HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1927-1-19, Page 7THE BRUSSELS POST
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PI liN° LO
By RP EL $MATINI
G esFL ve Sio ' EverTold
e 1
CHAPTER I
THE MESSENGER
R
Peter Blood, bachelor of mediehne
and several other thing, oe Mee,
smoked a pipe and tended the ger-
aniums .boxed on the sill of his win-
dow above Water Lanc in the town
of Bridgewater, 1'Ir. Bloods attire
Von was divided between hie task
,aiul the stream of humanity in the
narrow street below; a stream which
poured for the second time that day
towards , Crate Field, where earlier
h the afternoon Ferguson, the
Duke's chaplain, had preached a ser-
mon containing more treason than
divinity,
These straggling, excited groups
were mainly composed of :nen with
green boughs in their hats -and the
most ludicrous of weapons in their
hand& . Some, it is true, shouldered
fowling pieces, and here and there
n :word was brandished; but more of
throe were armed with clubs, and
inset of them trailed the mammoth:
takes fashioned out of scythes, as
formidable to the eye as they were
clumsy to the hand, There were
weavers, brewers, carpenter:, smiths,
masons, bricklayers, cobblers, and re-
presentatives of every other of the
trades of peace among these impro-
vised sten of war. Bridgewater, like
Taunton, has yielded so generously
of its manhood to the service of the
bastard Duke that for any to abstain
whose age and strength admitted of
his bearing arms was :o brand him-
self a coward or a papist.
Yet Peter Blood, who was not
only a111e to bear aims, but tr tn'd
and skilful in their use, who was
certainly no coward and a pap,st on-
ly when it so suited him, tended his
geraniums and smoked his pipe on
that warm July evening as indiffer-
ently as if nothing were afoot.
He laughed and sighed in one; but
the laugh dominatedsthc sigh for Mr.
he was wrong, at least he we, justi-
fied) of it. IIe• was not to suppose
the lt.oyaliet comanitder so irelitTer-
ently skilled in the trade he follow-
ed.
Peter Blood was the son of an Ir-
ish medicos who had early resolved
that the boy, should follow his own
honorable profession, an I Peter
Blood being quick to learn and odd-
ly greedy of knowledge, sad :satisfied
his parent by receiving at the age of
twenty the degree of baccalaureus
rnedicipe at Trinity College, Dub-
lin. His father survived that satis-
faction by three months only. His
mother had already bean dead some
years. Thus • Peter Blood came into
an inheritance of some few hundred
pounds, with which he had set out to
see the world. A set of curious
chances led him to take service with
the Dutch, then at war with Feance;
and a predilection for the sea made
him elect that this service should be
upon that element. He nad the ad-
vantage of a comntisison under the
famous cle Ruyter, and fought in the
Mediterranean engagement in which
that great Dutch Admiral lost his
life.
After the Peace of Nimeguen his
movements are obscure. But we
know ''hat he spent two years in a
Spans t prison, though tvei do not
know ',ow he contrived to get there.
, It mal' be due to' this that upon his
release he took his sword to France,
and saw service with the French in
their warring upon the Spanish
Netherlands. Having reached, at
last, the age of thirty-two, his.appe-
tile for adventure surfeited, his
health having grown indifferent as
the result of a neglected wound, he
was suddenly overwhelmed by home-
sickness. He took ship from Nante,
with intent to erow� to Ireland. But
the vessel being driven by stress of
weather into Bridgewater Bay, and
Blood's health having grown worse
Peter Blood and Jeremy Pitt
Blood was unsympathetic, as are-
most
remost self-sufficient men; and he was
very self-sufficient; adversity had
taught him so to be. A more tender-
hearted man, with his vision and
his knowledge, might have found
cense for tears in the contemplation
of these ardent, simple, Nonconform-
ist sheep going forth to the shambles
—escorted" to the rallying ground on
Castle Field by wives and daughters,
sweethearts and mothers, sustained
in the delusion that they were to take
the field in defence of Right, of Lib-
erty, and of Religion. For he knew,
as all Bridgewater knew and had
known now for some hours, that it
was Momnouthrs intent'.on to deliver
battle that same night. The Duke
was to lead a surprise attack upon
the Royailbt artily. under .Faversham
that was now encamped on Sedge-
moor. Mr. Blood assumed that Lord
Fevershmn3 would be equally well-in-
formed, and if in this assumption
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The Piet r'ublishinj house
•
headlong, into speech, gasping:, and
breethless.
