CHAPTER NINE.
The two midshipmen rolled away down the hill at a very rapid rate, andthen, getting on their feet, rushed on through the brushwood, notminding how much they tore their clothes, and running no little risk ofscratching out their eyes. As yet no shouts had reached their ears,which they knew would have been the case had their flight beendiscovered. They had got so far that they did not mind speaking, andwere congratulating each other on escaping so well, when they heardseveral voices cry out, and some shots fired in rapid succession.
"That must be Reuben," cried Paul. "Oh, I hope that they haven't hithim."
"The first shot did not, or they wouldn't have fired others, and theywouldn't have fired at all had he not got to some distance before theyshouted, on discovering that he had escaped," observed O'Grady."However, as we cannot help him, we must push on, or we shall be retakenourselves."
Paul saw that his friend was right, though he did not like the idea, ashe thought it, of deserting Reuben.
"If he does not join us, we must send or come and look for him. He isnot likely to leave the shelter of the wood," he observed.
They spoke as they ran on, verging always to the right. They forded theshallow though rapid stream, found the road, and continued their flight,till they came to the remarkable old tree which had been described tothem. There was an entrance on one side into the interior.
"Up, up, Gerrard!" said O'Grady. "If we are pursued, they are certainto look in here, but I see a cavity, some way up, into which we may get,and the soldiers might look in and still not find us."
They climbed up. There was not room for both in one hole. FortunatelyPaul found another, and there they sat, as O'Grady said, like owls intheir nests, waiting for the cart. They heard voices--men shouting toeach other. They must be the soldiers still searching for them. Theycame nearer and nearer. There was a laugh and an oath. Paul heard aman say, "Ah! they must be in there--just the place for them to hidein."
He gave up all for lost. He drew in his legs, shut his eyes, and coiledhimself up in as small a space as possible, hoping that O'Grady would dothe same. He heard a man stop and lean against the tree, as if lookingin. Fortunately a cloud at that moment passed across the sun, andprevented the man from seeing the holes.
"No, they are not here--they must have gone the other way," shouted thesoldier.
"Then the sailor must have gone with them. It is strange--they musthave known the country. Such a thing could not have happened at anyother spot on the road."
"Very glad that we did not miss the opportunity," thought Paul."Reuben, too, has not yet been taken--that's a comfort."
They waited and waited. They were afraid to get out of their holes,lest their enemies should still be looking for them. At length, thewheels of a cart were heard in the distance. Paul, by climbing a littlehigher, could look out. It was a covered cart, driven by a man inwhite.
"All right," he said; "we must be prepared to jump in."
The cart came slower. They slid down, and a quick pair of eyes alonecould have detected them as they ran across the road, and, without aword, leaped into the cart. The driver did not even look behind him,but, as soon as he heard Paul whisper _Nous sommes ici_, he lashed hishorse and drove on faster than ever.
"Miss Rosalie is a brick," whispered O'Grady, as he and Paul crept undersome sheepskins which the cart contained. "Hasn't she done the thingbeautifully?"
They drove on rapidly for many miles. Of course they had not theslightest notion where they were going. Paul was chiefly anxious aboutReuben, while O'Grady feared, as they were going so far away, that theymight not meet Rosalie. Still, they were not very unhappy, thoughrather hot under the sheepskins. They would, however, have gone throughgreater inconvenience for the sake of gaining their liberty. At last,passing through a forest, the trees of which had lost most of theirbranches, lopped off for firewood, they reached an old grey chateau,with high pointed slate roof, and no end of towers and turrets, andgable ends, and excrescences of all sorts. The cart drove into a pavedcourt-yard, on two sides of which were outhouses or offices. Theentrance-gate was then shut, and the driver backed the cart against asmall door on one side. Not a soul appeared, and he did not shout forany one to come and help him. Pulling out the skins, he whispered,_Descendez, mes amis_--_vite, vite_; and Paul, pulling O'Grady by thearm, they jumped out, still covered by the skins, and ran through theopen door. Had any curious eyes been looking out of any of the windowsof the chateau, they could scarcely have been seen. They were in apassage, leading on one side to a sort of store-room, but the man toldthem to turn to the left, and to go on till they came to a door, wherethey were to wait till some one came to let them through.
