CHAPTER VIII: Hidden Foes.
"I am heartily glad to be out of Paris," Ronald said to Malcolm on theirfirst halt after leaving the capital. "It is not pleasant to regard everyman one meets after dark as a possible enemy, and although I escaped scotfree from the gang who attacked us the other night, one cannot alwaysexpect such good fortune as that. It was a constant weight on one's mind,and I feel like a new man now that we are beyond the city walls."
"Nevertheless, Ronald, we must not omit any precautions. Your enemy has along purse, and can reach right across France. That last affair is proofof his bitterness against you, and it would be rash indeed were we to actas if, having made one attempt and failed, he would abandon his plansaltogether. He is clearly a man who nourishes a grudge for years, and hisfirst failure is only likely to add to his vindictive feeling. I do notsay that your danger is as great as it was in Paris, but that is simplybecause the opportunities of attacking you are fewer. I should advise youto be as careful as before, and to be on your guard against ambushes andsurprises."
"Well, it may be so, Malcolm, and of course I will be careful; but till Ihave proof to the contrary I shall prefer to think that the marquis willtrust to my being knocked on the head during the war, and will make nofurther move against me until the regiment returns to Paris."
"Think what you like, lad," Malcolm said, "so that you are cautious andguarded. I shall sleep with one eye open, I can tell you, till we arefairly beyond the frontier."
Two days later the regiment encamped outside the town of St. Quentin.They were usually quartered on the inhabitants; but the town was alreadyfilled with troops, and as the weather was fine Colonel Hume ordered hismen to bivouac a short distance outside the walls. Ronald was seeing thathis troop got their breakfast next morning, when a sergeant came up withtwo men with a horse.
"This is Monsieur Leslie," he said to them. "These men were asking foryou, sir."
"What do you want with me?" Ronald said surprised.
"We heard, sir," one of the peasants said, "that you wanted to buy ahorse. We have a fine animal here, and cheap."
"But I do not want to buy one," Ronald replied. "I am very well suppliedwith horses. What made you think I wanted one?"
"We asked one of the officers, sir, if anyone in the regiment would belikely to buy, and he said that Monsieur Leslie wanted one, he believed."
"No," Ronald said decidedly. "Whoever told you was mistaken. I have myfull complement, and though your horse looks a nice animal I could nottake him if you offered him to me for nothing. I don't think you will getanyone to buy him in the regiment. I believe that every officer has hisfull complement of chargers."
In the evening Ronald happened to mention to Malcolm the offer he had hadin the morning.
"It was a nice looking beast," he said, "and I had half a mind to askthem what they would take to exchange him with my roan, but I did notwant to dip further into my purse."
"I wish I had been beside you at the time," Malcolm said earnestly;"those two fellows wouldn't have gone out of the camp so easily."
"Why, what do you mean, Malcolm?"
"Mean!" Malcolm repeated in a vexed tone. "This is what comes of yourbeing watchful and cautious, Ronald. Why, the matter is clear enough. Themarquis has set men on your track, but of course they could do nothinguntil some of them knew you by sight, so two of them are sent into campwith this cock and bull story about a horse, and they come and have agood look at you and go quietly off. It is too provoking. Had I beenthere I would have given them in charge of a file of men at once. Then wewould have asked every officer in the regiment if he had sent them toyou, and when we found, as we certainly should have found, that none ofthem had done so, we should have marched the men off to Colonel Hume, andI am sure, when he heard the circumstances of the case, they would havebeen lashed up and flogged till he had got the truth of the matter out ofthem. My great hope has been that they could not very well attempt yourlife, because none of the men who might be engaged on the job would belikely to know your face, and they would therefore have no means ofsingling you out for attack; and now two of the ruffians will be able tofollow you and watch their opportunity."
"Oh, nonsense, Malcolm, you are too suspicious altogether! I have nodoubt the affair was just as they stated it to be. What was morenatural?"
"Well, Ronald, you will meet all the other officers at supper in half anhour. Just ask if any of them sent two men wanting to sell a horse to youthis morning; if any of them say that they did so, I will acknowledge Iam wrong.
