Bonnie Prince Charlie : a Tale of Fontenoy and Culloden. Henty George Alfred

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СКАЧАТЬ wished to reach. It was dark now. Even in the principal streets the town was only lit by oil lamps here and there, and there was no attempt at illumination in the quiet quarters, persons who went abroad after nightfall always carrying a lantern with them. There was still sufficient light to show Ronald that the house stood at a distance of some fourteen feet from the wall. The roof sloped too steeply for him to maintain his holding upon it; but halfway along the house was a dormer window about three feet above the gutter. It was unglazed, and doubtless gave light to a granary or store room.

      Ronald saw that his only chance was to alight on the roof close enough to this window to be able to grasp the woodwork. At any other moment he would have hesitated before attempting such a leap. The wall was only a few feet wide, and he could therefore get but little run for a spring. His blood was, however, up, and having taken his resolution he did not hesitate. Drawing back as far as he could he took three steps, and then sprang for the window. Its sill was some three feet higher than the edge of the wall from which he sprang.

      The leap was successful; his feet struck just upon the gutter, and the impetus threw forward his body, and his hands grasped the woodwork of the window. In a moment he had dragged himself inside. It was quite dark within the room. He moved carefully, for the floor was piled with disused furniture, boxes, sacking, and rubbish. He was some time finding the door, but although he moved as carefully as he could he knocked over a heavy chest which was placed on a rickety chair, the two falling with a crash on the floor. At last he found the door and opened it. As he did so a light met his eyes, and he saw ascending the staircase a man with a drawn sword, and a woman holding a light above her head following closely. The man uttered an exclamation on seeing Ronald appear.

      "A thief!" he said. "Surrender, or I will run you through at once."

      "I am no thief," Ronald replied. "My name is Ronald Leslie, and I am a student at the university. I have come here to warn someone, whom I know not, in this house that it is watched, and that in a few minutes at the outside a band of the city watch will be here to capture him."

      The man dropped the point of his sword, and taking the light from the woman held it closer to Ronald's face.

      "How came you here?" he asked. "How did you learn this news?"

      "The house is watched both sides below," Ronald said, "and I leapt from the wall through the dormer window. I heard a magistrate arranging with one of the constables for a capture, and gathered that he of whom they were in search was a Jacobite, and as I come of a stock which has always been faithful to the Stuarts, I hastened to warn him."

      The woman uttered a cry of alarm.

      "I thank you with all my heart, young sir. I am he for whom they are in search, and if I get free you will render a service indeed to our cause; but there is no time to talk now, if what you tell me be true. You say the house is watched from both sides?"

      "Yes; there are two men in the lane below, one or more, I know not how many, behind."

      "There is no escape behind," the man said; "the walls are high, and other houses abut upon them. I will sally out and fight through the men in front."

      "I can handle the sword," Ronald put in; "and if you will provide me with a weapon I will do my best by your side."

      "You are a brave lad," the man said, "and I accept your aid."

      He led the way down stairs and entered a room, took down a sword from over the fireplace, and gave it to Ronald.

      As he took it in his hand there was a loud knocking at the door.

      "Too late!" the man exclaimed. "Quick, the light, Mary! At any rate I must burn my papers."

      He drew some letters from his pocket, lit them at the lamp, and threw them on the hearth; then opening a cabinet he drew forth a number of other papers and crumpling them up added them to the blaze.

      "Thank God that is safe!" he said; "the worst evil is averted."

      "Can you not escape by the way by which I came hither?" Ronald said. "The distance is too great to leap; but if you have got a plank, or can pull up a board from the floor, you could put it across to the wall and make your escape that way. I will try to hold the stairs till you are away."

      "I will try at least," the man said. "Mary, bring the light, and aid me while our brave friend does his best to give us time."

      So saying he sprang upstairs, while Ronald made his way down to the door.

      "Who is making such a noise at the door of a quiet house at this time of night?" he shouted.

      "Open in the king's name," was the reply; "we have a warrant to arrest one who is concealed here."

      "There is no one concealed here," Ronald replied, "and I doubt that you are, as you say, officers of the peace; but if so, pass your warrant through the grill, and if it be signed and in due form I will open to you."

      "I will show my warrant when need be," the voice answered. "Once more, open the door or we will break it in."

      "Do it at your peril," Ronald replied. "How can I tell you are not thieves who seek to ransack the house, and that your warrant is a pretence? I warn you that the first who enters I will run him through the body."

      The reply was a shower of blows on the door, and a similar attack was begun by a party behind the house. The door was strong, and after a minute or two the hammering ceased, and then there was a creaking, straining noise, and Ronald knew they were applying a crowbar to force it open. He retreated to a landing halfway up the stairs, placed a lamp behind him so that it would show its light full on the faces of those ascending the stairs, and waited. A minute later there was a crash; the lock had yielded, but the bar still held the door in its place. Then the blows redoubled, mingled with the crashing of wood; then there was the sound of a heavy fall, and a body of men burst in.

      There was a rush at the stairs, but the foremost halted at the sight of Ronald with his drawn sword.

      "Keep back," he shouted, "or beware! The watch will be here in a few minutes, and then you will all be laid by the heels."

      "Fools! We are the watch," one of the men exclaimed, and, dashing up the stairs, aimed a blow at Ronald. He guarded it and ran the man through the shoulder. He dropped his sword and fell back with a curse.

      At this moment the woman ran down stairs from above and nodded to Ronald to signify that the fugitive had escaped.

      "You see I hold to my word," Ronald said in a loud voice. "If ye be the watch, which I doubt, show me the warrant, or if ye have one in authority with you let him proclaim himself."

      "Here is the warrant, and here am I, James M'Whirtle, a magistrate of this city."

      "Why did you not say so before?" Ronald exclaimed, lowering his sword. "If it be truly the worshipful Mr. M'Whirtle let him show himself, for surely I know him well, having seen him often in the house of my guardian, Bailie Anderson."

      Mr. M'Whirtle, who had been keeping well in the rear, now came forward.

      "It is himself." Ronald said. "Why did you not say you were here at once, Mr. M'Whirtle, instead of setting your men to break down the door, as if they were Highland caterans on a foray?"

      "We bade you open in the king's name," the magistrate said, "and you withstood us, and it will be hanging matter for you, for you have aided the king's enemies."

      "The king's enemies!" Ronald said in a tone of surprise. "How can there СКАЧАТЬ