CHAPTER XVI.
BRIAN GETS HIS SWORD AGAIN.
Brian pushed the door open, and it gave easily to his fist. Gazingwithin he saw the Dark Master standing over the shattered bowl, whoseliquid flowed down toward the hearth and hissed on the embers; plainly,the Dark Master had seen nothing good in that water, for he hadshattered the bowl with his foot, and his teeth were snarling under hisdrooping mustache.
"I am come," said Brian, laughing grimly as he stood in the doorway.
O'Donnell whirled, gripping at his sword.
Now, whether there was magic on the place, as Turlough ever swore, orwhether the opening of the door had made a draft, as Brian thought morelikely, a strange thing happened.
Brian had raised his pistol in his left hand, meaning to kill the DarkMaster without pity in that first moment. Out of the hearth came a greatswirl of ashes and red embers, flying toward the door and closing aroundO'Donnell; as Brian pressed the trigger the ashes smote him in ablinding swirl, and a harsh laugh answered the roar of the pistol.
With a curse Brian cleared his eyes of the light ash and reached withhis ax at the dim figure of the Dark Master, nigh hid with ashes andpowder-smoke. From down the vale came other shots and cries, and he knewhis men had struck on that small camp lying there; but at this O'Donnellgave him other things to think of.
That was a great fight, for Brian was little used to ax-play and hadmuch ado to parry the keen thrusts of his own Spanish blade; the roofwas too low to give room for a swing, and when the Dark Master hadlunged him back to the door again, he knew that he had done ill. So withanother bitter curse Brian flung the ax from his hand and ripped out thelong, Irish dagger that hung at his girdle.
For all his wrath he had taken good heed to fling the ax aright, and thebroad flat of it took the Dark Master full in the chest and bore himback, reeling and shouting for his men. Before he could recover Brianleaped at him, caught O'Donnell's sword wrist in his left hand, andaimed a deadly stroke with his _skean_.
The blow went true, but the steel turned aside from the Dark Master'smail-shirt; O'Donnell caught his wrist in turn, and there the two stoodheaving each at the other for a long minute. Brian's eyes struck coldand hard into the evil features of the Dark Master; the other's breathcame hot on his cheeks, and so beastlike was the man's face that Brianhalf expected those snarling teeth to close snapping at his throat. Butthe Dark Master was strong, for all his hunched shoulders.
Then a great flame of vengeance seemed to cleave Brian's soul, and witha curt laugh he threw out his strength and flung the Dark Master backbodily so that he fell into the hearth and burst the mud chimney and thethatched wall behind. Before he could rise again Brian had whipped outhis other pistol and fired; he saw the man's figure writhe aside, thenup through the powder-smoke rose a burning brand that smote him over thebrow heavily. At the same instant the scattered sparks caught thethatch, and the whole house broke into flame.
Brian's eyes found the dark figure once more and he rushed forward. Atthe broken heap of mud from the chimney his feet struck on the sword,which had fallen from the Dark Master's hand, and he caught it up with acry of joy and bore forward.
That brief instant of delay lost him his quarry, however. Brian flungthrough the shattered wall, with the whole structure flaming up behindhim; he saw a dark figure on the snow and ran at it, only to findhimself striking at Turlough Wolf, and stayed his hand barely in time.
"Where is he?" he panted hoarsely, looking around with fierce eyes.
Then he caught the Dark Master's figure running across the snow towardthat camp amid the trees, where fighting was still forward and men wereshouting and firing. Brian rushed off, with Turlough staggering afterhim; but with a sob of despairing anger he saw the Dark Master flit intothe trees, and heard his voice ringing at his men.
It turned out afterward that Brian's fifty men, weary and chilled, hadmade a somewhat heartless assault on the score of horsemen camped in thetrees; therefore, instead of carrying O'Donnell's men off their feet andcutting them down straightway, they were held off for a little.
The Dark Master knew that he was lost if he stayed long in that place,however, and when Brian reached the clump of trees he found that he wastoo late. With two or three men behind him, O'Donnell had cut throughBrian's men and was galloping away. Brian groaned savagely, leaped at amounted man and dragged him from the saddle, and was just springing upwhen Turlough caught and stayed him.
