Latest / In the Reign of Terror: The Adventures of a Westminster Boy / 14 - In the Reign of Terror: The Adventures of a Westminster Boy by G A Henty

Transcript

14 - In the Reign of Terror: The Adventures of a Westminster Boy by G A Henty · In the Reign of Terror: The Adventures of a Westminster Boy

0:01
Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen in the Hands of the Reds. The next morning,
0:06
Speaker 1: Harry went out, as usual immediately after breakfast for a
0:09
Speaker 1: walk for two or three hours. This he did partly
0:12
Speaker 1: to allow the girls to tidy the rooms, an office
0:15
Speaker 1: which had naturally fallen to them since the commencement of
0:18
Speaker 1: their nurse's illness, partly because in active exercise he found
0:23
Speaker 1: some relief from the burden of his anxieties. Today he
0:27
Speaker 1: felt more anxious than ever. The conversation with Marthe Pitchin
0:31
Speaker 1: had afforded good crowds of hope that in a day
0:34
Speaker 1: or two a fair prospect of escape would be open
0:37
Speaker 1: to them, but this only seemed to make the present
0:39
Speaker 1: anxiety all the sharper. The woman had promised to get
0:42
Speaker 1: disguises and make the arrangements for their friends at the
0:45
Speaker 1: village below during the course of the day, and by night,
0:48
Speaker 1: if all went well, they might start. He told himself
0:51
Speaker 1: that he had no reason for supposing that the vague
0:54
Speaker 1: suspicions which were he knew afloat would suddenly be converted
0:58
Speaker 1: into action. He determined to take his place that afternoon
1:02
Speaker 1: with the committee as usual, and endeavored to allay their
1:05
Speaker 1: doubts by assuming a violent attitude. He felt, however, that
1:09
Speaker 1: the day would be more trying than any he has passed,
1:12
Speaker 1: and that he would give a great deal if the
1:14
Speaker 1: next twenty four hours was over scarcely. Heeding where he
1:18
Speaker 1: walked no longer than usual, and it was nearly three
1:21
Speaker 1: hours after he started before he approached the town again
1:24
Speaker 1: by the road along the river bank. Just when he
1:27
Speaker 1: came to the first houses, a woman who was standing
1:30
Speaker 1: there knitting, came up to him. You are the citizen
1:33
Speaker 1: who lives with the two sisters next door to let
1:36
Speaker 1: Marie Pichon, Are you not, Harry? As scented hurriedly with
1:41
Speaker 1: a strange presentment of evil, La mere Pichamp bids me
1:44
Speaker 1: tell you. The woman said that half an hour after
1:47
Speaker 1: you started this morning, six men with an official with
1:50
Speaker 1: a red scarf came to the house and arrested your
1:53
Speaker 1: sisters and carried them off. They are watching wait there
1:57
Speaker 1: for your return. Harry stabbed struck by a blow, poor
2:02
Speaker 1: young man, the woman said, compassionately, seeing the ghastly pollow
2:05
Speaker 1: of his face. But I pity you. The street is
2:08
Speaker 1: furious that these riches should have carried off that sweet
2:11
Speaker 1: young creature who was so good to everyone, But what
2:14
Speaker 1: could we do? We hissed the men, and we would
2:16
Speaker 1: have helped them had we not been afraid of striking
2:19
Speaker 1: your sisters. When they had gone to La Marie Pichon
2:22
Speaker 1: said to us, the best thing we could do for
2:24
Speaker 1: that angel is to save her brother from being caught. Also,
2:27
Speaker 1: so do one of you post yourself on each road
2:30
Speaker 1: leading to the house and warn him in time. He
2:33
Speaker 1: generally walks beyond the town. I heard one of his
2:36
Speaker 1: sisters say so. So some of us came out of
2:38
Speaker 1: the roads, and two remained, one at each of the
2:41
Speaker 1: street in case we should miss you. La Marie said,
2:44
Speaker 1: whoever met you was to tell you to be on
2:46
Speaker 1: this road by the river, just outside the town after dark,
2:50
Speaker 1: and she would bring you some clothes and take you
2:52
Speaker 1: where you would be safe. But till then you were
2:55
Speaker 1: to go away again and keep far from the town.
