by Knox Magee
CHAPTER XXII
A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE
Tired were we when at length night came and the first day of the greattournament was ended. 'Twas five of the clock when King Richard threwdown his truncheon, and thus put an end, until the morrow, to thejousts.
My total injuries for the whole long day were a few dints in my shieldand armour, and the loss of my fine plumes, which had been shorn offwith a sword blow from behind, whilst I was engaged with anotherknight, in the battle of the six and twenty, which had been declared aneven contest; though verily do I think our side had a slight advantage;for when, at last, the contest was stopped, on account of the greatblood-shed caused, we still had five knights mounted, whilst ouropponents had but four. True our leader had been placed _hors decombat_, but methinks this was more than compensated for by there beingone more in the saddle on our side. However, it may have been morefair to both parties to have the decision as it was, though for my ownpart I had preferred to have the battle fought to a definiteconclusion. Then again, the Usurper lost not any supporters bystopping the contest before either side had any decided advantage.
We had been in our tent for some time previous to the conclusion of theday's events, the last of which was more archery.
Michael, after assisting me in the removal of mine armour, asked, inthat fashion that ever made it impossible for me to refuse hisrequest:--
"Sure, yer honour, may Oi agin crave yer honour's pardon fer axin' ye,sor, to be absent a short toime, whoilst Oi agin look after thim ouldladies yonder. Sure ye know, sor, Oi'd not be botherin' loike, if Oiwasn't so bound by moy falein's to look after thim in the crowd."
"Yes, Michael, thou mayest go; but tarry not after thou hast taken themsafely from the field."
"Uh! sure, sor, Oi fale loike a thafe fer so botherin' yer honour withivir wantin' somethin'. Thank ye sor. Oi'll be back the minute thatOi takes thim out o' danger," and with a respectful salute he vanished.
We were at our supper when Michael returned, completely out of breath,as though he had travelled far at no slow pace.
"What in the devil's name hast thou been doing unto thyself?" I askedin surprise.
"Runnin', sor," he gasped.
"Short and definite, as well as evident," said I. "But for why didstthou come in such haste?"
"Uh! sure, yer honour, as Oi was returning after takin' the ould ladiesto a place o' safety, and as Oi came in soight o' yer honour's tint,uh! sure if Oi didn't behould a damned varmint o' a raven a floyin' incircles ouver this viry tint. Sure, sor, it's an ill day fer poorMoichael when Oi have the misfortune to have to till moy master o' sichbad luck," and he wrung his enormous hands in pure agony of spirit.
"Nay, my faithful friend, feel thankful rather that thou wert permittedto see, and thus inform me of the ill-omened bird's presence, in whichthe Royal Arthur now flies on wings of Hell's own darkness o'er thisfair land, employed as he is in the worthy mission of warning thosewhich danger threatens, and thus giving them some time to be employedin guarding against the trouble."
"But did it alight upon the tent, or merely circle overhead?" askedHarleston.
"Nay, sor; it was about to aloight, and had its avil bake agap to uttersome foul curse whin, at moy full spade, Oi rushed, with wavin' o' moyarms in its doirection.
"I thank thee truly, Michael, for thy timely aid; for since it alightednot, the danger is less great."
"True then was what the Frenchman told us of thy danger," said myfriend, speaking most serious. "Come, think again, Walter, and resolveto leave the court at once. The Lady Hazel shall be protected fromthine enemy so long as Frederick Harleston hath a sword to swing in herdefense. Besides this," he added, "I can contrive to have her leavethe Sanctuary in safety, and go to thee, when thou hast found some fitabode for both. Thou canst not here avoid the danger that doththreaten thee; and if thou dost fall a victim to Catesby's vengeance,bethink thee of the fate that shall then be her's. Let thy love forthy promised wife o'er-rule thy pride, and resort to flight, where itis to thy profit."
"Ah! my friend, it is a bitter draught to swallow, my flying from mineenemy."
"Yes, Walter; but remember that one might better fight a giant, whichis armoured cap-a-pie, holding in his hand a sword of ponderous weight,with edge as sharp as is thy razors, than match thy strength against achild, which holds in its puny grasp the seal of power."
