CHAPTER II.
HOW CHARLES TOOK SHELTER DURING A STORM IN RATS ABBEY BARN; AND HOW HEDELIVERED CARELESS AND DAME GIVES FROM THE TROOPERS.
Once more they were in the midst of bleak and barren wolds, and werepressing on towards North leach, when they perceived a small detachmentof cavalry coming along from that town.
As they were in sight of the enemy, to quit the road or turn back,would only be to invite pursuit, so they went boldly on, hoping theymight not be stopped.
The officer in command of the troop ordered them to halt, andinterrogated them very sharply. With Jane's pass he was satisfied, andafter a brief parley permitted her and her groom to proceed on theirway. Reluctant to abandon his friends, Charles rode slowly on, but hesoon found it necessary to accelerate his pace. The two troopers, Ezraand Madmannah, who were on his track, had now appeared in sight, andjudging that nothing but instant flight could save him, he quitted theFoss Way, and rode off into the wolds.
Meantime, the officer in command of the detachment had come to thedetermination of arresting Dame Gives and her supposed servant, andhe was about to send a guard with them to Northleach, when the twotroopers came up. At once recognising the horse, they felt sure thedisguised groom must be the king, and fearful of losing their prizethey made no remark, but immediately offered to take charge of theprisoners and conduct them to Northleach. Greatly to the satisfactionof the cunning troopers, their proposal was accepted.
Committing the prisoners to their charge, the officer rode off withhis men, while the two troopers, secretly exulting in their goodfortune, and feeling now secure of their prize, placed the supposedroyal captive between them, resolved to take him to Bristol, and theredeliver him up to the commander of the garrison, and claim the richreward.
Meanwhile Charles, finding he was not pursued, made his way across thewolds in the direction of Northleach, and passing on the right of thattown, which was then an important mart for cloth and wool, returnedto the Foss Way. Unable to ascertain what had become of Careless andDame Gives, the king was greatly concerned that he could render them noassistance.
The morning, as we have already intimated, had been extremely fine,but within the last hour a change had taken place, and the blacknessof the heavens portending a heavy thunder-storm, Charles looked aboutanxiously for a place of shelter.
They were again on the Foss Way, with nothing but the bare wolds spreadout around them, like the billows of a tempestuous sea.
Jane pointed out a solitary barn about a quarter of a mile off on theleft, and as soon as he could descend from the elevated road which hewas tracking, Charles rode quickly in that direction.
Just as they reached the barn the storm came on with great violence.The flashes of lightning were almost incessant, the peals of thunderawfully loud, and the rain came down in torrents.
It was now so dark that except for the lightning they could not seemany yards before them, and as Charles rode into the barn through theopen door, he called out to ascertain whether anyone was within, butno answer being returned he dismounted, and after assisting Jane toalight, led his horse to a stall at the further end of the barn, andfastened him up. This done, he returned to Jane.
Almost deafened by the peals of thunder, they were looking out throughthe open door upon the wolds, and watching the progress of thestorm, when a brighter flash than any that had gone before revealed astartling spectacle.
"Gracious heavens!" ejaculated Charles, "either my eyes deceived me, orI saw Careless and Dame Gives guarded by a couple of troopers."
"You were not deceived, sire," replied Jane. "I saw them distinctly.Their captors are evidently coming to seek shelter here."
As she spoke, another brilliant flash revealed the party.
"You are right, they are about to take shelter in this barn," saidCharles. "The rogues must not find us. It shall go hard if I do notcontrive to liberate the prisoners."
In another minute the party arrived at the door of the barn. Ezra rodein first, and was followed by the captives, while Madmannah brought upthe rear, and posted himself at the entrance to prevent any attemptat escape. However, he did not remain there long, but jumped from hishorse, declaring that the lightning had well-nigh blinded him.
Meanwhile the others had dismounted, but Ezra kept strict guard overthe prisoners.
"If thy life is of value to thee thou wilt keep quiet," he said toCareless.
"Are we alone here?" cried Madmannah in a loud voice. "What ho! isthere any one in the barn?"
"Ay," replied a voice that sounded like that of a countryman, "I behere, Sam Cubberly, of Scrubditch Farm. Who may you be, and what areyou doing in Rats Abbey Barn?"
Struck by the oddity of the response, Careless began to think that afriend was at hand.
"Methinks thou art mocking us, Sam Cubberly," cried Ezra. "Come forth,and show thyself, or I will prick thee with my pike."
A derisive laugh was the only response to this threat, and his cholerbeing roused, he marched towards the back of the barn in search of theaudacious rustic. But he had not got far, when an athletic young mansuddenly sprang upon him, seized him by the throat, and disarmed him.
Hearing the disturbance, and at once comprehending what was takingplace, Careless made an instant attack on Madmannah, and not onlysucceeded in depriving him of his weapons but forced him to the ground.Material assistance was given by Dame Gives, who prevented the trooperfrom using his carabine, and now held it at his head.
"Shall I shoot him?" she asked, in a tone that showed she was inearnest.
"Ay, shoot him through the head if he stirs," rejoined Careless.
He then flew to the spot where the king was engaged with Ezra, andbetween them they dragged the trooper back to his comrade.
"Our safety demands that both these villains be instantly despatched,"said Careless. "They have justly forfeited their lives."
"Truly, they deserve death, yet I am inclined to spare them," saidCharles. "Hark ye, rogues," he continued; "will you swear to desistfrom this pursuit if your lives be given you?"
Both readily responded in the affirmative.
"Trust them not," said Careless; "they have broken half a dozen oathsalready."
"But we will not break this," said Ezra. "We will hold our peace as toall that we have seen and heard, and go back to Colonel James."
By this time the fury of the storm had abated. The thunder had rolledoff to a distance, and though the lightning still flashed, the rain hadentirely ceased.
"The storm has cleared off," observed Jane Lane, in a low tone to theking. "There is nothing to prevent our departure."
"Then we will not remain here a moment longer," he rejoined. "We mustdeprive these rascals of the means of following us," he added toCareless; "we will take their horses."
"Take their lives as well as their horses. You are dealing far tooleniently with them," said Careless.
Fancying all was over with them, the two wretches besought mercy inpiteous terms.
"Stand back, then," cried Charles, fiercely; "and do not stir till weare gone, or you will rush upon your death."
The troopers moved back as enjoined, but Careless did not like theirlooks, and called out to them:
"Further back, or we will shoot you!"
The order was quickly obeyed.
At a sign from Charles, Jane Lane and Dame Gives then quitted the barn,and were immediately followed by the king and Careless, each leading acouple of horses.
As soon as the party had mounted, they returned to the old Roman road,crossed the Foss Bridge over the Coin, and then proceeding for a coupleof miles further, turned the troopers' horses loose on Barnsley Wold.
Boscobel; or, the royal oak: A tale of the year 1651 Page 74