might throw open the doors of the chair,
and gag Godolphin before he was conscious of what was happening."
"It all seems simple enough, Kennedy, and, if it were a citizen,
one would think nothing of the undertaking. But it is nothing
short of high treason for us thus to make free with the person of
the chief minister of England."
"That is a matter that does not concern me at all, O'Neil. If we
were captured now, we should be executed for high treason with the
others; and if we carried off Anne herself, they could not do much
more to us.
"Now, it seems to me that if you are both agreed that we should
carry out the plan, the first thing to be done is to arrange for
horses; or, better still, for a light cart to carry the four of
us. I should think that Mike would, among his acquaintances, be
able to hear of a man with a couple of fast horses and such a cart
as we require, who would agree to drive us to the coast, arranging
a change of horses on the way. He could offer ten louis, which
would be a sum that a man of that kind would be well satisfied
with."
"I will see to that, your honour. I have no doubt that I can find
such a man without difficulty. When would you want him?"
"Tonight, certainly, with the arrangement that, if we do not come
to the appointed spot, we shall be there tomorrow night. Recollect
ten louis is all we can afford, but if he wants any more, he must
have it.
"Well, we will leave that to you."
Then he went on to the others:
"We had better go down to Saint James's. Mike can go out and buy
us three shock wigs, with which we can cover our hair and look our
parts better. We had better separate when we get there, and watch
the entrances to the palace, gazing about like rustics; then we
can get into a conversation with any servant that we see, and try
and find out from which door members of the council usually issue,
and at about what hour. We could succeed without that, because we
should notice the chairs waiting for them. Still, it is as well
that we should get all the information we can. There will be,
doubtless, personages leaving who have been with the Princess
Anne. They might go out by another entrance, and therefore we
should miss our man."
"You will have more than the two chair men to deal with, your
honour, for there are sure to be two link men with the chair."
"Well, it will be as easy to dispose of four men as of two, Mike."
"Every bit, your honour, and the more of them the more divarsion."
An hour later they set out, now so well disguised that no one
would have dreamt that the three Irishmen were officers in a
French regiment; and before noon Desmond succeeded in obtaining,
from a scullion employed in the palace, the particulars that he
required. On saying that he had but just come to London, and
wanted to get a sight of the great people, the present of a
shilling sufficed to extract the information from the boy; and
Desmond then rejoined his companions, and they at once returned to
their lodgings, where they found Mike awaiting them.
"I have managed it, your honour, but it will cost twelve louis. I
went to the man from whom I got the saws, and he said at once that
the affair could be managed easily, and, sure enough, he took me
to the shop of a man who, he said, sometimes acted with cracksmen.
The fellow was sharp enough to see, at once, that it was something
special that we wanted the horses for, but after some bargaining
he agreed to do it for twelve gold pieces, and, if necessary, to
get a change of horses twice on the road. He will be ready with
his cart at twelve o'clock, a hundred yards or so outside the last
houses on the south side of the Old Kent Road. I could not tell
him which port you would go to, but he said from there he could go
to Dover, or turn off so as to make for Southampton or Weymouth.
It is to be twelve pounds if it is to Dover or Southampton;
fifteen pounds if it is to Weymouth."
"That is satisfactory," Desmond said. "Now we have nothing else to
do till ten o'clock tonight, when, as the boy said, the council
generally ends; though we will be there an hour earlier, in case
they should leave before. Now I think we had better find out where
Godolphin's house is, and fix upon the best spot for the attack,
and how we shall each station ourselves."
This part of the business offered no difficulties. They found that
the minister would probably be carried through Saint James's Park,
and they fixed upon the spot where they would await his coming.
Mike was to attack the first porter. O'Sullivan was to follow
close behind him and, at the same moment, fell the rearmost man.
O'Neil and Desmond, who were to conceal themselves among trees on
opposite sides of the path, were to spring out and strike down the
link bearers, and then enter the chair and bind and gag the
minister.
Mike was sent out to buy a pot of black paint, with which to
efface the gildings of the chair, and to reduce its appearance to
that ordinarily used by the citizens. He was ordered to get a
supply of rope, and some wood, to make gags for the men they were
to stun.
The others were to post themselves at the spot agreed on, while
Desmond was to remain at the entrance to the palace by which
ministers would issue, to note Lord Godolphin's chair, and, when
he was fairly on his way, to follow it for a short distance to
make sure that it was being taken through the park, and then to
run on and warn the others to be in readiness.
On their return to their lodging, they ate the dinner that Mike
had got in for them, and, as they drank their wine, laughed and
joked over their enterprise; for, now that they were fairly
embarked upon the scheme, the two officers were as eager as
Desmond in the matter, and were much more excited over the
prospect than he was.
