Historical Novels & Novellas of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Arthur Conan Doyle

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СКАЧАТЬ me and the selfish fears to which he had been willing to sacrifice me. He had flung himself down upon the ground, and floundered about in a convulsion of terror, whilst his terrible little companion, with his cynical smile, stood over him with his pistol in his hand. He played with the helpless panting coward as a cat might with a mouse; but I read in his inexorable eyes that it was no jest, and his finger seemed to be already tightening upon his trigger. Full of horror at so cold-blooded a murder, I pushed open my crazy cupboard, and had rushed out to plead for the victim, when there came a buzz of voices and a clanking of steel from without. With a stentorian shout of ‘In the name of the Emperor!’ a single violent wrench tore the door of the hut from its hinges.

      It was still blowing hard, and through the open doorway I could see a thick cluster of mounted men, with plumes slanted and mantles flapping, the rain shining upon their shoulders. At the side the light from the hut struck upon the heads of two beautiful horses, and upon the heavy red-toupeed busbies of the hussars who stood at their heads. In the doorway stood another hussar—a man of high rank, as could be seen from the richness of his dress and the distinction of his bearing. He was booted to the knees, with a uniform of light blue and silver, which his tall, slim, light-cavalry figure suited to a marvel. I could not but admire the way in which he carried himself, for he never deigned to draw the sword which shone at his side, but he stood in the doorway glancing round the blood-bespattered hut, and staring at its occupants with a very cool and alert expression. He had a handsome face, pale and clear-cut, with a bristling moustache, which cut across the brass chin-chain of his busby.

      ‘Well,’ said he, ‘well?’

      The older man had put his pistol back into the breast of his brown coat.

      ‘This is Lucien Lesage,’ said he.

      The hussar looked with disgust at the prostrate figure upon the floor.

      ‘A pretty conspirator!’ said he. ‘Get up, you grovelling hound! Here, Gerard, take charge of him and bring him into camp.’

      A younger officer with two troopers at his heels came clanking in to the hut, and the wretched creature, half swooning, was dragged out into the darkness.

      ‘Where is the other—the man called Toussac?’

      ‘He killed the hound and escaped. Lesage would have got away also had I not prevented him. If you had kept the dog in leash we should have had them both, but as it is, Colonel Lasalle, I think that you may congratulate me.’ He held out his hand as he spoke, but the other turned abruptly on his heel.

      ‘You hear that, General Savary?’ said he, looking out of the door. ‘Toussac has escaped.’

      A tall, dark young man appeared within the circle of light cast by the lamp. The agitation of his handsome swarthy face showed the effect which the news had upon him.

      ‘Where is he then?’

      ‘It is a quarter of an hour since he got away.’

      ‘But he is the only dangerous man of them all. The Emperor will be furious. In which direction did he fly?’

      ‘It must have been inland.’

      ‘But who is this?’ asked General Savary, pointing at me. ‘I understood from your information that there were only two besides yourself, Monsieur —.’

      ‘I had rather no names were mentioned,’ said the other abruptly.

      ‘I can well understand that,’ General Savary answered with a sneer.

      ‘I would have told you that the cottage was the rendezvous, but it was not decided upon until the last moment. I gave you the means of tracking Toussac, but you let the hound slip. I certainly think that you will have to answer to the Emperor for the way in which you have managed the business.’

      ‘That, sir, is our affair,’ said General Savary sternly. ‘In the meantime you have not told us who this person is.’

      It seemed useless for me to conceal my identity, since I had a letter in my pocket which would reveal it.

      ‘My name is Louis de Laval,’ said I proudly.

      I may confess that I think we had exaggerated our own importance over in England. We had thought that all France was wondering whether we should return, whereas in the quick march of events France had really almost forgotten our existence. This young General Savary was not in the least impressed by my aristocratic name, but he jotted it down in his notebook.

      ‘Monsieur de Laval has nothing whatever to do with the matter,’ said the spy. ‘He has blundered into it entirely by chance, and I will answer for his safe keeping in case he should be wanted.’

      ‘He will certainly be wanted,’ said General Savary. ‘In the meantime I need every trooper that I have for the chase, so, if you make yourself personally responsible, and bring him to the camp when needed, I see no objection to his remaining in your keeping. I shall send to you if I require him.’

      ‘He will be at the Emperor’s orders.’

      ‘Are there any papers in the cottage?’

      ‘They have been burned.’

      ‘That is unfortunate.’

      ‘But I have duplicates.’

      ‘Excellent! Come, Lasalle, every minute counts, and there is nothing to be done here. Let the men scatter, and we may still ride him down.’

      The two tall soldiers clanked out of the cottage without taking any further notice of my companion, and I heard the sharp stern order and the jingling of metal as the troopers sprang back into their saddles once more. An instant later they were off, and I listened to the dull beat of their hoofs dying rapidly into a confused murmur. My little snuff-coloured champion went to the door of the hut and peered after them through the darkness. Then he came back and looked me up and down, with his usual dry sardonic smile.

      ‘Well, young man,’ said he, ‘we have played some pretty tableaux vivants for your amusement, and you can thank me for that nice seat in the front row of the parterre.’

      ‘I am under a very deep obligation to you, sir,’ I answered, struggling between my gratitude and my aversion. ‘I hardly know how to thank you.’

      He looked at me with a singular expression in his ironical eyes.

      ‘You will have the opportunity for thanking me later,’ said he. ‘In the meantime, as you say that you are a stranger upon our coast, and as I am responsible for your safe keeping, you cannot do better than follow me, and I will take you to a place where you may sleep in safety.’

      VI. The Secret Passage

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      The fire had already smouldered down, and my companion blew out the lamp, so that we had not taken ten paces before we had lost sight of the ill-omened cottage, in which I had received so singular a welcome upon my home-coming. The wind had softened down, but a fine rain, cold and clammy, came drifting up from the sea. Had I been left to myself I should have found myself as much at a loss as I had been when I first landed; but СКАЧАТЬ