"What fun," whispered O'Grady. "I delight in an adventure, and thiswill prove one and no mistake. We shall have some old woman coming andshutting us up in an apple-loft or a ghost-haunted chamber, or someplace of that sort. It may be weeks before we get to the coast, andsomething new turning up every day. I wouldn't have missed it foranything."
He was running on in this style when the door opened, and Miss Rosalieherself appeared, with a countenance which showed how pleased she feltat the success of her arrangements. O'Grady was, at first, quite takenaback at seeing her, and then very nearly bestowed a kiss and an embraceon her in the exuberance of his delight. Whether she would have foundgreat fault with him it is impossible to say; she merely said, "I mustnot stop to listen here to what you have to tell me--but come along towhere we shall not be interrupted, and then I will gladly hear all thathas happened."
She forthwith led them up by a winding stair to the top of one of thetowers, where there was a small room with very narrow windows.
"There you will be safe enough," she remarked, "for if you were to lookout of the casement, no one could see you from below, and it will bepleasanter than being shut up in a cellar or a lumber-room, where, ifanybody came to search the chateau, they would be sure to look for you.See, too," she added, "there are further means of hiding yourselves--forwe cannot be too cautious in these sad times. Here is a panel. Itslides on one side, and within you will find a ladder, which leads to aspace between the ceiling and the roof. You might there manage to existfor some days--not very pleasantly, but securely at all events."
The ceiling was pointed the shape of the roof, and it was difficult tosuppose that there could be space sufficient between the two to admit aperson. Rosalie, however, pulled aside the panel and showed the ladder,that there might be no mistake. She charged them also not to leaveanything about which might betray them. "If I were to tell you all wehave gone through, you would not be surprised at my caution," sheremarked.
She then inquired about the sailor they hoped would have accompaniedthem. Paul told her that he believed Reuben had escaped from theguards, and was probably still lurking about in the same neighbourhood.
"We will send and try to find him," she answered at once. "Our faithfulold servant will undertake the work. Here, write on a slip of paperthat he is to follow the bearer and do whatever he is told. It isimportant to find him before night, as he might otherwise, growinghungry, come out of his hiding-place in search of food, and bediscovered. I will tell our worthy Jaques to sing out his name as hedrives along, and perhaps that may draw him from his lair. What is it?"
Paul told her. "Oh, that is a very good name to pronounce,--Rubicole!Rubicole! Jaques can cry out that very well."
So away she went, leaving the midshipmen to their own reflections--O'Grady more in love than ever. As they had nothing to do, they lookedthrough the window, and saw the cart which had brought them drivingrapidly away. Rosalie came back soon afterwards with a very nice dinneron a tray. She said that she alone would attend on them, for though shecould safely trust the people in the house, the fewer who knew that theywere there the better. The chateau, she told them, belonged to heruncle, a Royalist, a fine old gentleman, who had nearly lost his life inthe Revolution. She had come over that day, as had p
reviously beenarranged, to attend on her uncle, who was ill, and would, therefore, beunable to see them, but hoped to do so before their departure. Sheconcluded that they were in no great hurry to be off.
"Not in the slightest, tell her," exclaimed O'Grady, when Paul explainedwhat she had said: "we are as happy as bees in a sugar-bason."
Rosalie did not object to stay and talk with the midshipmen, but she hadher uncle to attend on. She told them that she would close a door atthe bottom of the turret steps; when opened, it would cause a small bellto ring in the room, and that the instant they should hear it, they wereto retreat by the panel and take refuge in the roof. She againcautioned them not to leave anything in the room which might betraythem; and having placed a jug of water, a bottle of wine, and some breadand cheese in the recess, she carefully brushed up the crumbs, andcarried the tray with her down-stairs.
"Well, she is first-rate," cried O'Grady; "she's so sensible and pretty.I don't care who knows it--I say she'll make a capital wife."
"I dare say she will," said Paul. He did not think it prudent to makeany further remark on the subject.
Having exhausted the subject of Miss Rosalie, and declared fully fiftytimes over that she was the most charming person alive, Paddy relapsedinto silence. They waited hour after hour for the return of the cart,hoping that it might bring in Reuben. At last they rolled themselves upin their blankets and went to sleep. Rosalie had brought them in withpillows, and reminded them that they must drag the whole up with theminto the roof, if they heard the bell ring. When Rosalie appeared thenext morning, she said that Jaques had returned, but that he had seennothing of the English sailor.
