The Cornet of Horse: A Tale of Marlborough's Wars

by G. A. Henty

  Chapter 21: Back in Harness.

  "You must have had a bad time of it." the miller said, as hewatched Rupert eating his breakfast. "I don't know that I ever sawanyone so white as you are, and yet you look strong, too."

  "I am strong," Rupert said, "but I had an attack, and all my colourwent. It will come back again soon, but I am only just out. Youdon't want a man, do you? I am strong and willing. I don't want tobeg my way to the army, and I am ashamed of my clothes. There willbe no fighting till the spring. I don't want high pay, just my foodand enough to get me a suit of rough clothes, and to keep me inbread and cheese as I go back."

  "From what part of France do you come?" the miller asked. "Youdon't speak French as people do hereabouts."

  "I come from Brittany," Rupert said; "but I learnt to speak theParis dialect there, and have almost forgotten my own, I have beenso long away."

  "Well, I will speak to my wife," the miller said. "Our last handwent away three months since, and all the able-bodied men have beensent to the army. So I can do with you if my wife likes you."

  The miller's wife again came and inspected the wanderer, anddeclared that if he were not so white he would be well enough, butthat such a colour did not seem natural.

  Rupert answered her that it would soon go, and offered that if, atthe end of a week, he did not begin to show signs of colour coming,he would give up the job.

  The bargain was sealed. The miller supplied him with a pair ofcanvas trousers and a blouse. Rupert cut off his long hair, and setto work as the miller's man.

  In a week the miller's wife, as well as the miller himself, wasdelighted with him. His great strength, his willingness andcheeriness kept, as they said, the place alive, and the pallor ofhis face had so far worn off by the end of the week that themiller's wife was satisfied that he would, as he said, soon looklike a human being, and not like a walking corpse.

  The winter passed off quietly, and Rupert stood higher and higherin the liking of the worthy couple with whom he lived; the climaxbeing reached when, in midwinter, a party of marauders--for at thattime the wars of France and the distress of the people had filledthe country with bands of men who set the laws at defiance--five innumber, came to the mill and demanded money.

  The miller, who was not of a warlike disposition, would have givenup all the earnings which he had stored away, but Rupert took downan old sword which hung over the fireplace; and sallying out, ranthrough the chief of the party, desperately wounded two others, andby sheer strength tossed the others into the mill stream, standingover them when they scrambled out, and forcing them to dig a graveand bury their dead captain and to carry off their woundedcomrades.

  Thus when the spring came, and Rupert said that he must be going,the regrets of the miller and his wife were deep, and by offer ofhigher pay they tried to get him to stay. Rupert however was, ofcourse, unable to accede to their request, and was glad when theyreceived a letter from a son in the army, saying that he had beenlaid up with fever, and had got his discharge, and was juststarting to settle with them at the mill.

  Saying goodbye to his kind employers, Rupert started with a stoutsuit of clothes, fifty francs in his pocket, and a document signedby the Maire of the parish to the effect that Antoine Duprat,miller's man, had been working through the winter at Evres, and wasnow on his way to join his regiment with the army of Flanders.

  Determined to run no more risks if he could avoid it, he took aline which would avoid Paris and all other towns at which he hadever shown himself. Sometimes he tramped alone, more often withother soldiers who had been during the winter on leave to recoverfrom the effects of wounds or of fevers. From their talk Rupertlearned with satisfaction that the campaign which he had missed hadbeen very uneventful, and that no great battles had taken place. Itwas expected that the struggle that would begin in a few weekswould be a desperate one, both sides having made great efforts toplace a predominating force in the field.

  As he had no idea of putting on the French uniform even for a day,Rupert resolved as he approached the army frontier to abandon hisstory that he was a soldier going to take his place in the ranks.

  When he reached Amiens he found the streets encumbered with baggagewaggons taking up provisions and stores to the army. The drivershad all been pressed into the service. Going into a cabaret, heheard some young fellow lamenting bitterly that he had been draggedaway from home when he was in three weeks to have been married.Waiting until he left, Rupert followed him, and told him that hehad heard what he had said and was ready to go as his substitute,if he liked. For a minute or two the poor fellow could hardlybelieve his good fortune; but when he found that he was in earnesthe was delighted, and hurried off to the contractor in charge ofthe train--Rupert stopping with him by the way to buy a blouse, inwhich he looked more fitted for the post.

  The contractor, seeing that Rupert was a far more powerful anduseful-looking man than the driver whose place he offered to take,made no difficulty whatever; and in five minutes Rupert, with ametal plate with his number hung round his neck, was walking by theside of a heavily-loaded team, while their late driver, with hispapers of discharge in his pocket, had started for home almost wildwith delight.

