CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.
CAPTURED.
The shipwrecked midshipmen would probably have slept far into the nextday had not Francois appeared with their clothes, nicely brushed andcarefully mended, so that they were able to make a presentableappearance in their own characters before their hostesses.
He had also brought them a cup of cafe-au-lait, informing them thatbreakfast would be ready as soon as they were dressed in thesalle-a-manger.
They found an abundant meal spread out, as Francois had promised. Theold lady and her daughters welcomed them kindly--the latter withwreathed smiles, the elder with a host of questions to which she did notwait for a reply.
They were all three thorough Frenchwomen, talking, as Oliver observed,"thirteen to the dozen."
Madame La Roche told them that she had been attending to the Englishsailor, who, she hoped, would, under her care, be quite well in a day ortwo. "I ought to warn you not to go out. People in these parts are notwell affected towards the English, and should it be discovered that I amharbouring British officers I may get into trouble," she added.
The morning passed very pleasantly. The young ladies produced theirguitars, and sang with good voices several French airs. Rayner andOliver thought them charming girls, and had they not felt it was theirduty to get back to their ship as soon as possible, would gladly haveremained in their society for an indefinite period.
At last they begged leave to go down to see their men. They were guidedto their rooms by sounds of music and uproarious laughter. They foundLe Duc seated on a three-legged stool on the top of a table fiddlingaway, while old Francois, three black women, Tom and Brown, were dancingin the strangest possible fashion, whirling round and round, kicking uptheir heels, and joining hands, while Jack lay on a bed at the fartherend of the room, looking as if he longed to get up and take a part inthe dance.
On seeing the strangers, Francois became as grave as a judge, andhurrying up to them, observed, "I thought it as well, messieurs, just tojoin in for one minute to set the young people going. The poor sailorsneeded encouragement, and I like to make people happy."
"You succeeded well, Monsieur Francois," remarked Rayner. "I will notinterrupt them, but I have a few words to speak to my men."
He then told Tom and Brown that it was the wish of Madame La Roche thatthey should remain in the house, and not show themselves by any chanceto the people outside.
"In course, sir," said Brown. "We are as happy as princes here. Theyfeed us with as much as we can eat, and give us a right good welcometoo."
"Take care that you don't indulge too much," said Rayner. "We areobliged to you, Le Duc, for finding us such good quarters, and we shallbe still more grateful if you will accompany us to the Spanish border.I conclude you will then desire to return home."
"I am very much at home where I am," replied Le Duc, with a grin. "Ifmadame will accept my services, I shall be very happy to remain here.Perhaps one of the young ladies will fall in love with me, and I shouldprefer settling down to knocking about at sea."
Rayner and Oliver were horrified at the Frenchman's impudence.
"Pray do not be troubled at what I say, messieurs," said Le Duc, withperfect coolness. "Such things have happened before, and one Frenchmanhere is as good as another."
They saw that it would not do to discuss the matter with the seaman,who, it was evident, from the dishes and glasses standing on the tableby the window, had been making himself merry with his companions.
The afternoon was spent very much as the morning had been. The youngladies possessed no other accomplishment than that of playing the guitarand dancing. They read when they could get books, but these were mostlyFrench novels, certainly not of an improving character.
Rayner and Oliver could not help comparing them with Mary Crofton, andthe comparison was greatly to her advantage.
The next day, Francois, who had been out to market returned with atroubled countenance. He hurried in to his mistress, who soonafterwards came into the room where her daughters and the young officerswere seated.
"I am sorry to say that the authorities have heard of your being in theneighbourhood, and have sent the gendarmes to search for you!" sheexclaimed, in an anxious tone. "I did not wish to drive you away, andam willing to try and conceal you. At present, no one knows you are inthe house. You may remain in a loft between the ceiling of this roomand the roof, where you are not likely to be found; but the place islow, and will, I fear, be hot in the daytime, and far from pleasant.Francois might manage to conduct you to a hut in the woods at no greatdistance from this, to which we could send you food; but there is therisk of the person who goes being seen, and your retreat beingdiscovered."
"We are very sorry to cause you so much trouble, madame," said Rayner."It will, I think, be safest to leave this place to-night, and to tryand make our way, as we intended, into Spanish territory."
"Ah! but the distance is long--fully twenty leagues," answered Madame LaRoche. "You would be recognised as strangers, and probably detained bythe mayor of a large village you must pass through."
"But we must take care and not pass through any village," said Rayner."We will try to make our way along bypaths. What we should be mostthankful for is a trustworthy guide. Perhaps our good friend Francoishere will find one for us."
"That I will try to do," said the old mulatto. "It is not, however,very easy, as few of them know much of the country to the east."
