With Ring of Shield Part 32

"Two difficulties safely past," I whispered. "Now, Michael, have a great care and let not the soldier at the breach make the faintest sound."

"Oi'll do moy bist, sor," and I felt sure he would. Then we came to the short inner wall that runneth from the tower of St. Thomas back unto the square tower that we had just left.

As is ever the case, when one is in great haste, I tried every key but one depending from the ring, and still the great gate remained closed, none of them mating the lock. When I came to this last key a sudden horror came over me as I thought of the possibility of the whole affair being a trap to raise my hopes in the belief that I was about to escape, and then to have them hurled to the ground with shattering force. My life depended on this key. Would it turn back the bars and give me freedom and life, or would it, like the others, mock with its silent contempt my anxiety? How I longed to know my fate, and yet dreaded the test, lest I should fail. My hand shook as with palsy, and made it well nigh impossible for me to insert the key. Then 'twas in the lock; and still I did not turn it.

Verily, I have faced the deadly cannon, oft, and yet have felt no anxiety nor fear. But now, as I stood before that heavy gate, with the key already in the lock, requiring but a turn--that is if it did work--to set me at least nearer unto liberty, my courage did forsake me, and I really feared to turn the key.

Some there are, I know, who will say it was unmanly in me to thus hesitate. Mine answer, in advance, is:--Let them but place themselves in the same position and see then how they will act. It requires but little courage to tell what one would do; but it is different when one doth face the reality and not the argument.

At length, with a mighty effort, such as a man doth make when heaving with his shoulder in an attempt to move a mighty boulder, I summoned up all my strength of spirit, and exerted pressure on the key. Thank Heaven, it turned! I would have cheered with delight had not the plain warning of the letter remained fresh in my mind. Softly we swung the gate open and pa.s.sed beneath the arch. I was about to push on and leave the gate open behind, but Michael, who seemed less disturbed than was I--but then he had not been confined within the Tower for long weeks--whispered:--

"Beg pardon, sor, but dount ye think 'twould be safer to lock the gate agin? They moight follow loike."

With great care I closed and locked the gate. Then, stealing slowly, as doth the fox, along the wall, we in time reached the shadow of St.

Thomas tower. It was so dark here that I could scarce see Michael; for now 'twas past the hour of midnight, and the young moon had grown weary and was sinking her head upon the lap of earth, casting long, black shadows as she sank into her sleep.

How I cursed my creaking, yet necessary, armour as I stole along.

Then my heart beat so loudly that I thought the sentry near which we were now drawing must hear it and break forth with his loud, disturbing challenge. Back and forth he paced with weary, clanking steps, unconscious of the two dark forms working their way slowly, and well nigh breathlessly, towards him. Now we were pressing against the wall, as he halted almost within arm's length before us. Verily, his eyes must have been closed in partial sleep, or he had seen us. Then he tramped round, as though he had been fastened to a cord which permitted him to go but to its length and then warned him to return.

At that moment I attempted to draw back still further. My spur struck the wall with a sharp click, and this did cause me to lose my balance, and mine armoured shoulders clanked against the stones.

The soldier turned like a flash of light, and brought his axe from shoulder unto thigh. He was about to challenge when Michael, forcing the axe's point above his head, clapped his mighty hand over the surprised sentry's mouth, permitting no sound to escape.

I seized the axe, lest it should fall and rouse the guard.

"Be quoiet, thou fool, and no harm 'll come unto thee," whispered Michael in the fellow's ear, as he held him firmly to the ground.

With haste I searched me for my scarf.

"It's here, sor, about moy hand; jist untoie it, playze sor. Sure a little blood 'll do thee no harm. Thou shouldst thank the Lord that it isn't thoine own." This to the sentry.

When he had been made fast at both hands and feet, the which we bound with his belt, after cutting the leather into two strings, and when he had been securely gagged with the scarf, we carried him and placed him close to the wall, and then I warned him.

"Now, sirrah, if thou dost lie still and make no attempt to free thyself, or to attract attention, thou shalt not be mistreated. But, by all the fiends, if thou dost make a movement thou shalt be ripped from ear to ear, and then thrown into the moat. We shall be near at hand, and any sound from thee must reach us."

Then we proceeded to the breach with less care than we had hitherto used. Here the wall was torn away until but a foot in height remained.

