for honest Dick'sstraightforward, though somewhat heavy-handed, suggestions, but moredeference towards Stephen Bassett.
"More likely that the knaves have sold than harmed the creature," hepronounced at the end of the story.
"Find out where it is, and I'll do what cracking of crowns is needed,"said Dick.
"Mend thine own, which is cracked past recovery," growled the other."Hearken, master,"--to Bassett--"who is likely to buy such a beast?"
"Some noble household."
"Rather some puppet-show or party of mountebanks; those who have dancingdogs or a bear."
"Right!" cried Stephen, joyfully. "What a fool was I not to think ofit!"
"I said he had the best head in the shire," said Dick, with triumph.
"And," continued Matthew, unheeding, "thou wottest that the licence toall foreigners expires to-day, and that they must leave the fair? Seethere, those Flemish traders are putting their wares together, and theabbot has made a good bargain for his silken hangings. My counsel is togo to the watch, and, when the bear and his masters are on the march,search for the monkey. If I mistake not they will not be able to hidehim."
"Well thought of, friend," said Bassett, heartily. "No need of thewatch, though," put in Dick-o'-the-Hill; "I'll bring a stout fellow ortwo who'll do what is necessary."
"Ay, and get us trounced up as the trailbastons the king hates,numskull," said his cousin. "But 'tis nothing to me. Go thine own wayfor an obstinate loggerhead!"
Dick, who seemed to regard Mat's railing as something rather honourablethan otherwise entered into the proposal with extreme zest. He produceda quarterstaff, which he flourished with formidable ease, declaringhimself ready with its aid to encounter the bear himself. StephenBassett hoped to carry the matter through peaceably, but he felt thathis efforts might go more smoothly backed up by a display of force, andwelcomed Dick's assistance, as well as that of a neighbour whom heoffered to fetch. There was not much time to lose, and they agreed tomeet at a certain spot within half an hour, a time which to Hugh'simpatience seemed interminable. His father had enough to do in keepinghim quiet, and in finding out where the watch, whose business it was tokeep order at the fair, were bestowed. Matthew, having disposed of hishay, rejoined Bassett, really desirous to know whether his surmisesturned out to be correct; but, as he declared, solely that he might helpto check his cousin Dick's ignorant zeal.
Four of them, therefore, to say nothing of Hugh, took up their positionin the field just on the outskirts of the fair, and waited patiently orimpatiently, after their natures, for the event.
Soon a motley crowd began to emerge from the booths. The mostpicturesque features of the show, indeed, were departing, for foreignerswere not allowed to compete with the English traders beyond a certainnumber of days; and Flemish, Italians, Chinese, streamed forth, to finda night's lodging as best they might beyond the forbidden limits. Thisexpulsion was accompanied by a good deal of coarse jesting and railingfrom the other sellers, who rejoiced at the departure.
It was not long before the bear appeared, led by two men.
"Father, father!" cried Hugh, in a tumult of excitement.
"Speak the word, master, when thou desirest an appeal to myquarterstaff," put in Dick-o'-the-Hill, "or even give me a nod, and I'llwarrant I'll not be backward. I'll answer for the bear."
"Ay, I verily believe thy head to be as thick as its own," said Matthew."When wilt thou learn that brains are better than fists? Peace, andkeep back."
Stephen Bassett had stepped out, and civilly informed the men that amonkey had been taken from his house, and that he had reason to think itmight be in their possession.
"Going beyond known facts," muttered Matthew, "yet one must sometimesmake a leap in the dark. They shake their heads and deny. What next?Friend Stephen presses his demand, and all four knaves wax violent invowing lies; and Dick is puffing and blowing with desire to break heads.They have the beast, but where?"
His quick eyes, darting hither and thither, had soon answered thisquestion. One or two of the men had bundles on their backs, and a boycarried something of the same sort, though smaller. Matthew noticedthat, at a word from one of the men, this boy slipped out of the group,and, avoiding the side where Dick and his neighbour Hob were mountingguard, passed round near Matthew himself. In an absolutely unexpectedmoment he found himself caught by the arm, and though he fought andkicked he was held in a vice. The men turned upon Matthew withthreatening gestures, and Dick, in high delight, flourished hisquarterstaff, and pressed up to the defence with one eye on the bear,who in a free fight might be held to represent an unknown quantity.
