The Black Box 23
"Well, and what next?" I asked.
"You come with us," said he who had been kneeling on me.
"Ah! and where to?"
"Where bidden and where led."
"Who sent you on this business?"
"That’s our concern. Ask no more questions."
I had no wish to do so; and, indeed, I knew the answer to my last one
just as well as they did. Yes, their master’s name was graven on their
evil faces. The tools of Ferguson were not to be mistaken.
"Wilt let me rise?" I asked.
Their answer was to free my arms and draw back a little, though still
covering me with both pistols. So I sat up and stared at them afresh,
the while I strove to form swift plans for their destruction. But this
seemed hopeless beyond measure, for my sword lay well behind them; I had
no weapon save my fists, and what were they against two pistol bullets,
which the slightest threatening movement would most assuredly bring
crashing through my skull? Nor would a shout for help be any less
disastrous, even supposing help were to be had in such a lonely place at
such a time. But I had little chance to think upon such profitless
affairs, for, bringing the pistol nearer to my face, the leader said:
"Put your hands close together, that we may bind them. The rope, Dick!"
There being nothing else for it, I instantly obeyed, and held them out;
while the man he called Dick brought forth a knot of cord and hasted to
unwind it. Thus it seemed that, notwithstanding all my strength, I
should soon be bound and helpless--entirely at the mercy of these two
conspiring villains. But in that pressing moment some words of Coram’s
flashed into my brain.
"Stay!" I said, "there’s surely some mistake."
He with the rope grinned mockingly, while his companion jerked the
pistol threateningly and growled:
"What’s that? What mean you?"
"Why, this," I answered, lowering my hands apart. "’Twere well to make
quite sure of things before you act."
"What riddle’s that?" asked he.
"No riddle," I replied. "A warning. Again I say, there’s some mistake
about this matter."
"Pish!" quoth he, "I’ll take my chance of that. There’s no mistake, I
fancy, save on your side. Keep a still tongue, and hold your hands out.
Dick, do you bind him instantly, We’ve lost good time enough already."
"All right!" I put in, as the other bent to do his work; "but don’t
blame me when it turns out that you have bound the wrong man after all."
Both started somewhat.
"Wrong man!" mocked he who held the pistol. "Not much, I fancy. A spy,
a dangerous malcontent, an enemy to Monmouth’s cause! What say you?"
"Why, this," said I, "that I am neither, therefore have a care.
Listen," I went on slowly; "do enemies of Monmouth know his secret
passwords?--Zion!"
The cord which had gone once around my wrists dropped off; the pistol
jerked aside. With my left hand I struck the would-be binder in the
chest and sent him flying backwards; while with my right I seized the
barrel of the pistol. It went off with a deafening bang, and the
bullet, missing my head by scarce an inch, went singing to the cliffs
behind. Leaping up I wrenched the smoking weapon from its holder’s grasp
and brought the butt-end down with all my might upon his shoulder.
With a loud, fierce cry he staggered back, thus giving me the chance I
needed. Snatching up the other pistol and my sword, which lay close by
the water, I took a hurried aim at him; but the spray had got into the
pan, and so when I pulled the trigger nothing came of it except a flash
of flint and steel. Casting the faithless thing away, I turned a keen
look on my foes. Their amaze was great, nor do I wonder at it, for
indeed the change had been both sudden and bewildering. Thus for a
moment we stood staring at each other, then out flew their swords.
Now, two to one is no great odds provided that the one cannot be taken
in the rear; but as I then stood such a thing was more than possible.
Therefore I made a sudden rush between the half-dazed fellows, and
reaching the cliffs, which rose some dozen yards behind, stood with my
back thereto and faced them.
"Come on!" I shouted, jeeringly. "The sooner this is settled now the
better!"
At first they did not move, but stood there staring in the moonlight,
dumbstricken as it seemed by such a turning of the tables. Then they
came on slowly, cautiously, their heads thrust forward and their swords
held back.
I waited for them eagerly, with blade-point lowered, impatient of their
slowness and the space that lay betwixt us. Here was the very thing I
longed for, sure enough--a clean, straight sword-fight--no one to
disturb us, a kindly moon by way of light, and risk enough to make the
matter pleasant. ’Twas as near as I could get to Robert Ferguson just
then; besides, I owed these his varlets something, and was minded to
repay the debt with usury.
On they came, creeping step by step, as though expecting I might rush
upon them, until they were within three yards of me, and there they
stopped. Then he whose knee I had such painful knowledge of made shift
to speak.
"Hearken!" said he. "Wilt yield, or must we kill thee?"
"That is a question easy of the answering," said I. "Kill me if you can;
but as for yielding--go to, now, act like men, not craven cowards.
Fight, I say!"
I took a threatening step towards them, and they fell back hurriedly.
"Not so," quoth he, and verily methought I saw him quake with fear.
"You have outwitted us, I own it freely. That being so it seems to me
’twere fair to strike a bargain. Thus, we will leave you here in peace
and go our way."
"A very pretty plan," I answered mockingly; "but one which scarce
commends itself to my desire. Listen! you go not from this place alive
if I can help it."
That settled it. They drew together whispering for a moment, then came
upon me with a desperate rush.
*CHAPTER XV*
*Tells How I Fleshed My Sword*
A moment later and the clash of steel rose merrily above the thunder of
the waves; and with each movement of my sword the eager blood rushed
faster through my veins and gave new zest to life. In short, I revelled
in the business, and thought no more of lurking death than you do when
you breathe. I had learned swordsmanship beneath my father’s trained
and watchful eye; the blade I wielded was his gift to me; my foes were
Ferguson’s own hirelings. What more could any man require to give him
skill and courage? I needed nothing else at any rate; and so, with
tight-set lips and watchful eye, I fought beneath the moon.
As for my adversaries, notwithstanding that they had been made to fight
against their will, and thus lacked spirit, they yet soon proved
themselves to be no paltry swordsmen; indeed, they showed such knowledge
of the game that I was more than once hard put to it to save myself from
thrust or cut. But, verily, my length of reach exceeded theirs by many
inches--moreover, zeal and hatred count for much--and so it was not long
before I sent one of them (he who had tried to bind me) reeling with a
sword-thrust in the heart. His death-cry echoed loud above us in the
cliffs, then down he crashed, a harmless heap, upon the shingle.
At that the other leapt back panting, and stared at me with fearful,
terror-stricken eyes.
"Enough!" gasped he. "I yield!"
"Down with your sword, then," I answered sternly.
He cast his weapon to the ground, and, turning, would have fled; but in
a moment I had darted after him and seized him by the neck.
"Hold! not so fast!" I said, shaking him till his teeth clicked. "To
save your miserable life is one thing, to spread tidings is another."
"I swear to spread no tidings," came his chattering answer.
"Well said," quoth I; "you will not get the chance." Here my eye fell
on the cord which had fallen from his hand when I had knocked him over.
I led him to it. "See," I said, "you would have bound me with that
rope; now let me do so much for you. On your back, I pray you."
Down he went, and lay thus while I tied him hand and foot.
"Good!" said I, regarding him intently when my task was finished. "That
is another way we have with those who serve one Robert Ferguson. Be
thankful that you do not lie as still as your companion yonder."
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