CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
THE CONQUEROR.
The German party blustered, but the officer in command of the Guards hadno hesitation in forcing them to submit. They threatened, but the fixedbayonets presented at their breasts, and the disposition shown by thesturdy Englishmen who bore them to use them on the instant that an orderwas given, ended in a surrender.
As the baron fell, the feeling of horror which attacked Frank passedaway, and, handkerchief in hand, he sprang to his father's side, bindingit tightly round the wound, and following it up by the application of ascarf from his neck.
"Ah, Frank lad," said Sir Robert, as if it were quite a matter of coursethat his son should help him; and he held up his arm, so that the woundcould be bound while he spoke to Captain Murray.
"It was an accident," he said excitedly. "I swear that I was only on mydefence."
"We saw," said the captain quietly. "He regularly forced himself onyour blade."
"How is he, doctor?" said Sir Robert excitedly.
"Bad," replied the surgeon, who was kneeling beside the fallen man,while his disarmed companions looked fiercely on.
"Don't worry yourself about it, Gowan," said one of Sir Robert'sbrother-officers; "the brute fought like a savage, and tried his best tokill you."
"I'd have given ten years of my life sooner than it should havehappened.--That will do, boy."
"Bad job, Gowan," said the officer who had arrested them. "The colonelwas very wild as soon as he knew that you had broken arrest and come tothis meeting, and it will go hard with you, Murray, and you others."
"Oh, we were spectators like the boys here," said one of the officers.
"Yes, it's a bad job," said Captain Murray; "but a man must stand by hisfriend. Never mind, Gowan, old fellow; if they cashier us, we mustoffer our swords elsewhere. I say," he continued, turning to thecaptain of the guard, "you are not going to arrest these boys?"
"The two pages? No; absurd. They found out that there was an affairon, and came to see. Got over the wall, I suppose. I should have donethe same. I can't see them. Now, doctor, as soon as you say the word,my men shall carry our German friend on their muskets. How is he?"
"As I said before--bad," replied the surgeon sternly. "Better send twomen for a litter. He must be taken carefully."
"Then I'll leave two men with you while I take my prisoners to theguard-house. Fall in, gentlemen, please. You boys get back to yourquarters. Now, messieurs--meinherrs, I mean--you are my prisoners.Vorwarts! March!"
"Aren't you faint, father?" whispered Frank, who took Sir Robert'suninjured arm.
"Only sick, boy--heartsick more than anything. Frank, your mother mustknow, and if she waits she will get a garbled account. Go to her assoon as you get to the Palace, and tell her everything--the simpletruth. I am not hurt much--only a flesh wound, which will soon heal."
"And if she asks me why you fought, father," whispered Frank, "what am Ito say?"
Sir Robert frowned heavily, and turned sharply to gaze in his son'seyes.
"Frank boy," he said, "you are beginning trouble early; but you must tryand think and act like a man. When I go, your place is at your mother'sside."
"When you go, father?"
"Yes, I shall have to go, boy. Tell her I fought as a man should forthe honour of those I love. Now say no more; I am a bit faint, and Iwant to think."
The strange procession moved in toward the gates, the German officerstalking angrily together, and paying little heed to theirfellow-prisoners, save that one of them darted a malignant glance at SirRobert Gowan, which made Andrew turn upon him sharply with an angryscowl, looking the officer up and down so fiercely that he movedmenacingly toward the lad; but the Guardsman at his side raised his armand stepped between them.
Just then the boys' eyes met, and Frank, who was still supporting hisfather, gave his friend a grateful look.
When the guard-house was reached, it was just sunrise, upon as lovely amorning as ever broke; and it contrasted strangely with the aspect ofthe men who had been out for so sinister a design.
Frank felt something of the kind as the door was opened to admit hisfather, one accustomed to command, and now ready to enter as a prisoner;but he had very little time then for private thought, for the colonelsuddenly appeared, and without a glance at Sir Robert said sharply:
"Well?"
"Too late to stop it, sir," reported the officer in command. "CaptainSir Robert Gowan wounded in the arm."
"Baron Steinberg?"
"The doctor is with him, sir. A litter is to be sent at once."
"But--surely not--"
"No, not dead, sir; but run through the body."
"Tut, tut, tut!" ejaculated the colonel; and he turned now to Sir Robertwith words of reproach on his lips, but the fixed look of pain anddespair upon his officer's features disarmed him, and he signed to theprisoner to enter.
"What shall I do now, father?" said Frank. "Let me fetch anotherdoctor."
"Nonsense, boy. Only a flesh wound. Go back to the Park at once; Iwant to hear what news there is."
"Of the baron, father?"
"Yes; make haste. I must know how he is."
Frank gave a quick, short nod, pressed his father's hand, and hurriedout, to find Andrew, whom he had forgotten for the moment, walking upand down in front of a knot of soldiers, looking as fretful as a trappedwolf in a cage.
"They wouldn't let me come in," he said impatiently.
"I only got in because I was supporting my father," said Frank quickly."Come along; I'm going to see how the baron is. Has the litter gone?"
"No; there are the men coming with it now."
