VAYENNE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10241, 2 September 1909, Page 6

VAYENNE.

[a serial.]

By Percy Brebner {Christian Ljs), Author of "Princess Maritza."

(Continued.)

SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.

[Roger Herrick, an Englishman visiting Yaycnne, finds excitement regarding the succession to the Duchy of Cayenne, which lies between a*. soldier Count and the "scholar of Passev." Herrick is informed, by a dwarf of a plot to kill the scholar as he r.'des from Passev witli Christine de Liancourt, the pretty descendant of the late I)uke, aiid Lemasle, a captain, and at once rides off to warn them. The escort is attacked, and the Duke wounded. but Herrick lifts him' onto his horse and rides into a wood, where both are captured by forest thieves. Herrick is tied to a tree and the Duke taken away. Lemasle and Christine find and release him, and Hc-rrick then rides madly to Yayonne to expose the Count's treachery and raise a rescue party. Meanwhile the Count declares his rival dead. Herrick reaches the city and learns from Father Bertrand, a powerful priest, that he (Herrick) is the real heir' t:> the Duehv through his grandmother Herrick successfully claims the throne at the coronation ceremony of the Cofint. Father Bertrand finds Herrick too strong ct* man for his purposes and intrigues with Christine and others for Herrick's overthrow. A foreign Power threatens Yayenne, and Herrick leads his troops to the frontier. Jean. a dwarf, learns of tro.u-herv in the city against Herrick.] ' CHAPTER XXIY. T;i€ Fori! ay Larr.o. Ti!» moral effect cf swift and deiermin. d action has won many a victory agei::-,: strong and apparently overwhelming opposition. " Tho sudden charge or a handful of desperate ••,ien has often demoralised a whole.'army, the reckless courage even of a single individual has. constantly plu.cked suc-t.-.-s out of failure. to possess the lertile lands of 3lontviiiiers was a hereditary desire amongst the surrounding states. History recounted many a . determined struggle in the had this er.d in view, but somer iml , s | )v diplomacy, sometimes ~E-plendid end self-sacrificing courtage. the attempt had always been irustrated. In later times mere force of arn-5 was not sufficient to ensure success. the rivalry of the nations had to be taken into consideration; and so long as a strong man ruled in Montv ihi-.-rs ti'.e c-jutjuest, or the partition, ex" i;!.» : ,tr.te was a diliicuic matter. This fact was so well understood that dur- !!!•_• the Ist" Duke's lifetime there had h en mace. 1' for a thee his doubtnd tit-hi. "to ih ■ throne "had raised hopes that intern"! dissension would moan an aI to the foreigner for help ■ r.i'u <)..-• part.-.' or the other. the Dul-:e hed swift!..- nv« d himself a man r.nle to win the confidence of his people and l:> ::; ■*) tim throne which lie had taken. "-.-'a - m-n "hekfthe brer; reaoped <;ui for him. Father 'Beitv «;t'l h rl'niayed iris cards cr.nnjnglv. He having ingratiated himself with the eld >. he-.: openly espoused Felix's c-.fr-> while in sec ;et he had urged th-rh-h. Ma::: ice. end had, at the san.e f'hrisii;;e de Lianconrc biu-h' -s. V;iU: the Duke's death, and viih all these different interests dividing the state, til? time to strike had see "!v cr.me. Secretly the ci:e:r.y was -- "iurJiv 'rathered on the frontier, and thou- leaders were in constant coini i h tiie i'ue St. domain. differences, however, r: =r' likely to adjust themselves at - -•■ ,f 1 'vr-.r-.r.'.t. ' ar.d then, to --.-the:', his hand's, the priest had • ~r,-; ..T!v iiis support to I--og> r z." ... ~ <7tincl iorcjciiu.T. Almost as soen as he liid played this that j:e heel : -rd> ' r.izsre 1 True, there was opnesiticii to the new Dnke, he was" e. ftrong man, equal to -is- Ii —-_ cv. ith th ■ diiiiculty, end morei;-.-.-:- c• whi eeald i'is own coun- •• h- !:'"d pefuecd to recognise hire, and iron- A ayenne had. :;fvC-rLl"de.--.n. ioinvd the Duke's r-tan-inor, and told ];im much more besides, ti: • :>!e.::s and schemes so casefuily d" dn: :;:g ti:e last years v.-erc in dr-i-g.'r t-i" re.::; .-'t the eleventh hour. en ti'.e froiiuier. awaiting th- :::■•■ i' wold fro:n the Rue St. _i?ohad con;e to consider the task !>eio»e t:r-:e. an easy one. A few destiers.'. - men mighi dispute the invasion, but the s:i.)pTit of the country would e.r.t be behind them. They would be a mere handful, seduced by the glamor ,-,1" ti." adventurer who lrd them, while thr- gror. t nuitc, of tiie people v.as o'dy too anxious for foreign inlervention. Such was ti:" story told by Father Bertram!.- end fully belirved : and a :■ '.mail hedv of tiie invaders, had already c r.-.ss: d the fre:ui"r when the Duke and eimy ar.iv,-:!. Compared with th" resources of the enemy. Herrick's fol- .-.'• r:; :r ; ight consider<'ci e 'nand.'til <>i it:m. "ri::: ti*.;' ioice w-u, fsr lai'ger :!'. - .n h-d been anticipated, *»r.d the skirv.hicu c;v,:ekly occurred jjroved (hat this was a leader of nr. mr-m ski!!. T!:e eiicny were reshouts of victory rang from the ranks of i.':- men of 'Montvilliers. A narrow stream, swift and deep, formed the frontier line here, and for a few days Herrick maintained his position, and prepared to attack in force. This aggressive policy was totally unexpected, and the enemy, who were weak at this particular spot, sent hastily for reinforcements. Certain of the nobles urged an engagement before these reinforcements could arrive, but Herrick did not move, and although his reasons for delay were not understood. there was no murmuring, for he had already succeeded in inspiring confidence.

