CHAPTER XVII.
THE SWORD OF LA TOURNOIRE
The light softened and faded into that of evening. Another set of mentook the places of those outside my door. No food nor drink was broughtme, and I supposed the Captain hoped by this neglect to reduce me thesooner to a yielding state. But I was even glad to have to undergo someof the discomforts which the Countess must needs be enduring. I gave uphope of her life or my own, and, leaning forward so as to get somerelief of position, I fell into a kind of drowsy lassitude.
Suddenly, through my window, which overlooked the court-yard, I heard alow call at the gate, which was answered. Presently I heard the gateclose, and assumed it had been opened to let in the man who had utteredthe call. About a minute after that, there was a considerable noise inthe yard, as of men hastily assembling. Then came the voice of theCaptain, apparently addressing the whole company. When he finished,there was a general movement of feet, as of men dispersing about theyard, and this was followed by complete silence.
The men in the passage were now joined by a comrade, who spoke to themrapidly in a low tone. They whispered to one another in some excitement,but did not leave their places nor take their eyes from me.
The next sound I heard was of the tread of horses approaching. Mycuriosity now aroused, I strained my ears. The hoof-beats came to thegate, and then I heard a loud knock, followed by no other sound than ofthe pawing and snorting of the horses as they stood. There must havebeen at least a score of them.
Presently the unheeded knock was repeated, and then a quick, virilevoice called out:
"Hola, within there! Open the gate, in the name of the King!"
My heart leaped. The voice was that of the royal guardsman who had savedthe Countess from the robbers the previous evening. But his party wasnow evidently much larger than before.
No answer was given to his demand. The red Captain's intent apparentlywas to make these newcomers believe the place deserted. I had an impulseto shout the truth, but I saw my guards watching me, their hands ontheir weapons, and knew that my first word would be the signal for mydeath. So I kept silence.
"If you do not open the gate at once," the guardsman cried, "we willopen it for ourselves, in our own way."
I now heard footsteps shuffling across the yard, and then one of therobbers spoke, in the quavering tones of an old man:
"Pardon, Monsieur. Pardon, I pray, but it is impossible for me to open.I am all alone here in charge of this place, which is empty anddeserted, and I'm forbidden to open the gate to anybody but the master.He would kill me if I disobeyed, and besides that, I have taken a vow.There is nothing here that you can want, Monsieur."
"There is shelter for the night to be had here, and that we mean tohave. We are on the business of the King, and I command you to open."
"I dare not, Monsieur. I should imperil my life and my soul. There is alodge in the forest a mile to the east, and the keeper will see to allyour wants: there is plenty of shelter, food for yourselves, hay foryour horses, everything you can need. Here all is dismantled and empty."
"Old man, you are lying. Unbar the gate in a moment, or your life willindeed be in danger."
To this the "old man" gave no answer, except to come away from the gatewith the same simulated walk of an aged person.
I heard the horsemen discussing in low tones. Then, to my dismay, camethe sound of hoofs again, this time moving away. Now I was more thanever minded to cry out, but my guards were ready to spring upon me withtheir daggers. I might have sought this speedy death, but for the suddenthought that the withdrawal of the royal guardsmen might be onlytemporary.
I know not how many minutes passed. The sound of the horses had died outfor some time. I became sensible of the tramp of men's feet. Were theguardsmen returning without their horses? Suddenly the red Captain'svoice arose in the court-yard:
"To the walls, you with firearms! Shoot them down as they try to batterin the gate! All the rest, stand with me to kill them if they enter!"
The tramp of the guardsmen came swiftly near. I heard the reports ofmuskets and pistols. There was a loud thud, as of some sort of ram--afallen branch or trunk from the forest--being borne powerfully againstthe gate. This was answered by defiant, profane shouts and more louddetonations. My guards in the passage groaned, exclaimed, and clenchedtheir weapons, mad to be in the fray. I could only listen and wait.
There was a second thud against the gate, amidst more cries and shots.And soon came a third, the sound being this time prolonged into a crashof timber. A shout of triumph from the invaders, a yell of execrationfrom the red Captain and his men, and the clash of steel, told that thegate had given way.