Before nine o'clock, they and Mike were posted in the park, and
Desmond was at the entrance to the palace. Here seven or eight
chairs, with their bearers and link men, were assembled. As most
of the porters were hired men, Desmond readily entered into
conversation with them, and expressed his desire to see the great
persons and learn which were their chairs, so that he should know
them as they entered them.
In half an hour there was a stir, and a servant, coming out,
shouted:
"His Grace the Duke of Somerset's chair."
This was at once brought up to the door. Next came a call for the
chair of Mr. Henry Boyle, who was followed by Harcourt, the
attorney general, then the chair of My Lord Godolphin was
summoned.
Desmond and three or four others, who had gathered to see the
members of the council come out, had been ordered off by the
sentries as soon as the first chair was called, but remained near
enough to hear the names. To his satisfaction, Godolphin's chair
was carried off in the direction they had anticipated, and he at
once ran on and joined his companions.
Presently, the lights carried by the two link men were seen
approaching, and, as the chair came abreast of him, he shouted:
"Now!"
Almost simultaneously, the four heavy cudgels alighted on the
heads of the four men, levelling them senseless to the ground; and
O'Neil and Desmond sprang to the chair, and wrenched the door
open, while O'Sullivan and Mike bound the four men, and thrust the
gags into their mouths. Lord Godolphin had been thrown from his
seat by the sudden fall of his bearers, and was seized and bound
before he was conscious of what had happened. Then his captors
assisted the others in carrying the fallen men to some distance
from the path.
A couple of minutes sufficed to cover the gilding and armorial
bearings upon the chair. The torches were still burning on the
ground. One of these was stamped out. Desmond took the other. Mike
and O'Sullivan went between the poles, and adjusted the leathern
straps over their shoulders, and started.
Emerging from the park at Charing Cross, past the old church of
Saint. Martin's in the Fields, and keeping round the walls to
Holborn Bars, they made their way to their lodging, and Godolphin
was carried into their room, which was on the ground floor. Mike
and O'Neil then took the chair away, and left it in a narrow
alley, where it was not likely to attract attention until the
morning.
Not until they returned was anything said to their prisoner. It
had been agreed that O'Neil, as the senior, was to be spokesman of
the party.
"Lord Godolphin," he said, "I regret that circumstances have
obliged us to use force towards you, but our necessities compel us
to leave the country at once, and it has appeared to us that in no
way could we get away so expeditiously as with the aid of your
lordship. We will now set you free. I must tell you, beforehand,
that if you attempt to raise your voice and give the alarm, we
shall be constrained to blow out your brains."
Mike now released him from the bonds, and removed the gag from his
mouth, but for a time the minister was incapable of speech, being
choked by anger at the treatment he had met with.
"You will repent this outrage," he burst out, at last.
"I think not, sir," O'Neil said, quietly. "At any rate, we are
quite ready to take our chance of that. In order that you may feel
at ease with us, I have no hesitation in telling you who we are.
We are the three French officers who, as no doubt you have heard,
yesterday escaped from Newgate, and we are anxious to get out of
the country as soon as possible. It will be also a guarantee to
you that we have no designs on either your pockets or your
person."
Angry as he still was, it was evident, by the expression of the
treasurer's face, that the information was a relief to him, for
indeed he had supposed that he had been carried off by political
enemies, and was very uncertain as to what would befall him.
"What is it that you require, then?" he asked, after a pause.
"Merely this, sir. That you will give us an order, upon an agent
through whom you communicate with France, to take us across the
channel immediately."
"Well, gentlemen," Godolphin said, more calmly, "I must say your
coolness surprises me. Your escape yesterday was, of course,
reported to us; and the manner in which you obtained that rope, by
which you descended, is a mystery that the jail authorities are
wholly unable to solve.
"If you obtain the order you desire, will you give me your word of
honour that it shall be used in a manner in no way hostile to the
interests of this country, but solely, as you say, for the purpose
of conveying you across the channel?"
"That promise we give willingly. We must ask you to pledge your
honour, as a gentleman, that the order you give us will be a
genuine one--a matter that we cannot ascertain until we arrive at
the address given. We are willing to play fairly with you, sir,
but if you do not do the same, we shall certainly return to
London, though in some different guise, and, if so, I warn you
that no guards will save you from our vengeance."
"You need not threaten, sir," Lord Godolphin said calmly. "I will
give you the order, to the person to whom such communications are
addressed, and it shall be couched in the same words as usual."
Desmond placed a sheet of paper, pen, and ink before him. He,
dating it from the Treasury, wrote:
To John Dawkins, Mariner, High Street, Rye. Urgent.
