CHAPTER IV
The spies who kept watch on De Aldithely castle were four in number,and were hired by Sir Thomas De Lany, who had been commissioned by theking to capture Josceline in any manner that he could. It chanced thatthere was but one of them on duty in the wood that morning--a certainshort, stalky little fellow whose name was Walter Skinner, and who wasfond of speaking of himself as a king's man. Formed by nature to makevery little impression on the beholder, it was his practice to eke outwhat he lacked in importance by boasting, by taking on mysterious airs,and by dropping hints as to his connection with great personages andhis knowledge of their plans. He was about the age of Humphrey, andthough he was but a spy hired by Sir Thomas, he persisted in regardinghimself as of great consequence and directly in the employ of the king.He was mounted in the top of a very tall tree in the edge of the wood,and he could hardly believe his eyes when, about nine o'clock, he sawHugo and Humphrey issue from the postern gate, cross the bridge overthe moat, and ride away into the wood, which they struck a quarter of amile south of him.
In great haste he began to come down the tree, muttering as he did so."They must all away yesterday morn to York on a holiday," he cried,"and here am I left to take the young lord in my own person. When Ihave done so I warrant they get none of the reward. I will sue to theking, and we shall see if he who catcheth the game is not entitled tothe reward."
By this time he was on the ground and strutting finely as he hurriedabout for his horse. "A plague upon the beast!" he cried. "He hathslipped halter and strayed. I had come up with the young lord while Iseek my horse."
It was some ten minutes before the animal was discovered quietlybrowsing and brought back to the watch-tree, and then a sign must bemade on the tree to let his companions know whither he had gone, sothat they might follow immediately on their return. And all this delaywas fatal to his catching up with the fugitives. For, once in the wood,Humphrey's authority asserted itself. He pushed his horse ahead ofHugo's and led the way directly through the thick forest for a shortdistance when he emerged into a narrow and evidently little usedbridle-path. "It is well thou hast me to lead thee," he observedcomplacently. "There be not many that know this path."
"It is Well That Thou Has Me to Lead Thee"]
Meanwhile Richard Wood, one of the other spies, had unexpectedlyreturned, read the sign on the watch-tree, and followed his companion.It was at this moment that Hugo discovered that Fleetfoot was not withthem. In the excitement of getting under cover of the forest he had notnoticed the dog's absence. "Where is Fleetfoot?" he asked as he stoodin his stirrups and looked about him anxiously.
"Fleetfoot is at the castle," replied Humphrey, calmly.
"By thy command?" asked Hugo, quickly.
"Ay," replied Humphrey. "Why, what young lord would journey about witha great dog like that in his train? If thou art to play Josceline, thoumust play in earnest. Moreover, the hound would get us into troublewith half the keepers of the forest. If ever a deer were missing, wouldnot thy dog bear the blame? So think no more of thy Fleetfoot."
Hugo was silent while the complacent Humphrey jogged on ahead of him.What the serving-man had said was in large measure true. And he thoughtwith a swelling heart that it was not so easy, after all, to personateJosceline when that personating cost him Fleetfoot.
But no less a person than William Lorimer had discovered that Fleetfoothad been left behind. William was fond of both the dog and his master;so now, when Fleetfoot made his appeal to William, the man-at-arms atonce responded. He snapped the chain that bound him, and leading him bythe collar to the postern gate opened it and let down the bridge. "Why,what would become of thee, Fleetfoot," he said, "when that which is tocome to the castle hath come?" Then while the great deerhound looked upexpectantly into his face he added as he pointed to the place whereHugo and Humphrey had entered the wood, "After thy master, Fleetfoot!Seek him!"
The deerhound is a dog of marvellous swiftness, and, like an arrow fromthe bow, Fleetfoot shot across the open space and gained the wood.William Lorimer looked after him. "If thy other commands be no betterobeyed, Humphrey, than this which left Fleetfoot behind, I fear thouwilt have cause to lose a part of thy self-satisfaction," he said. Thenhe drew up the bridge and shut the postern gate.
Hugo had taken the loss of Fleetfoot so quietly that Humphrey withstill greater confidence now changed the course slightly, and went downto the river-bank at a point which was half ford and half deep water.But at this Hugo was not so obedient.
"What doest thou, Humphrey?" he demanded. "Was not our course markedout toward Selby? Why wouldst thou cross the river here? We must beseen once on our road, and that thou knowest, or the king's men willnot pursue us, and perchance Lady De Aldithely and Josceline shall farethe worse."
