CHAPTER II
SHOWS HOW EZRA MET WITH GILBERT SCARLETT, SOLDIER OF FORTUNE
"I sincerely trust," mused Ezra Prentiss as he rode along on his way,"that there are not many men like those in the colonies. If there are,the cause is sure to be defeated. They are too cowardly and selfish todo anything but clutch what they have and cry out in fear of its beingtaken away from them."
For a moment a shadow rested upon his face. Then the picture flashedacross his mind of the heroic line at Lexington, of the desperate rushat Concord Bridge, the long, running fight into Boston town. These hadhappened only a few weeks before; and a smile banished the shadowinstantly.
"The men who did those things were neither selfish nor cowardly," hetold himself. "They are as brave as any upon the earth, and would giveall they possessed in the cause of freedom. They drove Earl Percy beforethem when they were merely a gathering of half-armed farmers; and whendrilled and properly equipped, they will prove their worth to GeneralGage, his army and the hostile King."
Several times he left the road and crossed some fields at sight ofchimney-stacks or shingled roofs; and each time he talked earnestly withthe householders and left one or more of the circulars printed by theCommittee of Safety. But each time he returned to the wagon road.
"It's not because I expect to come upon any great number of people," hesaid, as the question as to why he did this presented itself to him."And it is not because it is an easy road to travel." He paused for amoment and then added: "I wonder just how much this stranger, who livesso oddly and in such a queer place, has to do with it?"
He laughed as the tall bay took a fence and landed once more in themuch-cut road.
"That's it," he continued. "It's curiosity. I want to see the man whohas made those two, back there, fear him so."
He had perhaps gone a mile and a half in a straight course, when thefences began to thin; trees lined the roadside and grew in thick clumpsupon every hand; the ground looked rough and stony; apparently no plowhad ever broken it, no axe had ever been leveled against the timber.
Heavy boughs, showing the first green of spring, hung so low that Ezrawas forced to bend low in his saddle in order to avoid them. He wasriding in this fashion when he was suddenly startled by a voice,apparently only a few yards away, calling to him.
"Hullo, you, sir!"
Ezra drew in the bay and turned in his saddle. A tall, strongly-builtyoung man in long leather boots, and wearing a hat with a plume in it,was standing beside a fallen horse.
"A moment of your time, if you please," commanded this personage, in avoice that was not to be denied.
"You have met with an accident, I see," remarked Ezra, with a glance atthe prostrate beast. "Is he badly hurt?"
"I think he is all but finished," replied the young man in the longboots. "He was recommended to me as a nag of perfect quality; but I havefound none such in this sadly deserted corner of the earth."
The speaker wore moustaches, something seldom or never seen in thosedays. They were black, with spiky points, and he twisted at themsavagely.
"But I have found in my journeys through the world that good horses areonly grown where there are fine up-standing men to see to them,"continued the stranger. He drew up his soft leather boots and shiftedhis heavy sword belt, which bore a huge brass buckle. Then he devotedhis attention to the moustaches once more.
"You are not of the colonies, then?" inquired Ezra.
The other drew himself up haughtily and stared at the speaker.
"I trust, sir," spoke he in a measured voice, "that I do not convey thatimpression. I am Gilbert Scarlett, late of the Spanish service and onceof those of Hanover, Wurtemberg, Portugal and the Swiss. Also twocampaigns have I served with the Turks in Egypt, and once I bore acommission from the Czar of Muscovy."
Ezra regarded the other with wonderment. That so young a man could havehad so wide a military experience seemed extraordinary indeed. But, inspite of the boastful tone and exaggerated manner, there was that aboutthe stranger that might make a doubter pause.
"I am pleased to meet you, Mr. Scarlett," said Ezra Prentiss, politely."And I must say that I am rather astonished to see a man of your partsin so unusual a place."
"You might well be," returned the other, slapping his boot-leg with hisriding-whip. "And truth to tell, I am a trifle astonished myself. Butmatters between the Spanish and the French grew very monotonous towardthe last, below there in the Floridas and on the Gulf. They made warvery politely and saw to it that there was plenty of breathing timebetween cannon-shots. So I took ship and came north. They told me thatthe clouds were gathering here and that there would be much credit for aman of my inches to gain, in one way and another."
"If you look for fighting," said Ezra, soberly, "I fancy you'll get yourfill of it before many days."
The other laughed and leaned gracefully against a tree. He had thickblack brows, and he bent them at the young New Englander jeeringly.
"Fighting!" mocked he. "Where is it to come from? Gage has an army ofveterans and dare not come out. This other man----"
"General Ward?" suggested Ezra, as the other hesitated.
"Yes--thanks. General Ward has gathered a rabble of peasants which wouldtear off like sheep at the first sound of a heavy gun."
"You are wrong," cried Ezra warmly. "I saw them under fire. They actedthe part of men."
"I've heard of that fight," said the young man. "Pshaw! Such a thing isnot a test. Wait until they are forced to sleep out under the stars, tomount guard in the wet, to obey popinjay officers, to keep hungrybellies for days on end, to be sick without physic, to be cold withoutclothing, to be beaten and asked to fight again. That will show thecolor of their courage, sir. Your General Ward may be satisfied withless; but nothing short of all I've mentioned would answer the needs ofan old campaigner."
To hear him with his youthful face, and sprouting moustaches, callinghimself by such a name, caused Ezra to smile. Instantly the face ofGilbert Scarlett changed.
