"_This to make known that our worthy and well-trusted servant, Colonel Nathaniel Fiennes, has our commission to undertake the government of our good and faithful city of Bristol, and we hereby direct and do command that all persons submit and yield due obedience to the lawful authority so holden by him_.

"_Signed_, _Lenthal_."

The astonished colonel made some vapouring protest in speech, but not by action. For the son of Lord Saye and Sele had not come thither unattended. At his back was a _posse_ of stalwart fellows--soldiers, who, that same morning, were under the orders of him now being placed in arrest, but, having learnt there was a change of commanding officers, knew better than to refuse obedience to the new one.

So the deposed governor, forced to part company with his _convives_, was carried off to prison as a common malefactor. He, too, the son of the Earl of Ess.e.x, Lord General of the Parliamentary army--the Parliament itself having ordered it! Verily, these were days when men feared not to arraign and punish--unlucky times for tyrants and traitors! To have concealed a deficit of four thousand pounds in the national exchequer _then_ would have been a more dangerous deception than to waste as many millions _now_, without being able to render account of them.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

THE CADGERS ON DANGEROUS GROUND.

"Yonner be the big city at last! Glad I am. Ain't you that, Jink.u.m?"

It was Jerky Jack who spoke, the exclamation meant for his sister, who was with him, the interrogation addressed to the donkey.

They were not upon any of the Forest roads, but quite on the other side of the Severn, trudging along towards Bristol, the big city whose spires Jack had caught sight of.

One could almost fancy that the dumb brute comprehended the question facetiously put; at the words elevating its head, giving a wallop or two with its long ears, and mending the pace.

"It be good three mile to go yet," rejoined the woman. "Just that frae the cross roads--a bit forrard."

"Well, Winny; us ought to get theer by seven o' the clock?"

"So us ought, if nothin' stop we," and she cast an anxious glance along the road ahead.

"Don't think theer be much danger o' gettin' stopt now. The Governor o'

Glo'ster sayed when's we got well on maybe we'd meet some o' the Bristol sodgers patrollin' about. Weesh we did. 'Tain't noways comfortable travellin', all o' the time in fear o' being pulled up and knocked about by them Cavalieres. Ha! ha! If that party we pa.s.sed at Berkeley cud a'

seed through my wooden leg, 'tain't likely I'd be stumpin' along here?"

"True. But 'tain't wise to cry safe till one be sure o' it. Ye know they told us in Glo'ster that the King's dragoneers ha' it all their own way in the country places; him's they call Prince Roopert, goin' about like a ragin' lion, runnin' people through, an' shootin' 'em down wi'

pistols as if they were no better than dogs. It's a big risk us be runnin', Jack!"

"Right you bees, theer. But then--the reward, Winny! If us only get safe inside, it ought be worth mor'n the profits on a twelvemonth o'

cadgin'. Don't ye think 'twill?"

"Coorse I do."

She spoke in all sincerity. Whatever the money reward Jerky Jack was looking forward to, the woman had another in view, also contingent on their safe arrival inside the city,--one she thought worth far more than money. For there she would, or should, meet a man she had not seen for months, though ardently longing to see him. Scarce necessary to say, Rob Wilde was the individual, when it was known that the erst deer-stealer of Dean Forest was now a soldier--first sergeant of a troop forming part of the force then garrisoning Bristol.

"Yee-up, Jink.u.m?" cried Jack, encouraged by his sister's words, at the same time conscious as she of the danger alluded to, and the probability of their yet encountering obstruction. It was just after the capture of Cirencester by Prince Rupert; a ma.s.sacre, sparing neither man nor woman, friend nor foe; they who survived it having been carried, or rather dragged, off to Oxford in triumphal train, a feast for the eyes of the King. To meet it, he, with his _entourage_ of courtiers and sycophants, sallied forth from the city of colleges--but not of education or manners--supreme capital of conceit and sn.o.bbery, almost as much then as now. They were met miles out, coming from Witney, by hundreds of half-naked people, shivering in the chill frost of a winter's day, weary and footsore, covered with mud from the roads they had been driven over as cattle to market!

An impartial historian, or certainly not one who favours the Parliament, thus records the cruel episode:--"Tying them in pairs, they were marched to Oxford. The King, with many n.o.bles and commanders and people of the city, went forth to witness their arrival. They formed a long line upon the road, escorted by two troops of cavalry. Among them were gentlemen and ministers, and a mixed mult.i.tude of soldiers, husbandmen, and townsmen. The ways were foul with the trampling of horses; the captives had gone sometimes knee deep in mire, beaten and driven along like jaded beasts, all of them weary, and many of them wounded. In this wretched train appeared a ghastly figure, naked, and, because he was unable to march with the rest, mounted upon the bare back of a horse. His form was manly and handsome; though exhausted, he sat upright with an undaunted air, and the remarkable fairness of his bodily complexion was heightened, where it was not concealed, by gore from many a gaping wound. As he drew near the King, a brawling woman cried aloud to him--'Ah, you traitorous rogue! You are well enough served.' He turned upon her a scornful look, retorted a term of base reproach, sunk from his seat, and expired."

Such was the spectacle to which the ruffian Rupert treated his uncle after the taking of Cirencester at the expense of its unfortunate citizens. And the "kind-hearted King" looked upon it without showing a spark of pity, while his courtiers gloated over it in a very exuberance of joy, even insulting the wretched captives by ribald speech, while giving gleeful and fulsome congratulations to their inhuman captors.

