*III*
It is ill work kicking one's heels in camp when no fighting is toward,and I was glad enough when a servant of Jean Prevost's came to me in theafternoon with a request from his master that I would join him and a fewmore in a gallop. I donned my doublet--the same which I had worn on thenight of my ride--and chancing to put my hand into its inner pocket, Ifelt some small thing which, when I took it out, I found to be a thinroll of paper. For a brief space I looked at it in a kind ofpuzzlement, turning it over in my fingers, at a loss to know how I hadgotten it. And then, in a flash, it came back to me. I told you thatbefore I lost my way near the chateau of St Aubyn-le-cauf, I had alreadymet with some hindrance in my journey, and I declare that the surprisingevents that had happened afterwards had clean driven it from my memory;but now I remembered it perfectly. About two miles out of St Jacques,just as the dusk was falling, and a drizzle of rain, I came to across-roads, and saw a man lying in a huddled heap by the roadside. Igot off my horse to look more closely at him, and when I bent over him,I saw that he was stretched in a pool of blood, and there were greatgashes in his doublet, not such clean cuts as a rapier makes, but jaggedrents, the work of coarser instruments. I spoke to him, and he openedhis eyes and groaned feebly, and then endeavoured to speak; but he wasplainly very far gone, and I could make nothing of his mutterings. Ilooked around to see if there was any house whereto I might convey theman, who I supposed had been beset by footpads, but there was nodwelling at hand, and I was considering whether I should lift him on tomy horse, when he lifted his hand painfully, and gave me a roll ofpaper. I asked him what it was, and what I should do with it, and hetried to tell me; but though his lips moved no articulate sound camefrom them, and even as I looked at him he heaved a great sigh, and hishead fell back, and I knew that he was dead. What I might have done hadnot my errand been urgent I cannot tell; but since I could do nothingfor him I delayed but to compose his huddled limbs, and mounted my horseagain, thrusting the paper into my pocket, where it had since lainforgotten. Such things happened often in the lawless and distractedFrance of that time, so that it is no wonder it went out of my head whenI had matters of greater moment to think of.
I SAW A MAN LYING IN A HUDDLED HEAP]
Having found the paper, I unrolled it to see what it might be. Itcontained a few words plainly written, and yet I could not read them,for they were of no tongue that ever I heard of, and I was not long inconcluding that they were writ in what is called a cipher. I rolled thepaper again and put it back into my pocket, thinking to show it to Rosnyby and by; but meeting Raoul de Torcy as I left my lodging, I spoke ofit to him, telling him how I came by it. When I described the poorwretch who had been thus done to death, Raoul said 'twas like thehorseman who had followed him from Paris, and begged me to leave thepaper with him, for he had some skill in reading ciphers, and guessedthat if the man had been a Leaguer, as he supposed, the writing mightprove useful to the King.
I rode out with Jean Prevost's party, and after a hard gallop we werewalking our horses when we were overtaken by the King himself, withRosny and half-a-dozen more. The King looked over his shoulder as herode by, and told me with a laugh that he was going to my chateau, as hecalled it, to look for the three-fingered gentleman, or at least to laythe ghost. I did not relish his mockery, nor the quizzing of mycompanions, who were importunate in asking what he meant, but I forboreto tell them, Rosny having charged me to say nothing of the matter. Alittle after we turned our horses and rode slowly back.
I had not been above five minutes in my quarters when Raoul burst intomy apartment in a great heat, and cried to me that he had read thecipher.
"And what's more," said he, "it was intended for me myself! That poorfellow you found murdered was not a Leaguer after all, but had beendispatched from Paris hot upon my heels by my friends there."
"And what is the message he brought in such haste?" I asked.
"Why, hark to it," he said, thereupon reading from the paper: "'Themischief purposed against the King will be wrought by a feigning friend,who has lately joined himself to the royal forces. We do not yet knowhis name, but will acquaint you with that as soon as it is discovered.'Who should that be but Lameray?"
"Where is Lameray?" I cried instantly, remembering that the King hadridden out but sparely attended, so that if it was designed to seize himno better opportunity could present itself. When Raoul told me that hehad not seen the baron all that day I sprang up in haste, saying that itwere well we should make inquiry; and calling to my servant to saddle mybest horse, I went out with Raoul to seek Charles de Martigny, who kneweverything. From him we learnt that Lameray had ridden forth some whilebefore with his troop to hunt in the forest of Arques across the river.Martigny remarked some excitement in our demeanour, and asked whether Ihad some new grudge against the baron; whereupon I told him what we hadlearnt, saying when I ended, "'Tis to be hoped he is hunting fair game."
