CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
THE COMING OF RECRUITS.
The next morning the carpenter was there with the capstan bars soonafter the bridge was lowered; and upon these being tried, after thecapstans and pulleys had been well greased, the portcullis was loweredand raised several times with the greatest facility, each time becomingmore easy to move, while old Ben's eyes glistened, and he worked as ifall these preparations for the defence of the place, with the possibleshedding of blood and loss of life, had suddenly added a delightful zestto his existence.
But he was not alone in this, for Roy found a strange exhilaration inhis new position. There was something so novel in everything, and tryhow he would, it was hard to keep down a feeling of vanity, especiallywhen he came upon his mother busily preparing a scarf for him to wear.
"For me?" he said. "Oh, mother! it's too fine."
"Not at all," she said, quietly. "Your men will like to see theirleader look striking."
"Ah, well," he replied, "I can't wear it while there is so much dirtywork to do."
"That will be done by the men. Roy, my boy, you must rise to yourposition, and give orders more for things to be done."
"That's what old Ben says, and I am trying; but it's hard work whileeverything is so new, and--"
"And what?"
"It seems as if Master--Oh, no; it's too paltry to be talked about."
"Tell me what it is, and I will be the judge."
"Well, you know how poor Master Pawson was upset with the firing?"
"Yes; and he ought to be very grateful to you for saving his life. Hashe not thanked you?"
"No; unless looking sneeringly at everything I do is thanking me. Thatmakes it seem so hard to put on a showy thing like that. He'll onlylaugh at it."
"Master Pawson is not behaving well," said Lady Royland, coldly. "Heactually had the impertinence to speak to me last night about thepreparations, and objected to the men being taken from their work."
"Said it was absurd?"
"Yes; those were his words, Roy, and I was compelled to silence him. Hetold me he was sure that if Sir Granby knew how utterly unlikely it wasfor any of the disaffected people to come into this neighbourhood hewould immediately cancel the orders, and, under the circumstances, hecould not refrain from advising me to act according to his advice."
"And what was his advice, mother?"
"To put a stop to the foolish preparations, which could only bringridicule upon all here."
"He said something of the kind to me; more than I told you."
"Why did you not tell me all?"
"Because it seemed so paltry."
"Nothing is too paltry when we have so much at stake, Roy."
"And was that the end of it?"
"No, my boy; he made me indignant by his presumption, and I told him toremember who he was."
"What did he say to that?"
"Begged my pardon humbly, and said that perhaps I was right, and that hewould do everything he could to help me in this painful situation. I amglad he has spoken out and forced me to be plain. Now he will keep hisplace."
"Yes, he will now," said Roy. "I know what he felt; of course he wasannoyed at my taking the lead, after his going out leaving me only hispupil, and coming back to find me seeming to do exactly as I pleased.But I must go, mother, for there is such a lot to do. Don't ask me tobegin wearing silk and gold and feathers yet, though, please."
Lady Royland smiled proudly as she kissed her son, and Roy hurried backto his lieutenant, who was anxiously expecting him.
"Farmer Raynes has come over, sir, to see you. Wanted to know what theguns were fired for."
"Where is he?"
"Yonder, sir, watching the corporal drill the men."
Roy went to the gate-way, where the trooper was busy at work drillingthe men in the use of their firelocks, adding to his verbal instructionsthe examples of the two soldiers who came with him, these falling injust in front, and executing every order in the carriage of the piece,loading and firing, so that the servants could more easily understand.
"Morning, Master Roy," said the farmer, stepping out of the guard-roomdoor-way. "Heard the guns last night, and couldn't make out where thenoise come from. Found out this morning, though, and run over. Meanfighting, then, if they come here?"
"Certainly," said Roy. "My father sent word for us to be prepared. Iwas going to send for you this morning. I want your men and you to comein, and be ready in case you are wanted."
"Parson Meldew came and had a long talk with me day before yesterday,sir, and he told me that whatever I did I was to stay peacefully athome, mind my crops, and not interfere at all. But if I did, I was notto side with the king."
"He dared to tell you that?" cried Roy.
"Not quite in those words, sir, but he meant it."
"Oh, if he wasn't a clerk, I'd say something," cried Roy; "but what didyou say?"
"Nothing, sir; I only laughed."
"And do you mean to stay at home and do what he told you?"
"Of course, sir, unless there's some fighting comes on, and then Isuppose we shall have to begin."
"Against the king?"
