CHAPTER XIV
THE FALL OF THE LOT
The elders of the Caio tribe assembled as enjoined. Some few were notpresent, risking the anger of Rogier rather than appear before him. Butthe majority conceived it advisable to attend; and, in fact, a gatheringof the notables was necessary for the apportionment of the fine that hadto be raised. Although a mark in silver was what had to be exacted fromeach house, yet, as the majority of the inhabitants were too poor to paysuch a sum, the richer would have to supplement the deficiency. The finewas imposed on the district as a whole. The amount was calculated by thehearths, but each householder was not expected to pay the same fixedsum.
This was well understood, and the adjustment of the burden had to beconsidered in common. There was, so it was generally supposed, noexceptional cause for further uneasiness. The tax must be raised, andwhen the silver had been paid, then the valley would be rid of itsintruders--with the exception of the renegade Cadell, forced on thetribe as its ecclesiastical chief. That Rogier had any fresh cause ofcomplaint against the inhabitants was not suspected.
They assembled accordingly, and entered the council-hall.
It was not till all were within that the young men and women withoutwere filled with alarm and suspicion by seeing the men-at-arms slowly,and in orderly fashion, close in and completely surround the edifice,and a strong detachment occupy the door.
Rogier had remained outside, and gave directions. Presently he steppedwithin, attended by two men, one of whom served as his interpreter.
The sun was shining, and it had painted a circle on the floor throughthe opening in the gable.
Then the Norman took his sword, and drew a line in the dust with it fromthe president's seat to the doorway.
"I give ye," said he, "till the sun hath crossed this line, wherein todiscuss and arrange as to the payment of the fine. Till then--no oneleaves the hall. After that--I have a further communication to make."
The men looked in one another's faces and wondered what this meant. Afresh impost? They were not aware that occasion had been given for this;but who could be sure with one so rapacious as Rogier! It was the caseof the Wolf and the Lamb in the fable.
The Norman now left the court-house and sauntered about outside,speaking to his men, looking pryingly among those of the natives who, inan anxious, timorous crowd, remained in every avenue between the houses,ready at a threat to escape.
After the lapse of approximately an hour the Norman reentered the halland walked directly to the principal seat to take it.
Then up started an aged man, and with vehement gesticulations and inwords of excitement addressed him: "That seat is taken by none--save ofthe race of Cunedda. It belongs to our chief, who is of the blood royal.None other may occupy it."
"I take it by the right of the sword," answered Rogier. "And let me seethe man who will turn me out of it. I take it as deputy to my brother,the bishop."
He laughed contemptuously, and let himself down on the chair.
"Well," said he, looking round, "have you settled among yourselves as tothe contribution? The round gold patch touches my line. I give you tillit has passed across it to conclude that matter."
Then Howel ap John stood up.
"We have considered and apportioned the charges," he said, and hiscunning eyes contracted. "Amongst ourselves we have arranged what eachis to pay. But, inasmuch as we are nothing save tribesmen of our chief,and as the right over the land was at one time wholly his, but has sincesuffered curtailment, so that portions have become hereditary holdingsof the chief men, yet as still the common lands, as well as the glebeand the domain, belong to the chief, it has seemed reasonable and justthat he should bear one-third of the fine, and that this shall be leviedon his land and homesteads, and two-thirds upon us."
When this was translated to Rogier, he laughed aloud.
"I see," said he, "the holder of the benefice is to bear a third. Whatwill Cadell say to that?"
"It is a decision according to equity," said Howel.
"I care not. Cadell is not here to protect himself. So long as I havethe silver to hand to the bishop, it is indifferent to me whether youbleed your own veins or fleece your pastor. He has been put in a fatpasture by my brother; it is right that he pay for it."
"In two days the silver shall be brought here and weighed out."
"It is well." Rogier looked at the sun-patch. "That is concluded; nowtarry till the sun traverses the line. Then we will broach otherbusiness."
All sat now in silence, their eyes on the soil, watching the patch oflight as it traveled.
The men of Caio were aware that the doorway was guarded. But what wasthreatened they could not conjecture. They had endured intolerableprovocations without resistance. They were anxious at heart; theirbreasts contracted at the dread of fresh exactions. Some looked atRogier to endeavor to read his purpose in his face; but his, as well asthe countenances of his attendants, was expressionless.
The sun-round passed on. Then a cloud obscured the light, a fine andfleecy cloud that would be gone shortly.
All tarried in silence, breathless, fearing they knew not what--butexpecting no good.
Then the sun burst forth again, and the circle of fire appeared beyondthe line.
At once Rogier stood up.
"You men of Caio, you have thought to deal with a fool, and to deceiveme by your craft. But I know what has been done, and will make you tounderstand on whom ye have practised your devices. Pabo, the chief andArchpriest, is not dead. It was not he who was consumed in thepresbytery. Ye played a stage mystery before our eyes to make us believethat he was dead, and that you were burying him. Pabo is alive and isamong you, and you know where he is concealed."
The interpreter was interrupted by outcries of, "We know not. If thatwere not he, we cannot say where he be. We found a man burned to acinder. Were we in error in supposing him to be our chief? Show us thatit was so!"
Rogier remained unmoved by the clamor.
"Ye are like a parcel of lying, quibbling women," he said. "Pabo is inhiding. Ye are all leagued together to save him. But have him from hislurking-den I will."
"We cannot say where he is. There is not one of us who knows."