Several days passed by, and at last Rosalie said that her uncle would bewell enough, she hoped, to visit them on the following day. They wouldhave found their time pass somewhat heavily, had not she frequentlyvisited them. She also brought them a French book, and, with it toassist him, Paul set to work to teach O'Grady French. Rosalie, when shecame in, corrected his pronunciation, which was not always correct.O'Grady learnt very rapidly, and he declared that he thought it was apity that they should not remain where they were till he was perfect.
"You see, Gerrard," he observed, "we are living here free of expense.It's very pleasant, and we are not idling our time."
Paul, however, who was not in love, though he thought Rosalie a veryamiable young lady, insisted that it was their duty to get back toEngland as fast as they could. He also wished to see his mother andsisters, and to put them out of their anxiety about him. At last hetold O'Grady that he wouldn't help him any longer to learn French if hedid not put such foolish notions out of his head, and that he was verysure without him he would never get on. Paddy had sense enough to seethat he must knock under, and that Paul was, in reality, the better manof the two. They were to see _Mon Oncle_, as Rosalie always called theowner of the chateau, on the following day. They were not allowed tohave a light in the turret, lest it should betray them; so, as soon asit was dark, they went to sleep. The weather outside was unpleasant,for it was blowing and raining hard. They had not long coiledthemselves up in their respective corners, when there was a loudknocking at the chief door of the chateau, the noise resounding throughthe passages up to their turret.
"Some benighted travellers seeking shelter from the storm," observedO'Grady. "I am glad that we are not out going across country in such anight as this."
There was a pause, and again a loud knocking.
"Old Jaques is in no hurry to let in the strangers," observed Paul. "Hesuspects that these are not friends; we must keep our eyes open.Remember what Rosalie told us."
"Ay, ay, mate, I am not likely to forget what she says," answered Paddy,who had not quite got over his feeling of annoyance with Paul.
They listened attentively. Those outside were at length admitted, theyfancied; but, further than that, they could make out nothing. Theywaited all ready to jump up and run into their hiding-place, for theywere persuaded that this evening visit had reference to them. Theyheard doors slamming and strange sounds produced by the blast rushingthrough the passages and windows.
"Yes, I am certain that there is a search going on in the house,"whispered O'Grady. "I hope _Mon Oncle_ won't get into a scrape on ouraccount, or dear Rosalie," (he had got to call her "dear" by this time.)"Hark! how the wind roars and whistles."
There was a door banged not far from the foot of the stairs; it made thewhole tower shake. They were silent for a minute, when a bell tinkled.Before it had ceased to vibrate, the midshipmen had started up, and,seizing their bed-clothes, had rushed to the panel. They startedthrough and closed it behind them, but only just in time, for the dooropened as the panel closed. What midshipmen were ever in a moredelightful situation? They were not frightened a bit, and only wishedthat they could find some crevice through which they could get a look atthe intruders, and O'Grady regretted that they had not a brace or two ofpistols with which they could shoot them. They sprang up the ladderonly as cats or midshipmen could do, and had placed themselves on theroof, when they heard the clank of sabres and spurs, and the tread ofheavy men, and a gleam of light came through a crevice in the woodenceiling. It was close to Paul's head, and looking down he saw threegendarmes peering round and round the room. They were evidently atfault, however. Behind them stood old Jaques with a lantern from whichhe sent the light into every corner of the room. There was a book onthe table, and a chair near it.
"Who reads here?" asked one of the men.
"My young mistress, of course," answered Jaques, promptly.
"She said just now that she was here to attend on her uncle," remarkedthe gendarmes.
"So she is, and good care she takes of the old gentleman; but he sleepssometimes, so I relieve her," returned Jaques. "She is fond ofsolitude."
"That is a pity; I should like to keep her company," said the gendarme,with a grin, which made O'Grady clench his fist, and Jaques lookindignant. The man put the book under his arm, and having been unableto discover anything apparently, ordered his companions to fallow himdown-stairs. O'Grady was for descending into the room at once fromtheir uncomfortable position; but Paul held him back, observing thatthey had not heard the door at the foot of the stairs shut, and thatthey might easily be surprised. He advised that they should asnoiselessly as possible take their bed-clothes up to the roof, and sleepthere, however uncomfortable it might be to do so.
