CHAPTER IV.
HOW CARELESS CAPTURED AN OWL IN THE OAK.
Seated upon a large bough, and with his feet upon a lower branch, theking looked down at Careless, and could not help laughing at him.
"This would be an amusing adventure if your majesty's safety were notin question," observed the major.
"I suppose you never spent a day in a tree, Will?"
"Never, sire. I don't know what it's like. I have done a good manystrange things in my time, but this is one I never yet did. We mustmake ourselves as cheerful as we can under the circumstances."
"You have the happy knack of being always cheerful, Will."
"I am not half so light-hearted as your majesty. Besides, I havenothing to trouble me. I have not lost a kingdom. I have not even losta mistress."
"I am not so certain of that," laughed Charles.
"At any rate, her loss does not give me much concern. Women areenigmas, and pass my comprehension."
"Thou art thinking of one in particular."
"The sex are all alike--whimsical, capricious, inconstant."
"But always attractive. What hath displeased thy mistress with thee?"
"On my honour, sire, I know not. Methought she was flying at highergame."
"You need fear no rival in me, Will. I am proof against all femininewiles just now. I have something else to think of. But let us examineour quarters."
"Climb a little higher up, my liege, and you will find a mostcomfortable seat--there!--between the main stem and one of the upperbranches."
"I have it," said Charles, seating himself. "Oddsfish! how thick thefoliage is! 'Tis a perfect luxury to sit amongst it. Find a place nearme if thou canst."
Careless obeyed, and while searching for a convenient place among thebranches, suddenly called out:
"Adzooks! We have a companion, sire."
"A companion!" exclaimed the king, in surprise. "What sort ofcompanion?"
"An owl," replied Careless. "A great horned owl. Behold him!--perchedon that branch, puffing angrily at me for intruding upon his rest. Iwonder he has not taken flight. I'll try and capture him. He may be ofuse to us."
"In what way useful? We are better without him than with him, methinks."
But the interdiction was too late. Careless had caught the owl bythrowing his mantle over him.
"Here he is, sire!" he cried, delighted with his success.
"If thou couldst cook him now he is caught, there would be some gain,"laughed Charles.
"He will serve to amuse us if he answers no other purpose," saidCareless. "But hark! I hear a sound." And after listening intently fora moment, he added in a low voice to the king, "'Tis the trampling ofhorse. A patrol is coming this way."
"I hear the voices of the rogues. Are we perfectly concealed?"
"Perfectly, my liege. Keep quite still. I beseech you! The slightestnoise may betray us."
From the sounds that reached their ears it was plain that three orfour horsemen had halted beneath the tree, and were lamenting the illsuccess that had attended their search for the royal fugitive.
"'Tis strange Charles Stuart contrives to evade us so long," remarkedone of them. "I begin to think he has escaped."
"Had he attempted to escape, we should assuredly have captured him,"cried another. "He hath baffled us by keeping quiet. I doubt not he isstill in this wood. Ah! if we could only discover his retreat. ThatHumphrey Penderel could have helped us to it if he would. He is a lyingrogue."
"Colonel James thinks that the malignant prince will be found atBoscobel," observed a third. "But I doubt it. He does not enter ahouse. My belief is that he is hidden in a tree."
"Perchance in a tree like this?" observed the first interlocutor. "Ifsuch is thy opinion, dismount quickly, and climb the tree--even to thetop thereof."
"And be laughed at for my pains. No, I will not climb the tree, but Iwill discharge my caliver into its branches. If I bring down CharlesStuart with the shot ye will not mock me."
"Of a surety not--we will greatly applaud thy wisdom," cried the others.
Upon this the trooper who had previously spoken, pointed his caliverupwards, and fired into the thick of the branches. A loud rustlingsound followed the shot.
"I have hit something!" cried the trooper, exultingly. "Peradventure itis the king."
"If it be the king he has taken the form of a bird," cried thetroopers, laughing.
As they spoke the owl dropped down on their heads, and its wing beingbroken by the shot, it fluttered along the ground.
Shouting with laughter, the troopers pursued the unlucky bird, butcould not catch it.
"I have had a narrow escape," said Careless to the king, as soon as thecoast was clear. "That rogue's bullet came confoundedly near me. Yourmajesty will now admit that an owl may be of some use. It has helped usto get rid of those rascally troopers."
Boscobel; or, the royal oak: A tale of the year 1651 Page 47