  For a month Rupert worked backwards and forwards, between the postsand the depots. As yet the allies had not taken the field, and heknew that he should have no chance of crossing a wide belt ofcountry patrolled in every direction by the French cavalry. At theend of that time the infantry moved out from their quarters andtook the field, and the allied army advanced towards them. TheFrench army, under Vendome, numbered 100,000 men, whileMarlborough, owing to the intrigues of his enemies at home, and thedissensions of the allies, was able to bring only 70,000 into thefield.

  The French had correspondents in most of the towns in Flanders,where the rapacity of the Dutch had exasperated the people againsttheir new masters, and made them long for the return of the French.

  A plot was on foot to deliver Antwerp to the French, and Vendomemoved forward to take advantage of it; but Marlborough took post atHalle, and Vendome halted his army at Soignies, three leaguesdistant. Considerable portions of each force moved much closer toeach other, and lay watching each other across a valley but a milewide.

  Rupert happened to be with the waggons taking ammunition up to theartillery in an advanced position, and determined, if possible, toseize the opportunity of rejoining his countrymen. A lane runningbetween two high hedges led from the foot of the hill where he wasstanding, directly across the valley, and Rupert slipping awayunnoticed, made the best of his way down the lane. When nearly halfacross the valley, the hedges ceased, and Rupert issued out intoopen fields.

  Hitherto, knowing that he had not been noticed, he had husbandedhis breath, and had only walked quickly, but as he came into theopen he started at a run. He was already nearly half way betweenthe armies, and reckoned that before any of the French cavalrycould overtake him he would be within reach of succour by hisfriends.

  A loud shout from behind him showed that he was seen, and lookinground he saw that a French general officer, accompanied by anotherofficer and a dragoon, were out in front of their linesreconnoitring the British position. They, seeing the fugitive, setspurs to their horses to cut him off. Rupert ran at the top of hisspeed, and could hear a roar of encouragement from the troops infront. He was assured that there was no cavalry at this part of thelines, and that he must be overtaken long before he could getwithin the very short distance that then constituted musket range.

  Finding that escape was out of the question, he slackened hisspeed, so as to leave himself breath for the conflict. He was armedonly with a heavy stick. The younger officer, better mounted, andanxious to distinguish himself on so conspicuous an occasion, wasthe first to arrive.

  Rupert faced round. His cap had fallen off, and grasping the smallend of the stick, he poised himself for the attack.

  The French officer drew rein with a sudden cry,

  "You!" he exclaimed, "you! What, still alive?"

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sp; "Yet no thanks to you, Monsieur le Duc," Rupert said, bitterly."Even Loches could not hold me."

  His companions were now close at hand, and with a cry of fury theduke rode at Rupert. The latter gave the horse's nose a sharp blowas the duke's sweeping blow descended. The animal reared suddenly,disconcerting the aim, and before its feet touched the ground theheavy knob of Rupert's stick, driven with the whole strength of hisarm, struck the duke on the forehead.

  At the same instant as the duke fell, a lifeless mass, over thecrupper, Rupert leaped to the other side of the horse, placing theanimal between him and the other assailants as they swept down uponhim. Before they could check their horses he vaulted into thesaddle, and with an adroit wheel avoided the rush of the dragoon.

  The shouts of the armies, spectators of the singular combat, werenow loud, and the two Frenchmen attacked Rupert furiously, one oneach side. With no weapon but a stick, Rupert felt such a conflictto be hopeless, and with a spring as sudden as that with which hehad mounted he leapt to the ground, as the general on one side andthe dragoon on the other cut at him at the same moment.

  The spring took him close to the horse of the latter, and beforethe amazed soldier could again strike, Rupert had vaulted on to thehorse, behind him. Then using his immense strength--a strengthbrought to perfection by his exercise at Loches, and his work inlifting sacks as a miller's man--he seized with both hands theFrench soldier by the belt, lifted him from the seat, and threw himbackwards over his head, the man flying through the air some yardsbefore he fell on the ground with a heavy crash. Driving his heelsinto the horse, he rode him straight at the French general, as thelatter--who had dashed forward as Rupert unseated the trooper--cameat him. Rupert received a severe cut on the left shoulder, but theimpetus of the heavier horse and rider rolled the French officerand his horse on to the ground. Rupert shifted his seat into thesaddle, leapt the fallen horse, and stooping down seized theofficer by his waist belt, lifted him from the ground as if he hadbeen a child, threw him across the horse in front of him, andgalloped forward towards the allied lines, amid a perfect roar ofcheering, just as a British cavalry regiment rode out from betweenthe infantry to check a body of French dragoons who were gallopingup at full speed from their side.