2:58
Speaker 1: Do you understand, she asked, her hand on his arm,
3:01
Speaker 1: for he seemed dazed and stupid with a shock he
3:04
Speaker 1: had received. I understand, he said, in a low voice,
3:08
Speaker 1: Thank you all for your warning. Yes, I will be
3:11
Speaker 1: here in the evening, so saying, he turned and moved away,
3:16
Speaker 1: walking unsteadily as if he were drunk. The woman looked
3:19
Speaker 1: after him pityingly, and then, shaking her head and muttering
3:22
Speaker 1: executions about the reds, she made her way home to
3:26
Speaker 1: tell Marie Pichon that she had fulfilled her mission. Harry
3:30
Speaker 1: walked on slowly until some distance from the town, and
3:33
Speaker 1: then threw himself down on a bank by the road,
3:36
Speaker 1: and lay for a time, silent and despairing. At last
3:39
Speaker 1: tears came to his relief, and his broad shoulders shook
3:43
Speaker 1: with a passion of sobbing. To think that, just at
3:45
Speaker 1: the moment, when the chance of escape was opened, just
3:48
Speaker 1: when all the dangers seemed nearly passed, the girl should
3:51
Speaker 1: have fallen into the hands of the enemy, and he
3:53
Speaker 1: not there to strike a blow in their defense. To
3:56
Speaker 1: think of Genny, his bright, fearless sheen, and clinging little
4:01
Speaker 1: Virgenny in the hands of these human tigers. It was maddening.
4:06
Speaker 1: But after a time the passion of weeping calm down,
4:09
Speaker 1: and Harry sat up. Suddenly. I am a fool, he said,
4:12
Speaker 1: as he rose to his feet, A nice sort of
4:15
Speaker 1: fellow for a protector, and lying here crying like a girl.
4:19
Speaker 1: When I had begun to fancy I was a man
4:21
Speaker 1: wasting my time here when I know the only hope
4:24
Speaker 1: for the girls is for me to keep myself free
4:26
Speaker 1: to help them. I need not lose all hope. Yet,
4:30
Speaker 1: after Marie has been saved, why shouldn't I save Jenny.
4:33
Speaker 1: I am better off than I was then, for we
4:36
Speaker 1: have friends who will help these women, whose hearts Jenny
4:39
Speaker 1: has won, will aid if they can, and may get
4:42
Speaker 1: some of their husbands and brothers to aid. The battle
4:45
Speaker 1: is not lost yet, and Jennie will know. I shall
4:48
Speaker 1: move heaven and earth the safer. Harry's fit of crying,
4:51
Speaker 1: unmanly as he felt it, had afforded him an immense relief,
4:55
Speaker 1: for he hardly knew himself how great the strain had
4:57
Speaker 1: been upon him of late, and with a more elastic
4:59
Speaker 1: s depth, he strode away into the country and for
5:03
Speaker 1: hours walked on, revolving plan after plan in his mind
5:07
Speaker 1: for rescuing the girls. Although nothing very plausible had occurred
5:10
Speaker 1: to him, he felt brighter in mind the wearying body, when,
5:15
Speaker 1: just after nightfall he again approached the spot where he
5:18
Speaker 1: had the morning received so heavy a blow. He was
5:21
Speaker 1: not disheartened at the difficulty before him. Before he knew
5:25
Speaker 1: that he should have some time yet to hilt upon
5:27
Speaker 1: a plan, and the jails were so crowded with the
5:30
Speaker 1: prisoners that he might fairly reckon upon weeks before there
5:33
Speaker 1: was any actual necessity for action, Marthe Pichamp was waiting
5:37
Speaker 1: for him. Ah, monsieur, she began, But this is a
5:40
Speaker 1: terrible day. Oh. If I had but known a day
5:44
Speaker 1: or two earlier, they could have moved in time. And
5:46
Speaker 1: now they are in the power of those wolves. But
5:49
Speaker 1: we will try to save them. We have been talking
5:51
Speaker 1: it over. We will all go to the tribunal and
5:54
Speaker 1: we will take our husbands and our children with us,
5:56
Speaker 1: and we will demand the release. We will not let
5:59
Speaker 1: them be murder. And now here are the clothes, but
6:02
Speaker 1: you need not put them on. Now. There will be
6:04
Speaker 1: a boat here in a few minutes. We have told
6:06
Speaker 1: some of the sailors how they've misjudged you, and how
6:08
Speaker 1: they are sorry. Now it is too late. Now they
6:11
Speaker 1: would not listen to you when you spoke to them. However,
6:15
Speaker 1: they will do all they can for you. I have
6:17
Speaker 1: sent a message by a boy to my sister to
6:19
Speaker 1: say that I shall be down this evening, so they
6:22
Speaker 1: will be expecting us. Ah, here's the boat. The splash
6:26
Speaker 1: of oars was heard, and the boat rowed along close
6:28
Speaker 1: to the bank. Is that you, Pierre, It is sure enough,
6:32
Speaker 1: Marie Pichon is all all right, Yes, we're both here.
