The Casque's Lark Part 19

"Marion," remarked Victorin, "we have on this side of the Rhine two hundred and ten barks of war propelled by six oars--have we?"

"About that number, and well equipped!"

"Fifty of them will suffice for you to transport the reinforcement of picked troops that you are to take to our allies. The remaining hundred and sixty, manned by ten soldier oarsmen provided with axes, besides twenty picked archers, will hold themselves ready to descend the Rhine as far as the promontory of Herfel, where they will wait for further instructions. Issue this order to the captain of the flotilla before you embark."

"It shall be done--rely upon me!"

"Carry out your plan, brave Marion, from point to point. Cut the Frankish reserve to pieces, burn their camp and wagons. Ours is the day if I succeed in forcing the barbarians to retreat," said Victorin.

"And you will, Victorin! I shall run for my friend, Eustace, and carry out your orders."

Before leaving the room Captain Marion drew his sword, presented the hilt to the Mother of the Camps and making the military salute, said:

"Touch this sword with your hand if you please, Victoria--it will be a good augury for the day."

"Go, brave and good Marion," answered the Mother of the Camps returning the weapon after she had clasped the hilt with a virile hand; "go, Hesus is with Gaul!"

"Our battle cry shall be, 'Victoria!' and it will resound from one bank of the river to the other," Marion exclaimed with exaltation; and leaving precipitately he added: "I shall run for my friend Eustace, and then to our barks! to our barks!"

As Marion was rushing out of the room, several chiefs of legions and cohorts, having learned of the landing of the Franks from the officer who brought the tidings to the camp--tidings that rapidly spread among the soldiers--hastened to Victorin in order to receive the orders of their general.

"Place yourselves at the head of your detachments," he said to them, "and march to the parade ground. I shall join you there and a.s.sign you your posts in battle. I wish first to confer with my mother."

"We well know your valor and military genius," answered the oldest of the chiefs of the cohorts, a robust old man with a white beard. "Your mother, the angel of Gaul, watches by your side; we shall await your orders confident of victory."

"Mother," said the young general in touching accents, "your pardon, here before all, and a kiss from you will give me the needed courage for this day of b.l.o.o.d.y battle!"

"The excesses of my son have often saddened my heart, as they have the hearts of you all who have known him since his earliest days," said Victoria to the chiefs of the cohorts; "I hope you will forgive him as I do."

Saying this she clasped her son pa.s.sionately to her heart.

"Infamous calumnies against Victorin have floated about the camp," the old captain proceeded to say. "We gave them no credence; but, less enlightened than ourselves, the soldier is ever hasty in censure as he is in praise. Follow the instructions of your august mother, Victorin, and no longer offer a handle to calumny. We shall wait for your orders on the parade ground; rely upon us, as we do upon you."

"You speak to me like a father," answered Victorin deeply moved by the simple and dignified words of the old captain. "I shall hearken to your words as a son; your old experience guided me on the field of battle when I was still a child; your example made me the soldier that I am; to-day and always I shall strive to approve myself worthy of you and of my mother--worthy of Gaul--"

"It is your duty, seeing that we glory in you and her," rejoined the old captain; and addressing Victoria: "Will the army not see you before we march to battle? To the soldiers and to us your presence always is a good omen--and your good words fire our courage."

"I shall accompany my son as far as the parade ground--let the battle and triumph follow! Once the Roman eagles circled over our enslaved nation! The Gallic c.o.c.k drove them away! And it will again drive away this cloud of birds of prey that seek to swoop down upon our Gaul!"

cried the Mother of the Camps in so proud and superb a transport that, at the moment, I believed I saw before me the G.o.ddess of our land and of liberty. "By Hesus, shall the barbarous Franks conquer us? Before that happens neither a lance, nor a sword, nor a scythe, nor a club, nor a stone can have been left in Gaul! By Hesus! We shall triumph over the barbarian Franks!"