"Not for our own sakes alone, but for that of Rosalie and _Mon Oncle_,we are bound in honour to do so."
That settled the question--fortunately--for before long the door openedsoftly, and one of the gendarmes crept in on tip-toe. He crept roundand round the room with a lantern in his hand, like a terrier huntingfor a rat which he is sure has his hole thereabouts. O'Grady had goneto sleep, and had begun to snore. Happily he had ceased just as the manappeared.
Paul was afraid that he would begin again, and he dared not touch himlest he should cry out. He leaned over towards him till he could reachhis ear, and then whispered, "Don't stir, for your life!"
O'Grady pressed his hand to show that he heard. He moved his head backto the chink. Had he made any noise, the storm would have prevented itsbeing heard. The gendarme was not yet satisfied. He ran his sword intoevery hole and crevice he could find, and attacked several of thepanels. For the first time Paul began to fear that they should bediscovered. As yet he had passed over the moving panel. He began togrind his teeth in a rage, and to utter numerous "_sacres_" and otheruncouth oaths, and at last made a furious dig close to the panel. Hisweapon, however, instead of going through the wood, encountered a massof stone, and broke short off. The accident increased his rage, andproduced numerous additional _sacres_, and, which was of moreconsequence, made him trudge down-stairs again, convinced that there wasno hole in which even a rat could be concealed. He slammed the doorafter him; but Paul, suspecting that this might be a trick, persuadedO'Grady to remain where they were.
The night passed on, and both midshipm
en fell asleep. When they awokethey saw that daylight was streaming full into the room below them,though it was dark up in the roof; still they wisely would not stir, forthey felt sure that, as soon as the gendarmes were fairly away, Rosaliewould come to them and bring them their breakfast.
"I hope she may," observed Paddy, "for I am very peckish."
Paul thought that he could not be so very desperately in love.
At last they heard the tramp of horses' hoofs, and about a quarter of anhour afterwards, though they thought it much longer, Rosalie appearedwith a tray, with coffee, and eggs, and bread, and other substantialfare. They were down the ladder in a twinkling, and warmly expressingtheir thanks. They did not require much pressing to set to; indeed,O'Grady had begun to cast ravenous glances at the viands alternately,with affectionate ones towards her, while Paul was translating what hedesired him to say. She looked very pale, and told them that she hadbeen very anxious, though the gendarmes had come, not to look for them,but for a political criminal, a royalist of rank, who had been concealedin the chateau, but had fortunately escaped. About noon she came backwith a very nice old gentleman, a perfect picture of a French man ofrank of the old school--buckles, knee-breeches, flowered waistcoat, bag,wig, and all. She introduced him as _Mon Oncle_. He at once began totalk with Paul, and soon became communicative.
"I once had two brave boys," he said. "I have lost both of them. Oneperished at sea; the other has been desperately wounded fighting in acause he detests; yet he was dragged away without the power of escaping.I scarcely expect to see him again; but if he recovers, my prayer isthat he may be taken prisoner, for I am sure that he will be kindlytreated by the brave English people. That is one of the reasons that Idesire to help you. I have other reasons. One is, that I hope throughthe English the cause I espouse may triumph. I am sorry to say,however, that my chateau is no longer a safe abode for you. It will besubject to frequent visits from the police, and I myself may be draggedaway with all my domestics, when you must either starve or bediscovered."
The midshipmen agreed to the wisdom of this, and Paul, after thankingthe old gentleman again and again for the refuge he had afforded them,said that they thought with him that it would be wise for them to startimmediately on their journey to the north. They had consulted withRosalie how they were to proceed, and they thought with her that theymight make their way dressed as country lads from some place in thesouth of France where a patois was spoken scarcely known in the north;that he, Paul, was to act as spokesman, and that O'Grady was to pretendto be deaf and dumb. As a reason for their journey, Paul was to statethat their father was a sailor, and that they had heard he was lyingwounded at some place on the coast, and wanted to see them before hedied.
