colonel might have told you to go home to sleep.Say, sir!"
"Well?" said Fred, taking his head out of the bucket of clear coldwater, and feeling afterwards, as he rubbed himself dry, that new lifewas running through his veins.
"Wouldn't it be nice for you to run down to the Manor to breakfast, sir,and bring back a few decent things to eat? I wouldn't mind coming withyou and carrying the basket."
Fred looked hard at Samson, whose face was perfectly stolid for a fewmoments; but a little ripple gradually spread over his left cheek, andincreased till it was a broad grin.
"Well, sir, you see it is so tempting. I'd give anything for a bowl ofnew warm milk. When are we going to have a good forage again, so as wemight catch some chickens and ducks or a young pig?"
"I'm afraid there'll be other work on hand to-day, Samson," repliedFred, sadly, as he glanced in the direction of the Hall. "There, takeaway that bucket."
"Yes, sir. Done you good, hasn't it? and you can dry your head. Puzzlesome of them long-haired chaps to get theirs dry."
Samson went off with his young master's simple toilet arrangements, andFred joined his brother-officers in their frugal meal, after which hespent the morning in a state of indecision.
"I will do it," he said, when afternoon had come; and, giving hissword-belt a hitch, and thrusting his morion a little on one side, hebegan striding forward, planting his boots down heavily on the softheather, in which his great spurs kept catching till he at last nearlyfell headlong.
Recovering himself, he went on, hand upon hip, and beating his glovesupon his thigh, till he came to where Colonel Forrester was slowlypacing up and down, with his hands clasped behind his back.
As Fred drew nearer, an orderly came up to the colonel, and presented aletter, which brought the lad to a standstill. He had been having along struggle with self, and had mastered his shrinking, but he was sonear the balance of vacillation still, that he felt glad of the excuseto hang back, and walked aside, feeling like one who has been reprieved.
"How do I know what he will say?" thought Fred, glancing back at hisfather's stern, wrinkled countenance as he read his despatch. "It isn'tlike the old days, though I used sometimes to feel shrinking enoughthen. It is not between father and son, but between colonel and one ofhis followers."
Fred felt as if he would like to walk right off; but there were those atthe Hall occupying his thoughts, and he made an effort over his moralcowardice and stopped short, meaning to go to his father as soon as themessenger had left.
He had not long to wait, for the orderly saluted and rode off, but therewas something else now to check him. His father looked so very severe,and as if there was something very important on his mind.
"I have chosen a bad time," thought Fred. "I'll go away and wait."
"No, no," he said, half aloud; "how can I be so foolish? I will go upand speak to him like a man. It is mean and cowardly to hang back."
He stepped toward the colonel again, but there was another reprieve forhim, the general riding up; and for the next quarter of an hour the twoofficers were in earnest converse.
"Yes," said Fred; "I have chosen a bad time. I'll go."
But he did not stir, for at the same moment he felt that the generalmight be planning with his father that which he sought to prevent.
"I'll go and speak now they are together," he said to himself,desperately. "General Hedley likes me, I think, and he could not bevery cross."
"No, I dare not," he muttered; and he paced to and fro again till thegeneral touched his horse's flanks, and rode slowly away, ColonelForrester following him thoughtfully for some distance, till in a fit ofdesperation Fred hurried to his side.
"Want me, my boy?" said the colonel, gravely.
"Yes, father. I want to ask you something."
"Yes; go on. I am very much occupied just now."
Fred looked at him piteously, his words upon his lips, but refusing tobe spoken.
"Well, my boy, what is it? Are you in some great trouble?"
The words came in so much more kindly a tone, that Fred made a steptoward his father, and the barrier of discipline gave way, and it seemedto be no longer the stern officer but the father of the old Manor housedays he was longing to address.
"Well, my boy, what is the trouble?" said Colonel Forrester, kindly.
"It is about--"
Fred did not finish his sentence, but pointed across the lake.
"Ah, yes, about the Hall!" said the colonel, with a sigh. "Well, myboy, what do you wish to say?"
"Are they keeping to what was in Sir Godfrey's message, father?"
"Yes, my boy," sternly.
"But don't you think they could be persuaded to surrender?"
"Yes, Fred."
"Oh, father, I am glad," cried the boy, joyously.
"Yes, persuaded," continued Colonel Forrester, in measured tones, "withsword and gun, not till they are utterly helpless. Then they may."
"Oh, father!"
"Yes, my boy; it is very sad, but they will not see that their case isdesperate."
"Is the attack to be made to-day, father?"
"I am not the general in command, my boy. That is a matter for anotherto decide."
"Yes; but you know, father, and you can trust me."
"Of course I can, Fred, and I will. Yes; the attack is to be madedirectly."
"And will it succeed?"
"It must. It shall. No. I will not interfere," he added to himself amoment later.
"And you, father?" said Fred, anxiously.
"Well, my boy, what of me?"
"You--Oh, father. Must I speak out. Don't be angry with me. I have noright to say such things to you, but I always looked upon Scar Markhamas a brother, and they always treated me at the Hall as if I was a son;and it does seem so terrible for you to be going up at the head of armedmen to attack our dear old friends."
Colonel Forrester stood with his brow knit.
"You are angry with me, father; but I can't help speaking. I say itseems so terrible. You ought not to do this thing."
Fred's hesitation had gone. He had taken the plunge, and now he feltdesperate, and ready to speak on to the end. He gazed full in the sternface with the lowering brows, but it checked him no longer. His wordscame fast, and he caught his father by the arm.
"If you speak to General Hedley, he will listen to you, for Sir Godfreyis your oldest friend; and think, father, how horrible it would be ifthe Markhams were to be killed."
The brows appeared to be knit more closely, and Colonel Forrester's gazeseemed fierce enough to wither his son.
But Fred kept on, begging and importuning his father to do something tochange the general's purpose, without obtaining any reply.
"Then you are going to lead the attack on the Hall, father?" said Fredat last.
The colonel turned upon him sharply.
"You must not, you shall not," cried Fred, excitedly. "Yes; I see youare angry with me; but--"
"No, my boy, not angry," said the colonel, gravely; "but very, veryproud of you. No, my boy, I am not going to head the fight."
"Father!" cried Fred, joyously.
"And I have done more than beg General Hedley to excuse me from allparticipation in to-day's work."
"Then it really will be to-day?"
"Yes, my boy, it really will be to-day, and I'd give anything for thisday to be past, and the worst known."
"But they will give them quarter, father?"
"Yes, my boy, of course, but who can say what may happen in dealing withfierce, reckless men, fighting as they believe for their lives. Thosewith whom they are engaged may be willing to take them prisoners, butthey will fight with terrible desperation, incited by Sir Godfrey'sexample, and no one can say how the attack will end."
"Yes, father, I see," said Fred, sadly, "but could you not persuadeGeneral Hedley to give up the attack?"
Colonel Forrester was silent for a few moments, and then said sadly--
"No."
"Oh, father! think of Lady Markham and of little Lil."
"I have thought about them, my boy," said the colonel, speaking in aslow, measured voice, "and I have three times over begged of the generalto spare the Hall and its defenders, and to let us go on at once."
"And what did he say?" cried Fred, eagerly.
"He asked me if it was the voice of duty speaking, or that offriendship, and what could I say?"
Fred looked at him piteously.
"How could I leave that nest of hornets to harass our rear, and gather afresh and stronger force together, so as to be