"But how was it discovered that these English officers and their menwere in the country?" asked Mademoiselle Sophie, the eldest of the youngladies, turning to Francois.
"It appears that yesterday morning there was found on the beach the deadbody of a seaman, who was supposed from his appearance and dress to beEnglish, while the marks of numerous feet were perceived on the sand,some going to the west, others coming in this direction. Those going tothe west were traced until a party of French and black sailors werediscovered asleep in a wood. They stated that the vessel was French,captured by an English man-of-war; that she had been driven by thehurricane on the reef, and that it was their belief the English officersand crew had escaped as well as themselves, but they could not tell whathad become of them. The mayor, on hearing this, had despatched a partyof gendarmes in search of the missing people. How soon they may be hereit is impossible to say."
"But they will not be so barbarous as to carry off to prison Englishofficers who come with a flag of truce, and had no hostile intentions!"exclaimed Virginie.
"The authorities would be only too glad to get some Englishmen toexhibit as prisoners," said Francois. "We must not trust them; and Ipropose that we hide away the officers and men."
Just as Francois had finished giving this account, Le Duc ran into theroom.
"Oh, madame, oh messieurs!" he exclaimed, "I have seen those gendarmescoming along the road towards the house; they will be here presently."
"Here, come this way, my friends!" cried Madame La Roche. "Francois,run and get the ladder. There may be time for you all to mount upbefore the gendarmes appear. Call the other sailors. The sick man isstrong enough to move, or some one must help him. Vite, vite!"
The old lady hurried about in a state of great agitation. Rayner andOliver had serious fears that she would betray herself.
Francois soon came with the ladder, which he placed in a dark corner ofa passage, and, ascending, opened a trapdoor, and urged the party tomount without delay. Oliver went up first. Jack was able to get upwithout assistance. Le Duc was unwilling to go until the old ladyseized him by the arm.
"Go up, my son, go up," she said. "You will not be worse off than therest."
He at length unwillingly obeyed.
As soon as Rayner got up, by Francois' directions he shut down thetrapdoor. There was just light sufficient, through a pane of glass inthe roof, to see that the loft extended over a considerable portion ofthe building. Part only was covered with boards, on which, according tothe instructions given them, they lai
d down. Francois had charged themon no account to move about, lest they should be heard by the peoplebelow. The planks, however, were not placed very close together, andafter they had been there a minute or so, Rayner discovered a glimmer oflight coming through a broadish chink.
Putting his face near it, he perceived that the old lady and herdaughters had seated themselves at a table with their work before them,endeavouring to look as unconcerned as possible.
He had not been in this position many minutes, when he heard some heavysteps coming along the passage; they entered the room, and a gruff voicedemanded if any Englishmen had been, or still were, in the house.
The old lady started to her feet with an exclamation of well-feignedastonishment.
"What can monsieur mean?" she asked. "Englishmen in my house! Wherecan they have come from? My character is well known as a true patriot.The enemies of France are my enemies. Pray explain yourself moreclearly."
On this the sergeant of gendarmes began to apologise in more courteouslanguage than he had at first used, explaining why he had been sent tolook for the Englishmen who, it had been ascertained, were in that partof the country.
"Suppose you find them, what would you do with them?" asked Madame LaRoche.
"No doubt send them to prison. They are enemies of France, and it wouldnot be wise when we can catch them to allow such to wander at large andcommit mischief."
"Very true, very true, Monsieur Sergeant," said the old lady. "But thatdoes not excuse you for accusing me of harbouring them, and coming to myhouse as if I were a traitress."
The sergeant, however, was evidently persuaded, notwithstanding MadameLa Roche's evasion, that the fugitives had been at the house, if theywere not there still, and he insisted, with due respect to her, that itwas his duty to make a thorough search.
"As you desire it, pray obey your orders," said Madame La Roche. "Mymaitre d'hotel will show you round the house and outbuildings, andwherever you wish to go. You must excuse me on account of my age, asalso my daughters from their youth and delicate nerves from accompanyingyou."
The sergeant bowed, and said something with a laugh which Rayner did nothear, and the old lady, calling Francois, bade him conduct the sergeantand his gendarmes through the house. "And take care that he looks intoevery corner, under the beds and in them, if he likes, so that he may bethoroughly satisfied," she added.
"Oui, madame," answered Francois with perfect gravity. "Come along,Monsieur Sergeant. If you do not find these Englishmen of whom youspeak, do not blame me."
Rayner heard them retire from the room. He now began to breathe morefreely, hoping, for the sake especially of Madame La Roche, that thesergeant would be satisfied when they were not found in the house.
The ladies went on working and talking as if nothing were happening,though their countenances betrayed their anxiety. The gendarmes hadbeen absent a sufficient time to make a thorough search through thewhole of the building when Rayner heard them coming back. Suddenly thesergeant stopped, and asked, in a loud voice, "What is the object ofthis ladder, my friend?"
