“How now, sirrah!” cried Philip. “A fine dance you have given us with your false news. You shall account to us pretty heavily for it, I promise you.”
“I know not what your worship means,” stammered the man, beginning to look very much afraid.
“What, hast thou the impudence to say so? Hark ye, sirrah, did not my friend here and myself call at your house for refreshment but two days ago?”
“Yes, sir, yes, certainly.”
“And did we not make inquiry of thee, and didst thou not affirm that a young gentleman and his two servants had lately met a young lady at this inn and gone forward with her?”
“Yes, your worship, but ’twas only truth.”
“Hah, truth quotha! And did not Dennis Watson that was here at the time, and whom I doubt not thou knowest over-well—did he not tell us in thy hearing that the young gentleman was one Captain Trevor?”
“I believe Master Watson did say so,” faltered the man “Yes, I remember it very well.”
“Then thou liest, villain, and so did he,” struck in Captain Trevor, “for I am the man he spoke of, and it is months since I rode by thy rascally dwelling. And I would have you know, sirrah, that I am a magistrate and bear the King’s commission to put down naughty conduct such as thine.”
Now, when the man heard this he began to shake somewhat, but presently, plucking up courage, he replied that he feared naught, having done no wrong, and that there was law to protect him as well as another.
“As to what Master Watson said,” he continued, “what have I to do with it? Did I mention Captain Trevor’s name? Marry, I never heard it before this day. What I said, gentlemen, was out of my own knowledge, nor do I know whether what Master Watson said be true or not!”
“Master innkeeper,” said Captain Trevor, “thou art a pitiful liar and a knave. Now, we will tell thee for thy further information that there hath lately been a young lady kidnapped, whose friends we are, come hither to avenge her. And so we are like to have the truth out of thee, master innkeeper, for we think thou knowest something of this matter.”
Now, the man by that time was very much affrighted and began to shake in his limbs, but once more plucking up courage, he answered that he knew naught of kidnapping and was not to be bullied by any man.
“What, dost dare answer me, a King’s officer!” cried Captain Trevor. “Here, men, dismount and seize him!”
“ ’Tis at your peril!” said the man, struggling violently to free himself from the clutches of the two stalwart troopers who had seized him on either side. “You have no warrant to lay hands on me.”
“Warrant or no warrant, thou wilt find we shall treat thee as we please,” said Captain Trevor. “Come, sirrah, tell us presently what you know of this Watson that conspired with you here. And speak trippingly, or we will find means to help your tongue.”
“You dare not use violence,” said the man, half struggling between fear of us and defiance of our presence.
“Dare not? Friend, thou knowest not what thou art saying.”
“There is law for me as well as anybody,” said the man.
“Yea, and we are come to execute it. We will be counsel and jury and judge all in one. Now come, sirrah, speak.”
But the man did naught but shake his head and grumble, whereat Captain Trevor bade them bind his eyes and tie him to his own pump, at the same time ordering his troopers to make ready their pistols.
“For indeed,” said he, with a roguish wink of the eye in our direction, “we shall be forced to resort to extreme measures, master landlord, unless you speak without more delay.”
Now, the innkeeper’s wife, who had been washing or baking at the rear of the house, at last came to the conclusion that there was something wrong at her front door, wherefore she left her work, and came upon us just as the men were fastening up the protesting landlord to the pump. And she, seeing him blindfolded, and the men standing around him with pistols in their hands, immediately set up such a screaming that the horses began to rear and prance.
“Ah!” said Captain Trevor, “there is a more powerful instrument than any we have used so far. Come, mistress, an you would not see your husband slaughtered before your eyes, tell him to speak.”
“Oh, speak, good Gregory, speak, good, kind Gregory! Oh, masters, spare him! Gregory, dost not hear, thou woodenhead? Alack-a-day, I knew thou wouldst cause ill out of yond business, only thou wouldst not hearken tome. Did I not say ’twas a shame and a sin—and as sweet and gentle a young lady as ever breathed?”
“Take off the bandage,” said Captain Trevor. “Come, Master Gregory, we would hear something further about this young lady. Speak out, man.”
Now, the landlord, having darted a glance at his spouse which boded her no good, stood angrily regarding us until a trooper lifted his pistol to his forehead and touched the trigger, whereupon he suddenly said that he would lead us to where the young lady was if we would molest him no further.
“As to that we will promise naught,” said Captain Trevor, “for thou art in our power. Tie him up with your halter, Trooper Whiteman, and drive him wherever he
