At an early hour of the day, towards the end of June, two persons on
horseback might have been seen proceeding through the New Forest. The
sun, just rising, cast his rays amid the boughs of the trees, throwing
long shadows over the greensward. Here and there light-footed deer,
cropping the dewy grass, started as they heard the footsteps of the
horses, and went bounding away farther into the depths of the forest.
One of the persons was a young lady mounted on a light, active palfrey;
while the other, a tall old man, bestrode a large, strong steed, well
capable of bearing his weight. A brace of formidable-looking pistols
were stuck in his holsters, while another pair of smaller dimensions
were placed in the belt he wore round his waist. In his hand he carried
a thick stick, which might have proved no bad substitute for a
broadsword.
"It was indeed thoughtful of you, Paul," said the young lady, looking
round at her companion, without in any way checking the rapid speed at
which she was proceeding. "I little expected to mount Beauty again, and
could not have accomplished our journey so well, I am sure, on any other
horse."
"Why, Miss Mabel, do you see, when we had to surrender Stanmore to Old
Sleech, I thought to myself, neither he nor any of his young cubs shall
ever mount the horse my dear young mistress has ridden; so as soon as it
was dark one night, I trotted him off to my good friend Farmer Gilpin,
and says I to the farmer, `You take care of this horse, and let no one
have him till I come and fetch him away; he's not stolen, and you need
not be afraid of the halter. I will pay you for his keep when I fetch
him away.' Mr. Sleech, cunning as he is, had not made a list of the
horses, so did not miss Beauty; besides, she was yours, and not his,
though he would have claimed her; and that's the long and short of my
story, Miss Mabel."
"Thank you, thank you, indeed," answered Mabel. "Do you think Beauty
will get through the journey in a couple of days?"
"I am afraid not, Miss Mabel," answered Paul. "I would advise you to
sleep twice on the road, and then you will get in fresh the third day,
and be able at once to go to Mr. Thornborough's. He was a friend of the
colonel, I know, and from what you tell me, I am sure he will give you
as much assistance as anybody."
Madame Everard, when she heard the dangerous situation in which Harry
Tryon was placed, could not bring herself to refuse Mabel's wish to set
off immediately to try what could be done to assist him. She, however,
had advised her going at once to her godfather, Mr. Thornborough, who,
being a man of influence, and possessing great knowledge of the world,
was able to render her more help than Mr. Kyffin could. She had,
however, wisely written to Harry's guardian, telling him what she knew,
and also her purpose of going to the house of Mr. Thornborough. She was
too anxious to speak much during her ride.
From the rapid rate at which she proceeded it was evident that she knew
the road thoroughly, as she had never even to ask her companion which
way to take. The two travellers had nearly reached the confines of the
forest, when suddenly she came upon a large party of men, surrounding
several light waggons. They were sitting on the ground with bottles and
provisions near them, while their horses stood tethered at green spots
close at hand.
On being suddenly surprised by Mabel and old Paul, several of them
started up and seized their bridles. Paul's stick was instantly raised
in the air, as if about to come down on the heads of his assailants.
"Avast there, mate!" sung out one of the men, "we're not going to
ill-treat you if you behave peaceably, but we want to know where you and
the young lady are going."
"Oh, pray let us go!" exclaimed Mabel; "we are simply going to London on
a matter of great importance, and whoever you are we cannot do you any
harm."
"Well, young lady, that may be true enough," answered one of the men;
"but you must just come and have a word with our captain. If he has no
objection, we don't want to keep you."
"Pray let him come and see us immediately," said Mabel; "we are anxious
to be liberated without delay."
The men, without heeding her request, led her horse and that of Paul a
little distance on one side, where, seated on the grass, enjoying a long
pipe, with a book at his elbow, and a cup of coffee before him, was a
person whose appearance betokened nothing of the smuggler or brigand.
As soon as he saw Mabel he started up, and inquired if he could be of
any service to her. She told him of the interruption she and her
attendant had received, and begged that she might be no longer detained.
"Yes, sir, I say it's a great shame, and times are very bad when a
young lady like Miss Everard, with her attendant, cannot ride through
the forest without being stopped by a gang of smugglers."
"Miss Everard, I beg you many pardons," exclaimed the smuggler captain.
"My scoundrels are unable to distinguish one person from another. If
you will allow me I will accompany you some way on your road, so that I
may protect you from any similar annoyances."
Saying this the captain sent for his horse, which he immediately
mounted, and rode alongside Mabel through the remainder of the forest.
