“Ahoy, Dick! Ahoy, Reuben Gedges!”
In a moment or two came the answer—
“Ahoy, there, Captain—here we be!”
“Fetch along the cargo!” shouted Captain Settle, on my prompting.
“Where be you?”
“Up the road, here—waiting!”
“One minute, then—wait one minute, Captain!”
I heard the boat push’d off, some “Good nights” call’d, and then (with tender anguish) the voice of my Delia lifted in entreaty. As I guess’d, she was beseeching the sailors to take her back to the sloop, nor leave her to these villains. There follow’d an oath or two growl’d out, a short scrimmage, and at last, above the splash of the retreating boat, came the tramp of heavy feet on the road below.
So fired was I at the sound of Delia’s voice, that ’twas with much ado I kept quiet behind the bush. Yet I had wit enough left to look to the priming of my pistol, and also to bid the Captain shout again. As he did so, a light shone out down the road, and round the corner came a man bearing a lantern.
“Can’t be quicker, Captain,” he called: “the jade struggles so that Dick and Jeremy ha’ their hands full.”
Sure enough, after him there came in view two stooping forms that bore my dear maid between them—one by the feet, the other by the shoulders. I ground my teeth to see it, for she writhed sorely. On they came, however, until not more than ten paces off; and then that traitor, Luke Settle, rose up behind our bush.
“Set her here, boys,” said he, “and tie her pretty ankles.”
“Well met, Captain!” said the fellow with the lantern—Reuben Gedges—stepping forward; “Give us your hand!”
He was holding out his own, when I sprang up, set the pistol close to his chest, and fired. His scream mingled with the roar of it, and dropping the lantern, he threw up his hands and tumbled in a heap. At the same moment, out went the light, and the other rascals, dropping Delia, turn’d to run, crying, “Sold—sold!”
But behind them came now a shout from Billy, and a crashing blow that almost severed Black Dick’s arm at the shoulder: and at the same instant I was on Master Toy’s collar, and had him down in the dust. Kneeling on his chest, with my sword point at his throat, I had leisure to glance at Billy, who in the dark, seem’d to be sitting on the head of his disabled victim. And then I felt a touch on my shoulder, and a dear face peer’d into mine.
“Is it Jack—my sweet Jack?”
“To be sure,” said I: “and if you but reach out your hand, I will kiss it, for all that I’m busy with this rogue.”
“Nay, Jack, I’ll kiss thee on the cheek—so! Dear lad, I am so frighten’d, and yet could laugh for joy!”
But now I caught the sound of galloping on the road above, and shouts, and then more galloping; and down came a troop of horsemen that were like to have ridden over us, had I not shouted lustily.
“Who, in the fiend’s name is here?” shouted the foremost, pulling in his horse with a scramble.
“Honest men and rebels together,” I answered; “but light the lantern that you will find handy by, and you shall know one from t’other.”
By the time ’twas found and lit, there was a dozen of Col. John Digby’s dragoons about us: and before the two villains were bound, comes a half dozen more, leading in Captain Settle, that had taken to his heels at the first blow and climb’d the hill, all tied as he was about the hands, and was caught in his endeavor to clamber on Molly’s back. So he and Black Dick and Jeremy Toy were strapp’d up: but Reuben Gedges we left on the road for a corpse. Yet he did not die (though shot through the lung), but recovered—heaven knows how: and I myself had the pleasure to see him hanged at Tyburn, in the second year of his late Majesty’s most blessed Restoration, for stopping the Bishop of Salisbury’s coach, in Maidenhead Thicket, and robbing the Bishop himself, with much added contumely.
But as we were ready to start, and I was holding Delia steady on Molly’s back, up comes Billy and bawls in my ear—
“There’s a second horse, if wanted, that I spied tether’d under a hedge younder”—and he pointed to the field where we had first found Captain Settle—“in color a sad black, an’ harness’d like as if he came from a cart.”
I look’d at the Captain, who in the light of the lantern blink’d again. “Thou bloody villain!” muttered I, for now I read the tragedy of the wagon beside the road, and knew how Master Settle had provided a horse for his own escape.
But hereupon the word was given, and we started up the hill, I walking by Delia’s stirrup and listening to her talk as if we had never been parted—yet with a tenderer joy, having by loss of it learn’d to appraise my happiness aright.
XVIII
Joan Does Me Her Last Service
We came, a little before midnight, to Sir Bevill’s famous great house of Stow, near Kilkhampton: that tonight was brightly lit and full of captains and troopers feasting, as well they needed to, after the great victory. And here, though loth to do so, I left Delia to the care of Lady Grace Grenville, Sir Bevill’s fond beautiful wife, and of all gentlewomen I have ever seen the pink and paragon, as well for her loyal heart as the graces of her mind: who, before the half of our tale was out, kissed Delia on both cheeks, and led her away. “To you too, sir, I would counsel bed,” said she, “after you have eaten and drunk, and especially given God thanks for this day’s work.”
Sir Bevill I
