heel and left the cell, jerking the door to with a dull crash behind
him.
*CHAPTER XIV*
*A Desperate Venture*
As soon as the excitement caused by the sudden appearance of De Maupas
had begun to subside, Edgar recollected something that he had heard
while the interview was proceeding, but which he had then no time to
dwell upon. This was a strange sound, muffled and indistinct as though
coming from a distance, which, having no opportunity for listening
attentively, he had been unable to define. It might have been, he now
thought, the cry of an animal or even of some human being in distress.
"Didst hear what sounded like distant cries while the door stood open,
Peter?"
"I did, Master Edgar. They sounded strange and unearthly and I could
make nothing of them. I heard the like when Duprez brought us food
yesterday, but took no heed."
"Ah! Can it be that they are torturing Sir John to compel him to yield
compliance with their infamous projects?" exclaimed Edgar, beginning to
pace restlessly up and down the cell as well as his shackles would
permit. "De Maupas and this Black Eustace are, I verily believe,
capable of deeds every whit as base and pitiless."
"Thinkest thou so?" cried Peter excitedly. "Then let us spring upon our
jailers and, if need be, perish in an effort to save our master from so
fearful a fate."
"Truly it is intolerable that we should remain supine here," replied
Edgar in a voice vibrating with emotion, "but to attack our jailers,
shackled as we are, would mean, I fear, but certain defeat. Would I
could think of some way--but, yes, I have 't! Dost see yon bracket
above the door?"
"Aye, sir, what wouldst do? Tear it down and use it as a weapon?"
"Nay, it looks to be embedded so deeply in the masonry that 'twould need
weeks of work to loosen it. My thought was that could I climb upon it I
might, at his next entry, spring upon Duprez all unawares. My weight
and the shock of it might well rid us of him for the time and leave us
two, shackled and without weapons, to face one man armed. Joyfully will
we not accept the odds?"
"Aye, to that," cried Peter eagerly. "The plan soundeth well if the
bracket will hold thy weight, and thou canst reach up to get upon it all
cumbered with thine irons."
"Let us try, Peter. Stand close against the door and let me climb upon
thy shoulders. Though I cannot move my hands higher than my waist, I
think I can yet make shift to clamber up."
The bracket above the door on to which Edgar was endeavouring to climb
consisted of a thick bar of iron with a socket, into which Duprez had
thrust the torch when he had first entered the cell with his prisoners.
It was thickly crusted with rust, but was so massive that it seemed
likely enough that it would more than bear Edgar's weight.
After a few minutes' clambering he managed to perch himself upon the
bar, and by resting his back flat against the wall, could hold himself
steady in his difficult position. Did Duprez and his man enter while he
was in that position, it seemed easy to leap upon one of them and to
bear him to the ground with crushing force.
"It offers good hopes of freedom, Peter!" exclaimed Edgar exultingly as
he clambered with difficulty down from his dizzy position. "If we can
overcome our two jailers, we shall be able to don their cloaks and issue
forth freely. Did we only dare wait for darkness, we should, I doubt
not, be able to reach the walls with little chance of discovery."
"They have taken our ropes," observed Peter.
"A plunge from the walls into the moat will not come amiss if Sir John
be not injured. We can flounder out and be hidden in the woods ere ever
the drawbridge can be lowered. What is it, Peter? Hast heard
something?"
"Yes, yes, I think I can hear footsteps in the distance outside.
Quickly, Master Edgar--wilt thou not clamber up above the door and be
ready?"
Hastily Edgar prepared to climb, but before he was halfway up he heard
sounds that brought him leaping to the ground. Placing his ear to one
of the cracks of the door, he listened with agonized attention. Again
in the distance he could hear the strange wails and screams which he had
heard before.
"Listen, Peter, and tell me what ye think."
Peter obeyed. "I can make no more of it than before," he remarked after
a pause. "The sounds seem like nothing that I----But hark! I can hear
the sound of footsteps coming and going. We shall have Duprez here
anon."
But the two prisoners were left undisturbed. The noise of footsteps
died away, and with it the strange sounds that had so puzzled and
alarmed Edgar--nay, alarmed him still, for he could not help connecting
the sounds with Sir John, and feared that his ruthless enemies might be
torturing or tormenting him into acquiescence in their plans. The more
he thought of it the more he felt that such might be the case, and the
more impatient he became to escape and hasten to his master's aid.
