A Lad of Grit: A Story of Adventure on Land and Sea in Restoration Times

in the valley beneath began to hold its own against the rapidly fading daylight. The cold east wind, for it was but the beginning of March, in the year of grace 1660, whistl

s if they had happened but yesterday, though nigh on twoscore and ten winters

a strength of body that harmonized with the determination of character that made itself known by the glance of his steel-coloured eyes. Report says that when he came to Rake to settle down, some twelve or thirteen yea

n of Lyss--the same whose son fell in Torrington's action off Beachy Head,--to the effect that though practice was

lthough our neighbours, even the Roundheads, were favourably disposed to him, making allowance for his fiery temper, yet with strangers who passed alo

er, though ruined by confiscations and sequestration, endeavoured to maintain the appearance of

his cheek bone--the legacy of a pike-thrust in the sanguinary encounter of Cropredy Bridge. He was dressed in a dark-blue suit, relieved by a deep collar of Mechlin lace, while, on account of the severity of the weather, he was

d of turning to the right towards our hom

bly the chapman from Godalming is there. If

h-traitor Old Noll himself, and the sign of which, painted by a limner who had learned his art in the time of the last crusade, had swung in the breeze f

Petersfield?" questioned one man in a voic

of petty huckstering, Obadiah Blow-the-trumpet-in-Zion? Heed him not

nds and manned the ordnance on the Platform and the Square Tower. Moreover, a trusty messenger hath reached Sir Giles Seaward with orders to r

an, Master Wentworth, what think ye? How

, the wind blows straigh

ker. He was a short, thick-set man of about forty years of age, with a bull-neck, huge ears, small ferrety eyes, close-cropped hair, and a clean-shaven face deeply pitted with smallpox. He wore a buff-coloured jerkin, opened at the neck for comfort's sake, and frayed and soiled from the wearing of armour, his brea

nger leisurely rose from his seat and extended

t thee wisdom! Wouldst threaten me, Incre

r, whipping out his hanger. "Either u

he floor, excited men shouted in unintelligible voices. For my own part, I remained by my father's side, unable to take my

'The axe is laid unto the root of the trees', an' if that ar

, being thrown wide open, showed a man fully armed and hold

ed. "Where or wh

nnkeeper, came forward

beast; a cup of spiced ale for myself. With all di

eon, and, removing a cloth that encircled his neck, wiped his heated brow vigorously. Then he stared haug

erent from the Southern dialect of our part of Hamps

And is one like to meet aught of footpads,

barely had he opened his mouth when t

wers of darkne

denial. Then, in an undertone, I heard him say: "I am n

en thee since we parted at Holwick, you to join the king at Nottingham, I to enrol under my Lord Essex. First, at Edgehill, when I, a mere stripling, lay under the hoofs of

member that the rising ge

sity of youth, did not fail to hear, much to my mystification. Knowing also that the remark about "the rising generation

itting chip of the old block! What wouldst

to sea, and become famous like Admiral

west thou

me his medal of bronze, inscribed: 'For eminent service in saving ye Triumph, fi

! The time hath come when Englishmen cease from

ng me kindly on the head, he strode towards th

o return to his throne. I bear orders to the fleet at Portsmouth that they all, with the exception of the Naseby, the na

ing announcement, still remained, I could hear the thud of horse's hoo

about a mile on the by-road from Rake to Midhurst, and homewards we stepped, our thick-soled shoes ringing on the frosty road. When but half the distance was covered, I

closer to my father an

through the covert?" he exclaime

e to stick in my throat. We continued in silence, and presently came to a spot where a large reed-fringed lake lay o

oice, authoritative, harsh

ta

set man, whom I recognized as the soldier who

r unsheathed his hanger, and, pushing m

an end, therefore I am a Parliamentarian no longer. Instead, I journey to the Rhine to join the German freebooters, or else to the Spanish Main to throw in my lot with the buccaneers of the Indies--it matters not which; but ere I go

s dancing on his glittering blade. Joyce unslung his petronel,

" shouted

nated by the flash of the discharge. I shut my eyes and screamed in terror, and on opening them I saw--oh, merciful Heaven!--a convulsive form lying in th

attempt. His headpiece and armour received the blows as lightly as if they were from a straw, and with an oath he smote me heavily on the chest with the butt of his pistol, so that I reeled

RER AND RAINED BLOW AFTER B