The Nameless Castle
PART VII
THE HUNGARIAN MILITIA
CHAPTER I
When Count Vavel and the vice-palatine disappeared from the window ofthe dining-room, they did not retire to their pillows. They went toLudwig's study, where they refilled their pipes for another smoke.
"But tell me, Herr Vice-palatine," said the count, continuing theconversation which had begun at the dining-table, "why is it that sixmonths have been allowed to pass since the Diet passed the militia lawwithout anything having been accomplished?"
"Well, you must know that there are three essential parts among theworks of a clock," returned Herr Bernat, complacently puffing away athis pipe. "There is the spring, the pendulum, and the escapement. Thewheels are the subordinates. The spring is the law passed by the Diet.The pendulum is the palatine office, which has to set the law in motion;the escapement is the imperial counselor of war. The wheels are thepeople. We will keep to the technical terms, if you please. When thespring was wound up, the pendulum began to set the wheels going. Theyturned, and the loyal nobles of the country began to enroll theirnames--"
"How many do you suppose enrolled their names?" interrupted the count.
"Thirty thousand cavalry and forty thousand infantry--which are not allthe able-bodied men, as only one member from each family is required tojoin the army. After the names had been entered came the question ofuniforms, arms, officering, drilling, provisions. You must admit that aclock cannot strike until the hands have made their regular passagethrough all the minutes and seconds that make up the hour!"
"For heaven's sake! What a preamble!" ejaculated the count. "But go on.The first minute?"
"Yes; the first minute a stoppage occurred caused by the escapementobjecting to furnish canteens; if the militiamen wanted canteens theymust provide them themselves."
"I trust the clock was not allowed to stop for want of a few canteens,"ironically observed Count Vavel.
"Moreover," continued the vice-palatine, not heeding the interruption,"the escapement gave them to understand that brass drums could not befurnished--only wooden ones--"
"They will do their duty, too, if properly handled," again interpolatedVavel.
"A more disastrous check, however, was the decision of the _Komitate_that the uniform was to consist of red trousers and light-blue dolman--"
"A picturesque uniform, at any rate!"
"There was a good deal of argument about it; but at last it was decidedthat the companies from the Danube should adopt light-blue dolmans, andthose from the Theiss dark-blue."
"Thank heaven something was decided!"
"Don't be too premature with your thanks, Herr Count! The escapementwould not consent to the red trousers; red dye-stuff was not to be had,because of the continental embargo. The militia must content itself withtrousers made of the coarse white cloth of which peasants' cloaks aremade. You can imagine what a tempest that raised in the variouscounties! To offer Hungarian nobles trousers made of such stuff! Atlast the matter was arranged: trousers and dolman were to be made of thesame material. The Komitate were satisfied with this. But the escapementthen said there were not enough tailors to make so many uniforms. Thegovernment would supply the cloth, and have it cut, and the militiamencould have it made up at home."
"That certainly would make the uniform of more value to the wearer!"
"_Would have made_, Herr Count; would have made! The escapement suddenlyannounced that the cloth could not be purchased; for, while the disputeabout the colors of the uniform had been going on, the greedy merchantshad advanced the price of all cloths to such an exorbitant figure thatthe government could n't afford to buy it."
"To the cuckoo with your escapement! The men have got to have uniforms!"
"Beg pardon; don't begin yet to waste expletives, else you will not haveany left at the end of the hour! The counties then agreed to pay the sumadvanced on the original price of the cloth, whereupon the escapementsaid the money would have to be forthcoming at once, as the cloth couldnot be bought on credit."
"Well, is there no treasury which could supply enough funds for thisworthy object?" asked the count.
"Yes; there is the public treasury for current expenses. But thetreasurer will not give any money to the militia until they are mountedand equipped; the escapement will not furnish the cloth for the uniformswithout the money; and the treasury will not give any money until themilitia has its uniforms!"
"Well, a man can fight without a uniform. If only these men have horsesunder them and weapons in their hands--"
"Two of these requisites we already have; but the escapement announcesthat arms of the latest improvements cannot be furnished, because thegovernment has not got them."
"Well, the old ones will answer."
"They _would_ if we had enough flints; but they are not to be had,because the insurrectionary Poles have captured the flint depot inLemberg."
"Each man certainly could get a flint for himself."
"Even then there are only enough guns for about one half of the men. Theescapement suggested that to those who had no arms it wouldfurnish--halberds!"
"What? Halberds!" cried Vavel, losing all patience. "Halberds againstBonaparte? Halberds against the legions who have broken a path from oneend of Europe to the other with their bayonets, and with them carvedtheir triumphs on the pyramids? Halberds against them? Do you take me tobe a fool, Herr Vice-palatine?"
He sprang to his feet and began to pace the floor excitedly, his guestmeanwhile eying him with a roguish glance.
"There!" at last exclaimed Herr Bernat, "I will not tease you anylonger. Fortunately, there is a clock-repairer who, so soon as heperceived how tardily the hands performed their task, with his fingertwirled them around the entire dial, whereupon the clock struck thehour. This able repairer is our king, who at once advanced from his ownexchequer enough money to equip the militia companies, distributed sixthousand first-class cavalry sabers and sixteen cannon, and loaned theentire Hungarian life-guard to drill the newly formed regiments. Andnow, I will wager that our noble militia host will be ready for thefield in less than thirty days, and that they will fight as well as thegood Lord permitted them to learn how!"
"Why in the world did you not tell me this at once?" demanded CountVavel.
"Because it is not customary to put the fire underneath the tobacco inthe pipe! The king's example inspired our magnates. Those whom the lawcompelled to equip ten horsemen sent out whole companies, and placedthemselves in command."
"As I shall do!" appended Count Vavel. "I hope, Herr Vice-palatine, thatyou will not forget the amnesty for Satan Laczi and his men. They willbe of special value as spies."
"I have a knot in my handkerchief for that, Herr Count, and shall besure to remember. The company to be commanded by Count Ludwig Fertoeszegwill be complete in a week."
"Why do you call me Fertoeszeg?"
"Because a Hungarian name is better for your ensign than your ownforeign one. Our people have an antipathy to everything foreign--and wehave cause to complain of the Frenchmen who served in our army. Most ofthem were spies--tools of Napoleon's. Generals Moiselle and Lefebresurrendered fortified Laibach, together with its entire brigade, withoutdischarging a gun. And even our quondam friend, the gallant ColonelBarthelmy, has taken Dutch leave and gone back to the enemy."
"What? Gone back to the enemy!" repeated Ludwig, springing from hischair, and laughing delightedly.
"The news seems to rejoice you," observed Herr Bernat.
"I shout for very joy! The thought that we might have to fight side byside annoyed me. Now, however, we shall be adversaries, and when wemeet, the man who did not steal Ange Barthelmy will send her husband tothe devil! And now, Herr Vice-palatine, I think it is time to say goodnight. It will be the first night in six years that I shall sleepquietly."
They shook hands, and separated for the night.