CHAPTER XII. ON THE WAR PATH
"Raymond! Is it -- can it be thou?"
"Gaston! I should scarce have known thee!"
The twin brothers stood facing one another within the walls of Caen,grasping each other warmly by the hand, their eyes shining with delightas they looked each other well over from head to foot, a vivid happinessbeaming over each handsome face. It was more than two years since theyhad parted -- parted in the quiet cloister of the CistercianBrotherhood; now they met again amid scenes of plunder and rapine: forthe English King had just discovered, within the archives of the cityhis sword had taken, a treaty drawn up many years before, agreeing thatits inhabitants should join with the King of France for the invasion ofEngland; and in his rage at the discovery, he had given over the town toplunder, and would even have had the inhabitants massacred in coldblood, had not Geoffrey of Harcourt restrained his fury by wise andmerciful counsel. But the order for universal pillage was not recalled,and the soldiers were freebooting to their hearts' content all over theill-fated city.
Raymond had seen sights and had heard sounds as he had pressed throughthose streets that day in search of his brother that had wrung his soulwith indignation and wonder. Where was the vaunted chivalry of itsgreatest champion, if such scenes could be enacted almost under his veryeyes? Were they not true, those lessons Father Paul had slowly andquietly instilled into his mind, that not chivalry, but a true andliving Christianity, could alone withhold the natural man from deeds ofcruelty and rapacity when the hot blood was stirred by the fierceexultation of battle and victory, and the lust of conquest had gainedthe mastery over his spirit?
The hot July sun was beating down upon the great square where weresituated those buildings of which the King and the Prince and theirimmediate followers had taken temporary possession. The brothers stoodtogether beneath the shadow of a lofty wall. Cries and shouts from thesurrounding streets told tales of the work being done there; but thatwork had carried off almost all the soldiers, and the twins werevirtually alone in the place, save for the tall and slight youth whostood a few paces off, and was plainly acting in the capacity ofRaymond's servant.
"I thought I should find thee here, Gaston," said his brother, with fondaffection in his tones. "I knew that thou wouldst be with the King atsuch a time; and when I entered within the walls of this city, I said inmy heart that my Gaston would have no hand in such scenes as those I wasforced to witness as I passed along."
Gaston's brow darkened slightly, but he strove to laugh it off.
"Nay, thou must not fall foul of our great and mighty King for what thouhast seen today. In truth I like it not myself; but what would you? Themen were furious when they heard of yon treaty; and the King's fierceanger was greatly kindled. The order went forth, and when pillage oncebegins no man may tell where it will end. War is a glorious pastime, butthere must ever be drawbacks. Sure thine own philosophy has taught theethat much since thou hast turned to a man of letters. But tell me ofthyself, Raymond. I am hungry for news. For myself, thou mayest guesswhat has been my life, an thou knowest how these past two years havebeen spent -- wars and rumours of wars, fruitless negotiations, andjourneys and marches for little gain. I am glad enough that we haveshaken hands with peace and bid her adieu for a while. She can be afalse and treacherous friend, and well pleased am I that the bloodybanner of true warfare is unfurled at last. England is athirst for somegreat victory, for some gallant feat of arms which shall reward her forthe burdens she has to pay to support our good soldiers. For hispeople's sake, as well as for his own honour, the King must strike somegreat blow ere he returns home and we who follow the Prince have swornto follow him to the death and win our spurs at his side.
"Brother, say that thou wilt join our ranks. Thou hast not forgotten ourold dreams? Thou hast not turned monk or friar?"
"Nay, or I should not now be here," answered Raymond. "No, Gaston, Ihave forgotten naught of the old dream; and I too have seen fighting inthe south, where the King of France has mustered his greatest strength.For we believed the Roy Outremer would land at Bordeaux and march to thehelp of my Lord Derby, who is waging war against the Count of LilleJourdaine and the Duke of Bourbon in and around Gascony. And, Gaston,the Sieur de Navailles has joined the French side, and is fighting inthe van of the foe. He has long played a double game, watching andwaiting till victory seems secure for either one King or the other. Now,having seen the huge force mustered by the King of France in the south,he seems to have resolved that the victory must remain with him, and hascast in his lot against the English cause. So, Brother, if the greatEdward wins his battles, and drives from his own fair territories theinvading hosts of France, it may be that the Sieur do Navailles may bedeprived of his ill-gotten lands and castles; and then, if thou hast wonthy spurs --"
Raymond paused, and Gaston's eyes flashed at the thought. But he hadlearned, even in these two years, something of the lesson of patience,and was now less confident of winning fame and fortune at one strokethan he had been when he had made his first step along the path that hebelieved would lead him by leaps and bounds to the desired haven.
