“No,” he thought, “I gave Sir Henry fair warning that I must do my duty, and that if we encountered again I should have to arrest him in the king’s name. He tried to tempt me to join his party, but I refused, and told him I had my duty to do. He must, I am sure he must, have made his escape, and I shall lead on my men.”
He hesitated a moment, and then thought that he was come there to capture smugglers, not political offenders, and that after all he would find a way out of his difficulty; but colouring the next moment, he felt that he must do his duty at all hazards; and he turned to Waters.
“I can see no trace of anything wrong, gunner,” he said, “but I feel that those rascals have laid a trap for us. They’ll open fire directly we attempt to cross that bridge.”
“Then let me and Tom Tully and some one else try it first,” said the gunner in reply.
“No, no, Waters; that would never do,” said Hilary. “If anyone goes first it must be I. Look all along the bottom windows. Can you see any gun barrels?”
“Not ne’er a one, sir,” replied the gunner; “and I ar’n’t seen anything but two or three pigeons and an old lame hen since we’ve come.”
“Then they must be lying in wait,” said Hilary. “Never mind, it must be done. Here, I shall rush over first with Tom Tully. Then, if all’s right, you bring the rest of the men. If I go down, why, you must see if you can do anything to take the place; and if you cannot, you must take the men back.”
“Hadn’t we better all rush it together, sir?”
“No; certainly not.”
“Then hadn’t I best go first, sir? I ar’n’t so much consequence as you.”