CHAPTER XXIII
AT THE VERGE OF THE APERTURE
The footfall of the Black Seigneur, near the guard-house of thedungeons, was measured, yet noiseless, as he stepped on the soft earth,alongside the stone walk, now toward the passage in the direction ofthe wheel-room, then back into the little square. That his thoughts,however, moved not in accord with that deliberate stride, the browsimpatiently knit, and the quick glances he continued to cast over hisshoulder, bore testimony.
Stopping at length near the Tour Bernard, he looked fixedly down at thetown, wrapped in a stillness that should have reassured him.Nevertheless he appeared not satisfied; and had stepped out into thecourt again, when some sound he heard, or fancied, sent him quickly toan embrasure in the wall. From this opening--formerly for cannon indefense of the _fenils_, and the _poulain_, or planking for thehoisting of goods--he leaned far out, his glance instinctively turningtoward the barracks, some distance to the right and far below. As hestood thus, that which had first attracted his attention--the sound ofa voice giving orders--was repeated; at the same time where had beenonly darkness now shone many windows, while to the left, near theentrance he had passed after leaving the stable, lights began to dancelike fireflies.
At these signs of activity and the sounds breaking the generalquietude, an exclamation fell from his lips; then, pausing only amoment to listen and observe, he sprang toward the guard-house.Crossing the threshold, defined by a faint glimmer from a distantcorner, he made his way past several motionless forms, into a lowpassage beyond. Here he called out impatiently; but from those depths,leading down into the dungeons where his comrades had gone, no answerwas returned. His voice, hollow, mocking, seemed stifled in a tomb;more loudly he shouted; walked farther in, when an indistinct responsewas followed by a pin-point of light, and, ere long, by the bearer of alittle lamp, Sanchez.
"The others?" At the head of a dark stairway into which he wouldinadvertently have plunged, had he gone farther, the Black Seigneurconfronted the man, as he approached.
"They will soon be here," said the old servant, springing up the stepsand walking after his master, who had already turned back toward theguard-room. "Jacques--curse him!"--putting out his light in obedienceto a gesture from the other--"fumbled with the keys; pretended hecouldn't find the right ones! So it took longer to open the doors."
"The prisoners?"
"I left our men working at the last dungeon to come on ahead--to letyou know you might soon expect them."
"Soon," ironically, "may be too late."
"You mean--?"
"The hue and cry is out! I have long been expecting it; I do notunderstand why it didn't come before; unless a mountebank, locked up,was considered safe enough for the night--"
"Then some one knew--?"
"Some one?" A bitter laugh was quickly suppressed on the young man'slips. "Hark! Listen!"
"Sounds below! the soldiers!" exclaimed Sanchez, and started toward thewindow to look out, only to fall quickly back.
"What is it?" With his hand on the other's shoulder, the BlackSeigneur whispered the question.
"A face! At the window!"
"So soon? The hounds are quicker than I thought! Or," drawing hissword, "it may be only one or two in advance. In that case--"
But no enemy, single or plural, met their view, either in front, or atthe side of the guard-house; only the darkness, void, empty, and thebare rampart wall winding around the head of the Mount like a monsterguardian dragon, asleep at his post.
"Here is no one!"
"No one! Yet am I sure I saw--"
"A shadow!" answered the other. "And we have nothing worse to fight!"
"Some one was there, Seigneur," stubbornly, "and fled!"
"_Eh bien_! He's gone!"
"He? It looked like a--"
"Back with you, quick! Is this a time for talk? Call those who cancome--if they would save their necks!"
"Here they are now," exclaimed the servant, and, as he spoke, the firstof their men, blowing out the light he carried, ran quickly across theguard-chamber and into the open air. Others hastily followed, untilthe gathering, swelled by those brought with them from the dungeons,stood expectantly before the little stone structure.
"All the prisoners are here?"
"All!"
"To the wheel-house, then!"
But as they hastened across the square and into the narrow way, theBlack Seigneur again spoke to the man just ahead:
"The hunchback?"
"We left him below, locked up in the Devil's Cage!"
"The Devil's Cage! _Quelle bonne plaisanterie_! Although," lookingback, "it may cost us dear!"
And indeed, behind the sound of pursuit came nearer; the clatter ofsoldiers' feet grew louder, until, reaching the little square and theguard-house, all tumult suddenly ceased. A momentary silence, strange,ominous, was broken by a din of voices, as the flaring here and thereof torches threw grotesque reflections high against the grim backgroundof black masonry.
To those now within the wheel-room, the cause of that abrupt clamor wasnot difficult to divine; his Excellency's soldiers had found thesentinels overpowered in the guard-house! Would the former stop toinvestigate; search first those subterranean passages? Already had theprisoners, the weaker of the Black Seigneur's men, filled the car, orhung clinging to the rope above; already was the wheel turning--almostbefore the key had turned in the lock at the entrance.
"Seigneur!"
"Sanchez?"
"When we left the wheel-room, we closed the door."
"When we got back, it--"
A footfall without interrupted, followed by the sound of a hand at thedoor, and other steps drawing near.
"Jacques!" An expectant voice spoke; waited; called louder. Thenthose outside listened; some one exclaimed, and hurried footstepsretreated toward the guard-house.
As they died away, in the wheel-room the car came up for the secondtime empty, and inquiringly the men there looked from one to the other;but, even in that moment of danger, not one of them moved, or made signof impatience. Some must go; others remain, and stoically they awaitedthe word of their leader.
"Down with all of you! I'll let you out the line," taking a turn withthe rope around a stanchion near the wall, "and then come down myself."
The command was unexpected; for the first time those that had neverquestioned their leader's authority, hesitated, and more sharply wasthe order repeated; whereupon they obeyed; all save one.
