'And here, twenty-five miles to the east, is Almeixal, celebrated for
its vintages and for its enormous Abbey.'
Again I nodded; I could not think what was coming.
'Have you heard of the Marshal Millefleurs?' asked Massena.
'I have served with all the Marshals,' said I, 'but there is none of
that name.'
'It is but the nickname which the soldiers have given him,' said
Massena. 'If you had not been away from us for some months, it would not
be necessary for me to tell you about him. He is an Englishman, and a
man of good breeding. It is on account of his manners that they have
given him his title. I wish you to go to this polite Englishman at
Almeixal.'
'Yes, Marshal.'
'And to hang him to the nearest tree.'
'Certainly, Marshal.'
I turned briskly upon my heels, but Massena recalled me before I could
reach the opening of his tent.
'One moment, Colonel,' said he; 'you had best learn how matters stand
before you start. You must know, then, that this Marshal Millefleurs,
whose real name is Alexis Morgan, is a man of very great ingenuity and
bravery. He was an officer in the English Guards, but having been broken
for cheating at cards, he left the army. In some manner he gathered a
number of English deserters round him and took to the mountains. French
stragglers and Portuguese brigands joined him, and he found himself at
the head of five hundred men. With these he took possession of the
Abbey of Almeixal, sent the monks about their business, fortified the
place, and gathered in the plunder of all the country round.'
'For which it is high time he was hanged,' said I, making once more for
the door.
'One instant!' cried the Marshal, smiling at my impatience. 'The worst
remains behind. Only last week the Dowager Countess of La Ronda, the
richest woman in Spain, was taken by these ruffians in the passes as she
was journeying from King Joseph's Court to visit her grandson. She is
now a prisoner in the Abbey, and is only protected by her----'
'Grandmotherhood,' I suggested.
'Her power of paying a ransom,' said Massena. 'You have three missions,
then: To rescue this unfortunate lady; to punish this villain; and, if
possible, to break up this nest of brigands. It will be a proof of the
confidence which I have in you when I say that I can only spare you half
a squadron with which to accomplish all this.'
My word, I could hardly believe my ears! I thought that I should have
had my regiment at the least.
'I would give you more,' said he, 'but I commence my retreat today, and
Wellington is so strong in horse that every trooper becomes of
importance. I cannot spare you another man. You will see what you can
do, and you will report yourself to me at Abrantes not later than
tomorrow night.'
It was very complimentary that he should rate my powers so high, but it
was also a little embarrassing. I was to rescue an old lady, to hang an
Englishman, and to break up a band of five hundred assassins--all with
fifty men. But after all, the fifty men were Hussars of Conflans, and
they had an Etienne Gerard to lead them. As I came out into the warm
Portuguese sunshine my confidence had returned to me, and I had already
begun to wonder whether the medal which I had so often deserved might
not be waiting for me at Almeixal.
You may be sure that I did not take my fifty men at hap-hazard. They
were all old soldiers of the German wars, some of them with three
stripes, and most of them with two. Oudet and Papilette, two of the best
sub-officers in the regiment, were at their head. When I had them formed
up in fours, all in silver grey and upon chestnut horses, with their
leopard skin shabracks and their little red panaches, my heart beat high
at the sight. I could not look at their weather-stained faces, with the
great moustaches which bristled over their chin-straps, without feeling
a glow of confidence, and, between ourselves, I have no doubt that that
was exactly how they felt when they saw their young Colonel on his great
black war-horse riding at their head.
Well, when we got free of the camp and over the Tagus, I threw out my
advance and my flankers, keeping my own place at the head of the main
body. Looking back from the hills above Santarem, we could see the dark
lines of Massena's army, with the flash and twinkle of the sabres and
bayonets as he moved his regiments into position for their retreat. To
the south lay the scattered red patches of the English outposts, and
behind the grey smoke-cloud which rose from Wellington's camp--thick,
oily smoke, which seemed to our poor starving fellows to bear with it
the rich smell of seething camp-kettles. Away to the west lay a curve of
blue sea flecked with the white sails of the English ships.
You will understand that as we were riding to the east, our road lay
away from both armies. Our own marauders, however, and the scouting
parties of the English, covered the country, and it was necessary with
my small troop that I should take every precaution. During the whole day
we rode over desolate hill-sides, the lower portions covered by the
budding vines, but the upper turning from green to grey, and jagged
along the skyline like the back of a starved horse. Mountain streams
crossed our path, running west to the Tagus, and once we came to a deep,
strong river, which might have checked us had I not found the ford by
observing where houses had been built opposite each other upon either
bank. Between them, as every scout should know, you will find your ford.
There was none to give us information, for neither man nor beast, nor
any living thing except great clouds of crows, was to be seen during our
journey.
The sun was beginning to sink when we came to a valley clear in the
centre, but shrouded by huge oak trees upon either side. We could not be
more than a few miles from Almeixal, so it seemed to me to be best to
keep among the groves, for the spring had been an early one and the
leaves were already thick enough to conceal us. We were riding then in
open order among the great trunks, when one of my flankers came
galloping up.