  With a thundering cheer the British regiment reined up as Rupertrode up to them, the French dragoons having halted when they sawthat the struggle was over.

  "Why, as I live," shouted Colonel Forbes, "it's the little cornet!"

  "The little cornet! The little cornet!" shouted the soldiers, andwaved their swords and cheered again and again, in wild enthusiasm;as Colonel Forbes, Lauriston, Dillon, and the other officers,pressed forward to greet their long-lost comrade.

  Before, however, a word of explanation could be uttered, an officerrode up.

  "The Duke of Marlborough wishes to see you," he said, in French.

  "Will you take charge of this little officer, colonel?" Rupertsaid, placing the French general, who was half suffocated bypressure, rage, and humiliation, on his feet again.

  "Now, sir," he said to the officer, "I am with you."

  The latter led the way to the spot where the duke was sitting onhorseback surrounded by his staff, on rising ground a hundred yardsbehind the infantry regiment.

  "My Lord Duke," Rupert said, as he rode up, "I beg to report myselffor duty."

  "Rupert Holliday!" exclaimed the duke, astonished. "My dear boy,where do you come from, and where have you been? I thought I waslooking at the deeds of some modern Paladin, but now it is allaccounted for.

  "I wrote myself to Marshal Villeroi to ask tidings of you, and toknow why you were not among the officers exchanged; and I was toldthat you had escaped from Lille, and had never been heard ofsince."

  "He never heard of me, sir, but his Majesty of France could havegiven you further news. But the story is too long for telling younow."

  "You must be anxious about your friends, Rupert. I heard fromColonel Holliday just before I left England, begging me to causefurther inquiries to be made for you. He mentioned that your ladymother was in good health, but greatly grieving at yourdisappearance. Neither of them believed you to be dead, and wereconfident you would reappear.

  "And now, who is the French officer you brought in?"

  "I don't know, sir," Rupert said, laughing. "There was no time forany formal introduction, and I made his acquaintance without askinghis name."

  An officer was at once sent off to Colonel Forbes to inquire thename of the prisoner.

  "There is one of your assailants making off!" the duke said; andRupert saw that the trooper had regained his feet and was limpingslowly away.

  "He fell light," Rupert said; "he was no weight to speak of."

  "The other officer is killed, I think," the duke said, looking witha telescope.

  "I fancy so," Rupert said, drily. "I hit him rather hard. He wasthe Duc de Carolan, and as he had given much annoyance to a friendof mine, not to mention a serious act of disservice to myself, Imust own that if I had to kill a Frenchman in order to escape, Icould not have picked out one with whom I had so long an account tosettle."

  The officer now rode back, and reported that the prisoner wasGeneral Mouffler.

  "A good cavalry officer," the duke said. "It is a useful capture.

  "And now, Rupert, you will want to be with your friends. If weencamp here tonight, come in to me after it is dark and tell mewhat you have been doing. If not, come to me the first evening wehalt."

  Rupert now rode back to his regiment, where he was again receivedwith the greatest delight. The men had now dismounted, and Rupert,after a few cordial words with his brother officers, went off tofind Hugh.

  He found the faithful fellow leaning against a tree, fairly cryingwith emotion and delight, and Rupert himself could not but shedtears of pleasure at his reunion with his attached friend. After atalk with Hugh, Rupert again returned to the officers, who werejust sitting down to a dinner on the grass.

  After the meal was over Rupert was called upon to relate hisadventures. Some parts of his narrative were clear enough, butothers were singularly confused and indistinct. The first partswere all satisfactory. Rupert's capture was accounted for. He saidthat in the person of the commanding officer he met an old friendof Colonel Holliday, who took him to Paris, and presented him atVersailles.

  Then the narrative became indistinct. He fell into disgrace. Hisfriend was sent back to the army, and he was sent to Lille.

  "But why was this, Rupert," Captain Dillon--for he was now acaptain--asked. "Did you call his Majesty out? Or did you kissMadame de Maintenon? Or run away with a maid of honour?"

  A dozen laughing suggestions were made, and then Rupert saidgravely:

  "There was an unfounded imputation that I was interfering with theplans which his Majesty had formed for the marriage of a lady andgentleman of the court."

