The Young Castellan: A Tale of the English Civil War

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

  FARMER RAYNES BRINGS NEWS.

  It was the loud blast of a trumpet which roused Roy from his slumbers tofind that it was a gloriously clear morning, and that the call wasbringing the little garrison together for the early parade.

  The trumpeter was the youngest of the three men from his father'sregiment, and consequently the call rang out in the true martial style,echoing through the garden court, and sounding exhilarating to the boyas he sprang off his bed and began to dress.

  It roused the jackdaws, too, from their resting-places, and sent themsailing about in the clear sunny air, their black forms reflected fromthe moat, and their sharp, petulant cries sounding like protests againstthis disturbance.

  For they had had a hard time of it lately. Under Ben's superintendenceevery loop-hole had been cleared, every collection of nesting ruinscarefully removed, and they had no other married quarters but the holesin the walls, half-shaded by the green pellitory which rooted andflourished in company with the moss, that acted as sponges to retainenough moisture for its sustenance.

  Roy was not long in dressing, buckling on his sword, and hurrying downto the tiny parade ground, for in his character of castellan he liked tobe present every morning when the men who were to relieve the garrisonassembled at the gate-way, across the moat, and waited for permission tomarch in.

  All this was rigorously carried out in true military style by the oldsergeant's management; and as Roy descended, it was to find the littlegarrison drawn up fully armed under Ben's command, he and the threetroopers forming the regular staff who never left the castle.

  Ben looked as fresh as if he had not made a night's rest out of twohours on a form in the guard-room; and giving the word as Roy appeared,there was the twinkling and glittering of headpiece and weapon as themen presented arms, and then stood again at attention as it was carriedout some two hundred and fifty years ago.

  Then a short inspection by the castellan followed, orders were given,and four men marched to the door-way, tramped up the staircase, and afew minutes later the ponderous drawbridge began to descend, till itspanned the moat; and at a word the men fresh from their homes marchedacross, to halt by the portcullis, which then began to rise slowly, thecapstans creaking and cracking, till the row of spikes alone was visibleas they hung like iron stalactites overhead.

  Another sharp order rang out, and the new-comers filed into theguard-room, from whence came the clashing of metal and the buzzing ofvoices as the men assumed their arms and came out one by one to fall inopposite to those whose places they were to take, and who would, in afew minutes, go into the guard-room to deposit their arms in the racks,and then be free till their short term of service recommenced, but ofcourse ready to hurry to the castle at the first summons should anecessity arise.

  Everything went on according to the regular routine; the fresh men wereall drawn up now, armed, the order given, and the relieved tramped intothe guard-room and soon began to straggle out again, eager to troop overto a kind of buttery-hatch by the great kitchen, where a mug of milk anda hunch of bread for a refresher would be waiting for distribution, byLady Royland's orders, for every man.

  All this went on then as usual, and the old warder Jenkin had just cometottering out of the guard-room, to go and take up his customary post atthe gate, the trumpeter had raised his instrument to his lips to blow ablast, and the new-comers were ready to march off to their severalduties of mounting guard, drilling at the guns, and cleaningaccoutrements, when there was the sound of hoofs rapidly beating theroad across the moat, and directly after a figure, mounted upon a heavycart-horse, came into sight, thundering along at full gallop. At thefirst glimpse it seemed as if the horse had run away with his bareheadedrider; but directly after it became plain that, though only ridingsaddleless, and with no rein but a halter, the big man was urging thehorse forward with all his might.

  "Why, it must mean news!" said Roy, excitedly, as he advanced towardsthe drawbridge.

  "Ay, there's something wrong, sir," said Ben, gravely. "That we shallsoon hear."

  The armed men stood fast on one side, and those disarmed in a group onthe other, waiting excitedly to see what this new thing meant.

  "It's Farmer Raynes!" cried Roy.

  "Ay, sir, that's who it be. He was coming with a wainload of oats thismorning, and he wants help, for he has broken down, I should say."

  The next minute the rider dashed up to the far gate, but did not drawrein, for he sent his horse thundering across the drawbridge before hechecked the panting beast with a loud "_woho_!" and then threw himselfoff.

  "What's the matter, Master Raynes?" cried Roy.

  "They're here, sir," whispered the bluff farmer, excitedly. "I'd got awagon loaded with oats last night, and was taking 'em from Dendry Townto the farm ready for bringing on here i' morning, when at a turn of thelane I come upon a troop of horse who surrounded the wagon at once, anda couple of 'em led me, whip and all, up to their officer, alank-looking, yellow-faced fellow, who was sitting on his horse justunder a tree.

