THE WOLVES OF THE MARK
The Hirschgasse is a little inn across the river, well known to the
wilder blades of Plassenburg. There they go to be outside the authority
of the city magistrates, to make rendezvous with maids more complaisant
than maidenly, to fight their duels, and generally to do those things
without remark which otherwise bring them under the eye of the Miller's
Son, as they one and all call (behind his back) the reigning Prince of
Plassenburg.
It was on the stroke of seven, and as fine an evening as ever failed to
touch the soul of sinful man with a sense of its beauty, that I set out
to fight the nephew of Duke Casimir. I had indeed ridden far and fast,
and withal kept my head since I left the Red Tower a poor homeless
wanderer, otherwise I had scarce found myself going out with High
Councillor Leopold von Dessauer as my second to fight my late master's
heir, the proximate Duke of the Wolfmark.
What was my surprise to find the old man attired in the appropriate
costume for such an occasion, a close-fitting suit of dark gray, of
ancient cut indeed, and without the fashionable slashes and scallops, but
both correct and practicable, either for the sword-play or the proper
ordering of it in others.
Von Dessauer laughed a little dry laugh when I congratulated him on the
youthfulness of his appearance. Indeed, he seemed little grateful for my
felicitations. And if it had not been for the rheumatism which he had
inherited from his father's campaigns on the tented field, and the
weakness which came from his own in other fields, he would yet have
proved as fit for the play of fence as any youngster of them all. So, at
least, he averred. And to-night the wind was southerly, and his old hurts
irked him not. Faith he was almost minded to try a ruffle with the cocks
of the Mark on his own account.
"Mind you," he said, "guard low. The attack of the Mark ever comes from
the right leg, half-way to the knee. But I forgot--what use is it to
tell you, that are born of the Mark, and have learned sword-cunning in
their schools?"
As we left the castle I looked about and secretly kissed a hand to that
high window, where was the chamber of my Little Playmate, whose cause I
was going out so gladly to champion.
Dessauer and I went quickly down through the lanes which led to the river
edge where the ferry was, and more than once with the comer of my eye I
seemed to see a man in a cloak and sword stealing after us. But as the
sight of a man so attired going secretly in the direction of the
Hirschgasse was no uncommon one, I did not pay any particular attention.
We crossed over in the large flat-boat which plied constantly between the
banks before our fine new bridge was built. We found our enemies on the
ground before us, and they seemed more than a little surprised when they
perceived who my second was. For as we came up the bank I saw them go
close and whisper together like men who hastily alter their plans at the
last moment.
I presented my second in form.
"The High Councillor Leopold von Dessauer, Knight of the Empire!" said I,
proudly enough.
Then the Count presented his, as the custom then was among us of
the North:
"His Excellency Friedrich, Count of Cannstadt, Hereditary Cup-bearer of
the Wolfmark."
Count Cannstadt was an impecunious old-young man, who, chiefly owing to
accumulated gaming-debts and a disagreement with Duke Casimir concerning
the payment of certain rents and duties, had sought the shelter of the
Castle of Plassenburg--a refuge which the generous Prince Karl extended
to all exiles who were not proven criminals.
The seconds bowed first to each other, and then to their opposing
principals. In those days, duels were mostly fought with the combatants'
own swords. And now Von Dessauer took my blade, and, going forward
courteously, handed the hilt to Count Cannstadt, receiving that of Von
Reuss in return. The seconds then compared the lengths, and found almost
half an inch in favor of my opponent. Which being declared, and I
offering no objection, the discrepancy was allowed and the swords
returned us to fall to.
And this without further parley we did.
I was no ways afraid of my opponent. For though a pretty enough, tricky
fighter, he had little practical experience. Also he had quite failed to
strengthen himself by daily custom, and especially by practice at
outrauce, with an enemy keen to run you through in front of you, and the
necessity of keeping a wary eye on half a dozen other conflicts on either
hand, as has constantly to be done in war.
The place where we fought was on a level green platform a little way
above the roofs of the inn of the Hirschgasse, where many a similar
conflict has been fought, and on which many a good fellow has lain,
panting like a grassed trout, with the gasps growing slower and deadlier,
while his opponent wiped his blade on the trampled herbage, and the
seconds looked on with folded arms. There were many bushes and rocks
about, and the place was very secluded to be so near a great city.
At first I did not trouble myself much, nor attempt to force the
fighting. I was content to hold Von Reuss in play, and defend myself till
the hunger edge of his attack was dulled. For I saw on his face a look of
vicious confidence that surprised me, considering his inexperience, and
he lunged with a venom and resolution which, to my mind, betokened a
determination to kill at all hazards.
I knew, however, that presently he must overreach himself, so of set
purpose I kept my blade short, and let him approach nearer. Immediately
he began to press, thinking that he had me at his mercy. We had fought
our way round to a spot on the upper side of the plateau, where for a
moment Von Reuss had a momentary benefit from the nature of the ground.
Here I felt that he gathered himself together, and, presently, as I had
supposed he would, he centred his energy in a determined thrust at my
left breast. This was well enough timed, for my guard had been short and
a little high on purpose to lead him on, and now it took me all my time
to turn his point aside. I saw the steel shoot past, grazing my left arm.
Then with so long a recovery, and the loss of balance from lunging
downhill, he was at my mercy.
As I did not wish to kill him I chose my spot almost at my leisure, and
pinked him two inches below the spring of the neck and close to the
collar-bone, which was running the thing as fine as I could allow myself.
What was my surprise to see my sword-blade arch itself as if it had
stricken a stone wall, and to hear the unmistakable ring of steel
meeting steel.
"Treachery!" cried Von Dessauer and I together; "you are villains both.
