THE ROAD TO EGER.
Once clear of the town and on the open road to Olsnitz Nigel's immediate
anxiety was ended. He did not fear the pursuit of the townspeople. Not
despicable in quality is the valour which rouses and fills a man, and a
man's fellows, in sight of their common hearthstone at the Rathhaus, or
of that, possibly dearer, rallying-place the Rathskeller, where the
favoured vintages of the burghers lie snug in cobwebs, only to be
brought forth from the complete darkness of their resting-places to the
still dim and broken daylight of the afternoon, or to the lantern-light
cloven by the massive pillars of the low arches into patches of ruddy
glow and pools of shadow. Not despicable in quality is it, but it
carries a mighty stroke only within the town's walls. To pursue with
success a troop, however small, of trained mounted men, one must have
the like. Nigel and his men rode on into the darkness, which was just
sufficiently permeated by the faint light of stars to let them see the
road at their horses' feet and a few yards ahead; they rode sleepily,
but feeling secure. The road they followed was the road to Hof, which a
few miles out throws out a branch to Olsnitz, and this again at Olsnitz
fathers two younglings, the road to Graslitz and Pilsen, and the road to
Eger.
Nigel meant to bivouac by the roadside, beneath the pine-trees, where
the bed was soft with the pine-needles and dry, and horses and men alike
could sleep till an hour after dawn. He was not in the mind to lock
himself in any more walled cities till he was in safer country. He had
also resolved to make for Eger rather than Pilsen, because, from Eger,
which was a frontier post of some quality, he could perhaps send
Hildebrand von Hohendorf some assistance.
So having put an hour's riding between his troops and Plauen he called a
halt, and the men led their horses up the sloping banks into the forest,
where they unsaddled, tethered their horses, and lay down quite
contentedly. Nigel, with his head on his saddle-bags and two sentries
within hail, was asleep in a few seconds. A few seconds of sleep, so it
seemed to the sleep-hungered soldier, and the persistent twittering of
the birds, that outburst that hails the almost imperceptible rolling up
of the night clouds, awoke him. The birds could see up there in the
branches. Where he lay it was dark enough to swear it was still night.
Out of the darkness he heard the voice of Sergeant Blick drowsily
calling the birds "fools and heretics" for waking him, and he fell
asleep again. Another two or three seconds, which were an hour by the
clock at Olsnitz, and the birds, after their last nap, were again
calling one another to the duty of seeing after breakfast. Nigel rose
and stamped his feet and shook himself, listened for the trickle of a
spring, and went off to salute it. Then he returned to his saddle and
called for his horse. While this was being brought he put his hand into
his saddle-bags where he carried the bulky despatches of Count Tilly:
first the left, and then the right, then he searched his doublet, his
holsters. There were no despatches. Sleep had played him traitor,
delivered him bound into the enemy's hand. Into whose?
Nigel was possessed of common-sense, but when common-sense could give
but a flimsy explanation, he was not disinclined to allow that the
powers of darkness and witchcraft might, notwithstanding King Jamie and
his pronouncements, be of some potency. He was cautious too. While not
suspecting any of his men, he thought that to keep the loss to himself
was the surest way to discover the culprit, if he was among them. So he
made no inquiry of the sentries. He had a sure memory, so clear and
flawless, that he could repicture himself as in a mirror placing the
papers in his saddle-bag. They were there when he placed his head upon
the saddle. They were not there now. He searched his lair for any sign
that it might give. There was still the impress where he had lain upon
the pine-needles but nothing else. The loss was inexplicable as it was
irreparable. His professional honour was in jeopardy. His reputation as
an officer of approved sagacity was gone. He must go on. There was no
help. He must go on and carry to the Emperor the tale of his misfortune,
which would sound but a sorry one in the light of Vienna, and, instead
of the despatches, such details as he could remember; wherein his
excellent memory would doubtless replace all that Count Tilly could have
set down. But Tilly's foreshadowed plans? Tilly's recommendation of
himself? Into whose hands had they fallen?
If witches had stolen the despatches, were they Protestant witches? No
Catholic could be a witch. That was an incompatibility.
The men paraded in the road, and he and the lieutenant looked them over
to see that every man was there and in marching order. And Nigel scanned
every face and pair of hands.
No! They were as respectable a lot of ruffians in leather and headpiece
as one could pick. The order was given to ride, and they rode clanking
into Olsnitz, where at the first inn they demanded beer and sausages and
bread with the clamour born of a fast of eight hours and a night in the
forest.
Nigel and his comrade were hungry too, and having satisfied the hunger
for food, he summoned the ostler, taking him inside and questioning him
if travellers had passed that way earlier in the morning.
"Three! Two stayed on the road. The third came for a small truss of hay
and paid for it and went away again. He was not of these parts."
"Which road did he take?"
"The road to Eger."
Nigel asked other questions, but the answer told him nothing except that
he got a minute description of the man and of the horse, the latter more
particularly being the ostler's business. It was a sorrel with one black
hoof and three white. There were other marks, but that was enough.
Evidently the travellers were going far, and wished to go fast, and not
to call at any inn for the space of a horse's feed and watering.
Nigel wasted no time getting to horse again. One of those three had the
despatches. He must overtake them. So he rode on briskly, wondering who
would steal them and why. To the first question he answered: "The
Protestants! For they would be in communication with Gustavus, and would
wish to be beforehand in the matter of Tilly's plans."
But why should they take the road to Eger when Gustavus was far to the
north? Rather should they ride north to Saxony. The road, however, was
plain enough along the valley of the Elster, always rising a little, and
steep hillsides on either bank. Of bridle-tracks there were many
without doubt, for those who knew the intricacies of the pine-covered
hills. But it was not likely the three unknown would take to them.