"It is Lord Gildoy," he panted.
'(I3e is sore wounded . . at Ogle-
thorpe's I"'armn by th ri^,.,•, 1 bore
Dian 'thither , , . and he sen: me
for you, Come away' Come away!"
"To bre • sure I'll come, But first
give me leave to get solve clothes
and other things. 1 may need "
At sight of the doctor, dressed and
booted, the can of instruments tuek-
ecl under his area, the mace n gees dis-
engaged himself from those who
nresesd about, shook off his weari-
nes and seiein< the bridle of his
horse, he climbed to the saddle.
"Come along, sir," he cried,
"Mount behind me."
Mr. Blood, without wasting words,
did as he was bidden. The little
crowd gave way, and .thus, upon the
crupper of that doubly -laden horse,
clinging to the belt of his oempan-
ion, Peter Blood set out upon his
Odyssey. For this Pitt, in whom he
beheld no more than the messenger
of a wounded rebel gcntlman, was
indeed the very messenger of Fate.
CHAPTER 11
feel unpeasantly. "What brings you
here, sir?"
"This wounded gentleman. I was
fe te•hrad to attend him, I atm a
malleus.
"A doctor --you " Scorn of that
lie—as hei conceived it—rang in the
heavy, hectoring voice. Mr. Moodie
smile annoyed him.
"I um a physician p praetieing my
calling in the. town of Brliheievxtcr.
"Which you reached by way of
Lyme Regis in the following of your
bastard Duke,"
It was Mr. Blood's turn to n•,re neer.
I1 your wit were as bis' ere your
voice, niy dear, it's the great man
you'd be by this. You'll be remem-
bering, Captain, that Lord Gildoy
will have fifenets and relatives on the.
Tory side, who'll have something to
say to Colonel Kirke if his lordship
should be handled like a common
felon. You'll 'go warily, Captain, or
as I've said, it's a halter for your
neck you'll be weaving Chie morn-
ing.,,
Captain Hobart swept the warn-
ing aside with a bluster of con-
tempt, but he acted upon it none the
les=. "Take ,up the day -bed," said
he, "and convey him on that to
Bridgewater. Lodge him in the goal
until I take orders about him."
As his lordship was carried out,
the Captain became brisk. Mr. Blood
saw no profit to himself in linger-
ing.
"By your leave, it's a very good
day I'll be wishing you," said he.
ICIRICE'S DRAGOONS
Oglothorpe's farm stood z mile or
so to the south of Bridgewater on
the right bank of the river. On the
bridge, as they had been riding out
of Bridgewater, they had met a van-
guard of fugitives from,. the field of
battle; hoarse voices cried a warning
that merciless pursuit was not far
behind. But Ss Pitt's direction was
a southward one, bringing them ever
nearer to Feversham's headquar-
ters, they were presently clear of
that human flotsam and jetsam of the
battle.
in the specione, stone -flagged hall
the doctor found Lord Gildoy stretch
ed on a cane -bed in care of Mrs.
Baynes and her comely daughter.
Mr. Blood knelt to his task. }Te
was still intent upon it a half-hour
later when the dragoons invaded the.
homestead. His lordship showed
considerable alarm, and the battle -
stained Jeremy Pitt sped to cover in
a clothes -press. Baynes was uneasy,
and his wire and daughter trembled.
"Why„ what's to fear?" Mr. Blood
during the voyage, he decided to go
ashore there, additionally urged to it
by the fact that it was his mother's
native soil.
Thus in January pf that year,
1685, he had come •to Bridgewater,
possessor of a fortune that was ap-
proximately the same as that with
which he had originally set out from
Dublin eleven years ago.
Because he liked the place, in
which his health wns rapidly restored
to him, and because he conceived
that ho -had passed thr.ougn adven-
ture enough for a man's lifetime, he
determined to settle there, and take
up at last the profession of medicine
from which he had, with so little pro-
fit, broken away.
That is all his story, or so much of
it as matters up' to that night. sir
months later., when the battle of
Sedgemoore was fought.