"I'm going to fight for my good old landlord, Master Roy, the best man Iknow. He always stood my friend in hard times, and if he sends word Iam to, why, here I be with ten stout fellows, only you'll have to drillus all, same as you're doing with these here, unless pitchforks andflails will do; we can handle them."
"Shake hands, Master Raynes," cried Roy; "I want you and the men to comeand drill every day in the mornings, and I want you to bring us in asmuch wheat, oats, and flour as we can store up. You must buy when youhave not plenty, for we must be ready in case we are attacked."
"What do you say to me going round and buying up all the ham and baconand salt pork I can get, sir?"
"Yes, certainly," cried Roy. "My mother will supply the money."
"Oh, that's all right enough, sir," said the farmer. "But of course youdon't want us to come and live in the place until there's real trouble."
"Certainly not. Give half your time to getting ready for troubles, andthe other half to the farm."
"I see, sir. Ah, morning, Master Pawson. Wild times these."
"Terrible, Master Raynes, terrible," said the secretary, coming up."Are you going to be drilled too?"
Roy glanced sharply round, but the secretary spoke earnestly, and withno suggestion of a sneer.
"Yes, sir, me and my men must come and support my landlord, spite of allthat Parson Meldew may say."
"Does he object?"
"Yes, sir; and pretty strongly, too. If I was him, I don't think Ishould say quite so much, for he may be hearing of it again."
"But I hope all we hear is but exaggerated rumour, Master Raynes, foreverybody's sake. If it were half so bad as you all say, I don't knowwhat would happen."
"Ah well, sir, nothing shall happen here if me and my lads can preventit. There, I won't waste time. The lads shall be over here in a coupleof hours, Master Roy, and I'll be getting off to market."
The farmer went away, and Roy felt comparatively happy with his tutor,for Master Pawson seemed to have put aside the petty feeling ofannoyance, and to wish to let the trouble over the firing be quiteforgotten, so careful was he about avoiding any allusion to the guns.
"I can't help," he said, smiling; "only to look on. I was never meantfor a fighting man. What a change, though, you seem to be producing,Roy."
This was sufficient to make Roy, with his natural boyish frankness,begin talking freely about his plans, for he was growing enthusiastic,and he even began to ask the secretary's opinion about two or threeminor matters.
"Oh, don't ask me," said his companion, laughing, and with an air ofprotest; "you might just as well expect me to begin wearing armour. No.You must do all the defending if trouble does come, and I beg you willgive particular orders to your men-at-arms to take the greatest care ofthe secretary, for you must not have him hurt. I suppose, then
, thatthere will be no more studies for the present?"
"No, not for the present," said Roy, rather importantly; "I have so muchto do."
"Very well, man o' war; the man o' peace will go back to his music andhis books, but if you want me to do anything that I can do, send for meat once."
Master Pawson put his hands behind him and walked thoughtfully throughthe garden towards the door-way leading to the ramparts, and from thenceto the north-west tower, by the green grass and flowers seeming to him amore attractive way than through the long corridor and past the occupiedrooms; while Roy made for the armoury, which seemed to be his study now.Ben was there, busy, and he looked up and nodded. "Master Pawson'ssoon settled down then, sir?" he said.
"Oh, yes, Ben; he's good-tempered enough now."
"Good job for him, sir. Can't have quarrelling in a garrison. I beganto think he was going to mutiny outright, and if he'd shown his teethany more, I suppose I should have had to remind him that there were somedeep, dark dungeons underground as a first dose, and the stone gallowsup at the far corner of the ramparts for the very worst cases."
"But do you think that stone bar thing was ever used for executingpeople?"
"Sure of it, sir; and there's the opening underneath leading down tothat square patch beneath the walls."
"But it may have been to hoist food or other things up during a siege."
"Ah, it may have been, sir," said Ben, grimly; "but I don't quite seewhy they should have chosen to make it just over the bit of a patch ofground between the walls and the moat where you couldn't get the forageto without a boat, and when there were a gate-way and bridge. 'Sides,too, why should they pick the old burying-place of the castle?"
"But that was not the old burying-place, surely, Ben?"
"You ask Dick Grey, gardener, what he found when her ladyship wanted theivy planted there to cover that bit o' wall. It was full of 'em."
Roy shuddered.
"That's so, sir. I expect in the old fighting days they used to bury'em there; and as it's just under that there gallows, why, of course, itwas used for traitors or spies as well. That reminds me, sir, as a lotof that ivy ought to be cut away. We don't want any one to make aladder of it for getting into the place."