The two lads set off running, Andrew's ill-humour passing off in action,and he chatted quite cheerily as they made for the Park.
"Your father was splendid, Frank!" he cried. "I was proud of him. Whata lesson for those haughty sausage-eaters!"
"But it is a terrible business, Drew."
"Stuff! only an affair of honour. Of course it may be serious for yourfather if the baron dies: but he won't die. Some of his hot blood letout. Do him good, and let all these Hanoverians see what stuff theEnglish have in them. Don't you fidget. Why, every one in the Guardswill be delighted. I know I am. Wouldn't have missed that fight foranything."
"You don't ask how my father's wound is."
"No, and he would not want me to. Nasty, shallow cut, that's all. Herewe are."
They trotted into the opening where the greensward was all trampled andstamped by the combatants' feet, and found the doctor kneeling by hispatient just as they had left him, and the two Grenadiers with groundedarms standing with their hands resting on the muzzles of their pieces.
"Hallo! young men," cried the doctor, rising and stepping to them. "Isthat litter going to be all day?"
"They're bringing it, sir," said Frank; "we ran on first. How is henow?"
Frank looked at the white face before him with its contracted featuresand ghastly aspect about the pinched-in lips.
"About as bad as he can be, my lad. A man can't have a sharp piece ofsteel run through his chest without feeling a bit uncomfortable. Lessonfor you, my boys. You see what duelling really is. You'll neither ofyou quarrel and go out after this."
"Why not?" said Andrew sharply. "I should, and so would Frank Gowan, ifwe were insulted by a foreigner."
"Bah!" cried the doctor testily. "Nice language for a boy like you."
"Please tell me, sir," said Frank anxiously. "Will he get better?"
"Why do you want to know, you young dog?" said the doctor, turning uponhim sharply. "No business here at all, either of you."
"My father is so anxious to know. I want to run back and tell him."
"Oh, that's it!" said the doctor gruffly. "No business to have brokenout to fight; but I suppose I must tell him. Go back and say that thebaron has got a hole in his chest and another in his back, and his lifeis trying to slip out of one of them; but I've got them stopped
, andthat before his life managed to pop out. Lucky for him that I was here;and I'm very glad, tell your father, that it has turned out as it has,for I stood all through the ugly business, expecting every moment thathe would go down wounded to the death."
"Yes, I'll tell him," said Frank hurriedly.
"Don't rush off like that, boy. How should you like to be a surgeon?"
"Not at all, sir."
"And quite right," said the doctor, taking out his box, and helpinghimself to a liberal pinch of snuff. "Nice job for a man like me tohave to do all I can to save the life of a savage who did all he couldto murder one of my greatest friends. There, run back and tell him tomake his mind easy about my lord here. I won't let him die, and as soonas I can I'll come and see to his arm."
The boys ran off again, passing the litter directly; but when theyreached the guard-house, the sentry refused to let them pass, andsummoned another of the Guards, who took in a message to the captain whomade the arrest.
He came to the door directly, and learned what they wanted.
"I can't admit you," he said. "The colonel's orders have been verystrict. I'll go and set your father's mind at rest, for of course he'llbe glad that he did not kill his adversary."
The captain nodded in a friendly way, and went back.
"He can't help himself, Frank," said Andrew. "Don't mind about it. Andthere won't be any punishment. The King and the Prince will storm andshout a bit in Dutch, and then it will all blow over. Your father's toogreat a favourite with the troops for there to be any bother, and thebigwigs know how pleased every one will be that the Dutchman got theworst of it. I say, look; it's only half-past five now!"
"What: not later than that!" cried Frank in astonishment, for he wouldhave been less surprised if he had heard that it was midday.
"Here they come," whispered Andrew; and, turning quickly, Frank saw thesoldiers bearing in the wounded baron, with the doctor by his side, andthey waited till they saw the litter borne in to the guardroom, and thedoor was shut.
"I say, who would have thought of this when we were going over to themessroom yesterday evening? What shall we do now--go back to bed?"
"To bed!" said Frank reproachfully. "No. I have the worst to come."
"What, are you going to challenge one of the Germans? I'll second you."
"Don't be so flippant. There, good-bye for the present."
"Good-bye be hanged! You're in trouble, and I'm going to stick to youlike a man."
"Yes, I know you will, Drew; but let me go alone now."
"What for? Where are you going? You're not going to be so stupid as tobegin petitioning, and all that sort of nonsense, to get your fatheroff?"
"No," said Frank, with his lower lip quivering; "he'll fight his ownbattle. I've got a message from him for my mother, and I have to breakthe news to her."
Andrew Forbes uttered a low, soft whistle, and nodded his head.
"Before she gets some muddled story, not half true. I say, tell her notto be frightened and upset. Sir Robert shan't come to harm. Why, wecould raise all London if they were to be queer to him. But take myword for it, they won't be."
Frank hardly heard his last words, for they were now in the calm,retired quadrangle of the Palace, one side of which was devoted to theapartments of the ladies in attendance upon the Queen and Princess, andthe lad went straight to the door leading to his mother's rooms, andrang.