"Wait, master!" panted the old man in desperate fear of the surging menaround him, but in more desperate fear for Brian. "This is madness, forI ordered our fifty horses fetched around--"
"Bide here for them, then!" said Brian, and swung up into the saddle.One of the Dark Master's men barred his way, and Brian's blade wentthrough his throat; then he was off after the four figures who by nowwere far distant toward the dark forest that swallowed up the valleyahead.
The cold night air cleared his brain, however, and after a moment hedrew rein with bitterness upon him. Turlough had spoken rightly, for toride after those four men with his naked sword alone was in truthmadness. So he came back again to where the last of the hemmed-inhorsemen was being cut out of his saddle, and when his men gatheredabout him with a shout, his tongue gave them little joy.
"You are fools," he said harshly, "for the Dark Master has escaped us.Take these horses, fifteen of you, and ride. Let five men go to bring inour horses with all speed, and let ten more scatter out in search of ourhundred men. These are not more than two miles distant, and in an hour Imust ride from here. See to it that you return with the men and horsesby then, or shift for yourselves."
"That is too much," spoke out a burly fellow angrily. "We have beenclimbing all day, and have----"
Brian said no word, but leaned down from his saddle and his Spanishblade flickered in the light. The man fell and lay quiet, while theothers drew back in black fear.
"I am master here," said Brian coldly, when a long instant had passed."Go."
There was no more muttering among his recruits, either then or later. Hedismounted, saw that the O'Donnells had been slain to the last man, andjoined Turlough at the campfire. Food and drink had been found in thecamp, and a flagon of wine heartened Brian greatly.
"Now give me your rede, Turlough Wolf," he said. "I have failed in thismatter, and it seems that ill shall come of it."
"So I foretold, master, but we may still remedy the ill if we catchO'Donnell. I think that by now his horsemen are scattered, and thisburning hut will draw our own men thither. Before midnight they will behere, and we can ride forth. I think that the Dark Master will gatherwhat men are left him and strike down for Galway."
"Two men may ride the same road," quoth Brian grimly, and set his nakedblade in his belt. He saw that before him lay some fighting and muchhard riding, so inside the next hour he had his men full-fed. Beforethis was finished the spare horses and those of his men came in, forTurlough had ordered them to start at noon and ride around in case ofneed.
Brian determined to spare neither men nor horseflesh on that riding, andwhen his men were mounted he set out across the night to meet hishundred, and to hear what had been done at the camp two miles distant.As the moon was rising he met them; and if he was glad at the meeting,they were twice glad.
They had found the camp and had lain off it until after dark asTurlough had bidden them, the more so since there were two-score over ahundred men there. But at length they had ridden down as if they werefresh come from the north, and had twice ridden through the camp beforethe O'Donnells were well awake, though it had been sharp work. Theresult had been that a score of Brian's men had fallen, they had slain afull half of the O'Donnells, and the rest had been driven and scatteredsouthward. Brian's men had plundered their camp and were weary, so thatwhen they heard of what had chanced at the Black Tarn they were somewhatless than half willing to ride farther.
But Brian speedily persuaded them to that course, and Turlough led themall to the south on the way to Sligo.
; Bitterness and heaviness of heart dwelt deep in Brian that night, andfor some time to come. With the escape of the Dark Master, whether ithad been by magic or craft, all his visions had burst; he must ride awayfrom the pirate hold at Millhaven, he saw that he would lose many men onhis way south, and yet there lay no choice before him. He had scotchedthe snake, and now he must kill it. If the Dark Master reached Galwaytown in safety, those O'Donnells from Millhaven would be around by seato meet him, and the royalists would lend him men and guns to go againstBertragh in their cause.
"Is there any likelihood that the Dark Master will miss those scatteredmen of his?" he asked Turlough, who rode on his right hand.
"Little, master. There is but the one road south to Sligo at thisseason, and it is great wonder indeed that the scattered men did notfall on us at the Black Tarn in seeking their master. But with onlyseventy-five men or so I do not think they will bide our coming."
"Nor do I," and Brian laughed grimly as he thought of that fight withhis enemy.
Certain men had been wounded in those frays, and he left them to followafter him, so that he turned south with a hundred and a score men at hisback. He did not think that the Dark Master would face him, but sincethose men were all O'Donnells who would obey him utterly, he looked tohave some fighting; in which he was not far wrong.