The fall of Cirencester was the prelude to that of Tewkesbury, Malmesbury, and Devizes, all hitherto held by Parliamentary forces; while the strong castles of Sudley and Berkeley had also to be evacuated by them, changing garrisons and showing new flags above their _donjons_.

So close pressed at this time were the partisans of the Parliament in the border shires that Ma.s.sey was all but cooped up in Gloucester, while the new governor of Bristol was almost equally engaged within the Seaport of the Severn.

Not strange, then, Jerky and his sister having fear to encounter the "Cavalieres," as Jack called them. Though as humble cadgers, they would not be exempt from outrage at the hands of the Royalists; one of whom, Hastings, son of an aristocratic n.o.bleman, had obtained such notoriety in this line as to be called "Rob-carrier." The princely plunderer, Rupert, had set the fashion, and wherever he and his troopers had control, the routes were only pa.s.sable for travellers at the risk of being stripped, as by highwaymen, and butchered in cold blood on the slightest show of resistance.

It was no market commodity, however, about which Jerky and his sister were apprehensive, nor aught else carried in Jink.u.m's panniers--these being absolutely empty. What it was could not be learnt from anything seen upon the donkey or the persons of its owners; though Jack's allusion to his wooden leg, with certain eventualities contingent on its being seen through, seemed to point to some mysterious matter. Whatever it might be, no more speech was heard concerning it then, Jerky with another "Yee-up!" adding,--

"Three mile more, Jink.u.m, and ye'll be in the snug corner o' an inn stable-yard, wi' a measure of barley or beans at your nose. Think o'

that!"

Despite the evident hurry the cadger was in, no thwack of stick accompanied the words. Nor was any needed; the night was well-nigh on, the air piercingly cold, the road frost-bound, with nothing on either side that even an a.s.s could eat, and Jink.u.m, hungry enough, seemed to know something of that snug stable-yard which promised barley or beans.

So, setting ears as if determined to reach the city soon as possible, it again briskened its pace.

The firm frozen ground favoured speed, enabling Jink.u.m to go gingerly along. It was equally favourable to Jack, with his timber leg, or he would have had ado to keep up with the donkey. As it was, no time was left him for aught else than quick tramping, the rough and now darkened path calling for all the attention he could bestow on it to save him from a tumble. But he had no need to trouble himself with any look-out ahead. That was left to the big sister, who, stepping out some paces in advance, scanned the road at every turn and corner. She saw nothing, however, to be apprehended. If there were any "Cavalieres" in the neighbourhood, either the hour--between day and night--or the pinching cold, kept them confined to their quarters. At all events, neither Cavaliers, nor wayfarers of any other speciality, were encountered by them, and for their last three miles of trudge towards Bristol they had the road all to themselves.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

A GRAND SERGEANT OF GUARD.

Getting within sight of the city's gate, the cadgers could see it was shut, drawbridge up, and portcullis down. Bristol was then a walled town, with an _enceinte_ of ancient fortifications that had lately been repaired and strengthened. Night had now come on, and it was pitch dark. But a lamp set high on one of the gate towers threw its light across the moat, revealing to the eyes of the sentry who held post overhead the party seeking admittance. At sight of their humble mien, he thought of the bitterly cold night, and hearing of their reasonable request, called to the guard-sergeant below; then, to the inquiry of the latter, gave description of them in brief soldierly phrase--"Woman, man, and donkey."

Whether his reversing the usual rule, by putting the woman before the man, was due to her superior stature, or because of her being better under the lamplight, his words seemed to produce a singular effect on the sergeant. Starting suddenly up from his seat by the guard-house fire, he rushed out and on to the wicket. There, placing his eye to the peep-hole, he saw what influenced him to give instant orders for the lowering of the bridge.

By this he was taking a great responsibility on his shoulders, though they seemed strong and broad enough to bear it; for the guard-sergeant was no other than Rob Wilde. As it chanced, the captain of the guard was just then out of the way; and Rob had reason to think he would be pardoned for the little stretch of vicarial authority.

"Ha' patience, Win!" he shouted across. "We won't be more than a minnit."

Then with a will he set on to a.s.sist the others in letting the bridge down.

Win was patient; could well be, after hearing that voice, at once recognised by her. She thought nothing of the cold now; no more feared the raiding "Cavalieres."

Never was drawbridge more promptly made pa.s.sable. The creaking of a windla.s.s; with a rattling of chains, and it was down in its place. The wicket was at the same time drawn open, and the cadger party pa.s.sed over and in.

"Lor, Win!" said Rob, drawing the great woman aside under the shadow of the guard-house wall, and saluting her with a kiss, "where be yees from?"

"Glo'ster east," she responded, soon as her lips were released from the osculation.

"An' what ha' brought ye to Bristol?"

"Business o' diff'rent kinds."

"But ye don't appear to ha' any ladin' on the donkey?"

"Us may goin' back--hope to."

The cadgeress was prevaricating. No commercial speculation was the cause of their being there; and if in pa.s.sing through Gloucester they had picked up a commission, it was quite a windfall, having nought to do with the original object of their extended excursion. Neither on leaving Ruardean, nor up to that moment, was Jerky himself aware of its purpose, Winny having been its projector. But he could trust her, and she, in her usual way, insisting upon the tramp, he had no alternative but to undertake it. He knew now, why his sister had brought him to Bristol, and that Rob Wilde was the lure which had attracted her thither.

Rob had some thought of this himself, or at least hoped it so; the unburdened donkey helping him in his hope.

"But ye bean't goin' back, surely?" he said.