'There are English across the valley, Colonel,' he cried, as he saluted.
'Cavalry or infantry?'
'Dragoons, Colonel,' said he; 'I saw the gleam of their helmets, and
heard the neigh of a horse.'
Halting my men I hastened to the edge of the wood. There could be no
doubt about it. A party of English cavalry was travelling in a line with
us, and in the same direction. I caught a glimpse of their red coats and
of their flashing arms glowing and twinkling among the tree-trunks.
Once, as they passed through a small clearing, I could see their whole
force, and I judged that they were of about the same strength as my
own--a half squadron at the most.
You who have heard some of my little adventures will give me credit for
being quick in my decisions, and prompt in carrying them out. But here I
must confess that I was in two minds. On the one hand there was the
chance of a fine cavalry skirmish with the English. On the other hand,
there was my mission at the Abbey of Almeixal, which seemed already to
be so much above my power. If I were to lose any of my men, it was
certain that I should be unable to carry out my orders. I was sitting
my horse, with my chin in my gauntlet, looking across at the rippling
gleams of light from the further wood, when suddenly one of these
red-coated Englishmen rode out from the cover, pointing at me and
breaking into a shrill whoop and halloa as if I had been a fox. Three
others joined him, and one who was a bugler sounded a call, which
brought the whole of them into the open. They were, as I had thought, a
half squadron, and they formed a double line with a front of
twenty-five, their officer--the one who had whooped at me--at their
head.
For my own part, I had instantly brought my own troopers into the same
formation, so that there we were, hussars and dragoons, with only two
hundred yards of grassy sward between us. They carried themselves well,
those red-coated troopers, with their silver helmets, their high white
plumes, and their long, gleaming swords; while, on the other hand, I am
sure that they would acknowledge that they had never looked upon finer
light horsemen than the fifty hussars of Conflans who were facing them.
They were heavier, it is true, and they may have seemed the smarter, for
Wellington used to make them burnish their metal work, which was not
usual among us. On the other hand, it is well known that the English
tunics were too tight for the sword-arm, which gave our men an
advantage. As to bravery, foolish, inexperienced people of every nation
always think that their own soldiers are braver than any others. There
is no nation in the world which does not entertain this idea. But when
one has seen as much as I have done, one understands that there is no
very marked difference, and that although nations differ very much in
discipline, they are all equally brave--except that the French have
rather more courage than the rest.
Well, the cork was drawn and the glasses ready, when suddenly the
English officer raised his sword to me as if in a challenge, and
cantered his horse across the grassland. My word, there is no finer
sight upon earth than that of a gallant man upon a gallant steed! I
could have halted there just to watch him as he came with such careless
grace, his sabre down by his horse's shoulder, his head thrown back, his
white plume tossing--youth and strength and courage, with the violet
evening sky above and the oak trees behind. But it was not for me to
stand and stare. Etienne Gerard may have his faults, but, my faith, he
was never accused of being backward in taking his own part. The old
horse, Rataplan, knew me so well that he had started off before ever I
gave the first shake to the bridle.
There are two things in this world that I am very slow to forget: the
face of a pretty woman, and the legs of a fine horse. Well, as we drew
together, I kept on saying, 'Where have I seen those great roan
shoulders? Where have I seen that dainty fetlock?' Then suddenly I
remembered, and as I looked up at the reckless eyes and the challenging
smile, whom should I recognize but the man who had saved me from the
brigands and played me for my freedom--he whose correct title was Milor
the Hon. Sir Russell Bart!
'Bart!' I shouted.
He had his arm raised for a cut, and three parts of his body open to my
point, for he did not know very much about the use of the sword. As I
brought my hilt to the salute he dropped his hand and stared at me.
'Halloa!' said he. 'It's Gerard!' You would have thought by his manner
that I had met him by appointment. For my own part, I would have
embraced him had he but come an inch of the way to meet me.
'I thought we were in for some sport,' said he. 'I never dreamed that it
was you.'
I found this tone of disappointment somewhat irritating. Instead of
being glad at having met a friend, he was sorry at having missed an
enemy.
'I should have been happy to join in your sport, my dear Bart,' said I.
'But I really cannot turn my sword upon a man who saved my life.'
'Tut, never mind about that.'
'No, it is impossible. I should never forgive myself.'
'You make too much of a trifle.'
'My mother's one desire is to embrace you. If ever you should be in
Gascony----'
'Lord Wellington is coming there with 60,000 men.'
'Then one of them will have a chance of surviving,' said I, laughing.
'In the meantime, put your sword in your sheath!'
Our horses were standing head to tail, and the Bart put out his hand and
patted me on the thigh.
'You're a good chap, Gerard,' said he. 'I only wish you had been born on
the right side of the Channel.'
'I was,' said I.