6:36
Speaker 1: And another minute the boat was rowed alongside and Harry
6:39
Speaker 1: and the woman got on board. There were a few
6:42
Speaker 1: words spoken as the two men rowed vigorously downstream. In
6:45
Speaker 1: three quarters of an hour, some lights were seen in
6:47
Speaker 1: the opposite bank, and the boat was headed towards them,
6:51
Speaker 1: and soon reached a little causeway. I shall not be
6:54
Speaker 1: more than twenty minutes, Marie Pichon said, as she got out.
6:58
Speaker 1: All right, we will wait, was the reply, And mounting
7:01
Speaker 1: the causeway, La Marge pichonp led the way to the
7:05
Speaker 1: farthest cottage in the little fishing village. A light was
7:09
Speaker 1: burning within, and lifting the latch, she entered, followed by Harry.
7:13
Speaker 1: A fisherman and his wife were sitting by the fire.
7:16
Speaker 1: Here's sister Henriette and brother Pierre Marthe said, you have
7:20
Speaker 1: heard from me how a dear angel who lived next
7:24
Speaker 1: door to me has nursed and tendered my little Julie,
7:26
Speaker 1: and blessed of the Virgin, brought her around for her illness.
7:30
Speaker 1: And those wretches, the Reds, have carried her off today
7:32
Speaker 1: with her sister, and you know what it is to
7:35
Speaker 1: fall into their hands. This is her brother, and I'm
7:38
Speaker 1: going to ask you to give him shelter. Let him
7:40
Speaker 1: stay here with you. I have bought him a suit
7:43
Speaker 1: of clothes with me, and no one will guess that
7:45
Speaker 1: he is the son of some comrade of yours. He
7:48
Speaker 1: will pay you well for sheltering him till we can
7:50
Speaker 1: put him on board Adolph's lugger and send him across
7:53
Speaker 1: the water. If it had not been for the Reds
7:55
Speaker 1: had come today, I should have brought his sisters with him.
7:58
Speaker 1: I was just starting with you when those wretches came
8:02
Speaker 1: and took them away. And it may be that they
8:04
Speaker 1: would pay a hundred crowns to you, and that is
8:07
Speaker 1: not a sum to be earned every day. No. Indeed,
8:12
Speaker 1: her sister said briskly, that will buy Pierre a new boat,
8:15
Speaker 1: and a good one, such as he can go out
8:17
Speaker 1: to see in Besides, as you say, after what his
8:20
Speaker 1: sister did for Julie, we are bound to help him.
8:23
Speaker 1: What do you say, Pierre. Pierre's face had expressed anything
8:26
Speaker 1: but satisfaction until the money was mentioned, but it then
8:29
Speaker 1: changed entirely. The times were bad, his boat was old
8:34
Speaker 1: and unseaworthy. A hundred crowns was a fortune to him.
8:37
Speaker 1: I versed my life often, he said, to earn five crowns.
8:41
Speaker 1: Therefore I do not say no to the offer. Monsieur,
8:44
Speaker 1: I accept for a hundred crowns. I will run the
8:47
Speaker 1: risk of keeping you here and your sisters too if
8:49
Speaker 1: they should come, until you can cross the water very well.