This story, it must be understood, was concocted by Miss Rosalie, whoseactive fingers had been engaged night and day for nearly a week inmaking the costumes for the two midshipmen. They had reason to bethankful to her. The day was spent in preparing for the journey. Theclothes fitted beautifully. Rosalie said that she did not know she wasso good a tailor. The difficulty was to make them look sufficientlyworn. Rosalie suggested, however, that they were to be the grandsons ofa small farmer of a respectable class, by whom they had been brought up,and that therefore they would be well clothed, with some little money intheir pockets. She had also fastened up in two belts some gold andsilver coins, all the little money she possessed, and she told them thatthey must take it and repay her when they could. O'Grady, who fullyintended to come back, had no hesitation about accepting the money, butPaul wished that they could manage without it; however, he yielded whenthe former observed, "You don't suppose that we can get on without moneyin France more than in any other country, and if we intend to starve wehad better have remained prisoners."
In the afternoon Jaques drove the cart into the court-yard, and backedit up to the door by which they had entered. Rosalie came up to themidshipmen; her eyes were red with crying; still she looked very pretty.
"I have come to tell you that it is time for you to go; you will followout the directions you have received as nearly as possible."
It had been arranged that they should go on in the cart till dark, andthen walk as far as they could on foot during the night, concealingthemselves in some secluded spot in the day-time. If they werediscovered, they were to plead fatigue for resting; they were not tocourt observation, though they were not to dread it, if it could not beavoided. They were, however, on no account to enter a town, by night orby day, if they could help it. No one, indeed, could have arranged amore perfect plan than Miss Rosalie had done. There's nothing like thewits of an honest clear-sighted woman when people are in trouble, to getthem out of it.
Rosalie had provided them with wallets well filled with food, so thatthey need not for some days stop at any village to procure food--not,indeed, till they were well to the north of the line of road the Brestprisoners passed.
Both the midshipmen were very, very sorry at having to part fromRosalie, and O'Grady felt more in love with her than ever; still theymust be away. Her uncle gave them a kind embrace, and she accompaniedthem down-stairs, and kissing them both as if they were young brothersgoing to school, hurried them into the cart. It was loaded with sacksof corn going to the mill to be ground, with several span new sacks tofill with flour. There was a clear space formed by placing two sacksacross two others, with the empty sacks thrown over the inner end. Intothis they crept. They could look out from behind the loose sacks, andas the cart drove out of the court-yard they could see Rosalie watchingthem with her apron to her eyes. They drove rapidly on, though morethan once Jaques stopped and talked to some one, and then on he went atthe same pace as before. One man asked for a lift, but he laughed andsaid, that the cart was already laden heavily enough with so many sacksof wheat, and that it would break down if a burly fellow like thespeaker were to get into it, or the horse would refuse to go. It wasgetting dark, but the sky was clear, and as they could see the stars bywhich to steer, they had little doubt that they should find their way.Jaques drew up in a solitary spot a little off the read.
"Farewell, young gentlemen, farewell!" he said, as he helped them to getfrom under the sacks: "may you reach your native land in safety. Gostraight along that road; you will make good way before the morning. Iwish that I could go further with you, but I dare not. Farewell,farewell!" Saying this, he shook them by the hand, and giving them agentle shove on in the direction they were to take, as if his heartlonged to go with them, he jumped into the cart and drove rapidly away.
They now felt for the first time how helpless they were, and thedifficulty of their undertaking; but they were brave lads, and quicklyagain plucked up courage. They had been provided with sticks, andtrudged on boldly. Mile after mile of dusty road, up and down hill, andalong dead flats, were traversed.
"It will make us sleep all the sounder," observed O'Grady, who had ahappy facility for making the best of everything. "If we were at seanow we should have to be pacing the deck with a cold breeze in ourteeth, and maybe an occasional salt shower-bath."
Paul agreed, though they were not sorry when daylight came and warnedthem to look out for a resting-place. They saw a forest some way fromthe high road, and, going into it, before long discovered numerous pilesof wood prepared for burning.
"They are not likely to be removed for some time," observed O'Grady; "ifthey do, they will begin on the outer ones, and we shall have time todecamp. Let's make ourselves some nests inside; see, there is plenty ofdry grass, and we shall sleep as comfortable as on beds of down."
