The Knight Of The Golden Melice by John Turvill Adams (web based ebook reader txt) 📖

Soldier, Without Opening

His Eyes, Demanded, Drowsily, What Was The Matter. "You Waked Me,

Bars," He Said, "From Such A Grand Dream. I Wish You Would Let Me

Alone."

 

  

"Arouse Thyself And Look Up," Said The Assistant. "It Is Not The

Jailer, But A Friend, Who Desires Thy Good."

 

 

 "It Is Master Spikeman," Said The Soldier, Sitting Up And Rubbing His

Eyes, "But I Wish You Had Not Disturbed My Dream. I Thought I Was Free

Again."

  

 

"I Came To Restore To Thee That Liberty Whereof Thou Wert Only

Dreaming."

  

 

The Soldier, Now Thoroughly Awake, Got Upon His Feet As Quickly As His

Swollen Ankles And The Manacles On His Wrists Would Permit.

 

 

 Then," Said Philip, "All The World Hath Not Deserted Me."

 

  

"Strange That Such A Thought Could Enter Thy Mind. Who Was It, At Thy

Trial, When The Fierce Dudley Would Have Silenced Thee, Demanded That

Thou Shouldst Be Heard? To Whom Thinkest Thou Is Owing Thy Release

From Thy Heaviest Chains?"

  

 

"I Was Blind," Said The Soldier, Apologetically, "And This Weary

Prison Must Have Weakened My Brain. But You Came To Free Me. Let Us

Leave This Dismal Place." 

 

 

"I Wish It Were Possible To Take Thee With Me, But That Cannot Be. Yet

Will I So Order Things That Thou Mayest Be Far Away And In Safety

Before The Dawn."

 

  

"Show Me The Way; Undo These Handcuffs, And I Will Be Your Bondman

Forever. But Wherefore," Inquired Joy, As If Some Sudden Suspicion

Sprung Up In His Mind, "Do You Take This Trouble And Risk On My

Account?"

  

 

"Do I Not Know That The Villains, Thine Accusers, Lied? Should I Not

Feel An Interest In A Brave Man Unjustly Condemned By The Artful

Winthrop? Have No Suspicion Of Me, Philip," Said Spikeman, In A Tone

As If He Were Grieved At The Thought.

 

 

"I Entreat Your Pardon, And Will Allow Of None," Answered The Soldier,

And His Frank Face Abundantly Confirmed The Truth Of His Declaration.

"But How Am I To Escape?"

  

 

"I Have Considered Many Plans," Replied Spikeman, "But Only One Doth

Seem Capable Of Execution. Yet I Fear Me Much Thy Courage Will Fail,

Even When Thou Hast But To Extend Thy Hand To Grasp Thy Freedom. The

Thing Is Not Unattended With Peril."

  

 

"Doubt Not My Courage, Nor Talk Of Peril To A Man Confined In A Place

Like This, When The Chance Of Freeing Himself Is Offered. Try Me, And

See Whether Heart Or Hand Fail."

 

 

 

"These Are Brave Words, Philip, Yet Have I Seen Them Who Talked As

Boldly, And Yet Flinched At The Decisive Moment."

 

  

"Who Ever Dared To Call Philip Joy A Coward?" Cried The Soldier,

Impatiently. "Methinks It Is So Long Since I Struck A Blow Worthy Of A

Man, That I Long To Be Doing, If Only To Keep My Hand In Practice."

  

 

"Then Listen," Said Spikeman, Lowering His Voice, And Supposing That

He Had Got The Soldier Sufficiently Worked Up And Committed By His

Language. "With This Key"--Taking One From His Pocket--"Will I Unfasten

Thy Manacles, And Under Pretext Of Unwittingly Leaving Open The Door

Of Thy Cell, Direct The Jailer To Enter And Lock It, When Thou, Being

A Strong And Active Man, May, On His Entrance, Overpower Him, And

Grant Thyself Free Passage, And With Five Minutes' Start, Who Is There

Could Find Thee In The Woods?"

  

 

But Joy Hesitated. "Liberty Is Sweet," He Said, "Yet Would I Be Loth

To Do Aught To Harm Bars."

  

 

"What Favor Owe You Him?" Demanded Spikeman. "Has He Not Evil

Entreated Thee, And Loaded Thee With Unnecessary And Cruel Bands Of

Iron, Till Compelled By Me To Remove Them?"

  

 

"I Do Suppose He Was Acting By Order Of His Superiors. In All Other

Matters, Sam Has Been Kind To Me, And He Did Almost Weep When He

Placed The Iron Bands Around My Body. Nay, But To Lay Hand On Him,

Goes Mightily Against My Stomach."