"Then thou hast been there? Hast thou seen the old places -- the oldfaces? Truly I have longed to visit Sauveterre once more; but all ourplans are changed, and now men speak of naught but pressing on forCalais. Where hast thou come from?"
"From the old home, Gaston, where for three months I and Roger havebeen. What! dost thou not know Roger again? In truth, he looks vastlydifferent from what he did when thou sawest him last. We are brothers inarms now, albeit he likes to call himself my servant. We have never beenparted since the day we snatched him from that evil place within thewalls of Basildene. We have been in safe shelter at the mill. HonestJean and Margot had the warmest welcome for us, and Father Anselm gaveus holy words of welcome. Everything there is as when we left. Scarcecould I believe that nigh upon three years will soon have fled since wequitted its safe shelter. But I could not stay without thee, Brother. Ihave greatly longed to look upon thy face again. I knew that thou wertwith the King, and I looked that this meeting should have been atBordeaux. But when news was brought that the English ships had changedtheir course and were to land their soldiers in the north, I could tarryno longer, and we have ridden hard through the land northward to findthee here. Tell me, why this sudden change of plan? Surely the King willnot let his fair province of Gascony be wrested from his hand withoutstriking a blow in its defence in person?"
Gaston laughed a proud, confident laugh.
"Thou needst scarce ask such a question, Raymond; little canst thou knowthe temper of our King an thou thinkest for a moment such a thing asthat. But methinks we may strike a harder blow here in the north againstthe treacherous French monarch than ever we could in the south, wherehis preparations are made to receive us. Here no man is ready. We marchunopposed on a victorious career. The army is far away in the south; theKing has but a small force with him in Paris. Brave Geoffrey ofHarcourt, by whose advice we have turned our course and landed here atLa Hague, has counselled us to march upon Calais and gain possession ofthat pirate city. With the very key of France in our hands, what may notEngland accomplish? Wherefore our march is to be upon Calais, andmethinks there will be glory and honour to be won ore this campaign closes!"
And, indeed, for a brief space it did seem as though King Edward'sprogress was to be one of unchecked victory; for he had already routedthe French King's Constable, sent to try to save Caen; had taken andpillaged that city, and had marched unopposed through Carbon, Lisieux,and Louviers to Rouen, leaving terrible devastation behind, as thesoldiers seized upon everything in the way of food from the haplessinhabitants, though not repeating the scenes which had disgraced theEnglish colours at Caen.
But at Rouen came the first of those checks which in time became sovexatious and even perilous to the English army. The French, in greatalarm, had realized that something must be done to check Edward'svictorious career; and as it was plain that if he turned his stepsnorthward there would be no
chance of opposing him, their aim and objectwas to pen him as far in the south as possible, so that the army inGascony, perhaps, or failing that the new one mustering rapidly roundthe King in Paris, might close in upon the alien army and cut them topieces by sheer force of numbers, before they could reach the coast andtheir ships. So Philip, recovering from his first panic, sent ordersthat all the bridges between Rouen and Paris should be broken down; andwhen Edward reached the former city, intending to cross there to thenorth side of the Seine, he found only the broken piers and arches ofthe bridge left standing, and the wide, turbid waters of the great riverbarring his further progress.
Irritated and annoyed, but not really alarmed as yet, the English Kingturned his steps eastward toward Paris, still resolved to cross by thefirst bridge found standing. But each in turn had been broken down; andthe only retaliation he could inflict upon the people who were thwartingand striving to entangle him in a net, was to burn the towns throughwhich he passed; Pont de l'Arche, Vernon, and Verneuil, until he arrivedat last at Poissy, only a few miles from Paris, to find the bridge therelikewise broken down, whilst messengers kept arriving from all sideswarning him that a far mightier host was gathering around Philip than hehad with him, and advising instant retreat along the course by which hehad come.