"You will admit that he whom ye pretended to be Pabo was some other?"
They looked doubtfully at each other.
"We could not tell. The dead man was found in the ruins of the burnthouse. We thought it was Pabo."
"Ye did not. Ye contrived the device between you."
"We will swear that we know not where he is. Bring forth the staff ofCynwyl."
"The staff has been stolen. But I will not trust your oaths. Did not thewife of Pabo swear thereon?" Then Rogier laughed. "She was crafty as therest of you, and deceived us in her oath. Nay, I will trust no oaths. Iwill place my reliance on something more secure. Hey! bring forward mybassinet!"
At his order, one of the attendants went to the door and received asteel cap from a soldier without.
"In this bassinet," said Rogier, "there are short willow twigs. Thereare more twigs than there are householders and notables here assembled.Of these twigs all but six are blank; but on half a dozen a death's headhas been scored with a dagger point, rubbed in with black. He who drawssuch a figured twig shall be hung on the gallows, where is suspendedyour church bell--one to-day, a second to-morrow. On Sunday, being asacred day, none; on Monday a third, on Tuesday a fourth, on Wednesday afifth, on Thursday the sixth. And on Friday ye shall all assemble hereonce more, and again draw the lots. I shall hang one of you every daytill Pabo be delivered up to me, alive."
Then there broke forth cries, protests, entreaties; there were handsstretched towards the window through which the sun entered, in oath thatthe whereabouts of Pabo was not known; there were arms extended toRogier in assurance that Pabo was actually dead. Some cried out thatthey had had no cognizance of any plot to deceive. Many folded theirarms in sullen wrath or despair.
Then Rogier lifted his sword and commanded silence. "No wo
rd spoken,"said he, "will move me from my purpose. One thing can alone rob thegallows of its rich burden--the delivery of your late chief, Pabo."
"We cannot do it. We know not where he is."
"Then let justice take its course. This I will suffer. When each hasdrawn his lot from the cap, he shall bring it in his closed fist to me,and open it where I stand in the ray of sunlight. If he have an unmarkedstick, he shall go forth by the door unmolested. But he who shall havethe death's head in his hand shall tarry here. And when all six areselected, then will I suffer each in turn to be conducted to his home,there to bid farewell to his family, and so to dispose of his worldlyaffairs as pleaseth him. I will allow each one hour to effect this; thenhe will return hither. The first man who draws the bad lot shall bestrung to the gallows to-day. If ye be wise men, he will be the only onewho will go to make a chime of bells. If Pabo be delivered to me beforenoon to-morrow, then no second man shall hang. If he be given up onMonday before mid-day no third man shall swing. But--if you remainobstinate, I will go on hanging ye to the last man. Come, in your order,as ye sit; draw to the bassinet and take out your lot. I lay the steelcap on what ye call the seat of your chief."
Then the old man advanced, he who had protested against the occupationof the chair, and said--"I am ready to die, whether in my bed or on thegibbet matters little to me. God grant that I be the man taken. My timeat best is but short. Another year to me matters not a hair."
He walked to the bassinet, without hesitation drew his lot, carried itto the Norman--who stood in the sun-ray--and unclosed his withered hand.In it was an unmarked stick.
"Pass forth," said Rogier.
"Nay," said the old man. "My son comes after me--let him draw."
A tall, well-built man walked boldly to the cap, drew, and approachedthe sunbeam.
"Open!" ordered Rogier.
He held a marked stick.
"On one side--food for the crows," said the Norman.
Then the old man fell on his knees. "I beseech you take me and sparehim. He has a young wife and a child. He has life before him, mine isall behind."
"Away," ordered Rogier. "The lot decides--the judgment is with heaven,not with me."
"Father," said the young man, "I am willing to die for my chief."
Then followed several who went free, and escaped into the open air,where they drew long breaths, as though their lungs had been crampedwithin.
The next who drew the death's head was a mean little man with pointed,foxy face and red hair. He fell into convulsions of terror, clung toRogier, implored for life, promised to betray whatever he knew--only,unhappily, he did not know where Pabo was concealed, but undertook, ifpardoned, to find out. The bishop's brother spurned him from him withdisgust. Then came three with blanks and were sent outside.
The third taken was Howel.
"One can but die once," said he, and shrugged his shoulders. "My oldwoman will have to look out for a second husband. May he be better thanthe first."
He stepped aside without the exhibition of much feeling, but avoided thewhimpering wretch who had drawn the death's head before him.
"Hah!" said Iorwerth the Smith, as he opened his palm and disclosed themarked twig, "I thought something would fall to me for striking thatblow which disabled the captain's arm. Would to heaven I had aimedbetter and broken his skull! He did not know me, or I should have beenhung before this." Singularly enough, the very next to draw was also onewho drew an unlucky stick, and this was Morgan the Sacristan.
"Since the Sanctuary of David has been invaded, and the wild beast ofthe field tramples on the vineyard, I care not; and now the secret ofwhere is hid the rod of Cynwyl will perish with me."
Next came a whole batch who drew blanks, and gladly escaped with theirnecks.
The last to draw the death's head looked steadily at it, and said: "Sheis always right. I thought so; now I'm sure of it. My wife said to me,'Do not go to the meeting?' I said, 'Why not?' Like a woman, shecouldn't give a reason; but repeated, 'Do not go.' I have come, and nowshall swing with the rest. It's a rough way of learning a lesson. Andhaving learnt it--can no more practise it."