Accordingly Ronald, at supper, put the question, but none of the officersadmitted they knew anything about the matter.
"You have two very good horses, Leslie; why should anyone suppose thatyou wanted another?" the colonel asked.
"I don't know," Ronald said. "I only know that two men did come up with ahorse to me this morning, and said that one of the officers had told themthat I wanted to buy one."
"It must have been one of the men," the colonel said carelessly, "thoughI don't know why anyone should suppose that you wanted another charger.Still, someone, knowing that you are the last joined officer, might thinkyou had need for a second horse."
The subject dropped, and Malcolm shook his head ominously when Ronaldacknowledged to him that his suspicions were so far right that none ofthe officers had sent the men to him. The next day, as the regiment waspassing through a thick wood, and Ronald was riding with Captain Campbellbehind his troop, which happened to be in the rear in the regiment, twoshots were fired from among the trees. The first struck Ronald's horse inthe neck, causing him to swerve sharply round, a movement which saved hisrider's life, for the second shot, which was fired almost instantly afterthe first, grazed his body and passed between him and Captain Campbell.
"Are you hit, Leslie?" the latter exclaimed, for the sudden movement ofhis horse had almost unseated Ronald.
"Nothing serious, I think. The bullet has cut my coat and grazed my skin,I think, but nothing more."
The captain shouted orders to his men, and with a score of troopersdashed into the wood. The trees grew thickly and there was a denseundergrowth, and they had difficulty in making their way through them.For half an hour they continued their search without success, and thenrejoined the regiment on its march.
"This is a curious affair," Colonel Hume said when Captain Campbellreported, at the next halt, that an attempt at assassination had takenplace.
"It looks like a premeditated attempt upon one or other of you. Youhaven't been getting into any scrape, have you?" he asked with a smile;"kissing some peasant's wife or offering to run away with his daughter?But seriously this is a strange affair. Why should two men lie in waitfor the regiment and fire at two of its officers? The men have beenbehaving well, as far as I have heard, on the line of march, and nothinghas occurred which could explain such an outrage as this."
"It may be fancy on my part, colonel," Ronald said, "but I cannot helpthinking that it is a sequence of that affair I told you about in Paris,just before we started. The first shot struck my horse and the secondwould certainly have killed me had it not been for the horse's suddenswerve, therefore it looks as if the shots were aimed at me. I have somereason, too, for supposing that I have been followed. If you remember myquestion last night at supper about the men who wanted to sell me ahorse. Malcolm Anderson is convinced that the whole thing was only a ruseto enable them to become acquainted with my face. They wanted to be ableto recognize me, and so got up this story in order to have me pointed outto them, and to have a talk with me. None of the officers did send themto me, as they said, and they could hardly have hit upon a better excusefor speaking to me."
"It certainly looks like it," Colonel Hume said gravely. "I would give agood deal if we had caught those two men in the wood. If we had I wouldhave given them the choice of being hung at once or telling me what wastheir motive in firing at you and who paid them to do it. This ismonstrous. If we could get but a shadow of proof against your enemies Iwould lay a formal
complaint before the king. Marquis or no marquis, I amnot going to have my officers assassinated with impunity. However, tillwe have something definite to go upon, we can do nothing, and until then,Leslie, you had best keep your suspicion to yourself. It were best to saynothing of what you think; in this country it is dangerous even towhisper against a king's favourite. Let it be supposed that this attackin the woods was only the work of some malicious scoundrels who must havefired out of pure hatred of the king's troops."
Captain Campbell and Ronald quite agreed with the view taken by thecolonel, and answered all questions as to the affair, that they had notthe least idea who were the men who fired on them, and that no oneobtained as much as a glimpse of them.
With most of the officers of the regiment, indeed with all except one,Ronald was on excellent terms. The exception was a lieutenant namedCrawford; he was first on the list of his company, and had, indeed, beentwice passed over in consequence of his quarrelsome and domineeringdisposition. He was a man of seven or eight and twenty; he stood aboutthe same height as Ronald and was of much the same figure, indeed thegeneral resemblance between them had often been remarked.