'Poor devil!' he cried, with such an earnestness of pity that he set me
laughing again. 'But look here, Gerard,' he continued; 'this is all very
well, but it is not business, you know. I don't know what Massena would
say to it, but our Chief would jump out of his riding-boots if he saw
us. We weren't sent out here for a picnic--either of us.'
'What would you have?'
'Well, we had a little argument about our hussars and dragoons, if you
remember. I've got fifty of the Sixteenth all chewing their carbine
bullets behind me. You've got as many fine-looking boys over yonder, who
seem to be fidgeting in their saddles. If you and I took the right
flanks we should not spoil each other's beauty--though a little
blood-letting is a friendly thing in this climate.'
There seemed to me to be a good deal of sense in what he said. For the
moment Mr Alexis Morgan and the Countess of La Ronda and the Abbey of
Almeixal went right out of my head, and I could only think of the fine
level turf and of the beautiful skirmish which we might have.
'Very good, Bart,' said I. 'We have seen the front of your dragoons. We
shall now have a look at their backs.'
'Any betting?' he asked.
'The stake,' said I, 'is nothing less than the honour of the Hussars of
Conflans.'
'Well, come on!' he answered. 'If we break you, well and good--if you
break us, it will be all the better for Marshal Millefleurs.'
When he said that I could only stare at him in astonishment.
'Why for Marshal Millefleurs?' I asked.
'It is the name of a rascal who lives out this way. My dragoons have
been sent by Lord Wellington to see him safely hanged.'
'Name of a name!' I cried. 'Why, my hussars have been sent by Massena
for that very object.'
We burst out laughing at that, and sheathed our swords. There was a
whirr of steel from behind us as our troopers followed our example.
'We are allies!' he cried.
'For a day.'
'We must join forces.'
'There is no doubt of it.'
And so, instead of fighting, we wheeled our half squadrons round and
moved in two little columns down the valley, the shakos and the helmets
turned inwards, and the men looking their neighbours up and down, like
old fighting dogs with tattered ears who have learned to respect each
other's teeth. The most were on the broad grin, but there were some on
either side who looked black and challenging, especially the English
sergeant and my own sub-officer Papilette. They were men of habit, you
see, who could not change all their ways of thinking in a moment.
Besides, Papilette had lost his only brother at Busaco. As for the Bart
and me, we rode together at the head and chatted about all that had
occurred to us since that famous game of écarté of which I have told
you.
For my own part, I spoke to him of my adventures in England. They are a
very singular people, these English. Although he knew that I had been
engaged in twelve campaigns, yet I am sure that the Bart thought more
highly of me because I had had an affair with the Bristol Bustler. He
told me, too, that the Colonel who presided over his court-martial for
playing cards with a prisoner acquitted him of neglect of duty, but
nearly broke him because he thought that he had not cleared his trumps
before leading his suit. Yes, indeed, they are a singular people.
At the end of the valley the road curved over some rising ground before
winding down into another wider valley beyond. We called a halt when we
came to the top; for there, right in front of us, at the distance of
about three miles, was a scattered, grey town, with a single enormous
building upon the flank of the mountain which overlooked it. We could
not doubt that we were at last in sight of the Abbey that held the gang
of rascals whom we had come to disperse. It was only now, I think, that
we fully understood what a task lay in front of us, for the place was a
veritable fortress, and it was evident that cavalry should never have
been sent out upon such an errand.
'That's got nothing to do with us,' said the Bart; 'Wellington and
Massena can settle that between them.'
'Courage!' I answered. 'Piré took Leipzig with fifty hussars.'
'Had they been dragoons,' said the Bart, laughing, 'he would have had
Berlin. But you are senior officer; give us a lead, and we'll see who
will be the first to flinch.'
'Well,' said I, 'whatever we do must be done at once, for my orders are
to be on my way to Abrantes by tomorrow night. But we must have some
information first, and here is someone who should be able to give it to
us.'
There was a square, whitewashed house standing by the roadside, which
appeared, from the bush hanging over the door, to be one of those
wayside tabernas which are provided for the muleteers. A lantern was
hung in the porch, and by its light we saw two men, the one in the brown
habit of a Capuchin monk, and the other girt with an apron, which showed
him to be the landlord. They were conversing together so earnestly that
we were upon them before they were aware of us. The innkeeper turned to
fly, but one of the Englishmen seized him by the hair, and held him
tight.
'For mercy's sake, spare me,' he yelled. 'My house has been gutted by
the French and harried by the English, and my feet have been burned by
the brigands. I swear by the Virgin that I have neither money nor food
in my inn, and the good Father Abbot, who is starving upon my doorstep,
will be witness to it.'
'Indeed, sir,' said the Capuchin, in excellent French, 'what this worthy
man says is very true. He is one of the many victims to these cruel
wars, although his loss is but a feather-weight compared to mine. Let
him go,' he added, in English, to the trooper, 'he is too weak to fly,
even if he desired to.'
