The Adventures of Harry Rochester: A Tale of the Days of Marlborough and EugeneStrang, Herbert
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The Adventures of Harry Rochester: A Tale of the Days of Marlborough and Eugene
Strang, Herbert
Blenheim, Battle of, Blindheim, Bavaria, Germany, 1704 -- Juvenile fiction
He was in pain. The cords cut into his flesh; his throat was parched;
he could not swallow. How long was this torture to continue? Where was
he? Where were his capturers? He longed for a light, so that he might
at least see the prison in which he was confined, and so diminish even
by one his terrible uncertainties. But no light came, no voice or
footfall sounded gratefully upon his ear; and presently a lethargy stole
upon his mind and all things were again in oblivion.
He was roused by a light flashed in his eyes. Dazed and still only half
conscious, he saw an unknown face bending towards him, and a hand
holding a candle. The man grunted as though with relief to find the
captive still alive; then, setting the candle upon the floor, he removed
the gag. Harry tried to speak, but no word issued from his lips. The
man went from the room, leaving the candle still burning. By its light
Harry saw that he was in a narrow attic, with rough beams supporting a
slanting roof, and whitewashed walls. There was a sky-light above him;
he could hear the first patters of a shower of hail.
Presently the man returned bearing a can and a hunk of bread. Lifting
Harry, he held the can to his lips. The prisoner drank the beer
greedily.
"Where am I?" he asked, recovering his voice.
"Hold your jaw!" was the surly answer. "You are where you are."
"Why am I brought here? What is to be done with me?"
"Hold your jaw, I say! Ye’ll get nothing out of me. Keep a still
tongue; for if ye raise your voice someone I know will find means to
quiet ye."
"But I insist on knowing," cried Harry in indignation. "Why was I dogged
and attacked in the streets, and brought captive to——"
"Stow it! Least said soonest mended. Behave wi’ sense and ye’ll be
treated according; otherways—well, I won’t answer for’t."
"Loose my arms then."
"Well, I’ll do that for ’ee, and legs too; don’t think ye can run away,
’cos ye can’t. Here’s your supper; dry, but ’tis drier where there’s
none. I’ll leave ye to’t."
Untying the cords, the man gave the bread into Harry’s hand, took up the
candle, and went out, locking the door behind him. Harry could not eat;
his limbs were cramped with his long immobility; when he stood his knees
hardly supported him. But it was pleasant to be able to use arms and
legs once more, and after a time his aching pains abated. He groped
round the room, shook the door, and found it fast. He could just touch
the sky-light with his outstretched hand, and he felt that the glass was
loose; but he could not remove it unless he stood higher, and groping
failed to find any chair or stool. Escape was impossible; he could but
wait for the morning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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