CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
HOW A DOG'S HEAD WAS SET ON DUBLIN GATE.
Three months after, as the February snow lay deep on roof and road,Ludar and I walked in a strange procession through the streets ofDublin. In front went three trumpeters on horseback, with the pennon ofEngland drooping from their trumpets. Behind them rode a picked troopof English horse, gaily caparisoned and very brave with ribbons andtrappings. Then, alone, went Sir John Perrott, the Lord Deputy, asmirking man who seemed to doubt the whole business. He was mountedtoo, and at his tail rode three officers of his house, and after themmore trumpeters and troopers. Then came the strange part of theprocession, for at the heels of these English cavaliers stalked fiftyhuge redshanks with the McDonnell's heather in their bonnets, and theirhands on their sword-hilts.
Yet still stranger was what came next. For, unarmed, with long, slowstrides, walked a noble figure of commanding stature, whose eyes flashednow and again on the shouting rabble, and whose white hair, escaped fromhis cap, waved tempestuously in the winter wind. There walked SorleyBoy, upright, sullen, disdainful; and behind him came Ludar, with tight-pressed lips and thunderous brow, his fingers twitching nervously on hisbelt, and his feet at every step kicking the snow impatiently from hispath. I followed my master as in duty bound, and behind us stalkedfifty more silent Scots.
Such was the procession which conducted Sorley Boy McDonnell at the endof his stormy career to do homage to the English Queen. How it all cameto pass I know not. But once possessed of Dunluce, with his favouriteson gone from his side, the old man broke down, and sighed for peace.'Twas said the English paid a good price for his alliance, in territoryfor himself, and lands and title for his elder sons. Be that as it may.He sheathed his sword, and called in his fighting men all round. Heheeded not Ludar's demand for vengeance on his brother's murderers; and,indeed, forbade any man to mention Sir Alexander's name in his hearing.Yet day by day the empty chair stood beside his in the castle hall; andday by day, at the muster call, the young chief's riderless horse fellinto its place betwixt that of the father and the second son, SirRandal.
As for Ludar, when after many weeks the fever left him and he rose fromhis bed, his father and he met rarely, and spoke less. For the old man(sad to tell), from the day that he came into his own, had changedtowards his youngest son, and, blaming him for the ill that had befallenthe house, ceased not to reproach and scorn him for his brother's fate.
Never did I see Ludar so noble a man as during those gloomy months.Never once did he waver in his loyalty to his father; never once did hesuffer a word to be said to rebuke the old man's harshness; never oncedid he complain if more than a common soldier's hardships, with a commonsoldier's fare, fell to his lot; never once would he allow the men, whowere ready to die for him, raise a shout when he came among them, oreven salute him in his father's presence. He took his punishment asbeseemed a hero; and it was the hard work and stern discipline of thosefew months, I think, which braced him up once again into his formermanhood and brought back the glow into his cheeks and the fire into hiseyes.
Concerning the maiden he spake not a word; nor would he suffer me tospeak of her. Only when the English fellow returned who had escortedher to her father did Ludar order him back, charging him to look to hersafety as he valued his own life; which charge the faithful fellowcheerfully accepted, and departed.
Of all his trials, this journey of submission to Dublin was thebitterest to Ludar; and I, as I walked at his heels that day in Dublincity, could see that every step was a pang. The old man chose to bringLudar and not his elder brothers for this very reason; and never a dutytaxed the lad's courage and loyalty more.
So to me the pleasure of marching once again under the royal flag of myQueen was tempered by the concern I felt for my master.
A vast rabble lined the roads to see the doughty Sorley Boy--the hero ofthe North, against whose arms England had fought in vain--march thus, tothe tune of English trumpets, to her Majesty's Castle. But if anylooked to see a hanging head or a meek demeanour they were soremistaken. For, as the procession moved on and the shouts grew louder,the spirit seemed to come back into the old warrior, and he walkedrather as one who marches to war than to peace. Perhaps, had the waybeen a mile longer, or had the smirking Lord Deputy looked roundoftener, this notable treaty would never have come about; for, by thetime Sorley Boy reached the Castle gate, he was glaring round himdefiantly, and the hilt of his sword was an inch out of the scabbard.
At the gate the Deputy stood and bade him enter. The old fox gave asuspicious look round, like one that suspects a trap, and then beckonedto Ludar.
"Stay here with the men. Let your squire follow me."
So Ludar stayed with the McDonnells at the gate, while I followed SorleyBoy, amid shouts and flourish of trumpets, into the Castle. All wasprepared to do the old Chief honour. Attendants bowed, guards saluted,and my Lord Deputy's womenkind waved handkerchiefs from the windows.Sir John Perrott himself, all smiles, chatted affably. But never a wordspake Sorley Boy.
