CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
HOW SORLEY BOY MCDONNELL CAME HOME TO HIS OWN.
I was not left for long to a solitary watch at the maiden's tower. For,just as dawn began to break, and my head, after the labours of thenight, began to nod, I was roused with a thwack betwixt my jaw and myear which sent me backwards to the ground. When I picked myself up, Ifound it was the English fellow whom Ludar had put snugly to roost onthe parapet an hour or two since. He had come to in no very merry frameof mind; and, finding the castle in the hands of the besiegers, and hisown life not worth an hour's purchase, was minded to hit out a bit forhis Queen before giving up the ghost.
More than that, I suspect, he was a little jealous to find me on guardat the maiden's tower, where, till now, he had stood sentinel. Anyhowhe caught me a crack which I have scarce forgotten yet, and which mighthave left me lying on my back to this day, but for the blow which Ludarhad dealt him first.
He was unarmed, so that I could not make an end of him as shortly as Iwas minded. Nor had I sword to offer him to cross with mine; so I hadhim by the leg and the collar and walked him to the cliff's edge.
"You will do less harm down there," said I, "than here. So say yourprayers."
"As you please, comrade," said he. "I should have sooner have hadbreakfast first. As for the blow I gave you, I thought you saw me comeat you, else I would have woke you up first, and knocked you down next."
I set him down at that.
"If that be so," said I, "you are not the cur I took you for; for I hadno business to be nodding. Stay here, and I will fetch you a sword, andyou shall die like an Englishman."
"I ask nothing better," said he, "even if it be at the hands of anEnglishman turned traitor."
That took the spirit clean out of me. Was it not true? Was not thisfellow a truer servant of her Majesty than I, who for months had donenaught but break her laws, assault her mayors, fire on her flag, andslay her soldiers? Yet, how could I help it?
The fellow's gibe made me so miserable that instead of fetching him asword, I gave him mine, and bade him do to me as I deserved.
He laughed.
"By my soul, no!" said he. "If you be a servant of her Majesty, 'tisnot for me to touch you. If you be not, the sword belongs to you, and Icall it no shame to die by it. Yet, if you are minded to fetch me aweapon, I warrant you I shall not run away till you come again."
So I went and fetched him a sword. And we fought there a half-hour bythe clock, till our breath failed us, and never a blow could we get homeon one another. I had no stomach for the business; and yet, when Ifound him so stubborn a swordsman, my blood got up, and I think I shouldhave run him through if I could. But he had no mind to let me, and putme to it hard to keep my own skin whole.
So we halted to fetch breath, and before we could go to it again, themaiden came out of her lodging and stood betwixt us.
"Put by your swords," said she, "I command you both. What is yourquarrel? and have you no work for your captain, that you thus bringcivil war into his castle?"
"By your leave, fair maiden," said the Englishman, "no man here is mycaptain. This brave lad is an enemy to my Queen; therefore it is myduty to slay him."
"If so," said the maiden, "I too must be slain, for I love not yourQueen."
"But you be no traitor like this--"
Here I whipped out my sword, and we were at it again, ere the maiden,with flashing eyes, could step once more between us.
"Humphrey Dexter!" cried she in a voice I hope I may not hear from herlips again, "give me your sword, sir."
I obeyed meekly. 'Twould have been impossible to do aught else.
"And you, sir," said she, turning to the Englishman, "give me yours."
"Marry! 'tis yours already," said he, handing it up. "Mine was shiveredby a blow from the young McDonnell, and I am his prisoner. But, by yourleave," added he, looking hard at me, "did you call this honest ladHumphrey Dexter? Why, may I perish if it is not the same swashbucklingruffler I once knew in London town! I thought I had seen his gallowsface before! Why, Humphrey, my lad, dost thou remember how I crackedthy skull at quarter-staff a year since in Finsbury Fields, and how thyJack 'prentices groaned to see thee bite the dust? I liked thee nonethe less for it, though I beat thee. For 'twas a fair fight! Come,since 'tis thou, give us thy hand, and tell me how thou comest hereamongst the enemies--"
"Ay, ay, I'll tell you," said I, not wanting to hear the end of thesentence.
Sure enough, this was a brawling soldier lad I had once met in thefields--Jack Gedge, by name--with whom I had had a bout at the quarter-staff. But he lied vilely when he said he beat me thereat; for,although he felled me once, I had him down three times, and the lasttime so that he had to be carried from the place by his legs and arms.
Howbeit, 'twas strange enough to see him here; and when, after themaiden had left us (having restored us our swords under promise ofpeace), I told him my story, he took my hand, and said, had he been inmy shoes, he had been a traitor too. Yet he thanked his God he stood inhis own.
