CHAPTER XXVII.
THE WATER OF THE WELL OF BETHLEHEM THAT IS BESIDE THE GATE.
With that a kind of madness came over me and took possession of my mindand body. I cannot account for or excuse it, save that the sun hadstricken me unawares and moidered my head.
I remember saying over and over to myself these words, which I had oftenheard my father read as he took the Book, "O that one would give me todrink of the water of the Well of Bethlehem that is beside the Gate." SoI rose out of the lair where I was, took off my shoes and stockings, andwent down to the river-side. Ken Water is very low at that season, andlooking over I could see the fish lying in the black pools with theirnoses up stream, waiting for a spate to run into the shallows of theburns. I declare that had my mind not been set on the well-house, Ishould have stripped there and then for a plunge after them. But in atrice I had crossed the river, wading to my middle in the clear warmpool. I think it was surely the only time that man ever waded Ken to geta drink of spring water.
When I reached the farther side--the nearer to my mother--I lay for along time on the bank overcome with the water and the sun. Now I wasplainly to be seen from the house, and had the sentinel so much aslooked my way, I could not have escaped his notice. But no one came nearme or stirred me in any way. Then at last, after a long time, I rousedmyself, and betook me through the thick woods which lie on the sidetowards the Clachan of St. John. The wood here is composed of greatoaks--the finest, as all allow, in Galloway--of which that wherein mybrother Sandy was afterwards often concealed, is but one. Underneath wasa thick growth of hazel and birch. The whole makes cover of the densest,through which no trooper could ride, and no seeing eye pierce.
So I was here upon well-kenned ground. Every tree-stem I knew by touchof hand, and in my youth I had creeped into every hidie hole that wouldhold a squirrel. Times without number had Sandy and I played athide-and-seek in the woods. And there, at the back of one of the greattrees, was where we had fought because he had called me "puny crowl."Whereat I bit him in the thumb till it bled grievously, to teach him notto call names, and also (more generally) for the health of his soul.
Now lying here in the Earlstoun wood, all this came back to me, and itseemed that Sandy and I were again playing at hiding. Nearly had I criedout the seeking signal; aye, and would have done it, too, but for thelittle rattle of arms when the sentry turned sharp at the corner of thehouse, with a click of his heels and a jingle of his spurs. The house ofEarlstoun stands very near the water edge, with nothing about it savethe green hawthorn-studded croft on the one hand, and the thick wood onthe other.
I lay a long while watching the house to see if I could discover any oneat the windows. But not even a lounging soldier could I discernanywhere, except the single clinking loon who kept the guard. Once JeanHamilton, Sandy's wife, came to the window; and once her littledaughter, Alison, shook a tablecloth over the sash--a sight whichcheered me greatly, for by it I knew that there was still folk could eata meal of meat within the towers of Earlstoun.
But more and more the desire for the sweet well water of the gatewaytower, came to me as I lay parched with thirst, and more than the formeryearning for home things. It seemed that no wine of sunny France, nogolden juice of Zeres could ever be one-half so sweet as the water ofthat Earlstoun well, "that is beside the Gate."
Aye, and I declare I would have grappled with the sentry for it, savethat I had the remnants of some sense left about me, which told me thatso I should not only bring destruction upon myself, but on others thatwere even more dear to me.
Presently I heard the voice of a serving lass calling from within thecourtyard, and at the sound the sentry listened and waited. He lookedfurtively this way and that round the corners. He stood a moment in theshade of the archways and wiped his brow. Then he leaned his musketagainst the wall and went within. I thought to myself, "It is now ornever, for he is gone to the kitchen for a bite-and-sup, and will be outagain in a moment, lest his captain should return and find him gone fromhis post."
So with that I made a rush swiftly round the corner, and entered thewell-house. For a moment only, as I ran fleet-foot, was I bathed in thehot sunshine, then drenched again in the damp, cool darkness of thetower. Within there is an iron handle and chain, which are used to wrapup the great dipper over the windlass. There is also a little dipperwhich one may let down by a rope, when only a drink or a littlehousehold water is needed, and there is no servitor at hand to turn thecrank. This last I let down, and in a moment after I was draining icynectar from the cup, for which I had risked so much. Yet all I could dowhen I got it, was only to sip a little, and let the rest run back againinto the well. While like the refrain of a weary song, over and over thewords ran in his mind, "O that one would give me--of the water of theWell of Bethlehem--that is beside the Gate."
Then, like a far-away voice calling one out of a dream, I heard thesound of the sentry returning to his post. Quite clearly I discerned himlifting his musket, shifting it from one side to the other, and soresuming his equal tramp. I heard everything, indeed, with a kind ofacuteness beyond the natural. Yet all the while I was strangely withoutsense of danger. I thought how excellent a jest it would be, to shoutout suddenly when the soldier came near, to see him jump; and but forthe remembrance of my mother, I protest I had done it.
So there I lay on the margin of the well, just as at the first I hadflung myself down, without so much as troubling thoroughly to shut thedoor. I am sure that from the corner where the sentry turned, he mighthave seen my boot-heel every time, had he but troubled to peep round thedoor. But he had been so often within the well-house during his time onguard, that he never once glanced my way. Also he was evidently elevatedby what he had gotten within the house from the serving maid, whateverthat might have been.
It was strange to hear his step alternately faint and loud as he cameand went. He paced from the well-house to the great gate, and fromthence to the corner of the tower. Back again he came, to-and-fro likethe pendulum of a clock. Once he took the butt of his musket and gavethe door, within which I lay, a sharp fling to. Luckily it opened fromwithout, so that the hasp caught as it came and I was shut within.
So there I lay without power to move all that day, and no one came nearme till late in the gloaming. For it was the custom at the Earlstoun todraw the water for the day in the early morning, and that for the nightuses when the horses were suppered at bed-time. Sometimes my head seemedto swell to so great a size, that it filled the well-house and waspressed against the roof. Anon, to my thinking, it grew wizzened andsmall, waxing and waning as I sickened and the shoots of pain ran roundmy brows.
At last I heard feet patter slowly down the turret stair and out at thedoor. Through the courtyard I heard them come towards me, and of asudden something sang in my heart, though I could have given no greatreason therefor.
Softly the door of the well-house opened, and one came in, giving alittle cry at so nearly stumbling over me. But no power had I to move orspeak, even though it had been Clavers himself who entered. My visitorgently and lightly shut to the door, and knelt at my head.
"William!" said a voice, and I seemed in my phantasy to be running aboutamong the flowers as a child again.
I opened my eyes, and lo! it was Maisie of the Duchrae--she that hadbeen so kind to me. And the wonder of seeing her in my own house ofEarlstoun, where the garrison was abiding, was a better incitement torenewed vigour than a double tasse of the brandy of France.
But there was no time for speech, so pulling me farther within, she bentand whispered:
"William, I will go and bring your mother. The soldiers may not be longaway!"
So she rose to go out with her pail full of the water, for which she hadcome.
Yet ere she went, she laid her hand upon my brow, and murmured very low,lest the sentry should hear,
"My poor lad!"
Only that; but it was a thing which was mightily sweet to me.
Nor was she long gone before she returned with my mothe
r. They hadcalled the sentry in to his evening meal, and supplied him withsomething to drink. For they had had the garrison long enough with themto learn that all soldiers are great trenchermen, and can right nobly"claw a bicker" and "toom a stoup" with any man.