CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.
GOING UNDER FIRE.
Roy ran out of the room, leaving the old housekeeper, who was waitingoutside, to close the door, and dashed down the few stairs and out intothe court-yard, where the greater part of their little force was drawnup on either side of the gate-way, looking very serious and troubled;but as soon as he appeared they burst into a cheer, to which Royanswered by waving his hand.
"The game has begun," he cried.
"Yes, sir," said one of the troopers, who with Farmer Raynes was incommand of the men; "first shot struck the tower full, and splintereddown some stone. Better mind how you cross the gate-way."
"Yes," said Roy, quickly; "I will." And he ran across to the door-wayat the foot of the big spiral, reaching it just as a shot came whizzingoverhead, and a heavy report followed.
"Third, and not one from us," muttered Roy, as he hurried up thestairway to reach the platform at the top, and found Ben Martlet and thetroop-corporal from his father's regiment, each busy with one of theguns, arranging wedges under the breeches, and assisted by the men toldoff to work each piece, while two more now came to the turret door-way,bearing fresh charges ready when wanted.
Ben looked up and smiled grimly as Roy appeared, and the boy cried,excitedly--
"Three shots from them, and you doing nothing."
_Rush_!--_Boom_!
Roy ducked down his head, for the rushing noise seemed to be close overhim; and as he raised it again, flushing with shame and glancing sharplyround to see what impression his flinching had made on the men around,Ben said, quietly--
"Four, sir; and you see on'y one hit us; the earthwork has thrown allthe others upward. That last one was nigh to a hundred foot overhead."
"A hundred feet! and I flinched," thought Roy. "But why don't youfire?" he cried, aloud.
"Thought I'd wait for you, sir, and that you'd like the first shot."
"Yes, of course," cried the boy, excitedly.
"And we haven't wasted time, sir; corp'ral and me's been pretty busy,getting what we thinks about the right depression of the muzzles, foryou see we're a good height up here. I don't know that we shall beright, but we can soon get the range; and if you'll begin now, sir, I'dlike you to try my gun first."
"Ready!" cried Roy, whose heart began to thump heavily.
"Like to take a squint along her, sir, first?" said Ben.
"No; I'll trust to your aim."
"Then, stand fast there!" cried Ben; and taking the port-fire from theman who held it, he presented it to the young castellan, who glanced atthe earthwork, where he could see men busy, and a couple of squadrons oftroopers drawn up some distance back on either side; and then, settinghis teeth hard, he let the sparkling fuse fall softly on the touch-holeof the gun.
There was a flash, a great ball of smoke, the gun rushed backward, andthe report seemed to stun Roy, whose ears rang, and a strange singingnoise filled his head.
Ben said a few words, and leaned over the battlement, sheltering hiseyes to watch the effect of the shot, as the smoke rose and began tospread. Then he turned and shouted something; but what it was Roy couldnot hear, neither could he catch a word that was uttered by thetrooper-corporal, though the movement of his lips suggested that he wasspeaking.
"Can't hear you," shouted Roy, as loudly as he could; and the mansmiled, and pointed to the port-fire and the second gun.
That was clear enough to understand; so Roy took a couple of stepstowards the breech, and as the men stood drawn up in regular form oneither side, he once more touched the priming.
Another flash, puff, and deafening roar, which he heard quite plainly;and oddly enough it seemed to have had the effect of restoring his earsto their customary state, for, in spite of the tremendous singing andcracking going on, he heard the order given to the men to stop thevents, sponge, and begin to reload.
"Just a shade more up," said Ben; "and yours wants a bit more than mine,corporal.--See where the shot hit, sir?"
"I? No," said Roy.
"Both on 'em just in front of their works, and covered 'em with earthand stones. They all bolted out. Look, they're coming back again, andthey'll give us something directly."
"Yes," said the corporal, as the men went on loading; "and those shotshave shown 'em what we can do. Look, sir."
"Why, they're drawing off those two troops of horse."
"Yes, sir," said the corporal; "and if Sir Granby Royland had been incommand they'd never have been there."
"No," said Ben, with his lips pinched together; "we could have bowledover two or three of 'em with the guns, but I thought the captain wouldlike to have a try at the earthwork first.--For they're not soldiers,Master Roy.--Are they, corporal?"