  

 

"Then Remain To Rot, If You Like It Better, In Spite Of All Your

Boastful Speeches, For The Darkness And Damp Seem To Have Sucked All

Manhood Out Of Thee; Or Shouldst Thou Survive A Month, To Have Thine

Ears Cropped And Thy Back Scourged, And After That--"

  

 

"By All The Devils In Hell," Interrupted Joy, "That Shall Never Be.

Unlock My Irons.. I Will Do The Part Of A Man."

  

 

The Tempter Applied The Key, And Unlocking The Gyves, Removed Them,

And Placed Them On The Ground.

 

 

"They Are Heavy," He Said. "A Well-Directed Blow On The Head Would

Confuse A Man's Thoughts. It Is Time To Depart. When Thou Art Free,

Philip, As, If Possessing Courage, Thou Art Sure Soon To Be, Forget

Not The Friend Who Helped Thee To Thy Liberty."

  

 

With These Words, The Assistant Took Up The Lantern, And Leaving The

Door Ajar As He Had Proposed, Proceeded To The Outer Entrance, Here He

Found The Jailer Waiting, Who, After Locking Up, Attended Him At His

Request A Short Distance On His Way Homeward.

  

 

"This Philip Joy," Said The Assistant, As They Walked Together, "Is A

Malignant And Desperate Villain. I Did But Visit Him In Order To Get

To The Bottom Of Certain Plots Which I Am Well Advised Are Hatching

Against Our Commonwealth, Whereunto He Is Privy, And Which, Indeed, He

Doth Partly Confess. Have Thou Him In Strict Charge, Bars. May The

Lord Forgive Me," He Cried, Suddenly Stopping, "If I Have Not, In My

Amazement At His Venomous Audacity, Left Open The Door Of His Cell.

Hasten, Good Bars, Lest By Means Of Some Confederate He Escape In

Thine Absence."

  

 

The Jailer Turned Instantly, As Spikeman Had Anticipated, And Rapidly

Retraced His Steps. As For The Assistant Himself, Deeming His Presence

No Longer Necessary Or Convenient, He Pursued His Way, Leaving Further

Events To Themselves.

  

 

When Bars Returned, He Found The Door Of The Cell Open. He Looked In,

And By The Help Of His Lantern, Seeing Joy Extended On His Straw, Was

About To Close It Without Speaking, When The Soldier Called, And He

Stepped Into The Dungeon.

  

 

"Sam Bars," Inquired Joy, "Wherefore Did You At First Load Me With

Irons, And Afterwards Take Them Off?" 

 

 

"It Was By Order."

  

 

"And It Was Not Of Thine Own Head?"

 

  

"Truly," Said Sam, "I Would Not Of My Own Will Lay A Feather On Thee,

Philip,".

  

 

"These Be Feathers, Sam, Heavier Than A Bird's," Said The Soldier,

Rising And Approaching His Keeper. "And Being A Friend, Doubtless It

Would Please Thee To See Me At Liberty?"

 

  

"Assuredly, And That You Will Soon Be."

  

 

"Thou Art A Prophet," Cried Joy, Springing Upon The Jailer; And

Seizing Him With A Powerful Grasp, He Hurled Him To The Ground,

Letting Fall At The Same Time The Manacles Which He Had Loosely Put On

To Deceive. "Make No Noise," He Added, "And I Will Not Hurt Thee, But

To-Night The Words Of Thy Prophecy Must Be Fulfilled; So Give Me Thy

Key."

 

  

The Man Thus Treated Made No Resistance, Nor Attempted To Cry Out, Nor

Did He Seem Desirous To Speak.

  

 

"What Art In Amaze About?" Said The Soldier. "Hast Lost Thy Wits With

Fright? I Tell Thee I Would Not Hurt Thee, For All Thy Iron Feathers."

  

 

"I Am Pondering," Answered Bars, Composedly, "Whether It Were Better

To Allow Thee To Reap The Fruit Of Thy Folly, Or To Give Thee Good

Counsel."

  

 

"Speak Quick, Man," Said Joy, "I Have No Time To Spend In Long Talks

Like Sermons."

 

  

"Be Not Profane, Philip; But There Is That In The Pocket Of My

Doublet, And Which, If My Arms Were Loose, I Would Give Thee, Might

Make Thee Willing To Abide Till Morning."

  

 

"A Dagger, Perhaps. Nay, I Will Search Before I Trust Thee." So

Saying, The Soldier Proceeded To Investigate The Other's Pockets, But

He Found Nothing In Them Or About His Person Except His Keys And A

Strip Of Paper.

 

 

"I See Nothing," He Said, "But Thine Arms And A Worthless Bit Of

Paper."

  

 

"And That Is An Order For Thy Release On The Morrow. Read And Satisfy

Thyself." 

 

 

Philip Retreated A Few Steps, And Still Keeping His Attention On The

Jailer, Read The Writing With Some Difficulty By The Aid Of The Dim

Light. 

