Under the Storm | Page 5

flocking in to
hear him. Jeph had been outside, for there was no room within, but he
had scrambled upon an old tombstone with a couple of other lads, and
through the broken window had seen the gentleman holding forth in his
hat and feather, buff coat and crimson scarf, and heard him call on all
around to be strong and hew down all their enemies, even dragging the
false and treacherous woman and her idols out to the horse gate and
there smiting them even to the death.
"Who was the false woman?" asked Steadfast.
"I wot not! There was something about Aholah, or some such name, but
just then a mischievous little jackanapes pulled me down by the leg,
and I had to thrash him for it, and by the time I had done, Dick, the
butcher's lad, had got my place and I heard no more."
Whether the Captain meant Aholah or Athaliah, or alluded to Queen
Henrietta Maria, or to the English Church, Jeph's auditors never knew.
The baby began to cry, and Patience to feed him with the milk and
water that had been warmed at the fire; his father and the boys went out
to finish the work for the night, little Rusha running after them.
Presently, she gave a cry and darted up to her father "The soldiers! the
soldiers!" and in fact three men with steel caps, buff coats, and
musquets slung by broad belts were coming into the yard.
Kenton took up his little girl in his arms and went forward to meet them,
but he soon saw they did not look dangerous, they were dragging along

as if very tired and footsore and as if their weapons were a heavy
weight.
"It's the goodman," said the foremost, a red-faced, good-natured
looking fellow more like a hostler than a soldier, "have you seen
Captain Lundy's men pass this way?"
"Not I!" said Kenton, "we lie out of the high road, you see."
"But I saw them, a couple of hours agone, marching into Bristol," said
Jephthah coming forward.
"There now," said the man, "we did but stop at the sign of the 'Crab' the
drinking of a pottle, and to bathe Jack's foot near there, and we have
never been able to catch them up again! How far off be Bristol?"
"A matter of four mile across the ferry. You may see it from the hill
above."
He looked stout enough though he gave a heavy sigh of weariness, and
the other two, who were mere youths, not much older than Jeph,
seemed quite spent, and heard of the additional four miles with dismay.
"Heart alive, lads," said their comrade, "ye'll soon be in good quarters,
and mayhap the goodman here will give you a drink to carry ye on a bit
further for the Cause."
"You are welcome to a draught for civility's sake," said Kenton, making
a sign to his sons, who ran off to the house, "but I'm a plain man, and
know nought about the Cause."
"Well, Master," said the straggler, as he leant his back against the barn,
and his two companions sat down on the ground in the shelter, "I have
heard a lot about the Cause, but all I know is that my Lord of Essex
sent to call out five-and-twenty men from our parish, and the squire, he
was in a proper rage with being rated to pay ship money, so--as I had
fallen out with my master, mine host of the 'Griffin,' more fool I--I
went with the young gentleman, and a proper ass I was to do so."
"Father said 'twas rank popery railing in the Communion table, when it
was so handy to sit on or to put one's hat on," added one of the youths
looking up. "So he was willing for me to go, and I thought I'd like to
see the world, but I'd fain be at home again."
"So would not I," muttered the other lad.
"No," said the ex-tapster humorously, "for thou knowst the stocks be
gaping for thee, Dick."
By this time Jeph and Stead had returned with a jug of small beer, a

horn cup, and three hunches of the barley loaf. The men ate and drank,
and then the tapster returning hearty thanks, called the others on,
observing that if they did not make the best speed, they might miss
their billet, and have to sleep in the streets, if not become acquainted
with the lash.
On then unwillingly they dragged, as if one foot would hardly come
after the other.
"Poor lads!" said Kenton, as he looked after them, "methinks that's
enough to take the taste for soldiering out of thy mouth, son Jeph."
"A set of poor-spirited rogues," returned Jeph contemptuously, as