I could not help but admit the truthfulness of this statement; butstill I did not relish the idea of fleeing like a hunted animal. Itherefore replied:--
"Well, Frederick, I promise thee to consider and debate within my mindon what thou hast said. In the morning I will tell thee which hathconquered, my pride or better reason."
So, wearily throwing ourselves upon the cloaks stretched on the ground,we soon thought not of danger.
"Ha! thou bloody varmint! Mither-o'-Gawd! ye murtherin' baste!"--Ascuffle, "Thou wouldst scratch? Thare, damn ye, take that!"--A heavyblow that sounded like unto when one doth strike, with his clenchedfist, his armoured thigh,--a heavy, clattering fall,--more swearingfrom Michael.
"Ha, thou bloody varmint."]
These were the confusing and unusual sounds that caused me to awakenwith a start, and in my half dazed state to grasp my sword and shield,as though by instinct.
"Anither mouve out o' ye and ye'll have moure than a browken arm tocarry to Hill along with yer bloody soul, if thou hast wan, thoudamned, snakein' dawg," again growled Michael, as he stood and shookhis enormous fist over a prostrate form, lying betwixt the door and me,from which came groans of agony.
"What is it, Michael?" asked Harleston and I, both in the same words,as we sprang to our feet and stood before the enraged squire.
"Sure, yer honours, its some koind o' baste that useth a dagger withtoo great a fradom.
"Loy quoite, ye spalpeen, or Oi'll tramp the dawg's loife out o' yewith the hale o' moy boot!"
"Open still further the flap of the tent," I commanded Michael. Then,speaking to the prostrate form upon the ground, I said:--
"Arise sirrah, and tell us truthfully what is thy name, and what thybusiness here at this unseemly hour."
He slowly rose. Then, as Michael opened wider the tent door, thebright moon's rays fell on the shining blade of a dagger lying at myfeet.
"What means this dagger, sirrah?" and I stooped to pick it up.
"Hold! Beware there, Michael!" cried Harleston, as he dashed after thestranger, which had taken advantage of my stooping, to attempt to makegood his escape.
Michael, who was outside of the tent, making fast the flap, sprangafter the fugitive with the speed of a horse. Almost he had the knaveby the collar when, as fortune would have it, his foot caught upon oneof the cords which served in securing the tent from being blown to theground, and fell headlong upon his face, with as great a noise as thatmade by a falling tree. Harleston, at the same instant, dashed at fullspeed from the tent and, tripping on the fallen Michael, fell with hisfull weight upon my squire, thereby adding nothing to that angryperson's comfort.
"Uh!" said Michael, "this is that damned raven's work. 'Tis useless;the varmint must escape; all Hill is with him."
I heard no more; but, leaving Harleston and Michael to regain theirfeet, I hastened in pursuit of the owner of the dagger. He was at thatmoment disappearing among the scores of tents with which this part ofthe field was filled. I pursued him until I realized how impossible itwas to here find anyone desirous of escaping capture, and then givingup the attempt I returned to my own tent.
Michael was still swearing, and cursing the raven for the luck that ithad brought unto us.
"Hill! Whoy didn't Oi brake the varmint's skull, instid o' his arm?Thin the charm had bin browken. Now Gawd knows what'll be the nixt tocurse us."
"Come, Michael," said Frederick, "no one is to blame for his escape.Thou didst do right nobly in the saving of our lives from being takenby the dagger of an assassin."
"But tell us," said I, "how thou didst learn of h
is presence here, andwhat he was doing when thou didst attack him."
"Will, sor, it was loike this:--Oi was awakened by some wan astippin'ouver moy chist, as though he feared to disturb me. At first, sor, Oithought it must be ather thee or Sor Fridrick. Thin, thinks Oi tomoysilf, what in the divil's name doth make Sor Walter or Sor Fridrickwalk so cautious loike? He jist takes a stip in the doiriction o'thee, sor, and thin he stops and waits, whoilst wan moight count ascore, as though he was alistenin' fer somethin'. 'Tis moighty strangethat ather wan o' yer honours would go on loike that in yer own tint,sez Oi, to moysilf. This koind o' made me curious loike, so Oi jistsits up and watches him. Thin, Mither-o'-Gawd, sor! the blissid moonshines on a dagger in the varmint's hand. Thin, sor, Oi pounces uponhim, and the varmint troid to stab me with his damned dagger. Thismade me lose moy timper, loike; so Oi jist gives him a rap on the arm,and sure, sor, the thing snapped loike a rotten branch astickin' fromout the soide o' a dead tree. Thin, sor, Oi lays him down, akoind o'rough loike, and he thought he'd bitter stay thare. Jist at that toimeyer honours wakened up, and ye know the rist as will, or bitter, thanOi do."
