CHAPTER XII
THE JOURNEY PERILOUS
LONG before the grey morn began to dawn Redward and his son hadcovered a couple of leagues, and were at the foot of a long range ofhills. Slowly they began the ascent, and, ere the summit was reached,the light was sufficient for them to see their grotesque and horriblegarb.
"A safe disguise," exclaimed Raymond, "yet right glad will I be whenwe can doff these garments."
"A safe disguise enough, should the barber not play us false,"replied his father. "I liked not his looks, though I trow he is inno ways to blame for the cut of his face."
"But dost think that he will play us false?"
"'Tis not unlikely; so the more leagues we place between us and St.Brieuc the better. Canst get at thy sword-hilt?"
"Not easily. Wherefore dost thou ask?"
"Danger might come apace and at any time. See, I have cut a slit inmy gown so that I can grasp my sword without delay. I pray thee dolikewise."
On the brow of the first hill was a long farmstead, sheltered more orless by a clump of stunted pinetrees. Behind the house was anorchard, its branches laden with fruit, while amongst the trees wereseveral cows, their heads tethered to their forefeet, after themanner of those parts, so that the animals could not tear down thebranches of the fruit-trees.
"A sight to gladden the eyes of an old campaigner!" exclaimed themaster-bowman, and, taking his steel cap from beneath his cowl, hestole cautiously towards the cattle, Raymond waiting behind asheltering tree.
With the deftness born of old experience Redward did his work, andsoon returned with his casque filled to the brim with warm milk.Having drunk their fill, the travellers helped themselves to abounteous supply of fruit, and proceeded on their way, the fruit,together with some dry bread they had brought with them, making apassable breakfast.
At the bottom of the hill they entered a small village. Althoughstill early, most of the inhabitants were astir, and the Englishmenhad their first experience of the efficacy of their disguise. Fordirectly they rattled their barillets the villagers ran hither andthither to avoid the supposed sufferers, save a horseman and an oldwoman. The former passed them at a distance of a few paces, throwingthem a couple of deniers. With his usual presence of mind Redwardstooped, picked up the coins, and louted to the donor. The womanthrew them a rusk loaf, and this was caught and quickly concealedbeneath the sheltering cloaks.
Once clear of the village they mended their pace, and, with theexception of a pair of shepherds, and a peasant clattering along inhis heavy sabots, not a soul did they meet till close on midday, whenthe travellers arrived at a cross-road, where the monotony of theoutlook was broken by four avenues of trees.
"I would fain have rested here awhile," exclaimed Redward. "But withthat for company methinks we shall do better if we get about abow-shot further on!"
"A corpse?"
"Ay, lad; a malefactor hanged close to the scene of his crime. See,already the crows have begun their work."
With averted heads the twain passed the gallows; but on giving aglance down the cross-road they saw a sight that filled them withmisgiving, for plodding wearily along were two figures dressed likethemselves!
"Lepers, indeed!" exclaimed Redward. "My faith, they would bear uscompany."
Waving their arms to attract and arrest their supposedfellow-sufferers, the two grey-robed men quickened their pace, but,directly the Englishmen had gained the cover of the tree-lined road,they, too, hastened to avoid being overtaken, so that by the time thelepers had turned the corner, Raymond and his father were somedistance ahead.
"We more than hold our own," quoth Redward, glancing over hisshoulder. "Directly we shake them off we'll have a well-earned rest."
It was as he said. The well-knit frames of the Englishmen were vastlysuperior to the diseased bodies of the lepers, and long before thebottom of the hill was reached their two pursuers were but dimlyvisible on the dusty road.
Once again the road led upwards. Not a village was to be seen, only avast undulating plain, unbroken except for an occasional clump oftrees, while in the distance the blue outlines of a lofty range ofhills showed that some stiff climbing would be necessary ere Hennebonwas in sight.
An hour later and they had all but gained the ridge of the next hill.By the roadside was a heather-covered bank, while between a mass ofrocks a spring gushed forth, the water making a pleasant sound in theears of the weary travellers.
Father and son drank at the spring, then clambering over the bank,lay down on the springy heather, where, without being seen, theycould command the road for nearly a league.
"'Tis quite evident that we can outpace those poor wretches," saidRaymond, stretching out his limbs to their fullest extent inappreciation of his natural bed. "Here we can rest in comfort tillthey draw nigh; then, refreshed, we can hasten onwards once more."
For nearly an hour they remained, sleep all but claiming them. Not aword was spoken, though Redward gave an occasional grunt as he raisedhimself on his elbow at intervals to watch the advancing lepers.
The heat, too, was terrific, the sun beating down with fierceviolence on their unprotected resting-place.
Suddenly Raymond raised himself and looked along the road they hadjust traversed. There were the two grey-robed figures moving slowlyup the hill, but away in the distance the sun glittered upon aswiftly-moving mass of steel, followed by a thick cloud of dust.
"Soldiers!" he exclaimed.
