"Send me, then," said the lad contemptuously, "or be prepared to go yourself."

"Bah! No more words. Come on," cried the captain; and he prepared to attack once more.

"My turn now," whispered the boy to himself, "and it is time;" for in his excitement he fancied that he could hear steps approaching. But there was not a sound save the gritting of the rapiers and the captain's hoa.r.s.e panting breath as he uttered a loud expiration at every thrust.

For in his turn, in spite of his determination to make this second encounter an attack, and force his young adversary to remain entirely on his guard, the retort had begun, and before a minute had elapsed he uttered a sharp e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n as he felt the sharp pain caused by the lad's keen point ripping open his muscular right arm. Stung now with rage, hatred, and the determination to have revenge, he literally rushed at the lad, to force him down, with the natural result that he threw himself open to the point of his more skilful enemy, who chose his moment, and made one quick thrust which darted like lightning through the captain's bull-like neck, making him utter a low, deep growl as his sword flew from his hand, and he staggered backwards into the arms of a couple of the grooms, who lowered him to the ground.

"Hah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Denis, whose heart was beating fast, and stepping forward he stooped over his fallen adversary, raised a portion of his cloak and drew his blade through it twice over. "Stop!" he cried quickly. "What are you going to do?" His loud question was addressed to the chief groom. "No," cried the boy sternly; "lift him in yonder,"

and he pointed with his blade towards the saddle-room. "Lay him there; tear strips off his cloak, and bind up his arm and neck. The greatest help you can give him now is to stop the bleeding."

There was a tone of command in the boy's uttered words which had the natural effect, and the men busied themselves at once with their task, taking with them their lanterns and doing at once as they had been told, while they were so intent upon their task that they did not notice that Denis had followed them, to draw to the door and slip the two bolts with which it was furnished into their sockets.

Then sheathing his sword, he turned quickly to the stable, where the four chargers stood untethered, and caught his own by the bridle, to begin leading it to the door.

He trusted to the nature of the horses for the result, old stable companions as they were, and it was as he expected, for the intelligent animals followed their leader quietly enough, to stand together in the entry waiting, like their master, for what might come.

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

A DASH FOR LIBERTY.

"Oh!" groaned Denis to himself, as he stood in the darkness watching the shape of the saddle-room door, marked-out as it was in lines of light from the lanterns within, listening to the low muttering of voices, and shuddering once as his wounded adversary uttered a low deep groan, which was followed directly after by an angry e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n as if he were enraged by the clumsy surgery of the men.

"Is all this going to be in vain?" muttered the boy. "It is as if the whole business is accursed and is bound to fail."

He stood listening, and the talking went on, to be interrupted by another fierce e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n from the captain, who gave some order; but what 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 all was still, and then he started violently and clapped his hand to his sword, 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 hoa.r.s.ely; and at the same moment Denis's heart leaped, for there was no mistake this time. Footsteps were rapidly approaching, whether friends' or foes' it was impossible to tell, and taking a step outside 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 light which shone out of the saddle-room window, came breathlessly up, and the first to speak cried in familiar tones:

"My horse! Is it ready? Quick!"

"Yes, Sire," whispered Denis, and Francis uttered a quick low "Hah!" as he gathered up the reins and prepared to mount, his two companions following his example, just as the lit-up window was dashed out by some heavy blow, the gla.s.s coming tinkling down upon the stones outside, and a hoa.r.s.e voice that Denis knew only too well roared out:

"Guard, here! Guard! Help! In the King's name! Guard!"

As the last words came hoa.r.s.ely forth on to the night air, _clang, clang, clang_, burst out the tocsin of the alarm bell, silencing the music in the ballroom and sending an electric thrill through every listener within the precincts of the castle; but ere the great bell had sent forth a score of vibrating notes which came quivering through the darkness and echoing from every wall, the clattering of hoofs began in obedience to the whispered commands of his Majesty of France:

"Draw, draw, and all together to the gates. Then lead, Leoni, and ride hard--straight away, man, for the south."

The horses had not made a dozen strides before their sharp hoof clatterings upon the paved court gave place to the dull _thud, thud_, returned from gravel, while before a hundred yards had been pa.s.sed 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 halberds borne by men who were evidently forming up in obedience to a shouted order, before making for the castle.

The hors.e.m.e.n needed no command. They knew what they had to do--to charge right through the night watch a.s.sembling from the guard-room; and this they did.

There were shouts, commands to stop in the King's name, the impact of horse and man, and the clatter and jangle of steel against steel, as the fugitives rode their opponents down, kept together, and dashed on for another hundred yards or so, and then were brought up short by that which had not entered into their calculations, for they simultaneously drew rein as Saint Simon, fully excited now, roared in a voice of thunder; "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 s.n.a.t.c.h at the rein of the monarch's horse and drew back his own for him to pa.s.s, closely followed by Leoni, who was just in time to rise in his stirrups and make a thrust at a tall halberdier who had suddenly stepped forward to seize the rein of Francis's horse.

The man uttered no cry, only dropped his halberd and staggered back as Leoni pa.s.sed on into the darkness, his horse running side by side with that of the King.

Meanwhile--it was almost momentary--Saint Simon, who was the next to pa.s.s through the narrow pier-bound way, cried out excitedly to his young friend:

"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 them dimly seen in the gloom, who, recovering from the terrible shock they had received, came running with their clumsy partisans levelled for their charge, to take revenge upon and capture the daring unknown party which had made this desperate attack.

There were men among them who were suffering from blows and from trampling hoofs, and other injuries they had received; but as they ran they recovered their well-trained formation, and with their leader dashed two and two through the narrow postern gate and along the darkened road for full a couple of hundred yards, before the stern command rang out for them to halt.

As the trampling of their feet ceased to beat upon the road they stood in the silence listening to the tramp of hoofs, which grew fainter and fainter, till the last sound died away and the silence was broken by a deep groan uttered by one of the men, who now dropped out and sank upon his knees.

"Who's that?" cried the leader sharply.

"Staines d.i.c.k," was the reply.

"Humph!" grunted the sergeant who had led the pursuit. "That's two of us gone down. I saw the sentry had it as we pa.s.sed out. Is there anyone 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 go back and meet the King."

There was a peculiar sound from the little body of men, caused by their simultaneously sharply drawing in their breath, and then silence once again, as they listened to make sure that the beating of hoofs had pa.s.sed 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 he galloped over me and struck me aside."

"Hah!" said the sergeant, as he marched beside the improvised litter and went on talking to his injured man. "It's bad, my lad, bad; but it don't mean funeral march, and between ourselves, Staines d.i.c.k. I wish I was you."

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

BLUFF HAL RAGES.

"I don't understand this, Hurst. I don't understand it a bit. One moment I feel that he is no Comte, at another that there may be something in what you say. But just now I can think of nothing but de la Seine not being in his room. Bah! He cannot have taken to flight, thinking that I have discovered who he is; but we must find out that."