The King's Esquires; Or, The Jewel of France
Page 34
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
A DASH FOR LIBERTY.
"Oh!" groaned Denis to himself, as he stood in the darkness watching theshape of the saddle-room door, marked-out as it was in lines of lightfrom the lanterns within, listening to the low muttering of voices, andshuddering once as his wounded adversary uttered a low deep groan, whichwas followed directly after by an angry ejaculation as if he wereenraged by the clumsy surgery of the men.
"Is all this going to be in vain?" muttered the boy. "It is as if thewhole business is accursed and is bound to fail."
He stood listening, and the talking went on, to be interrupted byanother fierce ejaculation from the captain, who gave some order; butwhat it was Denis could not grasp, and he literally groaned again.
"They do not come! They do not come!" he said. "It is all useless.They must have failed."
He had hardly spoken the words when he fancied he heard steps; but allwas still, and then he started violently and clapped his hand to hissword, for some one tried to open the saddle-room door, then shook it,and the words of whoever it was came plainly to the lad's cars:
"I can't, Sir Robert. He has shut us in."
"What!" came hoarsely; and at the same moment Denis's heart leaped, forthere was no mistake this time. Footsteps were rapidly approaching,whether friends' or foes' it was impossible to tell, and taking a stepoutside the door with his bridle over his arm, his horse followed him,setting in motion the other three, which, well-trained as they were,ranged up alongside upon the cobble stones before the double doors.
There was no doubt now, for three figures, plainly seen by the lightwhich shone out of the saddle-room window, came breathlessly up, and thefirst to speak cried in familiar tones:
"My horse! Is it ready? Quick!"
"Yes, Sire," whispered Denis, and Francis uttered a quick low "Hah!" ashe gathered up the reins and prepared to mount, his two companionsfollowing his example, just as the lit-up window was dashed out by someheavy blow, the glass coming tinkling down upon the stones outside, anda hoarse voice that Denis knew only too well roared out:
"Guard, here! Guard! Help! In the King's name! Guard!"
As the last words came hoarsely forth on to the night air, _clang,clang, clang_, burst out the tocsin of the alarm bell, silencing themusic in the ballroom and sending an electric thrill through everylistener within the precincts of the castle; but ere the great bell hadsent forth a score of vibrating notes which came quivering through thedarkness and echoing from every wall, the clattering of hoofs began inobedience to the whispered commands of his Majesty of France:
"Draw, draw, and all together to the gates. Then lead, Leoni, and ridehard--straight away, man, for the south."
The horses had not made a dozen strides before their sharp hoofclatterings upon the paved court gave place to the dull _thud, thud_,returned from gravel, while before a hundred yards had been passed over,a couple of lanterns began to dance here and there right before them,their dull yellow rays being reflected from the broad blades of halberdsborne by men who were evidently forming up in obedience to a shoutedorder, before making for the castle.
The horsemen needed no command. They knew what they had to do--tocharge right through the night watch assembling from the guard-room; andthis they did.
There were shouts, commands to stop in the King's name, the impact ofhorse and man, and the clatter and jangle of steel against steel, as thefugitives rode their opponents down, kept together, and dashed on foranother hundred yards or so, and then were brought up short by thatwhich had not entered into their calculations, for they simultaneouslydrew rein as Saint Simon, fully excited now, roared in a voice ofthunder; "The gates are shut!"
The King uttered a low gasp, and it was Leoni who said sharply:
"Only the great gates. The doorway--is it right or left?"
"Here," cried Denis; "this way, Sire!" And he made a snatch at the reinof the monarch's horse and drew back his own for him to pass, closelyfollowed by Leoni, who was just in time to rise in his stirrups and makea thrust at a tall halberdier who had suddenly stepped forward to seizethe rein of Francis's horse.
The man uttered no cry, only dropped his halberd and staggered back asLeoni passed on into the darkness, his horse running side by side withthat of the King.
Meanwhile--it was almost momentary--Saint Simon, who was the next topass through the narrow pier-bound way, cried out excitedly to his youngfriend:
"Come on, boy! It will be a ride for life."
Denis knew it, as he sat there motionless as a statue upon his horse,with his sword pointed towards the advancing enemy, a full score of themdimly seen in the gloom, who, recovering from the terrible shock theyhad received, came running with their clumsy partisans levelled fortheir charge, to take revenge upon and capture the daring unknown partywhich had made this desperate attack.
There were men among them who were suffering from blows and fromtrampling hoofs, and other injuries they had received; but as they ranthey recovered their well-trained formation, and with their leaderdashed two and two through the narrow postern gate and along thedarkened road for full a couple of hundred yards, before the sterncommand rang out for them to halt.
As the trampling of their feet ceased to beat upon the road they stoodin the silence listening to the tramp of hoofs, which grew fainter andfainter, till the last sound died away and the silence was broken by adeep groan uttered by one of the men, who now dropped out and sank uponhis knees.
"Who's that?" cried the leader sharply.
"Staines Dick," was the reply.
"Humph!" grunted the sergeant who had led the pursuit. "That's two ofus gone down. I saw the sentry had it as we passed out. Is thereanyone among you as would like to be sergeant instead of me?"
"No," said another voice. "Why?"
"Because I am Sergeant of the Guard, my lads, and I shall have to goback and meet the King."
There was a peculiar sound from the little body of men, caused by theirsimultaneously sharply drawing in their breath, and then silence onceagain, as they listened to make sure that the beating of hoofs hadpassed beyond their ken. Then once more the sergeant spoke out.
"Halberds here," he said sharply, "and make a litter for this poor chap.That's right; lift him gently. Have you got it badly, lad?"
"No, sergeant; only my left arm broke. It was the hoof of a horse as hegalloped over me and struck me aside."
"Hah!" said the sergeant, as he marched beside the improvised litter andwent on talking to his injured man. "It's bad, my lad, bad; but itdon't mean funeral march, and between ourselves, Staines Dick. I wish Iwas you."