"Come, Peter," he cried at last, "we shall do little more by taking
thought. At the next visit of Duprez we must try conclusions. Aid me
to practise mounting rapidly to the bracket, so that when we next hear
footsteps I may be prepared for action without loss of time."
For half an hour Edgar practised until he could clamber up and get ready
with great rapidity. Night had by that time fallen, and as it seemed
unlikely that Duprez would visit them again that day, they gathered the
rugs together and disposed themselves to sleep.
Scarcely had they dozed off, however, when they were awakened by the
sound of footsteps close at hand and by the glint of a light beneath the
door. The moment of their opportunity had come! Duprez was doubtless at
the door.
With feverish impatience, Edgar hastened to the door and began to
clamber up to his station. His movements were cramped and impeded by
his shackles and the absolute necessity that no clanking of chains
should warn their jailers that the prisoners were up and doing. Ere he
had fully gained his coign of vantage the key was grating in the lock,
and Peter had barely time to scuttle back to the farthest corner of the
cell and to crouch down among the rugs, feigning sleep, before the door
began to swing back upon its hinges.
"Come, ye proud varlets, ye are honoured tonight. Sir Eustace desires
speech with you. Ha, ha! Much comfort to you 'twill be, I'll warrant."
As he spoke Duprez strode into the cell, followed by another man who
carried a torch, which he raised above his head to catch a glimpse of
the prisoners.
With a sudden spring, Edgar flung himself down upon the torchbearer,
landing full upon him and crushing him to the ground with stunning
force. The torch spun from his hand into a corner, and lay there
spluttering in the damp, shedding a feeble, fitful light upon the scene.
With a loud shout of alarm, Duprez grasped his sword by the hilt and
strove to pluck it from its sheath. Before he could do so, however,
Edgar had sprung upon him from the rear, whilst Peter seized him round
the legs from the front. Down he went headlong, struggling furiously
and shouting for aid, until Edgar grasped him by the throat and choked
the sound with a grip of iron. Meanwhile the man who had borne the
torch lay without a movement. His forehead had struck the flagstones
with a force that had rendered him unconscious.
"Tear me some strips from yon rugs," cried Edgar in a minute or two,
when Duprez, half-choked and fully mastered, had begun to relax his
struggles. "Take this dagger--quick!"
Peter drew the dagger from its sheath, and in a few seconds had slit off
some strips of hide from the rough sheepskin rugs. With these Edgar
bound Duprez's arms securely behind his back. The other man was then
trussed in similar fashion, though, so far, he had shown no sign of
returning consciousness.
"Peter," continued Edgar with breathless energy as soon as their jailers
were secure, "place the torch upright against the wall and bend all
thine energies to ridding thyself and me of our shackles. We have two
swords and a dagger. That should be sufficient for an armourer's
assistant. Get quickly to work, or it will be too late. Be silent if
thou canst."
He then turned to Duprez.
"Dost wish to live, scoundrel?" he said sternly. "Thou knowest as
certainly as we do that our lives are forfeit if taken--dost then think
we are likely to spare thee? What dost bid for thy life?"
"What want ye?" gasped Duprez, whose face was livid and full of fear as
the wild shackled figure stooped over him, grasping a dagger snatched
from the belt of the other man.
"A few words--no more. But they may spell life to thee."
"Ask."
"Where is Sir John Chartris?"
"The other prisoner--the man who came a week agone?"
"Yes, a man of knightly bearing, aged some forty years."
"He is in this donjon, in a room near Sir Eustace. He was in one of
these cells but a few hours since."
"What! Was his, then, the voice we heard? You have tortured him,
inhuman monsters!" and Edgar, in his anger, thrust the point of the
dagger so close to Duprez's neck that the man winced with fear.
"Nay, nay, good sir, we have tortured him not. He contracted a fever two
days after he came, and is wild with delirium. Sir Eustace feared to
lose him if he kept him in these dungeons, and had him taken to a room
halfway up the keep."
"Ah! Tell me how I may reach this room."
Sullenly the man obeyed.
"These keys at thy belt. Which is the key of Sir John's room?"
Again the man gave the information desired, and Edgar, satisfied that he
had obtained all that he required, stripped him of his cloak and then
gagged him effectively with pieces torn from the rugs. In his elation
he could have shouted for joy. Sir John was ill, but if all went well
before another hour had gone he would at least be free.