His dislike to Ronald had arisen from the fact that previous to thelatter joining the regiment Crawford had been considered the bestswordsman among the officers, and Ronald's superiority, which had beenproved over and over again in the fencing room, had annoyed him greatly.Knowing that he would have no chance whatever with Ronald in a duel, hehad carefully abstained from open war, showing his dislike only bysneering remarks and sarcastic comments which frequently tried Ronald'spatience to the utmost, and more than once called down a sharp rebukefrom Colonel Hume or one or other of the majors. He did not lose theopportunity afforded by the shots fired in the wood, and was continuallysuggesting all sorts of motives which might have inspired the would beassassins.
Ronald, who was the reverse of quarrelsome by disposition, laughed goodtemperedly at the various suggestions; but one or two of the seniorofficers remonstrated sharply with Crawford as to the extent to which hecarried his gibes.
"You are presuming too much on Leslie's good nature, Crawford," CaptainCampbell said one day. "If he were not one of the best tempered youngfellows going he would resent your constant attacks upon him; and youknow well that, good swordsman as you are, you would have no chanceswhatever if he did so."
"I am quite capable of managing my own affairs," Crawford said sullenly,"and I do not want any advice from you or any other man."
"I am speaking to you as the captain of Leslie's troop," Captain Campbellsaid sharply, "and I do not mean to quarrel with you. You have had morequarrels than enough in the regiment already, and you know Colonel Humesaid on the last occasion that your next quarrel should be your last inthe regiment. I tell you frankly, that if you continue your course ofannoyance to young Leslie I shall report the matter to the colonel. Ihave noticed that you have the good sense to abstain from your remarkswhen he is present."
Three days later the regiment joined the army before Namur.
That evening, having drunk more deeply than usual, Lieutenant Crawford,after the colonel had retired from the circle round the fire and to histent, recommenced his provocation to Ronald, and pushed matters so farthat the latter felt that he could no longer treat it as a jest.
"Mr. Crawford," he said, "I warn you that you are pushing your remarkstoo far. On many previous occasions you have chosen to make observationswhich I could, if I had chosen, have resented as insulting. I did notchoose, for I hate brawling, and consider that for me, who have butlately joined the regiment, to be engaged in a quarrel with an officersenior to myself would be in the highest degree unbecoming; but I am surethat my fellow officers will bear me out in saying that I have shownfully as much patience as is becoming. I, therefore, have to tell youthat I will no longer be your butt, and that I shall treat any furtherremark of the nature of those you have just made as a deliberate insult,and shall take measures accordingly."
A murmur of approval rose among the officers sitting round, and thosesitting near Crawford endeavoured to quiet him. The wine which he hadtaken had, however, excited his quarrelsome instinct too far for eithercounsel or prudence to prevail.
"I shall say what I choose," he said, rising to his feet. "I am not goingto be dictated to by anyone, much less a boy who has just joined theregiment, and who calls himself Leslie, though no one knows whether hehas any right to the name."
"Very well, sir," Leslie said in a quiet tone, which was, however, hearddistinctly throughout the circle, for at this last outburst on the partof Crawford a dead silence had fallen on the circle, for only onetermination could follow such an insult. "Captain Campbell will, I hope,act for me?"
"Certainly," Captain Campbell said in a loud voice; "and will call uponany friend Lieutenant Crawford may name and make arrangements to settlethis matter in the morning."
"Macleod, will you act for me?" Crawford said to a lieutenant sittingnext to him.
"I will act," the young officer said coldly, "as your second in thematter; but all here will understand that I do solely because it isnecessary that some one should do so, and that I disapprove absolutelyand wholly of your conduct."
"Well, make what arrangements you like," Crawford said with an oath, andrising he left the circle and walked away.
When he had left there was an immediate discussion. Several of theofficers were of opinion that the duel should not be allowed to proceed,but that Crawford's conduct should be reported to the colonel.
