"What a pity the river's between, with a flood on! But for that we might have crossed at Huntsholme, and caught up with them ere they could--"

He broke off abruptly at sound of footsteps: the tread of heavy boots, with the c.h.i.n.k of spurs, and the louder clank of a steel scabbard striking against them.

He making all these formidable noises was Sergeant Rob Wilde, seen ascending the steep pitch, and evidently on some errand that called for haste.

Sir Richard, advancing to meet him, saw that he had something in his hand, with a good guess as to what it was.

"Jerky Jack ha' brought this, colonel," said the sergeant, saluting, as he held out a slip of paper, folded and sealed. "He ha' just got up fra Monnerth; an', accordin' to your command, I took it out o' his leg."

"You did quite right, sergeant. Was there nothing more in the leg?"

"Only some silver, colonel; the difference o' the money he got for the fowls an' what he gied for the grocer goods. He stowed it theer, afeerd o' the King's sodgers strippin' him o't."

"A wise precaution on Jerky's part," observed the knight, with a smile.

"And called for, no doubt."

Then, returning to where Ma.s.sey stood awaiting him, he said,--

"We shall know now, your Excellency, what Kyrle means doing. This is from him--I recognise the script."

The superscription on the letter was only the initials "R.W.," Sir Richard's own, who otherwise knew it was for himself, and while speaking had broken open the seal.

Unfolding the sheet, he saw what surprised and at first fretted him-- that device borne on his hat and the standard of his troop--the sword-pierced crown. It appeared at the head of the page, in rough pen-and-ink sketch, and might be meant ironically. But no; the writing underneath gave the explanation:--

"By the symbol above R.W. will understand that K. abjures the hatred thing called 'Kingship' henceforth and for ever. After this night he will never draw sword in such a cause, and this night only to give it a back-handed blow. R.W.'s proposal accepted. Plan of action thus:-- M. at once to retire troops from High Meadow, news of which a messenger already warned will bring hither post haste. But good reason must be given for retiring, else K. might have difficulty getting leave to go in pursuit. Withdrawal appearing compulsory, there will be none. H., who commands here, is a conceited a.s.s, ambitious to cut a figure, and will rush into the trap as a rat after cheese. R.W. may show this to M., and himself feel a.s.sured that if the sword of his old comrade-in-arms be again employed in the service of the P., it will cut keen enough to make up for past deficiencies, which K. hopes and trusts will be forgiven and forgotten."

No name was appended to the singular epistle nor signature of any kind.

It needed none. Sir Richard Walwyn knew the writer to be Robert Kyrle, a lieutenant-colonel in the Royalist army, who at the beginning of the war had drawn sword for the Parliament. In days gone by they had fought side by side in a foreign land,--more recently in their own,--and Kyrle could well call Sir Richard an "old comrade-in-arms." Now they were in opposite camps; but if that letter could be relied upon as a truthful exponent of the writer's sentiments, they were likely soon to be in the same again. Already there had been a pa.s.sage of notes between them, and the knight had now a full comprehension of what his anonymous correspondent meant, knew to whom the various initials referred--in short, understood everything purposed and proposed.

"What's your opinion of it, Colonel Walwyn?" asked the Governor, after hearing the letter read, and receiving some necessary explanations. "Do you think we can trust him?"

"I do, your Excellency; feel sure of it now. I know Kyrle better than most men, and something of his motives for going over to the other side.

Nothing base or cowardly in them; instead, rather honourable thin otherwise. For, in truth, it was out of affection for his old father, whose property was threatened with wholesale confiscation. Walford, up the river, this side Ross, is their home. It is within cannon range of Goodrich Castle, right under, and Lingen would have been sure to make a ruin of it had Kyrle not gone over to the King. Now that the chances of war are with us again, and he thinks that danger past, his heart bounds back to what it once warmly beat for. I know it did, as he has oft told me, in tent and by camp fire."

"To what?" asked Ma.s.sey, himself a veteran of the Low Country campaigns, and feeling interest in souvenirs of sentiment.

"This?" answered the knight, pointing to the device inside the letter, still in his hand. "I believe he will be true to it now, as he promises; and if we get nothing more by it than his sword, it's one worth gaining, your Excellency. Than Kyrle I don't know braver or better soldier."

"Well, Colonel, since you seem so disposed to this thing, and confident of success, I'm willing we should make the attempt. At the worst we can but fail, though, indeed, failure may cost us a good many of our best men. Best they must be to form the forlorn hope."

"If your Excellency permit, I and my Foresters will form that. With my confidence in them, and faith in Kyrle, I have no fear of failure--if the details of our scheme be carried out as designed."

"They shall be, Sir Richard, so far as I can effect it. You may rely upon me for that. Nay, I leave the ordering and arrangement of everything to yourself."

"Thanks, your Excellency. But the sooner we set about it the better.

Kyrle, as you see, counsels the withdrawal at once."

"But what about the reasons for doing so? Without that, he tells us--"

"I've thought of that, too," interrupted Sir Richard, now all haste.

"It's part of my plan already arranged. But it will take a little time to procure this reason, so that it may appear plausible--the time it will take a man, mounted on a good horse, to gallop to Coleford and back."

"I don't quite comprehend you, Colonel. For what purpose this galloping to Coleford?"

"To get news from Gloucester--telling us it is threatened by Rupert."

The Governor gave a start, as if actually being told it was so. Then, recovering himself, as he saw the smile on Sir Richard's face, at the same time catching the purport of his dubious words, he smiled, too, admiringly upon the soldier knight, as he rejoined,--

"An admirable idea! It will do! But, as you say, Colonel, there must be no time lost. The messenger must be despatched at once. So let us back to High Meadow House."

Saying which, he started off down the hill.

Sir Richard was about to follow when his big sergeant, who had been all the while standing near, stepped up to him, and saluting, said,--

"There be a woman as wants a word wi' ye, Colonel."

"A woman! Who, Rob?"

"Cadger Jack's sister."

"Where is she?"

"A little ways down the lane. I didn't like bringin' she up, fears you or the Governor mightn't wish bein' intruded on. Besides, her business be more wi' yerself, Colonel."

"Well, Wilde," half jocularly returned the knight, "your discretion seems on a par with your valour. But let us down, and hear what the cadgeress has to say. If it be a question of squaring the market account, you can take that upon yourself. I give you _carte blanche_ to settle scores; and if they've brought back groceries, you may distribute them among the men."

"It bean't nothin' o' that Win want to speak ye about?"

"What is it, then? You seem, to know."

"There be herself, Colonel. Her can tell you better'n me."

He pointed to the Forest Amazon, who but a short distance below stood by the trunk of a tree, from behind which she had just stepped, Ma.s.sey having pa.s.sed without seeing her.

"Well, Mistress Winifred," said the knight, when near enough to commence conversation, "my sergeant tells me you've something to say."

"Only a word, your honour; an' I be's most feered to speak it, since it ant a pleasant one."

"Out with it, anyhow."

"Him be wounded."

"Who?"

"The young officer as wor took at Hollymead--Captain Trevor."

"Ha! Wounded, too! Who told you that?"

"'Twor all about Monnerth the day, wheres him be in prison. I tried get a chance to speak wi' he, but couldn't, bein' watched by the sodgers roun' the Castle."