In the light of the lantern I saw that this monk was a magnificent man,
dark and bearded, with the eyes of a hawk, and so tall that his cowl
came up to Rataplan's ears. He wore the look of one who had been through
much suffering, but he carried himself like a king, and we could form
some opinion of his learning when we each heard him talk our own
language as fluently as if he were born to it.
'You have nothing to fear,' said I, to the trembling innkeeper. 'As to
you, father, you are, if I am not mistaken, the very man who can give us
the information which we require.'
'All that I have is at your service, my son. But,' he added, with a wan
smile, 'my Lenten fare is always somewhat meagre, and this year it has
been such that I must ask you for a crust of bread if I am to have the
strength to answer your questions.'
We bore two days' rations in our haversacks, so that he soon had the
little he asked for. It was dreadful to see the wolfish way in which he
seized the piece of dried goat's flesh which I was able to offer him.
'Time presses, and we must come to the point,' said I. 'We want your
advice as to the weak points of yonder Abbey, and concerning the habits
of the rascals who infest it.'
He cried out something which I took to be Latin, with his hands clasped
and his eyes upturned. 'The prayer of the just availeth much,' said he,
'and yet I had not dared to hope that mine would have been so speedily
answered. In me you see the unfortunate Abbot of Almeixal, who has been
cast out by this rabble of three armies with their heretical leader. Oh!
to think of what I have lost!' his voice broke, and the tears hung upon
his lashes.
'Cheer up, sir,' said the Bart. 'I'll lay nine to four that we have you
back again by tomorrow night.'
'It is not of my own welfare that I think,' said he, 'nor even of that of
my poor, scattered flock. But it is of the holy relics which are left in
the sacrilegious hands of these robbers.'
'It's even betting whether they would ever bother their heads about
them,' said the Bart. 'But show us the way inside the gates, and we'll
soon clear the place out for you.'
In a few short words the good Abbot gave us the very points that we
wished to know. But all that he said only made our task more formidable.
The walls of the Abbey were forty feet high. The lower windows were
barricaded, and the whole building loopholed for musketry fire. The gang
preserved military discipline, and their sentries were too numerous for
us to hope to take them by surprise. It was more than ever evident that
a battalion of grenadiers and a couple of breaching pieces were what was
needed. I raised my eyebrows, and the Bart began to whistle.
'We must have a shot at it, come what may,' said he.
The men had already dismounted, and, having watered their horses, were
eating their suppers. For my own part I went into the sitting-room of
the inn with the Abbot and the Bart, that we might talk about our plans.
I had a little cognac in my _sauve vie_, and I divided it among us--just
enough to wet our moustaches.
'It is unlikely,' said I, 'that those rascals know anything about our
coming. I have seen no signs of scouts along the road. My own plan is
that we should conceal ourselves in some neighbouring wood, and then,
when they open their gates, charge down upon them and take them by
surprise.'
The Bart was of opinion that this was the best that we could do, but,
when we came to talk it over, the Abbot made us see that there were
difficulties in the way.
'Save on the side of the town, there is no place within a mile of the
Abbey where you could shelter man or horse,' said he. 'As to the
townsfolk, they are not to be trusted. I fear, my son, that your
excellent plan would have little chance of success in the face of the
vigilant guard which these men keep.'
'I see no other way,' answered I. 'Hussars of Conflans are not so
plentiful that I can afford to run half a squadron of them against a
forty-foot wall with five hundred infantry behind it.'
'I am a man of peace,' said the Abbot, 'and yet I may, perhaps, give a
word of counsel. I know these villains and their ways. Who should do so
better, seeing that I have stayed for a month in this lonely spot,
looking down in weariness of heart at the Abbey which was my own? I will
tell you now what I should myself do if I were in your place.'
'Pray tell us, father,' we cried, both together.
'You must know that bodies of deserters, both French and English, are
continually coming in to them, carrying their weapons with them. Now,
what is there to prevent you and your men from pretending to be such a
body, and so making your way into the Abbey?'
I was amazed at the simplicity of the thing, and I embraced the good
Abbot. The Bart, however, had some objections to offer.
'That is all very well,' said he, 'but if these fellows are as sharp as
you say, it is not very likely that they are going to let a hundred
armed strangers into their crib. From all I have heard of Mr Morgan, or
Marshal Millefleurs, or whatever the rascal's name is, I give him credit
for more sense than that.'
'Well, then,' I cried, 'let us send fifty in, and let them at daybreak
throw open the gates to the other fifty, who will be waiting outside.'
We discussed the question at great length and with much foresight and
discretion. If it had been Massena and Wellington instead of two young
officers of light cavalry, we could not have weighed it all with more
judgment. At last we agreed, the Bart and I, that one of us should
indeed go with fifty men, under pretence of being deserters, and that in
the early morning he should gain command of the gate and admit the
others. The Abbot, it is true, was still of opinion that it was
dangerous to divide our force, but finding that we were both of the same
mind, he shrugged his shoulders and gave in.