"I go not to Selby," declared Humphrey, stubbornly. "And why shouldstthou think we have not been seen? The king's men have eyes, and it wastheir business to watch the castle."
Then Hugo sat up very straight in his saddle and looked at Humphreyfull as haughtily as Josceline himself could have done. "Thou art, forthe time, my servant," he said. "And we go to Selby."
For a moment Humphrey was disconcerted, but he did not relinquish hisown plan. Presently he said: "If we must go to Selby, let us cross theriver here. We can go on the south side of it as well as the north."
Hugo reflected. Then without a word he directed his horse down the bankand into the water, which was here swimming deep. Well satisfied,Humphrey followed.
"I did not dream of acorns and of eating one of them for nothing," hesaid to himself. "I shall be master yet."
And hardly had the words passed through his mind when _splash_went a heavy body into the water behind the two swimming horses.Fleetfoot had come up with his master. Swiftly Hugo and Humphrey turnedtheir heads, Hugo with a smile and an encouraging motion of the handtoward his dog, and Humphrey with a frown. "I would I knew who sent thehound after us," grumbled the disgusted serving-man to himself when,the shallow water reached, both riders drew rein for the horses todrink.
Once across the Wharfe Humphrey led the way to a heavy thicket, anddismounting pushed the growth this way and that and so made a passagefor the horses, Fleetfoot, Hugo, and himself. In the middle of thethick was a little cleared grassy place where, crowded closelytogether, all might find room, and here Humphrey announced that theywould take their midday rest and meal.
Hugo still said nothing, but he looked very determined, as Humphreycould see. "But I go not to Selby," thought the stubborn serving-man."I run not my head into the king's noose so near home."
It was an early nooning they had taken, for it was barely half-pasttwelve when Humphrey broke the silence. He rose, tied each horsesecurely, and then turning to Hugo said: "Bid the dog stay here. Wewill go and have a look over the country."
Hugo rose, laid down his bow and arrows, and, bidding the dog watchthem, followed Humphrey out of the thicket.
The serving-man, who was well acquainted with this part of the country,now made a little detour into a path which he followed a short distancetill he came out a quarter of a mile away from the thicket into agrassy glade in the centre of which towered one of those enormous oaksof which there were many in England at this time. "We will climb up,"said Humphrey, "and have a look."
Up they went; Hugo nimbly and Humphrey clumsily and slowly, as becamehis years and experience, as William Lorimer would have said if he hadseen him. Barely had they reached complete cover, and the rustling theymade had just ceased, when the tramp of two approaching horses washeard. The sky was now overcast with clouds in spite of theprognostications of the owls, and the rain began to descend heavily, sothat the two riders sought refuge beneath the tree. Hugo and Humphreylooked at each other and then down upon the horsemen, who were the twospies, Walter Skinner and Richard Wood.
"I had thought to have come up with them ere this," said WalterSkinner. "They had not more than half an hour the start of me."
"Have no fear," replied Richard Wood, who was a ta
ll anddetermined-looking man. "They have most like gone on to Selby on thenorth side of the river. We shall catch them there."
Humphrey and Hugo in the Oak Tree]
"Thou saidst there is no one to watch the castle?" inquired WalterSkinner.
"Ay, I said it," returned Richard Wood. "Why, who should there be whenSir Thomas hath taken the other two and gone off to get a trooptogether against Robert Sadler's return? There be thirty men-at-armswithin the castle, and all will fight to the death if need be, and nonemore fiercely than William Lorimer. So saith Robert Sadler. He givethnot so brave an account of the warder and the grooms at the drawbridge,for, saith he, 'The warder is old and slow, and the grooms stupid.' Itwas well we fell in with Robert Sadler as he departed on his journey."
There was a brief silence while the rain still fell heavily, though thesky showed signs of clearing. Then Walter Skinner in his small crackedvoice laughed aloud. "The troop will be there, and there will be hardfighting for naught," he said. "For the prize is escaped and we shallcapture it and have the reward."
"What thinkest thou of Selby?" asked Humphrey, when the two spies hadgone on toward the river.
"I think thou art right," answered Hugo, frankly.
Without a word Humphrey climbed still higher in the tree and gazedafter the two till they were hidden from view in the forest.
"Hast thou been before in this wood?" he inquired, when he and Hugo haddescended and stood upon the ground.
"Nay," replied Hugo.
"I thought not. Ask me no questions and I will lead thee through it. Iknow it of old."
