Читать книгу The Leaguer Of Lathom - William Harrison Ainsworth - Страница 18

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QUARTER of an hour elapsed, and Gertrude began to feel uneasy, but the sentinel reassured her, and shortly afterwards, while looking towards the park, she discerned a number of armed men issue from the gate, and move stealthily and silently towards Alport Lodge.

Feeling certain this must be Captain Bradshaw and his party, she would fain have joined them, but the sentinel would not let her stir.

The party quickly disappeared in the gloom, and for a few minutes all continued quiet.

A loud discharge of musketry then broke the stillness. At the same time, a bright light showed that the party had succeeded in setting Alport Lodge on fire. Whatever efforts were made to extinguish the conflagration proved unsuccessful. Built almost entirely of timber, the old hall burnt with the greatest rapidity. By this light the Royalist soldiers and their leaders could be seen actively, but unavailingly employed in trying to save the mansion from the entire destruction that threatened it.

Meanwhile, Bradshaw and his party having successfully accomplished their purpose without any loss, hurried back as fast as they could, and acting upon Rosworm's instructions, made an attack upon the battery. But being hotly pursued by a company of dragoons headed by Frank Standish, they were compelled to beat a hasty retreat, and several of them were cut down, or made prisoners before they could reach the barrier at the end of Deansgate.

Standish attempted to follow them, but was driven back. Resolved, however, to gain an entrance at some other point, he rode further on, and then dismounting with a dozen men, scaled the walls and killed the sentinel who opposed him. He might have succeeded in his purpose, had not Rosworm appeared at the juncture with a party of musketeers, and forced him to retire.

All Standish gained by the exploit was a prisoner. Having captured a young soldier on the walls, he carried him off in his retreat.

Little did he suspect at the time that the prisoner he had made was no other than Gertrude Rosworm.