'There is only one thing that I would ask,' said he. 'If you lay hands
upon this Marshal Millefleurs--this dog of a brigand--what will you do
with him?'
'Hang him,' I answered.
'It is too easy a death,' cried the Capuchin, with a vindictive glow in
his dark eyes. 'Had I my way with him--but, oh, what thoughts are these
for a servant of God to harbour!' He clapped his hands to his forehead
like one who is half demented by his troubles, and rushed out of the
room.
There was an important point which we had still to settle, and that was
whether the French or the English party should have the honour of
entering the Abbey first. My faith, it was asking a great deal of
Etienne Gerard that he should give place to any man at such a time! But
the poor Bart pleaded so hard, urging the few skirmishes which he had
seen against my four-and-seventy engagements, that at last I consented
that he should go. We had just clasped hands over the matter when there
broke out such a shouting and cursing and yelling from the front of the
inn, that out we rushed with our drawn sabres in our hands, convinced
that the brigands were upon us.
You may imagine our feelings when, by the light of the lantern which
hung from the porch, we saw a score of our hussars and dragoons all
mixed in one wild heap, red coats and blue, helmets and busbies,
pommelling each other to their hearts' content. We flung ourselves upon
them, imploring, threatening, tugging at a lace collar, or at a spurred
heel, until, at last, we had dragged them all apart. There they stood,
flushed and bleeding, glaring at each other, and all panting together
like a line of troop horses after a ten-mile chase. It was only with our
drawn swords that we could keep them from each other's throats. The poor
Capuchin stood in the porch in his long brown habit, wringing his hands
and calling upon all the saints for mercy.
He was, indeed, as I found upon inquiry, the innocent cause of all the
turmoil, for, not understanding how soldiers look upon such things, he
had made some remark to the English sergeant that it was a pity that his
squadron was not as good as the French. The words were not out of his
mouth before a dragoon knocked down the nearest hussar, and then, in a
moment, they all flew at each other like tigers. We would trust them no
more after that, but the Bart moved his men to the front of the inn, and
I mine to the back, the English all scowling and silent, and our fellows
shaking their fists and chattering, each after the fashion of their own
people.
Well, as our plans were made, we thought it best to carry them out at
once, lest some fresh cause of quarrel should break out between our
followers. The Bart and his men rode off, therefore, he having first
torn the lace from his sleeves, and the gorget and sash from his
uniform, so that he might pass as a simple trooper. He explained to his
men what it was that was expected of them, and though they did not raise
a cry or wave their weapons as mine might have done, there was an
expression upon their stolid and clean-shaven faces which filled me with
confidence. Their tunics were left unbuttoned, their scabbards and
helmets stained with dirt, and their harness badly fastened, so that
they might look the part of deserters, without order or discipline. At
six o'clock next morning they were to gain command of the main gate of
the Abbey, while at that same hour my hussars were to gallop up to it
from outside. The Bart and I pledged our words to it before he trotted
off with his detachment. My sergeant, Papilette, with two troopers,
followed the English at a distance, and returned in half an hour to say
that, after some parley, and the flashing of lanterns upon them from the
grille, they had been admitted into the Abbey.
So far, then, all had gone well. It was a cloudy night with a sprinkling
of rain, which was in our favour, as there was the less chance of our
presence being discovered. My vedettes I placed two hundred yards in
every direction, to guard against a surprise, and also to prevent any
peasant who might stumble upon us from carrying the news to the Abbey.
Oudin and Papilette were to take turns of duty, while the others with
their horses had snug quarters in a great wooden granary. Having walked
round and seen that all was as it should be, I flung myself upon the bed
which the innkeeper had set apart for me, and fell into a dreamless
sleep.
No doubt you have heard my name mentioned as being the beau-ideal of a
soldier, and that not only by friends and admirers like our
fellow-townsfolk, but also by old officers of the great wars who have
shared the fortunes of those famous campaigns with me. Truth and modesty
compel me to say, however, that this is not so. There are some gifts
which I lack--very few, no doubt--but, still, amid the vast armies of
the Emperor there may have been some who were free from those blemishes
which stood between me and perfection. Of bravery I say nothing. Those
who have seen me in the field are best fitted to speak about that. I
have often heard the soldiers discussing round the camp-fires as to who
was the bravest man in the Grand Army. Some said Murat, and some said
Lasalle, and some Ney; but for my own part, when they asked me, I merely
shrugged my shoulders and smiled. It would have seemed mere conceit if I
had answered that there was no man braver than Brigadier Gerard. At the
same time, facts are facts, and a man knows best what his own feelings
are. But there are other gifts besides bravery which are necessary for a
soldier, and one of them is that he should be a light sleeper. Now, from
my boyhood onwards, I have been hard to wake, and it was this which
brought me to ruin upon that night.
It may have been about two o'clock in the morning that I was suddenly
conscious of a feeling of suffocation. I tried to call out, but there
was something which prevented me from uttering a sound. I struggled to
rise, but I could only flounder like a hamstrung horse. I was strapped
at the ankles, strapped at the knees, and strapped again at the wrists.