And now, it may have been ten o'clock, there came a great shouting andnoise of guns from the outer walls, and presently Ludar came into thehold, sword in hand, and told us that Captain Merriman and his soldiershad arrived from Castleroe, and were preparing to assault the place.
"Humphrey," said he, "whate'er betide, I commit the maiden to your care,till this fighting be over. This prisoner of mine," added he, pointingto the soldier, "will also stand by you, unless I mistake him."
"Marry! so will I," said the man; "for a maiden in distress is no aliento a true servant of the maiden Queen. Count on me for so much,Captain."
"I do. Humphrey, I must go out and meet my enemy. He is in force, andmust be scattered before he can blockade our ill-provisioned hold.Capture it he cannot; but he may starve it."
"Go then," said I. "Yet, will you not see the maiden first? She wouldbe sorry not to bid you god-speed."
He seemed for a moment as though he would refuse. Then a look of greatlonging came into his face as he glanced up at the turret window.
While he debated, a messenger arrived with news that Alexander McDonnelland his men were at hand, and that the English--seeing their constablehang from the walls on one side (for we had found his body, anddisplayed it thus as a signal of our triumph), and hearing the shouts ofthe McDonnells on the other--were falling back, and making ready to turntail.
It was even so. While he spoke, we could see on the cliffs eastward theMcDonnell standard, and hear the shouts of Alexander's company as theybore down upon the English, who for a moment ceased their assault on thecastle, and turned doubtfully to face them.
Ludar laughed.
"If Alexander be there," said he, "our minds may be easy. Call in ourmen, and keep them within the walls. For he who yielded me the glory oftaking Dunluce, shall not be robbed by me of the glory of sending theseknaves packing. It needs not two McDonnells to do that. Humphrey seeto this, keep a watch how the battle goes, and come again presently.You know where to find me."
And he went, with a light heart, into the maiden's tower.
I know not why, I grudged to see him go in. 'Twas not jealousy--I wasbeyond that now. Nor was it that his help was needed without. ForAlexander, I guessed, would have easy work with the foe; and 'twas likeLudar's nobleness to leave this new glory to his brother. 'Twas notthat he did not deserve the rest and comfort, for he had worked like alion that night, and denied himself till now the greeting the maidenowed to her preserver. Yet, for all that, I know not why, I had soonerhe had remained, sword in hand, on the walls with us.
I scorned myself for my silly qualms, and hastened to call in our men,and bid them give fair field to Alexander and his company. They obeyedwith difficulty; yet, when they heard that it was Ludar's order that noman should baulk his brother, they came in, and lined the walls to viewthe combat.
The McDonnells on the cliff, when they saw the constable hang over thecastle walls, and perceive
d the great bunch of heather on our topmosttower, stopped a moment to cheer and wave their bonnets. Then Alexandershouted to them in a voice we could hear half-a-mile away, and theybroke into a run.
Meanwhile, Captain Merriman's party was, as I said, taken aback by thisnew danger, and threatened to draw off. But when they saw our partyretire into the castle, and understood that the battle was between themand Alexander only, they stood their ground again, and wheeled round tomeet him. They were some five hundred men against the McDonnells' threehundred, and contained not a few of O'Neill's men in their number.
From where we stood we could see but little of the fight, except thatwithin a few yards of the enemy Alexander halted his men, and then,stepping forward sword in hand, boldly dared the English leader, whoeverhe might be, to single combat. I marvelled to see if Captain Merrimanwould accept the challenge. For a while, amid the shouting andthreatening on either side, I could not discern what followed, butpresently, as Alexander, brandishing his sword, stepped up and repeatedhis challenge, there sprang out upon him, without warning, a hugegallowglass of the O'Neill's men, who with a club smote the young chiefto the earth. The blow was so sudden and unexpected (for Alexander wasnot even looking that way), that the McDonnell was reeling back in thearms of his men before friend or foe knew what had happened. Then, witha terrible yell, the Scots seized their weapons and closed on the enemy.
But Alexander, staggering to his feet, his head streaming blood, calledto them once more to halt, as he leapt forward, half stunned, on hisassailant. The duel was short and swift. For at the first onset thegreat gallowglass, amazed to see his man yet living, and ashamed,perchance, of his foul stroke, missed his mark and tumbled in a heapupon his foeman's sword. Then with a mighty shout (for all thought thiswas the English leader slain), the two bands closed in, and a deadlyfight began.
But I kept my eye on Alexander, whom, despite his prowess, I could seeto be wounded hard. Gradually, as his men fell on the enemy and thebattle roared off eastward, he himself drooped, and drew out of thefray. I could see him stand a moment, waving his sword, but his bodyswayed like that of a drunken man, and he leaned at last against a rockto keep from falling.
Then it was, before I could determine whether to warn Ludar of thisaccident or no, that a horrible deed was done.