By removing some of the logs the work was easily accomplished, and noone outside would have observed what they had done. They crept in, andwere very soon fast asleep. They awoke perfectly rested, and preparedto resume their journey; but on looking out they found that it was notmuch past noon, and that they had the greater part of the day to wait.This they did not at all like. O'Grady was for pushing on in spite oftheir first resolutions; Paul wished to remain p
atiently till theevening. No one had come to remove the wood, so that they were notlikely to be disturbed. As they were hungry they ate some dinner,emptying their bottle of wine, and then tried to go to sleep again--nota difficult task for midshipmen.
Paul, after some time, was awoke by hearing some one singing. Hetouched O'Grady's arm. They listened. The words were English, and theyboth had an idea that they knew the voice. The singer appeared to benear, and employed in removing the logs of wood. Paul slowly lifted uphis head. A shout and an expression indicative of astonishment escapedfrom the singer, who stood, like one transfixed, gazing at Paul. Theshout made O'Grady lift up his head, and they had ample time tocontemplate the strange figure before them. His dress was of the mostextraordinary patchwork, though blue and white predominated. On hishead, instead of a hat, he wore a wisp of straw, secured by ahandkerchief; his feet were also protected by wisps of straw, and roundhis waist he wore a belt with an axe stuck in it. Altogether, he didnot look like a man possessed with much of this world's wealth. Themidshipmen looked at him, and he looked at the midshipmen, for a minuteor more without speaking.
"It is--no it isn't--yes it is!" exclaimed the man at length. "Why,young gentlemen, is it really you? you looks so transmogrified, I forone shouldn't have known you!"
"What, Reuben Cole, is it really you? I may ask," cried Paul, springingout of his lair, and shaking him by the hand, followed by O'Grady."This is a fortunate meeting."
"Why, that's as it may turn out; but how did you come to look likethat?"
Paul told him, and then put the same question to him.
"Why, do ye see, when I got away from our Jennydams, I found a hole inthe hillside close under where I jumped off the road. Thinks I tomyself, if I tumbles in here, they'll all go pelting away down the hillthrough the wood, leaving me snug; and so they did. I heard themhalloing, and cursing, and swearing at one another, and I all the timefelt just like an old fox in his cover till they'd gone away on theirroad wondering where I'd gone. I then started up and ran down the hilljust in time to see a cart driven by a man in white. I shouted, but hedidn't hear me, and so I hoped it would be all right for you, at allevents. Then I went back to my hole, and thinks I to myself, if I goeswandering about in this guise I'll sure to be taken: so I remembers thatI'd got in my pocket the housewife my old mother gave me, and which therascally privateer's-men hadn't stolen; so out I takes it and sets towork to make up my clothes in a new fashion. I couldn't make myselfinto a mounseer--little or big--by no manner of means, so I justtransmogrified my clothes as you see them, that I mightn't be like arunaway prisoner. It took me two days before I was fit to be seen--pretty smart work; and that's how the servant the old gentleman sent outmissed me. At last I set out for the sea; but I was very hungry, and Ican't say if I'd fallen in with a hen-roost what I'd have done. I gotsome nuts and fruit though, enough to keep body and soul together.Three days I wandered on, when I found myself in this very wood. I wasgetting wickedly hungry, and I was thinking I must go out and beg, whenI sees a cart and a man coming along, so I up and axes him quite civillyif he'd a bit of a dinner left for a poor fellow. I was taken all abackwith astonishment when he speaks to me in English, and tells me thathe'd been some months in a prison across the Channel, and knows ourlingo, and that he was treated so kindly that he'd sworn he'd never beararms against us again, if he could help it. With that he gives me somebread and cheese and wine, and when his day's work was over he takes meto his house, at the borders of the forest, near a village. As Iwouldn't eat the bread of idleness, I offered to help him, and as I canhandle an axe with most men, I have been working away ever since as awood-cutter. Now I know that if you'll come with me to his cottage,he'll gladly give you lodging and food as long as you like to stay, andthen, of course, I must pack up and be off with you."
The midshipmen told Reuben how glad they were to find him, though theyagreed that by his travelling on with them their difficulties would besomewhat increased, as they were puzzled to know what character he couldassume. He was so thoroughly the English sailor that even his very walkwould betray him.
