dying of thirst. I hid here--after the fight--and used to crawlat night to my old garden for food. Then I grew too weak. Master Fred,it would have been all over, if you had not come."
"Thank Heaven! I heard you," said Fred, giving the poor fellow a fewmore scraps of the moistened bread till he signed to him to cease, andthen he looked up in his benefactor's face with a faint smile on hisparched and cracked lips.
"Oughtn't you to kill me, Master Fred?" he whispered.
"Oh, Nat, don't talk like that, my lad! I can't forget the past."
"Nor can I, Master Fred. But tell me, lad, Master Scarlett? Don't sayhe's dead."
"No, no; I believe he's alive and well," cried Fred, eagerly. And hesaw the poor fellow close his eyes and lie back, with his lips moving asif he were in prayer.
But he opened them again, and looked round wildly, as if he wereslightly delirious, but as his eyes rested on Fred's face he grew calm,his lips parted, and he looked earnestly at him who was playing the goodSamaritan where he lay.
"Ah, that seems to put life in me!" he sighed; "but you'll get introuble, Master Fred, for helping such a one as me. We're enemies,don't you see?"
"Wounded men cease to be enemies, Nat," said Fred, bluntly, "so don'ttalk about that. You were separated from your master?"
"Yes, sir, with a sword. I don't know whose it was; but it went throughmy shoulder and laid open my head."
"Ah, well, don't talk. Drink a little more water, and I'll go and bringsome men with a litter to fetch you away, and you shall be tendedcarefully; rest assured of that."
"No, no, Master Fred; let me bide here. How do I know but what MasterScar will come looking for me with some of our lads. I've beenexpecting them every minute, ever since I crawled in among the bushes;but it seemed a long time, and no one came, and no one--"
He ceased speaking, and lay back fainting.
Fred sprinkled and bathed his face for a few minutes, and then becomingalarmed at the poor fellow's long-continued swooning, he was about toget up and run for help, when Nat slowly opened his eyes again and hislips moved.
"Where's that Samson?" he whispered faintly.
"With my regiment."
"Not hurt badly like me, is he, Master Fred?"
"No; he has escaped wonderfully."
"I'm glad of that, sir, because I shouldn't like for anybody else togive him his lesson. That's to be my job, as soon as I get better. I'mgoing to take him in hand, Master Fred, and weed him. He's full o'rubbish, and I'm going to make him a better man. A villain! fightingagain his own brother."
"There, Nat, drink a little more water, and eat some of this cake, andthen I'll go and get help to have you carried up to camp."
"What? A prisoner? No, Master Fred. Sooner die where I am, than letthat Samson see me like this, and jump upon me."
"Nonsense! Samson's a good fellow at heart, and as soon as he sees youin trouble, he'll be only too glad to help you."
"Not he, sir; he's my born enemy."
"He's your brother, and I shall send him, for one, to fetch you."
"No, Master Fred, don't; don't, pray don't, sir. Let me lie here. Idon't feel the cold and wet much, and if you'd come once a day and bringme a bit o' bread and a drop o' water, I shall soon get well. Don'thave me made a prisoner, sir."
"But I can't leave you helpless, and--"
He was about to add dying, but he checked himself.
"And free, Master Fred? Why not? You let me alone, sir. You've savedme this time, for I was going to die to-night. Now I'm going to live.Rather strange for enemies, sir, isn't it? Hark!"
Fred was already listening to a trumpet call, and springing to his feet,he prepared to go.
"I shall send a litter for you to be borne up to camp," he said.
"No, Master Fred, please. I'm a poor helpless thing now, not strongenough to lift a spade, but if you leave me the rest of that bread, Ishall do; and if you can come and look at me once or twice, that will beall I shall want. But, Heaven bless you, sir! don't have me made aprisoner."
"Well, Nat, I shall leave you to-night, as it's going to be fine. Butlet me look at your wounds."
"No, sir, let them bide. I did all I could to them. Come backto-morrow, sir, and if I ain't better then, you may talk of sending meaway a prisoner, with my brother Samson to stand and sneer because I amso weak."
A second trumpet call rang out, and, unable to stay longer, Fred hurriedback into the open, and made his way over to the little camp, askinghimself whether he had not better disregard the poor wounded man'sprayers, and have him fetched out, always coming back to the conclusionthat he would at all events leave him for another day, when he wouldtake him an ample store of provision, if possible, and decide then as tohis future course.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
A VAIN APPEAL.
That same night, an officer was sent with a flag of truce to the Hall,and bearing a summons to surrender.
To his intense delight at first, and intense sorrow afterwards, Fredfound that it was to be his duty to bear the flag and the message to theofficer in command of the little garrison.
He received his instructions and a despatch to Sir Godfrey Markham, andcarrying a small white flag, and preceded by a trumpeter, he rode slowlythrough the evening mist, which was rising from the lake and the lowmeadows down by the stream, till he reached the path leading up to theHall garden, where he stopped short, gave the order, and the man blew acheery call, which echoed and re-echoed from the red stone walls.
Then, riding forward with his white flag well displayed, he advancedboldly to the front of the barricaded porch.
For a few minutes he sat there gazing up at the front, and wonderingthat no heed was paid to his coming. So still was everything, that itseemed as if the Hall had been deserted, till, happening to glance tohis left, he caught sight of a dark eye at one of the windows, anddirectly after he realised that this eye was glancing along a heavypiece, the owner taking careful aim at him as if about to fire.
It was impossible under the circumstances to avoid a feeling oftrepidation; but second thoughts came to whisper to him as it were--
"You are under a flag of truce--an ambassador, and sacred."
"But he might be ignorant, and fire," thought Fred, as he glanced to hisright, where, to his horror, he saw a second man taking aim at him, andapparently only waiting the word.
Fred's first thought was that he ought to clap spurs to his horse, wheelround suddenly so as to disorder the men's aim, and gallop back for hislife.
"And then," he said to himself, "how should I dare face the general andmy father?"
Drawing a long breath, he sat firm, and then fighting hard to keep downhis trepidation, he turned his head, and called to his follower, biddinghim summon the garrison once more.
The man raised his trumpet to his lips, and blew another call, fallingback again at a sign from the flag-bearer, and though he would not showthat he knew of their presence, a glance to right and left told Fredthat the two men were taking aim at him still.
"They dare not fire. They dare not!" he said to himself, as he satfast; and directly after a group of showily dressed Cavaliers appearedat the large open window above the broad porch.
He could see that Sir Godfrey Markham was in the centre, with a tallfair man with a pointed beard on one side, a grey dark man on the other,and half behind him stood Scarlett, with some dozen more.
"Well, sir," said Sir Godfrey, sternly, and speaking as if he had neverseen the messenger before, "what is your business?"
"I am the bearer of a despatch, sir," replied Fred, "for the chiefofficer here."
"That will be you, sir," said Sir Godfrey to the gentleman on his right."Well, boy, pass the letter here."
"How, sir?"
"Put it on the point of your pike, and pass it up."
Fred did as he was bidden, and sticking the folded missive on the pointof the pike which carried the white flag, he held it up, and it wastaken.
"You had bett
er retire while it is read," said Sir Godfrey,contemptuously. "I see there are two of our men paying attention toyou. Rein back, if you are afraid."
It was a hard struggle, for with those two fierce-looking trooperswatching him along the barrels of their pieces, Fred's inclination wasstill to turn and gallop away as fast as his horse would go.
But at that moment he raised his eyes, and could see that Scarlett waslooking down at him, as if to watch the effect of Sir Godfrey's words.
This look seemed to stiffen him, and he sat perfectly erect upon hishorse, with the pike-shaft resting upon