THE leader of the officers of the Inquisition was not long in
discovering the retreat of the Countess. He was greatly assisted by the
monks of the monastery near Viteau, who suspected, from what had been
said by some of the _cotereaux_ who occasionally found it necessary to
go outside of the chateau court-yard, that something of importance had
occurred at Viteau. By careful inquiries they soon found out that the
Countess was there, and reported the fact to the chief officer at his
headquarters at Barran's castle.
The Count, on the contrary, did not know where the Countess of Viteau
had gone. She and Bernard had thought it best not to inform him of her
place of refuge, and Barran had not endeavored to discover this place,
deeming it unsafe for any one in the castle to know where she was, so
long as her pursuers were with him. He knew by the actions of his
unwelcome visitors that she had not been captured, but he never imagined
that she was in her own chateau of Viteau.
Early on the morning of the second day after that on which Count Hugo
and his party started on their return from Paris, bearing the happy news
that the King had consented to interfere in behalf of the Countess, and
that one or two well-qualified persons were, as soon as possible, to
visit her at the castle of Barran to give her an opportunity of properly
representing her case, the Inquisitors appeared at Viteau.
Viteau, although not exactly a castle, was, like all the residences of
the upper classes in those days, a strongly defended place. It had a
wall around the court-yard, and its numerous towers and turrets and
little balconies were constructed to accommodate and protect a large
number of archers and cross-bow men.
Therefore it was that Robert de Comines, the leader of the Inquisitorial
party, thought it well to have a strong body of men with him in case it
became necessary to force his way into the chateau.
First posting soldiers at every entrance to the grounds, Comines marched
to the great gate and demanded admittance. Michol, who had received
notice that a large body of men was approaching, and who felt quite sure
that he knew who they were, gave some orders to his under-officers and
hastened to the gate.
"Who may you be?" said Michol from the window in the gate, "and why come
you here? These gates open, now, to no visitors, friends or foes."
Comines did not see fit to state the object of his visit, nor to exhibit
his authority, and without answering Michol's questions, he asked
another.
"Are you the captain of the robbers who have seized upon this chateau?"
he said.
"I am the captain of the good and valiant _cotereaux_, who hold this
chateau and its belongings as a warranty for a just and righteous debt,"
answered Michol. "Have you aught to say to me concerning the matter?"
"I have something to say to you," replied Comines, "which you will do
well to hear, and that speedily. Open the gate and let me enter."
"If you wish to speak with me," answered Michol, "I am ready to hear
what you have to say. But you need not enter, fair sir. I will come out
to you."
"No, no!" cried the other. "I must go in. Open the gate!"
"That will I, gladly," said Michol, "but it must be for me to go out and
not for you to come in. This is not my dwelling, nor are these my lands.
I meet my friends and foes in the forest and on the road."
At these words the gates were thrown open, and Michol rushed out,
followed by nearly all his men, who had been closely massed behind him
while he spoke. The _cotereaux_ were in such a large and solid body that
they completely filled the gateway and forced back Comines and his men,
who vainly endeavored to maintain their ground before the gate.
Comines shouted and threatened, and his followers manfully struggled
with the robbers, who surged like a great wave from the gate; but it was
of no use. Out came the _cotereaux_, and backward were forced Comines's
men, until all the robbers, excepting those who were left to guard the
other gates, and some archers who were posted on certain of the towers,
had rushed into the road, and the gates had been locked behind them.
The sudden confusion had been so great that, at first, the two leaders
could not find each other. At length they met in the middle of the road,
and the men of each party disengaged themselves from one another as
rapidly as possible, and gathered in two confronting bodies, each behind
its leader.
"Here am I. What would you have?" said Michol.
"Thief and leader of thieves!" cried the enraged Comines. "Do you
suppose that I want you! You shall feel the power of the Church in your
own person for this violence. Know that I am an officer of the Holy
Inquisition, with all due authority and warrant to carry out my purpose,
and that I come to apprehend and take before our high tribunal the
person of the Countess of Viteau, who is behind those walls. Now that
you know my errand, stand back and let me enter."
"That will I not," said Michol, firmly. "Whatever your errand and your
authority, you come too late. The Countess of Viteau is now my prisoner.
I hold her and this chateau as security for the payment of ransom-money
justly due me; and I will give her up to no man until that ransom shall
be paid. Whatever warrant you may have, I know well that you have none
to take from me my prisoner."
"Rascal!" cried Comines, "who would show a warrant to a thief? Will you
open that gate to me?"
"No," said Michol, "I will not."
"Then take that for my authority!" said Comines, drawing his sword as he
spoke, and making a sudden thrust at the robber leader.
Michol had no sword, but in his right hand he bore a mace or club with a
heavy steel or iron head. This was a weapon generally used by knights on
horseback, but Michol was a tall, strong fellow, and he carried it with
ease. Stepping quickly aside as Comines thrust at him, he swung his mace
in the air, and brought it down upon his adversary's head with such
rapidity and force that it knocked him senseless to the ground.
This blow was followed, almost instantly, by a general conflict. As none
of Comines's men were mounted, their horses having been left at the
monastery, and as they did not number half as many as the
_cotereaux_,—who were, indeed, in much stronger force than Comines and
the monks had imagined,—the fight was not a long one. The robbers soon
overpowered their opponents, killing some, causing others to make a
disorderly flight, and taking a number of prisoners.
The latter were carefully robbed,—not an article of value, not a weapon,
nor piece of armor being left on their persons,—and then they were set
free to carry away their wounded and dead comrades.
Michol sent a detachment of his men to attack the soldiers who had been
placed outside of the other entrances to the chateau; and when these had
been routed and the battle-field in front of the great gate had been
cleared of enemies, dead and alive, the robber captain entered the
court-yard with his men, and the gates were locked and barred behind
him.
Bernard, the squire, had been watching the combat from a high tower.
"I knew," he said to himself, when it was over, "that this was the only
place in France where the Countess would be safe. For none but a pack of
thieves would have dared to fight those who came to capture her."
The Countess was greatly agitated when she heard of the affair, for she
knew nothing of it until it was over. She was glad and thankful that her
pursuers had been defeated in their object, but she thought it was a
terrible thing to have had an actual conflict with them.
Her good squire did his best to make matters look as well as possible.
"You must remember, my lady," said he, "that the fight was not within
our walls, and that none of us took part in it. And, I trow, we shall
not soon see again those men from Toulouse; for the leader of them has
been grievously disabled, and it will be many a day before he will again
desire to carry off anybody."
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