For The Admiral Part 24

"Will your comrades go with us?" I asked. "Have they talked the matter over yet?"

"What is there to talk over? We are here to help, not to say what you shall do. Of course we shall go. One part of France is the same to us as another; but I fancy some of your own troops will elect to remain behind."

"'Tis quite possible," I replied. "The venture is a daring one."

"The majority will march," declared Felix with enthusiasm; "a few of the southerners may prefer to guard their own districts, but that is all. I knew Coligny had some gigantic scheme in his head, but never dreamed of this. It is glorious; it will be the talk of Europe."

"If it succeed," said Roger drily, "it will matter little whether Europe talks or not; but in any case Coligny is staking everything on one throw. If we get beaten, he cannot expect to raise another army."

"Do not let us think of defeat," I said, "and we shall stand a better chance of winning a victory. There is no sense in gazing at the black clouds when we can as easily look at the bright sunshine."

CHAPTER XIV

Scouting for Coligny

As Roger had prophesied, not all the Huguenot soldiers were prepared to follow their intrepid leader; but on that memorable April morning of 1570 we swung out from Nismes some five thousand strong, all hors.e.m.e.n, for Coligny had mounted the three thousand arquebusiers who formed the major part of our force.

The journey from Saintes to Narbonne had been tedious, and, because of the bitter winter cold, full of hardship, but we had not met with opposition. Now we were launched straight into the midst of a hostile district filled with the king's troops, and few days pa.s.sed without some skirmish, in which, though petty enough, we could ill afford to engage.

It seems little to put down on paper--how we rode hour after hour, often with insufficient food; how we watched at night, sometimes springing to arms at a false alarm, and more than once having to fight desperately to beat off a surprise attack; but it was a stiff business for those who went through with it.

We were, however, in good spirits, and pushed on steadily day after day, picking up a few recruits here and there to strengthen our army.

The men were st.u.r.dy, resolute fellows, full of zeal for the Cause, and ready to lay down their lives for the Admiral, to whom they were devoted.

How wholly dependent we were upon him, in spite of the presence of Prince Henry and young Conde, became plain when he was taken ill at St.

Etienne. The march was stopped abruptly, and for three weeks we waited in fear and doubt, asking ourselves anxiously what would happen if he died.

Even the sanguine Felix admitted that without him the enterprise would result in failure, but fortunately the Admiral recovered, and we resumed our march.

The halt which we were forced to make at St. Etienne had done us considerable service. Horses and men alike were broken down by fatigue, loss of sleep, and scanty rations, and the long rest had restored their strength. Shortly before leaving, too, a body of cavalry, fifteen hundred strong, had ridden into camp amidst the acclamations of the a.s.sembled troops.

"Now," said Felix joyously, "Monseigneur can meet us as soon as he likes."

After leaving St. Etienne we soon discovered that the worst part of the journey was still before us. Our way lay over rugged crests, and along the edge of steep precipices overhanging gloomy chasms. Nothing save a few chestnut trees, whose fruit was not yet ripe, grew on that bare, stony ground, while the only animals were small, stunted sheep, and mountain goats.

Here and there we pa.s.sed a tiny hamlet, but for the most part we marched through a wild and desolate solitude, through steep and gloomy gorges with rapid torrents thundering at the bottom. In the upper pa.s.ses the snow lay deep, and more than once as we stumbled along a piercing shriek told us that some unfortunate animal, missing its footing, had hurled its wretched rider into eternity.

At length, to the loudly expressed joy of every man in the army, we left the gloomy wilderness behind, and emerged into a rich and smiling valley. The animals neighed with delight on seeing the fresh sweet gra.s.s, and we who had shivered with the bitter cold in the mountain pa.s.ses rejoiced at the glorious warmth of the sun.

But now we had to proceed with far greater caution, since at any moment a royalist army might swoop down upon us. Sharp-sighted scouts rode ahead and on our flanks, while messengers frequently arrived bringing information for our general. According to these accounts Monseigneur was still in the west, but Marshal Cosse had been despatched with a strong army to oppose us.

We had halted for the night some ten miles or so from Arnay-le-Duc, and I was gossiping with Roger Braund and several of the Englishmen--their numbers by this time, alas! had thinned considerably--when Felix came up hastily, his eyes shining with keen excitement.

"Any fresh news?" asked Roger.

"Nothing certain," my comrade answered, "but Cosse is reported to be at or near Arnay-le-Duc. Edmond are you for a ride?"

"With all my heart," said I, "but where?"

"To find out what we can about Cosse. I have the Admiral's instructions.

I told Jacques to saddle your horse; but you must hurry."

"Good-night, Roger; good-night, gentlemen," I said, laughing; "you can sleep soundly, knowing that we are awake."

"Take care!" laughed Roger good-humouredly, "and don't let that madcap get you into mischief. I shouldn't be surprised if he tries to get his information from Cosse himself."

"I would," declared Felix merrily, "if he gave me half a chance; but we must really go; the Admiral"--and he drew himself up with an air of a.s.sumed importance--"depends upon us."

"Good-bye," laughed Roger, "you won't be a prisoner long; we will capture the marshal and exchange him for you!"

"Monseigneur would make a poor bargain if he agreed to that!" said my comrade, as we went off light-heartedly.

"Shall we take Jacques?" I asked, as we hurried along.

"He has settled that question for himself," returned Felix in high glee; "he is saddling his own animal as well as ours."

"What does the Admiral wish to learn?"

"The enemy's numbers. The reports are conflicting and range from five thousand to thirty, but we will discover the truth for ourselves before the morning."

"At any rate we will do our best. There is Jacques; he has lost little time; the horses are ready. My pistols, Jacques!"

"They are in the holsters, monsieur, and loaded."

"Into the saddle then! Have you the pa.s.sword, Felix?"

"Yes; 'tis _Roche Abeille_."

"A good choice! 'Tis an omen of success. Have you any idea of the proper direction?"

"I can find the way easily to Arnay-le-Duc; I have had a long talk with one of the couriers."

Having pa.s.sed our last outpost, where we stayed to chat for a moment with the officer in command, we proceeded at a brisk pace, my comrade feeling a.s.sured that we should not meet an enemy during the first six miles. After that distance we went more slowly and with greater caution, for if the marshal was really at Arnay-le-Duc, his patrols were probably scouring the neighbourhood.

About four miles from the town we entered the street of a straggling village. It was a half after ten; the lights in the cottages were out; the villagers had retired to bed.

"Shall we do any good by knocking up the landlord of the inn?" I asked.

"What say you, Jacques?"

"We shall probably learn the village gossip, and if the marshal is anywhere near Arnay-le-Duc it will be known here."

"True," said my comrade; "let us lead the animals into the yard.

Edmond, hammer at the door!"