THE EXPLOITS OF BRIGADIER GERARD.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9300, 28 December 1895, Page 2

THE EXPLOITS OF BRIGADIER GERARD.

HOW THE BRIGADIER CAME TO THE CASTLE OF GLOOM. By A. Conan Doyle. CHAPTER IK. We left our troopers in snug quarters, and as it was but a mile from the cattle we did not disturb our horses. To tell the truth, I hate to see a cavalryman walk, and I hold that as he is just tho most gallant thing upon earth when he lias his saddle tlapa between his knees, so he is tho most clumsy when he has to loop up his sabre and his sabre taschc in one hand and turn in his toes for fear of catching the rowells of hio cpnre. Still Duroc and I were of the age when one can carry things off, and I dare swear that no woman at least would have quarrelled with the appearance of the two young hussars, one in blue and one in grey, who set out that night from the Arensdorf post house. We both carried our swords, and for my own part I slipped a pistol from my holster into the inside of my pelisse, for it seemeil to mc that there might be some wild work for us. The track which led to the castle wound through a pitch black fir wood, where one could see nothing save the ragged patch of stars above our head. Presently, however, it opened up, and there was the castle right in front of us, about as far as a carbine would carry. It was a huge black place, and bore every mark of being exceedingly old, with turrets at every corner and a square keep on the side which was nearest to us. In all its great shadow there was no sign of light save for a single window, and no Bound came from it. To mc there was something awful in its size and its silence which corresponded so well with its sinister name. My companion pressed on eagerly, and I followed him along the ill kept path which led to the gate. There was no bell or knocker upon the great iron studded door, and it was only by pounding with the hilts of our sabres that we could at last attract attention. A thin pale faced man with a beard up to his temples opened it at last. He carried a lantern in one hand and with the other a chain which held an enormous black hound. His manner at the first moment was threatening, but the eight of our uniforms and of our faces turned it into one of sulky reserve. "The Baron Straubenthal doee not receive visitors at so late an hour," said he, speaking in very excellent French. "You can inform Baron Straubenthal that I have done 800 leagues to see him, and that I will not leave until I have done so," said my companion. I could not myself have said it with a better voice and manner. The fellow took a sidelong look at us, and tugged at his long black beard in his perplexity. "To tell the truth, gentlemen,"said he. *' The baron has a cup or two of wine in him at this hour, and you would certainly find him a more entertaining companion if your were to come again in the morning." He had opened the door a little wider as he spoke, and I saw by the light of the lamp in the hall behind him that three other rough fellowe wore standing there, one of whom held another of these monstrous hounds. Duroc must have seen it also, but it made no difference to his resolution. " Enough talk," said he, pushing the man to one side. "It is with your master that I Uave to deal." The fellows in the hall made way for him as he strode in among them, so great is the power of one man who knows what he wants over several who are not sure of themselves. My companion tapped one of them on the shoulder with as much assurance as though he owned him. "Show mc to the baron," said he, Tho man shrugged his shoulders and answered something in Polish. The fellow with the board who had shut and barred the front door appeared to be the only one among them who could speak French. "Well, you shall have your way," said he, with a sinister smile. " You shall see_. the baron. And perhaps before you have finished you will wish that you had taken my advice." " We followed him down the hall, which was stone flagged and very spacious, with Bkins scattered upon the floor, and the heads of wild beasts upon the walls. At the further end he threw open a door and we entered. It was a small room, scantily furnished, with the same marks of neglect and decay which met us at every turn. A tapestry had come loose at one corner so as to expose the rough stone wall behind. A second door hung with a curtain faced us upon the other side. Between lay a square table strewn with dirty dishes and the sordid remains of a meal. Several bottles were scattered over it. At the head of it and facing us there sat a huge man with a lionlike head and a great shock of orange coloured hair. His beard was of the same glaring hue, matted and tangled and coarse as a horse's mane. I have seen some strange faces in my time, but never one more brutal than that with its small, vicious blue eyes, its white crumpled cheeks, and the thick banging lip, which protruded over .his monstrous beard. His head swayed abont on his shoulders, and he looked at us with the vague, dim gaze of a drunken