"I'll let it out myself," said Sanchez.
"Get in!"
"No!" was the obdurate reply, when the Black Seigneur made a sign;hands reached up, seized Sanchez, and a moment later the car starteddown. The line strained; as it played out, now running free about thestanchion, then stopping with jerks, the man in the wheel-house almostlooked to see it part. The hempen strand, however, proved sound; heldits human freight; but another danger pressed near.
Scarcely had the car begun its downward journey than an attack,indications of whose approach had not been wanting, manifested itselfwithout. Beneath a sudden, savage assault, the door shook; yetengrossed at the line, every muscle strained, the man at the stanchionheeded not. Swiftly, mechanically he worked, apparently as unconsciousof the clamorous soldiers without as of a silent presence within--someone that had been concealed in the little store-room adjoining, openinginto the wheel-house, and now peered out; but at once drew back, as,with a crash, the door fell in.
At first, in the comparative darkness, with only the sky at theaperture staring them in the face, the in-rushing black figures paused,uncertain; lights soon were pushed forward, however, and then couldthey see the great wheel going round, unwinding the rope; the man atthe stanchion.
"The prisoners! He's letting them down."
"Cut the line!"
Some one with a knife rushed forward, severed the strand; but at thatmoment the car touched the bottom. Then did the solitary man at therope for the first time awaken to his own
situation; with a backwardsweep of the arm he struck so fiercely the foremost of those to rush athim that the fellow fell, hitting hard the stone floor. Those neareststumbled, and drawing his sword, with a thrust of point or blow ofhilt, the Black Seigneur, for a moment withstood the first confusedon-coming; then extricated himself and leaped to the narrow spacebehind the wheel. Here was he protected behind by the wall; at oneend, by the masonry jutting out, while, at the other, only one or twocould attack at the same time. But in front, through the spokes of thebroad wheel, they might well hope to reach him.
At once the soldiers sprang forward, when, seizing the wheel, the manbehind, with a savage jerk, set it in motion. The swords thrust at himwere turned aside, one or two of his assailants were caught in theponderous mechanism, and, before those attacking him had recovered fromtheir surprise, the blade of the Black Seigneur shot in and out; to theright, to the left. Those ahead fell back upon their comrades; two,however, were unable to withdraw, and sank to the ground before thewheel. A third, with his hand to his throat and making strange sounds,staggered back to the wall.
Momentarily disconcerted, the others hesitated. "In the fiend's name,fear ye one man?" shouted an authoritative voice.
"A devil!"
"'Tis the Black Seigneur! I had a good sight of him."
"Beat! beat! 'Mid marsh-muck and mire--"
came in mocking tones from behind the wheel.
"The mountebank!"
"_Sacre tonnerre_! But mountebank, or outlaw, you shall pay! Thisway!" And at the unprotected side of the wheel the commandant soughtto bring the issue to a conclusion. One blade the Black Seigneurstruck down, while his own weapon retorted with more effect, though asit did so, another soldier made a lunge, and his sword entered theshoulder of the man behind the wheel. A shout of triumph that fellfrom the lips of the Governor's trooper was, however, abruptly checked;lurching forward with the stroke, ere he could recover, somethingheavy--a brass hilt--beat like a hammer on his head and he dropped tohis knees. The others pressed closer; but with the desperation of aman resolved to sell his life dearly, the Black Seigneur fought on;regardless of cut and thrust, was holding the narrow entrance, whenfrom the rear, somewhere, came the report of a firearm.
"Back! Stand back!"
Those nearest the wheel, not unwilling, perhaps, to desist, drew away;other detonations followed and smoke filled the place, obscuring thegaze. In the yellow fog they waited; until first it was swept asideclose to the opposite wall by a draft of air from the aperture of theadjoining store-room, and the commandant, in an effort to see, movedimpatiently forward. Ere, however, he could reach the wheel, near thethreshold of the store-room, he felt his arm suddenly seized.
"Look, listen!"
The warning cry--a girl's voice--rang through the wheel-room; but thecommandant did not at once heed it; at that abrupt touch he hadinvoluntarily wrested his arm away; he stared, not in the direction shewho had called out pointed, but at her! The white, drawn face, theeyes dilated--
"You, my Lady! Here?" he stammered. But she only made a wildmovement; again grasped, drew him forward.
"Quick, or--" And suddenly was he brought to a realization of what shewished him to see: a figure drawing itself along, slowly, painfully,toward the verge--
"Don't you see? Rather than be taken, he's going to throw himselfover!"
The excited, admonishing sound of her voice aroused the commandant. Hegave a sharp order and the soldiers sprang forward; laid roughly holdof the prostrate form; drew it back. The Black Seigneur yet struggled,but not for long! A moment, and his eyes turned to the Governor'sdaughter.
"_Ma foi_! I must needs yield--to your Ladyship! Yet, what matter,since I have done what I came to do!"
His gaze, darkly glowing, seemed to envelope the shrinking figure whosecloak only partly concealed the gay, rich gown beneath; lifted to thebrilliant affrighted brown eyes. "Your Ladyship has bright eyes,forsooth!" An ironical laugh burst from his lips. "But sharper thantheir swords!" He strove to speak further, when a hand holding aweapon fell heavily. At that a cry escaped the girl's lips.
"No, no; you shall not!"
The Black Seigneur lay still.
"_Ciel_! It's fortunate we got him," ruefully the commandant gazedaround. "It would have made a pretty tale, if--" he turned to theGovernor's daughter, "I have your Ladyship to thank--" he began, andstopped.
My lady's figure had at that moment relaxed and fallen to the ground!