So sudden and unexpected had been the pa.s.sage of Robert Willoughby through the court, and among the men on post without the inner gates, that no one recognised his person. A few saw that a stranger was in their midst; but, under his disguise, no one was quick enough of eye and thought to ascertain who that stranger was. The little white flag that they displayed, denoted the errand of the messengers; the rest was left to conjecture.
As soon as captain Willoughby ascertained that the alarm of the morning was not likely to lead to any immediate results, he had dismissed all the men, with the exception of a small guard, that was stationed near the outer gait, under the immediate orders of serjeant Joyce. The latter was one of those soldiers who view the details of the profession as forming its great essentials; and when he saw his commander about to direct a _sortie_, it formed his pride not to ask questions, and to seem to know nothing about it. To this, Jamie Allen, who composed one of the guard, quietly a.s.sented; but it was a great privation to the three or four New England-men to be commanded not to inquire into the why and wherefore.
"Wait for orders, men, wait for orders," observed the serjeant, by way of quieting an impatience that was very apparent. "If his honour, the captain, wished us to be acquainted with his movements, he would direct a general parade, and lay the matter before us, as you know he always does, on proper occasions. "Tis a flag going out, as you can see, and should a truce follow, we"ll lay aside our muskets, and seize the plough-shares; should it be a capitulation--I know our brave old commander too well to suppose it possible--but _should_ it be even _that_, we"ll ground arms like men, and make the best of it."
"And should Joel, and the other man, who is a stranger to me, be scalped?" demanded one of the party.
"Then we"ll avenge their scalps. That was the way with us, when my Lord Howe fell--"avenge his death! cried our colonel; and on we pushed, until near two thousand of us fell before the Frenchmen"s trenches. Oh!
_that_ was a sight worth seeing, and a day to talk of!"
"Yes, but you were threshed soundly, serjeant, as I"ve heard from many that were there."
"What of that, sir! we obeyed orders. "Avenge his death!" was the cry; and on we pushed, in obedience, until there were not men enough left in our battalion to carry the wounded to the rear."
"And what did you do with them?" asked a youth, who regarded the serjeant as another Caesar--Napoleon not having come into notice in 1776.
"We let them lie where they fell. Young man, war teaches us all the wholesome lesson that impossibilities are impossible to be done. War is the great schoolmaster of the human race; and a learned man is he who has made nineteen or twenty campaigns."
"If he live to turn his lessons to account"--remarked the first speaker, with a sneer.
"If a man is to die in battle, sir, he had better die with his mind stored with knowledge, than be shot like a dog that has outlived his usefulness. Every pitched battle carries out of the world learning upon learning that has been got in the field. Here comes his honour, who will confirm all I tell you, men. I was letting these men, sir, understand that the army and the field are the best schools on earth.
Every old soldier will stick to that, your honour."
"We are apt to think so, Joyce--have the arms been inspected this morning?"
"As soon as it was light, I did that myself, sir."
"Flints, cartridge-boxes and bayonets, I hope?"
"Each and all, sir. Does your honour remember the morning we had the affair near Fort du Quesne?"
"You mean Braddock"s defeat, I suppose, Joyce?"
"I call nothing a defeat, captain Willoughby. We were roughly handled that day, sir; but I am not satisfied it was a defeat. It is true, we fell back, and lost some arms and stores; but, in the main, we stuck to our colours, considering it was in the woods. No, sir; I do not call that a defeat, by any means."
"You will at least own we were hard pressed, and might have fared worse than we did, had it not been for a certain colonial corps, that manfully withstood the savages?"
"Yes, sir; that I allow. I remember the corps, and its commander, a colonel Washington, with your honour"s permission."
"It was, indeed, Joyce. And do you happen to know what has became of this same colonel Washington?"
"It never crossed my mind to inquire, sir, as he was a provincial. I dare say he may have a regiment--or even a brigade by this time; and good use would he make of either."
"You have fallen far behind his fortunes, Joyce. The man is a commander-in-chief--a captain-general."
"Your honour is jesting--since many of his seniors are still living."
"This is the man who leads the American armies, in the war with England."
"Well, sir, in _that_ way, he may indeed get a quick step, or two.
I make no doubt, sir, so good a soldier will know how to obey orders."
"From which I infer you think him right, in the cause he has espoused?"
"Bless your honour, sir, I think nothing about it, and care nothing about it. If the gentleman has taken service with congress, as they call the new head-quarters, why he ought to obey congress; and if he serve the king, His Majesty"s orders should be attended to."
"And, in this crisis, serjeant, may I ask in what particular service you conceive yourself to be, just at the present moment?"
"Captain Willoughby"s, late of His Majesty"s ---th Regiment of Foot, at your honour"s command."
"If all act in the same spirit, Joyce, we shall do well enough at the Knoll, though twice as many savages brave us as are to be seen on yon rocks," returned the captain, smiling.
"And why should they no?" demanded Jamie Allen, earnestly. "Ye"re laird here, and we"ve no the time, nor the grace, to study and understand the orthodoxy and heterodoxy of the quarrel atween the House of Hanover and the houses of these Americans; so, while we a"stand up for the house and household of our old maister, the Lord will smile on our efforts, and lead us to victory."
"Divil bur-r-n me, now, Jamie," said Mike, who having seen the major to the gate, now followed his father, in readiness to do him any good turn that might offer--"Divil bur-r-n me, now, Jamie, if ye could have said it better had ye just aised yer conscience to a proper praist, and were talking on a clane breast! Stick up for the captain, says I, and the Lord will be of our side!"