"But it seems that I am wasting good time speaking with you," said he,coldly. "I find that men of experience are not understood by colonials."His hard, black eyes ran over the lines of the tall bay horse which Ezrabestrode, and he proceeded, "That is a fair-looking charger. Anyhow,it's the best to be had at this time, I suppose. So do me the favor toget down."
Ezra looked at the speaker in some surprise.
"Perhaps you will explain," said he.
"The situation is so plain," proclaimed Gilbert Scarlett, "that I canscarcely see the need of an explanation. But, since you ask for one,here it is. My horse can go no farther. Yours can. So, as I have urgentaffairs to transact, I propose that we make an exchange."
"It would seem that your military schooling has taught you to expect thebetter of a bargain, if nothing else," said Ezra quietly.
The other laughed.
"It would have been of very little value if it hadn't," said he. He oncemore hitched at his sword belt, and this time the movement held theelements of a threat. "But," he went on, "that is neither here northere. We will come to the exchange at once, if you please."
"I am glad that you mentioned that last," smiled Ezra. "Suppose I don'tplease?"
The points of the spiky moustache went up and the heavy black brows camedown.
"In that event," said Gilbert Scarlett, "I shall be forced to alter yourmind."
A little earlier, Ezra had had before him a youthful, careless face, hadlistened to boastful, empty speech and had smiled. But in an instant allwas altered. The face was now hard and lined; the careless mouth wastight shut and cruel looking, the voice was sharp and peremptory.
"Once more--and for the last time, mark you--I invite you to get down."
"I think your contempt for colonials has led you astray," said Ezra,still with a smile. "We do not give up our belongings so easily in thispart of the world."
The man took a step forward, his breath seeming to hiss between histeeth; then his sword flashed out of its scabbard. But a
t the sameinstant Ezra's long holster pistol came into play. The afternoon lightgleamed dully upon the steel barrel, as he supported it in the hollow ofhis left arm.
"Before you display any of your deftness with the sword blade," spokethe young New Englander, coolly, "listen to a few words of disinterestedadvice. I say disinterested, because it makes no difference to me howyou take it. But it would, perhaps, be a great deal better for you ifyou reconsidered this matter. A gentleman of your confessed militaryexperience can no doubt play the sword with accuracy. But don't forgetthat a bullet travels faster--and don't compel me to start this one onits travels."
The young stranger listened to this quietly-spoken warning with varyingexpressions of face. At first it seemed that he would defy the pistol;indeed he drew back his arm for a blow. Then he paused, baffled; at lasta comical look came upon his face, his point touched the ground and hestepped back with a ringing laugh.
"For your advice I offer many thanks." He took off his hat as he spokeand its plume swept the earth. "And I will take it," driving his bladeback in its sheath. "I have made a grave military blunder. In what youcall my contempt for colonials I overlooked the possibility of yourbeing armed. I admit defeat and pray you mercy."
The situation was so quaint a one that Ezra also laughed. But he did nottake his eyes from the other, neither did his pistol go back to itsplace in the holster.
"The situation remains as it was when I came up," said the boy. "Hereyou stand beside your fallen horse and off I go on my way toChelmsford."
He touched the bay with the spur; but it had only taken a few steps whenGilbert Scarlett once more lifted his voice. Ezra drew rein and the manadvanced.
"You are going toward Chelmsford?" inquired he.
"Yes," returned Ezra.
"By this road?"
"If I can."
"It always shows good quality in a soldier to be generous to a defeatedfoe," smiled the young man. He paused a moment and studied Ezracarefully; and as he did so the latter noted an odd light dancing in hiseyes. "As I have said," Scarlett resumed, "I have urgent affairs thatunder other circumstances would require me to press on. And as I can'tdo this, I would ask you to grant me a favor."
"What is it?" asked Ezra.
"At Cambridge I was entrusted with a mission of more or lessimportance," spoke Scarlett easily. "And as the gentleman who soentrusted me was most genial and generous, though to speak the truth Idid not know him from Adam's elder brother, I would like to see thematter carried through as contracted."
He drew from his belt a packet of papers sealed with black wax.
"I was required to take this way and ride until I came to a certainbridge," said Scarlett. "Not far from this I was to come upon a housewhere I was to stop and ask for a man by the name of Abdallah. When Isaw him I was to hand over these," and the speaker held up the packet.
At sight of the packet and Scarlett's announcement that he had beenbidden to come that way, Ezra's attention became fixed. The two farmershad spoken of unknown riders who came and went to their mysteriousneighbor's. But when the other mentioned the bridge and the house notfar from it, the boy's eyes snapped with expectation. However, when hespoke his voice was unconcerned enough.
"And now, I suppose, you want me to undertake to finish what you havebegun?" said he.
"If you will be so kind," replied Scarlett, with a little bow. "It willnot take you out of your way, since you are going by this road, and itwill greatly relieve my mind."
Ezra bent forward and took the papers in his left hand. Thrusting theminto the breast of his coat, he said with a laugh:
"It would show a sad lack of charity on my part to leave you in adisturbed state of mind. A disabled horse and a long road are calamitiesenough for any man."
"I thank you," said Scarlett. He tugged at his moustache with one hand;the thumb of the other was stuck in his sword belt, his legs were verywide apart, and the plumed hat was set well back upon his head. "You area ready youth and a generous one. Perhaps your wit is not all that itwill be in the years to come. Nevertheless, I say that you are a readyyouth. And further, I will add that you have the makings in you of amost excellent soldier."
Once more the long plume swept the ground as Ezra, with a wave of thehand, rode away; and the last the boy saw of him he was stripping thesaddle from the fallen horse and apparently railing against his ill luckin a most hearty fashion.