The Splendid Spur

them in a bitter cold cell in the main tower of Bristol keep, with a chair and a pallet of straw for all my furniture, and

ar the foundations, tho' by time you ascended to the towers this thickness had dwindled to six feet and no more. In shape 'twas a quadrilateral, a little shorter from north to south

ss it, 'twould barely let my shoulders pass. What concern'd me more was the cold that gnaw'd me continually these winter nights, as I lay thinking of Delia (whom I had not

visit but served to vex him more. Clearly I was suspected to know a great deal beyond what appear'd in the letter: and no doubt poor Anthony Killigrew had receiv'd some verbal

or of my cell open'd, and there appear'd a young woman, not uncomely, bringing in my bre

ll now her father only had visited

ook'd for), she gave a little nod of th

abed with

ot expect me

me with something like compassion in her bl

oman enough to lik

ere's t'other ha

with me-I know not if she loves me: but this I do know-I wo

the girl very suddenly, sett

wever, her back was toward me as I glanc'd up. And nex

asted the hope to hear something of Delia. But in a while, feel

'd something that jing

ain, I found a clasp-knife also, and a strip

re J

, in Redcliffe: and she hath put a dismal dress upon me (Jack, 'tis hideous), but otherwise uses me not ill. But take care of thyself, my deare friend: for tho' the Colonel be a gentilman, he is press'd by them about him, and at our last

.

s done, I felt lighter-hearted than for many a day, and (rather for employment than with any farther view) began lazily to r

en to

e grand

o hear the key tu

'd with my second meal. Her

s your fathe

ow," she replied:

hy do y

for t

what

l it? They are going to-to--" She sat do

they are go

-h-han

evil!

o-morrow m

ence for a moment, and then I heard the noise of

t's

gug-g

llo

no

weak girl," sai

dozen troopers on

ck me up," I decided gloomi

en to

e grand

ing out the tune, and driving the moral home. I heard

odkin, my dear,

t out and ga

here's a kiss to take to my dear mis

sobbing, and lock'd

rous'd me. "Come," I thought, "I'll see what that rascal is doing, at any rate," and pulling the file from my pocket, began to attack th

sk and, pulling the two pieces of the ba

r, was a carpenter fellow at work, fortifying it with two supporting timbers that rested on the sill of the doorway. He was merry enough over the job, and paused every

acco pipe from his mouth and spitting, "'tis

nd us a cheerful heart, say I! Instead o' the viper an' owl, sha

d out of sigh

swing?" ask'd anoth

r nine o'clock to-morrow," answer'd

: and in a minute was being answer'd fr

time to stop work, and here goes for the last

soldier, "you've

e's a staple to drive in, too. I t

t the foot he pick'd up his bag, shoulder'd the ladder, and loung'd away, leaving the coi

n of the maid. Afterward I had a notion of flinging myself from the window as they came for me. But now, as I look'd down on that coi

nravel the knitting for dear life, until the whole lay, a heap of thread, on the floor. I then serv'd the other in the same way: and at

but long enough to reach the ground with plenty to spare. Then, having bent my bodkin to the form of a hook, I tied it to the end

hat no one was astir. I wriggled first my head, then a shoulder, through the opening, and let the line run gently throu

fore I had rais'd it a dozen yards. My elbow was raw, almost, with leaning on the sill, and I began to lose heart and head, when, to my delight, the bodk

r all, prove a deal too short. It had look'd to me a new rope of many fathoms, not yet cut for to-morrow's purpose; but eyesight mig

o fasten it to but an iron staple in the door, that meant losing the width of my cell, some six feet. This, however, must be risk'd, and I mad

elf inch by inch through the window, and out over the ledge. For a moment I dangled, without courage to move a hand. Then, w

rey wall that seem'd sliding up in front of me. The first dizziness was over, but a horrible aching of the arms had taken the place

ely out of the darkness. Here was my chance. I let my hands slip down t

and caught it, bringing myself up with a jerk. While yet I hung clawin

hold with one knee upon it, got astride, and lay down at length, flattening my bo

almost under the gallows. 'Twas an off

owns! Serge

m in the barbican answer'

ot the wa

ir: it wants a

lonel order'd it

some laughing, some grumbling at the coldness of the night. The officer return'd to the inner ward as they dispersed to thei

toward the doorway over which the gallows protruded. By slow degrees, and pausing whenever the fellow drew near, I crept close up to the wall: then, waiting the proper mo

ll. I pick'd myself up and listen'd. Outside, the regular tramp of the sentry prov'd he had not heard me; and I drew a lon

ping my way with both hands, and barking my shins on the loose stones, I found a low vaulted passage that led me into a second chamber, empty as the first. To my delight, the door of this was ajar, with a gl

twisted down and down, and ended by a stout door with another lamp shining above it. Aft

face with the ja

as, as I guess'd, a taproom for the soldiers: and the girl had been scouring one of the

here behind the cou

in, demanding mull'd beer. The girl bustled about to serve them, while the pai

rewd

y work, or I for one 'ud ensue my natural trade o' plumbing. But le

ey

l at his hot beer

t is to-night visiting Colonel Essex in secret:

, strivin

en, the Earl, no farther off than Taunton-w

hat aches," ans

saunter'd out. I crept from unde

l kill me

ay-Is it forward

et, and pointed out a ladder leading down to the da

cel

no

rn. Here is flint and steel." She reach'd them down from a shelf beside her. "Crouch down, or they'll spy you through the win

etween the avenue of casks and bins I stumbled toward the door and lantern that were just to be discern'd at the far end of