By this time Peter had rid himself of one of his shackles and the other
was nearly shorn through. The shackles, though thick and heavy, were
soft and rusty, and were an easy problem to an armourer's assistant in
possession of well-tempered swords and a dagger. In a few more minutes
he was free to attack Edgar's bonds in their turn. Soon he also could
stretch his limbs in freedom.
"Well done, Peter! Now strip that man of his cloak and put it on. Gird
on sword and dagger, roll up the rugs, and let us be off. Sir Eustace
is awaiting us, and unless we act at once our chance will be lost for
ever."
"'Tis so, Master Edgar. We have indeed little time to lose. If Sir
Eustace waxeth impatient, he may send other men to look for the first."
"Yes, 'tis unfortunate that it was to fetch us to Sir Eustace that
Duprez came; but that cannot be helped, and at least 'tis night, and the
greater part of the castle inmates will be asleep. In these cloaks we
shall be able to pass along unmolested, if so be we can avoid Black
Eustace whilst bringing out Sir John."
Taking up the torch, Edgar left the grim cell, closely followed by
Peter, and shut the door behind him. They were free for the
moment--free until Sir Eustace grew impatient at the tardy return of his
messengers and set out to enquire the reason.
As rapidly as possible the two young men traversed the ghostly
underground passages and ascended a narrow winding staircase of stone
towards the room in which Duprez had said Sir John was now lodged. It
was found without difficulty, for, to their horror, as they neared the
spot they heard the selfsame cries that had so startled them before. It
seemed that Duprez had spoken truly, and as he reached the door it was
with a trembling hand that Edgar thrust the key into the lock.
The room was in darkness, but by the light of the torch held on high he
saw Sir John. He was alone, but on a table near by were food and drink,
which seemed to have been placed there not long since. The knight lay
on a couch fully clothed, and was staring straight up at the ceiling,
tossing his arms and shouting. At the noise of Edgar's entry and the
light of the torch, he ceased for a moment, and, lifting his head,
stared at the newcomers with eyes that seemed to search without the
power of thought. Then his head fell back, and he resumed his wild
shouting and tossing.
"Thou shalt see, false knight--think'st to bend to thy will a true
knight of England? Infamous proposals! Worthy Gervaise de Maupas and
grim Eustace of Ruthenes! The earl shall know--at last I tell thee--the
time will come."
"Sir John, Sir John," cried Edgar breathlessly, "we are come to set thee
free! Canst bear to be lifted, my lord?"
"Hark, I hear the tramp of men! From the woods and mountains--they
come--black knight of Ruthenes. They come to avenge--dreadful deeds.
Full reparation shall they exact----"
"Be silent, I beseech thee, Sir John!" cried Edgar in desperation, as he
realized how fearfully difficult would be the task of conveying the sick
knight from out the castle did he persist in his wild cries. Then he
placed his arm round him soothingly and tried to still his restless
tossings, talking quietly to him the while. "See, now, Sir John, we are
going to take thee to the lady Gertrude. She shall tend thee. Keep
thee still and all shall be well. Talk not so, dear Sir John, but rest
thy head on my shoulder. Soon shall we be out of this fearsome castle
and breathe freely the open air of heaven." Then in an urgent whisper
he went on: "Come, Peter, there is not an instant to be lost. He is
quieting. Wrap those rugs around him and take him gently by the legs.
I will bear his head and shoulders."
For the moment the knight's cries sank into indistinct murmurs. He
seemed to feel that friends at last were around him, and to be content
to resign himself quietly into their hands.
"Whither shall I lead?" whispered Peter, as he opened the door and
prepared to issue forth.
"Boldly down the stairs, which should be at the end of the passage.
They lead to the main door into the courtyard. If any see us 'twill be
Duprez and his man conveying the sick prisoner to another chamber. If
any seek to know more we must silence them, and then on."
"Dare we ascend the walls with Sir John in such sore plight, Master
Edgar?"
"Nay, 'tis to the drawbridge we must go. We cannot lower a sick man
from the walls into the castle moat. We must surprise the sentinel at
the gates, and lower away before the alarm is sounded. If only Sir John
will keep as quiet as he is now, we may count upon taking the guard
unawares. He will doubtless be facing outwards to the foe, and not
inwards to the silent courtyard."
Leaving their torch behind them, the two young men crept slowly and
silently along the passage with their burden. Halfway along they turned
a corner and came full upon a door which stood half-open close by.
Light streamed forth, and inside they could hear the regular thud of
ironclad heels as a man paced slowly up and down.