He is wearing a shirt of mail!"
And the old man rushed forward with his sword bare in his hand and all
a-tremble with indignation.
I heard the shrill "purl" of a silver call, and, turning me about, there
was the gambler Cannstadt with a whistle at his lips. I dared not turn my
head, for I had still to guard myself against the traitor Von Reuss's
attack, but with the tail of my eye I could see two or three men rise
from behind bushes and rocks, and come running as fast as they could
towards us. Then I knew that Dessauer and I were doomed men unless
something turned up that we wotted not of. For with an old man, and one
so stiff as the High Councillor, for my only ally, it was impossible for
me to hold my own against more than double our numbers.
Nevertheless, Von Dessauer attacked Cannstadt with surprising fury and
determination, anger glittering in his eye, and resolution to punish
treachery lending vigor to his thrust. I had not time to observe his
method save unconsciously, for I had to change my position momentarily
that I might take the points of the two men who came down the hill at
speed, sword in hand.
But all this foul play among high-born folk gave me a kind of mortal
sickness. To die in battle is one thing, but over against the very roofs
of your home to find yourself brought to death's door by murderous
treachery is quite another.
At this moment there came news of a diversion. From below was heard the
crying of a stormy voice.
"Halt! I command you! Halt!"
And wheeling sufficiently to see, I observed through the twilight the
figure of a stout man, who came leaping heavily up the hill towards us,
waving a sword as he came. Well, thought I, the more there are of them
the quicker it will be over, and the more credit for us in keeping up our
end so long. Better die in a good fight than live with a bad conscience.
With which admirable reflection I sent my sword through Von Reuss's
sword-arm, in the fleshy part, severing the muscle and causing him to
drop his blade. I had him then at my mercy, and experienced a great
desire to push my blade down his throat, for a treacherous cowardly
hound as he had proved himself to me. But instead of this I had to turn
towards the other two who came at the charge down the hill and were now
close upon us.
I had just time to leap aside from the first and let him overrun himself
when he shot almost upon the sword of the thick-set man, who came up the
hill shouting to us to stop. The second man I engaged, and a stanch blade
I found him, though fighting for as dirty a cause as ever man crossed
swords in.
"Halt!" came the voice of command again--the voice I knew so well--"in
the name of the State I bid you cease!"
It was the voice of Karl, Prince of Plassenburg.
"We must take the rough with the smooth now. We must kill them, every
one, like stanch men of the Mark!" cried Von Reuss. "There is no safety
for any of us else." And in a moment we were at it, the Prince furiously
assaulting the second of the bravoes who came down the hill. More coolly
than I had given him credit for, Von Reuss stuffed a silken kerchief into
the hole in his shoulder, and repossessed himself of his weapon in his
other hand.
It was the briskest kind of a bicker that ensued for a little while there
on the bosky, broomy hill-side in the evening light. Ah, Dessauer was
down at last and Cannstadt at his throat! I went about with a whirl,
leaving my own man for the moment, and rushed upon the Count's false
second. He turned to receive me, but not quite quick enough, for I got
him two inches below where I had pinked his principal's ring-mail, and
that made all the difference. Cannstadt did not immediately drop his
sword. But his limbs weakened, and he fell forward without a sound.
Then as I looked about, there was the Prince manfully crossing swords
with two, and the cowardly Von Reuss creeping up with his sword shortened
in his left hand with intent to slay him from behind.
Whereat I gave a furious cry of anguish, that I should have been the
means of bringing my noble master into such peril. The Prince Karl had at
the same moment some intuition of the treacherous foe behind him, for he
leaped aside with more agility than I had ever seen him display before on
foot, and Von Reuss was too sorely wounded to follow.
Presently I was at my first bravo again, and the Prince being left with
but one, Von Reuss took the opportunity to slip away over the hill.
The rest of the conflict was not long a-settling. There were loud voices
from the stream beneath. The combat had been observed, and half a score
of the Prince's guard were already swimming, wading, and leaping into
small boats in their haste to be first to our assistance.
But we did not need their aid. I passed my blade through and through my
assailant, almost at the same moment that the Prince spiked his man so
directly in the throat, so that the red point stood out in the hollow of
his neck behind.
Both went down simultaneously, and there was Von Reuss on horseback, just
disappearing over the ridge. Prince Karl wiped his brow.
"What devil's traitors!" he cried. "Poor Dessauer, I wonder what he has
gotten? Let us go to him."
We went across the plateau together, and knelt by the side of the old
man. At first I could not find the wound, though there was blood enough
upon his face and fencing-habit. But presently I discovered that his
scalp had been cut from above the eye backwards to the crown of his
head--a shallow, ploughing scratch, no more, though it had effectually
stunned the old man.
Even as I held him in my arms, he came to and looked about him.
"Are they all dead?" he said, feeling about for his sword.
"You were nearly dead, dearest of friends," said my master. "But be
content. You have done very well for so young a fighter. An you behave
yourself, and keep from such brawling in the future, I declare I will
give you a company!"
Dessauer smiled.
"All dead?" he asked, trying still to look about him.
"Your man is dead, or the next thing to it, two other rascals grievously
wounded, and the scoundrel Von Reuss fled, as well he might. But my
archers are already on his track."
Up the hill came Jorian and Boris leading the rout.
"Is the Prince safe?" cried Jorian.
"The Prince is safe," said Karl, answering for himself.
"Good!" chorussed Jorian, Boris, and all the archers together.
"Catch me that man on horseback there!" cried the Prince. "Take him or
kill him, but if you can help it do not let him escape. He is the Count
von Reuss, and a double traitor."
"Good!" cried the pair, and set off after him, all dripping as they were
from their abrupt passage of the river.