Deeming the impending action
no affair of his, as indeed it/teas not,
and indifferent to the activity with
which Bridgewater was that night
agog, Mr. Blood closed his ears to
the sounds of it, and went early to
bed,
The armies carne into collision in
the noighborhod of two o'clock in
tho morning. Mr. •Blood stept undis-
turbed through the distant boom of
cannon. Not until four o'clock did
he awaken from his tranquil slum -
leers. He sat up in bed, rubbed the
sleep from his eyes, and collected
himself, Blows wore thundering no-
n -ti the door of his house, and a voice
was calling incoherently. iI' rrnach-
ed for bed -gown and skippers, and
went. himself to open. There in the
slanting golden light of th, now -ris-
er sur Mr. Mood recognized Trim f1r
1 young shipmaster, Jeremian Pitt
who lied been deawn hy, the g''nerra
enthusiasm into the vortex (Athol re
hellion. The Wild-eyed lad plunged
From Baynes, who Weeded not
guilty, the clerk passed on to Pitt,
who boldly owned his guilt. The
Dail Chief Justice stirred at that.
The only witness called for the
king was Captain Hobart. He testi-
tied briskly to the planner in which
he had found and taken the three
!mintage, together with Loral Gildoy.
t'pou the eiders of hie colonel he^
would have banged Pitt out of brand
but wee restrained by the lin;; of the
privnntr Blood, who 1..1 him to bl'-
limn that Pitt was a peer of the
realm and 'a person of consideration,
And it was upon- this dmsy evidence
that the three men were sentenced
to death for high trason.
The trliiulations with which Peter
"By my leave you'll remain
awhile," the Captain ordered him,
Mr, Blood shrugged, and sat down,
The Captain opened the press,
took the huddled inmate by the col-
lar of hie doublet, and lugged him
out into the open.
"And who the devils this?" quoth
he "Senotrt' nobleman, T suppose?"
,yrs. Blood bled a vision of those
g:,llows of u1 ich Captain Hobart
nail spoken. On the ep,t he invent-
ed not only t 1.,t' 1 cut ( v•hr t: fam-
ily for the :name rebel.
',Faith, ye've said' it, Captain.
This is Viscount Pitt, first cousin to
Sir Thomas Vernon, who's married
to that ;slut Moll Kirke, sister to your
own colonel, and sometime lady in
The Arrest of Peter Blood
reassured them. "It's a Christian
country this, and Christian men do
not make war upon the wounded,
nor upon those who harbor them."
And then they came rattling and t
clanking into the stone -[lagged hall
—a round dozen jack -booted; lob-
giers Regiment, led by a sturdy,
black-.browed fellow with a deal of
gold lace about the breast of his
coat. The Captain stamped forward
to the day -bed and scowled down
upon the grey -faced sufferer.
"A -damned rebel, and that's
enough for. me. Out with him, my
Inds" e
Mr. Blood got between the day-
bed and the troopers.
"In the name of hmunauity, siri''
said he, on a note of anger. "This
is England, not Tangiers. The gen-
tleman 'is in sore'case. He may not
be movecl'without peril toe his life."
Captain Hobart was amused.
"Do you think it's to benefit his
health we're taking him? There's
gallows being planted along the road
from Weston to Bridgewater, aim
he'll serve for one of them as well as
another. Colonel ICirke'il learn these
nonconforming oafs something they
will not/ :forget in generations.`
waiting upon thing Jame's queen."
Both the Captain and his prisoner
gasped. But whereas thereafter
young Pitt discreetly held 'his peace,
he Captain rapped out,.a nasty oath.
a
"Fetch him along to Bridegwater.
And snake fast that fellow also," he
pointed to Baynes. "We'll show
him what it means to harbour and
r
1
Mueller ., - •ese stand that tale
ven hundred Arabi ould he fur.-
niehed for transportation to some of
111 Majesty's southern plantations,
Jamaica, Dalrbedos, or any of the
Leeward Iallatds.
IThis command was not dictated Ny
mercy. Slave,-. were urgently requir-
ed en true plantations. A th wand
.O
1111ne1•8 were to be (llltriblted
anion' some eight courtiers. These
prism)ens were to be kept '.he • for
the space et' tee yeah before being
restored to liberty, the pls i to
whom they were assigned entering
.,,
into securely 'o 1.that tran ,nrta-
tion was int(.nt(hattely effected.S'hus
it happened that Peter ilio ,d, and
with hien Jeremy Pitt and Andrew
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 12, ..11127.