man. Yet he was not so drunk but that our Uniforms carried their message to him. " Well, my brave boys," he hiccoughed. •• What is the latest news from Paris—eh ? You're going to free Poland, I hear, and have meantime all become slaves yourselves, elaves to a little autocrat, with his grey coat and three-cornered hat. No more citizens either, I am told, and nothing but Monsieur and Madam. My faith, some more heads will have to roll into the sawdust basket some of these mornings." Duroc advanced in silence and stood by the ruffian's side. *• Jean Carabin," said he. The baron started, and the film of drunkencess seemed to be clearing from his eyes. "Jean Carabin," said Duroc once more. He sat up and grasped the arms of the Shair. "What do you mean by repeating that lame, young man ?" he asked. "Jean Carabin, you are the man whom I iong wished to meet." " Supposing that I had once such a name, iow can it concern you, since you musthavo been a child when I bore it ?" " My name is Duroc." "Not the son of " " The son of the man you murdered." The baron tried to laugh, but there was terror in his eyc3. '• We must let bygones be bygones, young man," he cried. "It was our life or theirs in those days—the aristocrats or the people. Your father was of the Gironde. He fell. I was of the mountain. Most of my comrades fell. It was all the fortune of war. We must forget all this and learn how to know each other better, you and I." He held out a red, twitching hand as he spoke. " Enough," cried young Duroc, " If I were to pass my sabre through yon as you sit in that chair I should do what is right and just. I dishonor my blade by crossing it with yours. And yet you are a Frenchman and lave even held a commission under the same flag as myself. Rise, then, and defend your•elf !" * Copyright reserved. - •

" Tut, tut!" cried the Baron. " It is all very well for you young'bloods— ; ' Duroc's patience could stand it no more. He swung his open h3nd into the great orange beard. I saw a lip fringed with blood, and two glaring blue eyes r.bove it. " You shall die for that blow." "That is better/ scid Duroc. " My sabre," cried the o'aior, "I will not keep you waiting I pro;ui~e you ! " and he hurried from the room. CHAPTER IV. I have said that there was a second door covered with a curtain. Hardly had tlic Baron vanished than there ran from behind it a woman, young ar.il beaut ifnl. So swiftly and noiselessly did e'ae move that she was between us in an instant, and it was only the shaking curtains which told U3 whence she had come. " I have seen it all," sue cried. " Oh, sir, you have carried yourself splendidly. , ' She stooped to my companion's hand, and kissed it again and again ere he could disengage it from her erasp. " Nay, madaine, why should you kiss my hand ? " he cried. "Because it is the hand which struck him on the vile, lying mouth. Because it may be the hand to avenge my mother. I am his step-daughter. The woman whose heart he broke was my mother. I loathe him. I fear him. Ah, there is his step." In an instant she had vanished a3 suddenly as she had come. A moment later the Baron entered with a drawn sword in his hand, and the fellow who had admitted us at his heels. "This is my secretary," said he. "He will be my friend in this affair. But we shall need more elbow room than we can find here. Perhaps you will kindly come with mc to a more spacious apartment." It was evidently impossible to fight in a chamber which was blocked by a great table. We followed him out therefore into the dimly lit hall. At the further end a light was shining through an open door. " We shall find what we want in here," aid the man with the dark beard. It was a large empty room with barrels and cases around the walls. A strong lamp stood upon a shelf in the corner. The floor was level and true, so that no swordsman could ask for more. Duroc drew his sabre and sprang into it. The Baron stood back with a bow and motioned mc to follow my companion. Hardly were my heels over the threshold when the heavy door crashed behind mc and the key screamed in the lock. We were taken in a trap. For a moment we could not realise it. Such incredible baseness was outside of al* our experience. Then as we understood how foolish we had been to trust for an instant a man with such a history, a flush of rage came over us, rage against his villainy and against our own stupidity. We rushed at the door together, beating it with our fists and kicking it with our heavy boots. The sound of our blows and of our execrations must have resounded through the castle. We called to this villain, hurling at him every name which might pierce even into his hardened soul. But the door was enormous—such a door as one finds in mediaeval castlea—made with huge beams clamped together with iron. It was as easy to break as a square of the old guard. And our cries appeared to be of as little avail as our blows, as they only brought for answer the clattering echoes from the high roof above us. When you have done some soldiering you soon learn to put up with what cannot be altered. It