An hour after the day was broken they thundered up to the bridge thatspanned the Garravogue, and ten wild and silent men were holding thatbridge behind an overturned cart for barricade. Brian would waste no menon a storm, but slew six of the men with musketry and rode over theother four; even so, those four brought down three of his men beforethey were done with.
Brian baited the horses in Sligo, remaining there a scant half-hour.From the townfolk he learned that the Dark Master was but two hoursahead of him, and Brian had great hopes of running him to earth thatsame day. So he set forth again and they rode hard to Ballsadare, at thesouth branch of Sligo Bay, and on to Coolany at the edge of the StormMountains.
At this latter place they found different work, however, for here was asmall garrison of Cavan pikemen who stopped them, lined with their pikesthree deep across the road before the church. Brian was no long time inlearning that the Dark Master had spread word of him as a plunderer andParliament man.
"I have no time to waste on you," he said shortly to the leader of thepikemen. "Here is a safe-conduct, and I am Stephen Burke."
"None the less, you must stay until I have looked into this," said theother, pulling out his pistol with some determination.
"Stay I will not, but I think you shall," replied Brian, and thrust asthe man fired. The bullet glanced from his jack, but the officer fellback among his pikes, and Brian spurred after him in great anger. HisScots troopers were in the van, or what was left of them, and they camedown galloping, and rode over the pikemen leaving a sea of smitten menin the roadway behind.
Also, ten of Brian's men were left.
By the evening they were back at Tobercurry again, where Turlough hadhung those two men after torturing them. The Dark Master was somethingover an hour ahead of them, and he had stayed to fire the church and thetown. Brian's heart was sore for the townfolk, but he could pause nolonger than to bait horses and men, since he looked for hard riding thatnight; however, he gave what money and plunder he had to the townfolkand got a blessing in return, and so rode forth again as the starspeeped out.
"There are Maguires in Swineford, master," said old Turlough with acunning, sidelong look.
"I met them coming north," laughed Brian softly. "They will prove goodmen to avoid, so I think that we shall ride around that burg."
Brian thought that he could get through the Maguires, but he intended totake no chances. However, they had gained to within five miles ofSwineford and had halted to blow the horses, when one of the scouts cameriding back to say that a score of farmers with three carts wereapproaching from the town.
Presently they came on them--a black mass swinging down the road, whichwas very boggy on either hand. Neither Brian nor Turlough smelt any illin this until they were within a hundred paces of the party, whensuddenly the carts were swung across the road and a score of musketsspat death into Brian's men.
"Back!" shouted Brian, when his men would have charged. "We have no timeand lives to waste on this party--what shall we do, Turlough? The fieldsare all bog."
"We cannot well ride around," said Turlough, when they had ridden back alittle, leaving dead men on the road. "But a little way back is a paththat leads out and around Swineford. Put ten men here to keep theseO'Donnells from following us, and we will make a short cut to the Moynear Kiltanmugh. It was a clever trick, this!"
It was indeed, and it had cost Brian a round score of men, so that hefollowed Turlough out into the open land with less than a hundred menbehind him. His fury abated before dawn, when they had splashed acrossthe Moy and came upon the road once more, but he saw that the O'Donnellswere willing enough to die if the Dark Master might escape, and hebecame more cautious.
When the night fell again they were far south of Claremorris, but ascore of horses had foundered and he was forced to leave more menbehind. Until evening Turlough led him at a distance from the mainroads, then they struck into good riding again and save for one detourto avoid Tuam would have a clear road between themselves and Galway,which Brian meant to reach before dawn unless his own horse founderedwith the rest.
Of the Dark Master they heard nothing until they were fording the Clarenorth of Tuam, when two men gave them word that a scant half-hour beforesome two-score horsemen had fled past them toward Tuam.
"Good!" cried Brian. "Now, Turlough, lead us around Tuam, and I think weshall finish this thing long before the day comes."
Said Turlough sourly, "Every horse down is a man gone, master," but tothat Brian only laughed and set in his spurs.
So now they let gallop through the darkness, trusting more to Turlough'swits than to their horses' feet; for Brian knew that if his own beastswere spent, those of the Dark Master were no better unless he were toget mounts at Tuam. That would be hard, however, for there were nohorses to be had save far in the mountains where the war had not sweptall things away.
No sooner had they reached the road again beyond Tuam than it seemed toBrian that he heard the faint drum of hoofs ahead of him, and at that hegave a shout and drove on with such of his men storming behind as mightcome. Many of them had gone down, indeed, but now all wakened from theirnodding sleep and kept close, though here and there one dropped out.Turlough, whose steed had been the best of all save Brian's, kept at hismaster's flank.
