The Black Box 1
The Black Box
A Tale of Monmouth’s Rebellion
Author: W. Bourne Cooke
*Contents*
Prologue
CHAP.
I. Concerning "A Certain Person"
II. The Secret of the Black Box
III. Up a Tree
IV. Three Ships
V. The Man with the King’s Evil
VI. "Too Late"
VII. The Plotters
VIII. A Fight for Life
IX. The Shadow of Death
X. I Make a Solemn Vow
XI. I Live and Learn
XII. How I was Saved from Rashness
XIII. In the Great Room--and Afterwards
XIV. "Zion!"
XV. Tells how I Fleshed my Sword
XVI. Concerning one Dan Foe--a Friend in Need
XVII. Tells how I had Speech of Ferguson
XVIII. A Timely Warning
XIX. The Affair at the Barn
XX. At Sedgemoor Fight
XXI. I leave the Service of King James
XXII. In which I become a Prisoner
XXIII. "The Scourge of the West"
XXIV. Beneath the Gallows
*Illustrations*
"As he flew by he aimed a savage blow at me" Frontispiece
The Landing of the Duke of Monmouth
"Then such a fight began as makes me shudder when I think upon it"
"’How now! How came you by that horse?’"
Michael Fane before Judge Jeffreys
*THE BLACK BOX*
*Prologue*
My friends, beware of slim-legged, nimble-footed, white-faced men, in
sober grey, who tell long tales! They make for mischief. Nor do I warn
you without reason; for of such an one I reaped great trouble.
It was in the cool of a still June evening, as I rode leisurely among
these pleasant Dorset lanes of ours, that I came upon him sitting on the
roadside, beneath a larch tree, hugging his bony knees and muttering
like a soothsayer.
His hat--an ancient, greasy thing--lay on the ground beside him; his
grizzled hair seemed to grow upright on a strange-shaped head which ran
into a veritable peak towards the centre; while his face was so lined
and bloodless that it looked for all the world like crinkled parchment.
As for his small, pale eyes, they rose and fell beneath a pair of
quivering lids which kept time with his lips.
But what, I think, surprised me most was that although he must have
heard me, he took no heed whatever--his lips and eyelids went on
fluttering as though the road were empty.
All this was so unlikely and amazing that, on coming level with the
fellow, I pulled up to look at him; yet, notwithstanding that I fairly
blocked his view, he gave no sign of seeing me, but went on jabbering
like the apes which sailors bring ashore. Verily, it seemed he must be
either deaf and blind, or daft; therefore,
"What ails thee, friend?" I cried. To my no small astonishment he
sprang up as one shot, and for a moment stood there staring at me in a
lost, dazed manner; then, raising both hands to his egg-shaped head, he
murmured:
"Save us! So I was not out there among the Indies?"
He pointed with a long, thin finger seaward.
"Nay, friend," I answered soothingly, for indeed I now made certain he
was daft. "Thou wast sitting on a tussock in a Dorset lane, three miles
from Lyme."
"Lyme!" he muttered. "King’s Lyme! Lyme Regis, say you?"
"The same," said I.
"Ah! then Heaven be thanked!" says he, shuddering as he hugged his slim,
gaunt body. "For, look you, methought for certain I was out among the
blacks again. Wast ever in the Indies, friend, among the man-eaters?"
he added, glancing swiftly up at me with slit-like eyes.
"Nay," I answered, laughing. "I was never nearer them than Portland,
yonder."
"Then have you much to give thanks for," said he, raising his fingers
tip to tip, as priests do. "Yea, verily, ye cannot be too thankful that
the heathen are unknown to you. I, who have witnessed their
abominations, tell ye so. For, look you, friend, two long accursed
years I lived among the savages, and was partaker, willy-nilly, in their
wickedness. It fell out thus. I and eight others were wrecked upon a
little island in the far South Seas. Perchance ’twas a judgment on us,
for our captain was a buccaneer who spared not anyone. Howsoever that
may be, ’tis certain we were wrecked, and out of six-and-twenty souls
but nine of us reached land, nor was the captain one of these. That
island, friend, was glorious to behold; a Paradise of beauty. Methinks
I see it now" (he shut his eyes)--"its waving palms, its many-coloured
birds and flowers. Aye, truly, it was, as I said before, a Paradise!"
