As it is, without
doing any good to their cause, they are entailing this horrible suffering
upon thousands of women and children.
"By all means, help the poor lad, and if he should fall into the hands of
our people, let him mention my name. Rosen would no doubt disapprove of
it, but I cannot help that. All the Irish gentlemen in the army would
agree that I had done rightly, and, even if they didn't, my own
conscience would be quite sufficient for me to act upon. I am fighting
against the king's enemies, not warring against women and children.
"How soundly the poor lad sleeps, and how changed he is! He is a mere
skeleton. I should not have known him in the least. If this is the
condition into which a strong, healthy lad has fallen, what must the
women and children have suffered! I wish Kirk had not turned coward, but
had landed his troops. We could then have brought up our scattered
forces, and could have fought them in a fair field, with something like
equal forces. That would have been vastly more to my taste than starving
them, like rats in a hole."
Chapter 5: The Relief Of Derry.
It was late in the afternoon before John woke. He started up, as his eyes
fell upon Captain Davenant.
"You have had a good sleep, and I hope you are all the better for it,"
Captain Davenant said, kindly.
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