The trooper laughed.
"Just a mob of men scratched together, and put into jerkins andheadpieces, and with swords stuck in their fisties. Why, there aren'tmany of 'em as can ride," continued Ben.
The thought occurred to Roy that his own garrison was composed ofextremely raw material, but he said nothing, and Ben went grumbling on:
"I don't say but what they could be made into decent soldiers in time;but they don't seem to have anybody much over them."
Just then a couple of shots were fired by the enemy, one of which struckthe tower with a tremendous crash, sending splinters of stone flying,and a tiny cloud of dust rose slowly. The other shot went whizzingoverhead.
"I wouldn't get looking over the edge, Master Roy, sir," whispered Ben."Some of those chips of stone might give you an ugly scratch. But thatjust shows what I say's right. They haven't got the right man there orhe'd soon change things. You see they've brought up their guns withorders to batter down our drawbridge and smash the portcullis, thinkingthey'll make you surrender. Don't seem to come into their thick headsthat if they did manage to smash the bridge, they'd be no nearer to usthan before, because we should soon pile up a good breastwork, and pitchevery man back into the moat who swam across. But, as I was going tosay, they've got their orders to batter down the bridge, and they keepat it. We've been hit up here, but only by accident; they never firedstraight at us. Now, if you were in command out there, sir, you'd dosomething different."
"I should fire straight up here, Ben, and try to silence these guns."
"Of course you would, sir; just as you're going to silence theirs."
"And the sooner the better, Ben. They're nearly ready again."
"Are they, sir? I can't see. My eyes are not so young as yours. Well,we're quite ready; and if you orders, we're going to give it 'em inearnest."
"Go on, then," said Roy, "and see if you can't stop their firing."
Ben smiled grimly, and bent down to regulate the aim he took, while thesame was done with the other gun. The result was that the corporal'sshot went right through the embrasure of the piece to the left, whileBen's went over.
As the smoke cleared away, a scene of confusion was visible; but the gunon the right was fired directly after, and the shot plunged into thebank of earth raised the previous night.
"Ah!" grumbled Ben; "you've got the best gun, my lad; there must be atwist in mine, for she throws high."
"Like to change?" said the corporal.
"No. I'm going to get used to mine and make her work better."
Shot after shot was fired from the gate tower, the men warming to theirwork, and the results were very varied; for, in spite of the careexercised and the rivalry between Ben and the corporal, the clumsilycast balls varied greatly in their courses, so that at the end of anhour's firing very little mischief was done on either side. The enemyhad had their earthen parapet a good deal knocked about, and some menhad been injured; but all the advantage they had obtained was thebattering down of some scraps of stone, which lay about the front of thegreat gate-way.
"Soon clear that away with a broom," growled Ben; "but I'm a bitdisappointed over these guns, captain. We ought from up here to haveknocked theirs off the carriages by this time."
"We shall do it yet
," said Roy; and during the next few shots he himselflaid the guns, taking the most careful aim.
"As I said afore, your eyes are younger and better than mine, MasterRoy, but you don't shoot any more true.--Hullo! what are they doingthere?"
He looked earnestly at the battery, where the men seemed to be extrabusy, and at a solid mass of troops marching on from some hundreds ofyards behind, straight for the castle.
"They're never mad enough to come and deliver an assault; are they,corp'ral?" cried Ben, excitedly.
"Seems like it, sergeant."
Ben turned to Roy with an inquiring look, and he nodded.
"Do what you think best," he said.
What Ben thought best was to withdraw the great wedge which depressedthe muzzle of his gun, the corporal doing the same; and then, after acareful aim-taking, both pieces roared out a salute to the cominginfantry, which was marching forward in steady array.
The balls went skipping along after striking the ground a hundred yardsor so beyond the enemy's battery, and, ricochetting, darted right forthe solid moving mass of men. The effect was ludicrous, for in aninstant they could be seen from the tower to be in a terrible state ofconfusion, breaking and running in all directions, and, as it were,melting away.
"First time they've ever faced cannon-ball," said Ben, with a smile."I've seen better men than they after more training do the same. Theywon't do it next time, though."
