CHAPTER II.
A RESCUE.
The whole of the startling scene of the abduction of the Earl ofEvesham's daughter occupied but a few seconds. Cuthbert was so astoundedat the sudden calamity that he remained rooted to the ground at the spotwhere, fortunately for himself, unnoticed by the assailants, he hadstood when they first burst from their concealment.
For a short time he hesitated as to the course he should take.
The men-at-arms who remained in the castle were scarce strong enough torescue the child, whose captors would no doubt be reinforced by a farstronger party lurking near.
The main body of Sir Walter's followers were deep in the recesses of theforest, and this lay altogether out of the line for Wortham, and therewould be no chance whatever of bringing them up in time to cut off themarauders on their way back.
There remained only the outlaws, who by this time would be in LangholmForest, perhaps within a mile or two of the castle itself.
The road by which the horsemen would travel would be far longer thanthe direct line across country, and he resolved at once to strain everynerve to reach his friends in time to get them to interpose between thecaptors of the Lady Margaret and their stronghold.
For an instant he hesitated whether to run back to Erstwood to get ahorse; but he decided that it would be as quick to go on foot, and fareasier so to find the outlaws.
These thoughts occupied but a few moments, and he at once started at thetop of his speed for his long run across the country.
Had Cuthbert been running in a race of hare and hound, he wouldassuredly have borne away the prize from most boys of his age. Atheadlong pace he made across the country, every foot of which, as far asthe edge of Langholm Chase, he knew by heart.
The distance to the woods was some twelve miles, and in an hour and ahalf from the moment of his starting Cuthbert was deep within itsshades. Where he would be likely to find the outlaws he knew not; and,putting a whistle to his lips, he shrilly blew the signal, which would,he knew, be recognized by any of the band within hearing.
He thought that he heard an answer, but was not certain, and againdashed forward, almost as speedily as if he had but just started.
Five minutes later a man stood in the glade up which he was running. Herecognized him at once as one of Cnut's party.
"Where are the band?" he gasped.
"Half a mile or so to the right," replied the man.
Guided by the man, Cuthbert ran at full speed, till, panting and scarceable to speak, he arrived at the spot where Cnut's band were gathered.
In a few words he told them what had happened, and although they hadjust been chased by the father of the captured child, there was not amoment of hesitation in promising their aid to rescue her from a manwhom they regarded as a far more bitter enemy, both of themselves andtheir race.
"I fear we shall be too late to cut them off," Cnut said, "they have solong a start; but at least we will waste no time in gossiping."
Winding a horn to call together some of the members of the band who hadscattered, and leaving one at the meeting-place to give instructions tothe rest, Cnut, followed by those assembled there, went off at aswinging trot through the glades toward Wortham Castle.
After a rapid calculation of distances, and allowing for the fact thatthe baron's men--knowing that Sir Walter's retainers and friends wereall deep in the forest, and even if they heard of the outrage could notbe on their traces for hours--would take matters quietly, Cnut concludedthat they had arrived in time.
Turning off, they made their way along the edge of the wood, to thepoint where the road from Evesham ran through the forest.
Scarcely had the party reached this point when they heard a faintclatter of steel.
"Here they come!" exclaimed Cuthbert.
Cnut gave rapid directions, and the band took up their posts behind thetrees, on either side of the path.
"Remember," Cnut said, "above all things be careful not to hit thechild, but pierce the horse on which she is riding. The instant hefalls, rush forward. We must trust to surprise to give us the victory."
Three minutes later the head of a band of horsemen was seen through thetrees. They were some thirty in number, and, closely grouped as theywere together, the watchers behind the trees could not see the form ofthe child carried in their midst.
When they came abreast of the concealed outlaws Cnut gave a sharpwhistle, and fifty arrows flew from tree and bush into the closelygathered party of horsemen. More than half their number fell at once;some, drawing their swords, endeavored to rush at their concealed foes,while others dashed forward in the hope of riding through the snare intowhich they had fallen. Cuthbert had leveled his crossbow, but had notfired; he was watching with intense anxiety for a glimpse of thebright-colored dress of the child. Soon he saw a horseman separatehimself from the rest and dash forward at full speed. Several arrowsflew by him, and one or two struck the horse on which he rode.
The animal, however, kept on its way.
Cuthbert leveled his crossbow on the low arm of a tree, and as the ridercame abreast of him touched the trigger, and the steel-pointed quarrelflew true and strong against the temple of the passing horseman. He fellfrom his horse like a stone, and the well-trained animal at once stoodstill by the side of his rider.
Cuthbert leaped forward, and to his delight the child at once opened herarms and cried in a joyous tone:
"Cuthbert!"
The fight was still raging fiercely, and Cuthbert, raising her from theground, ran with her into the wood, where they remained hidden until thecombat ceased, and the last survivors of the baron's band had riddenpast toward the castle.
Then Cuthbert went forward with his charge and joined the band ofoutlaws, who, absorbed in the fight, had not witnessed the incident ofher rescue, and now received them with loud shouts of joy and triumph.
