Plague Read Free Page A

gown.”
    â€œAh! Young woman, slim?”
    â€œYes!” said Sam.
    â€œShe came by, not long ago. I saw her staring up at your window. She was crying. At least, that’s what it looked like. Asked her if she wanted anything, but she said no, she was on her way home. And off she went – double quick.”
    â€œBut – I need to see her – to tell her…”
    â€œYou won’t see her again, I reckon.”
    She can’t have left us!
Sam thought.
    He turned away from the window, and his voice shook as he said, “Master – Alice has left us! She’s gone!”
    William Kemp struggled to speak. “Don’t blame her… Sam. Only a saint would comeback in. The cross… on the door…”
    â€œBut she didn’t even say goodbye!” Sam wailed, unable to hold back his tears.
    â€œGive me some medicine now,” said Master Kemp. “Then I’ll sleep and let you rest.”
    * * *
    The next morning, when Sam went to check on Master Kemp, Budge growled at him. Sam saw, with a shock, that his master was dead. William Kemp lay with his eyes open, staring at nothing.
    Sam murmured a prayer for his good master’s soul. For a long time he sat onthe bed next to Budge, feeling lonely and sorrowful, knowing he should tell someone what had happened. Budge was warm, but William Kemp grew cold.
    At last Sam called the watchman.
    â€œThe cart will come by around midday,” the man said. “Be ready with the corpse.”
    Sam shuddered. He thought, I must make a shroud. And again he longed for Alice’s help.
    He used the bed sheet under William Kemp’s body. Budge growled and bared his teeth. He didn’t want anyone to touch his dead master. “Come on, Budge, please,” said Sam, as he moved the dog off the bed. “I don’t want to do this, but I must.” Carefully,he covered the body and tied the two ends of the sheet at the top and the bottom. As soon as he was done, Budge jumped back up and lay down against the shrouded figure.
    Later, Sam heard cartwheels crashing over the cobbles.
    â€œBring out your dead!” a weary voice called.
    Sam leaned out of the window and saw the cart already piled high with corpses.
    â€œI can’t lift him!” he shouted.
    He heard someone at the door, opening the padlock. Budge’s ears pricked up.
    Two burly men came up the stairs, into the bedchamber. Budge stood guard over William Kemp’s body, growling fiercely. Oneof the men hit him and he yelped in pain.
    â€œDon’t!” Sam sprang forward to protect his dog.
    â€œHold onto him, then!”
    Sam obeyed, and the two men grabbed the body and carried it down the stairs and out of the door. They tossed it into the cart along with the rest of the corpses.
    Tears ran down Sam’s face. Shutting Budge in the bedchamber, he hurried downstairs shouting, “Wait! Can I go with you to the churchyard?”
    One of the men laughed. “Churchyard! The churchyard’s full. We’re going to the pit in Moorfields. You don’t want to go there, son.”
    â€œI do! I want –”
    The door banged shut in his face.
    â€œForty days!” the men shouted, as the watchman locked Sam up again in the house. “And keep that dog in or the bounty men will get him.”
    Forty days. Sam sat on the stairs. He had never felt more alone in his life. Forty days – and then, if he was still alive, what would they do with him? He’d end up back at the orphanage – or, more likely, at the Bridewell, which was little better than a prison.
    One thing was certain. Wherever they sent him, they wouldn’t let him keep Budge. And Budge was all he had left.

6
Escape
    â€œBasket for you!”
    Sam leaned out, and saw the watchman putting meat and a jug of beer into the basket. Carefully, he hauled it up. Budge watched, pacing about and wagging his tail. He knew the basket meant food for him,