Page:King James and the Egyptian robbers, or, The court cave of Fife (1).pdf/13

OR THE COURT CAVE OF FIFE.13 up the rock behind them, carrying large blankets and other cloths, clearly for the purpose of throwing over their swords and themselves; and thus yielding them up a fettered prey to the knives of these butchers. All hope of escape died in his bosom as he perceived the weaid design, and he was about to rush on the savages, and at least sell his life dearly, when he perceived the woman who carried the blankets pause, and look upwards. He too looked up, and saw, with a consternation that for a moment unmanned him, an immense fragment of loose rock in the very act of being removed from its immemorial resting-place, and precipitated on their heads.

'Holy Virgin! help us, or we are lost', exclaimed the youth; and the prayer had hardly left his lips ere the threatened engine of their destruction was converted into the means of their immediate escape. The ponderous stone dropped so far directly on its fatal errand, that Arthur instinctively crouched beneath the apparently inevitable blow; but, encountering a few feet only above his head a projecting piece of rock, it rebounded from the side of the cave in a slanting direction, and, falling clear of its intended victims, smote to the earth the hoary head of the patriarch. He fell beneath the huge fragment, which hid from their sight the face and neck of the Egyptian; but the convulsive writhings of the unhappy man, which for a moment contorted his frame, only to leave it in utter stillness, told plainly that his long career had ceased, and that the man of blood had become the victim of his own pitiless design.

The Egyptians, panic-struck by this sudden death-blow, set up a loud and stunning wail, as they crowded round the body of their chief; but the stranger and Arthur stayed not to observe their farther demeanour; and, taking advantage of the opening among their enemies, which was now afforded them, sprang out of the cave, and ascended at the top of their speed to the brow of the eminence behind it.

They continued their rapid walk for some time in silence, induced, no doubt, by the tumultuous nature of their feelings, and the violence of their present exertion. At length, having entered a few yards into a wood, which then decorated the place, though soon after to be converted into keel and timbers for the 'Great Michael', the stranger halted, and, taking Arthur by the hand, said, breathlessly,

'By Saint Andrew, young sir, you have done us this day good service. I never thought to have been so indebted to a pint stoup, trow me.'

'But what sorrow tempted you man,' replied Arthur, rather crossly, 'to play the fool with the old villain's dearie in yon