Redward raised himself. "I like it not," he exclaimed. "They arefollowing us. That rogue of a barber hath betrayed us. Lie low,Raymond, and let them pass; I perceive 'twill mean a journey by nightfor us."
Stretching side by side, and concealing their hoods with sprays ofheather, father and son waited and watched. The two lepers werewithin two hundred paces ere they heard the thunder of the horses'hoofs behind them. With a cry of terror one of the twain turned andfled; the other, ignorant of the intentions of the pursuing horsemen,held his ground, flourishing his rattle with the vigour that dangerbestowed upon him.
Like a flash the foremost soldier was upon him; a back-handed sweepingcut with his sword and the grey-robed figure was dashed to the earth,and ere his companion had come level with the spot where theEnglishmen were concealed, he was transfixed by a lance-thrust andwas trampled beneath the horses' hoofs.
With wild cries of exultation the troop of horsemen reined in theirsteeds and surveyed the result of their fell work.
"Quickly, Geoffroi! Strip those cloaks from the bodies of theseaccursed English and search them for concealed papers," ordered theirleader. "By St. Denis, 'tis a smart piece of work, though I littlethought the rogues would have died so tamely!"
The soldier addressed dismounted, handed his still reeking lance to acomrade, and bent over the corpse of the man he had slain. With aquick motion he tore aside the robe. But the next instant, uttering ashriek of terror, he jumped backwards, covering his eyes with hishands as if to ward off a blow.
"_Mon Dieu!_" exclaimed the captain, craning over the neck of hischarger. "What have we done? They are in truth real lepers! Dolt of abarber! A curse upon Raoul de Rohein! He hath deceived us! Is it thesame with the other?"
The first victim had fallen on his back, and his hood, stained withhis blood, had slipped from off his head, disclosing the repulsivedisease-eaten features of a man whose malady was far advanced.
"Stand back, all of you!" shouted the captain, beside himself withrage and mortification. "Stand back! Do thou, Jehan, cast thy swordand its sheath from thee lest thou die! And do thou, Geoffroi, ridefifty paces behind us, and hold communication with no man till thelaw respecting contagion is complied with. Now back to the town withall speed, _mes enfants_, for I have an account to settle with MaitreRaoul! What will they say of us when they hear we have vanquishednought but a pair of lepers?"
The troop galloped away down the dusty road towards St. Brieuc, theunfortunate soldier following in the rear, his face ashen with terrorat the thought of the loathsome death he h
ad courted, while twomottled grey corpses, a discarded sword, and the imprints of thehoofs of the cavalry alone remained to mark the scene of so swift andterrible a tragedy.
Shuddering at the thought of their narrow escape, Raymond and hisfather rose, and with averted faces, left behind them the bodies ofthe ill-fated men, and pursued their journey. Not till they were twoleagues from the spot did they halt; then, selecting a secludedcoppice, they threw themselves on the ground and were soon deep indreamless slumber.
The sun had set and the stars were beginning to twinkle in thedarkening sky ere the travellers awoke stiff and cramped with lyingon the bare earth; but stern duty urged them onwards, and withswinging stride they resumed their way.
Along the deserted highway, past the slumbering village of Ploeuethey jogged, too discomforted and weary even to engage inconversation.
About two hours after midnight they were startled by hearing thesound of horsemen behind them. Without hesitation Redward sprang tothe side of the road, dragging the squire with him; then kneelingdown and placing his ear to the ground he listened intently.
"'Tis but a pair of horsemen," he whispered. "See to thy sword, forthere will be work afoot for us!"
The riders had now slackened down to a slow trot, and by theirconversation the Englishmen recognised that one of them was an oldacquaintance--none other than the Sieur d'Erqui.
"Once have we met him, and once at least hath he done us a service,"muttered the bowman in a low tone. "Methinks yet another service willhe render us. Now, follow me!"
Giving a tremendous salute with his rattle, Redward, with Raymondclose at his heels, sprang into the road and barred the Sieur's way.Taken aback, his face livid with superstitious fear, d'Erqui reinedin his steed, while his companion, evidently a retainer, didlikewise.
"Dismount, monsieur, lest I lay hands on thee and thou diest ahorrible death," exclaimed Redward in a sepulchral voice, relying onthe cowardice of the foppish Frenchman to gain his end.
Without a word the Sieur leapt, or, rather, rolled, from the saddleand cowered down in the darkness by the roadside. Seizing the horse'sbridle by the left hand, the soldier advanced towards the otherhorseman.
Made of sterner stuff, the latter had recovered from the firstsurprise, and, perceiving that he had no supernatural foes to dealwith, he drew his sword and rode towards his challenger. Avoidingwith ease a terrific sweep of the heavy weapon, Redward returned theblow without effect, but, ere the man could shorten his sword, theyoung squire rushed in, seized him round the waist and hurled himfrom the saddle to the ground, where he had enough reason to remainquiet.
It was the work of a moment for the Englishmen to mount the capturedsteeds, then, giving a parting salute to the discomforted Sieur, theypricked the horses with the points of their weapons, and urged theminto a brisk canter.