"Follow close, gentlemen! Trust me to clear a path!" cried a heartyvoice, cheerful to the point of mirth, which thrilled my soul.
"Ay, follow him close!" cried the leader of the guardsmen; "follow thesword of La Tournoire!"
I could have shouted for joy, but that it was now worth while postponingdeath by minutes.
The noise of clashing swords increased and came nearer, as if theguardsmen were pouring in through the gateway and driving the defendersback toward the house. Now and then came the sound of a pike or reversedmusket meeting steel armour, and all the time fierce exclamations rosefrom both parties. There was no more firing; doubtless the melee was tooclose and general for anybody to reload.
The men in the passage, as the tumult grew and approached, became asrestless as dogs in leash that whine and jump to be in the fray. At lastone of them ran into my room and looked out of the window.
"Death of the devil, how they are at it!" he cried, for the informationof his comrades outside my door. "I think we shall be wanted in a minuteor two. These cursed intruders have forced the gateway. Our fellows aretwice as many as they, but their heads and bodies are in steel,--all butone, a middle-aged man with gray in his beard. He has no armour on, buthe leads the others. Body of Satan! you should see him clear the groundabout him. He thrusts in all directions at once: his sword is as long asa man, and it darts as quickly as the tongue of a snake. Ha! it has justcut down old Cricharde.--And now it has stung Galparoux.--HolyBeelzebub, what a man! He fights like a fiend, and all the time with agay face as if he were at his sport.--Ah! there he has let daylight intopoor Boirac.--But now--good!--at last our Captain has planted himself infront of this devil: it was high time: he will find his match now. ByGod, it will be worth looking at, the fight between the red Captain andthis stranger,--there aren't two such men in France. They are takingeach other's measure now,--each one sees what sort of stuff he has runagainst. Ah!"
What the last exclamation meant, I could not know. The man's attentionhad become too close for further speech. But I supposed that a pass hadbeen made between my father and the red Captain, and that it had beennothing decisive, for the watcher's interest continued at the extremetension: he kept his face against the iron bars of the window, and madeno sound beyond frequent short ejaculations. The men in the passagecalled to him for further news, but he did not heed them. To my ears thefighting continued as general as before, with the shouts of many throatsand the clash of many weapons, so that I could not at all distinguishthe single combat between my father and the red Captain from the rest ofthe fray.
Presently the man gave a howl of rage. "Our Captain is being forcedback!" he cried. "We are getting the worst of the fight everywhere. It'stoo much!--we are needed down there! To the devil with orders!--theCaptain will be glad enough if we turn the tide. And we'd better try ourluck down there than be taken here, for short time they'll give us forprayers, my children." While speaking he had moved from the window to mydoor.
"Certainly this prisoner is safe enough," answered one of the men,whereupon he and the others in the passage ran down the stairs.
But the man who had been at the window turned to me. "Safe enough,--yes,so it looks," said he. "Young man, the Captain must think you amagician, to take so much pains against your escaping. If it came to theworst, I was to kill you, and the time seems to hav
e arrived: so, ifyou'll pardon me--"
"You will be a great fool," said I, as he approached with his sworddrawn; "for if you are taken alive my intervention will save your neck."
"How do you know it will?"
"By the fact that the gentleman down there whose fighting you so admireis my father."
"Indeed? You are a gentleman: do you give your word of honour for that?"
"Yes; and to speak for you if I am alive when your side is finallydefeated."
"Very good, Monsieur. I will hold you to that." Upon this he left me andfollowed his comrades down the stairs.