He continued after a slight pause. "But we did not enjoy its beauties
long, for as on the second night we lay asleep beneath the stars (not
having seen a soul upon the island, and therefore feeling safe),--as we
thus slept, I say, we were set upon by savages, and I, even I alone, was
left alive to tell this tale. We had saved some muskets from the wreck,
and thus, aroused by the shrieks of my hapless comrades who had been
speared to death while yet asleep, I, who had lain some distance from
them, leapt up and fired into the murderous wretches, killing one of
them. At that the others stood stock-still for a moment, like dumb,
frightened beasts--Heavens! how amazed they looked!--then, to my great
astonishment (for I made certain my last hour was come), they all, as
one man, dropped face downwards on the ground, and, rubbing their noses
in the earth and patting their ugly heads, broke forth in dismal wails.
But, verily, I understood the matter. They had never heard a
musket-shot before; they took me for a god; they worshipped me. Nor was
I slow to make the most of it. First I recharged my piece, then with a
cry which made them turn their wicked faces up, I pointed to it. Then,
may I die if one and all did not come crawling up to lick my feet like
dogs.
"Well, friend, to make few words of it, when those thrice-accursed
fellows departed to their own island in canoes, I went with them; and
there, for two long, weary years I reigned among them like a king. I
was accounted to have power to heal all sickness. My frown brought
death. Moreover, I had some skill in tricks of hand and eye, the which
I played upon them to a right good purpose. Look you, this is one of
them."
Here he brought forth from his pocket six small carven balls of wood,
about the size of pistol-bullets, and throwing them up swiftly one by
one, caught each in his mouth as it descended. Then, by what means I
know not, he contrived to make them seem to reappear by way of eyes, and
ears, and nose, and sleeves--yea, verily, from everywhere except his
mouth; until the last of them was found inside his hat, which, as I can
swear, he had not touched.
"’Tis naught," quoth he, when this was finished, and I was yet
marvelling at his cleverness. "I have at least a score such tricks, far
better. But now, to finish what I was a-telling. Two years lived I
with those savages, and had wellnigh given up all hope of ever leaving
them, when, on a certain blessed night, as I sat watching for the ship
that never came, I saw a light far off upon the water. Soon I made out
that it was coming nearer. I did not wait another moment, but creeping
down on to the shore, took one of the canoes which always lay there, and
paddled off with all my might.
"The night was dark, the sea was smooth as glass, and so, with all
things favouring me, it was not long before I drew near enough to hail
the vessel. Heavens, friend, how I shouted, and how my voice rang out
across the silent waters! At first they took no heed; but at length
there came an answering shout, and then, to my exceeding joy, I knew by
the change of lights that they were heaving to. Then did I speed again
towards the ship and soon came up with her. Yet when at length I drew
alongside, and lanterns made me plain to those aboard, they eyed me with
ill-favour, and had some mind to keep me off. Nor do I wonder at it;
for truly, friend, what with my streaming hair and beard, and garments
made of beast skins, they must have looked upon me as both mad and
dangerous.
"But I was not to be denied, and so, notwithstanding that two years
among the savages had mightily confused my English, I yet made shift to
tell those wondering seamen swiftly of my sorry plight. Still they must
needs fall to muttering among themselves ere they would hoist me to the
deck; but this they did at last, and straightway fed and clothed me.
This very suit of grey was given me by a gentleman aboard that
ship--Heaven’s blessing on him! True, ’tis a trifle large for one so
thin, but ’tis of a fine good cloth, and serves me well. After a voyage
of many months they brought me home, and so--well, here am I; and thus
