The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900 ... - Gredos

The Salamanca Corpus: Yeoman Fleetwood (1900)
With a sudden movement he pinioned Sir Walter's arms, brought them dexterously
together, and then, holding them fast in the iron grip of one mighty hand, began with the
other to search his pockets; but Brooke, though he struggled impotently in Fleetwood's
grasp, had other means of defence at his disposal. His lips quivered with fury, and it
may be alarm, but he managed, nevertheless, to purse them into the required form, and
whistled twice, sharply and shrilly.
There was a rustling movement in the neighbouring underwood, and presently a man
sprang out —a tall fellow dressed like a groom — who hastened towards the tree. He
was carrying a long heavy cloak, the folds of which he shook out as he ran, extending it
with both hands as though making ready to throw it about some one. When he drew
near the struggling couple at the trysting place however, he stopped short with an
expression of con-
[240]
stemation and astonishment that would have been ludicrous had not the matter been of
such serious import.
“Come on, you scoundrel!" roared his master; "drop that d -d cloak and rid me of this
murderous devil. What are you standing there for, you great oaf, while you see that he
has overpowered me?"
The fellow dropped the cloak and rushed on Simon, who, without relaxing his hold on
the master, dealt the man so vigorous a backhander with his sledge-hammer fist that it
sent him flying on his back some yards away, his head striking against the rugged root
of the tree as he fell, so that he lay stunned and motionless.
Simon now turned his attention to Brooke, his face livid with passion. As by a lightning
flash the chain of evidence, of which he had hitherto identified but disconnected links,
was now fully revealed to him. The note which had been intended to decoy Rachel to
the spot, the post-chaise ready to start at a moment's notice, the signal which should
summon yonder prostrate loon to Sir Walter Brooke's assistance, the cloak in which
doubtless the girl was to have been infolded in case she proved contumacious, so that
her struggles might be checked and her cries stifled — the whole of the abominable plot