Windsor Castle [143]
that the train was complete.
"We have now laid a trap from which Herne will scarcely escape," he observed, with a moody laugh, to Fenwolf.
They then prepared to return to the cave, but had not proceeded many yards, when Herne, mounted on his sable steed, burst through the trees.
"Ah! what make you here? " he cried, instantly checking his career. "I bade you keep a strict watch over MabeL Where is she?
"She has escaped with Sir Thomas Wyat," replied Fenwolf, "and we have been in search of them. "
Escaped!" exclaimed Herne, springing from his steed, and rushing up to him; "dogs! you have played me false. But your lives shall pay the penalty of your perfidy."
"We had no hand in it whatever," replied Fenwolf doggedly. "She contrived to get out of a chamber in which I placed her, and to liberate Sir Thomas Wyat. They then procured a steed from the stable, and plunged through the pool into the lake."
"Hell's malison upon them, and upon you both!" cried Herne. "But you shall pay dearly for your heedlessness, - if, indeed, it has not been something worse. How long have they been gone?"
"It may be two hours," replied Fenwolf.
"Go to the cave," cried Herne, "and await my return there; and if I recover not the prize, woe betide you both!"
And with these words, he vaunted upon his steed and disappeared.
"And woe betide you too, false fiend!" cried Fenwolf. "When you come back you shall meet with a welcome you little expect. Would we had fired the train, Tristram, even though we had perished with him!"
It will be time enough to fire it on his return," replied the old forester; "it is but postponing our vengeance for a short time. And now to fix our positions. I will take my station in yon brake."
"And I in that hollow tree," said Fenwolf. "Whoever first beholds him shall fire the train."
"Agreed!" replied Tristram. "Let us now descend to the cave and see that all is right in the magazine, and then we will return and hold ourselves in readiness for action."
VII. How the Train was fired, and what followed the Explosion.
About ten o'clock in the night under consideration, Surrey and Richmond, accompanied by the Duke of Shoreditch, and half a dozen other archers, set out from the castle, and took their way along the great park, in the direction of the lake.
They had not ridden far, when they were overtaken by two horsemen who, as far as they could be discerned in that doubtful light, appeared stalwart personages, and well mounted, though plainly attired. The new-comers very unceremoniously joined them.
"There are ill reports of the park, my masters," said the foremost of these persons to Surrey, " and we would willingly ride with you across it"
"But our way may not be yours, friend," replied Surrey, who did not altogether relish this proposal. "We are not going farther than the lake."
"Our road lies in that direction," replied the other, " and, if you please, we will bear you company as far as we go. Come, tell me frankly," he added, after a pause," are you not in search of Herne the Hunter?"
"Why do you ask, friend?" rejoined the earl somewhat angrily.
"Because if so," replied the other, "I shall be right glad to join you, and so will my friend, Tony Cryspyn, who is close behind me. I have an old grudge to settle with this Herne, who has more than once attacked me, and I shall be glad to pay it."
"If you will take my advice, Hugh Dacre, you will ride on, and leave the achievement of the adventure to these young galliards," interposed Cryspyn.
"Nay, by the mass! that shall never be," rejoined Dacre, "if they have no objection to our joining them. If they have, they have only to say so, and we will go on."
"I will be plain with you, my masters," said Surrey. "We are determined this night, as you have rightly conjectured, to seek out Herne the Hunter; and we hope to obtain such clue to him as will ensure his capture. If, therefore, you are anxious to join us, we shall be glad of your aid. But you must be content to follow, and not lead--and
"We have now laid a trap from which Herne will scarcely escape," he observed, with a moody laugh, to Fenwolf.
They then prepared to return to the cave, but had not proceeded many yards, when Herne, mounted on his sable steed, burst through the trees.
"Ah! what make you here? " he cried, instantly checking his career. "I bade you keep a strict watch over MabeL Where is she?
"She has escaped with Sir Thomas Wyat," replied Fenwolf, "and we have been in search of them. "
Escaped!" exclaimed Herne, springing from his steed, and rushing up to him; "dogs! you have played me false. But your lives shall pay the penalty of your perfidy."
"We had no hand in it whatever," replied Fenwolf doggedly. "She contrived to get out of a chamber in which I placed her, and to liberate Sir Thomas Wyat. They then procured a steed from the stable, and plunged through the pool into the lake."
"Hell's malison upon them, and upon you both!" cried Herne. "But you shall pay dearly for your heedlessness, - if, indeed, it has not been something worse. How long have they been gone?"
"It may be two hours," replied Fenwolf.
"Go to the cave," cried Herne, "and await my return there; and if I recover not the prize, woe betide you both!"
And with these words, he vaunted upon his steed and disappeared.
"And woe betide you too, false fiend!" cried Fenwolf. "When you come back you shall meet with a welcome you little expect. Would we had fired the train, Tristram, even though we had perished with him!"
It will be time enough to fire it on his return," replied the old forester; "it is but postponing our vengeance for a short time. And now to fix our positions. I will take my station in yon brake."
"And I in that hollow tree," said Fenwolf. "Whoever first beholds him shall fire the train."
"Agreed!" replied Tristram. "Let us now descend to the cave and see that all is right in the magazine, and then we will return and hold ourselves in readiness for action."
VII. How the Train was fired, and what followed the Explosion.
About ten o'clock in the night under consideration, Surrey and Richmond, accompanied by the Duke of Shoreditch, and half a dozen other archers, set out from the castle, and took their way along the great park, in the direction of the lake.
They had not ridden far, when they were overtaken by two horsemen who, as far as they could be discerned in that doubtful light, appeared stalwart personages, and well mounted, though plainly attired. The new-comers very unceremoniously joined them.
"There are ill reports of the park, my masters," said the foremost of these persons to Surrey, " and we would willingly ride with you across it"
"But our way may not be yours, friend," replied Surrey, who did not altogether relish this proposal. "We are not going farther than the lake."
"Our road lies in that direction," replied the other, " and, if you please, we will bear you company as far as we go. Come, tell me frankly," he added, after a pause," are you not in search of Herne the Hunter?"
"Why do you ask, friend?" rejoined the earl somewhat angrily.
"Because if so," replied the other, "I shall be right glad to join you, and so will my friend, Tony Cryspyn, who is close behind me. I have an old grudge to settle with this Herne, who has more than once attacked me, and I shall be glad to pay it."
"If you will take my advice, Hugh Dacre, you will ride on, and leave the achievement of the adventure to these young galliards," interposed Cryspyn.
"Nay, by the mass! that shall never be," rejoined Dacre, "if they have no objection to our joining them. If they have, they have only to say so, and we will go on."
"I will be plain with you, my masters," said Surrey. "We are determined this night, as you have rightly conjectured, to seek out Herne the Hunter; and we hope to obtain such clue to him as will ensure his capture. If, therefore, you are anxious to join us, we shall be glad of your aid. But you must be content to follow, and not lead--and