Now, it appeared as if our captors were going to leave us in that dark and uncomfortable lodging all night, for what seemed to be a long space of time went by before we heard aught of any of them. But at last, when we had despaired of any succour, the noise of a bolt and chain greeted our ears, and suddenly a door, somewhat above our heads, was opened, and a light streamed in upon us, revealing the figures of the choleric magistrate who had captured us, and of two or three of his men. This small group looked down upon us with something of triumph in their faces.
“So, my fine birds,” quoth his worship, “so ye are caged at last, and are like to have your wings clipped. A pretty pass we are come to, when such as ye incite honest citizens to war and bloodshed!”
“Sir,” said Philip Lisle, “I am an officer holding his Majesty’s commission, and—”
But at this he was interrupted by a burst of violent laughter.
“Yes, indeed?” said the old man. “Thou art a noted highwayman, robber, and thief, fellow. An officer, eh? Methinks the King would have done better to set apart some officer to see justice done upon thee at Tyburn. And you, Master Dale, a respectable yeoman, how can you associate yourself with folk like these? Fie on you, Master Dale!”
“Sir,” I said, “I know not what you mean, but I am very sure that I shall punish those who have placed me here. Let us go at once about our liberty, sir. You have no right to detain us.”
“Nay,” quoth he, “if we have not right, we have power. We are for the Commonwealth in this town, lads, and will have no Star Chamber spies amongst us. Fie on you, Master Dale! And you, John Drumbleforth, fie on you! A parson’s son, and thus early led astray. But what can ye expect? These parsons are but wolves that rob the starved sheep, and their brood is no better.”
“Sir,” said Jack, “if you refer to my father, I make free to tell you that you are a liar. For my father is as good a shepherd as ever wore cassock and bands, though indeed he prayeth not at the street-corners, as I hear your worship is fond of doing.”
Now, it would appear that the worthy man was somewhat used to air his religion, so that Jack touching him in a tender spot, he presently withdrew in a great passion, bidding his men bolt and chain us up again until our proud stomachs were cooled. Which they with alacrity did, so that we were once more left to the damp and darkness of the cellar.
This sad fate seemed peculiarly hard to Jack and to myself, who had never known what it was to have key turned upon us in our lives, and who were, moreover, not accustomed to be treated in such summary fashion. The sound of the bolting and chaining of our prison-door grated very harshly upon our ears, and when the sound had died away and all was silent, we each gave vent to a dismal sigh.
“Nay, lads,” said Philip Lisle, “you must not give way at a trifling matter like this. What! ’tis nothing to be shut up in a hole like this for an hour or two.”
“With submission, sir,” said Jack, “it seems to me a good deal, and your hour or two is like to be all night at least. Moreover, where are we going to find food and light? A comfortable night’s lodging we are like to have, upon my word!”
“Courage, Jack,” said I. “We shall manage to keep ourselves alive, I doubt not. I pray there be no rats in these cellars.”
“Rats!” said Jack. “Ah! I see how it is. We are to be eaten alive. These cellars, now—it seems to me, Will, that I remember something of them in our schooldays.”
“Why, of course, Jack. Do you not remember Samuel Penn, the stout lad, whose father kept the cooper’s shop over against the Cross? We played many a game of hide-and-seek with Sam under that shop. Five or six doors away from this it is, and I warrant these are similar cellars. If so, we might wander in here a good while ere we came at an end.”
Which was true enough, for the cellars under those ancient houses in the Marketplace at Pontefract are so extensive in size that you might easily mistake them for natural caverns. They are all hewn out of the solid rock, and have so many twistings and turnings and odd nooks and corners, that one might hide there with safety from a foe. Some of them, again, are connected by secret passages with various parts of the town, such as the Castle and the Priory of the White Friars, while others have secret staircases by which men could escape to the roof and leave no one the wiser. Designed for safety and protection they doubtless were in the ancient days, and being underground, they are still in the same condition as they were two hundred years ago.
Now, after we had remained some time in his worship’s cellar, we began to grow very weary, and would fain have reposed ourselves if there had been aught to sit upon.
“What scurvy dogs are these,” said Jack, “that will not give an honest enemy so much as a three-legged stool to sit upon! I never remember my legs aching so much before.”
“I am going to sit on the floor, lads,” said Philip, “and I advise you to follow my example. Take off your doublets and fold them into a cushion on which to sit. It will at least keep the damp away from you somewhat.”
“What!” said Jack. “So we are to sit upon our doublets all night, like a tailor on a table, without support for back or head. Fine work