"We must go and acquaint Rosny," said Martigny at once.
"Rosny has ridden out with the King--to lay the ghost of thethree-fingered man," I said, with a kind of scorn.
"What!" cried he. "To St Aubyn-le-cauf? That is not far from the forestof Arques."
"True," said I coolly.
"And the King may be at this moment in the extremity of danger," hecried. "What you will do I know not, but as for me, I go straight toBiron and ask him to gather a troop and ride out instantly to defend theKing."
"And be snubbed for your pains," said I, telling him then of thewarnings I had already given. "We should be admirable laughing-stocksfor the camp," I added, "did we discover a mare's nest again."
This had some weight with both of them, for a Frenchman of all men lovesnot to appear ridiculous. We concluded then to say nothing as yet toBiron, but to ride across the river, we three together, and see forourselves the manner of Lameray's hunting. Within a few minutes we setforth, and as we descended the further side of the bridge of Archelles,we perceived far away a cloud of dust on the road that skirted theforest, and it moved in the direction of St Aubyn-le-cauf. It wasplainly caused by a numerous body of horsemen, and the same thoughtflashed in the minds of all of us: Monsieur de Lameray's huntingexpedition was a mere blind, and he was now riding to seize the King.That very instant I set spurs to my horse and galloped down the roadthat ran alongside the river, which would bring me to the chateau soonerthan Lameray, I hoped, even though he had the start of me, he followinga more winding road, and remoter from the camp. The King should atleast be warned, and if this third time he slighted the warning, or itwere proved needless--well, I could but swallow my chagrin, and resolveto mind my own business for the future. My two companions galloped afterme, but I soon began to outstrip them, my steed being a noble beast ofArab strain, and, indeed, the envy of the camp. Seeing them leftbehind, so that they could not hope to be first with the news, I turnedin my saddle and called to Martigny that he might now go to Biron, andlet him bring out a company if he chose. Martigny, who was in somedudgeon, as I could see, because he could not overtake me, reined up andturned back towards the camp; but Raoul held on his course, and he beingmy particular friend, I allowed him to come up with me, and we gallopedon together. I was glad of his company, for he knew of a short cutacross the fields, and we sped on, leaping walls and ditches at someperil of our horses' knees, until we breasted a hillock, and saw thechateau lying amid its gardens half a mile away. And at that samemoment, far to the left, we caught the glint of the setting sun upon aline of steel helmets, making at full speed towards the same goal asourselves. Luckily we were nearer, and putting our horses to a fiercegallop down the slope, we came betimes to the chateau, where we expectedto find the King.
But when we entered there was no man there, and we were thinking that wehad had our ride for nought, when, looking from a window, we saw Henry'swhite plume nodding among his company as he approached leisurely fromthe direction of Dampierre. 'Twas plain he had no suspicion of danger,and I was in a
ferment lest Lameray should fall upon him before he couldgain what shelter the chateau afforded. I ran out immediately and leaptupon my horse's back, and flew like the wind to meet the King. As soonas I came to him I poured out my news in a breathless flood, and helaughed right heartily; but at this Rosny clutched at his bridle, andsaying sternly, "Are you mad, Sire?" he made his own horse gallop,fairly lugging the King's along with him.
"Can we defend the garden?" Rosny whispered to me as I rode close besidehim. I reminded him that the walls were ruinous and there was no gate,and he pressed his lips together and frowned with that fixed look he hadwhen confronted by a difficulty. We said no more, and presently comingto the garden wall at the back, we found Raoul there, having opened asmall wicket-gate for us, and he cried to us to haste, Lameray being nota quarter-mile up the lane. We passed through one by one, the gatebeing not wide enough for two--eleven of us in all--and then Henry, who,careless and pleasure-loving as he was, was yet quick in counsel andswift in action, asked whether the great door was open. When Raoul saidit was, the King bade us all ride our horses after him up the steps intothe great hall, the which we had but just done, Rosny being the last toenter, when Lameray and his men came pouring through the gateway fromthe lane. We slammed the door in great haste, and slid the bolts, theKing with great readiness commanding some to bolt the shutters of thewindows also, and to see what could be done to defend every part of thehouse. And having given this order he removed his hat and his purplecloak and set them on the table in the very room where I had seen themen, and catching sight of me as I slipped a bar into its place at thewindow, he swore his customary oath, and said, very pleasantly but witha touch of malice--
"I shall owe you something for making me sweat, my good Rudd, if thisturns out to be another of your hallucinations."
