Chapter 82
"Frank, old lad!" he cried excitedly, as the chain was replaced; and he seized his companion by the shoulders, and shook him. "Oh, I am glad to see you again."
"And I you," cried the lad, as full of excitement.
"Hah! these are queer times. I am fit to touch now. Did you ever see such a miserable, dirty beggar as I was that day in the Park?"
"Don't talk about that, Drew," cried Frank; "come upstairs."
"Yes, we may as well sit down, for I'm nearly run off my legs. I say, did you get hurt in the crowd?"
"A little," said Frank eagerly. "Were you there?"
Drew did not reply till they were in the room on the first floor looking over the Park; and then he threw himself full length on one of the couches, while Frank closed and locked the door.
"Not laziness, old lad--f.a.gged, and must rest when I can. Was I there?
Of course I was. But oh, what a mess we made of it! Everything was well thought out; but you were too strong for us. We should have got them all away if they had not trapped us with the foot guards. Some soldier must have planned it all. Our fellows fought like lions till they began firing volleys and drove all before them with fixed bayonets.
Poor dear old Frank! I am sorry for you."
"And I'm as sorry for you," said the boy sadly, as he pressed the thin, white, girlish hand which held his.
"Sorry for me?" said Drew sharply. "I'm all right."
"Then your father was not one of the prisoners?" said Frank eagerly.
"Not with them? Didn't you see him there?"
"No; I only saw that two other gentlemen were in the carriage with my father. I only had eyes for him."
"That's natural enough," said Drew; "I hardly saw your father till we got them all out of the carriages, chained hand and foot. Oh, what miserable, cowardly tyranny! Gentlemen, prisoners of war, treated like thieves and murderers! Poor fellows! they could do nothing to help themselves."
"But you rescued one," said Frank. "Is he safe?"
"Safe as safe," cried Drew joyously.
"Ah!" said Frank with a sigh, "you are very loyal to your Prince."
"I don't know so much about that, old lad. He does not turn out well."
"Not grateful to
"I say, what are you talking about?" he cried. "About your rescuing and carrying off the Prince to safety."
"Nonsense! He was safe enough before. Didn't I say he does not turn out well?"
"Yes; but you rescued him last night: I heard it at the Palace this morning."
"Stuff! He kept himself safe enough over the water without showing his face."
"Then who was it you saved?"
"Who was it? Why, my dear old dad, of course. We nearly lost him, for a great tall Guardsman had got hold of him by the fetter ring round his waist, only I made him let go. I hope I haven't killed him, Frank,"
added the lad between his teeth; "but I had a sword in my hand--and I used it."
"Oh, I am glad you have saved your father, Drew."
"And I am sorry we did not save yours, Frank. Perhaps if you had been helping us you might have done as I did, and he too might have been where your King's people couldn't touch him.
"There, I did not mean to say that," continued Drew, after a short pause. "It isn't kind and straight to you. I won't reproach you, Franky; for I can't help feeling that you are, as father says, the soul of honour. He said I was to tell you how proud he felt that you were my best friend--we are friends still, Frank?"
"Of course."
"But I have said some nasty things to you, old lad."
"I can't remember things like that," said Frank sadly; "only that when you did not talk of the other side we were very jolly together."
"And I couldn't help it," said Drew earnestly.
"I know it."
"Well, I didn't come here to talk about that."
"No, it's all past. Let's talk about the future."
"Yes; how's dear Lady Gowan?"
"How can she be, Drew?" said Frank wearily.
The tears started to Drew's eyes, which filled, as he caught his friend's hands in his, and the next moment the big drops began trickling down.
"There," he said quietly, "I'm crying like a great girl. I can't help it when I think about her. I always was a weak, pa.s.sionate, hysterical sort of fellow, Frank, and I'm worse than ever now with all this strain.
But you tell her when you go back that there are some thousands of good men and true now in London who will not stop till they have saved dear Sir Robert, and the other brave leaders who are shut up in that wretched prison."
"Ah!" sighed Frank; "if they only could!"
"But we will," cried Drew excitedly.
"Well, your father is safe," said Frank bitterly. "I suppose he will leave the country now?"
"What, and forsake his friends?" cried Drew proudly. "You don't know my father yet. No; he says he will not stir till your father is safe; and we'll have them out yet, if we have to burn the prison first."
Frank looked at him wildly.
"But there are more ways of killing a cat than hanging it, lad,"
continued Drew with a laugh, as he dashed away the last of his hysterical tears. "I look a nice sort of a hero, don't I? But I came to tell you not to be down-hearted, for there are plenty of brains at work."
"And I must help!" cried Frank excitedly.
"No; you leave it to the older heads. I should like to help too; but my father says that I am to leave it to him. He has a plan. And now I am coming to what I came princ.i.p.ally for."