The artisan's tools were laid upon this low wall, and were well nigh the cause of our ruin; for just as I made a move to cross the breach my foot struck upon the pile of tools and almost caused them all to fall into the moat. Carefully we removed them from our way, and then we descended into the water.

I had never before attempted to swim while dressed in a complete suit of heavy armour; and much therefore did I doubt mine ability to do so now.

"Didst thou ever swim across water, whilst dressed in thine armour?" I asked of Michael.

"Divil a toime, yer honour."

"It will be difficult, Michael, and I may be compelled to ask thee to lend me a hand."

"All roight, yer honour." And we set out.

I had not overestimated the difficulty of our task, and ere we reached the outer wall I was glad to place my hand upon Michael's great shoulder to keep from sinking.

At length we reached the other side and, still struggling to keep our heads above the surface, we commenced to feel along the wall for the ladder mentioned in the letter.

"What if it should not be here?" I asked myself. Truly it should be a grand device for luring me unto my death; for it had been impossible for me to again cross the moat, so exhausted was I by the great exertion. Even the mighty giant by my side was breathing in great gasps, as though his Herculean strength were ebbing fast. Mine arms had now become so weak that I could scarce lift them above the surface for an instant that I might feel for the ladder.

"Here--sor," gasped my faithful squire, as he grasped me by the arm and drew me to him. "Oi--have it--at last--yer honour. The saints--be praised."

Yes, there it was, and how welcome did it feel to my trembling hand.

We remained thus, with our heads only above the water, for some moments, until we regained a part of our breaths.

I mounted the ladder first and climbed wearily to the top. Verily, never in all my life have I felt my body to be of such prodigious weight. Ah! I was on the top; and there I sat whilst Michael's enormous form came dripping out of the water below and wearily climbed the ladder.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "I climbed wearily to the top."]

"Mither-o'-Gawd! Oi fale loike a d.a.m.ned drowned rat." And indeed I felt as though the simile applied unto me most thoroughly.

Then we drew up the ropes and, unfastening the hooks, we reversed them and let down the ladder on the other side. Down this we went, and, thank Heaven, we were free from that great, black, menacing congregation of cold, cruel towers and walls.

I felt like a soul but new granted its release from the torturous fires of purgatory must feel as he looks back, with hunted, awe-struck eyes, at the place of his late confinement, and sighs with thankfulness for his freedom; yet shudders in fear that this liberty is but a dream from which he shall soon awaken to find himself again within the gates of agony.

Then we hastened on with soggy steps, making as wide an arch as the river would permit, that we might pa.s.s as far as possible from the Tower of St. Thomas.

We at length reached the place where Michael had left the horses. They were tethered in a shed attached to a vacant house not far from the walls of the Tower, and on the western side.

The sword that Michael had brought for my use was hanging from the lance-rest of the saddle. Hastily buckling it on I felt once more a man and knight. Then, mounting our horses, we rode forth into the night, and, at no slow pace, started by the nearest way on our journey to the Sanctuary.

CHAPTER XXVI

THE HOUSE WITH THE FLAG

We had no difficulty in pa.s.sing through the city's gates. I merely called out in commanding tone:--"On the King's most urgent business,"

and the great gates swung back upon their mighty hinges as though there had been magic in my speech. Mayhap 'twas fortunate that the King had many messengers pa.s.sing in and out of the city that night, or our exit had not been so easily accomplished. As we dashed through beneath the arch the keeper called out:--

"Is it true that Richmond hath landed?"

"Ay, ay, 'tis true indeed," I cried over my shoulder in reply, and on we went as though the fiends pursued us. Our horses were urged to their utmost, that we might leave the Sanctuary ere the day did dawn.

Already was the East casting off her dark robe of night and decking herself in brighter colours.

When we entered Westminster and drew up before the Sanctuary the door flew open and there, standing by Harleston, by whom she was restrained from rus.h.i.+ng from the house, was my own fair darling; her body leaning forward, and her hand held above her eyes, as she peered into the darkness with a world of expectancy in her pose, as shown up right n.o.bly by the lamp's bright light behind her.

Mary stood at Frederick's other side; her hand upon his arm, and also gazing forth.

Springing from my horse and handing the reins to Michael, I hastened towards them; taking care, however, to speak ere I did step into the rays of light, that the girls might not be startled by mine unannounced approach.