"I must ask your confidence, Miss Everard," he said; "I am an especial
friend of your father's. Indeed, I owe my life to his courage and
gallantry, and I shall be thankful of an opportunity to render you any
service in my power."
"I know, sir, what you say is true," observed Paul, glancing at the
stranger. "I remember your coming to Stanmore that sad night, when Miss
Lucy was taken ill, and I was close by when Captain Everard and you were
speaking together. Are you not Captain Rochard?"
"You are right, my friend," said the stranger. "By that name Captain
Everard knew me. Necessity, and not my will, compels me to associate
with these people," he continued; "not for the sake of making money, but
for another motive, believe me. You do not suppose that your father
would allow me his friendship did he believe that I was the leader of a
band of outlaws. I may some day tell you my motives of associating with
these men. To your father I owe my life, and that alone would make me
take an interest in you, young lady; but I may also tell you that I have
another reason. We are related, although not very nearly. Your
father's mother was a relation of my father. I never saw her, for she
died when I was very young; indeed, I am but a few years older than your
father."
"You related to us? You know then the facts of the marriage of my
grandfather to my grandmother. How little did I expect to hear this.
You may be of the very greatest assistance to us."
Captain Rochard assured Mabel that it would be a great satisfaction to
him to be so. She then told him of the loss of the certificate, and the
successful scheme which their relative Mr. Sleech had set up for
obtaining possession of the property.
"For my own sake," she observed, "I care little for what has occurred;
but it will be a bitter thing for my father when he returns to find that
he has been deprived of the property he thought his own."
Captain Rochard was silent for some minutes; then turning to Paul, he
asked suddenly--
"Do you know in what year the colonel's brother married?"
"Yes, sir, I mind it well; it was the beginning of the war with France,
and much about the time that Frederick of Prussia opened his seven
years' war, and Admiral Byng did not beat the French in the first
action, and was shot in consequence. A difficult job Lieutenant Everard
had, too, to bring home his young baby, and escape the French cruisers.
I mind his coming home as well as if it had been yesterday, and Madam
Everard taking care of the little motherless boy, that's the captain
now--this young lady's father--as if he had been her own child, and the
poor lieutenant going to sea, and getting shot the next year. He died
as a brave officer might wish to die, on the deck of his ship, lashing
the enemy's bowsprit to his own mainmast, that she might not get away--"
"But I forget dates; in what year was that?" asked Captain Rochard,
interrupting the old man, who might otherwise have run on to a much
further length in his recollections.
"That was in the year '56 or '57 to the best of my mind," answered Paul.
"The captain's a little above forty, and it's about that time ago."
"Thank you, my friend," said Captain Rochard; "I shall remember the
dates, and will put them down by-and-by. Your grandfather, I believe,"
he continued, addressing Mabel, "married in the south of France, where
my relatives were residing at the time. Alas! this fearful revolution
has swept off many of them; but still some few, especially among the
older ones, survive. The young, and strong, and healthy were the chief
victims. I'll say no more. I'll do my best to aid your father, and
enable him to recover his rights. I wish that he was in England at
present, that I might consult with him first. I am quite willing, at
all risks, to go over to France, and to endeavour to bring over the
witnesses to the marriage, or the documents which may prove it."
Mabel expressed her thanks to Captain Rochard, who now inquired what
business took her to London. She hesitated for some time. At last she
thought, "He's true and kind, and though he may not be able to assist
me, I shall have his sympathy and good wishes." She then told him
frankly of the dangerous position in which Harry Tryon was placed, of
course asserting her belief in his innocence.
"That fine young fellow? I know him well," said the captain. "I am
sure he would not commit an unworthy action. I have more power to help
him than you may suppose. Give me all the particulars with which you
are acquainted, and I will try what can be done. Do you, however,
proceed in your undertaking; I have great hopes that your efforts will
not be without a happy result. That boy must not be put to death. I
would go through anything to save him."
By this time they had reached the confines of the forest. Captain
Rochard said he must go back to his companions. He bade Mabel a kind
farewell, when she and Paul continued their journey towards London.
Beauty seemed to understand that he was on an important journey, for
never had he trotted so swiftly over the ground. Mabel knew the
importance of reserving his strength too much to allow him to break into
a canter, or to push him on in a gallop, though her own feelings might
have prompted her to do so. It was absolutely necessary during the heat
of the day to rest. A small inn appeared close to the road. Mabel
threw herself down on a little sofa in the room appropriated to her, at
the door of which Paul kept ward and watch till it was time again to
start. The horses, well groomed and fed, were then led forth, looking
almost as fresh as when they started in the morning. Thus, before
nightfall a large portion of the distance to London had been
accomplished.