Only my eyes were free to move, and there at the foot of my couch, by
the light of a Portuguese lamp, whom should I see but the Abbot and the
innkeeper!
The latter's heavy, white face had appeared to me when I looked upon it
the evening before to express nothing but stupidity and terror. Now, on
the contrary, every feature bespoke brutality and ferocity. Never have I
seen a more dreadful-looking villain. In his hand he held a long,
dull-coloured knife. The Abbot, on the other hand, was as polished and
as dignified as ever. His Capuchin gown had been thrown open, however,
and I saw beneath it a black, frogged coat, such as I have seen among
the English officers. As our eyes met he leaned over the wooden end of
the bed and laughed silently until it creaked again.
'You will, I am sure, excuse my mirth, my dear Colonel Gerard,' said he.
'The fact is, that the expression upon your face when you grasped the
situation was just a little funny. I have no doubt that you are an
excellent soldier, but I hardly think that you are fit to measure wits
with the Marshal Millefleurs, as your fellows have been good enough to
call me. You appear to have given me credit for singularly little
intelligence, which argues, if I may be allowed to say so, a want of
acuteness upon your own part. Indeed, with the single exception of my
thick-headed compatriot, the British dragoon, I have never met anyone
who was less competent to carry out such a mission.'
You can imagine how I felt and how I looked, as I listened to this
insolent harangue, which was all delivered in that flowery and
condescending manner which had gained this rascal his nickname. I could
say nothing, but they must have read my threat in my eyes, for the
fellow who had played the part of the innkeeper whispered something to
his companion.
'No, no, my dear Chenier, he will be infinitely more valuable alive,'
said he. 'By the way, Colonel, it is just as well that you are a sound
sleeper, for my friend here, who is a little rough in his ways, would
certainly have cut your throat if you had raised any alarm. I should
recommend you to keep in his good graces, for Sergeant Chenier, late of
the 7th Imperial Light Infantry, is a much more dangerous person than
Captain Alexis Morgan, of His Majesty's foot-guards.'
Chenier grinned and shook his knife at me, while I tried to look the
loathing which I felt at the thought that a soldier of the Emperor could
fall so low.
'It may amuse you to know,' said the Marshal, in that soft, suave voice
of his, 'that both your expeditions were watched from the time that you
left your respective camps. I think that you will allow that Chenier and
I played our parts with some subtlety. We had made every arrangement
for your reception at the Abbey, though we had hoped to receive the
whole squadron instead of half. When the gates are secured behind them,
our visitors will find themselves in a very charming little mediaeval
quadrangle, with no possible exit, commanded by musketry fire from a
hundred windows. They may choose to be shot down; or they may choose to
surrender. Between ourselves, I have not the slightest doubt that they
have been wise enough to do the latter. But since you are naturally
interested in the matter, we thought that you would care to come with us
and to see for yourself. I think I can promise you that you will find
your titled friend waiting for you at the Abbey with a face as long as
your own.'
The two villains began whispering together, debating, as far as I could
hear, which was the best way of avoiding my vedettes.
'I will make sure that it is all clear upon the other side of the barn,'
said the Marshal at last. 'You will stay here, my good Chenier, and if
the prisoner gives any trouble you will know what to do.'
So we were left together, this murderous renegade and I--he sitting at
the end of the bed, sharpening his knife upon his boot in the light of
the single smoky little oil-lamp. As to me, I only wonder now, as I look
back upon it, that I did not go mad with vexation and self-reproach as I
lay helplessly upon the couch, unable to utter a word or move a finger,
with the knowledge that my fifty gallant lads were so close to me, and
yet with no means of letting them know the straits to which I was
reduced. It was no new thing for me to be a prisoner; but to be taken by
these renegades, and to be led into their Abbey in the midst of their
jeers, befooled and out-witted by their insolent leaders--that was
indeed more than I could endure. The knife of the butcher beside me
would cut less deeply than that.
I twitched softly at my wrists, and then at my ankles, but whichever of
the two had secured me was no bungler at his work. I could not move
either of them an inch. Then I tried to work the handkerchief down over
my mouth, but the ruffian beside me raised his knife with such a
threatening snarl that I had to desist. I was lying still looking at his
bull neck, and wondering whether it would ever be my good fortune to fit
it for a cravat, when I heard returning steps coming down the inn
passage and up the stair. What word would the villain bring back? If he
found it impossible to kidnap me, he would probably murder me where I
lay. For my own part, I was indifferent which it might be, and I looked
at the doorway with the contempt and defiance which I longed to put into
words. But you can imagine my feelings, my dear friends, when, instead
of the tall figure and dark, sneering face of the Capuchin, my eyes fell
upon the grey pelisse and huge moustaches of my good little sub-officer,
Papilette!
The French soldier of those days had seen too much to be ever taken by
surprise. His eyes had hardly rested upon my bound figure and the
sinister face beside me before he had seen how the matter lay.