One evening, just as darkness fell, the leaders were summoned to his tent, and Hc-rriek explained his plans. '"Comrades, the odds are against us," he said. "With dissension in the country behind us we cannot hope to sustain a long: campaign. A sudden and quick issue will servo us better. We have succeeded by the exhibition of great activity in drawing the enemy into force before- us, but we do not fight here. There is another battleground awaiting us. You know the cnstle by Lnrne; to-night we march thither, and the wood behind us will screen our departure. Wo ought to be well upon our way before the enemy [ discover that we have gone. Now l I want a few brave hearts to remain behind to keep the watchfires burning and to multiply themselves in the shadows so that our secret may be kept until morning. Those who remain must oxnect. a hard reckoning with the daylight." The certainty of the swift vengeance sure to follow gave fear to "none. Every man present was ready to stay, indeed pleaded for the honor. "I expected no less "from such gallant friends," said Herrick, "but at Larne there will be desperate fighting too. Our real effort must be made there."

"Sir, I claim the right to stay," said the old noble who had been so swift to answer Herrick's message bidding all patriots to the meeting-place. ■ "My age, if not my birth, gives me precedence of all here, and my age also tells me that in the midst of a fierce fight my blows may not be so effective as those of younger men. I pray therefore that you will grant me this place of trust. Give me a few stout fellows, • and I warrant we will make firesenough, and shadows enough, for awhole army." " "The trust is yours,, and I thank you," Herrick answered. "At dawn, as soon aa the enemy understand the stratagem, -to horse at once,' and fol-

low us. You shall see our flag floating over Larne, or you shall be in time to help ns place it there." Within an.hour lien were, withdrawing silently through the wood and hurrying towards Larne. Tlnjre was no moon to betray them, and one of the charcoal-burners, who had joined the army, knew how to avoid the windings of the stream and shorten the journey. But the camp fires biased all night, and the men who tended them moved rapidly from place to place so that no watchful sentry might have any suspicion of what had happened. Herrick had hoped to find the garrison at Larne unprepared, but as they approached the castle soon after daylight he found that in this respect lie had been too sanguine. The castle stood upon the other . side of the stream, and consisted of a great donjon tower and one massive wing in good preservation; the remainder was falling into ruins, or lay in heaps of debris. For a inile or more to left and right the river broadened out, but close by the tower there was a ford, impassable in the winter-time, but comparatively easy to cross at this season of the year. This ford was well" defended. Across it tho enemy had intended to enter Montvilliers presently, and until the call for reinforcements had come, it was fully expected thatwhatever opposition was made would be made here. Although Herrick's stratagem had had the effect of weakening the defence, it was soon evident that if victor}' were to come it would have to be dearly bought. "The castle must be ours," said Herrick as he gave his commands; "the salvation of Montvilliers depends upon upon it." "It shall be!" was the shout as Gaspard Lemasle led his men to the attack. That fight for the ford by Larne will live long in history. "With the first dash into tho swiftly ruiyililig' stream the- tower belched forth fire,"and the clem- waters wor? euickh stained with i>lnod. Corpses were swirl:d nuay savagely a v'though the waters them-, solves took part in tho struggle, or sl'tnered along by the bunks with tho nihet rubbish which tlx- stream brought down. Some there were who, sorely wounded, managed to reach, the bank, and others with a cry slowly rank, and were drowned. Lemasle and his men were presently sent reeling back, and the enemy attacking fiercely were driven back in their turn, i-iush alter rush wis made, now from one side, now from the other, and eacii time a. deadly struggle ensued for ti few minutes in the midst of the waters, friend and foe so intermingled that the fire from the tower was forced to cease, and the struggle became a hand-to-haml cue. Blades flashed above the soothing mass as though lightning played there, and the air was -full of parting endeavour, of rough. loud oaths, and shrieks and groans of pain. Ever the stream ran more deeply. red ;• i'.cl carried down its human rubbish. For two hours or more the equal light