"Ah! Michael, my faithful friend, what should I do without thee? Thouhast saved my life, this night, and repaying that is beyond my power;unless thou art ever threatened, when I would save thee and risk mineown life, as thou hast done for me."
"Uh! sure, yer honour, dount talk loike that; Oi have no moure thandone moy dooty. Sure it's ashamed o' moysilf Oi should be if Oi didn'tcrush a snakein' varmint loike that, whin he comes acrawlin' into moymaster's tint, and roight ouver me, as though I wasn't thare to guardthe door."
I could not help but laugh at the easy way in which Michael turned allthe credit from himself. I grasped his hand, and slapped him on hishuge shoulder. 'Twas useless to say anything more; and indeed my hearttook all my speech away.
For this Michael seemed thankful. He betook himself to his position,across the opening of the tent, and, stretching himself at his ease, hesoon forgot the part he had played in that night's almost tragedy.
However, Frederick and I sat up and conversed in low tones for sometime after Michael had entered that happy land of oblivion, wheretroubles or plots--except sometimes those that have no reality--intrudenot.
"Was it Catesby, thinkest thou?" asked Harleston. "The person wasabout his stature; and he spoke not even when his arm was broken; acircumstance that points to his fear of his voice being known unto us."
"Verily it was Catesby," I replied. "What other man is there upon thisfield would attempt such an act? Besides, he alone hath an interest inmy death.
"Ah! Catesby," said I, betwixt my clenched teeth, "some day we shallmeet again, where there shall be no rules of tourney to put a stop tomy revenge.
"Tell me, Frederick, why it is that such scoundrels are permitted tohave such positions of authority? Why doth the Ruler of Heaven andEarth permit it? Tell me, for I feign would know."
"My dear Walter," he replied, in that gentle, reasoning way, "thou dostnot observe the laws of nature, or thou shouldst not have asked thatquestion.
"The brightest flowers in the stagnant pond of life do rise to thesurface with their worthy blooms."
"Surely thou dost not put Richard and Catesby in that class?"
"Nay, nay," he replied, "do but let me finish.
"True, the flowers do come unto the surface," he continued; "but everremember, Walter, that they must first make their way through the greenand evil-smelling scum that also floats on top. The beauteous blossomis made stronger and more large by reason of its stinking opposition.Such is life in all its forms, and such shall it ever be.
"But come," said he, changing from his philosophical to his practicalstyle of conversation, "does not this night's work make clear to theethy danger? Surely thou wilt not longer hesitate?"
"Verily, I have decided," I replied.
"That is the part of wisdom."
"Do but wait until I have finished; as thou but now saidst to me."
"I do," he smiled.
"Yes, Harleston, I am fully resolved,--to fly not."
"What?"
"Before this incident of the night did happen 'tis possible I mighthave decided to follow thine advice, the which is no doubt theproperest and most reasonable course. But sith Master Catesby hathattempted to play the part of an assassin I am determined to remain andshow to his coward's face that Walter Bradley fears him not. Let himdo his worst. In London I remain until the Earl of Richmond lands."
"Oh, Bradley, Bradley, that hot head of thine will never be contentuntil it has been severed from its trunk. And yet," he continuedthoughtfully, "thou hast most excellent reason, if it were not forthine accursed temper. Well, well, I know that it is now useless toattempt to change thee. The next best thing to do is to try and savethee, after thou art in his power. 'Tis a difficult task; but it's allthat your friends can do for thee."
"What dost thou think his next move will be?"
"He will not use the dagger, after to-night's failure," repliedFrederick; "and besides, he hath a broken arm if it were he whichvisited us."
"Thou meanest that his next attempt will be the axe of the executioner?"
"Yes."
"A pleasant prospect; but one that the loss of sleep cannot save from."So saying I stretched me upon my cloak and soon thought naught ofCatesby nor his vengeance.