"I am entirely in your hands, gentlemen," Ronald said. "I have no desirewhatever to fight. This affair has been forced upon me, and I have noalternative but to take it up. I am not boasting when I say that I am afar better swordsman than he, and I have no need to shrink from meetinghim; but I have certainly no desire whatever to take his life. He hasdrunk more than he ought to do, and if this matter can be arranged, andhe can be persuaded in the morning to express his regret for what he hassaid, I shall be very glad to accept his apology. If it can be settled inthis way without either fighting or reporting his conduct to the colonel,which would probably result in his having to leave the regiment, I shouldbe truly glad--What is that?" he broke off, as a loud cry rang throughthe air.
The whole party sprang to their feet, and snatching up their swords ranin the direction from which the cry had come. The tents were at somelittle distance, and just as they reached them they saw a man lying onthe ground.
"Good heavens, it is Crawford!" Captain Campbell said, stooping over him."See, he has been stabbed in the back. It is all over with him. Who canhave done it?"
He questioned several of the soldiers, who had now gathered round,attracted like the officers by the cry. None of them had seen the act orhad noticed anyone running away; but in so large a camp there were somany people about that an assassin could well have walked quietly awaywithout attracting any attention.
The colonel was speedily on the spot, and instituted a rigid inquiry, butentirely without success. The attack had evidently been sudden andentirely unsuspected, for Crawford had not drawn his sword.
"It is singular," he said, as with the officers he walked slowly back tothe fire. "Crawford was not a popular man, but I cannot guess at anyreason for this murder. Strange that this should be the second attackmade on my officers since we left Paris."
Captain Campbell now related what had taken place after he had left thecircle.
"The matter should have been reported to me at once," he said; "although,as it has turned out, it would have made no difference. Perhaps, afterall, it is best as it is, for a duel between two officers of the regimentwould have done us no good, and the man was no credit to the regiment.But it is a very serious matter that we should be dogged by assassins.Leslie, come up with me to my tent. I am not going to blame you, lad," hesaid when they were together, "for you could not have acted otherwisethan you have done. Indeed, I have myself noticed several times thatCrawford's bearing towards you was the reverse of courteous. Have you anyidea as to
how he came by his death?"
"I, sir!" Ronald said in surprise. "No, I know no more than the others."
"It strikes me, Leslie, that this is only the sequel of that attack inthe wood, and that your enemies have unwittingly done you a service.Crawford was very much your height and build, and might easily have beenmistaken for you in the dark. I fancy that blow was meant for you."
"It is possible, sir," Ronald said after a pause. "I had not thought ofit; but the likeness between him and myself has been frequently noticed.It is quite possible that that blow was meant for me."
"I have very little doubt of it, my lad. If any of these men were hangingabout and saw you as they believed coming away from the circle alone,they may well have taken the opportunity. Let it be a lesson to you to becareful henceforth. It is unlikely that the attempt will be repeated atpresent. The men who did it will think that they have earned their money,and by this time are probably on the way to Paris to carry the news andclaim their reward. So that, for a time at least, it is not probable thatthere will be any repetition of the attempt. After that you will have tobe on your guard night and day.
"I wish to heaven we could obtain some clue that would enable me to takesteps in the matter; but at present we have nothing but our suspicions,and I cannot go to the king and say three attempts have been made on thelife of one of my officers, and that I suspect his grandfather, theMarquis de Recambours, has been the author of them."
When Malcolm heard the events of the evening his opinion was exactly thesame as that of the colonel, and he expressed himself as convinced thatCrawford had fallen by a blow intended for Ronald. He agreed that for awhile there was no fear of a renewal of the attempt.
"The fellows will take the news straight to Paris that you have been putout of the way, and some time will elapse before the employers know thata mistake has been made. Then, as likely as not, they will decide to waituntil the campaign is over."
The camp before Namur was a large and brilliant one. The king and dauphinhad already arrived with the army. All the household troops were there,and a large contingent of the nobles of the court. The English army wasknown to be approaching, and was expected to fight a battle to relieveNamur, which the French were besieging vigorously. The French confidentlyhoped that in the approaching battle they would wipe our the reversewhich had befallen them at Dettingen.