Somehow the sound seemed to excite the sick knight they were bearing
beyond endurance. Springing suddenly half out of their arms, he cried
with tremendous energy:
"To-morrow--in the lists--shalt thou answer for thy crimes, Gervaise de
Maupas. At the point of lance or sword--will I prove thy baseness.
_Laissez aller_! On! on! Good steed--stout lance--do thy devoir. Hah!
De Maupas, thou art down--yield thee----"
"What have we here?" came in a voice of thunder from the room, and the
door was flung wide open by a hand rough and strong. In the doorway,
standing out clearly against the light, appeared the short, thick figure
of Eustace de Brin, clad from head to foot in dull black armour.
"Back, Peter, back!" whispered Edgar in a voice of desperation. "Carry
Sir John, and return the way we came. I must defend the rear against
this wolf of Ruthenes. Be rapid, on thy life and ours!"
Relinquishing his share of the burden to his companion, Edgar drew his
sword and prepared to defend himself against the attack he knew must
come from Sir Eustace. For a moment, however, the latter could see
nothing save shadowy figures hovering in the gloom. Sir John had again
fallen silent, as though exhausted by his furious outburst.
"Is that thee, Duprez? Art come at last, ye tardy rascal? And what was
yon shouting? It sounded like the voice of the mad knight, Chartris.
Speak, man! hast lost thy voice?"
Receiving no answer, the speaker, with an angry threat, plunged back
into his room, and, plucking a torch from the wall, sprang out into the
passage, sword in hand.
Edgar instantly attacked him. Aiming at the torch held on high, he
severed it in twain at the first blow. The lighted end dropped down
upon the black knight's chest, and from thence to the floor in front of
him. Lunging forward to the attack once more, Edgar set his foot upon
it and plunged the passage in total darkness, while his sword rattled
vengefully against Sir Eustace's harness.
With a cry of impotent fury Sir Eustace sprang back into the room he had
left. In the light of the falling torch he had recognized in his
adversary the esquire whom he had imprisoned and for whom he was even at
that moment impatiently waiting. He had come, indeed, but scarcely in
the manner he had expected.
"Thou art mine still!" he shouted madly over his shoulder. "Dearly
shalt thou pay for thine insolence!"
Freed for the moment, Edgar turned and sped down the passage as fast as
the pitchy darkness would allow. But before he had caught up Peter the
quick sharp clang of the alarm bell of the castle rang out with
insistent clangour upon the stillness of the night. Instantly shouts
and cries arose from all sides as the Ruthenes household and garrison
sprang excitedly from their beds. Sir Eustace had lost no time in
summoning the castle to arms, and to all appearances Edgar and his
companions were caught in the iron jaws of a trap.
"We are lost, Master Edgar," cried Peter despairingly, as Edgar caught
him up at the head of the winding staircase which, led downward to the
dungeons they had left. "The alarm is sounded, and 'tis impossible that
we can escape in face of the castle garrison."
"Courage, Peter!" cried Edgar. "Let me aid thee with Sir John. There
is still a slender thread of hope left to us, and we must follow it."
"But why to our dungeons? Dost desire only to sell our lives as dearly
as possible?"
"Nay, Peter. Dost not remember that just before we parted from the
priest he spoke of a legend among his folk which told of the existence
of an underground passage leading from out the castle? As we came from
our dungeon a while since, didst not note the flight of stone steps that
plunged yet deeper into the bowels of the earth? Our only chance is
that the legend is true, and I feel a mighty hope that 'tis so. Onward,
lad, onward!"
"But surely there will be gates to either end which we must pass?"
"We have Duprez's keys, and by God's will they will open all doors.
Press on! Already I hear the tramp of men along the passages above.
See, 'tis the glint of torches in the distance. We are but a minute
ahead of despair."
As he spoke they reached level ground at the foot of the winding stairs,
and at the entrance to the passage which led into the labyrinth of
dungeons. Feeling about, Edgar found the stone steps which he had
noticed as he passed, and which at the time had made him wonder
momentarily whither they could lead, yet deeper into the earth. Groping
and stumbling, the two lads found their way to the bottom with their
burden. As they had half-expected, they found farther progress barred
by a massive iron-studded door.
Groping down the side, Edgar found a keyhole and inserted a key. It did
not fit. Another and another he tried with feverish impatience. The
sound of voices and approaching footsteps every moment grew in volume.