Before I could frame my lips to any reply, there was a hammering at thegreat door and a voice demanding admittance.
"Ask him what brings him here," said the King to Rosny, who wentaccordingly to the porter's wicket beside the door, and opening theshutter demanded to know who knocked and what his errand was. Spyingthrough a loophole of the shutter of my window I saw that the space infront of the chateau was thronged with horsemen, in number full sixty,all armed and accoutred.
"'Tis I, the Baron de Lameray," cried the full harsh voice.
"And your errand, Monsieur de Lameray?" said Rosny.
"That, with your leave, Monsieur de Rosny, is for the ears of my masterthe King alone."
"Tell him he may come in--alone," said the King, with a chuckle.
Rosny delivered the message, adding of his own motion that the doorshould not be opened until the baron had removed his men beyond thewall. At this, Lameray broke forth in indignation, demanding to knowwhether the King mistrusted him, and Rosny vouchsafing no answer, hestood for a space gnawing his lip, and then, casting a sharp and furiousglance over the front of the house, the which was shuttered in all itslower part, he turned swiftly about and led his men out through thegateway. The King laughed, and bade us throw open the shutters, andwhen Rosny began to remonstrate with him he smote his thigh and cried,"Ventre-saint-gris! Dost think I will be mewed up here as though I werea craven?" Accordingly we opened the shutters, and the King began tomarch up and down the floor, expecting Monsieur de Lameray to return onfoot. And within a minute we saw the baron coming alone through thegateway, and the King commanded that the door should be opened to him;but before this could be done, Raoul de Torcy ran down-stairs from anupper room whence he had been watching all that passed outside, andcried that the men, having tethered their horses in the copse beyond thelane (the same where I had left my horse on that night) were creepinground the wall towards the back of the house. And then Henry's facetook on a wonderful sternness, and bidding Rosny still leave the doorclosed, he sent all of us but two to keep a watch upon the back until heshould summon us. He called to me as I was going, and said, "I willborrow one of your pistols, my friend," being unarmed save for hissword.
We went to take up our posts, I directing myself with Raoul to thewindow through which I had made an entrance. 'Twas plain we could notdefend it, for the shutters as well as the window itself hung loose upontheir hinges. We therefore determined to quit that room and raise abarricade against its door that opened into the great hall. We werehauling tables and chairs to set against it when we heard Lameray againspeaking through the porter's wicket, saying that his errand brooked nodelay, and asking that the King would himself come to the door and speakwith him.
"Open the door and let him in," cried the King, with a smile.
Rosny began to draw the bolts, but at the same instant there was amarvellous heavy thud upon the back door, whose timbers groaned andcreaked, and as Raoul and I ran to it to see whether its fasteningswould hold we heard a shot, and immediately afterwards the slamming ofthe shutter of the porter's wicket, and some one cried that Lameray hadfired at Rosny, who, however, expecting something of the sort, had kepthimself out of harm's way and was not touched. 'Twas plain that Lamerayand his ruffians were resolved to put all to the hazard, and I doubt notthat the Duke of Mayenne had promised them a very great reward if theyshould either kill the King or take him alive. And I own I quaked withfear lest they should accomplish their purpose, for we were but eleven,and they sixty or more, and the defences of the place were so paltrythat it would be nothing short of a miracle if we kept them out.