Hugo at this looked rather resentful. He had regarded himself as theimportant personage on the journey just undertaken, and now it seemedthat the serving-man regarded the important personage as Humphrey. Andthe boy thought that because Humphrey had been right in his purpose toavoid Selby was no reason why he should assume the charge of theexpedition. He did not dispute him, however, but followed thetriumphant serving-man back to the thicket, to the horses, his bow andarrows, and his dog.
In a short time they were out of the thicket and mounted; and thenHumphrey condescendingly said to Hugo: "Follow me, and thou shalt see Iwill keep out of sight of keepers and rangers. And keep thy houndbeside thee, if thou canst. He is like to make us trouble."
At this Hugo felt indignant. He was not accustomed to be treated as ifhe were a small child.
They now jogged on in silence a few zigzag miles until Humphrey came toanother thicket, in which he announced they would pass the night. "Hadwe kept the open path," he observed, "we might have been further alongon our journey, if, perchance, we had not been entirely stopped by aranger or a king's man."
"The two spies went down the Wharfe toward the Ouse and Selby,"remarked Hugo.
"Oh, ay," returned Humphrey. "But the king hath many men, and they allknow how to do a mischief for which there is no redress. Hadst thoubeen a Saxon as long as I have been, and that is forty years, thouhadst found it out before this. And now I will make a fire, for thenight is chill, and, moreover, I would have a cake of meal for mysupper." So saying, he set to work with his flint and soon had a firein the small open place in the midst of the thicket.
"Hast thou no fear of the ranger?" asked Hugo.
"Not I. This thick is well off his track. I would have no fear of himat any time but for thy dog. Moreover, he is a timid man, and the woodhath many robbers roving around in it. Could he meet us alone with thydog, there would be trouble. But here I fear him not."
Hugo laid his hand on Fleetfoot's head. "Thou hast no friend inHumphrey," he said in a low tone as he looked into the dog's eyes.Then, while Humphrey baked the oatmeal cake in the coals, Hugo gave thedog as liberal a supper as he could from their scant supply.
"Be not too free," cautioned Humphrey, as he glanced over his shoulder."We have yet many days to journey ere we reach London if we escape theclutches of the king's men. Could they but look in at the castle now, Iwarrant they would laugh louder and longer than they did under the bigoak."
Hugo glanced around him nervously.
"Tush, boy! what fearest thou?" said Humphrey. "Here be no listeners.Thou knowest this is the hour. I tell thee frankly I had rather be withher ladyship than to lead thee in safety; yea, even though the way lay,as her way doth lie, through that robber-infested forest of Galtus.Hast heard how there be lights shown in York to guide those coming intothe town from that wild place?"
"Yea," answered Hugo, briefly.
Humphrey sighed. "There will be somewhat to do on that journey," hesaid. "A train of sumpter mules carry the clothing, the massy silverdishes, and the rich hangings; and with them go all the serving-men andhalf the men-at-arms."
"I pray thee, cease thy speech," said Hugo, still more nervously as helooked about him apprehensively in the semi-darkness of the fire-litenclosure. "Thy prating may mar all."
"Was it for this," demanded Humphrey, "that I did dream of acorns andof eating one of them, which foretelleth, as all men know, a gradualrise to riches and honor, that I should be bid to cease prating by astranger, and he a mere lad? But I can cease, if it please thee. I hadnot come with thee but for her ladyship's commands." And in muchdudgeon he composed himself to sleep.
As for Hugo, he lay on the grass, his eyes on the glimmering fire, andhis ears alert for any sound. But all was still; and he soon fell topicturing the scene at the castle,--Lady De Aldithely and Josceline,mounted for their journey, going out at the postern gate at the head ofthe train of sumpter mules and attended by the band of serving-men andmen-at-arms. And with all his heart he hoped for their safety. He didnot wonder at their taking their treasures with them. It was the customof the time to do so, and was quite as sensible as leaving them behindto be stolen.
The great deerhound blinked his eyes lazily in the firelight and drew,after a while, the lad's thoughts away from the castle. What should hedo with Fleetfoot? How should he feed him, and with what? And howshould he get him through the town of Ferrybridge near which they nowwere, and which they must pass through in the morning, unless Humphreywould agree to swim the horses across the Aire above the town and soavoid it?
And now the wood seemed to awake. Owls insisted to the ears of thesleeping Humphrey that the morrow would be a fair day. Leaves rustledin the gentle wind. Far off sounded a wildcat's cry. And with thesesounds in his ears Hugo fell asleep.