The search party was already at the foot of the winding staircase, and
entering the passage to the dungeons. The light of the torches they
carried grew until Edgar could dimly make out the outline of the door
which alone, for the moment, stood between them and safety.
Another key--and with a sigh of relief Edgar felt it sink into the lock.
A turn with all his strength, and the rusty wards slowly and gratingly
yielded. At the very moment when the pursuers reached the head of the
stairs above them the door slowly opened, letting out a waft of dank,
earthy air that even in their extremity gave them pause. Pitchy foul
blackness stretched before them, but behind were the savage retainers of
the black knight of Ruthenes.
Suddenly a torch was flung down the narrow flight of steps. Doubtless
someone among the searchers above had heard a noise, or suspected that
the darkness below perhaps hid the fugitives they sought. The torch
fell upon the bottom steps and blazed up, revealing as with the light of
day the three crouching figures. There was a wild, irregular shout of
surprise and exultation from the men above.
*[Illustration: THE TORCH FELL UPON THE BOTTOM STEPS,
REVEALING THE THREE CROUCHING FIGURES.
(missing from book)]*
"Onward with Sir John, Peter!" cried Edgar, as he once more turned back,
sword in hand, to hold the rear. As he did so a sudden thought struck
him. Darting forward, he snatched up the blazing torch, sprang back
through the doorway, and, dropping his sword, heaved at the door with
all his strength. With a dull thud it swung to, shutting out all sight
of their pursuers and deadening to a murmur the shout of fury that went
up as Sir Eustace and his men saw further pursuit for the time
hopelessly blocked.
"Back to the drawbridge!" cried Sir Eustace, almost beside himself with
rage. "Pounce upon them as they emerge at the other end." Then,
realizing that the secret of the underground passage would be at an end
did the garrison sally out indiscriminately, he gulped down his anger,
and commanded: "Nay, watch yon door lest the rascals return. Sir
Gervaise, and you, Duprez, and Manton, follow me across the drawbridge!"
* * * * *
By the light of the captured torch, Edgar and Peter made rapid progress
along the underground passage. The air was so foul and noisome that
even the torch burned dim, but their lives were in such jeopardy that
they had no thought but to press on. The passage was cut straight
through the earth, and was lined with stone. It seemed of great age.
Big clumps of fungi studded the walls, and water stood in pools at their
feet. Though in reality but a few minutes, it seemed an age before they
reached another door, which they guessed marked the farther end of the
tunnel. Once through this they doubted not that they would be safely
out of the castle.
Edgar rapidly tried the keys until he found the one to fit. Again the
lock turned, though slowly and unwillingly, as though it had been years
since any had passed that way, and through the door they staggered,
gasping. The air was comparatively fresh on the other side, and above
their heads, in a tiny patch, they could see the stars. Holding up the
torch, Edgar saw a row of ladder-like steps leading straight upwards.
By the side of the steps a heavy iron chain hung down. Sending Peter up
in advance, Edgar took Sir John, laid him over his shoulder, and
grasping the chain with both hands, clambered painfully up. As he
reached the top of what seemed like a wooden chimney, he heard a dull
rattle and roar in the distance.
"'Tis the drawbridge, Peter," he cried. "Where are we now?"
"At the top of the trunk of a hollow tree, Master Edgar. We are in the
woods."
"Hold Sir John while I clamber down. Then lower him down to me, and, if
I cannot reach him, let him drop. There is no time to think of a better
plan."
Ere their pursuers had reached the edge of the woods Sir John had been
safely lowered into Edgar's arms, and Peter, in his turn, had
successfully clambered down. Bearing their burden between them, the two
lads moved quietly away among the trees. Fortunately for them, Sir John
had fallen quite silent and lay inert, as though in his weak state the
foul air of the tunnel had overcome him. Their escape was effected just
in time, for their pursuers were only a few yards away, their presence
betrayed by their angry mutterings.
"Surround the tree!" they heard Sir Eustace order. "They can scarcely
be out so soon, bearing a sick man. Keep in the shadow of the
undergrowth, and fall upon them unawares. They are still ours to crush,
how and when we will."
Filled with a thankfulness too great for words at having safely escaped
from a dreadful fate, Edgar and Peter moved softly away until they could
feel that they were safe. Then they sank upon the ground, overcome by
an exhaustion that their imminent peril had not allowed them to heed
until safety was assured.
*CHAPTER XV*
*Ill News at Bordeaux*