The serjeant nodded approbation of this sentiment, and the younger Pliny, who happened also to be within hearing, uttered the sententious word "gosh" and clenched his fist, which was taken as proof of a.s.sent also, on his part. But, the Americans of the guard, all of whom were the tools of Joel"s and the miller"s arts, manifested a coldness that even exceeded the usual cold manner of their cla.s.s. These men meant right; but they had been deluded by the falsehoods, machinations, and frauds of a demagogue, and were no longer masters of their own opinions or acts. It struck the captain that something was wrong; but, a foreigner by birth himself, he had early observed, and long known, the peculiar exterior and phlegm of the people of the country, which so nearly resemble the stoicism of the aborigines, as to induce many writers to attribute both alike to a cause connected with climate. The present was not a moment however, nor was the impression strong enough to induce the master of the place to enter into any inquiries. Turning his eyes in the direction of the two bearers of the flag, he there beheld matter for new interest, completely diverting his thoughts from what had just pa.s.sed.
"I see they have sent two men to meet our messengers serjeant," he said--"This looks as if they understood the laws of war."
"Quite true, your honour. They should now blindfold our party, and lead them within their own works, before they suffer them to see at all; though there would be no great advantage in it, as Strides is as well acquainted with every inch of that rock as I am with the manual exercise."
"Which would seem to supersede the necessity of the ceremony you have mentioned?"
"One never knows, your honour. Blindfolding is according to the rules, and I should blindfold a flag before I let him approach, though the hostile ranks stood drawn up, one on each side of a parade ground. Much is gained, while nothing is ever lost, by sticking to the rules of a trade."
The captain smiled, as did all the Americans of the guard; the last having too much sagacity not to perceive that a thing might be overdone, as well as too little attended to. As for Jamie and Mike, they both received the serjeant"s opinions as law; the one from having tried the troops of the line at Culloden, and the other on account of divers experiences through which he had gone, at sundry fairs, in his own green island. By this time, however, all were too curious in watching the result of the meeting, to continue the discourse.
Robert Willoughby and Joel had moved along the lane towards the rocks, without hesitating, keeping their little flag flying. It did not appear that their approach produced any change among the savages, who were now preparing their breakfasts, until they had got within two hundred yards of the encampment, when two of the red-men, having first laid aside their arms, advanced to meet their visiters. This was the interview which attracted the attention of those at the Hut, and its progress was noted with the deepest interest.
The meeting appeared to be friendly. After a short conference, in which signs seemed to be a material agent in the communications, the four moved on in company, walking deliberately towards the rocks. Captain Willoughby had sent for his field-gla.s.s, and could easily perceive much that occuired in the camp, on the arrival of his son. The major"s movements were calm and steady, and a feeling of pride pa.s.sed over the father"s heart, as he noted this, amid a scene that was well adapted to disturbing the equilibrium of the firmest mind. Joel certainly betrayed nervousness, though he kept close at his companion"s side, and together they proceeded into the very centre of the party of strangers.
The captain observed, also, that this arrival caused no visible sensation among the red-men. Even those the major almost touched in pa.s.sing did not look up to note his appearance, while no one seemed to speak, or in any manner to heed him. The cooking and other preparations for the breakfast proceeded precisely as if no one had entered the camp. The two who had gone forth to meet the flag alone attended its bearers, whom they led through the centre of the entire party; stopping only on the side opposite to the Hut, where there was an open s.p.a.ce of flat rock, which it had not suited the savages to occupy.
Here the four halted, the major turning and looking back like a soldier who was examining his ground. Nor did any one appear disposed to interrupt him in an employment that serjeant Joyce p.r.o.nounced to be both bold and against the usages of war to permit. The captain thought the stoicism of the savages amounted to exaggeration, and it renewed his distrust of the real characters of his visiters. In a minute or two, however, some three or four of the red-men were seen consulting together apart, after which they approached the bearers of the flag, and some communications pa.s.sed between the two sides. The nature of these communications could not be known, of course, though the conference appeared to be amicable. After two or three minutes of conversation, Robert Willoughby, Strides, the two men who had advanced to meet them, and the four chiefs who had joined the group, left the summit of the rock in company, taking a foot-path that descended in the direction of the mills. In a short time they all disappeared in a body.
The distance was not so great but these movements could easily be seen by the naked eye, though the gla.s.s was necessary to discover some of the details. Captain Willoughby had planted the instrument among the palisades, and he kept his gaze riveted on the retiring group as long as it was visible; then, indeed, he looked at his companions, as if to read their opinions in their countenances. Joyce understood the expression of his face; and, saluting in the usual military manner, he presumed to speak, in the way of reply.
"It seems all right, your honour, the bandage excepted," said the serjeant. "The flag has been met at the outposts, and led into the camp; there the officer of the day, or some savage who does the duty, has heard his errand; and, no doubt, they have all now gone to head- quarters, to report."
"I desired my son, Joyce--"
"Whom, your honour--?"
The general movement told the captain how completely his auditors were taken by surprise, at this unlooked-for announcement of the presence of the major at the Knoll. It was too late to recall the words, however, and there was so little prospect of Robert"s escaping the penetration of Joel, the father saw no use in attempting further concealment.
"I say I desired my son, major Willoughby, who is the bearer of that flag," the captain steadily resumed, "to raise his hat in a particular manner, if all seemed right; or to make a certain gesture with his left arm, did he see anything that required us to be more than usually on our guard."