For I was not the only one who had kept his eyes on the wounded chief.While he stood there fainting, yet still shouting his men forward,Captain Merriman (an Englishman!) who had lagged behind his host, creptstealthily round the hill to where he stood, and suddenly fronting him,dared the dying man to single combat! From where I stood I could markthe curl of scorn on the young chief's lips, as he drew himself up andstrove to lift his drooping arm. Next moment the English captain'sweapon flashed between, and as Alexander fell the coward's blade plungedthrough him twice.
Instantly a mighty cry went up from the enemy, for Captain Merriman,waving his bloody sword above his head, ran through the ranks yelling,"Victory! McDonnell is slain!" and the McDonnells, when they heard theshout, reeled under it in a panic and were slain by the score.
As for me, I had stood there like a lump of stone, not able to stir orshout. But at last, by a huge effort, I sprang to the ground, and witha cry of horror rushed to find Ludar.
I found him standing on the cliff-edge, grave and happy, with the maidenbeside him, looking down at the great Atlantic waves as they flung theireternal surge up at the castle rock. His sword lay on the ground at herfeet. She was fixing a tuft of flowers in his cap, singing softly asshe did so. And he, as he gazed now at her, now at the sea below,looked as if cloud could never come more between the sun and his nobleface.
Alack! that I myself must bring the cloud.
"Ludar to the front! Something is wrong. Your brother--"
May I never hear again the cry with which he snatched up his sword andrushed to the gate!
I followed close to his heels, only bidding the maiden get to her towerwhither I would send her English squire to guard her. But Ludar, as wereached the gate, turned and ordered me back.
"Stay," said he, hoarsely, and white as a sheet, "stay here!"
Then, as he waited for the portcullis to open, I hastily told him what Ihad witnessed, and where he would find his brother.
"My brother!" he groaned, "my brother! Humphrey, if I ever return hereit shall be with this dog's blood on my sword. Farewell."
And in a moment he had passed the bridge and was rushing headlong on thefoe. My heart sank as I saw him go thus; and, whether it vexed him ornot, I shouted aloud: "Who follows Ludar? Follow! follow!" Instantly ahundred McDonnells started at the call, and leapt over the bridge. Thenwith my own hand I let down the gate, and bade the rest, in theirchief's name, stand and guard the walls.
Alexander's party were already in retreat, half-a-mile away, for theyhad no leader; and the English, flushed with victory, and strong innumbers, were pushing them back at the sword's point. Nor did this newcompany help them much, for Ludar, when he saw who followed him, angrilyordered them to stand, while he went alone to the place I had told himof, in search of his brother.
But brother there was none. I could see my friend from where I stoodstalk round the place, now deserted of friend and foe, shouting andcalling like a man possessed. Perhaps the murderer had taken off thebody as a trophy; or perhaps--perhaps Alexander yet lived, and was safe.But sign of him there was none. For a weary hour Ludar called andsearched; then, weary and sick at heart, I saw him call his men, andmarch off in pursuit of the enemy.
Thus all that day we stood and waited in Dunluce, and not a man spoke tohis fellow. For the joy of our victory was turned into mourning. TheClan had lost one hero; and who should say whether the Banshee's warningwas not to be fulfilled on another?
The only man who kept up heart was the Englishman.
"These McDonnells," said he, "have the lives of cats. You shall seeyour lordling back yet. He oweth me a bout, and is too honest a man torob even an enemy. But, Humphrey lad," added he, "I pray you see tothese women. There is sore distress in their camp, and I durst not putin my head. Besides, I know not if they have so much as a crust ofbread to eat."
The honest fellow was right. When I went in, the maiden was in strangewoe, pacing up and down her chamber with pale face and heaving breast.
"Humphrey," said she, and her voice was dry and hoarse, "this is myfault, my fault! He will love me no more! I tempted him to stay whenhe should have been at his brother's side. I, for my own comfort, madea woman of him, who should have helped make him a hero."
"Nay," said I, "you are wrong, maiden. Had he been there he could nothave helped this. It was in nature he should--"
"Humphrey!" she exclaimed, in a voice which staggered me, "talk not likea fool. I have forfeited his love. He did well to leave me without aword! I have been worse to him than his worst enemy. I dare not seehim again, for he will loathe me. You must take me hence, or, truly, Iwill go without leave."
"Maiden," said I, "have patience. This is the act of God, not of man;and Ludar when he returns may need your comfort sorely."
She laughed bitterly.
"I know Ludar," she said; "you know him not. Think you the sight of mewill not drive him mad when he comes back, brotherless?"
"At least," said I, "be content to wait here till to-morrow. I shouldbe a traitor to him and myself were I to let you depart unattended; andI may not leave, here till he or the old chief comes."
"Will Sorley Boy be here to-morrow?" asked she.
"He will; he has said so."