He acknowledged this; but after scratching his head for five minutes,and giving sundry tugs at his rather curious-looking breeches, heexclaimed: "I've hit it. I'll go on crutches and follow in your wake;when no one is looking I'll make play, and I'll keep up with you, I'llwarrant. If I'm axed who I am, I'll pretend that I'm a 'Talian, or someother furriner, who can't speak the French lingo, and just make allsorts of gabblifications. Just you leave it to me, young gentlemen, ifyou'll let me come with you."
Though there was considerable risk in the plan, the midshipmen couldthink of no other. They agreed to go to the wood-cutter's hut, and if,after talking the matter over, they could not improve on Reuben's plan,to start the following evening. Having assisted him to load his cart,they set forward at once. The path led them for most of the way throughthe forest. It was still broad daylight when they approached thecottage. It stood at the edge of a green, on which a number ofvillagers were seen collected. They were themselves perceived beforethey had time to retreat, which it would have been wise for them, theyfelt, to do.
"Let us put a bold face on the matter and go forward!" exclaimedO'Grady. "Reuben, go on with the cart; we had better have nothing tosay to you at present."
They at once walked on towards the villagers without exhibiting anymarks of hesitation. Reuben looked after them with as indifferent anair as he could assume, as he drove his cart up to the woodman'scottage.
"I see a high road; let us turn towards it, and walk along it as if wewere not going to stop at the village," observed Paul; "we may thusavoid questions, and we may come back to the wood-cutter's when it isdark; Reuben will prepare him for our appearance."
O'Grady agreed to this plan, and they were walking along pretty briskly,hoping to pass an auberge, or inn, at the side of the road, when theaubergiste, or inn-keeper, who happened to be in very good humour afterhis evening potations, caught sight of them, and shouted out, "Come in,come in, mes garcons! there is no other auberge in the place, and youwould not pass by the house of Francois le Gros!" And he patted hiswell-stuffed-out ribs, for there are fat Frenchmen as well as fatEnglishmen.
Thus appealed to, the midshipmen thought it wiser to go up to the man,and Paul told him that as they had very little money, they preferredstopping out at night when the weather was fine.
"That will never do," cried honest Francois. "Tell me all aboutyourselves, and you shall have board and lodging free. Numerous greatpeople stop here, and so does the diligence, and as I am patronised byall around, I can afford at times to help young wayfarers likeyourselves."
Paul, anxious especially to avoid so public a place as an inn, made moreexcuses. While he was speaking the landlord looked very hard at him.Several other villagers did the same.
"Why, you do not look very like what you say you are!" he exclaimed."Come nearer, and let me have a better look at you."
"Thank you," said Paul; "if you don't believe me, I won't ask you to doso; but let us go on, and we will not trouble you."
This speech did not satisfy the landlord, and several disagreeableremarks were made by the bystanders. Altogether, matters were lookingvery bad, when the attention of the villagers was called off by thesound of the loud cracks of whips, the tramping of horses, the rumblingof wheels, and the appearance of a cloud of dust, out of which emerged ahuge lumbering vehicle with a vast hood in front, a long big bodycovered with boxes and baskets, and drawn by six horses, governed by twopostillions dressed in huge jack boots, cocked hats, and gold-lacedcoats. They dashed up to the inn with as much clatter and noise as theycould make. More of the villagers collected; and while the horses werebeing brought out, and the landlord was engaged in attending to hiscustomers, O'Grady whispered to Paul that he thought they might possiblyslip out of the crowd unobserved; and while some of the villagers had tomove out of the way of the released horses, they moved round on theother side of the diligenc
e and walked rapidly along the road.
At that moment Francois had come out with a jug of wine for an oldgentleman in the inside, and as he was returning, his eye fell on thefugitives. His suspicions now increased; he shouted to some of hiscronies to make chase and bring them back. As the villagers were makingholiday and had nothing to do, a dozen or more set off in chase.
"I wish that we hadn't tried to get away," said Paul. "Let's go backboldly, and say that we hoped to get on to the next village; but as theyare determined to keep us, we will stay with them."
They, however, had barely time to turn before their pursuers were uponthem; and in no very happy state of mind they were dragged back to thevillage. They came in sight of the inn just as the diligence had drivenoff. One passenger had remained behind, who stood watching them with alook of considerable interest while the landlord was describing to himhow they had made their appearance, and expressing his opinion that theywere no better than they should be.