Finding they had fallen into powerful hands the Italians confinedthemselves to pouring out violent ejaculations, while Hugh flung himselfupon the bundle. His fingers trembled so much with excitement that hecould hardly drag out the wooden skewers which served to keep ittogether, but in a minute or two it was unrolled, and the terrifiedmonkey sprang out. He had made one frightened leap already when Hugh'scall checked him, and the next moment, with a cry of delight, almosthuman in its intensity, he ran to the boy, and clambering on hisshoulder gave the most unmistakable signs of pleasure.
"The monkey is his own jury," said Matthew, sententiously. "Tried andfound guilty, my masters."
The Italians, however, had no intention of giving up their booty withouta struggle, and they called upon several jongleurs, who had crowdedround, to assist them. One went so far as to seize the monkey,whereupon Dick's cudgel, describing a circle in the air, came down uponthe head of the assailant with such force that he dropped like a stone,and Hob following up with another blow scarcely less formidable, itseemed likely that here would be a battle royal. Two men fell uponMatthew, who would have been in evil case had not Dick done as much forhim as he had for the monkey; and Stephen Bassett was set upon with avigour which soon left him breathless, although Hugh, clasping Agrippawith one hand, with the other arm laid about him to such excellentpurpose that he hoped to save his father from hurt till Dick could cometo the rescue.
But might has been often found to get the upper hand of right, and bothStephen and Dick had fallen into the common English error of underratingtheir opponents. A good many of the foreigners had closed round withthe desire to help their own body, and without knowing anything of thequarrel; and the English, who would have stoutly taken the oppositeside, could only see that some quarrel was going on, and supposed thestrangers to be fighting among themselves. Dick had done prodigies ofvalour, and dealt furious blows with his quarterstaff, but he washampered by numbers who clung to his arm, and by the charge ofprotecting his cousin, and he was reluctantly framing a call for rescuewhen a party of horsemen rode into the very thick of the strugglingmass, and scattered it in all directions.
CHAPTER THREE.
RESCUED.
It was time. Stephen Bassett was all but spent, and Hugh, trying hisbest to shield him, was pressed backwards until, to his terror, he foundhimself close to the hairy form of the bear. But the instant theknights appeared the throng opened and fled, except the bear-leaders,who, hampered by their unwieldy animal, prepared to put the best facethey could on the matter.
For the first few minutes, indeed, there was nothing but trying to quietthe horses, frightened out of their senses by finding themselves inclose neighbourhood with the bear, and this gave time for Hugh to look,and to cry out joyfully--
"Father, it is Sir Thomas de Trafford! He will see justice done."
"How now, my masters?" cried the knight, a dark-haired, bright-eyed manwith a red face. "What means this brawling?"
"Your worship," said Dick-o'-the-Hill, wiping his face with the back ofhis hand, "these knaves have been taken in the very act of stealing."
"Is that you, Dick Simpkins?" said Sir Thomas, with a laugh. "I mighthave guessed that heads could not be broken without your having a handin the breaking. But the King will have none of this violence, and theMaster of the Hospital will have thee up for it, neck and crop."
; Dick, looking somewhat sheep-faced at this view of his conduct, was yetgoing to reply, when his cousin Matthew pushed forward.
"Hearken not to him, your worship," he began; "he is an ignorant thougha well-meaning knave. But I humbly bid your worship take notice thatthese men be the culprits who have stolen our property, and, when wewould have reclaimed it, set upon us, and were like to have killed us."
"Killed us forsooth!" muttered Dick, stirred to anger at last.
"--Had your worship not come to our rescue. And as witness, knowing allthe circumstances--none better--I claim, if they are put upon theirtrial, to take my place as one of the twelve jurors. It is a case offlagrant
Prentice Hugh Page 5