But Edward well knew that retreat was impossible. He had so exhaustedthe country and exasperated its inhabitants by his recent march and itsattendant ravages, that it would be impossible to find food for hissoldiers there again, even if the people did not rise up in arms againstthem. Rather would he face the French foe, however superior to his ownforce, in open fight, than turn his back upon them in so cowardly a fashion.
Meantime, as Philip did not move, he set to work with his soldiers torepair the bridge, sending out detachments of his army to harass andalarm the inhabitants of Paris, ravaging the country up and down, andburning St. Germain, St. Cloud, and Montjoie.
These expeditions, so perilous and so singularly successful, were justof the kind to delight the eager spirits of the camp, and keepenthusiasm up to a high pitch. Why Philip suffered these ravages, whenhis army already far outnumbered that of the English, and why the Frenchpermitted their foes to repair and cross the bridge at Poissy withoutstirring a finger to hinder them, are questions more easily asked thananswered. Possibly the knowledge that the Somme still lay between theirenemies and the sea, and that the same difficulties with regard to thebridges was to be found there, kept the French army secure still offinal victory. Possibly they thought that, hemmed in between the twogreat rivers, the army of Edward would be so well caught in a trap thatthey need not bestir themselves to consummate the final scene of thedrama. At any rate, Philip remained inactive, save that his army wasrapidly augmenting from all sides; whilst the English finished theirbridge and marched northward, only opposed by a large body of troopssent out from Amiens to meet them, over which they obtained an easy victory.
Nevertheless the position of the English was becoming exceedinglycritical, and their march certainly partook something of the nature of aretreat, little as they themselves appeared to be aware of the fact.Philip with his host was advancing from behind, the great river Sommelay before them, all its bridges either broken down or so well fortifiedas to be practically impassable; and though their allies in Flanders hadraised the siege of Bovines in order to march to the assistance of theEnglish King, there appeared small chance of their effecting a junctionin time to be of any use.
At Airaines a pause was made in order to try to discover some bridge orford by which the river might be passed. But Philip's work had been sowell done that not a whole bridge could anywhere be found; and theFrench army was pressing so hard upon the English that in the end theyhad to break up their camp in the greatest haste, leaving their cookedprovisions and tables ready spread for their foes to benefit by. Theythemselves hastened on to Abbeville, keeping slightly to the west of thetown so as to avoid provoking attack, and be nearer to the coast, thoughas no English ships could be looked for in the river's mouth, theseacoast was of small service to them.
Such is the brief outline of the facts of Edward's well-known march inthis campaign, destined to become so famous. The individual action ofour Gascon twins must now be told in greater detail.
Their reunion after so long a separation had been a source of keendelight to both the brothers. Each had developed in a differentdirection, and instead of being shadows the one of the other as in olddays, they were now drawn together by the force of contrast. Gaston wasabove all else a soldier, with a soldier's high spirit, love ofadventure, and almost reckless courage. He fairly worshipped the Kingand the Prince, and was high in favour with the youthful Edward, whosefirst campaign this was. Raymond, whilst imbued with the same highcourage, though of a loftier kind, in that it was as much spiritual asphysical, and with much of the chivalrous love of adventure so common tothe gallant youths of that age, was far more thoughtful, wellinstructed, and far-seeing than his brother. He looked to the largerissues of life. He was not carried away by wild enthusiasm. He couldlove, and yet see faults. He could throw in his lot with a cause, andardently strive for the victory, and yet know all the while that therewere flaws in that same cause, and admit with sorrow, yet firmtruthfulness, that in this world no cause is ever altogether pure,altogether just. He was not of the stuff of which hot partisans aremade. He had a spirit in advance of his times, and the chances were thathe would never rise to the same measure of success as his brother. Forthose who try to keep a stainless name in times of strife, bloodshed,and hostile jealousy, seldom escape without making bitter enemies, andsuffer the penalty that will ever attend upon those who strive after ahigher ideal than is accepted by the world at large.