8:52
Speaker 1: Then Mark picked and said, that's settled. Now I shall
8:56
Speaker 1: be off at once. He will be watching the street
8:59
Speaker 1: from Monsieu tomorrow. When they find he has not come back,
9:02
Speaker 1: they will be asking questions. So the sooner I am back,
9:05
Speaker 1: the better. We cannot give you much accommodation, Monsieur, the
9:08
Speaker 1: fisherman said. There is only the loft upstairs, and for
9:11
Speaker 1: tonight the sails to sleep on. But we will try
9:14
Speaker 1: to make you more comfortable tomorrow. I cared nothing for comfort,
9:18
Speaker 1: Harry answered, so make no change for me. Just treat
9:21
Speaker 1: me as if I were what I shall seem to be,
9:23
Speaker 1: a young fisherman who has come to work with you
9:25
Speaker 1: for a bit. I will row with you and help
9:27
Speaker 1: you with your nets. Your sister has promised to send
9:30
Speaker 1: a boy every day with all the news she can gather. Now,
9:34
Speaker 1: if you have a piece of bread, I would gladly
9:35
Speaker 1: eat it, or I have touched nothing since breakfast. We
9:39
Speaker 1: can do better than that for you, the woman replied,
9:41
Speaker 1: and in a few minutes some fish were frying over
9:43
Speaker 1: the fire. Fortunately, the long hours he had been on
9:47
Speaker 1: his feet had thoroughly tired Harry out, and after eating
9:50
Speaker 1: his supper, he at once ascended to the loft, threw
9:53
Speaker 1: himself on the heap of sails, and in a few
9:55
Speaker 1: minutes will sound asleep. The next morning, he dressed himself
10:00
Speaker 1: in the fishermen's clothes with which he had been provided,
10:03
Speaker 1: and went downstairs. You will do, Pierre said, looking at him.
10:07
Speaker 1: But your hands and face are too white. But I
10:10
Speaker 1: was tanning my sales yesterday, and there's some other stuff
10:13
Speaker 1: left in the boiler. If you rub your hands and
10:15
Speaker 1: face with that, you will do well. Harry took the advice,
10:19
Speaker 1: and the effect was to give him the appearance of
10:21
Speaker 1: a lad whose face was bronzed by long exposure to
10:23
Speaker 1: the sea and air. You will pass anywhere, now, Pierre said, approvingly.
10:28
Speaker 1: I shall give out that you belong to Saint Nazaree,
10:31
Speaker 1: and are the son of a friend of mine whose
10:33
Speaker 1: fishing boat was lost in the last gale, and so
10:36
Speaker 1: you have come to work for a tign with me.
10:38
Speaker 1: No one would ask you any more. Besides, we are
10:41
Speaker 1: all comrades and hate the reds who have spoilt our
10:44
Speaker 1: trade by killing all our best customers, so if they
10:47
Speaker 1: come asking questions here, they won't get a word out
10:49
Speaker 1: of anyone. For ten days, Harry lived with the fisherman.
10:54
Speaker 1: A Dolph had returned to his lugger the day after
10:56
Speaker 1: his arrival there, and came over the next morning to
10:59
Speaker 1: see him. He said that it would be some little
11:02
Speaker 1: time before the lugger sailed again, but that if he
11:05
Speaker 1: was ready to start before she sailed, he would manage
11:07
Speaker 1: to procure him a passage and some other craft. He
11:10
Speaker 1: said that he had already been talking to some of
11:12
Speaker 1: the sailors on the wharfs, and they had promised to
11:14
Speaker 1: go to the tribunal when the girls were brought up
11:16
Speaker 1: before it, and that he would manage to get news
11:19
Speaker 1: from a friend employed in the prison when that would
11:22
Speaker 1: be Harry frequently went up to a boat in Nante's
11:25
Speaker 1: with Pierre with the fish they had caught. He had
11:28
Speaker 1: no fear of being recognized, and did not hesitate to land,
11:32
Speaker 1: though he seldom went far from the boat. Adolph was
11:35
Speaker 1: generally there, and he and two or three of his
11:38
Speaker 1: comrades who were in the secret always hailed him as
11:42
Speaker 1: an old acquaintance, so that had he the spies of
11:44
Speaker 1: the revolutionists been standing there, no suspicion that Harry was
11:48
Speaker 1: other than he seemed would have been entered into their minds.
11:52
Speaker 1: One evening, three weeks after Harry's arrival at the Hut,
11:57
Speaker 1: Adolf came in with his head bound up in a bandage.
