Westward Ho [57]
drawing his chair close to Frank's, put quietly into his hand a dirty letter.
"This was the letter left for me," whispered he, "by a country fellow this morning. Look at it and tell me what I am to do."
Whereon Frank opened, and read--
"Mister Cary, be you wary By deer park end to-night. Yf Irish ffoxe com out of rocks Grip and hold hym tight."
"I would have showed it my father," said Will, "but--"
"I verily believe it to be a blind. See now, this is the handwriting of a man who has been trying to write vilely, and yet cannot. Look at that B, and that G; their formae formativae never were begotten in a hedge-school. And what is more, this is no Devon man's handiwork. We say 'to' and not 'by,' Will, eh? in the West country?"
"Of course."
"And 'man,' instead of 'him'?"
"True, O Daniel! But am I to do nothing therefore?"
"On that matter I am no judge. Let us ask much-enduring Ulysses here; perhaps he has not sailed round the world without bringing home a device or two."
Whereon Amyas was called to counsel, as soon as Mr. Cary could be stopped in a long cross-examination of him as to Mr. Doughty's famous trial and execution.
Amyas pondered awhile, thrusting his hands into his long curls; and then--
"Will, my lad, have you been watching at the Deer Park End of late?"
"Never."
"Where, then?"
"At the town-beach."
"Where else?
"At the town-head."
"Where else?"
"Why, the fellow is turned lawyer! Above Freshwater."
"Where is Freshwater?"
"Why, where the water-fall comes over the cliff, half-a-mile from the town. There is a path there up into the forest."
"I know. I'll watch there to-night. Do you keep all your old haunts safe, of course, and send a couple of stout knaves to the mill, to watch the beach at the Deer Park End, on the chance; for your poet may be a true man, after all. But my heart's faith is, that this comes just to draw you off from some old beat of yours, upon a wild-goose chase. If they shoot the miller by mistake, I suppose it don't much matter?"
"Marry, no."
"'When a miller's knock'd on the head, The less of flour makes the more of bread.'"
"Or, again," chimed in old Mr. Cary, "as they say in the North--
"'Find a miller that will not steal, Or a webster that is leal, Or a priest that is not greedy, And lay them three a dead corpse by; And by the virtue of them three, The said dead corpse shall quicken'd be.'"
"But why are you so ready to watch Freshwater to-night, Master Amyas?"
"Because, sir, those who come, if they come, will never land at Mouthmill; if they are strangers, they dare not; and if they are bay's-men, they are too wise, as long as the westerly swell sets in. As for landing at the town, that would be too great a risk; but Freshwater is as lonely as the Bermudas; and they can beach a boat up under the cliff at all tides, and in all weathers, except north and nor'west. I have done it many a time, when I was a boy."
"And give us the fruit of your experience now in your old age, eh? Well, you have a gray head on green shoulders, my lad; and I verily believe you are right. Who will you take with you to watch?"
"Sir," said Frank, "I will go with my brother; and that will be enough."
"Enough? He is big enough, and you brave enough, for ten; but still, the more the merrier."
"But the fewer, the better fare. If I might ask a first and last favor, worshipful sir," said Frank, very earnestly, "you would grant me two things: that you would let none go to Freshwater but me and my brother; and that whatsoever we shall bring you back shall be kept as secret as the commonweal and your loyalty shall permit. I trust that we are not so unknown to you, or to others, that you can doubt for a moment but that whatsoever we may do will satisfy at once your honor and our own."
"My dear young gentleman, there is no need of so many courtier's words. I am your father's friend, and yours. And God forbid that a Cary--for
"This was the letter left for me," whispered he, "by a country fellow this morning. Look at it and tell me what I am to do."
Whereon Frank opened, and read--
"Mister Cary, be you wary By deer park end to-night. Yf Irish ffoxe com out of rocks Grip and hold hym tight."
"I would have showed it my father," said Will, "but--"
"I verily believe it to be a blind. See now, this is the handwriting of a man who has been trying to write vilely, and yet cannot. Look at that B, and that G; their formae formativae never were begotten in a hedge-school. And what is more, this is no Devon man's handiwork. We say 'to' and not 'by,' Will, eh? in the West country?"
"Of course."
"And 'man,' instead of 'him'?"
"True, O Daniel! But am I to do nothing therefore?"
"On that matter I am no judge. Let us ask much-enduring Ulysses here; perhaps he has not sailed round the world without bringing home a device or two."
Whereon Amyas was called to counsel, as soon as Mr. Cary could be stopped in a long cross-examination of him as to Mr. Doughty's famous trial and execution.
Amyas pondered awhile, thrusting his hands into his long curls; and then--
"Will, my lad, have you been watching at the Deer Park End of late?"
"Never."
"Where, then?"
"At the town-beach."
"Where else?
"At the town-head."
"Where else?"
"Why, the fellow is turned lawyer! Above Freshwater."
"Where is Freshwater?"
"Why, where the water-fall comes over the cliff, half-a-mile from the town. There is a path there up into the forest."
"I know. I'll watch there to-night. Do you keep all your old haunts safe, of course, and send a couple of stout knaves to the mill, to watch the beach at the Deer Park End, on the chance; for your poet may be a true man, after all. But my heart's faith is, that this comes just to draw you off from some old beat of yours, upon a wild-goose chase. If they shoot the miller by mistake, I suppose it don't much matter?"
"Marry, no."
"'When a miller's knock'd on the head, The less of flour makes the more of bread.'"
"Or, again," chimed in old Mr. Cary, "as they say in the North--
"'Find a miller that will not steal, Or a webster that is leal, Or a priest that is not greedy, And lay them three a dead corpse by; And by the virtue of them three, The said dead corpse shall quicken'd be.'"
"But why are you so ready to watch Freshwater to-night, Master Amyas?"
"Because, sir, those who come, if they come, will never land at Mouthmill; if they are strangers, they dare not; and if they are bay's-men, they are too wise, as long as the westerly swell sets in. As for landing at the town, that would be too great a risk; but Freshwater is as lonely as the Bermudas; and they can beach a boat up under the cliff at all tides, and in all weathers, except north and nor'west. I have done it many a time, when I was a boy."
"And give us the fruit of your experience now in your old age, eh? Well, you have a gray head on green shoulders, my lad; and I verily believe you are right. Who will you take with you to watch?"
"Sir," said Frank, "I will go with my brother; and that will be enough."
"Enough? He is big enough, and you brave enough, for ten; but still, the more the merrier."
"But the fewer, the better fare. If I might ask a first and last favor, worshipful sir," said Frank, very earnestly, "you would grant me two things: that you would let none go to Freshwater but me and my brother; and that whatsoever we shall bring you back shall be kept as secret as the commonweal and your loyalty shall permit. I trust that we are not so unknown to you, or to others, that you can doubt for a moment but that whatsoever we may do will satisfy at once your honor and our own."
"My dear young gentleman, there is no need of so many courtier's words. I am your father's friend, and yours. And God forbid that a Cary--for