On the receipt of this, you will at once convey the bearer, and
three persons with him, and land them in some convenient spot in
France.
He then added his signature.
"Now, gentlemen, what next?" he said, looking up.
O'Neil looked at his companions, and then they spoke for a moment
together.
"We are about to start at once, my lord," he said, "and it was our
intention to have left you bound and gagged, until the morning,
when the woman of the house would have assuredly found you and
released you. But, as you have acceded to our request at once, we
will, if you give us your word of honour that you will raise no
alarm, and say no word of this business until eight o'clock
tomorrow morning, let you depart at once."
"Thank you for your courtesy, gentlemen, and for your confidence
in my honour. I am, indeed, anxious to return home at once. If I
do not do so, there will be a hue and cry for me, and by the time
I return in the morning all London will know that I am missing. I
naturally should not wish this adventure to become a matter of
common talk: in the first place, because the position in which you
have placed me can scarcely be called a pleasant one; and
secondly, because the success of your enterprise might lead others
to make similar attempts on my person, or that of my colleagues.
Even now, I fear that my servants, when sufficiently recovered,
will go to my house and give the alarm."
"I do not think that that is likely to be the case, my lord,"
O'Neil said, "as we took the precaution of gagging and binding
them, and laid them down some distance from the roadside. If, on
your return home, you find they have not arrived, you have but to
send a couple of your servants out to release them. You can give
them strict orders that no word is to be said of the affair, and
make them to understand you were attacked in error, and that the
ruffians who took part in the outrage at once released you, upon
discovering your identity."
"Very good, sir," Godolphin said, with a grim smile. "I must
really compliment you all on your fertility of resource and
invention. And now, is there anything else that I can do for you?"
"There is one small favour," Desmond said. "Your lordship has
doubtless twenty guineas in your possession. You would greatly
oblige us if you would give us them, for so many louis. These you
will have no difficulty in exchanging, whereas the exhibition of
French money, on our part, might excite suspicion."
Lord Godolphin placed his hand in his pocket, drew out a heavy
purse, and, opening it, counted out twenty guineas. O'Neil took
these up, and handed to him twenty louis pieces.
"One more question, gentlemen. What has become of my sedan chair?"
"It is in an alley, hard by," O'Neil said, "and as we are
ourselves going in your direction we will carry it to your door."
"You are obliging, indeed, sir. If it had been found, the
escutcheon on the panels would have shown that it was mine."
"I fear, my lord, that you will have to have it repainted; for,
before starting with you, we took the precaution to put black
paint over the gilding and panels. Still, the lining and fittings
would show that it belonged to some person of wealth and
importance. As you have been so obliging to us, we will gladly
escort you, with it, to your door."
"I shall be glad, indeed, of that, gentlemen, for I certainly
should not care about travelling alone through these lanes and
alleys, which have by no means a good reputation."
"We are ready to start at once, my lord," O'Neil said. "We have a
long journey to perform, and, although there is now no need for
extraordinary speed, we shall be glad to be off."
They were ready at once, having settled with their landlady before
starting out in the evening, telling her that they had heard of a
job and should start early in the morning. Mike and Desmond
fetched the empty chair, and they then started, Godolphin walking
with the other officers in front.
"This is the most surprising adventure that ever happened to me,"
Lord Godolphin said; "and it is a pity that officers who possess
the wit to plan an escape from Newgate, and to ensure a speedy
flight from the country by carrying me off, are not in the service
of Her Majesty."
"We may yet be in the British service some day, my lord,"
O'Sullivan laughed; "but I may tell you that my friend, and
myself, disclaim any credit in contriving the matter of which you
spoke, that being solely the work of our young comrade, who is at
present the youngest ensign in our regiment."
"Then he must be a shrewd fellow, indeed," Godolphin said, "likely
to do service in any position to which he may attain."
They walked sharply. Several times rough men came and peered at
them, but Godolphin was wrapped in a cloak, and the appearance of
those with him showed that hard knocks, rather than booty, would
be the result of interfering with them. On reaching Lord
Godolphin's house they placed the sedan chair on the steps.
"Goodnight to you, gentlemen, and good fortune!" Lord Godolphin
said. "The lesson has not been lost, and I shall take good care,
in future, to have a strong escort."
They then crossed Westminster Bridge, and made rapidly for the
spot where the cart was waiting for them.
"You are an hour after your time," the man said. "I had begun to
think that something had gone wrong with you."
"That is not the case," O'Neil said; "but we have certainly been
detained longer than we anticipated."
"Where are we going to?"
"To Rye."
