CHAPTER VI.
They rushed out, and were immediately joined by the select party fromthe chamber of D'Erlach, all armed to the teeth. Another party, underBon Pre, of which none knew but the same person, encountered themwhen they emerged into the _Place D'Armes_. Alphonse led the way withconfidence, and, while all was uproar and confusion below--while menwere seen scattered throughout the area, uncertain where to turn, thesharp, stern voice of command was heard in their midst, in tones thatforbade the idea of surprise. The drums rolled. The faithful were soonbrought together, and presented such an orderly and strong array, thatconspiracy would have been confounded by their appearance, even wasthere nothing else in the event to palsy their enterprise. But theirengine had exploded in their own house. The dwelling of Laudonnierewas only shaken by the explosion. It was that of Le Genre which wasoverthrown, and was now in flames. Its blazing timbers were soonscattered, and the flames extinguished, when the body of the conspiratorwas drawn forth, blackened and mangled, from the place where he had methis death; still grasping between his fingers the fragment of match withwhich he had lighted the train to his own destruction. The conspirators,in an instant, felt all their feebleness. Already were the trustedsoldiers of Laudonniere approaching them. Baffled in the scheme fromwhich they had promised themselves so much, and apprehending worsedangers, they lost all confidence in themselves and one another; andLe Genre, apprehending everything, seizing the moment of greatestconfusion, leaped the walls of the fortress, and succeeded in escapingto the woods. The other leading conspirators, Le Genevois, La Fourneaux,and La Roquette, at first determined not to fly, not yet dreaming thatthey were the objects of suspicion; but when they beheld Bon Pre, lateone of their associates, marshalling one of the squads of Laudonniere,they at once conjectured the mode and the extent of the discovery. Theysaw that they had been betrayed, and soon followed the example of LeGenre. In regard to the inferior persons concerned in the conspiracy,D'Erlach said nothing to Laudonniere, and counselled Bon Pre to silencealso. He was better pleased that they should wholly escape than that thecolony should lose their services, and easily persuaded himself thatin driving Le Genre and his three associates from the field, he hadeffectually paralyzed the spirit of faction within the fortress. Hehad made one mistake, however, but for which he might not have beenso easily content. Not anticipating the change in the plan of theconspirators, by which it had been confided to Villemain to fire thetrain instead of Le Genre, he had naturally come to the conclusion thatthe only victim was the chief conspirator. He was soon undeceived, andhis chagrin and disappointment were great accordingly.
"Whose carcass is this?" demanded Laudonniere, as they threw out themangled remains of the incendiary from the scene of ruin.
"That of your lieutenant, Le Genre," was the answer of D'Erlach, givenwithout looking at the object.
"Not so!" was the immediate reply of more than one of the personspresent. "This is quite too slight and short a person for Le Genre."
"Who can it be, then?" said D'Erlach, looking closely at the body, whichwas torn and blackened almost beyond identification. The face of thecorpse was washed, and with some difficulty it was recognized as thatof Philip Villemain, a thoughtless youth, whom levity rather than evilnature had thrown into the meshes of conspiracy.
"But what does it all mean, Alphonse?" demanded the bewilderedLaudonniere, not yet recovered from his astonishment and alarm.
"Treason! as I told you!" was the reply. "There lies one of thetraitors--the poor tool of a cunning which escapes. I had looked tomake his principal perish by his own petard. But we must look to thishereafter. We must stir the woods to-morrow. They will shelter the archtraitor for a season only. Enough now, captain, that we are safe. Let usin to our fish. Those trout were of the finest, and I somehow have amonstrous appetite for supper."