"Leave it for the present. It could be torn down in an hour if therewas any need."
"Ay, sir, that's the way you take it over such things. That theregarden ought to be turned into a drilling-ground; you know it ought."
"If there does come any need for it, the garden can go," said Roy, "butnot until the very last."
"That's right, sir. Only, if we're besieged, it will have to go. Now,let me see--that makes nine buff coats, and one more's ten, for FarmerRaynes's lot. Ought to give the farmer something a bit smarter,oughtn't I, as he'll expect to be a sergeant, won't he?"
"He'll like to be over his men."
"But, you see, he's a big one, and there's a buff coat would suit himexact. I'll tell you what, sir, if he has the same as the others, and ascarf, and a feather in his cap, he'll be satisfied."
"I should say so, Ben."
"Then scarf and feather it shall be, sir. I'll have all their arms andthings ready for to-night; then they can have 'em in the morning whenthey come, and it'll put all them straw-whopping fellows in a goodtemper, and make 'em easy to drill. I want to pick out so many fellowsfor the big guns that we must have some more in soon. But it's betterto go gently. Saves a lot of confusion."
"What's the next thing to do, Ben?"
"Everything, sir. Powder-bags to fill. Stores to get in. We must havea new flag. Place cleared out for garrison quarters. Something done tothe two old guard-rooms on each side of the gate. We've months of workto do, sir, try how we may, but we're going to do it, Master Roy, and--Oh," continued the old fellow, pausing for a few moments in his task oftaking down belts and swords to lay one on each buff coat below thesteel caps just set out ready, "there's that other thing I wanted totalk to you about."
"What other thing, Ben?"
"I was up atop of the great tower this morning."
"I know. I saw you there."
"I was looking at the furnace and thinking that must be touched up abit, and a good supply of wood and charcoal carried to it. There isplenty of lead at the foot of the north-east tower."
"Ugh! We don't want to do any of those barbarous things, Ben; they'retoo horrible. Fancy pouring molten lead down on people's heads."
"We don't want to pour no molten lead down on people's heads, sir,"protested the old soldier. "All we says to 'em is, we've got a wholelot of hot silver soup up here, and we shall pour it down on you if youcome hanging about our place, and trying to get in. Let 'em stop away,and then they won't be hurt."
"But it's too horrible, Ben. I will not have that got ready."
"Very well, sir. I don't know that it much matters, for they've got tocross the moat first, and I don't think we'll let 'em do that. The onlyway the enemy will get in here will be through traitors in the camp."
"And we shall not have any of them, Ben."
"Hope not, sir."
"So if we are to fight, let it be in a fair, manly, chivalrous way."
"Yes, sir, and hang all spies and traitors."
"Don't let's imagine that such people are possible," said Roy. "But wasthat what you wanted to talk about, sergeant?"
"No, captain, it wasn't. I got thinking this morning, as I was lookinground for weak points in our defences, that there's the old tale aboutthat there underground passage; the little chapel on the hill made methink of it first."
"But do you believe it's possible, Ben?"
"Not knowing, sir, can't say. But I tell you what I do say: there'snothing like taking care. Don't do to leave a hole in a sand-bag ifit's ever so small. So as soon as we've got a little more ship-shapeand our garrison beginning to grow, let's you and me get a lantern somenight, and have a good look to see if there is such a rat's hole."
"Of course; yes."
"Keep it quiet, sir, except to her ladyship. There may be such a place,for in the good old times there were a great many curious doings, and itwould be a fine one to have a way in and out when the enemy thoughtthey'd got people shut up closely, and was going to starve 'em out; andthem able to bring in more men, and sacks of corn, and pigs and ducksand geese and chickens, and laughing at the enemy all the time."
"We must see, Ben; and I want you, as soon as the farmer's party aresettling down, to go and try about more men."
"I say, sir, aren't it strange as none of the gentry hasn't been over?"
"Too soon, perhaps, Ben."
"Perhaps so, sir; but I can't help fancying everybody about here don'tthink quite the same as we do."
"Not on the king's side? Oh, nonsense!"
"Hope it is, sir," said the old fellow, thoughtfully inspecting anddrawing one of the swords; "but there, we shall see. Bad for some of'em if they are agen us, or I'm much mistook."
The Young Castellan: A Tale of the English Civil War Page 13