But if growing apart in character, the bond of warm love was but drawncloser by the sense that each possessed gifts denied to the other.Raymond found in Gaston the most charming and enlivening comrade andfriend. Gaston began unconsciously to look up to his brother, and tofeel that in him was a power possessed by few of those by whom he wassurrounded, and to which he could turn for counsel and help if ever thetime should come when he felt the need of either.
In Raymond's presence others as well as Gaston began to curb some ofthat bold freedom of speech which has always characterized the stormycareer of the soldier. Those who so curbed themselves scarce knew whythey did so. It was seldom that Raymond spoke any word of rebuke oradmonition, and if he did it was only to some youth younger thanhimself. But there was something in the direct grave look of his eyes,and in the pure steadfastness of his expression, which gave to hisaspect a touch of saintliness quickly felt by those about him. For inthose days men, in spite of many and great faults, were not ashamed oftheir religion. Much superstition might be mingled with their beliefs,corruption and impurity were creeping within the fold of the Church,darkness and ignorance prevailed to an extent which it is hard in thesetimes to realize; yet with all this against them, men were deeply andtruly loyal to their faith. It had not entered into their minds that adeep and firm faith in God was a thing of which to be ashamed; that totrust in special providence was childish folly; to receive absolutionupon the eve of some great and perilous undertaking a mere empty form,or a device of cunning priestcraft. It has been the work of a more"enlightened" age to discover all this. In olden times -- those despiseddays of worn-out superstition -- men yet believed fully and faithfullyin their God, and in His beneficent care of His children. Raymond, then,with his saint-like face and his reputation of piety, together with thestory of his residence beneath the care of Father Paul, quickly obtaineda certain reputation of his own that made him something of a power; andGaston felt proud to go about with his brother at his side, and hear thecomments passed upon that brother by the comrades he had made in thepast years.
During the exciting march through the hostile country Gaston and Raymondhad known much more of the feeling of the people than their comrades.The French tongue was familiar to them, and though they did not speak itas readily as English or their Gascon diale
ct, they had always known itfrom childhood, and never had any difficulty in making themselvesunderstood. Despite their English sympathies and their loyalty toEngland's King, they felt much natural compassion for the harried anddistracted victims of Edward's hostile march; and many little acts ofprotective kindness had been shown by both the brothers (generally atRaymond's instigation) towards some feeble or miserable person who mightotherwise have been left in absolute destitution. These small acts ofkindness won them goodwill wherever they went, and also assisted them tounderstand the words and ways of the people as they would scarcely havedone without.
Then, as in all countries and all times the old proverb holds good thatone good turn deserves another, they picked up here and there severalvaluable hints, and none more valuable than the knowledge that somewherebelow Abbeville, between that town and the sea, was a tidal ford thatcould be crossed twice in the twelve hours by those who knew where toseek it. Thus whilst the King's Marshals were riding up and down theriver banks, vainly seeking some bridge over which the hard-pressed armycould pass, the twin brothers carefully pursued their way down thestream, looking everywhere for the white stone bottom which they hadbeen told marked the spot where the water was fordable.
But the tide was rolling in deep and strong, and they could see nothing.Still cautiously pursuing their way -- cautiously because upon theopposite bank of the river they saw a large gathering of archers andfootmen all belonging to the enemy -- they lighted presently upon apeasant varlet cutting willow wands not far from the river's brink. Theboys entered into talk with him, and Raymond's kindly questioning soonelicited the information that the man's name was Gobin Agace, that hewas a poor man with little hope of being anything else all his days, andthat he knew the river as well as any man in the realm.
"Then," said Raymond, "thou needest be poor no longer; for if thou wiltcome with us to the camp of the English King a short league away, andlead him and his army to the ford of the Blanche Tache which lies notfar from here, he will make thee rich for life, and thou wilt beprosperous all thy days."
"If the King of France do not follow and cut off my head," said the mandoubtfully, though his eyes glistened at the prospect of such easily-wonwealth.
