The Cornet of Horse | Page 6

dare say Hugh will be able to get
me two more young birds before long, and it is a pleasure to train
them."
Colonel Holliday and Monsieur Dessin met them as they returned to
the house.
"What, Rupert! Had bad luck?" his grandfather said.
"Yes, sir. Cavalier was too rash, and the quarry killed him."
"Hum!" said the old man; "just the old story. The falcon was well
named, Rupert. It was just our rashness that lost us all our battles.
"What, Monsieur Dessin, you must be off? Will you let me have a
horse saddled for yourself; and the pony for mademoiselle? The groom
can bring them back."
Monsieur Dessin declined the offer; and a few minutes later started to
walk back with his daughter to Derby.
Chapter 2
: Rupert to the Rescue.
About a month after the day on which Rupert had taken Mademoiselle
Adele Dessin out hawking, the colonel and Mistress Dorothy went to
dine at the house of a county family some miles away. The family
coach, which was only used on grand occasions, was had out, and in

this Mistress Dorothy, hooped and powdered in accordance with the
fashion of the day, took her seat with Colonel Holliday. Rupert had
been invited, as the eldest son was a lad of his own age.
It was a memorable occasion for him, as he was for the first time to
dress in the full costume of the period--with powdered hair, ruffles, a
blue satin coat and knee breeches of the same material, with silk
stockings. His greatest pleasure, however, was that he was now to wear
a sword, the emblem of a gentleman, for the first time. He was to ride
on horseback, for madam completely filled the coach with her hoops
and brocaded dress, and there was scarcely room for Colonel Holliday,
who sat beside her almost lost in her ample skirts.
The weather was cold, and Rupert wore a riding cloak over his finery,
and high boots, which were upon his arrival to be exchanged for
silver-buckled shoes. They started at twelve, for the dinner hour was
two, and there were eight miles to drive--a distance which, over the
roads of those days, could not be accomplished much under two hours.
The coachman and two lackeys took their places on the box of the
lumbering carriage, the two latter being armed with pistols, as it would
be dark before they returned, and travelling after dark in the days of
King William was a danger not to be lightly undertaken. Nothing could
be more stately, or to Rupert's mind more tedious, than that
entertainment. Several other guests of distinction were present, and the
dinner was elaborate.
The conversation turned chiefly on county business, with an occasional
allusion to the war with France. Politics were entirely eschewed, for
party feeling ran too high for so dangerous a subject to be broached at a
gathering at which both whigs and tories were present.
Rupert sat near one end of the table, with the eldest son of the host. As
a matter of course they kept absolute silence in an assembly of their
elders, only answering shortly and respectfully when spoken to. When
dinner was over, however, and the ladies rose, they slipped away to a
quiet room, and made up for their long silence by chatting without
cessation of their dogs, and hawks, and sports, until at six o'clock the
coach came round to the door, and Rupert, again donning his cloak and

riding boots, mounted his horse, and rode slowly off after the carriage.
Slow as the progress had been in the daytime, it was slower now. The
heavy coach jolted over great lumps of rough stone, and bumped into
deep ruts, with a violence which would shake a modern vehicle to
pieces. Sometimes, where the road was peculiarly bad, the lackeys
would get down, light torches at the lanterns that hung below the box,
and show the way until the road improved.
They had ridden about six miles, when some distance ahead the sound
of pistol shots, followed by loud shouts, came sharply on the ear.
Rupert happened to be in front, and with the love of adventure natural
to his age, he set spurs to his horse and dashed forward, not hearing, or
at any rate not heeding, the shouts of his grandfather. Colonel Holliday,
finding that Rupert was fairly off, bade the lackeys get down, and
follow him at a run with their pistols, and urged the coachman to drive
on with all possible speed. Rupert was not long in reaching the scene of
action; and hurried the more that he could hear the clinking of sword
blades, and knew that the resistance of those assailed had not ceased.
On arriving at the spot he