"That will suit me very well," the man said. "I have friends along
that road, and shall have no trouble about horses."
They started at once, at a rattling pace, the animals, though but
sorry-looking creatures, being speedy and accustomed to long
journeys. It was evident, from the man's manner, that he believed
his passengers were cracksmen who had just successfully carried
out an enterprise of importance. He expressed surprise that they
had brought no luggage with them.
They did not care to undeceive him. Mike had brought with him a
bottle of good brandy, and a drink of this soon removed the
vexation the man had felt at being kept waiting for them.
Twice during the journey they changed horses, each time at small
wayside inns, where some password, given by the driver, at once
roused the landlord into activity. But a few minutes were spent in
the changes, and the fifty miles to Rye were accomplished in seven
hours--a very unusual rate of speed along the badly kept roads of
the period. When the car drew up in the High Street of Rye, the
four occupants were scarce able to stand, so bruised and shaken
were they by their rapid passage over the rough road.
They handed the twelve pounds agreed upon to the driver, adding
another as a token of their satisfaction at the speed at which he
had driven them, and then enquired for the house of William
Dawkins. It was close by, and upon knocking at the door, it was
opened by the man himself.
"I have a message to deliver to you, in private," O'Neil said.
The man nodded, and led the way indoors, where the letter was
handed to him.
"That is all right," he said. "My craft is always ready to set
sail, at an hour's notice, and if the wind holds fair I will land
you on the French coast before nightfall. I see that your business
is urgent, or you would not have put on disguises before leaving
London. I suppose you have brought other clothes to land in?"
"We have not," O'Neil said. "We came away in such a hurry that we
did not think of it until on the road, and then we thought that we
might procure them here."
"There will be no difficulty about that," the sailor said. "I will
go out, and warn my men that we shall sail in half an hour, and
then I can get any garments that you desire; for, doubtless, you
do not wish to attract comment by the purchase of clothes that
would seem unfitted to your present position."
"That is so," O'Sullivan said, "and we shall gladly embrace your
offer. We should like three suits, such as are worn by persons of
fair position in France, and one proper for a serving man."
"I cannot get you quite French fashion, sir, but they do not
differ much from our own; and with a cloak each, I have no doubt
that you would pass without attracting attention--that is, of
course, if you speak French well."
"As well as English," O'Neil said. "Here are seven pounds in gold,
which will, I should think, be sufficient. If not, we are provided
with French gold, for use after landing there."
"I have no doubt it will suffice, sir. If not, I will pay what is
the excess, and you can settle with me afterwards."
In three-quarters of an hour after their arrival at Rye, they were
dressed in their new disguises and on board the little lugger,
which at once started down the river, which was at that time much
more free from shoals and difficulties than it is at present.
"Your boat seems fast," Desmond remarked, as, having cleared the
mouth of the river, she put out to sea.
"She is fast, sir; the fastest thing that sails out of Rye. She
needs be, for the gentlemen who come to me are always in a hurry."
"I suppose you have no fear of English cruisers?"
"Not at all. I have the order you brought with you, and have only
to show it to any English ship of war that overhauls us, for them
to let us go on at once. I am careful when I get near the French
coast, for although their big craft never venture out far, there
are numbers of chasse-maree patrolling the coast. However, even if
caught by them, it would be but a temporary detention, for I am
well known at Etaples, which is always my port, unless specially
directed to land my passengers elsewhere."
The wind was fresh and favourable, and at six o'clock in the
afternoon they entered the little port. Some gendarmes came down
to the wharf.
"We need have no fear of them," William Dawkins said. "Their
lieutenant is paid handsomely for keeping his eyes shut, and
asking no questions."
"So you are back again," the officer said. "Why, it is not a week
since you were here!"
"No, it is but six days since I sailed."
"And you have four passengers?"
"That's the number, sir. The Irish gentlemen are desirous of
entering the service of France."
The officer nodded.
"Well, gentlemen, you will find plenty of your countrymen in
Paris; and, as everyone knows, there are no better or braver
soldiers in His Majesty's service."
The friends had already enquired, from William Dawkins, whether
there was any passage money to pay, saying that they had forgotten
to ask before starting.
"Not at all. I am well paid by Government. My boat is always
retained at a price that suits me well, and I get so much extra
for every voyage I make. No, sir, thank you; I will take nothing
for myself, but if you like to give half a guinea to the crew, to
drink success to you, I will not say no."
The party made no stay at Etaples, but at once ordered a chaise
and post horses. Then, changing at every post house, and suffering
vastly less discomfort than they experienced in the journey to
Rye--the roads being better kept in France than they were on the
English side of the channel--they arrived in Paris at eleven
o'clock next day.