As far as could be seen, few people were hurt; but the shots had theireffect, for the men, as they were restored to something like order, weremarched back behind a patch of woodland, and the duel between the twopairs of guns was recommenced with a couple of shots from the battery,both of which struck the tower high up.
"Aha!" cried Ben, with another of his grim smiles; "got tired, then."
"Does not seem like it, Ben," said Roy.
"Tired of plumping balls into our earthwork, and doing what they oughtto have begun with.--Come, corporal, it's time we did better."
"Let's do it, then," said the man, sternly.
"Look here, Master Roy," said Ben, in a low tone; "they've just sent outtwo parties of horse to right and left, and it strikes me they're goingto try something on the other side of us when they meet. Will you takea round of the ramparts, and see as all's right, and keep the lads onthe lookout?"
"Let me fire these two shots first," said Roy.
He fired both guns, and there was a tremendous mass of earth sentflying; but that seemed to be the only mischief done; and then as Bensuperintended the reloading, which began to be carried out now with afair amount of speed, he said, in a low tone--
"Now, capt'n, will you take a look round? You ought to be everywhere atonce now."
At that moment a shot just grazed one of the crenelles, and hurtled awayclose overhead, making the men wince, as it gave them a better idea ofthe enemy's powers than they had had before.
"Yes, that's why you want me to go, Ben," whispered Roy. "You think itis getting dangerous here. Thank you; I'll stay. I daresay the men areall right."
"Well, sir, I did think something of the kind; but it's real truth. Youought to be everywhere, and you must really give a look round and tell'em to fire at any of the enemy who come too near, specially at thetroops of horse; it'll teach 'em to keep their distance."
Another shot struck the tower, and the splinters of stone rattled down,making Roy hesitate to leave. But he felt that the old sergeant wasright, and, descending to the ramparts, he visited the south-west tower,where the men in charge of the guns awaited orders to join in the fray.Then the north-west tower was reached, and here Roy encountered MasterPawson.
"I am glad you've come," he cried. "There's a strong body of horsegathering over at the foot of the hill to the north."
"Whereabouts?" said Roy, hurrying through. "Anywhere near the oldruins?"
"Ruins? ruins?" said the secretary, looking at him in a peculiar manner."Ah, I see now: you mean those old stones on the top. No; they are onthe level ground below. Hadn't we better fire?"
"As soon as they come within reach, send a ball at them. Let the gun bewell elevated, so as to fire over their heads. We want to scare themoff, and not to destroy."
As he spoke, Roy ascended with the secretary to the platform, and there,well within range, saw a strong squadron of horse approaching; whileRoy's keen eyes detected a flash or two as of the sun from steel inamongst the trees at the foot of the hill.
"They have infantry there," he said. "And these horse must be coming tofeel their way for them, and to see if we are prepared."
The men at the guns watched their young captain eagerly; and as soon ashe gave orders for one of the guns to be used as he had directed, he wasobeyed with an alacrity which showed how eager the people were to joinin the fray commenced on the other side of the castle.
A shot soon went whizzing overhead, and caused a general movement amongthe horsemen; but they steadied again, and advanced. Upon a second shotbeing fired directly with the muzzle depressed, a little cloud of dustwas seen to rise in front of the advancing squadron, which was suddenlythrown into confusion; and directly after the body of cavalry dividedinto two and began to retire, leaving an unfortunate horse strugglingupon the ground; while after a close scrutiny Roy made out the fact thattwo men were riding upon one horse in the rear of the right-hand troop.
The men on the tower gave a loud cheer, trifling as their success hadbeen, and were eager to fire again; but Roy was content to show theenemy that the defenders were well prepared let them advance where theywould, for he knew that the slaying of a few men by a lucky shot wouldnot have much influence on his success.
He stayed till the men had disappeared beyond the trees on the hillslope; and then, enjoining watchfulness, completed his visit to theother towers, descended to report how matters were progressing to hismother, who announced that her patient slept, and lastly hurried back towhere the enemy were pounding away at the gate-way, and Ben and his mensteadily replying.
"Hurt?" he cried excitedly, as he saw that one of the men had a roughbandage about his arm. "You had better go below at once."