His footfalls had scarcely ceased upon the stairway, when other soundsbegan to come from the same direction,--those of conflict in theentrance hall below. Somebody had drawn his antagonist, or been forcedby him, into the house. There was the quick, irregular stamp of bootedfeet on the stone floor, the keen music of sword striking sword. If thefight spread generally into the house, and the defenders fled to theupper rooms, my position must become more critical. So I listened ratherto this noise in the hallway than to the tumult in the court-yard. Bythe sound of the steel coming nearer, and that of the footfalls changingsomewhat, I presently knew that one of the fighters had sought thevantage--or disadvantage--of the staircase. But the other evidentlypushed him hard, for soon both combatants had reached the landing at theturn of the stairs, as was manifest from a sudden increase of theirnoise in my ears. I could now hear their short ejaculations as well asthe other sounds. They continued to approach: I listened for a stumbleon the stairs, to be followed by a death-cry: but these men wereapparently heedful as to their steps, and finally they were both uponthe level footing of the passage outside my room. I wondered if thisfight would be over before it could be opposite my doorway. In a fewmoments I was answered. Into my narrow view came the large figure of thered Captain, without a doublet, his muscular arms bare, his shirt openand soaked with perspiration, his upper body heaving rapidly as hebreathed, his face streaming, his eyes fixed upon the enemy whose swiftrapier he parried with wonderful skill. The light of evening was dim inthe passage, and perhaps for that reason the Captain backed into myroom. His adversary followed instantly.
"Father!" I cried, as the Sieur de la Tournoire appeared in the doorway:in my emotion I thought not how I endangered him by distracting hisattention.
But he was not to be thrown off his guard. He moved his head a little tothe side, so as to catch a glimpse of me behind the Captain, but thisdid not prevent his adroitly turning a quick thrust which his enemy madeon the instant of my cry.
"Hola, Henri!" said my father, with perfect calmness except for hisquickness of breath. "What the devil are you doing here?"
"Sitting chained to the floor," I replied.
At this the Captain suddenly leaped back almost to where I was, and Isuppose his intention was to place himself eventually where he wouldhave me between him and my father and could kill me without ceasing toface the latter. But he may have considered an attempt to pass over meas unsafe for his subsequent footing, and so his next movement wassidewise: my father, following close, gave him work every moment. TheCaptain again stepping backward, I was now at his right and a little infront, so that, if he could gain but a spare second, he could send afinishing thrust my way. With my head turned so as to keep my eyes uponhim, I could see by his look that he was determined not to risk myoutliving him.
My father, too busy in meeting the Captain's lunges, and in trying whatthrust might elude his defence, thought best to expend no more breath intalk with me, and so the fighting went on without words. Suppose,thought I, my father kills the Captain but the Captain first kills me?Had I not better now tell my father to seek the Tower of Morlon andrelease a person confined there? But if I did that, the Captain wouldhear, and suppose he killed my father as well as me! I held my tongue.
The Captain now maintained his position, neither giving ground norpressing forward. The two combatants were between me and the window,through which still came sounds of struggle from the yard below. Butthese sounds were fewer, except those of cheers, which grew morefrequent.
"Good! Our friends are gaining the day!" said my father to me.
"But you, Messieurs, shall not crow over it!" cried the Captain, andmade a long thrust, as swift as lightning. My father caught it on theguard of his hilt, within short distance of his breast, at the sameinstant stepping back. The Captain did not follow, but darted his swordat me, with the cry, "Not for you the Countess!" I contracted my bodyand thought myself done for. My father's impulsive forward movement,however, disconcerted the Captain's arm in the very moment of his lunge,and his point but feebly stung my side and flew back again, his guardrecovered none too soon to save himself. My father's thrusts became nowso quick and continuous that the Captain fell back to gain breath. Myfather drove him to the wall. Shouting a curse, the Captain thrust formy father's midriff. My father, with a swift movement, received thesword between his arm and body, and at the same instant ran his ownrapier into the Captain's unguarded front, pushed it through his lung,and pinned him to the wall.
"MY FATHER'S THRUSTS BECAME NOW SO QUICK ANDCONTINUOUS."]
The Captain's arms dropped, his head hung forward, and as soon as thesword was drawn out, he tumbled lifeless to the floor.
My father leaned against the wall till he regained a little breath andenergy; then he wiped his brow and sword, and came over to me.
"How have they got you trussed up?" he asked. "And how came you intotheir hands?--I should be amazed to find you here, if I hadn't seenstranger things before now."