. Gazing round this new chamber, I saw two lines of squat pillars, supporting a low arch'd roof. 'Twas the crypt ben

I easily pull'd away: and beyond, a narrow passage, over which I heard the tread of troop

stones, over which I scrambled as best I could. And then, suddenly I was ne

een these, every inch of space was pil'd with barrels, chests, and great pyramids of round shot. In each corner

hat barr'd all exit from the place. Over the barrels I crept toward it, keep

t struck me that with the knife in my pocket 'twas possible to cut away the woo

, hacking away steadily, yet had made but little progress. And then, pressing the kn

p-tr

e keyhole: then stepp'd to a cask of bullets that stood handy by. I took out a dozen, felt in my pocket for Delia's kerchief that she had given

escended. I heard an

ntry work! Here's an hour to send a grandf

ntence, as a key was with di

lock an' I be a pair

inst me, and a shaft of l

Instead, I dropp'd it with a clatter, and leap'd forward. The old fellow jumped like a boy, turn'd, and fac'd me with dropp'd jaw, which gave me an opportunity to thrust four

nstrapp'd his belt and bound his feet with it. His hands I truss'd up behind him with his own neckcloth; and catching up t

s ended in a long passage, with a handsome lamp hanging at the uttermost end,

he house. Also to my left, and nigher than the door on that side, ran up a broad staircase, carpeted and brightly lit all the way, so that a very blaze fell on me as I stood. Under the fi

the two doors, to left or to right, must lie the governor's room of business; and in that roo

ight-hand door came a burst of laughter and clinking of glasses, on top o

a second or two with my hand on the latch, and the

it a mass of books, loose papers and documents strewn, seemingly without orde

as hanging, full of swords, pistols, and walking canes. Stepping toward it I caught sight of Anthony's sword, suspended there amongst the rest (they had taken it from me

ht lay His Majest

eard across the hall a door open'd, and the sound

behind the screen, before the door latch wa

id the first ('twas Colonel Esse

ht we had settled it. You are to len

sider, my lord, that my position here hangs on a thread. The extrem

nes is no

ecommendation. Should this plan mi

es. A day's march behind I shall follow-along roads to northward-parallel for a way, but afterward converging. The Corn

the Earl of Stam

ar occupied to not

ure. Let be the fact that Hopton is all at sixes and sevens since

not think twice. Listen now: only this morning they forc'd me to order a young man's hangi

aught with the

ummoning of the sheriff's posse and the like. Ther

is tongue. And how of the

ng I shall visit her, and make another trial

a small hand bell th

followed was br

see the

ain, more impatiently. At length steps were he

d the Colonel. "Why ar

t be found,

ey

honor, an' maybe gone to b

ne no such thing: but be sure I kept

can in twenty minutes from now-twenty minutes, mind, without fail. And say-'twill save

s errand, the Earl laid d

will be theirs. But, in the name of Heaven, Colonel, don't fail i

answered the C

id the Earl. "To-morrow, a

eir bargain and left the room

. 'Twas not that I had spied the prison keys hanging near the fireplace, nor that behind the screen lay a heap of the Colonel's riding boots, whereof a pair, ready spurr'

and the Governor's seal, that lay handy, I clos'd up the King's letter, and s

them, slipp'd back the bolts of the heavy door. It opened without noise. Then, with a last hitch of the

he blackness of the night. Across the court was a sentry tramping. As I walk

led, the fellow would detect me for certain. I chose one and drew nearer;

ight, C

passage of the barbican gate, was the carriage waiting, the porter standing beside the door; and here also, t

d they hurried in

" The porter bow'd low,

'd into the shadow of the c

the great gates were unbarr'd. I

the porter, who came roun

s Finch's,

ttered; "a

r. The wheels mov'd; went quick

els rumbled over the bridge, and immediately we were rolling easily down hill, through a street of some importance: but by this time the shutters were

e doors to us. They stood on this side and that, presenting arms, as we rattled through; and next moment I was crossing a broad bridge, with the dark Avon on either side

te dwellings and warehouses intermix'd; then pass'd a tall chu

ing away from between the lines of shops that wedg'd it in on either hand. Over the grill a link was bu

ear a light footfall coming. A bolt was pull'd and a girl appear'd holding a

el

ac

door. Where is

ome-" she led me into a narrow back room and setting dow

. To-morrow I w

breath: and very lovely I thought her,

uestioning me. Di

when there came a sound

o of a gun firing,

lies at the

or: after these a lane le

go, this

nd

out into the passage, she came swiftly b

oman's voice calling her,

istress

that at t

tress!" call'd she, and in one moment was hurrying with me across the dark g

-li

n the street door, and the shouts of

ht for our lives! Ah,

n rather than let those troopers retake me. I heard their outcries about the house beh

panted I, catching Delia

ft now-for

side street; and with th

o' the nigh

sion sent him to finis

s!" he

, whereof one side was wholly lin'd with warehouses. And here, to

urtyard litter'd with barrels and timbers, and across it to a black empty barn of a place, where

hat a vil

h, and their odor enough to satisfy an army. Nevertheless, I was groping

eaks running down the middle, whereof one was much thicker than the rest. 'Twas an open doorway; the speck, a star fram'd within it; the broad streak, a s

water, twenty feet below, lay a three-masted trader, close ag

arks, near the bows. He was quite motionless. His back was toward us, blotted against the black shadow; and the man

x'd to a bale of wool that lay, as it had been lower'd, on the deck. Flinging myself on the other, I found it sink gentl

re in the bows

k the bale of wool: and, as soon as it rested agai

de me, our hands bungled. The rope slipp'd

just in time: but the pulley above c

the bows ha