In Honour's Cause Part 6

"I can't!" he panted. "My arms are pinned down to my side."

"So are mine," groaned Andrew. "I can hardly breathe."

A furious yell of rage arose from fifty throats, and the two lads saw the attacking party come tumbling one over the other out of the tavern, driven back by the defenders, who charged bravely out after them, armed with stick and sword; and almost before the two lads could realise their position they found themselves being carried along in the human stream well out of reach of the blows being showered down by the rallying party from the house, who literally drove their enemies before them, at first step by step, striking back in their own defence, rendered desperate by their position, then giving up and seeking refuge in flight, when with a rush their companions gave way more and more in front.

For a few minutes the heat and pressure were suffocating, and as Frank and his companion were twisted round and borne backward, the former felt a peculiar sensation of giddy faintness, the walls swam round, the shouting sounded distant, and he was only half-conscious when, in company with those around, he was shot out of the narrow entrance of the court; and then the terrible pressure ceased.

CHAPTER FOUR.

FRANK'S EYES BEGIN TO OPEN.

Everything else seemed to the boy to cease at the same time, till he became conscious of feeling cold and wet, and heard a voice speaking:

"And him quite a boy too. I wonder what his mother would say.--Here, drink this, my dear; and don't you never go amongst the crazy, quarrelsome wretches again. I don't know what we're coming to with their fighting in the streets. It isn't safe to go out, that it isn't.

Drink it all, my dear; you'll feel better then. I always feel faint myself if I get in a crowd."

Frank had heard every word, with a peculiar dreamy feeling that he ought to listen and know who the boy was so addressed. Then he became conscious that it was he who was drinking from a mug of water held to his lips; and, opening his eyes, he looked up into a pleasant, homely face bending over him in an open doorway, upon whose step he was sitting, half leaning against the doorpost, half against the woman who was kneeling at his side.

"Ah, that's better," said the woman. "Now you take my advice; you go straight home. You're not a man yet, and don't want to mix yourself up with people fighting about who ought to be king. Just as if it matters to such as us. As I often tell my husband, he'd a deal better attend to getting his living, and not go listening to people argifying whether it's to be the king on the other side of the water or on this. I say, give me peace and--You feel better, don't you?"

"Yes, thank you," said Frank, making an effort to rise; but the moment he tried the ground seemed to heave up beneath him.

"You're not quite right yet, my dear; sit still a little longer. And you too with a sword by your side, just as if you wanted to fight. I call it shocking, that I do."

"But I am much better," said Frank, ignoring the woman's remarks. "I can walk now. But did you see my friend?"

"Your friend? Was it one of those rough-looking fellows who came running down with you between 'em, and half a dozen more hunting them, and they pushed you in here and ran on?"

"Oh no. My friend is a--Ah! there he is. Drew! Drew!"

Looking white and strange, Andrew Forbes was coming hurriedly down the narrow lane, when he heard his name p.r.o.nounced, and looking round he caught sight of his companion, and hurried to his side.

"Oh, here you are!" he panted. "I've been looking for you everywhere.

I was afraid they had taken you to the watch-house. I couldn't keep by you; I was regularly dragged away."

"Were you hurt?" cried Frank excitedly.

"Felt as if my ribs were all crushed in. But what about you?"

"I suppose I turned faint," said Frank. "I didn't know anything till I found myself here, and this lady giving me water."

"Oh, I'm not a lady, my dear," said the woman, smiling,--"only a laundress as does for some of the gentlemen in the Temple. There now, you both go home; for I can see that you don't belong to this part of the town. I dare say, if the truth was known, he brought you here."

Frank was silent, but he glanced up at Andrew, who was carefully rearranging his dress and brus.h.i.+ng his c.o.c.ked hat.

"I thought as much," said the woman. "He's bigger, and he ought to have known better than to get into such a shameful disturbance.--What's that?--Lor' bless me, no, my dear! Why should I take a mark for a mug of cold water? Put it in your pocket, my dear; you'll want it to buy cakes and apples. I don't want to be paid for doing a Christian act."

"Then thank you very much," said Frank warmly, offering his hand.

"Oh! if you will," said the woman, "I don't mind. It isn't the first time I've shook hands with a gentleman."

The woman turned, smiling with pleasure, as if to repeat the performance with Andrew Forbes; but as she caught sight of his frowning countenance her hand fell to her side, and she dropped the youth a formal curtsey.

"Thank you for helping my friend," he said.

"You're quite welk.u.m, young man," said the woman tartly. "And if you'll take my advice, you won't bring him into these parts again, where they're doing nothing else but swash-buckling from morning to night.

The broken heads I've seen this year is quite awful, and--"

Andrew Forbes did not wait to hear the rest, but pa.s.sed his arm through that of Frank, and walked with him swiftly down the narrow lane toward the water-side.

"You're not much hurt, are you?"

"Oh no. It was the heat and being squeezed so."

"Don't say you were frightened, lad!" cried Andrew.

"I was at first; but when I saw the people being knocked about so, I felt as if I wanted to help."

"That's right. You've got the right stuff in you. But wasn't it glorious?"

"Glorious?"

"Yes!" cried Andrew excitedly. "It was brave and gallant to a degree.

The cowardly brutes were three times as many as the others."

"Oh no; the other side was the stronger, and they ought to have whipped."

"Nonsense! You don't know what you are talking about," said Andrew warmly. "The miserable brutes were five or six times as strong, and the brave fellows drove them like a flock of sheep right out of the court, and scattered them in the street like chaff. Oh, it made up for everything!"

Frank put his hand to his head.

"I don't quite understand it," he said. "My head feels swimming and queer yet. I thought the people in the house were the weaker--I mean those who dashed out shouting, 'Down with the Dutchmen!'"

"Of course," cried Andrew; "that's what I'm saying. It was very horrible to be situated as we were."

"Yes, horrible," said Frank quietly.

"Not able to so much as draw one's sword."

"Too much squeezed together."

"Yes," said Andrew, with his face flushed warmly. "I did cry out and shout to them to come on; but one was so helpless and mixed-up-like that people could hardly tell which side they belonged to."

"No," said Frank drily; "it was hard."

He looked meaningly at his companion as he spoke; but Andrew's eyes were gazing straight before him, and he was seeing right into the future.