A fort planted the entrance of the,
wide harbour, with gent: thrtistin
their muzzles between th-creneb
and the wide facade of Goverimn''
House revealed iteelf deminentl;
placed on a gentle hill above th
town, On a wide cobbled space o•
the sea front they found a guard e'
red -coated militia drawn up to 0c.
ceiv e them.
(To Be Continues).
Blood was visited as a result of his
errand of mercy to Oglethorpe's
Farm contained two , sources• of
thankfulness: one that he was tried
at all; the other that his trial took
pre.«. on the 19+1r of September, tin -
til the 18th, the ^ententes passed by
the Court of the Lords Commission-
ers had been car' ed out literally and
expeditiously. Pu`. on the morning of
the 19th there arrived at Taunton a
courier from Lord Sunderland, the
Secretary of State, with a letter for
Lord Jeffreys wherein he was inform-
ed that His Majery had been grac-
comfort rebels. And take this fellow
with you"•He pointed to Mr. Blood.
"Faith it will suit me very well,"
said the. "For Bridgewater is my
destination"
"Your • destination there will be
the goal."
"Alt, tab! Your surely joking!"
"There's a gallows for you if you
prefer it. It's merely a question of
now or later"
Rude hands tteized Mr. Blood.
Pinning him to the ground, they tied
his wrists behind his - hack, then
roughly pulled him to his feet again,
The soldiers trailed out by the door
leading to the interior. Mr. Blood
was thrust by his guai.•ds -!neo the
courtyard, where Pitt and Baynes al-
ready waited. There were emends of
rending timbers, the shouts and lau-
ghter of brutal even; finally abova all
other sounds -came the piercing
screams of a w0(11an in rainiest
agony.
"You're hanging men without
'trial Faith, then it's mistaicelt I
inn. We're in Tangiers, after all, it
seems, where your regiment be-
longs."
The Captain considered hire with
a kindling eye and soldier iw:cogniz'
ed soldier.
"Who the liclj may you Bel" he
exploded,
"My nasi" is Blood, She—lTttcl
Bleed, at your service:
"Aye---ayol Codsol 'l"rat's the
name. You were in l+reneh eerviee
ago, or more, you were in 'Tangiers."
"'feat is so. I know your eeleti-
"Faith, you main be renewing the
acanluinteneet' The Capeitiii laugh -
CHAPTER III. --
THE LORD CHIEF .JUSTIN?,
It was not until two menthe liter,
on the 19th of September, that Pet-
er Blood was• brought to trial at
Taunton Castle 0)1011 a charge
(
of
high treason, The hull even to the
galleins---iiu.onged with spcctntois
most of whom were la'l;eg—was
hong 111 scarlet. At the upper end,
on at raised (1afs, sate; the Lords Com-
miSaleneve, ten five judges in their
starlet rob1'te and• heavy dark, peel-
w:acs, Baron Jolfrcys of Wena en-
t1hi'oned in the middle place.
Baynes, were conveyed to Bristol and
there shipped with some fifty others
aboard the Jamaica Merchant.
Eleven died, and amongst these was
the yeoman from Oglcthor Fusin.
CHAPTER IV.
THE SLAVE MARKET
Towards the middle of December
the Jamaica Merchant dropped an-
chor in Carlisle Bay, and put ashore;
the fifty-two surviving rebel-cin-
victs. They beheld a town of suffic-
iently imposing proportions.
DUSINESS DA$Idb
•
C. C. RAMAGE, D.D.S., L.D.S.
BRUSSELS, ONT.
Graduate Royal College of Dent.
Surgeons and Honor. Graduate 111
versity of Toronto. Dentistry in :.
its branches.
Office Over Standard Bank,
Phone 200
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Tr. M. ( "A'.)tt'(Z,°5cUa
BARRISTER, SOLICITOR,
CONVEYANCER, NOTARY PUBL,
LECKIE iBLOCK - BRUSSELS
DR. WARDLAW
Honor graduate of the Ontario Vsterina,-
Flour
lege.iII a -
held night calla. Moe appeal •
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