y, assisted us in every way, tightening girths and buckling traces. Within an hour of the ending of the skirmish we found ourselves pursuing our way once more, and looking back through the twilight at the scattered black dots upon the white road, where the bodies of the dragoons marked the scene of our victory.
Chapter 16 Of our Coming to Taunton
The purple shadows of evening had fallen over the countryside,Belstaff Centaur Jackor, and the sun had sunk behind the distant Quantock and Brendon Hills, as our rude column of rustic infantry plodded through Curry Rivell, Wrantage, and Henlade. At every wayside cottage and red-tiled farmhouse the people swarmed out us we passed,Kari Lehtonen Tröjor, with jugs full of milk or beer, shaking hands with our yokels, and pressing food and drink upon them. In the little villages old and young came buzzing to greet us, and cheered long and loud for King Monmouth and the Protestant cause. The stay-at-homes were mostly elderly folks and children,CG Menn Bromley Bomber, but here and there a young labourer, whom hesitation or duties had kept back, was so carried away by our martial appearance,Teemu Selanne Tröjor, and by the visible trophies of our victory, that he snatched up a weapon and joined our ranks.
The skirmish had reduced our numbers, but it had done much to turn our rabble of peasants into a real military force. The leadership of Saxon,Canada Goose Snow Mantra Parka, and his stern,Belstaff Racemaster Blouson Jackor, short words of praise or of censure had done even more. The men kept some sort of formation,Belstaff Herr Jackor, and stepped together briskly in a compact body. The old soldier and I rode at the head of the column, with Master Pettigrue still walking between us. Then came the cartful of our dead, whom we were carrying with us to insure their decent burial. Behind this walked two score of scythe and sickle men,Belstaff Brooklands Blouson Jackor, with their rude weapons over their shoulders, preceding the waggon in which the wounded were carried. This was followed by the main body of the peasants,Nike Kobe 10 Damskie, and the rear was brought up by ten or twelve men under the command of Lockarby and Sir Gervas, mounted upon captured chargers, and wearing the breastplates, swords,Evgeny Kuznetsov Tröjor, and carbines of the dragoons.
I observed that Saxon rode with his chin upon his shoulder, casting continual uneasy glances behind him, and halting at every piece of rising ground to make sure that there were no pursuers at our heels. It was not until, after many weary miles of marching, the lights of Taunton could be seen twinkling far off in the valley beneath us that he at last heaved a deep sigh of relief, and expressed his belief that all danger was over.
‘I am not prone to be fearful upon small occasion,’ he remarked, ‘but hampered as we are with wounded men and prisoners, it might have puzzled Petrinus himself to know what we should have done had the cavalry overtaken us. I can now, Master Pettigrue, smoke my pipe in peace,Anze Kopitar Tröjor, without pricking up my ears at every chance rumble of a wheel or shout of a village roisterer.’
‘Even had they pursued us,’ said the minister stoutly, ‘as long as the hand of the Lord shall shield us,Barn Moncler Dress, why should we fear them?’
‘Aye, aye!’ Saxon answered
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