At Adorf, Nigel learned that three horsemen had passed an hour before.
He was gaining upon them then. His men were somewhat surprised that the
march was being forced, but they scented rest and a German trooper's
welcome at Eger. Ten miles farther they had gained another half-hour.
Either the three had become careless, or their horses were tired, or
they were poor horsemen. Nigel would have them in the net at Eger, and
rode at a great pace. At one point, where the road took a wide bend, he
even caught sight of three horses, mere little black spots on the white
line of the road, and then he lost them. Trees intervened. At the long
last he saw them clearly enough pass through the gate of Eger, and in a
few minutes he and his troop clattered through the archway, and saw only
that the town had swallowed them up. There was still a sorrel horse with
one black hoof and three white ones for a clue.
Nigel bade the lieutenant find quarters for the night, and let the men
eat and enjoy themselves. He also privately instructed Sergeant Blick to
find the sorrel horse and not miss getting into converse with its rider,
nor let him go before he could see him. Then he rode up to the castle,
the citadel of the town. He sought the commandant, and was surprised to
find in him a fellow-countryman, one David Gordon, a lean, lantern-jawed
fellow, whose uniform bespoke the professional soldier, but whose talk
reminded Nigel of the ultra-sanctimonious burghers of Edinburgh, on whom
the spirit of Knox in its narrowness had descended, but not the fire of
his conviction, while gaining a smoky stubbornness and sourness of which
Knox would have been little proud.
"Sae yer Coont Tilly has warstled through into Magdeburg, Meester
Charteris?"
"Aye, has he!" said Nigel, watching the cold glint of the little eyes
beneath the heavy brows.
"And ye'll be carrying the despatches to the Emperor!"
"Yes!"
"Hooch aye!" The commandant rubbed a bristly chin, and watched Nigel's
face. "Did ye have a peaceful journey?"
"Not exactly! I had trouble to get out of Plauen, and I think you should
send Commandant von Hohendorf a couple of companies. The townsfolk are
out of hand."
"Ah! ha!" said the other. "Tis the working of God's wrath at the sinful
deeds at Magdeburg!"
If David Gordon had been weighing out spices in a little shop in the
Canongate, the speech would have had its right surroundings. As it was,
issuing from the mouth of one of the Emperor's officers, it sounded out
of place.
"Master Gordon! That's a queer speech!" said Nigel. "Count Tilly's been
carrying out the Edict."
"Aye! That's just it, the most abominable Edict. Save us, mebbe ye're a
Papist yersel'!"
"Yes! Or I should not be doing the Emperor's service!" Nigel retorted
with some heat.
"Whisht! Whisht! man! A man must look to the bawbees, ye ken; but he
should aye hould fast to his opeenions!"
"'Tis not for me to say what Mr Gordon should do, or not do," said Nigel
dryly. "My creed is where I take my pay, there I fight, and as for the
cause I say nothing."
"Aye!" said Commandant Gordon with something like a sigh. "And what
brought ye to Eger, when it was a wheen shorter by Pilsen?"
He scrutinised Nigel with a long careful scrutiny.
"That I might tell you how matters stood with Hohendorf. Yours is the
nearest garrison."
"Hooch aye!" The commandant appeared to be relieved of some anticipated
trouble. "I dinna think I can spare ony, but ye've done your duty in
reporting it. I thocht ye were maybe paying a veesit to yon warlock the
new Duke keeps at his hoose!"
"What new Duke?"
"Waldstein! Man! Waldstein! Duke of Friedland and the haill rickmatick!"
"Waldstein!" said Nigel. "Here? Waldstein?"
"Aye! He's studying the stars, he and his warlock. He's naething else to
do. He's just a spent cannon-ball: good iron but useless. Speiring at
the stars will he come back again or no, and speiring at Gustavus of
Sweden whether he'll give him all the kingdoms of the earth and the
glory of them, if he falls doon and worships him."
"How do you know that he sends letters to Gustavus? Or what is in them?"
"Is it sae unlikely?" the other questioned cunningly. "I could believe
onything of a Popish recusant! Waldstein was born a Protestant of good
Lutheran parents, and ganged to a Protestant University--Altdorf--and
then he wins clean over to the Papists. Noo I'm not saying onything
against Papistry, though I dinna believe in it mysel', but _ye_ come of
a Catholic family and have never known the truth. I peety but I dinna
blame!"
"I am your very humble servant, Mr Gordon," said Nigel, bowing. "I am in
need of food and lodgment. Good-bye!"
Nigel took horse again and rode down into the town, pondering many
things.
At the foot of the hill he met Sergeant Blick.
"The sorrel horse, captain, is in a stable at the White Lamb."
"Good. We start to-morrow morning at dawn. Therefore have every man
ready!"
"Yes, captain!"
"The man who rides the sorrel horse will ride northward before dawn. By
whichever gate he passes, he must be caught and made to ride with us,
whether he likes it or not, without noise or fuss."
"Yes, captain!"
"Where is the lieutenant?"
"He is at the Blue Angel, captain!"
"Good! To-morrow at dawn!"
Nigel found the lieutenant sitting down to a dish of scrambled eggs with
a plentiful dressing of chopped ham.
"There is veal to follow, and then a couple of ducks!" said the
lieutenant, concluding the remark with a great gurgle of beer in the
recesses of a huge tankard.
Nigel made haste to catch up with the lieutenant.
He had travelled with his comrade through the egg country, the calf
country, and had reached duckland. Two legs, a slice of the broad brown
back, and some delicate spinach loaded up his plate, when the door
opened and a man-servant with the bearing of a soldier entered.
"Captain Charteris!"
"That is I!" said Nigel.
"The Count Albrecht von Waldstein desires the favour of your company for
an hour."