Behind the Walls by Nicola Pierce Read Free Book Online

smelly splotches of all shapes and sizes that had been left behind by horses, cows and dogs. The street was littered with them. Daniel was forced to quickly tiptoe through a particularly large blob of greenish brown mess. It was the size of a brick, a soft, squidgy brick that did not want to let go of his boot. His mother would have something to say about that.
    Robert glanced back a couple of times to check his brother was still behind him. He and Henry were the front runners and kept pace with one another. Robert warned his friend, ‘This could get dangerous.’
    Henry winked back. ‘Yes, I know.’
    Officer Linegar was not having a good day. His rotten tooth was throbbing with pain, so much so that it felt like it had its own heartbeat in his gum. Because he was on duty he couldn’t do the two things he longed to: cradle, in his hands, the part of his jaw that was aflame with pain and take a drop of whiskey for it. No, he had to stand upright and do his job which was to guard the garrison’s store of guns and artillery. Today it was of the utmost importance that he carry out his duty to the king. Toothache or not, James’s army needed all the help they could get. When he saw a group of boys heading his way, their expressions grim and determined, he suddenly realised that he too was in need of help. In a way he had been waiting for this moment. Surely it had only been a matter of time before a raid of some sort was attempted.
    The first two boys hollered their intention. ‘We are taking command of the magazine. Stand down!’
    Officer Linegar shook his head, his tooth in agony at the sudden movement. The pain was so bad, he decided against opening his mouth to make a reply. In any case it should be obvious what he would have said, As if I’d take orders from the likes of you ! He quickly counted the boys, and understood that they meant to do as they said. His only option was to raise his rifle and force four words out: ‘Halt or I’ll fire!’
    The boys didn’t exactly halt but they slowed their paceto a trot. Not one of them had ever had a gun pointed at them before. The guard’s stance was solid and it looked like he would make good on his threat. Nevertheless, Robert was not convinced. ‘There’s too many of us,’ he said. ‘He can’t shoot us all, not that he’d have the guts to!’ He listened behind him for the Catholic men, but they had fallen far behind.
    Henry agreed with Robert. ‘He’s right. Stay together. Let’s go!’
    The boys broke into a run once more, the ones at the back whooping, ‘Get him!’
    This was too much for Officer Linegar. He released the trigger and let fly a musket ball which tore into Henry’s left arm, just above the elbow. Henry howled in pain and fright as his limp arm was flung backwards on impact.
    Some of the boys faltered, but Robert urged them on. The guard had no time to reload his rifle and he did not want to kill any of the boys. That would only make things worse. Within seconds he was surrounded and pummelled to the ground. As the kicks rained down he hoped that one of them would be decent enough to dislodge his tooth. As far as he was concerned, the beating was proving to be less painful than the evil in his gums.
    Robert took the guard’s gun and brought the one-sided fight to an end. He ordered two boys – Alexander Irwin and Alexander Cunningham – to take Henry, who wascradling his wounded arm, to the physician. The rest of them frogmarched the bruised guard to a cell. Robert told him, ‘You should have stood aside.’
    Officer Linegar, realising he had done all he could, was philosophical. ‘Maybe so but a man has to do his own particular duty at the end of the day.’ Raising his hand to his cheek, he groaned, ‘Toothache!’
    Robert wasn’t interested. The guard felt he had nothing to lose at this stage. ‘You would be doing a fellow a tremendous favour if you procured me some whiskey, you know, should you happen to come across it.’
    Daniel