"By holy St. Anthony, thou needst not fear that!" cried Gaston. "Ourgreat King can protect thee and keep thee from all harm. See here, goodknave: it will be far better for thee to win this great reward than forus, who have no such dire need of the King's gold. If thou wilt not aidus, we must e'en find the place ourselves; but as time presses we willgladly lead thee to the King, and let him reward thee for thy goodservice. So answer speedily yea or nay, for we may not linger longerwhilst thou debatest the matter in that slow mind of thine."
"Then I will e'en go with you, fair sirs," answered the fellow, who wasin no mind to let the reward slip through his fingers; and within anhour Gaston and Raymond led before the King the peasant varlet who heldthe key of the position in his hands.
Every hour was bringing fresh messages of warning. The French King wasin pursuit of his flying foe (as he chose to consider him), and thoughhe felt so certain of having him in a trap that he did not hasten as hemight have done, there was no knowing when the van of the French armywould be upon them; and the moment that the King heard of this ford, andwas assured by the peasant that at certain states of the tide twelve menabreast could ford it, the water reaching only to the knee, he broke uphis camp at an hour's notice, and with Gobin Agace at his side proceededin person to the water's edge, the flower of his army crowding to thespot beside him, whilst the mass of his troops formed in rank behind,ready to press forward the moment the water should be fordable.
Night had fallen before the trumpets had sounded, warning the soldiersof the breaking up of the camp. All night long they had been working,and then marching to the fordable spot: but now the tide was rolling inagain; and worse than that, the English saw upon the opposite shore acompact band of twelve hundred men -- Genoese archers and picked cavalry-- posted there by the now vigilant Philip, ready to oppose theirpassage if they should chance upon the ford.
"Knights and gentlemen," said the King, as he sat his fine charger andlooked round upon the gallant muster around him, "shall we be daunted bythe opposing foe? They are but a handful, and we know the coward temperof yon Italian crossbowmen. Who will be the first to lead the charge,and ride on to victory?"
A hundred eager voices shouted a reply. The enthusiasm spread from rankto rank. Foremost of those beside the water's edge stood Oliver andBernard de Brocas; and when at last the ebb came, and the word was givento advance, they were amongst the first who dashed into the shallowwater, whilst Gaston and his brother, though unable to press into theforemost rank, were not far behind.
Thick and fast fell round them the bolts of the crossbows; but farthicker and more deadly were the long shafts of the English archers,which discomfited the foreign banners and sent them flying hither andthither. In vain did their brave leader, Godemar de Fay, strive to rallythem and dispute the passage of the main body of the army, even when thehorsemen had passed across. Edward's splendid cavalry rode hither andthither, charging again and again into the wavering band. Quickly theGenoese hirelings flung away their bows and ran for their lives; whilstthe English army, with shouts of triumph, steadily advanced across theford in the first quivering light of the dawning day, and looked back tosee the banners of Philip of France advancing upon them, whilst a fewstragglers and some horses were actually seized by the soldiers of thatmonarch.
"Now God and St. George be praised!" cried Edward, as he watched theapproach of the foe, who had so nearly trapped him upon ground whichwould have given every advantage to the French and none to his own army."Methinks had our good brother but pressed on a day's march faster, itwould have gone hard with us to save the honour of England. Now I standon mine own ground. Now will I fight at my ease. There is bread for mysoldiers. They shall rest ere they be called upon to fight. Let Philipdo his worst! We will be ready with an English welcome when he comes.Let his host outnumber ours by three to one, as men say it does, shallwe be afraid to meet him in fair field, and show him what Englishchivalry may accomplish?"
A tumultuous cheer was answer enough. The whole of the English army nowstood upon the north bank of the Somme, watching, with shouts of triumphand gestures of defiance, the futile efforts of the French to plungeover the ford. The tide was again flowing. The water was deep and rapid.In a moment they knew themselves to be too late, and a few well-aimedshafts from English longbows showed them how futile was now any effortin pursuit of the foe who had eluded them.
Sullenly and with many menacing gestures, that were replied to by shoutsof derisive laughter from the English soldiers, the French army turnedhack towards Abbeville, where they could cross the river at theirleisure by the bridge which had been strongly fortified against Edward.Careless confidence had lost Philip the advantage he might have gainedthrough clever generalship; he was now to see what he could do by forceof arms when he and Edward should stand face to face in their opposinghosts in the open field of battle.