The Master of the Ceremonies Part 79

There was no doubt about it. As soon as they drew up, with their mounts breathing hard, and snorting or champing their bits, there came on the night air the _beat, beat_ of trotting horses, and the rattle of wheels.

"There," cried Mellersh, "that settles it. Forward, again!"

The horses seemed almost to divine that they had only to put on a final spurt and finish their task, for they went off at a free gallop, and before long there was the rattle of the wheels plainly heard, though for the most part it was drowned by the sound of the trampling hoofs, for the pursuers were now upon the hard, chalky road.

A quarter of an hour's hard riding and they were well in view, in spite of the darkness of the night and the cloud of dust churned up by the team in the chaise. It was evident that the postboys were being urged to do their best; and as they had put their wretched horses to a gallop, the pursuers could see the chaise sway from side to side when the wheels jolted in and out of the ruts worn in the neglected road.

Had any doubt remained as to the occupants of the chaise, they would soon have been at an end; for, as Linnell pushed on taking one side, and Mellersh the other, Rockley's voice could be heard shouting from the front of the chaise, and bidding the postboys whip and spur.

It was the work of minutes, then of moments, when Linnell, who was now leading in a break-neck gallop, yelled to the postboys to stop.

"Go on, you scoundrels! Gallop!" roared Rockley from the front window.

"Go on, or I fire."

The man on the wheeler half turned in his saddle and made as if to pull up, but there was the flash of a pistol, the quick report, and as a bullet whistled over his head, the postboy uttered a cry of fear, and bent down till his face almost touched the horse's mane, while his companion on the leader did the same, and they whipped and spurred their jaded horses frantically.

"Stop!" shouted Linnell again. "Stop!"

"Go on! Gallop!" roared Rockley, "or I'll blow out your brains."

The men crouched lower. Their horses tore on; the chaise leaped and rocked and seemed about to go over, and all was rush and excitement, noise and dust.

Linnell was well abreast of the chaise door now, and pus.h.i.+ng on to get to the postboy who rode the leader, when the gla.s.s on his side was dashed down, and, pistol-in-hand, Rockley leaned out.

"Back!" he said hoa.r.s.ely, "or I fire."

"You scoundrel!" roared Linnell. "Cowardly dog! but you are caught."

"Stop, or I fire," shouted Rockley again, fuming with rage and vexation at being overtaken in the hour of his triumph.

"Fire if you dare!" cried Linnell excitedly, as he pressed on.

_Crack_!

There was a second flash and report, and the horse Linnell rode made a spring forward as if it had been hit.

The thought flashed across Linnell's brain that in another few moments the brave beast he bestrode would stagger and fall beneath him, and that then the cowardly scoundrel who had fired would escape with the woman he was ready to give his life to save. A curious mist seemed to float before his eyes, the hot blood of rage to surge into his brain, lights danced before him, and for the moment he felt hardly accountable for his actions.

All he knew was that he was abreast of the wheeler, with the man whipping and spurring with all his might; that the horses were snorting and tearing along in a wild race, and that Rockley was leaning out of the window yelling to the men to gallop or he would fire again.

Linnell had a misty notion Mellersh was somewhere on the other side, and that Bell was galloping behind, but he did not call to them for help.

He did not even see that Mellersh was pus.h.i.+ng forward and had reached out to catch the off-leader's rein. All he did realise was that Claire Denville, the woman he loved, was in peril; that her whole future depended upon him; and that he must save her at any cost.

He was galloping now a little in advance of the postboy. Their knees had touched for an instant; then his leg was in front, and he was leaning forward.

"Touch that rein, and I fire," roared Rockley.

Then there was once more a flash cutting the darkness; and as the bullet from Rockley's pistol sped on its errand, the horse made one plunge forward, and then pitched upon its head. There was a tremendous crash of breaking gla.s.s and woodwork, and beside the road the wreck of a chaise with two horses down, and the leaders tangled in their harness and kicking furiously till they had broken free.

Volume Two, Chapter XXVII.

RICHARD LINNELL THINKS HE HAS BEEN A FOOL.

For a few moments, in the suddenness of the catastrophe, every one was too much astounded to take any steps. Linnell was the first to recover himself, and, leaping from his horse, he threw the rein to Bell.

Mellersh followed his example, joining Linnell as he tried to drag open the door of the chaise, which was over upon its side with the off-wheeler kicking in the front, as it lay there upon its companion in a tangle of harness.

The framework was so wrenched that for a minute or two the door would not yield, and the utter silence within sent a chill of horror through Linnell.

"Let me come, d.i.c.k," whispered Mellersh, the catastrophe that had so suddenly befallen them forcing him to speak in subdued tones; "let me come, d.i.c.k. I'm stronger, perhaps."

"Pis.h.!.+" was the angry reply, as Linnell strained at the door, which suddenly yielded and flew open, the gla.s.s falling out with a tinkling noise.

Just at the same time the man with the leaders trotted back with his frightened horses, the broken traces dragging behind.

"Hurt, Jack?" he cried to his fellow.

"No, not much," was the answer, as the postboy who rode the wheeler dragged his leg from beneath his horse, and immediately stepped round and held down the head of the animal, which was kicking and struggling to rise. "Woa! will yer. Hold still, Captain!"

With the customary feeling of helplessness that comes over a horse as soon as its head is pressed down, the poor animal ceased its frantic efforts, uttered a piteous sigh that was like that of a human being, and lay perfectly still.

"Old Spavin's a dead 'un, mate," said the man.

"Dead?" said the second postboy.

"Dead as a nit, mate. There'll be something to pay for to-night's job."

"Anyone killed?" said the second man in a whisper.

"I d'know, and I don't care," grumbled the man; "my leg's bruzz horrid.

Shutin' like that! It's as bad as highwaymen. Here, come and help cut some of this harness. They'll stand now. Take out your knife, mate, and use it. They'll have to pay. I can't sit on this 'oss's head all night."

"There's some of 'em got it," whispered the second man in a low voice, as he dismounted and stood beside his comrade watching while Linnell lifted out the insensible figure of one of the occupants of the chaise, and bore her, tangled in a thick cloak, to the roadside, where he laid her reverently upon the turf.

"With you directly, d.i.c.k," said Mellersh, still in the subdued voice, as he climbed into the chaise, and, exerting all his strength, raised Rockley and half thrust, half lifted him out, to drag him to the other side of the road.

"Is she much hurt, sir?" said Bell hoa.r.s.ely. "I can't leave the horses."

"I can't say. I don't know yet," panted Linnell, who was trying to lay open the folds of the cloak, which he at last succeeded in doing, so that the air blew freely on the insensible woman's face.

Linnell's pulse beat madly, as he half closed his eyes, and kept his head averted while he knelt there in the semi-darkness, and placed his hand upon the woman's breast.

Then he s.n.a.t.c.hed his hand away and felt giddy. But a throb of joy ran through him. Her heart was beating, and he felt sure she was only fainting from the fright.

"Why don't you speak, sir?" cried Bell angrily. "Is she much hurt?"

"I think not, my man, only fainting," said Linnell.

"Well?"