By this time the shutters of the front windows had been closed andfastened again, so that the house was in darkness save for a littlelight that came from the upper floor. While some of our party werehasting to pile barricadoes against the doors leading into the hall,their work being greatly incommoded by the presence of the horses, Ibethought me that we might do some damage among the enemy by firing atthem out of an upper window. Accordingly I ran up the stairs by myself,and found that there was but one window opening on the back of thehouse, where the attack was being made, Lameray knowing very well thatthis side was not able to withstand a stout assault. I stood at thewindow for a little to comprehend what was proceeding beneath, and saw acrowd of men gathered about the door, and others entering the windowinto the room I had crossed on my way to the hall. Then, bendingforward, I fired my pistol into the midst of the throng, which instantlyfell apart, one man dropping to the ground, and Lameray shouting to therest to save themselves and enter by the window. They did his bidding,but very soon I saw some issue forth and seize upon one of the brokenstatues that strewed the garden, and this they proceeded to carrythrough the window into the room, designing, as I guessed, to employ itas a battering ram against the inner door. I had charged my pistolagain, and firing just as the last of the men entered, I was luckyenough to hit his right arm, which fell useless at his side.
Since I could now do no more above, I hastened back to the hall, andknew by the shouts and the blows upon the door that the enemy weremaking a very vigorous assault upon it. I knew that the timbers couldnot long endure so mighty a battering, and the barricado that we hadraised against it would prove itself a very sorry defence. But theKing, who was perfectly calm, and wore as serene a countenance as if hewere playing a sett at tennis, stood in the midst of the hall, speakingbrief words of cheer; and ever and anon our little party fired theirpistols through the door, setting the muzzles close to the timber, notwithout effect, as we knew by the groans and cries from without. Therecame answering shots, the enemy desisting from their battering for thispurpose, and first a horse near me screamed most pitifully, and then theSieur de Langres gave one choking sigh, and fell at the King's feet witha bullet in his breast.
THE SIEUR DE LANGRES GAVE ONE CHOKING SIGH, AND FELL ATTHE KING'S FEET]
"Courage, my friends!" cried the King. "They have us in a trap, but theyshall not get us until we have slain four for one."
"Navarre! Navarre!" we shouted in consort, the hall ringing with ourcries, and from beyond the door we heard confused shouts of "Guise!Mayenne! Lameray!"
I observed that Ros
ny stood in front of the King, to protect him, whichthe King remarking, he plucked Rosny by the sleeve and said, in a gayand easy tone, "Nay, nay, mon cher, what says the Psalmist? 'The Lordis my shield and buckler.' Wouldst usurp the prerogative of theAlmighty?" Rosny stepped aside at the King's urging, and I told himthat Martigny had ridden back to warn the Marshal de Biron, and if wecould only hold out for yet a little, I made no doubt the marshal wouldcome with a troop sufficient to put our enemies to the rout. But at thatmoment, as if to mock my words, there was a loud crack, and we knew thatthe woodwork of the door was giving way. By good hap a heavy tablestood at the place where the board was splintered, so that it was notdriven in; and four of our party firing together through the door, weheard cries of pain mingled with the jubilant shouts which had hailedthis breach in our defences.
But it was very plain that we could resist but little longer, and unlessBiron should come within a few minutes, our case would be desperateindeed. In a fever of trouble I strove to think of some way whereby wemight save the King, for I believed then, and I know now, that the lossof so great a man would have been a sore calamity for France and theworld. And as I beat my wits on this matter, on a sudden I chanced toremember Henry's hat and cloak that lay on the table in the great salon,and a device rushed into my mind. I durst not tell the King, who wouldassuredly have forbid it; but I drew Rosny aside, and whispered it tohim. A light beamed upon his troubled face, and he bade me go, butsecretly, lest the King should observe me. Accordingly I sought myfriend Raoul, and desired him to draw the bolts of the great door assilently as might be, and to be ready to throw it open at a word. Andthen I crept into the salon, and taking the plumed hat and cloak fromthe table I donned them, and returned into the hall. Meanwhile Rosnyhad informed the King that Biron had been warned, and had led him up thestairs to a window in the front of the house, whence they might overlooka great space of the country and peradventure spy the marshal coming.The way being thus cleared for me, I mounted my horse, there in thehall, and giving Raoul the word, he flung the door open, and I dashedout, my horse leaping the steps at one stride.
The enemy were all at the rear part of the house, so that there was noneto see me as I galloped at a headlong pace towards the lane. But as Ipassed the stables they caught sight of me, as I designed they should,and then there was such a yell of consternation and rage as I had neverheard before. A shot flew after me, but fell short, and in a trice Iswept through the gateway, wheeled suddenly to the left, and set myhorse to an easy canter, for it was not part of my plan to gallop cleanaway. I heard the shouts of the men as they swarmed after me, andturning in my saddle, yet keeping my face pretty well concealed, I sawthem scurry into the copse where their horses were tethered, Lamerayfirst among them. The dusk of evening and an autumn haze hung over theground, so that I had good hope they would be deceived by the plume andthe cloak, and not observe that the form thus clad was not that of Henryof Navarre, but of his humble servant Christopher Rudd.