While he cut the cords that bound my ankles and wrists, I told him how Ihad been waylaid. "I was going with food and wine to a friend who lieslocked in a deserted tower called Morlon. She is ill to death, and maynow be dead for lack of food and air to keep up her strength. I must goto her--"
"A woman, then?"
"Yes, a lady: I will tell you all, but there is no time to lose now. Thetower is in this forest. I must find my way there at once."
"Patience, a moment," said my father. "Your chain is locked, I see:--butno matter,--I can loosen it so that you can wriggle through." By havingcut the cords, around which the chain had been passed, he had relievedthe tautness, and was now able to do what he promised. He then took offmy boots, and, grasping me under the arms, drew me backward out of theloosened coils as I moved them downward with my hands. At last I stood afree man. I put on my boots, took the Captain's sword, and accompaniedmy father down into the court-yard.
The fight was now over there. Of the royal guardsmen, all in steel capsand corselets, like the small party of them I had seen the previousevening, some were wiping their faces and swords, and others were caringfor the hurts of comrades. Some of the robbers lay dead, several werewounded, and the rest, having yielded their weapons, were looking aftertheir own disabled, under the direction of guardsmen. I recognized anumber of the rascals as men I had seen at the Chateau de Lavardin. Thecommander of the troop of guards, he whom I had met before and whosevigorous voice I had recognized, greeted my father with a look ofcongratulation, and showed surprise at seeing me.
"Tis a day of events," said my father. "I have killed the Count'saccomplice, and found my son.--Nay, there was no hope of that Captain'ssurrendering."
"My faith!--then your two quests are accomplished at the same moment,"said the leader of the guardsmen. "And, for another wonder, your sonturns out to be a person I have already met. But your friend, Monsieur?"This inquiry was to me, and made with sudden solicitude.
"Locked in the tower of Morlon, waiting for me to come withfood,--perhaps dying or dead.--Monsieur, I was brought here blindfold:but I must find the way back to the tower of Morlon without delay,--itis somewhere in this forest."
"No doubt some of these gentry know the way," said the guardsman,indicating the robbers. "We'll make it a condition of his life for oneof them to guide us."
"You make me your life-long debtor, Monsieur," I cried. "And one of themhas the key: I think it is he lyin
g yonder. As for food and wine--"
"We are not without those," said the guardsman. "Our horses and suppliesare near at hand."
I went among the dead and wounded to find the man who had takenpossession of my keys. Him I found, but the keys were not upon him.Supposing he had given them to his master, I ran upstairs and examinedthe pockets of the Captain, but in vain. Where to look next I knew not,so I returned to the court-yard and made known my unsuccess.
"Tut!" said my father; "a door is but a door, and we can break down thatof your tower as we broke down this gate. This gentleman"--meaning theleader of the guardsmen--"has most courteously offered to accompany us,with part of his noble troop, and he has chosen a guide from among theprisoners."
"Ay, they all know the tower," said the guardsman, "but this fellowappears the most sensible.--Now, my man, how long will it take us, yourcomrades bearing the pine trunk with which we rammed this gate, to reachthe tower of Morlon?"
"Two hours, Monsieur, I should say," replied the robber.
"It is too much," said the guardsman. "You will lead us thither in anhour at the utmost, or at the end of the hour you shall hang to the treeI then happen to be under." He thereupon gave orders to the guardsmen,and to the prisoners. As night would overtake us in the forest, he had abrief search made of the outhouses, and a number of dry pine sticks werefound, to serve as torches. Our party was to go mounted, except therobbers impressed to carry the battering ram: so I went to the stalls atone side of the yard, and found my own horse, chewing hay in fraternalcompanionship with the animals which had doubtless brought CaptainFerragant and his men from Lavardin.
As I led out my horse, I suddenly bethought me of the man for whose lifeI had promised to speak. During the final preparations for our start, Ilooked again among the robbers, wondering why this man had not forcedhimself upon my attention. But I soon found the reason: he lay on hisside, and when I turned him over I saw he was pierced between two ribsand had no life left to plead for.