SECOND TO NONE.
A Military Romance.
BY
JAMES GRANT,
AUTHOR OF
"THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD,"
"THE YELLOW FRIGATE," ETC. ETC.
IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. II.
LONDON:
ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, AND ROUTLEDGE,
BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL.
NEW YORK: 129, GRAND STREET.
1864.
CONTENTS
OF
THE SECOND VOLUME.
CHAP.
I. MARCH TO DOL
II. A SKIRMISH
III. HUSSARS AGAIN
IV. MY NURSE
V. NEWS OF THE ARMY
VI. BOURGNEUF
VII. LOVE AND ILLUSION
VIII. I BECOME A SOUBRETTE
IX. HAUTOIS
X. THE BOUDOIR
XI. STORY OF NINON DE L'ENCLOS
XII. DISCOVERED
XIII. SUSPENSE
XIV. THE BLOODHOUND
XV. THE FOREST OF ST. AUBIN DU CORMIER
XVI. THE STRUGGLE
XVII. THE CHAUMIÈRE
XVIII. THE LIGHT TROOP
XIX. CHARTERS' VOW
XX. THE SACK OF CHERBOURG
XXI. WHAT THE GAZETTE CONTAINED
XXII. THE PRISON SHIP
XXIII. "TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION"
XXIV. WADHURST
XXV. SAIL FOR GERMANY
SECOND TO NONE.
CHAPTER I.
MARCH TO DOL.
The city of St. Malo was now more closely reconnoitred by the
commander-in-chief, as well as by General Elliot, the
quartermaster-general, and other officers, who were unanimously of
opinion that, from its vast strength, a long time--a month at
least--must elapse before it could be reduced; and as the heavy
cannon and mortars requisite for such a siege were yet on board the
fleet, the idea of any assault upon the place should be relinquished,
more especially as French troops were advancing against us from
Normandy, Maine, and Anjou.
The approach by land to the small isle of Aaron on which it is
situated is by a mole or causeway, three-quarters of a mile in
length, by fifty-four feet in breath. and this was daily covered by
the tide with slimy weeds.
The approach by sea was narrow, well defended by batteries, and was
otherwise dangerous to vessels venturing within gunshot. On the
north St. Malo was quite inaccessible, in consequence of the height
of the rocks and strength of the fortifications which crown them.
The city was crowded with fugitives from the adjacent country, from
which they had retired by order of the noblesse, magistrates, and
echevins, to whom the Duke of Marlborough* sent a notice, that if the
peasantry did not return peaceably to their houses, he "would set
fire to them without delay."
* His Grace was Charles Spencer, fifth Earl of Sunderland, who
succeeded to the honours of his illustrious grandfather, John
Churchill, the great captain of Queen Anne's wars.
He also published a manifesto making known "to all the inhabitants of
Brittany, that the descent on their coast with the powerful army
under our command, and our formidable armament by sea, was not made
with the intention of making war on the inhabitants, except such as
should be found in arms, or should otherwise oppose the just war
which we were waging against His Majesty the most Christian King.
"Be it known, therefore," continues the manifesto, "to all who will
remain in peaceable possession of their habitations and effects, that
they may stay in their respective dwellings, and follow their usual
occupations; and that, excepting the customs and taxes which they pay
to the King, nothing will be required of them in money or merchandise
but what is absolutely necessary for the subsistence of the army, and
that for all the provisions they bring in ready money shall be paid,
&c. Given from our headquarters at Paramé, June 7."
While the British general threatened destruction unless the peasantry
returned, the French authorities, on the other hand, threatened to
hang all who obeyed, so between them the poor Bretons were likely to
have a fine time of it.
Our troop was now ordered to accompany a regiment of foot which was
detached to Dol, a long march by steep old roads that went straight
up one hill and down another.
The day which succeeded that night of destruction at St. Servand and
St. Solidore was beautiful. The sun of June was warm and glowing,
and brightly it shone on the bluff rocks and embattled walls of St.
Malo, on the masses of charred wreck that floated by the isle of
Aaron; on the dense old forests in the foreground, the blue hills
whose wavy outline towered in the distance, and on the blue sea that
stretched away towards the shores of England; on the quaint old
chateaux of the noblesse perched on rocks that overhung the mountain
torrents, and on the picturesque hovels of their vassals that nestled
under their protection, for vassalage yet lingered in primitive
Brittany.
These poor cottages, built of rough and unhewn stone, and plastered
with mud, we generally found to be abandoned by the inhabitants at
our approach. In some places we passed stacks of slowly-burning wood
smouldering by the wayside; but the poor charcoal-burners had lied
when our drums woke the echoes of the mountain road.
"It is certainly not pleasant to find oneself in the character of an
invader!" said Charters, as we rode leisurely on.
