XVI
COLONEL JIM ATTEMPTS A RESCUE
The road to Dollfort turned to the right at the top of the hill, and ran for some way through the wood. When it got to the bottom of the hill there was a stretch of open country for about a mile; then there was another thick wood on another hill.
There was no sign of the carriages on the straight bit of road, but the pursuers had been some time freeing Wooden’s aunt and listening to her story, and could hardly have expected to catch them up yet. Wooden’s aunt was riding between Peggy and Wooden. She had nearly recovered from her disagreeable experience, and was inclined to like being on horseback. She said the motion reminded her of being in a small boat on a choppy sea.
When they had got about halfway between the two woods, Colonel Jim halted them with a sharp word of command. “Women and children behind!!” he said, and then ordered his men in front.
It was a good thing that this was done, for as they approached the second wood two armed wooden soldiers sprang out of it and levelled their rifles at them. They did not fire them, but it would have given Peggy and the dolls a nasty fright if they had been riding in front.
The wooden sentries challenged Colonel Jim, riding at the head of his little troop, with a “Halt!” and a “Who goes there?” He said “Friend!” but they did not say “Pass Friend!” as is the usual custom. They told him that the King had recently gone through to Dollfort, and had told them that they were to let nobody pass until they received further orders from the fort.
Now Colonel Jim engaged in the duties of his profession was quite a different person from the amiable but rather slow-witted person we have hitherto seen. He didn’t tell the sentries that Selim wasn’t the King at all, or engage in any argument with them. He said, “I’m an officer of the Royal Body Guard, so your orders can’t apply to me.” Then he gave them the password for the day, which, as you remember, was the word “pot-plants.”
Now, you must also remember that, although Selim had thought he might be followed in his flight, which was the reason why he had given orders to the sentries to let no one pass the wood, he could not have known that he would be immediately followed by a troop of Household cavalry, which is, of course, the special protection of a King or Queen. So he had naturally not warned the sentries of this, and as Colonel Jim spoke with authority, they were inclined to obey him.
“Well, I suppose it’s all right for you and your men,” said one of the sentries, “but what about these here civs?” He meant civilians.
The Lord Chancellor now showed considerable resource. The sentries had lowered their rifles, which, strictly speaking, they ought not yet to have done, so he pushed his way to the front, and said in an important voice, “I am the highest official of this country; this gentleman here is the Royal Head Bargeman; this lady is the one the King has asked to marry him, and this is her aunt; and this little girl is a human being, and therefore doesn’t come under your orders at all.”