'Sacred name of a dog!' he growled, and out flashed his great sabre.
Chenier sprang forward at him with his knife, and then, thinking better
of it, he darted back and stabbed frantically at my heart. For my own
part, I had hurled myself off the bed on the side opposite to him, and
the blade grazed my side before ripping its way through blanket and
sheet. An instant later I heard the thud of a heavy fall, and then
almost simultaneously a second object struck the floor--something
lighter but harder, which rolled under the bed. I will not horrify you
with details, my friends. Suffice it that Papilette was one of the
strongest swordsmen in the regiment, and that his sabre was heavy and
sharp. It left a red blotch upon my wrists and my ankles, as it cut the
thongs which bound me.
When I had thrown off my gag, the first use which I made of my lips was
to kiss the sergeant's scarred cheeks. The next was to ask him if all
was well with the command. Yes, they had had no alarms. Oudin had just
relieved him, and he had come to report. Had he seen the Abbot? No, he
had seen nothing of him. Then we must form a cordon and prevent his
escape. I was hurrying out to give the orders, when I heard a slow and
measured step enter the door below, and come creaking up the stairs.
Papilette understood it all in an instant. 'You are not to kill him,' I
whispered, and thrust him into the shadow on one side of the door; I
crouched on the other. Up he came, up and up, and every footfall seemed
to be upon my heart. The brown skirt of his gown was not over the
threshold before we were both on him, like two wolves on a buck. Down we
crashed, the three of us, he fighting like a tiger, and with such
amazing strength that he might have broken away from the two of us.
Thrice he got to his feet, and thrice we had him over again, until
Papilette made him feel that there was a point to his sabre. He had
sense enough then to know that the game was up, and to lie still while I
lashed him with the very cords which had been round my own limbs.
'There has been a fresh deal, my fine fellow,' said I, 'and you will
find that I have some of the trumps in _my_ hand this time.'
'Luck always comes to the aid of a fool,' he answered. 'Perhaps it is as
well, otherwise the world would fall too completely into the power of
the astute. So, you have killed Chenier, I see. He was an insubordinate
dog, and always smelt abominably of garlic. Might I trouble you to lay
me upon the bed? The floor of these Portuguese tabernas is hardly a
fitting couch for anyone who has prejudices in favour of cleanliness.'
I could not but admire the coolness of the man, and the way in which he
preserved the same insolent air of condescension in spite of this sudden
turning of the tables. I dispatched Papilette to summon a guard, whilst
I stood over our prisoner with my drawn sword, never taking my eyes off
him for an instant, for I must confess that I had conceived a great
respect for his audacity and resource.
'I trust,' said he, 'that your men will treat me in a becoming manner.'
'You will get your deserts--you may depend upon that.'
'I ask nothing more. You may not be aware of my exalted birth, but I am
so placed that I cannot name my father without treason, nor my mother
without a scandal. I cannot _claim_ Royal honours, but these things are
so much more graceful when they are conceded without a claim. The thongs
are cutting my skin. Might I beg you to loosen them?'
'You do not give me credit for much intelligence,' I remarked, repeating
his own words.
'_Touché_,' he cried, like a pinked fencer. 'But here come your men, so
it matters little whether you loosen them or not.'
I ordered the gown to be stripped from him and placed him under a strong
guard. Then, as morning was already breaking, I had to consider what my
next step was to be. The poor Bart and his Englishmen had fallen victims
to the deep scheme which might, had we adopted all the crafty
suggestions of our adviser, have ended in the capture of the whole
instead of the half of our force. I must extricate them if it were still
possible. Then there was the old lady, the Countess of La Ronda, to be
thought of. As to the Abbey, since its garrison was on the alert it was
hopeless to think of capturing that. All turned now upon the value which
they placed upon their leader. The game depended upon my playing that
one card. I will tell you how boldly and how skilfully I played it.
It was hardly light before my bugler blew the assembly, and out we
trotted on to the plain. My prisoner was placed on horseback in the very
centre of the troops. It chanced that there was a large tree just out of
musket-shot from the main gate of the Abbey, and under this we halted.
Had they opened the great doors in order to attack us, I should have
charged home upon them; but, as I had expected, they stood upon the
defensive, lining the long wall and pouring down a torrent of hootings
and taunts and derisive laughter upon us. A few fired their muskets, but
finding that we were out of reach they soon ceased to waste their
powder. It was the strangest sight to see that mixture of uniforms,
French, English, and Portuguese, cavalry, infantry, and artillery, all
wagging their heads and shaking their fists at us.
My word, their hubbub soon died away when we opened our ranks, and
showed whom we had got in the midst of us! There was silence for a few
seconds, and then such a howl of rage and grief! I could see some of
them dancing like mad-men upon the wall. He must have been a singular
person, this prisoner of ours, to have gained the affection of such a
gang.
I had brought a rope from the inn, and we slung it over the lower bough
of the tree.
