In Honour's Cause Part 24

"But we must," said Frank, in an agonised whisper. "Here, take this."

"Can't pa.s.s," said the man; "'gainst orders. You must come to the guardroom."

But he took the coin Frank handed to him, and slipped it into his pocket.

"We want to go to the meeting--the fight," whispered Andrew now. "We won't own that you let us go by."

"Swear it," said the man.

"Yes, of course. Honour of gentlemen."

"Well, I dunno," said the man.

"Yes, you do. Which way did they go when they pa.s.sed the gate?"

"Couldn't see," said the man; "too dark. I thought it was one of them games. My mate yonder'll know, only he won't let you go by without the pa.s.sword."

"Oh yes, he will," said Andrew excitedly. "Come on."

"Mind, I never see you go by," said the man.

"Of course you didn't," said Andrew; "and I can't see you; it's too dark yet."

They set off running, and the next minute were at the gate opening on to the Park, where another sentry challenged them.

"I'm Mr Frank Gowan, Captain Sir Robert Gowan's son, and this is Mr Andrew Forbes, Prince's page."

"Yes, I know you, young gentlemen; but where's the pa.s.sword?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Andrew impatiently. "Don't stop us, or they'll get it over before we're there. Look here; come to our rooms any time to-day, and ask for us. We'll give you a guinea to let us go."

"I dursn't," said the man, in a whisper.

"Which way did they go?" said Frank, trembling now with anxiety.

"Strite acrost under the trees there. They've gone to the bit of a wood down by the water."

"Yes; that's a retired spot," panted Andrew. "Here, let's go on."

"Can't, sir, and I darn't. It's a jewel, aren't it?"

"Yes, a duel."

"Well, I'm not going to be flogged or shot for the sake of a guinea, young gentlemen, and I won't. But if you two makes a roosh by while I go into my sentry-box, it aren't no fault o' mine."

He turned from them, marched to his little upright box, and entered it, while before he could turn the two lads were das.h.i.+ng through the gate, and directly after were beneath the trees.

It was rapidly growing lighter now; but the boys saw nothing of the lovely pearly dawn and the soft wreaths of mist which floated over the water. The birds were beginning to chirp and whistle, and as they ran on blackbird after blackbird started from the low shrubs, uttering the c.h.i.n.king alarm note, and flew onward like a velvet streak on the soft morning glow.

In a minute or so they had reached the water-side, and stopped to listen; but they could hear nothing but the gabbling and quacking of the water-fowl.

"Too late--too late!" groaned Frank. "Which way shall we go?"

"Left," said Andrew shortly. "Sure to go farther away."

They started again, running now on the gra.s.s, and as they went on step for step:

"Mayn't have begun yet," panted Andrew. "Sure to take time preparing first.--There, hark!"

For from beneath a clump of trees, a couple of hundred yards in front, there was an indistinct sound which might have meant anything. This the boys attributed to the grinding together of swords, and hurried on.

Before they had gone twenty yards, though, it stopped; and as all remained silent after they had gone on a short distance farther, the pair stopped, too, and listened.

"Going wrong," said Frank despairingly.

"No. Right," whispered Andrew, grasping his companion's arm; for a low voice in amongst the trees gave what sounded like an order, and directly after there was a sharp click as of steel striking against steel, followed by a grating, grinding sound, as of blade pa.s.sing over blade.

Frank made a rush forward over the wet gra.s.s, disengaging his arm as he did so; but Andrew bounded after him, and flung his arms about his shoulders.

"Stop!" he whispered. "You're not going on if you are going to interfere."

"Let go!" said Frank, in a choking voice. "I'm not going to interfere.

I am going to try and act like a man."

"Honour?"

"Honour!" and once more they ran on, to reach the trees and thread their way through to where a couple of groups of gentlemen stood in a gra.s.sy opening, looking on while two others, stripped to s.h.i.+rt and breeches, were at thrust and parry, as if the world must be rid of one of them before they had done.

As Frank saw that one was his father--slight, well-knit, and agile--and the other--heavy, ma.s.sively built, and powerful--the Baron Steinberg, the desire was strong to rush between them; but the power was wanting, and he stood as if fixed to the spot, staring with starting eyes at the rapid exchanges made, for each was a good swordsman, well skilled in attack and defence, while the blades, as they grated edge to edge and played here and there, flashed in the morning light; and as if in utter mockery of the scene, a bird uttered its sweet song to the coming day.

There were moments when, as the German's blade flashed dangerously near Sir Robert's breast, Frank longed to close his eyes, but they were fixed, and with shuddering emotion he followed every movement, feeling a pang as a deadly thrust was delivered, drawing breath again as he saw it parried.

For quite a minute the baron kept up a fierce attack in this, the second encounter since they had begun, but every thrust was turned aside, and at last, as if by one consent, the combatants drew back a step or two with their b.r.e.a.s.t.s heaving, and, without taking their eyes off each other, stood carefully re-rolling up their s.h.i.+rt sleeves over their white muscular arms.

And now a low whispering went on among the officers, German and English, who were present, and Andrew said softly in Frank's ear:

"Don't move--don't make a sign. It might unsettle Sir Robert if he knew you were here."

Frank felt that this was true, and with his heart beating as if it would break from his chest he stood watching his father, noting that his breathing was growing more easy, and that he was, though his face was wet with perspiration, less exhausted than his adversary, whose face appeared drawn with hate and rage as he glared at the English captain.

Suddenly Captain Murray broke the silence by saying aloud to the German officers:

"We are of opinion, gentlemen, that only one more encounter, the third, should take place. This should decide."

"Tell them not to interfere," said Steinberg fiercely, but without taking his eyes off his adversary. Then in French, with a very peculiar accent, he cried, "_En garde_!" and stepped forward to cross swords with Sir Robert once more.

The latter advanced at the same moment, and the blades clicked and grated slightly, as their holders stood motionless, ready to attack or defend as the case might be.

For nearly half a minute they stood motionless, eye fixed on eye, each ready to bring to bear his utmost skill, for, from the first the German had fought with a vindictive rage which plainly showed that he was determined to disable, if he did not slay, his adversary; while, enraged as he had been, there was, after some hours of sleep, no such desire on the part of Sir Robert. He desired to wound his enemy, but that was all; and as he at the first engagement realised the German's intentions, he fought cautiously, confining himself princ.i.p.ally to defence, save when he was driven, for his own safety, to retaliate.