The Democratic advocate., 1905-08-12

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the other one and looked forth, straining
both eyes and ears.
The talk of the horsemen was loud and
excited; even at that distance Haywood
caught fragments of what they said.
"Whence came it?' cried one.
'From window on the left,' replied
another.
s'Nay, twas from the right; saw the
smoke about the loop-hole, )" inteGected
third
"What's to be done?''
A man of gigantic proportions, who had
sat his horse apart from the rest, and had
taken no part in their conversation, now
wheeled round, and holding up his hand,
cried in loud harsh voice:
'List, ye frighted Amalekites. Yonder
gateway must be taken at all costs. There
was but one pistol shot, which seemeth to
point to there being but one defender.
Yonder heavy wagon will serve us for a
battering ram.
Ten troopers were told off, and having
dismounted and given over their horses to
the care of their fellows, manned the shafts
of the wagon aforesaid, and began to draw it
towards the gateway.
"Nay, fools,'' cried their burly leader,
lit must be pushed, not pulled. The
wagon itself will serve thee for a covering,
and also for weapon wherewith to smite
down the gates of yonder Jericho.
The wagon was swung round accord
ingly, and, driven forward by twenty sin
envy arms, came down upon the gateway
at considerable speed, the men urged on
by the gigantic trooper on horseback.
Mark Haywood watched its approach
with tight set lips and humping heart.
Would the door hold true?
Almost as he asked himself the question
there was a mighty impact, the cry of
rending timber, the straining of bolts and
bars, as the wagon crashed into the gate
way.
Haywood felt the gate house shake as
if from an earthquake; but, thank God,
the stout old door of century seasoned oak
still stood grim and defiant, though sorely
cracked and shaken.
The men who had been thrown down
and bruised by the force Of the collision,
picked themselves up in confusion, and
made haste to withdraw the wagon, but
ere they could do so Heywoods pistol
again cracked forth, and one of their num-
ber sprang up into the air with shrek.
The rest let go the shafts and ran. Only
the mighty horseman stood his ground.
He was a sergeant, and had taken COM
mand when the captain fell.
Holding up his hand towards the open
ing about which there still hung the smoke
from Haywood pistol, he cried l.:
"Whoever thou art, will give thee
this chance Open yonder gates and thou
shalt go free.
(Listen! Marx Haywood. Now it were
surely wise to parley. Thy life depends
upon it. }
The thought of life and death flew
through Heywood's brain. The thought
of sweet girlish face in the village; the
thought that he had done all that one man
could be expected to do. And then,
stronger than all these, came the vision Of
dimly lighted room where little boy
with curly head was also fighting battle
for life.
That was enough for the great heart of
Mark Haywood. For the first and last
time he parleyed.
"No, by God. Neverr'
''Thou would st rather die, then p
cried the horseman.
For answer bullet sang so closely past
his head that it seemed to scorch his cheek.
With an angry cry he turned his horse and
rode back to his fellows, and, by threats
and upbraidings, persuaded them to return
to the wagon.
They came gingerly enough, with many
anxious glances at the narrow slit from
which death had rushed forth upon two of
their number.
The wagon was drawn back, and, man
ned by extra men, again came laundering
down the slope.
Haywood, watching it, knew that his
only hope now lay in the strength of the
stalwart gates and the speedy coming OF
Sir Henry promised troop.
A sickening crash, loud exulting cry
from the Roundheads, and the solitary
guard Of Ragdale Manor knew that one OF
his hopes had been turned into splintered
wood.
He fired ere they reached the gate; but
what profted it that one man fell when
there were half score to take his place
Again he fired as they drew back the
wagon from the wreck, but the result was
only to make them cry more loudly for his
blood.
That was his last charge of powder; and
indeed had it not been so, there was no
time to reload Already the troopers had
burst in the outer door of the gatehouse and
were beginning to ascend the stairway.
Throwing down the pistol, Haywood
drew his sword and stood ready to take as
many lives as possible in exchange for his
own.
He had not long to wait. The Round
heads had reached the small landing out
side his ROOM There was sound OF flint
and steel, and light shone through a
crevice in the door.
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