-.vent on. and to neither side was there any advantage. .Herrick had. ridden this way and that to find another crossing out of the range of the fire from the tower, but in vain ; the stream was too deep -nd wide to cross except r.t the ford. Time became of increasing value. Long before this the enemy up stream must have discovered the deception which had been 1 upon thr-m ; in a little while i.h-\\- would be hastening back, and then of success must vanish. <:hc 1 i -.i bo wo:i ,and that quickly. ■"..iisrge once more, Lemasle, hold f'-'nn for a few moment, and when I shont break to either side, and let us •T ] ';-.'ine;ii. "e must win now, or we A:inin the wavers were churned and b'ood stained by a fiercely fighting crowd, ami then, r.t a shout, the attacking party broke suddenly, many of the men. ijinn-fing into tiie deep water* on e'th'-r side and swimming back to F'" bank. At the held of a strong and chosen band Herrick dashed into the gap. The sudden and unexpected relaxation of the piessure had thrown t!m enemy forward in some confusion, and they were unprepared to stand .-gainst the . swift and compact mass h'.K'kd against them. Yv'ith irresistible force they were swept back across the fin-d, ami Herrick and liis followers stormed tiie opposite bank. "'lt is now or never!" he cried, and •.he foremost ranks were carried forward bv these who rushed 'across the

r.t ream behind them. Nothing was able to stop this supreme effort, and the stonners swept up the bank as a g- r-e.t wave rushes up a low beach of Whether they lacked leaders, or v. h"thcr the heart was out of them, the er.r-mv quickly became a struggling crowd rather than n compact fighting force, and Herrick was prompt to seize j the advantage gained. With sharp j can-,mends, rapidly repeated on all j sides, he kept his men together, and I a'-ersf before the en-"my were fully conj :fi>ns that they had lost the fold, they 1 ear;- being attacked and driven from l .'-e g-r-s which gave entrance to the I tower. It was seen evident that every j available man had been used for tli'e stream's, d"-fence, and the ford lost, the tor. Xo determined -voice or action ar-re-.trd the sudden panic. Men throw down their r.rnic, the guns were silent, s.rd in a very little while Herrick was •--suing quick commands for the castle's occupation. "Turn the guns to face the enemy, who must soon be upon us," he said. "Se" to it, Briant. Post sentries, and fV-:i rest, comrades, while you may. TV-fore nightfall we shall be in the thick of it again." For Herrick there was no rest yet. He was busy looking to every point ef defence and giving brief words -of v.: e.ise to every man. The victory was even more complete than lie had hoped for, because the castle had been used as a. base of operations, and a large onantity of stores had, consequently fallen into his hands.. . Tho cheers which greeted him as -,e passed from poult to point were pleasant to his ears, as they always must be to the man who has set heavy odds at naught and triumphed. Only a littfe while since many of those who now shouted the loudest had left the, groat hail at Vayenne in silence—his enemies. It would have been strange, beyond all human nature, if for a time

s.omc sense of self-satisfaction had not dominated his thoughts. For a little he enjoyed the shouting, and then tunmd to Lemasl;.

"That is R good sound, but the struggle is not yet over." "Perhaps not, but we have the tower, sir." And the captain's face, grimy and blood-stained, broke into a wide smile of complapency. . "True, and that counts for much," Herrick answered, and as he hurried away all thought of self was forgotten He went to one of the guard-rooms, where some of the prisoners had been gathered, and after looking at them he selected one man, and commanded him to follow him. Once in the passage outside he put his hand firmly on the man's shoulder.

' 'ln which part of the castle is the prisoner confined?" he; asked.. "The prisoner! What prisoner?" said tlie man, turning towards him to find himself looking into the barrel of a revolver. "I could find him, but I have no time to waste in searching," Herrick returned, "therefore, my friend, choose quickly. If you prefer deatli, one of your companions yonder is likely to prefer life under the same persuasion." The man hesitated for a moment, and then went forward, turning presently to mount a spiral stone stairway set in the tower. Before a small door on an upper landing he* stopped. "He is in there."