He stalked on at a pace which made the Deputy trot at his side, and,heedless of lackeys, guards, ladies and all else, flung into the greathall.
I followed as in duty bound; and beside me no man but Sir John and SirJohn's secretary.
Then followed a strange scene.
"Sir Sorley Boy," began the Deputy, motioning his guest to a high chairon the dais, "this is a happy occasion; and I would her Majesty had aDeputy more--"
"Enough of this," said the Chieftain impatiently. "I came not fromDunluce to make speeches or bandy words with you. I owe _you_ naught--or if I do, 'tis a debt you had rather I paid not."
"I," said Sir John, pulling himself up, "as representing her graciousMajesty--"
Here Sorley Boy stalked off to where a miniature picture of her Majestyhung on the wall.
"Is this Elizabeth?" demanded he.
"That is a presentment, far short in splendour, of her Majesty'sadmirable presence," said the Deputy.
Sorley Boy took the picture in his hand and mused on it in silence. Atlength:
"Pray heaven she be no worse favoured in the flesh! Yet, being a woman,I do her homage."
And, like an old gallant, he doffed his hat, and raised the picture tohis lips.
Thus it was the McDonnell made his peace with the Sassenach. He handedthe picture to me gloomily to replace; which I did after humbly doing itobeisance on bended knee. Then he summoned me to follow him from thehall.
Sir John witnessed this strange scene in bewilderment and displeasure.He had reckoned on the satisfaction of hearing his old foe renounce hisenmity and sue for terms; and it vexed him to find the ceremony thustaken out of his hands and curtly disposed of by the proud old Scot.Yet he knew enough of Sorley Boy to take what he could get, and mustneeds pocket his pride. Only he made one effort to save his owndignity.
"Sir Sorley, in her Majesty's name I accept your dutiful homage. Itremains for you to sign this written document of fealty, in return forwhich I am bidden hand you her Majesty's gracious permission to you andyour heirs to enjoy your territories without let or hindrance."
The old man laughed scornfully.
"My lands are my own. Let who dares come and take them. Keep yourpapers, John Perrott. Come, squire; out into the fresh air."
And he stalked out, followed angrily by the Deputy.
At the Castle gate we found a tumult afoot. For the hot-headed Scotswho waited there face to face with their old enemies had not been ableto restrain their impatience; and, goaded alike by the jeers of therabble and the taunts of the Englishmen, had answered threat by threatand gibe by blow. Ludar himself, already exasperated, had said not aword to hold them back; and, as the old chief and I came out the gate,the street was full of war, and dead men lay strewn on either hand.
A shout from Sorley Boy restored order among the redshanks in a moment;and, without waiting for further parley with the Deputy, he stalked tothe head of his men, and with the single order
"To Dunluce!" turned hisback on her Majesty's Castle at Dublin.
But Sir John, fearful, perhaps, of an outbreak in the city, or inpursuit of a still deeper design, mounted his horse and bade his menform again the procession to conduct the Queen's new ally to the citygate. He himself rode forward at a hand's pace beside the old chief,who heeded him no more than if he had been me or Ludar.
We had come to the gate at the bridge, and the English troops werehalting to let us go out. The strange ceremony of the day was nearending, and the free country beyond shone in the winter sun, when theDeputy, suddenly bending level with the old man's ear, said:
"Look up. Behold your son's head!"
Sorley Boy, stood, as did we, and looked up. There on a pole, rockingin the breeze, above the city gate, looked down upon us a head, lividand scarred, with eyes set and tawny locks streaming in the wind. 'Twasa terrible ghastly sight! for, battered as it was, even I couldrecognise the once noble features of Alexander McDonnell, as I had seenhim last, reeling under the cowardly blow of that foul Englishman.
The old chief uttered a cry scarcely less terrible to hear than the headwas to see. Then, suddenly commanding himself, he blazed round on theDeputy and hissed through his teeth:
"My son hath many heads!"
I never saw a man change colour as did Sir John Perrott when he met thatlook and heard those bitter words. Men say he went home that afternoonwith that look burned into his breast, and those words dinging in hisears. Nor, go where he would, could he escape the one or the other.They possessed him waking and sleeping, in council and in war, at homeand abroad. And, when at last he died, some say he was found crouchedin a corner of his room with his fingers over his eyes and his thumbs onhis ears.
Nor, after what I saw, did I find it in my heart to pity him.
