The Red Axe

  CHAPTER XXX

  INSULT AND CHALLENGE

  Now, because there is still so much to tell, and so little time and spaceto tell it in, I must go forward rapidly. In these dull times of groutingpeace, when men become like penned pigs, waking up only at feeding-time,they have no knowledge of how swiftly life went when every day brought anew living friend or a new dead enemy, when love and hate awakened freshand fresh with each morrow's sun--and when I was young.

  Perhaps that last is the true reason. But when the Baltic norther snortswithout, and mine ancient thigh-wound twinges down where my hand rests,naturally I have no better resource than to fall to the goose-quill. Andlo! long ere I am done with the first page, and have the ink no more thanhalf-way to the roots of my hair, I am again in the midst of the ringinghoofs of the foray. I hear the merry dinting of steel on steel; thesullen _chug-chug_ of the wheels of Foul Peg, the Margrave's greatcannon, which more than once he lent our Prince; the oaths of themen-at-arms shouldering her up, apostrophizing most indecently her fathaunches, and the next moment getting tossed aside like ninepins by herunexpected lurches. Ah, the times that were when I was young!

  I see these gallants about our later courts--Lord help them, sons of mineown, too, some of them--year in and year out, crossing their legs andstaring at the gilded points of their shoon. All are grown so tame--nonenow to ride a-questing in the Baltic forest for border brigands--indeed, there be no brigands to quest for.

  But I forget. Time was when I looked love, and I too had shoon, aye, withgolden tips to match the armor of honor which the Prince gave me after Ihad led my first regiment to victory--even as the Lady Ysolinde had said.And noble shoes of price they were.

  And I could make love, too, when I had the chance. But, nevertheless, notmore than one day in six--spending the rest in the new training of mymen, the perfecting of their equipment, the choosing of their horses, andthe providing for their stores.

  God wot--it was a good time. I mind me the year when the Prince fell outwith Duke Casimir, and we played over again the old tricks with him.

  Never was I gladder of any quest than that to ride within sight of theRed Tower, and wave the blue and yellow of my master under the veryramparts of the Wolfsberg, and almost within hearing of the inhumanhowling of its blood-hounds.

  "Singe his beard!" said my master. And with a hundred riders I did ittoo. For though the burghers clattered to their gates, I rode to the verywalls of the Wolfsberg, which for bravado I summoned to surrender. Andthe best of it was that no man knew me. For I had grown soldierlike andstrong, and was most unlike the lad who had ridden away so meekly andalmost in tears out of the gate of that very Wolfsberg.

  Of my father, thank God, I saw nothing--though I doubt not he observed mytroop. For doubtless he would be with his master--aged now, soured, andprone to cower about behind his guard, fearing the dagger or the poisonedbowl, seeing an enemy in every shadowy corner, and hearing the whistle ofthe assassin's bullet in every wind.

  And, save when an honest burgher was slain by the Black Riders, thebeasts of the kennels were fed on diet more ordinary than of old.

  So we rode back with our prisoners, and as much plunder as we could screwout of old Burgomeister Texel and his citizens by threats of sacking thecity--a deed which I was main sorry for afterwards, in the light of thatwhich happened at a later day. But I knew not the future then, and it wasas well. For the guilders paid nobly for the new-fashioned ordnance whichstood us in such good stead that autumn, when we had sterner work in handthan singeing the gray beard of Duke Casimir.

  Within Schloss Plassenburg things went on much as usual. Perhaps I waslax in my wooing--I cannot tell; I loved sincerely enough, of acertainty. Nor, after this, was I backward in telling Helene of it, andsometimes she would love me well enough, and then again she would not. Sothat I could not tell what she would be at.

  Looking back upon everything now, I see clearly how that the ranklingsecret thorn was the accursed understanding with the Prince, that for hispeace's sake I was to abide friendly with the Princess and let her tryher fool experiments on me. Which she did, God wot, innocentlyenough--that is, for all the harm they did me. But, nevertheless, withoutknowing it, I kept the Little Playmate with a sore and aching heart formany and many a day.