"This is a good day's work indeed for all," Cuthbert said; "it will makeof the earl a firm friend instead of a bitter enemy; and I doubt notthat better days are dawning for Evesham Forest."
A litter was speedily made with boughs; on this Margaret was placed, andon the shoulders of two stout foresters started for home, Cnut andCuthbert walking beside, and a few of the band keeping at a shortdistance behind, as a sort of rearguard, should the baron attempt toregain his prey.
There was now no cause for speed, and Cuthbert in truth could scarcedrag one foot before another, for he had already traversed over twentymiles, the greater portion of the distance at his highest rate of speed.
Cnut offered to have a litter made for him also, but this Cuthbertindignantly refused; however, in the forest they came upon the hut of asmall cultivator, who had a rough forest pony, which was borrowed forCuthbert's use.
It was late in the afternoon before they came in sight of EveshamCastle. From the distance could be seen bodies of armed men gallopingtoward it, and it was clear that only now the party were returning fromthe wood, and had learned the news of the disappearance of the earl'sdaughter, and of the finding of the bodies of her attendants.
Presently they met one of the mounted retainers riding at headlongspeed.
"Have you heard or seen anything," he shouted, as he approached, "of theLady Margaret? She is missing, and foul play has taken place."
"Here I am, Rudolph," cried the child, sitting up on the rude litter.
The horseman gave a cry of astonishment and pleasure, and without a wordwheeled his horse and galloped past back at headlong speed toward thecastle.
As Cuthbert and the party approached the gate the earl himself,surrounded by his knights and followers, rode out hastily from the gateand halted in front of the little party. The litter was lowered, and ashe dismounted from his horse his daughter sprang out and leaped into hisarms.
For a few minutes the confusion and babble of tongues were too great foranything to be heard, but Cuthbert, as soon as order was somewhatrestored, stated what had happened, and the earl was moved to fury atthe news of the outrage which had been
perpetrated by the Baron ofWortham upon his daughter and at the very gates of his castle, and alsoat the thought that she should have been saved by the bravery anddevotion of the very men against whom he had so lately been vowingvengeance in the depths of the forest.
"This is not a time," he said to Cnut, "for talk or making promises, butbe assured that henceforth the deer of Evesham Chase are as free to youand your men as to me. Forest laws or no forest laws, I will no morelift a hand against men to whom I owe so much. Come when you will to thecastle, my friends, and let us talk over what can be done to raise youroutlawry and restore you to an honest career again."
Cuthbert returned home tired, but delighted with his day's work, andDame Editha was surprised indeed with the tale of adventure he had totell. The next morning he went over to the castle, and heard that agrand council had been held the evening before, and that it had beendetermined to attack Wortham Castle and to raze it to the ground.
Immediately on hearing of his arrival, the earl, after again expressinghis gratitude for the rescue of his daughter, asked him if he would gointo the forest and invite the outlaws to join their forces with thoseof the castle to attack the baron.
Cuthbert willingly undertook the mission, as he felt that this alliancewould further strengthen the position of the forest men.
When he arrived there was some considerable consultation and discussionbetween the outlaws as to the expediency of mixing themselves in thequarrels between the Norman barons. However, Cnut persuaded them that asthe Baron of Wortham was an enemy and oppressor of all Saxons, it was infact their own quarrel that they were fighting rather than that of theearl, and they therefore agreed to give their aid, and promised to be atthe rendezvous outside the castle to be attacked soon after dawn nextmorning. Cuthbert returned with the news which gave great satisfactionto the earl.
The castle was now a scene of bustle and business; armorers were at workrepairing headpieces and breastplates, sharpening swords andbattle-axes, while the fletchers prepared sheaves of arrows. In thecourtyard a number of men were engaged oiling the catapults, ballistas,and other machines for hurling stones. All were discussing the chancesof the assault, for it was no easy matter which they had set themselvesto do. Wortham Hold was an extremely strong one, and it needed all andmore than all the machines at their disposal to undertake so formidablean operation as a siege.
The garrison, too, were strong and desperate; and the baron, knowingwhat must follow his outrage of the day before, would have been sure tosend off messengers round the country begging his friends to come tohis assistance. Cuthbert had begged permission of his mother to ask theearl to allow him to join as a volunteer, but she would not hear of it.Neither would she suffer him to mingle with the foresters. The utmostthat he could obtain was that he might go as a spectator, with strictinjunctions to keep himself out of the fray, and as far as possiblebeyond bow-shot of the castle wall.
It was a force of some four hundred strong that issued from the woodearly next morning to attack the stronghold at Wortham. The forceconsisted of some ten or twelve knights and barons, some one hundred andfifty or one hundred and sixty Norman men-at-arms, a miscellaneousgathering of other retainers, two hundred strong, and some eighty of theforest men. These last were not to fight under the earl's banner, butwere to act on their own account. There were among them outlaws, escapedserfs, and some men guilty of bloodshed. The earl then could not havesuffered these men to fight under his flag until purged in some way oftheir offenses.
