Carette of Sark Part 50

I took advantage of the lull to strengthen my defences with some boats'

masts and any odd timbers I could find and lift, till I thought it impossible that any man should get through.

But I was wrong. There came a sudden roar outside, and a shot of size came cras.h.i.+ng through my barricade, sending pieces of it flying wildly. They had a carronade, and had had to s.h.i.+ft the boat to the end of the s.h.i.+ngle to get the mouth of the tunnel into the line of fire.

Then I began to fear. Men I could fight, but carronades were beyond me.

Still, even when they had knocked my barrier to pieces, the men must come at last. The great iron shot could not reach me round the corners, though flying timbers and splinters might. They would fire again and again till the way was clear, and then they would come in a heap, and I must do my best with my cutla.s.s. And it was not unlikely that the sound of the heavy guns might catch the ears of others and bring me help. So I drew back out of the tunnel on the land side and waited.

A stumble over a piece of timber set me to the hurried building of a fresh barricade at this end, outside the mouth of the tunnel. If it only stopped them for minutes, the minutes might be enough. It would in any case hamper them, and I did not believe they could train their guns upon it. So I groped in the dark, and dragged, and piled, and found myself using the wounded arm without feeling any pain, but also without much strength, till I had a not-to-be-despised fence which would at least give me chance of a few blows before it could be rushed.

Five times they fired, and the inside of the tunnel crashed with the fragments of the outer barricade, and then it was evidently all down.

There was a brief lull while they gathered for the rush. Then they came all together full into my later defence.

I stabbed through it and hacked at one who tried to climb. But they were many and I was one. The barrier began to sag and give under their pressure.

I stabbed wildly through and through, and got groans for payment. And then of a sudden I was aware of another fighting by my side. He had come unperceived by me, and he spoke no word, but thrust and smote wherever opportunity offered, and his coming gave me new strength.

And then, with a shout, others came pouring down the Creux Road, and I knew that all was well, and I fell spent in the roadway.

CHAPTER x.x.xVIII

HOW WE RAN AGAINST THE LAW FOR THE SAKE OF A WOMAN

When I recovered sufficiently to take notice of things, I was sitting in the tunnel with my back against the wall, a big fire of broken wood was burning brightly, and men were carrying in others from the harbour. The carried men were bound, and the others were strangers to me.

A flask was put to my mouth, and I took a pull at it, and turned to find Krok smiling his content at my recovery.

"Was it you, Krok?" and I shook both his hands heartily, while he held the flask between his knees.

"And my grandfather?" I asked. "Is he hurt?" And Krok nodded and then shook his head.

"Hurt, but not badly?" and he nodded quickly.

"And these are Guernsey men?"

He nodded again, and one of them came up and asked, "Feeling better? You had a tough job here all alone. We came ash.o.r.e on the other side, and were hurrying towards the firing lower down there when we heard the gun begin, and your friend here brought us down this road on the jump. He doesn't speak much, but he's got mighty good ears and sense."

"You were just in time. I was about done."

"Just in time is all right, but in fact it wouldn't have done to be much later."

"Can you tell me anything of my grandfather, Philip Carre?"

"Oh, you're young Phil Carre, who started all this business, are you?"

"I'm Phil Carre. What about my grandfather?"

"We had some warm work over there, and he got a shot through the leg. Not serious, I think. But we got the schooner and a lot of the rascals, and when we found the rest had come this way we came after them. But Torode himself got away. Maybe we'll find him here somewhere."

I had not given the man in George Hamon's cave a thought for hours past, but this sudden reminder brought my mind round to him, and me to my feet, with a jerk.

He was my father--I could not doubt it, though belief was horrible. He was a scoundrel beyond most. He lay there stricken by my hand. His life was sought by the law, and would certainly be forfeited if he was found. I must find George Hamon at once.

"Are they fighting still at Dixcart?" I asked the Guernsey man.

"There was firing over yonder as we came along," he said, pointing to the south-west. "But it is finished now."

"That was their chief attack. The Senechal was shot at Eperquerie. George Hamon is in charge at Dixcart. We had better see how they have fared."

"Allons! I know Hamon."

He left four of his comrades to guard the prisoners, and the rest of us set off by the way I had already pa.s.sed twice that night, and came down over Hog's Back into Dixcart.

They heard us coming, and George Hamon's quick order to his men to stand by told me all was well, and a shout from myself set his mind at rest.

"Mon Dieu! Phil, my boy, but I'm glad to see you safe and sound. You've been on my mind since ever you left. Who are--Why--Krok--and Henri Tourtel?

Nom d'Gyu! Where do you come from?"

"From Herm last. We came across after those black devils. Old Carre said they would take a bite at you as they pa.s.sed. We landed on the other side, and scrambled up a deuce of a cliff, and got to the tunnel there just in the nick of time. Young Carre here was fighting a dozen of them and a carronade single-handed."

"Bon Gyu, Phil! We're well through with it. I oughtn't to have let you go alone, but you were gone before I knew, and we had all we could manage here. There are ten of them dead, and the rest are in our hands--about twenty, I think--and every man of them damaged. They fought like devils."

"Many of ours hurt?" I asked.

"We've not come out whole, but there's no one killed. Where's your grandfather?"

"Wounded on Herm, but not seriously, M. Tourtel says."

"Seen anything of Torode himself, Hamon?" asked Tourtel.

"Haven't you got him? Better look if he's among our lot. You would know him better than we would. They're all down yonder. I must go and see after Amice Le Couteur. We left him bleeding at Eperquerie. Get anything you want from our people, Tourtel. Krok, you come along with us;" and we set off over the hill past La Jaspellerie to get to La Vauroque.

"Phil, my son," he said in my ear, "your work is cut out for you this night. Are you good for it?"

"Yes."

"For her sake, and your grandfather's and your own, we must get him away at once--now. Tomorrow will be too late. We don't want him swinging in chains at Peter Port and all the old story raked up. I wish to G.o.d you had killed him!--Mon Dieu! I forgot--you're you and he's your father. All the same, it would have saved much trouble."

"What's to be done with him?"

"He may be dead--Mon Dieu! I keep forgetting. If he's alive you will take him away in my boat--"

"Where to?"

"You want him to live?"