"Good. Now you shall show me where I can find the key of this prison." "Indeed, sir, "I was not liis gaoler." | "Still: you' may find the "key. There is little secrecy about the gaoler's office. You must go" quickly, for this is libt the sort of . day on which a man has much patience to spare." The key was found in the gaoler's empty room, and when Herrick had taken the man back to tlio guardroom he mounted the spiral staircase alone. He paused for an instant before putting the key into the lock, and it was evident that his thoughts had suddenly wandered. . "At least one' task I have'set myself is accomplished," he murmured as he'opened the heavy door. There presently galloped - across the ford the old noble and those who had remained to .'cover the -secret night march of the army. They had not escaped unscathed, for in the early

morning they had been fired at, and half-a-dozen men- had fallen by the wa'tchfires they had tended. No opposition met the little band at the water's edge, for the flag was already flying from the tower-at Larne.- Their coming, however, heralded the speedyreturn of the main body of the enemy,' and before nightfall the guns were speaking again. The struggle was not at. an end. With the greater part of tlreir stores lost, the foe were'in a precarious position, and desperate attempts were made to recapture the castle. Time had becoihe of consequence to them. : Herrick recognised that the castle was not strong enough to stand a siege, and his first care was to-prevent the besiegers taking up any strong position. Sorties were constantly made, and there were skirmishes which were almost of sufficient importance to be called battles. In these, ever fighting by his side, was the prisoner Herrick had released from the tower. When he was not fighting lie kept himself in the background, and few knew, or cared, who he was. Each man's time was too fully occupied to indulge in idle speculation. ' In these skirmishes Fortune's favors were distributed fairly equally. Often Herrick did not accomplish all Jie meant to do, but he had one real advantage: the chief success of the struggle, was liis, and his enemies were disheartened. Dissensions, too, had grown up in their ranks, and many declared that they had been deceived by the information sent them from Vayenne. Instead of the easy/task they had been led to expect, they had been vigorously attacked, and all the fighting had taken place on their side of. the frontier. Tliey began to talk of peace, and the first flag of truce had been raised before Mercier had left for Vayenne. The papers he brought to Father Bertrand declared that peace V.'as iinminent, and indeed had been agreed upon by the time' the papers came into the priest's hands, "aiiuHerrick was leading the larger portion of his victorious army back to Vayenne. The camp had been pitched for the night at the juncture of the Passey road with the high road from Larne. No messengers had been sent forward to the city. Herrick intended to return without warning, and if treachery wore within the gates he could easily crush it now. Some of the nobles had left him, returning to their own estates, but it was with a promise to come to Vayenne within a week. They understood the Duke much better than they had done, and Herrick's popularity was established beyond all question. With early morning came another parating. A small body of men separated from the rest and went slowly along the Passey road. The man who had been released from the tower at Larne lingered beside Herrick for a few moments, talking earnestly, then he saluted and rode after his companions. "Forward, comrades!" Herrick said when he had. gone. "They must be eagerly awaiting our news in Vayenne." Some ®hours later a solitary and queer-looking man met them. The animal had been ridden hard, tho man was bareheaded anc] unkempt, and green and scarlet showed from under his disordered and dusty cloak. There was a -strange, low jingling of bells as he came.

. "Where is the Duke?" he cried as ho mot the foremost ranks. "Jean! What is it? What is the news?"

"Ay, Jean it is. Where is the Duke?" "Yonder. What has happened?"

But the dwarf stayed to answer no questions. He pressed forward to Her"Jean! What is it?" "Treachery and rebellion in the city. The gates are closed against you, and Mademoiselle is to be Duchess, and marries Count Felix." "When?" The sharp question had a note of agony in it. "At once: but we may yet be in time. No one knows of the landingplace you and I used that night. I can tell you everything as wo go." "Lemasle! Lemasle!" cried Herrick, and he hastened to meet the captain ?s he came hurriedly at the call. For a few moments he poured a torrent of eager orders into his ears. "I will ride forward with a score of men, Lemasle. I "know a way into the city that they do not dream. You shall find the gates open to-morrow, or there wili be need for another Duke in Montvilliers. Give Jean another horse. That noor brute is done .and will never do the journey in time. A score of men. Lemasle! Quickly! There are vipers in Yayenne, comrades, that must be crushed. We go to crush them. Come, dean! Forward! Gallop! rp he ne>*+. few hours hold more than life for me." -"Long live the D'ukc!" they cried as they galloped forward, and the same shout rang out lustily from the ra'nks of those they left behind them. That'nifdit Jean's boat crossed tho river several times, and Herrick and his men scaled the wall by the haunted house, and entered Yayenne. (To be continued.)