"Then," said she, "I stay on this condition. Tell him naught of me butthat I am an O'Neill, a prisoner here, who demand to be restored to myfather, Turlogh Luinech O'Neill. Ludar will not return yet. When hedoes, he shall find me gone. Go back to the wall, Humphrey. No manshall say again I stood between him and his duty."
I returned sadly enough to my post; and all that night we kept wearywatch on the walls, straining our ears for Ludar's cal
l or news of thebattle.
But neither Ludar nor news of him came.
At daybreak, however, as the sun rose over the headlands, there came anoise of pipes and shouting, and a flutter of pennons on the hill-tops.Then we knew Sorley Boy had come.
Before him fled scattered parties of the enemy, yet far enough beyondour range; nor, when they sped away into the hills westward, did thechief allow his men to continue the chase. The McDonnells gave a wild,mighty cheer, when they saw the heather of the clan flying aloft ontheir ancient castle; and in the silence that followed I could see theold chief stand a moment to pass his hand across his eyes, as if to makesure he saw aright.
Then, erect, with a proud step, he advanced at the head of his men andcrossed the bridge. Our men, waving their hats aloft, answered back thecheers, and, as the gate swung up to let them in, all else seemedforgotten in the triumph of this home-coming of the grand old chief.
But when, a moment after, he halted and looked round him, the shoutingsuddenly ceased and there fell a dead silence.
"My sons," said he, "where are they?"
No one seemed ready to answer, so that I was fain to step forward.
"Sir," said I, saluting, "Sir Ludar, your son, renders you your castle,which he won by his own arm two nights ago. He is not here to salutehimself, as he is tending his brother who was traitorously wounded inthe battle yesterday."
The old man said nothing, but blazed on me with his eyes as though hewould blast me where I stood. Had I been the murderer myself, I couldnot have trembled more. At length:
"Alexander, where is he?" he demanded in a hollow voice.
I said I had seen him last near the hill, but that Ludar, not findinghim there, had gone to seek him, I know not whither.
Then the old man handed his great sword to his esquire, and flinging offhis cloak, walked into the hall of the castle, where none durst followhim. I longed to ask his permission to follow Ludar, besides making themaiden's petition. But his look that day was too terrible to be faced.So we stood to our guard, as we had stood all day long.
When at evening no sign came yet of Ludar, I braced myself up with agreat courage, and entered the hall.
The old warrior was sitting at the head of the empty table, immovable,like a man stunned, looking straight before him. But when he saw me, heseemed to recover himself and said:
"What news?"
"None," said I, "but as his servant, I pray you let me go and seek SirLudar."
"You shall not go," said he. And there was naught left to say afterthat.
"I obey you, sire," said I. "There is, by your leave, a maiden in thiscastle, a prisoner, and daughter to the O'Neill. She craves yourpermission to return to her father; and hath bidden me ask it of you."
He nodded his head, as if the petition were too trifling to be heeded;and, having got what I was in need of, I withdrew, thankful.
Next day, at daybreak, the maiden, white as a sheet, and with lipsclose-pressed to hinder their trembling, walked slowly across the bridgeto the castle gate. I had got her two horses, one for her and one forthe old nurse; and a trusty escort of six McDonnells and the Englishsoldier to conduct her to Toome.
At parting she held out her hand.
"Humphrey," said she, "tell him of this; and may she who loves you neverlose you as I have lost him."
"All is not lost," said I, "we shall meet again, and all will be happyyet." And I lifted her to her horse.
"Now, sirrah," said the old nurse, as I did the like service for her,"be happy for a year and a day! You have broken a sweet heart amongyou, and what matters it to you, so you be rid of us? Mark my word;some heads shall ache for this! What is to become of us, do yousuppose, in this O'Neill's house? Little trouble to you to send us fromone cruel fate to a worse! Be proud that you, a soldier, forsooth, andcalling yourself an honest man, thus betray my poor maiden to her step-dame and your English Captain."
"He is dead by now," said I.
"Not he," said she. "What is to become of us, dost thou hear? Who isto help us now?"
"Dame," said I, "is there no God in heaven that you chide thus?Farewell, we shall meet again, I think, in a happier season."
Then I stepped once more to the maiden and said:
"Lady, that maiden's name we spoke of is young Mistress Walgrave, theprinter's daughter in London. Should chance bring you thither, she willbe your friend for my sake. If it be possible, pray send us wordpresently of your welfare by this English fellow."
Thus that maiden left Dunluce; and still the days passed and no tidingsof Ludar.
But one evening, as I watched at the gate, a haggard figure crossed thebridge, scarce dragging one foot after another for weariness.
"Ludar!" said I, as I admitted him. "What news?"
"No news!" said he between his teeth, and he flung his sword with whatlittle strength was left him to the earth. Then he himself fell besideit; and, when we carried him within, he was in a fever and raving.
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