At these brave words, the chiefs of the legions, sharing the enthusiasm of Victoria, spontaneously drew their swords, struck them against one another, and cried in chorus the war cry that they had more than once intoned:

"By the iron of our swords, Victoria, we swear to you that Gaul shall remain free!--or you will never see us again!"

"Yes, by your beloved and august name, Victoria, we shall fight to the last drop of our blood."

And all left the room crying:

"To arms, our legions!"

"To arms, our cohorts!"

During the whole scene, in which the military genius of Victorin, his tender deference for his mother, the controlling influence that both she and he exercised over the chiefs of the army were displayed, I more than once cast a covert look at the Governor of Gascony, who had withdrawn into a corner of the room. Was it fear at the approach of the Franks?

Was it secret rage at witnessing how idle were his calumnies against Victorin?--because, despite the blandness and skilfulness of his defense, my suspicions were not lulled to sleep--I know not; but his livid and disturbed face grew by degrees more horrid to behold.

Doubtlessly, evil thoughts and impulses, that he meant to keep concealed, came to the surface in that moment. Immediately after the departure of the chiefs, and as the Mother of the Camps turned to speak with the governor, the latter strove to resume his customary mask of mildness. Making an effort to smile he said to Victoria:

"You and your son are endowed with a sort of magic power. According to my feeble understanding nothing can be more alarming than this march of the Frankish army upon our camp, while neither of you seem to be particularly concerned, and you deliberate as calmly as if the battle was to be to-morrow. And yet, I must confess, the tranquility that you display under such circ.u.mstances inspires me with blind confidence."

"There is nothing more natural than our tranquility," replied Victorin.

"I have calculated the time that it will take the Franks to cross the Rhine and disembark their troops, form their columns and arrive at a place that they are forced to cross. To hasten my movements would be a mistake, a grave strategic error. Delay serves my purposes well."

Victorin thereupon turned to me:

"Schanvoch, go and put on your armor; I shall have orders for you after I shall have conferred with my mother."

"You will join me here, before proceeding to the parade ground,"

Victoria said to me. "I also have some recommendations to make to you."

"I almost forgot to notify you of an important thing," said I. "The sister of one of the Frankish kings feared that her brother would put her to death, and fled the camp of the barbarians. She accompanied me to ours."

"The woman can serve as a hostage," remarked Tetrik. "It is a valuable capture. She should be kept a prisoner."

"No," I answered the governor. "I promised the woman that she would be free in the Gallic camp, and I a.s.sured her of Victoria's protection."

"I shall keep the promise that you made," replied my foster-sister.

"Where is the woman?"

"At my house."

"Have her sent to me after the departure of our troops. I wish to see her."

I left the room together with the Governor of Gascony. As I stepped out several bards and druids, who, adhering to our ancient custom, always marched at the head of the armies in order to encourage the troops with their songs, stepped in to confer with Victoria and Victorin.

CHAPTER XII.

TO BATTLE!

Upon leaving Victoria's house I hastened home to arm myself and take my horse. From all parts of the camp trumpets and clarions were heard blowing signals. When I entered my house I found Sampso and my wife, whom the tidings of the landing of the Franks had speedily reached, busily engaged getting my arms ready. Ellen was vigorously furbishing my steel cuira.s.s, the polish of which was soiled by the fire that was kindled upon it the day before by order of Neroweg, the Terrible Eagle and powerful king of the Franks.

"You are truly a soldier's wife," I said smiling to Ellen, seeing her provoked at not being able to restore the tarnished spot to the brilliancy of the rest of the cuira.s.s. "The brilliancy of your husband's armor is your own greatest ornament."

"If we were not so much pressed for time," Ellen answered, "we would have succeeded in furbishing off this black spot. Sampso and I have for the last hour been wondering how you managed to blacken and tarnish your armor in this manner."

"They look like traces of fire," said Sampso, who was actively engaged polishing my casque with a piece of smooth skin. "Only fire can tarnish the polish of steel in that way."