"What! for that, sir?" said the man, staring; "it's only a scratch froma bit of stone."
The injury was very slight; but during Roy's absence the enemy hadmanaged to send one shot so truly that it had struck the front corner ofthe embrasure of the corporal's gun, and splintered away a great pieceof the stone, many fragments still lying about on the platform.
"Yes, sir; they're shooting better than we are, or their guns are moretrue. Our powder's good, old as it is; but it doesn't matter howcarefully we aim, we can never tell to a foot or two where the shot willhit. They won't go where we want 'em."
"Well, theirs will not either, Ben," said Roy, "or they would have donemore mischief to us than this."
"That's true, sir," grumbled the old soldier; "and after all said anddone, I don't think much of big guns. If you could get 'em close up tothe end of a ridgement, and the men would stand still, you could bowl alot of 'em over like skittles; but there's a lot of waste going on withthis sort of firing, and if it warn't for the show we make, and whichkeeps 'em off, we might as well sit down and smoke our pipes, and watchwhere the balls went that they send."
"But you must keep on, Ben. You may have a lucky shot yet."
"Oh, we aren't done so very badly since you went, sir! Soon as they'ddone that bit o' damage to the top there, as'll cost Sir Granby a lot o'money to repair, the corporal sent 'em an answer which made 'em carryaway four men to the rear."
"Killed?" said Roy, excitedly.
"Ah! that's more than we can say, sir. They didn't send us word. He'sgot the best gun, you see, sir; and I don't take so well to this sort ofwork. I want a good horse between my knees, and your father ahead of meto lead. Why, if he was here with his ridgement, he'd take us alonglike a big brush, and sweep this mob o' rebels off the country, as cleanas one of the maids would do it with a broom. I say, sir; try yourluck. The men like to see you
have a shot or two. You boys are solucky."
Roy tried and tried again as the day wore on, and the duel between towerand battery went on, but tried in vain. The men were relieved, and thefresh relay kept up a steady fire, shot for shot with the enemy; butnothing was done beyond knocking the earth up in all directions; whileas fast as the face of the battery was injured, they could see spadesand baskets at work, and the earth was replaced by more. Ademonstration was made by the enemy on the sides of the castle, as if totry what was to be expected there; but a shot or two from the cornertowers forced the horsemen to retire; and night was approaching fastwhen Ben and the corporal relieved the men who had been firing all theafternoon, and Roy was with them just as the old soldier took aim forhis first shot.
"I've given her an extra charge of powder, sir," he said. "I'd ha' giveher a double dose, on'y it would be a pity to burst her. Like to runyour eye along before she's fired, sir?"
"No; you try this time, Ben."
As Roy spoke, there was a tremendous crash, followed by the report ofthe enemy's gun; and the rattling down of the splintered stone told howheavy the impact of the shot had been.
"More damage," growled Ben. "They're a-shooting ever so much betterthan us, corporal."
The next minute he applied the port-fire, and the gun sprang back, as atremendous report followed.
"Made her kick quite savage, sir," said Ben, with a chuckle. "She saysit's more powder than she likes."
He stepped to the embrasure as the smoke slowly rose, and gazed out atthe enemy's battery.
"Come and look, Master Roy," he said, with a grim smile.--"I say,corporal, that's one to me."
The men raised a tremendous cheer, for plainly enough seen in the dimevening light, the interior of the battery was in confusion; and as thesmoke quite cleared away, they saw that one of the guns was lyingseveral feet back behind the shattered carriage, and at right angles toits former position.
"Give 'em yours now, my lad," growled Ben; and the corporal fired; buthis shot went right over the battery and struck up the earth twentyyards behind.
"Depress the muzzle, man!" cried Roy.
"I did, sir, more than usual," said the corporal, rather sulkily.
"Yes, sir," said Ben; "he's a better gunner than me. Mine was on'y abit o' luck, for I raised mine this time."
While the guns were being reloaded, Roy and his lieutenant watched theproceedings in the battery, waiting to withdraw when the enemy seemed tobe about to fire.
But no further shot was sent roaring and whizzing against the tower,and, night falling, it soon became impossible to see what was going on.
The Young Castellan: A Tale of the English Civil War Page 26