  Rupert spoke so gravely that his brother officers saw that anyjoking here would be ill timed; but sly winks were exchanged asRupert, changing the subject, went on to recount his captivity atLille.

  The story of his escape was listened to eagerly, and then Rupertmade a long pause, and coloured lightly.

  "Several things of no importance then happened," he said, "and as Iwas going through the streets of Blois--"

  "The streets of where?" Colonel Forbes asked, in astonishment. "Youescape from Lille, just on the frontier, what on earth were youdoing down at Blois, a hundred miles south of Paris?"

  Rupert paused again.

  "I really cannot explain it, colonel. I shall make a point oftelling the duke, and if he considers that I acted wrongly, I mustbear his displeasure; but the matter is of no real importance, anddoes not greatly concern my adventures. Forgive me, if I do notfeel justified in telling it. All the rest is plain sailing."

  Again the narrative went on, and the surprise at hearing thatRupert had been confined at Loches, well known as a prison fordangerous political offenders, was only exceeded by that occasionedby the incidents of his escape therefr
om. Rupert carried on hisstory to the point of the escape from the French, which they hadjust witnessed.

  There was a chorus of congratulations at his having gone safelythrough such great dangers; and Dillon remarked:

  "It appears to me that you have been wasting your time and yourgifts most amazingly. Here have you been absent just two years, andwith the exception of a paltry marauder you do not seem to haveslain a single Frenchman, till you broke that officer's skulltoday.

  "I think, my friends, that the least we can do is to pass a formalvote of censure upon our comrade for such a grievous waste of hisnatural advantages. The only thing in his favour is, that he seemsto have been giving up his whole attention to growing, and he hasgot so prodigiously broad and big that now he has again joined ushe will be able to make up for the otherwise sinful loss of time."

  A chorus of laughter greeted Dillon's proposal, and the merry groupthen broke up, and each went off to his duty.

  Rupert's first effort was to obtain such clothes as would enablehim to appear in his place in the ranks without exciting laughter.Hugh told him that all his clothes and effects were in store atLiege, but indeed it was questionable whether any would be of useto him. He was not taller indeed than he was two years before, buthe was broader, by some inches, than before. From the quartermasterhe obtained a pair of jack boots which had belonged to a trooperwho had been killed in a skirmish two days before, and from thearmourer he got a sword, cuirass, and pistols. As to ridingbreeches there was no trouble, for several of the officers hadgarments which would fit him, but for a regimental coat he couldobtain nothing which was in any way large enough. Hugh wastherefore dispatched to Halle to purchase a riding coat of the bestfashion and largest size that he could find, and a hat as much aspossible in conformity with those generally worn.

  An hour or two later Lord Fairholm and Sir John Loveday rode over.The news of the singular fight on the ground between the armies,and of the reappearance of the famous "little cornet of the 5thdragoons" having spread apace through the army.

  Joyous and hearty were the greetings, and after a while, the partybeing joined by Dillon, Rupert gave his three friends a fullaccount of his adventures, omitting some of the particulars whichhe had not deemed it expedient to speak of in public.

  "I understand now," Lord Fairholm said, "the change in your facewhich struck me."

  "Is my face changed?" Rupert said. "It does not seem to me that Ihave changed in face a bit since I joined, six years ago."

  "It is not in features, but in expression. You look good temperednow, Rupert, even merry when you smile, but no man could make amistake with you now. There is, when you are not speaking, a sortof intent look upon your face, intent and determined--theexpression which seems to tell of great danger expected and faced.No man could have gone through that two months in the dungeon ofLoches and come out unchanged. All the other dangers you have gonethrough--and you always seem to be getting into danger of somekind--were comparatively sharp and sudden, and a sudden peril,however great, may not leave a permanent mark; but the two monthsin that horrible den, from which no other man but yourself woulddeem escape possible, could not but change you.

  "When you left us, although you were twenty, you were in mostthings still a boy; there is nothing boyish about you now. It isthe same material, but it has gone through the fire. You were goodiron, very tough and strong, but you could be bent. Now, Rupert,you have been tried in the furnace and have come out steel."

  "You are very good to say so," Rupert said, smiling, "but I don'tfeel all that change which you speak of. I hope that I am just asmuch up to a bit of fun as ever I was. At present I strike youperhaps as being more quiet; but you see I have hardly spoken to asoul for eighteen months, and have got out of the way rather. Allthat I do feel is, that I have gained greatly in strength, as thatunfortunate French trooper found to his cost today.

  "But there, the trumpets are sounding; it's too late for a battletoday, so I suppose we have got a march before us."