GAVIN. Then I shall blow it for you.
BABBIE (DOUBTFULLY). But could you?
GAVIN (INDIGNANTLY). Could I! Give it me.
(She does so, and he blows loudly on the horn. Then turns proudly to her.)
There!
BABBIE. It was grandly done.
GAVIN. I wonder if they heard?
BABBIE (TAKING A SIDE GLANCE AT THE TOWN). I wonder! I dinna suppose you could blaw louder. It needs a strong man to blaw a lusty blast.
GAVIN (INDIGNANTLY).! AM a strong man.
(Blows a long blast and, to the concealed delight of babbie, lights appear.)
They must have heard that.
BABBIE. Again!
GAVIN. That must suffice.
BABBIE. I see the blowing tires you.
GAVIN. Tires me!
(He blows again. One or two other lights go in. Moving lights are seen. A drum is heard, gavin listens in surprise, but does not look round.)
The town drum —
(Distant shouts from town commence.)
at this hour — very odd!
(babbie taps him demurely on shoulder and points to the town where about eight lights altogether are now visible. He looks and is astounded.) I can’t understand it. Did you hear that? (LOOKS DOWN AT THE TOWN — AND IS ASTOUNDED.) Crowds of people are gathering in the square. (HE COMES DOWN A STEP.) What can it mean?
BABBIE (FOLLOWING HIM A STEP). It means that the town is rising agin’ the sojers.
GAVIN. Soldiers? There are no soldiers.
(BUGLE SOUNDS THE ‘DOUBLE.’)
BABBIE. The wood is full o’ them! You hear!
(Drum stops.)
There’s a chance for them yet. The alarm has been sounded.
GAVIN. What? After I forbade it! (STERNLY) Who sounded the alarm?
BABBIE (looking through bush). You did.
GAVIN. I?
BABBIE (POINTING). On the horn!
(Bugle and military drum starts off gavin is paralysed with consternation. The horn drops from his hand. The town is now dimly lit. The roaring of the mob increases in volume, gavin goes threateningly after babbie as if he could throttle her captain halliwell is heard giving orders.)
HALLIWELL (OFF). Extend to the right! — open out through the whin bushes until you ‘re in touch with the flank company.
BABBIE. Oh!
(She flies off gavin turns and rushes out. Drum stops. Enter eight Soldiers followed by captain halliwell and lord rintoul.)
LORD RINTOUL (TROUBLED). Halliwell, who blew that horn and alarmed the town?
HALLIWELL (SELF-CONFIDENT). We shall soon know, Rintoul. Be calm, I shall get your pretty weavers.
LORD RINTOUL. You said your men saw that minister fellow order the watchers to their homes?
HALLIWELL. Yes — and then I delayed the advance to give them time to get to bed.
LORD RINTOUL. A blunder!
HALLIWELL. It was the wish of the constables, who said that if they could get into the town unseen, they knew where to lay hands on every man they want. So we were lying in the wood waiting quietly, when suddenly a horn sounded three times —
(An old villager enters.)
— and in a moment the town was in an uproar.
LORD RINTOUL. Oh!
HALLIWELL. Don’t BE FLURRIED, WE SHALL HAVE SOME FUN NOW.
LORD RINTOUL. If we should fail again!
HALLIWELL (TO VILLAGER, AS TO A CHILD). Shoo!
(Villager bolts and halliwell laughs.)
Fail again! My dear Rintoul! I am with you this time, and my men are already a hoop of steel round the town. We have your weavers so. (MAKING A HOOP OF HIS ARMS.) Just as I told Lady Barbara we should have them. I only wish she were here, now, to see how neatly I am doing it. It’s too easy, you know — like shooting rabbits.
(Enter female villager over rocks.)
Shoo!
(Shouts from town recommence. She rushes away. Noise of crowd, halliwell saunters up to back and surveys town through glasses.)
(TO LORD RINTOUL) Aha! Someone is addressing them from the top of an outside stair! I believe — yes, it is that minister. Ho, ho! He prevails upon them — they fling down their weapons. There’s to be no fun after all! — Hallo — Oh, by Jove! — splendid! Rintoul, a woman is addressing them from another stair.
LORD RINTOUL. A woman!
HALLIWELL. I think — yes — she is exhorting them to fight! Oh, bravo! The minister shakes his fist at her — and she — oh, the little rebel — she blows him a kiss! They turn from him to her — splendid! I am really enjoying it now! She is leading them — they are gone! (COMES DOWN.)
LORD RINTOUL. Gone — where? (RATHER ANXIOUSLY.)
HALLIWELL. Into the arms of my loving soldiers, of course.
(COMPLACENTLY MAKING THE CIRCLE AGAIN WITH HIS ARMS. ENTER MICAH, WHO RUNS TO HALLIWELL.)
MICAH. Oh, SIR, DINNA TAK’ MY FATHER. It WASNA him THAT DROVE THE CART — IT WAS ME. I’M LITTLE but I’m terrible BAD.
HALLIWELL. Who blew that horn, boy?
(A bugle is heard.)
LORD RINTOUL. Quick! Tell us.
(MILITARY DRUMS OFF.)
MICAH. I think it was a woman — an Egyptian.
HALLIWELL. A woman again! (THROWS HIM DOWN BY FIRE.) What a town of Amazons!
LORD RINTOUL. Can it be the same woman?
HALLIWELL. I hope so. I shall introduce you to her presently. (TO MICAH) Her name?
MICAH. I dinna ken. Naebody in Thrums ever saw her afore.
LORD RINTOUL. Odd!
HALLIWELL. Joan of Arc, I expect.
MICAH. Mr Dishart — that’s the minister — tried to chase her out of the wood. But she had come back.
HALLIWELL. Very sociable of her.
(Enter nanny followed by a crowd of women, distracted and partially dressed. After the women are on, a child also runs in and clings to one of them. Cries of ‘This is him — This is the Captain — Here’s rintoul,’ etc.)
They can’t resist the red coat, Rintoul!
LORD RINTOUL. I grow uneasy.
HALLIWELL. You can’t think how uneasy she is to be presently!
(DRUM AND SHOUTS STOP.)
NANNY (ON ROCK). For mercy’s sake, Captain, pity, have pity!
VILLAGERS. Pity, sir — have mercy, sir (ETC.).
HALLIWELL (GOING TO FOOT OF BANK). You are all charming people, I am sure, but I can do nothing for you.
(micah joins crowd.)
VILLAGERS. Oh, sir, mercy! (Etc., etc.)
(Some run off micah sneaks off after them.)
NANNY. Our men folk will be killed —
VILLAGERS. Ay, ay.