As for Sorley Boy, he walked out of Dublin like a man in a dream. Noneof us durst speak to him, or say so much as a word in his hearing. Norhad we the heart to do it. Ludar with his clenched teeth lookedstraight before him; and the Scots who followed, only half comprehendingwhat had happened, dropped into sullen silence, and gave no sound butthe dull beat of their steps on the road.
About an hour beyond Dublin, Sorley Boy halted and turned to Ludar.
"Ludar McDonnell," said he, sternly, "we part here. I have no son--noson. Farewell."
And he and the soldiers marched on without another word, leaving Ludarand me looking after them, and marvelling if all this were what itseemed or some horrid vision.
Ludar recovered himself sooner than I.
"Come," said he; "why stand you here, Humphrey, when all the world,except Dunluce, is before us? Let us back to the city."
I knew why he wished to go back. He was thinking not of Sorley Boy orDunluce, but of that cruel trophy above the city gate. And in my heartI pitied the keepers, should they chance to withstand him in hispurpose.
'Twas dark when we crossed the bridge and found ourselves once morewithin the walls. The streets were empty, for the night was bleak, andthe troops had long since been called into their quarters. Only a fewsentinels stood about the gate, who, to keep away the cold and cheertheir stomachs, huddled together in a sheltered nook and discussed thenews of the day over ale and sack. Little heeded they the creaking polewith its horrible burden, as it rocked and swung in the winter windabove them!
While we waited the snow began to fall and drove the tipplers furtherinto the shelter of the guard-room, where was a merry fire. Now was ourchance. Ludar led me round to where, over some tumbled stones, we wereable to scramble on to the wall, and thence back towards the gate. Sothick fell the snow that, as we crawled along, we were as white as theramparts we passed over, and not a soul could have heard or seen us hadany been there. It was easy to get from the wall on to the gate, andall might have gone well had not a wolf-hound, imprisoned in the tower,or left there to do the watching which the sentinel neglected, sprungout to meet us as we stepped on to the battlement with a mighty howl.
So sudden was his leap that he had Ludar by the throat before we knewwhat had happened; and ere I had drawn my sword and saved my master fromso savage a death there was a noise, with shouting and lights, in theroad below.
"Quick!" cried Ludar, springing to his feet and running to the pole.
In a minute he had scaled it and robbed it of its fearful burden.Already I could tell by the shouts below that we were pursued, butLudar, as he stood there, panting, with his precious burden held to hisbreast, heeded nothing.
"Come," said I; "we are followed."
He laughed bitterly.
"Humphrey," said he, "as you love me, cut me this hound's head off andput it there, where my brother's head stood. Quick!"
I did as he bade me, though it cost us precious moments. Nor would hebudge till the grim exchange was made. Then suddenly he descended onthe far side of the gateway. It was well he did so, for there being noregular way on to the wall that side, our pursuers had mounted by theother, leaving only a couple of stupid sentinels to watch below.Happily for us, the snow lay thick and soft; for more than once we fellas we scaled the ramparts, and might have broken our limbs. Ourpursuers behind, having come to the gate top and finding no one there,liked not to follow us the way we had gone, and contented themselveswith discharging their pieces into the darkness our way. But we wereout of their reach. For, once on the wall, 'twas easy going, andinstead of descending we made a quarter of the way round the city, till,somewhere near the north-eastern tower, we slid down by a drift of snowinto the deserted street.
Then, Ludar leading, we returned some distance along by the foot of thevery wall on whose top we had lately crept, to where stood a church,with a graveyard verging on the wall. Here my comrade halted, andreverently set down his burden, and between us, as we knelt in the snow,we digged a grave to shelter it. Our swords served us for spades, nor,alack! did it need many inches of kind mother earth to hold all thatremained of Alexander McDonnell. With a prayer each, Ludar in his way,I in mine, we buried that dear relic. Then, beside the place, Ludardrove his sword deep into the earth, till the hilt stood up like an ironcross to mark the spot. We stood in silence while the pure snow felland laid its white shroud upon the grave. Then, when all was done, hetook my arm, and we walked sadly away.
As we passed down a street not far off, the glow of a tavern fire andthe sound of voices within brought us to a halt. For we were cold andfamished and weary, and the good cheer of the place tempted us. Withinwas mine host, a merry Irishman, who loved every man that drank his ale.Round his great fire sat half-a-dozen guests, two wayfarers likeourselves, a soldier, a merchant, a sailor, and one who seemed by hislook a private gentleman.
They gave us little enough heed as we entered. Even when mine host,catching sight of us, came to take our orders, they went on with theircarouse and pulled their benches closer round the fire, with scarcely ablink our way.