"Bravely done, Raymond," exclaimed his father. "It will fare ill withus now if Hennebon sees us not by to-morrow's dawn!"
"But how can we ride in this disguise?" asked Raymond. "It is not thecustom for lepers to go about on horseback."
"There is a good two hours ere daybreak, and by that time, I trow, weshall be at least five leagues from here. Then, I hope, the saintsbeing with us, that thou wilt be the Sieur d'Erqui, and I his man!"
"The Sieur d'Erqui?"
"Yea, and why not? Thou hast played the part of the Sieur before togood purpose, and why not now? But, oh for a plentiful repast! Drybread and apples are but a sorry meal when one is used to Englishbeef!"
Maintaining a hot pace the travellers rode through the night; thenjust as day was breaking they halted, watered their horses, and,after hobbling them, turned them out to graze. They then divestedthemselves of their hideous cloaks and hoods, rolled the garmentsinto a small compass, and resumed the role of soldiers.
About eight o'clock they arrived at the village of Pontivy, andreining-in at the inn, Redward dismounted and strode up to mine host,who saw in every armed man a spoiler, whether he were for Montfort orfor Blois.
"Hark ye, garcon!" exclaimed the master-bowman, "thy best food andwine in plenty, and provender for our horses! And, as thou valuestthy hide, say not one word to my master, the worthy Sieur d'Erqui,for he is in a bad mood, and woe betide the man who addresses him!"
Their steeds were led away, and Raymond and his father were showninto the largest room of the inn, while the waiting-maids, urged bythe host, bustled about preparing the meal.
Raymond did not belie the character his father had given him as theSieur, but his reticence was due to bodily fatigue. For, whileawaiting the meal, fitful sleep claimed him, but it was only toawaken with a start as his head fell forward on his chest.
Never was a repast better enjoyed, and never was the desire to sleepso irresistible, but Redward, though weary himself, was inexorable.
"Maybe swift pursuit is already at our heels," said he. "So onward wemust go. Hola!" he shouted, hammering on the trestled board with hissword-hilt.
In answer to the summons the host appeared, trembling in his shoes.
"How is the army ordered before Hennebon And where shall my masterfind the banners of the Duke Charles?"
"Sir, report hath it that the force of Blois lieth thickest aboutwhere this road approaches the town, so, without doubt, the bannersof the Duke are there."
Throwing down a coin to pay for their repast (whereat the hostmarvelled greatly, seeing it was not the custom of the times),Redward followed the supposed Sieur from the inn; their horses werebrought round, and soon they were clattering over the pave of thevillage towards the open country.
Redward glanced backwards several times to see if there were anysigns of pursuit, but to his great satisfaction none could bedetected.
"Thou hast heard what the rogue said the foe lie thickest along thisroad? Should any follow us we have laid a false scent, for I do notwish to ride straight into the camp of Blois. To that end let us turnoff along the road to Aurai, and thence follow the coast to the wallsof Hennebon."
Accordingly they turned aside at a cross-road, having learned from apeasant that it led to the town of Aurai. A league or so farther onthey again left the road and rested in a wood, sleeping withoutmolestation till late in the afternoon.
Darkness was drawing on as they struck the road between Hennebon andAurai, about a bow-shot from the latter place. Avoiding the town thetravellers turned towards their goal, now but a short four leaguesdistance.
"We must be doubly cautious, Raymond," said his father, "for methinksanother troop of horsemen is approaching."
Once again they withdrew from the road, and, hiding beneath theshadow of some tall trees, they waited. Nearer and nearer came thesound, till, like a whirlwind, a large body of knights and mountedmen-at-arms dashed by in the darkness, and, with a thunder of hoofsand a cloud of dust that rose slowly in the still night air, theyvanished into the gloom.
"By St. George! What doth it mean?" exclaimed Raymond.
"Nay, I cannot say, save it be they of Blois fleeing from those ofMontfort; every man was riding for dear life, and, mark you, withloose rein and hot spur!"
"Then onwards, father! An hour will decide whether we reach Hennebonunscathed, or have to fight our way in."
Almost before they were aware of the fact they rode right into thecamp of the besiegers, but, instead of being instantly challenged andtaken prisoners, it was like a progress through a city of the dead.Most of the tents were cut down, several of the temporary wooden hutsstill smouldered, while here and there their horses had to step asideto avoid treading on the corpse of an unarmoured man.
Still wondering at this unlooked-for sight, the Englishmen spurred ontill they drew rein outside the twin towers that guarded the gate ofHennebon. A hoarse voice challenged them, and torches flickered onthe battlements as the garrison stood to their arms.
"Open! We would see the Countess!" roared Redward, standing in hisstirrups.
"Who are ye, and whence come ye?" was the reply.
"Messengers from the King of Eng
land."
Cries of delight greeted this announcement, the drawbridge fell witha ponderous clang, the great gates were thrown wide open, and,conscious that a great duty had been well carried out, Raymond,followed by his father, entered the town of Hennebon.