was I then who first recovered my calmness and prevailed upon Duroc to join with mc in examining the apartment which had become our dungeon. There w&s only one window which had no glass in it, and was so narrow that one could not so much as get one's head through. It was high up, and Duroc had to stand upon a barrol in order to see from it. " What do you see 2 " I asked. " Firwoods and an avenue of snow between them," said he. " Ah !" he gave a cry of surprise. I sprang upon the barrel beside him. ■There was, as he said, a long clear strip of snow in front. A man was riding down it, flogging his horse and galloping like a madman. As we watched he grew smaller and smaller, until he was swallowed up by the black shadows of the forest. " What does that mean 1" asked Duroc. "No good for us," said I. "He may have gone for some brigands to cut our throats. Let us see if we cannot find a way out of this mouse trap before the cat can arrive. The one piece of good fortune in out favour was that beautiful lamp. It was nearly full of oil, and would last us until morning. In the dark our situation would have been much more difficult. By its light we proceeded to examine the packages and cases which lined the walls. In some places there was only a single line of them, while in one corner they were pilled nearly to the ceiling. It seemed that we were in the store house of the castle, for there was a great number of cheeses, vegetables of various kinds, bins full of dried fruits and a line oi wine barrels. One of these had a spigot in it, and as I had eaten little during'the day J was glad of a cup of claret and some food. As to Duroc, he would take nothing, but passed up and down the room in a fever oi anger and impatience. •' I'll have him yet,' he cried, every now and then. " The rasca] shall not escape." This was all very well, but it seemed tc mc as I sat on a great round cheese eating my supper that this youngster was thinking rather too much of his family affairs and toe little of the fine scrape into which he had got mc. After all his father had been dead fourteen years, and nothing could set that right, but here .was Etienne Gerard, the most dashing Lieutenant in the whole grand army in eminent danger of being cut off at the very outset of his brilliant career. Who was ever to know the heights to which I might have risen if I were knocked on the head in this hole and corner business, which had nothing whatever to do with France or the Emperor. I could not help thinking what a fool I had been when I had a fine war before mc, and everything which a man could desire to go off on a hair brained expedition of this sort, as if it were not enough to have a quarter of a million Russians to fight against without plunging into all sorts of private quarrels as well. •' That is all very well," I said at last, as I heard Duroc muttering his threats. " You may do what you like to him when you get the upper hand. At present the question rather is what is he going to do with us." " Let him do his worst!" cried the boy, " I owe a duty to my father." " That is mere foolishness," said I. " Ii you owe a duty to your father I owe one to my mother, which is to get out of this business safe and sound." My remarks brought him to his senses. " I have thought too much of myself," he cried. "Forgive mc, Monsieur Gerard. Give mc your advice as to what I should do." " Well," said I, "it is not for our health that they have shut us up here among the cheeses. They mean to make an end of us if they can. That is certain. They hope that no one knows that we have come here and that none will trace us if we remain. Do your hussars know where you have gone to?" He said nothing. "Hum, it is clear that we cannot be starved here. They must come to us if they want to kill us. Behind a barricade we

I could'bold oar own against the five rascals c whom we have seen. That is probably why , they have sent thai messenger for assistance. *' r . " We must get oat before he returns. 1, j " Precisely, if we are to get out at all." " Could.we not burr, down this door," he 1 cried.. , "Nothing could bo easier," said I. . t " There are several casks of oil in tho corner. : j My only objection is that we should our- £ selves be -.ixcsly toasted, like two little , oyster patties." "Can you not suggest sonieliiiug," he ] cried in despair. , t " Ah, what is that ?" ] 5 There had been a low sound at our little . v.-inilow, and a shadow came between the , 1 sta:-j and ourselves. A small white hand 3 was stretched into the lamp light. Some- • thing glittered between the fingers. ' " Quick, quick !" cried a woman r s voice. We were on the barrel in an instant. ', " They have sent for the Cossacks. Your lives are at stake. Oh, lam lost! lam lost ! There was a sound of rushing steps, a hoarse oath, a blow, and the stars were once more twinkling through the window. We stood helpless upon our barrels, with our k blood cold with horror. * Half a minute afterwards we heard a smothered scream ending in a choke. A c groat door slammed somewhere in the silent f, night.