  But I made nothing of it--thinking, like a careless, ill-deservingsoldier-lover, eager for success and dazzled with ambition, chiefly of myprofession, of how to win battles and take fortresses against thesurrounding princelings, our Karl's enemies, till one day I found Helenewith her cheeks wet and her pretty lips bitten till the blood had come.

  "What is't, little one? Tell me!" said I, going to her and putting myarm about her, as indeed I had some right to do, if no more than theright of having carried her up into the Red Tower in her white gownso long ago.

  But she wrested herself determinedly out of my hold, saying: "Do nottouch me, sir. 'Tis all your fault!"

  "What is my fault, dear lass?" said I. "Tell me, and I will instantlyamend it."

  "Oh!" she cried, casting her hands out from her in bitter complaint,"there is nothing so meanly selfish as a man! He will say tenderthings--aye, and do them, too, when it liketh him. He can be, oh, sodevoted and so full of his eternal affections. He is dying all for love!And then, soon as he passes out of the door he ties his sword-knot andpoints his mustache to his liking, and lo! there is no more of him. Hegoes and straightway forgets till it shall please his High Mightiness tocall again. Oh! and we--we women, poor things, must stand about with ourmouths open, like mossy carp in a pond, and struggle and push for suchcrumbs of comfort as he will deign to throw us from the full larder ofhis self-satisfaction!"

  This was a most mighty speech for the Little Playmate, and took meentirely by surprise. For mostly she was still enough and quiet enough inher ways and speakings.

  "'Tis true, sweetheart, that some men are like that," I replied, gently,"but not Hugo Gottfried, surely. When did you ever find me unkind,unthankful, unfaithful? When went I ever away and left you alone?"

  "Oh, you did--you did," she cried, the tears starting from her lovelyeyes, "or I should never have been insulted--treated lightly, spoken toas a staled thing of courts and camps!"

  And Helene sank down beside the garden wall in an abandonment ofsorrow--so that my heart grew hot and angry at the cause of her grief, tome then unknown.

  I knelt down beside her and touched her lightly on one rounded,heaving shoulder.

  "Dearest," said I, "I knew nothing of this. Tell me who has insulted you.As God is in His heaven, I will have my sword in his heart or nightfall,were it the Prince himself! Tell me, and by the Lord of the Innocents, Iwill make him eat cold steel and drink his own blood therewith!"

  "Oh, it was my own fault--I know I should not have met him--let him speakto me in the garden. But you were so cold to me, Hugo. And then Ithought--I thought that the Woman was taking you away from me. Also shesent me out to be--to be in his path!"

  "In whose path, I bid you tell me, and what woman?"

  Though the latter I knew well enough.

  "The Princess," she answered, "and the Count von Reuss. To-day he spoketo me of love, and spoke it hatefully, shamefully, when the Princess hadbidden me go and carry her message to him. But it was with me that hedesired to meet. And I--at first many days ago--I walked by his side andlistened, for then he spoke courteously and like a gentleman. For youwere on the high terrace, and I wished you to see. I thought--I hoped--"

  And the little one broke off with tears.

  "I know, I know!" cried I, contritely; "I am a blind, doting fool. Inthis Prince's court I thought no more of such dangers than when I hadyou safe and innocent, my Playmate of the Red Tower. But what did orsaid Von Reuss?"

  "Truly he did naught, but only spoke--things for which I would havesmitten him to death had I possessed a dagger. I bade him begone. And heswore he would execute his purpose yet in spite of every town'sExecutioner in the Empire."

  "Ah, will he?" said I, a calm chill of ha
tred settling about my heart."I, Hugo Gottfried, will execute him, if I have to send for my father'sRed Axe to do it with--singed and scented monkey that he is."

  "Nay," said Helene, "then I wish I had not told you. Perhaps he will notmeddle with me again, and if you cross him he may slay thee. Remember, Ihave no friend here but you, Hugo!"

  "Count von Reuss slay me! I could eat him up without salt or savory--aweak reed, a kerl without backbone save of buckram; why, I will shake himthis day like a rat between my hands!"

  So I spoke in my anger, hot with myself that I had let the LittlePlaymate suffer these things, and resolved that neither Prince norPrincess would stand between me and my love a moment longer.

  But in all lands it takes more than Say-so to budge the stubborn wheelsof circumstance.