I had ridden but a few hundred yards up the lane when they came dashingout of the copse after me, Lameray again the first. And now that I haddrawn them into pursuit, as I had purposed, I gave my good horse hishead, and galloped on at a round pace. Soon I left the lane, leapingthe hedge into a field, not for easiness of going, but to entice theenemy after me, and thereby give the King the opportunity of ridingforth with his party and reaching camp before me. The hunt followed mylead with excellent witlessness; taking a flying look at them Iperceived that nearly every man of them was joining in the chase; and myblood tingles now, old man as I am, when I remember the joy that leaptin my veins as I rode, springing over hedges and ditches, the pack infull cry after me. Verily I believe that my horse was as merry as Imyself, though he may have wondered where was the fox, not knowing thatI myself was the quarry of that hunt.
My steed, as I have said, was the envy of the camp, and at the pacewhereto I set him he soon outdistanced all the pursuers save onlyLameray, who bestrode a fine roan but little less in value than my ownhorse. One by one the others dropt off, but he still kept within thesame distance of me, and I wondered whether he would have the temerityto pursue me up to the very skirts of the camp and perchance into thearms of Biron. Glancing over my shoulder (yet careful to shield my facewith my arm), I saw that a dyke I had just leapt had been too much forevery one of my pursuers but him, and recollecting his insolency towardsme, and the attempt on my life, and above all, his slur upon myswordsmanship, I resolved to try conclusions with him, and prove uponhis body the foul traitor he was. Accordingly I put my horse at a lowwall, barely clearing an unexpected ditch that lay beyond it, andreining up, wheeled about and awaited my enemy a dozen yards upon thefurther side. He came up at a wild and reckless pace, and, traitorthough he was, I could not but admire the dexterity of his manage as heleapt the wall at the very place of my crossing. Seeing me biding forhim, with no care now to shroud my countenance, he drew his sword at themoment of leaping, and came at me in a fury. But his horse lost alittle speed in taking the ditch, and since I set spurs to mine as soonas Lameray's alighted, we met with a mighty shock, and my steed beinglighter than his was forced back upon his haunches. In this manner Iescaped the point of his sword outthrust towards me, and causing myhorse to swerve, I heard Lameray's snarl of rage as he was carried a fewpaces beyond. In a twinkling he was about, and lifting his sword highabove his head, he brought it down with a vehement stroke that, had ittouched me, would assuredly have cleft my head in twain, or my arm fromthe shoulder. But my good steed answered perfectly to the pressure ofmy heel upon his flank, and swerving, saved me by a hair's breadth. Andthen, at the same moment that I heard a great shouting far away, Ilunged swiftly, and by good hap my point entered his throat. With onedreadful sob he fell backwards over the crupper, and the traitor was nomore.
RAISING HIS SWORD HIGH ABOVE HIS HEAD, HE BROUGHT IT DOWNWITH A VEHEMENT STROKE]
It needs not to tell how Biron, with three-score of his choicestcavaliers, rode out from camp with Martigny, having lost some littletime in saddling, and came full upon a portion of Lameray's troop justas they returned to the lane. The King and his little band havingsallied forth, and being on the further side of them, they were shut upas in a vice, and full two-score of them were slain. Nor does it becomeme to relate all that King Henry said to me when he sought me out, Ihaving ridden straight into Arques when I had taken Lameray's sword as atrophy. I might, if I chose, write myself the Baron de St Aubyn in thepeerage of France, since thus royally did the King see fit to reward me;but having been born an Englishman I have no great love for outlandishtitles, though, maybe, if I enjoyed a marquis's rank I might not be sosqueamish. Go to my cabinet yonder; there you will find, set togetherin one place, a white plume, a cloak, and a sword. These the King waspleased to give me. Peradventure in years to come, when your grandsonsvisit you, you will set these relics in state before them, and tell overagain the story of the lonely chateau and the Baron de Lameray.
tailpiece to Second Part]