They were hard on Claregalway when Brian saw his quarry first--a deepmass of men far ahead on an open stretch of road. Then he knew that therace was nearly won, and for all that his beast was sobbing under histhighs, he raced ahead, and laughed out loud when a little band cut offfrom the main body of the Dark Master's men. There were fifteen or lesswho waited his coming with pistols ready, but Brian rode hardily atthem, their balls whistled overhead or past, and he was on them.
The shock of the meeting came near to unseating him, and sent one of thefoe sprawling, horse and man; Brian cut another to the chin and thrustthe life from a third, and before the first sword had slithered on hissteel-cap his men had swept aside the devoted fifteen, and he was ridingon. O'Donnell had straightened his party for nothing.
Now the Dark Master was riding for his life, and knew it. Some few ofhis men fell out with spent beasts, and these Brian's party rode over,taking and giving but one blow, or none at all. When Claregalway drew upahead, cold and gray under the stars, Brian was but two hundred yardsbehind with forty men still behind him, while O'Donnell had not half somany.
As he thundered down to the river Brian had drawn as much ahead ofTurlough and the others as he was behind the Dark Master. He shoutedback to those of his men whose matches were lit to loose off theirmuskets, but before the first pan had flashed out he saw the O'Donnellsdraw rein and wheel at the bridge-head, while two of their number drovecla
ttering on into the town.
Now, had Brian chosen to wait for his men things would have fallen outdifferently; but this he would not do, for he thought to break throughthese as he had done with the others. So he went at them with nakedsword, his heart raging within him and his face set and cold like stone.He was still fifty paces from the bridge-head when their pistolsspattered out; the men behind dared not fire for fear of hitting him, sothat Brian had all the fight for himself.
He came near to having none, for at that first discharge a pistol-ballsplit his jack and lodged in his buff-coat over his heart, while anothercame between his arm and his side, drawing blood a little from both;while a third and worse went into his horse between the fore shoulders.Brian felt the poor beast falter shudderingly, and pause; then theO'Donnells shouted greatly and closed about him, thinking to slay himbefore his men could come up.
Brian saw a long _skean_ plunge into his horse's neck, and in terribleanger he smote with the edge, so that a hand and arm hung down from thedagger, a ghastly thing to see. But the poor steed was dead with thatblow, and Brian had but time to fling himself headlong ere the horserolled over.
The leap saved his life, for the O'Donnells were striking fast at him.Brian rose up between two of them, dragged one down with his left handand thrust the other under the arm, and tried to leap up into thesaddle. But as he did so his own men struck, so that the horses wereswept together and pinned Brian's legs between them, and he hunghelpless.
In that instant he saw an ax swinging above him and flung back his head,but not enough, for the ax fell, and Brian went down under the horses.
Save for three of his men who saw the thing and stood over him, Brianwould have been trampled to death on the spot. These O'Donnells were noloose fighting-men, and they smote shrewdly against the press ofBrian's greater numbers, while their wild cry rose high over the shrillof steel. When Brian's men knew that he was down, however, they strucksuch blows as they knew not they had in them, and quarter was not askedor offered in that battle by the bridge.
The fight was not ended until the last O'Donnell went down in a swirland clash of steel. Then Turlough, who had kept well out of it accordingto his wont, pushed through and fell upon Brian's body. When Brianopened his eyes his head was still ringing, while his men were bathinghim with water. After an instant he sat up and gazed around.
"The Dark Master--did you catch him?"
"Nay, our thought was all for you, master," answered Turlough.
Brian groaned in great bitterness, but said no word. He knew that hischance was gone from him for that time, and as he looked around hisheart sank within him. Half of his men had slipped down and lay sleepingamong the dead, and the rest could scarce stay in their saddles forweariness and lack of sleep. But Turlough sprang up and gazed at thegraying sky with fear in his face.
"Up, master!" he cried fiercely. "We must still ride hard, for the DarkMaster will send out a troop of horse from Galway to catch us, and wemust get past that town before the sun is high!"
So the sleeping were roused in haste, the wounded were put in saddle,and with their beasts staggering under them, those that were left ofBrian's men closed around him and rode over the bridge throughClaregalway.