This arrangement suited the foresters well.
Their strong point was shooting; and by taking up their own position,and following their own tactics, under the leadership of Cnut, theywould be able to do far more execution, and that with less risk tothemselves, than if compelled to fight according to the fashion of theNormans.
As they approached the castle a trumpet was blown, and the heraldadvancing, demanded its surrender, stigmatized the Baron of Wortham as afalse knight and a disgrace to his class and warned all those withinthe castle to abstain from giving him aid or countenance, but to submitthemselves to the earl, Sir Walter of Evesham, the representative ofKing Richard.
The reply to the summons was a burst of taunting laughter from thewalls; and scarcely had the herald withdrawn than a flight of arrowsshowed that the besieged were perfectly ready for the fray.
Indeed the baron had not been idle. Already the dispute between himselfand the earl had come to such a point that it was certain that sooner orlater open hostilities would break out.
He had therefore been for some time quietly accumulating a large storeof provisions and munitions of war, and strengthening the castle inevery way.
The moat had been cleaned out, and filled to the brim with water. Greatquantities of heavy stones had been accumulated on the most exposedpoints of the walls, in readiness to hurl upon any who might try toclimb. Huge sheaves of arrows and piles of crossbow bolts were inreadiness, and in all, save the number of men, Wortham had for weeksbeen prepared for the siege.
On the day when the attempt to carry off the earl's daughter had failed,the baron, seeing that his bold stroke to obtain a hostage which wouldhave enabled him to make his own terms with the earl had been thwarted,knew that the struggle was inevitable.
Fleet messengers had been sent in all directions. To Gloucester andHereford, Stafford, and even Oxford, men had ridden, with letters to thebaron's friends, beseeching them to march to his assistance.
"I can," he said, "defend my hold for weeks. But it is only by aid fromwithout that I can finally hope to break the power of this baggart[Transcriber's note: sic] earl."
Many of those to whom he addressed his call had speedily complied withhis demand, while those at a distance might be expected to reply laterto the appeal.
There were many among the barons who considered the mildness of the Earlof Evesham toward the Saxons in his district to be a mistake, and who,although not actually approving of the tyranny and brutality of theBaron of Wortham, yet looked upon his cause to some extent as their own.
The Castle of Wortham stood upon ground but very slightly elevated abovethe surrounding country. A deep and wide moat ran round it, and thiscould, by diverting a rivulet, be filled at will.
From the edge of the moat the walls rose high, and with strong flankingtowers and battlements.
There were strong works also beyond the moat opposite to the drawbridge;while in the center of the castle rose the keep, from whose summit thearchers, and the machines for casting stones and darts, could commandthe whole circuit of defense.
As Cuthbert, accompanied by one of the hinds of the farm, took his posthigh up in a lofty tree, where at his ease he could command a view ofthe proceedings, he marveled much in what manner an attack upon so faira fortress would be commenced.
"It will be straightforward work to attack the outwork," he said, "butthat once won, I see not how we are to proceed against the castleitself. The machines that the earl has will scarcely hurl stones strongenough even to knock the mortar from the walls. Ladders are uselesswhere they cannot be planted; and if the garrison are as brave as thecastle is strong, methinks that the earl has embarked upon a businessthat will keep him here till next spring."
There was little time lost in commencing the conflict.
The foresters, skirmishing up near to the castle, and taking advantageof every inequality in the ground, of every bush and tuft of high grass,worked up close to the moat, and then opened a heavy fire with theirbows against the men-at-arms on the battlements, and prevented theirusing the machines against the main force now advancing to the attackupon the outwork.
This was stoutly defended. But the impetuosity of the earl, backed as itwas by the gallantry of the knights serving under him, carried allobstacles.
The narrow moat which encircled this work was speedily filled with greatbundles of brushwood, which had been prepared the previous night. Acrossthese the assailants rushed.
Some thundered at the gate with their battle-axes, while other
s placedladders by which, although several times hurled backward by thedefenders, they finally succeeded in getting a footing on the wall.
Once there, the combat was virtually over.
The defenders were either cut down or taken prisoners, and in two hoursafter the assault began the outwork of Wortham Castle was taken.
This, however, was but the commencement of the undertaking, and it hadcost more than twenty lives to the assailants.
They were now, indeed, little nearer to capturing the castle than theyhad been before.
The moat was wide and deep. The drawbridge had been lifted at theinstant that the first of the assailants gained a footing upon the wall.And now that the outwork was captured, a storm of arrows, stones, andother missiles was poured into it from the castle walls, and rendered itimpossible for any of its new masters to show themselves above it.
Seeing that any sudden attack was impossible, the earl now directed astrong body to cut down trees, and prepare a moveable bridge to throwacross the moat.
This would be a work of fully two days; and in the meantime Cuthbertreturned to the farm.