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"Say the word even now, lad," he offered, "and we will abide till he recovers." But I shook my head. Billy Priske carried an enormous wine-skin slung across his shoulders; Mr. Fett a sack of provender. Mr. Badcock had begged or borrowed or purchased an enormous gridiron. "But what is that for? I asked him, as we shook hands.
"Good Lord!" exclaimed Billy Priske, pulling off his hat and eyeing the rose in its band. "And further," his Worship continued, "any man wearing the badge or ensign of the rioters shall himself be considered a rioter without benefit of clergy."
"A very proper resolution," said my uncle. "And I hope, sir, he kept it," chimed in Billy Priske; "good Protestant though I be." "The story is not ended," said my father. "The dead man they were dismounted now and close under the gallows looked at the young man angrily, and said he, 'I doubt Our Lady's pains be wasted, after all.
Dinner over, the four of us strolled out abreast into the cool evening and down through the deer-park to the small Ionic temple, where Billy Priske had laid out fruit, wine, and glasses; and there, with no more ceremony than standing to drink my health, the three initiated me into the brotherhood of St. Swithun.
At the same moment my father gripped my elbow as a volley of missiles darkened the air, and we fell back all the Company of the Rose shoulder to shoulder, to protect the Methodists, as a small but solid phalanx of men came driving through the crowd with mischief in their faces. "But wait awhile! wait awhile!" called out Billy Priske, as my father plucked out his sword.
My heart gave another great leap, as every boy's must on hearing that he is to see London for the first time. But here we all turned at a cry from Billy Priske, between whose planted ankles Master Fiennes had mischievously crept and was measuring the span between with extended thumb and little finger. My father stooped, haled him to his feet by the collar, and demanded what he did.
"Then here we are assembled," said my father, cheerfully, with the air of one closing a discussion; "the more by token that here comes Billy Priske. Why, man," he asked, as Billy rode up but so dejectedly that his horse seemed to droop its ears in sympathy "what ails you? Not wounded, are you?" "Worse," answered Billy, and groaned. "We were told you got quit of the crowd. "So I did," said Billy.
Billy Priske carried the sacred parcel on the saddle before him; and my uncle, riding beside him, spent no small part of the way in an exhortation against lying in general, and particularly against the sin of laying false claim to the paternity of twelve children.
The sound of the splash was in my ears and the echo of my own laugh, but with it there mingled a cry from Billy Priske, and shaking the water out of my eyes I saw him erect in the stern-sheets and astare at a vision parting the fog the vision of a tall fore-and-aft sail, golden-grey against the sunlight, and above the sail a foot or two of a stout pole-mast, and above the mast a gilded truck and weather-vane with a tail of scarlet bunting.
Badcock could pull an oar, and old Worthyvale had not the strength for it. The rest of us all but the captain, who steered and kept what watch he could astern took the rowing by hourly relays, pair and pair: Billy Priske and I, my father and Mike Halliday, Nat and Roger Wearne. It had come round again to Billy's turn and mine, and the hour was that darkest one which promises the near daylight.
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