When we proceeded further, we found the farms abandoned, the villas
deserted and stripped of all that was most valuable. Goats no longer
grazed on the heathy mountain slopes, or cattle in the verdant
meadows; all had been driven off to forest recesses, to conceal them
from us; yet never was there less mischief done to private property
by an invading force than by us on this occasion.
During a halt near an ancient church, Jack Charters, observing the
earth at the root of a tree to have been recently disturbed, thrust
his sword into it, and about eighteen inches below the surface found
all the sacred vessels of the altar, tied up in a tablecloth. There
were three elaborately chased gold chalices, a patine, and several
silver salvers and cruets. Our troops were making merry on the
discovery of this plunder, when Charters, who never forgot his
forfeited position, and felt himself still a gentleman, restored the
whole to the curé of the church, who came to beg it of us.
Soon after, an officer of one of our foot regiments found near a
chateau a quantity of silver plate, worth several hundred pounds,
concealed in the same manner. This officer sent the plate to the
chateau, from which the proprietor was absent (for indeed he was no
other than Captain the Chevalier de Boisguiller, who was making
himself so active against us), together with a letter, purporting
that he had restored the treasure, as we came not to war on the
people, but the government of France. In proof of this, in many
instances our men shared their scanty rations with the poor and needy
whom they found by the wayside, and who trusted us.
Rumour of such acts as these having preceded us, we were kindly, even
warmly received by the people of Dol, which is an ancient episcopal
city surrounded by time-worn fortifications, and situated in the
midst of what was then a marshy plain. Its mediæval streets are
quaint and narrow, with picturesque gables and carved gablets that
almost meet from either side of the way.
We entered it without opposition, after a fourteen miles' march, and
to our surprise the bells of the cathedral rung a merry peal in our
honour. A contribution was levied on the city exchequer, and there
we passed the night after posting guards at all the gates and
outpickets beyond. The duty apportioned to the light troop of the
Scots Greys was solely to furnish patrols on the various roads
leading to Dol, to prevent a surprise, for as yet we knew not exactly
what troops were in Brittany.
About daybreak on the following morning, I formed one of a party that
patrolled the highway in the direction of St. Aubin du Cormier.
Cornet Keith commanded, and Sergeant Duff and Corporal Charters were
with us. Each officer and man carried oats for his horse in a bag,
and a bundle of hay trussed up in a net behind the saddle. We were
only eleven in all.
Keith was a brave but inexperienced young officer, who had joined our
corps from Richmond's Foot in consequence of an incident which made
some noise in the service at the time.
Richmond's regiment enjoyed the unfortunate reputation of bring a
duelling one. Indeed, there was scarcely an officer in it who had
not, at some time or other, paraded, and killed or wounded his man;
thus Keith, soon after joining it as a raw ensign, was informed by
the captain of the Grenadiers, "a fire-eater," that another officer
had treated him in a manner deserving severe notice, and that "after
_what_ had taken place"--the usual dubious, but constant phrase on
such occasions--he of the Grenadiers would gladly act as his friend;
_but_ that if Keith omitted to parade the insulter duly by daybreak
on the morrow, it would be noticed by the whole corps, and hopeless
"Coventry" would be the result.
Keith was unable to perceive that he had been in the least insulted;
but knew in a moment that his would-be friend had no other object in
view than to test his courage and arrange a duel, a little luxury the
corps had not enjoyed for two months past. He perceived also, that
to maintain his own reputation, the fatal pistol _must_ be resorted
to; but as he had no intention of fighting an innocent man who had
never offended him, he threw his leather glove in the face of the
Grenadier, called him out, and shot him through the lungs as a lesson
for the future, and soon after obtained a transfer to the Greys, when
we were cantoned among the villages of the Sussex Coast, hunting for
smugglers.
We were riding leisurely in file, through a narrow lane, about two
miles from Dol. It was bordered by wild vines, and shaded by
chestnut trees. The grey daylight was just breaking; the pale mist
was rolling in masses along the mountain slopes, and the sweet odour
of the bay myrtle and of the wild flowers came on the morning breeze
from the marshes that lay between us and the city.
Save the tinkling of some chapel bell for matins among the mountains
all was still, and we heard only the hoofs of our horses and the
clatter of their chain bridles; but judge of our astonishment when
wheeling out of the narrow lane upon the highway that led direct to
Dol--the path by which we could alone return--we found in our front a
party of French Light Horse, forty at least of the same Hussars we
had encountered in the night near St. Solidore; and the moment we
came in sight they began to brandish their sabres, and to whoop and
yell in that manner peculiar to the French before engaging, while
many shouted loudly--
"_Vive le Roi! à bas les Anglais!_"