As we sat apart, thawing our frozen limbs in the warmth of the room, andreviving our inner man with food and drink--we had staked nearly all wehad on this meal--we could not forbear hearing some of the talk thatwent on at the fireside.
"By my valour," said the soldier, "I was there and saw it with my owneyes. The old dotard turned the colour of my teeth when he looked upand spied it."
"Ay, ay," said the merchant, "I know it was he. I saw the lad inCantire once, and a fine lad he was."
"They tell me," said mine host, "a woman was at the bottom of it, asusual. This Captain Merriman (who oweth me a pretty score forentertainment in this house), and this lad had a quarrel over a wench,and 'twas for that he pursued him as he did. Why, sirs, for six weeksthe lad lay hidden in a cave, and for a week more lay quick in a grave,before Sir Captain, who had never ceased to hunt him, caught him, andsent up his head to the Deputy here. And now, they say, the wench, whois particular, not fancying a headless trunk, hath struck her coloursand said yea to the next best man. Poor lass! who's to blame her?"
"Not I," said the soldier, "albeit you
are all wrong, mine host, aboutthis quarrel, for I heard of it from Tom Price, the Captain's man. Itwas this headless chief's brother the lass doated on. But it's likeenough she thinks the head was her sweetheart's."
"There was a son of old Sorley's in the pageant to-day; a plaguey ill-favoured hound, who walked with his father," said the landlord, "with aface sour enough to curdle all the milk in Dublin."
"That was Sir Ludar," said one of the strangers. "I had it from one ofthe redshanks."
"Ludar?" said the soldier; "the very man. 'Tis his wench the Captainhath run away with. She thinketh him gibbeted, and--"
Here the door was flung open suddenly, and in rushed another soldier.
"Have you heard the news?" he cried.
"News?" cried the others, turning round to look at him.
"Why, yes. Her Majesty hath been robbed of a jewel. The traitor's headthat grinned on the gate hath been stolen, I tell you, and theresticketh a dog's head in its place. 'Tis true."
"Who has done it?"
"That's the point," said the messenger, who was plainly proud to have somuch news to tell. "That's the point. For we were all on guard, I tellyou. Not a soul passed us. 'Tis said 'twas some spirit." Here hedoffed his cap. "We stood below, I tell you, when there came a blast ofwind in our faces with a smell of brimstone in it. I smelt it. Thensomething curled up past us, like a white shroud, and shrieked as itwent up. And, before we could look in one another's faces, a great howlof devilish laughter broke over our heads, and drops of blood! Yes. Ifelt them. Here's one on my sleeve--it burns like fire, I tell you.That was all. We fetched lights and went aloft (who is to be afraid ofa spirit or two?) but we saw naught. Not a footstep in the snow, or asign of man or fiend either--except only a headless dog. Ay, you maystare, but I saw it--it smoked brimstone, neighbours, and the snow allaround it was red-hot! And what was most horrible of all, when we castup our lights, I tell you, the Scot's head had changed to the head of adog, which grinned and leered at us, with eyes like coals and tongue allablaze, till we could scarce stay where we were. That's all. And ere Igo back to that gate, neighbours, may I turn Pope and Spaniard! Give mea drink, host, for, by my soul, I know not which end of me isuppermost."
By this time the company had left their benches and were scattered aboutthe room, gossiping over this last great news and questioning the fellowmore. Some came to the table where Ludar and I sat; and the soldier,looking hard at me, exclaimed:
"Where saw I that gallows face before? Who be you, sirrah?"
"A printer," said I.
"You lie," said he, "for I saw you to-day accompany the old Scotsman tothe Castle. And, by my body, that slouching dog there should be--Hillo! comrades," cried he, amazed at his discovery, "more ghosts! MayI perish if there have not been sitting in this very room while wetalked of him this same sour-faced, love-sick clown, Master Ludar, andone of his merry men. Marry come up! The very man, skulking here,while his light-of-love is on her honeymoon, and the old dotard, hisfather, with his pockets full of English gold--"
He said no more. Ludar had no sword, but the blow he gave him silencedhis foul tongue for a week. Instantly the room was turned into ashambles. 'Twas no time to mince words or blows, and we did neither.Nor were we two left alone to withstand all the rest; for the gentlemanof the party (whom I have mentioned), sided with us, as did also the seacaptain, who owed mine host a long score, and saw a good way to cryquits without shortening his purse. Among us, we made so good anaccount of ourselves, that when at length we took our leave, not a manbade us stay.
"Come," said the captain, "my ship lies at the bridge. To-morrow weshall see England."
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