'You will permit me, monsieur, to undo your collar,' said Papilette,
with mock politeness.
'If your hands are perfectly clean,' answered our prisoner, and set the
whole half-squadron laughing.
There was another yell from the wall, followed by a profound hush as the
noose was tightened round Marshal Millefleurs' neck. Then came a shriek
from a bugle, the Abbey gates flew open, and three men rushed out waving
white cloths in their hands. Ah, how my heart bounded with joy at the
sight of them. And yet I would not advance an inch to meet them, so that
all the eagerness might seem to be upon their side. I allowed my
trumpeter, however, to wave a handkerchief in reply, upon which the
three envoys came running towards us. The Marshal, still pinioned, and
with the rope round his neck, sat his horse with a half smile, as one
who is slightly bored and yet strives out of courtesy not to show it.
If I were in such a situation I could not wish to carry myself better,
and surely I can say no more than that.
They were a singular trio, these ambassadors. The one was a Portuguese
caçadore in his dark uniform, the second a French chasseur in the
lightest green, and the third a big English artilleryman in blue and
gold. They saluted, all three, and the Frenchman did the talking.
'We have thirty-seven English dragoons in our hands,' said he. 'We give
you our most solemn oath that they shall all hang from the Abbey wall
within five minutes of the death of our Marshal.'
'Thirty-seven!' I cried. 'You have fifty-one.'
'Fourteen were cut down before they could be secured.'
'And the officer?'
'He would not surrender his sword save with his life. It was not our
fault. We would have saved him if we could.'
Alas for my poor Bart! I had met him but twice, and yet he was a man
very much after my heart. I have always had a regard for the English for
the sake of that one friend. A braver man and a worse swordsman I have
never met.
I did not, as you may think, take these rascals' word for anything.
Papilette was dispatched with one of them, and returned to say that it
was too true. I had now to think of the living.
'You will release the thirty-seven dragoons if I free your leader?'
'We will give you ten of them.'
'Up with him!' I cried.
'Twenty,' shouted the chasseur.
'No more words,' said I. 'Pull on the rope!'
'All of them,' cried the envoy, as the cord tightened round the
Marshal's neck.
'With horses and arms?'
They could see that I was not a man to jest with.
'All complete,' said the chasseur, sulkily.
'And the Countess of La Ronda as well?' said I.
But here I met with firmer opposition. No threats of mine could induce
them to give up the Countess. We tightened the cord. We moved the horse.
We did all but leave the Marshal suspended. If once I broke his neck the
dragoons were dead men. It was as precious to me as to them.
'Allow me to remark,' said the Marshal, blandly, 'that you are exposing
me to a risk of a quinsy. Do you not think, since there is a difference
of opinion upon this point, that it would be an excellent idea to
consult the lady herself? We would neither of us, I am sure, wish to
override her own inclinations.'
Nothing could be more satisfactory. You can imagine how quickly I
grasped at so simple a solution. In ten minutes she was before us, a
most stately dame, with her grey curls peeping out from under her
mantilla. Her face was as yellow as though it reflected the countless
doubloons of her treasury.
'This gentleman,' said the Marshal, 'is exceedingly anxious to convey
you to a place where you will never see us more. It is for you to decide
whether you would wish to go with him, or whether you prefer to remain
with me.'
She was at his horse's side in an instant. 'My own Alexis,' she cried,
'nothing can ever part us.'
He looked at me with a sneer upon his handsome face.
'By the way, you made a small slip of the tongue, my dear Colonel,' said
he. 'Except by courtesy, no such person exists as the Dowager Countess
of La Ronda. The lady whom I have the honour to present to you is my
very dear wife, Mrs Alexis Morgan--or shall I say Madame la Marèchale
Millefleurs?'
It was at this moment that I came to the conclusion that I was dealing
with the cleverest, and also the most unscrupulous, man whom I had ever
met. As I looked upon this unfortunate old woman my soul was filled with
wonder and disgust. As for her, her eyes were raised to his face with
such a look as a young recruit might give to the Emperor.
'So be it,' said I at last; 'give me the dragoons and let me go.'
They were brought out with their horses and weapons, and the rope was
taken from the Marshal's neck.
'Good-bye, my dear Colonel,' said he. 'I am afraid that you will have
rather a lame account to give of your mission, when you find your way
back to Massena, though, from all I hear, he will probably be too busy
to think of you. I am free to confess that you have extricated yourself
from your difficulties with greater ability than I had given you credit
for. I presume that there is nothing which I can do for you before you
go?'
'There is one thing.'
'And that is?'
'To give fitting burial to this young officer and his men.'
'I pledge my word to it.'
'And there is one other.'
'Name it.'
'To give me five minutes in the open with a sword in your hand and a
horse between your legs.'
'Tut, tut!' said he. 'I should either have to cut short your promising
career, or else to bid adieu to my own bonny bride. It is unreasonable
to ask such a request of a man in the first joys of matrimony.'