"To reach the roof from the verandah, or to enable the inmates todescend should the house be on fire," answered Francois, promptly.
"The roof everywhere overlaps the verandah," answered the sergeant, "andno ladder is necessary to get out of these windows to the ground. Itappears to me of a length suited to reach the ceiling. Come, show meany trapdoor through which I can reach the loft over the rooms. Youforgot, my friend, that part of the house."
"A trapdoor in the ceiling! What a strange thought of yours!" exclaimedFrancois. "However, perhaps you will find it, should one exist, thatyou may be satisfied on that point, and let one of your men take theladder, for I am old, and it would fatigue me to carry it."
One of the gendarmes took up the ladder, and he could be heard knockingat the ceiling in various directions. Still Rayner hoped that theywould not discover the dark corner, which Francois evidently had nointention to show them.
"It must be found somewhere or other," he heard the sergeant say. "Thisladder is exactly suited to reach it."
At last he entered the room where the ladies were seated.
"Will madame have the goodness to tell me whereabouts the trapdoor isthat leads to the roof?" he asked.
"The trapdoor leading to the roof!" repeated Madame La Roche. "It isnot likely that an old woman, as I am, would have scrambled up there, ormy delicate daughters either. Surely, Monsieur Sergeant, you arelaughing at me."
The sergeant turned away, but presently one of the men exclaimed, "Ihave found it! I have found it--here, up in this corner!"
Rayner heard the men ascending, the trap was lifted, but he and hiscompanions lay perfectly still, hoping that in the darkness they mightnot be perceived.
But the gendarme, after waiting a few seconds to accustom his eyes tothe dim light, began groping about until he caught hold of Tom's leg.Tom, dreadfully frightened, cried out in English, "Oh, dear; he's gotme!"
"Come down, messieurs, come down!" exclaimed the sergeant. "Oh, MadameLa Roche, you would have deceived me."
Rayner and his companions were compelled to descend. He truly felt morefor his kind hostess and her daughters than he did for himself. Theymight be heavily fined, if not more severely punished. He and hiscompanions had only to look forward to a prison, from which they mightescape.
With the exception of Le Duc they were all soon collected in the roombelow. He had managed by some means to escape detection. They wereallowed but a short time to take leave of Madame La Roche and herdaughters. The sergeant having received no orders respecting theladies, and satisfied at having secured his prisoners, seemed disposedto allow the former to remain unmolested. They looked very melancholy,however. The young ladies, as they shook hands, burst into tears. Invain Madame La Roche begged that their guests might be allowed topartake of some refreshment before commencing their journey. Thesergeant would not hear of it. He had caught the spies, and he intendedto keep them. If he allowed them to remain, some trick might be played,and they might make their escape.
He at once, therefore, ordered his men to lead his prisoners to thecourtyard of the house.
"Hands off; I won't be manacled by a French jackanapes," cried Brown,turning round as one of the men seized his arm. "We are five to seven,mayn't we knock the fellows over, sir? We could do it easily enough,and get off before they came to themselves again."
"I'll join you with all my heart," said Jack, "though I can't fight aswell as I could before my ribs were stove in."
"I'll tackle one of the fellows if I may take the smallest," said Tom,though he looked rather pale at the thought of the impending struggle.
"What do you advise, Rayner?" asked Oliver.
"I can advise no violence," said Rayner. "We may succeed in masteringthe Frenchmen, but if we did, the kind old lady here and her daughterswould certainly suffer in consequence. We must submit with a goodgrace, and we may possibly afterwards have an opportunity of making ourescape without fighting."
Though the Frenchmen did not understand what was said, they evidently,from the looks of the seamen, suspected their intentions, and drawingtheir pistols presented them at the heads of their prisoners.
The ladies shrieked, fancying they were about to fire, and Tom turnedpale.
"Pray don't be alarmed," said Rayner. "We yield to the sergeant, andbefore we go I wish, in the name of my companions and myself, to expressto you the deep gratitude we feel for your kindness. Farewell!"
He and Oliver kissed their hands, and the sergeant made significantsigns to them to go through the doorway.
"Have I the word of you two officers and your men that you will commitno violence?" he asked. "If you refuse it, I shall be under thenecessity of binding your arms behind you."
"What shall I say, Oliver?" asked Rayner. "If we give the promise welose the chance of attempting to make our escape; but then again, if ourarms are bound no opportunity can occur."
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bsp; "Say then that we will attempt no violence, and submit to any directionshe may give us," answered Oliver.
Rayner spoke as Oliver advised, and the sergeant appeared satisfied, ashe imposed no other promise.