 

 

"Why Told You Me Not This Before?" He Demanded.

  

 

"Because It Would Have Broke Your Sleep, And For Another Reason. And

Now, Philip, Will You Ruin Yourself And Me, Or Will You Remain?"

  

 

"Good Sam," Said Philip, Extending His Hand And Raising The Other Up,

"Let Thou And I Be Sworn Friends. There Is Some Mystery Behind This

Matter Which It Behooves Us Both To Have Cleared Up. Answer Me A

Question. Did Master Spikeman Know Of That Paper?"

 

  

"Surely He Did. He Inquired Of Me Concerning It."

 

 

 

"Umph!" Grunted Philip. "Now Tell Again, What Is That Other Reason Why

Thou Didst Say Nothing Of The Paper To Me Before?"

  

 

"Answer For Answer; Tickle Me And I Will Scratch Thee. I Will Answer

That Question If You Will Me Another."

 

  

"There Is Reason In Thee. I Promise." 

 

 

"Because Master Spikeman Commanded Me Not."

  

 

"And Canst Tell Why He Wanted To Speak To Me Alone?"

  

 

"To Get To The Bottom Of Sundry Plots Wherewith You Were Acquainted,

And Which You Had Partly Confessed. And Now It Is My Turn To Ask

Questions, So Tell Me How Gattest Thou Rid Of The Irons?"

 

  

"Master Spikeman Unfastened Them."

  

 

"I Might Have Guessed As Much Before," Said Bars, Scratching His Head.

  

 

"Hark Ye, Sam, That Same Canon-Ball Of Thine Which Thou Seemest To

Take So Great Delight In Digging With Thy Fingers, Would Have Been A

Bloody Coxcomb Had I Followed The Advice Of Our Friend, Master

Spikeman."

 

  

"How!" Exclaimed The Jailer, Did He Counsel Injury To Me?"

  

 

"Thou Hast Said. At Any Rate, To My Thinking, There Was Not Much

Difference From That."

 

 

"The Accursed Judas!" Burst Out The Excited Jailer; "The Blood-Thirsty

Joab, Who Would Have Had Me Smitten Under The Fifth Rib. Profane

Korah, Dathan And Abiram, Whom The Earth Swallowed Up For Their

Bitterness Against Moses, Were Children Of Light Compared With This

Horrid Philistine."

 

  

"I Suppose She Was Sick At The Stomach, And So Gulped Them Down For

Bitters, Just As My Good Mother Used To Give Me Wormwood When I Was

Weakly In The Spring," Said Philip, Laughing. At Any Other Time This

Speech Would Have Drawn Down A Serious Remonstrance For Its Impiety,

But At The Present Moment Sam Was Too Much Engaged With The Treachery

Of Spikeman To Bestow Upon It Any Attention.

 

  

"Philip," He Said, "I Accept Thy Offer To Be Sworn Friends. This

Satan, This Pharaoh, This Platter With The Inside Unwashed, Shall Not

Have Another Chance To Set On Honest Men To Murder One Another.

Hearken, And Thou Shalt Have Another Secret. It Was This Hell

Incarnate Who Commanded Me To Load Thee With Irons, And To Starve Thee

Besides, But That I Could Not Do."

  

 

One Revelation Led To Another, Until The Whole Wickedness Of The

Assistant Was Laid Bare. Philip Also Learned In Addition That It Was

Bars Himself Who Had Communicated A Knowledge Of His Condition To The

Knight, By Whom Directions Had Been Left To Have Him Come To The Mount

Of Promise As Soon As He Should Be Liberated. Prudence, Too, He Was

Told, Had Been At The Prison To Inquire After Him, But The

Instructions To The Jailer Forbade The Carrying Or Delivering Of

Messages, For Which Reason Philip Had Hitherto Remained Ignorant Of

The Interest Betrayed By Her.

  

 

With The Discovery Of The Villainy Of Spikeman There Was Mixed Up Some

Comfort For The Soldier In Reflecting On The Affection Of Prudence And

The Friendship Of The Knight; But For The Jailer There Was No Such

Solace. He Dwelt Resentfully On The Exposure Of His Person And The

Loss Of Office Which Would Probably Have Been The Consequence Had

Philip Escaped, And Meditated Schemes Of Revenge.

  

 

When The Jailer Took Leave, The Soldier Stretched Himself Again On The

Straw, And In Spite Of The Prospect Of Liberty And The Scenes He Had

Just Passed Through, Was Soon Asleep.

 

 

Chapter V ("Wherefore Adew, My Owne Herte True, None Other Red I Can; For I Must To The Greene Wode Goe, Alone, A Banishyd Man.")

 

 

 

The Nut-Brown Maid.

 

 

The Uppermost Desire In The