  "`Where are you taking that grain?' says he.

  "`On the king's service,' says I. `To Royland Castle.'

  "His yellow wrinkly face grinned all over, and he turned and gave ordersto an officer by him; and then I knew I'd made a mistake. For they wereall well-mounted, and in a regular trooper's uniform, and I thought I'dhappened upon one of the king's regiments, instead of which they were apack of Roundhead rabble; and I had to drive the team back with the oatsto their headquarters at Dendry Town. There they made me open a sack tofeed their horses; and after that I was told I was a prisoner, and thatmy wagon and team was taken for the use of the state."

  "Dendry Town--ten miles away," said Roy, thoughtfully.

  "Many on 'em?" said Ben, sourly.

  "There was about fifty as took me," said the farmer; "and I should saythere were seven or eight hundred in the town swarming all over theplace."

  "But how did you get away, Raynes?"

  "Left it till this morning, sir, when I was feeding my horses, afteremptying a couple of sacks for theirs. Waited till there was a chance,and then I jumped on old Ball here, who can go like fun when he getswarm, and galloped off. They shot at me, and I heard the bulletswhistle, and then about a dozen came in pursuit, galloping after me tillwe got within sight of the towers; and then they drew back, and here Iam. I thought you ought to know somehow that the enemy was so near."

  "Then they're not a mere rabble of men?"

  "Not they, sir. Reg'lar soldiers, and they've got big guns in themarket-place. Quite a little army."

  "Thank you, Raynes," said Roy, gravely. "It was very good and brave ofyou to bring the news like this. Halt there, men. Take your armsagain. We shall perhaps have some work to do." Then briefly giving hisorders, which had long enough before been arranged between him and Ben,the latter led one little party to the south-west tower, and thecorporal took another to the north-west, while Roy himself mounted witha party into the gate tower, where at his word of command the portcullisdropped with a loud clang, and directly after the drawbridge began torise till it was back in the position it always occupied by night.

  This part of the business of preparation for unwelcome visitors beingaccomplished, Roy mounted to the leads, where he placed a sentry to keepa good lookout, and then turned to see if his men were ready.

  They stood in a group on each tower waiting, Ben and the corporalswinging a port-fire from time to time to keep it well in a glow; andthen standing on the breastwork above the machicolations, Roy looked outas far as he could see in search of enemies, where, however, all lookedbeautiful and at peace.

  But it could be no false alarm. The time for action had come; and,turning to the right, he waved his hands, turned to the left, and didlikewise; and directly after a puff of grey smoke darted out from thetop of each tower, followed by two rapidly succeeding peals likethunder, which echoed through the castle, making the jackdaws fly out oftheir resting-places to wheel
round, crying vociferously.

  "Now," said Roy to himself, "the staff is ready. It's time to raise theking's flag."

  But the flag was still in Lady Royland's hands, and the boy descended tocross to her private apartments and fetch it away.

  But half-way across the pleasaunce he encountered Master Pawson, lookingwild-eyed, pale, and strange.

  "What is the matter?" he cried. "What is that firing for?"

  "The enemy are near, Master Pawson," said Roy, quietly; "and I supposethat before long they will pay us a visit."

  "But the guns--why were the guns fired?"

  "As a signal, of course, for our men to gather, and for such of thevillage people as like to take refuge here. I thought you knew."

  "I? No. I did not know. But the people will not come," said thesecretary, with undue excitement; and he now looked very pale indeed.

  "It will be rather hard, though, if they do not, after all this drillingand teaching."

  "Oh! those men may," said the secretary, hastily. "I meant the peoplefrom the village."

  "Well, we shall see," said Roy.

  "But what makes you say that the enemy are near?" said the secretary,giving him a searching look.

  "The messenger who brought the news. Farmer Raynes."

  "Farmer Raynes?"

  "Yes; he was taken and escaped."

  At that moment Ben came up with a grim look of satisfaction upon hiscountenance.

  "Morning, sir," he said to the secretary. "You see the enemy have foundus out. Ready for them?"

  "I? What do you mean?"

  "Ready to doctor some of us as gets our heads and legs knocked off bycannon-balls. I beg pardon, Master Roy, sir, her ladyship'sa-signalling to you yonder. What does she say to the enemy coming?"

  "My mother!" said Roy, excitedly, as he caught sight of her at one ofthe corridor windows. "I have not seen her yet."