12:00
Speaker 1: What is the matter, Adolf, Harry exclaimed, I have bad
12:03
Speaker 1: news for you, monsieur. I have learned this morning that
12:06
Speaker 1: Mademoiselle's were today to be brought before the tribunal. And
12:10
Speaker 1: we filled the hall with women, and two or three
12:12
Speaker 1: score of sailors. Mademoiselle's were brought out. The young ones
12:16
Speaker 1: seemed frightened, but the elder was as calm and brave
12:19
Speaker 1: as if she feared nothing. They were asked their names,
12:22
Speaker 1: and she said, I am Jeanie de Saint Cale, and
12:25
Speaker 1: this is my sister of Vugenie. We have committed no crime.
12:29
Speaker 1: Carrier himself was there, and he said, you are charged
12:32
Speaker 1: with being enemies of France, with being here in disguise
12:35
Speaker 1: and was trying to leave France contrary to the laws
12:38
Speaker 1: against immigration, and with being in company with one who,
12:42
Speaker 1: under false pretenses obtained admission to the Committee of Safety here.
12:46
Speaker 1: But who is an enemy and traitor to France? What
12:49
Speaker 1: do you say? I do not deny that we are
12:52
Speaker 1: in disguise, she said, in a clear voice, Nor do
12:55
Speaker 1: I deny that we should have escaped if we could.
12:58
Speaker 1: And as you treat us as enemies and our lives
13:00
Speaker 1: are in danger, I could not see that we were
13:03
Speaker 1: to blame in doing so. I deny that we are
13:06
Speaker 1: enemies of France, or that the gentleman who was with
13:09
Speaker 1: us was so. Either. He did not obtain a place
13:13
Speaker 1: on the committee by fraud, for he really is the
13:16
Speaker 1: secretary of Monsieur Rospierre, and he could not refuse the
13:19
Speaker 1: post when it was offered to him. Then we thought
13:22
Speaker 1: it was time to speak, and the woman cried out
13:25
Speaker 1: for mercy and said how good she had been to
13:27
Speaker 1: the poor, and we cried out too, And then Carrier
13:31
Speaker 1: got into a passion and said they were traitors and
13:33
Speaker 1: worthy of death, and that they should die. And we
13:36
Speaker 1: shadowed we would not have it, and broke into the
13:39
Speaker 1: tribunal and surrounded Mademoiselle's and then the guards rushed in
13:43
Speaker 1: and there was a fight. We beat them off and
13:45
Speaker 1: got outside, and then a regiment came up, and they
13:48
Speaker 1: were too strong for us, though we fought stoutly, I
13:52
Speaker 1: can tell you, for our blood was up, but it
13:54
Speaker 1: was no use. The dear ladies were captured again, and
13:58
Speaker 1: many of us got severe wounds. If the feeling was strong,
14:01
Speaker 1: I can tell you among the sailors when the news
14:04
Speaker 1: spread through the town, For some of the women got
14:06
Speaker 1: hurt too in the melee, and I think we could
14:09
Speaker 1: get five hundred men together to storm the jail. Harry
14:13
Speaker 1: was bitterly disappointed, for he had hoped that the intercession
14:16
Speaker 1: of the women might have availed with the judges, and
14:19
Speaker 1: doubtless would have done so had not Carriedey himself been present. However,
14:23
Speaker 1: he thanked the sailor warmly for the efforts he made,
14:26
Speaker 1: and gave him some money to distribute among the wounded,
14:29
Speaker 1: for he always carried half his money concealed in a
14:31
Speaker 1: belt under his clothes. The other half was hidden away
14:35
Speaker 1: under a board in his lodgings, so that in case
14:37
Speaker 1: of his being captured, the girls would still have funds
14:40
Speaker 1: available for their escape. As to the prospects of storming
14:43
Speaker 1: the jail, he did not feel sanguine. It was strongly guarded,
14:48
Speaker 1: and there were three regiments of troops in the town,
14:50
Speaker 1: and these could be brought up before the fishermen could
14:52
Speaker 1: force the strong defenses of the jail. However, as a
14:56
Speaker 1: last recourse, this might be attempted. Two days later, Adolph
15:01
Speaker 1: again returned and was obliged to confess in answer to
15:05
Speaker 1: Harry's inquiries that he feared the sailors as a body
15:07
Speaker 1: would not join the attempt. I can hardly blame them, monsieur,
15:11
Speaker 1: for though I myself would risk everything, and some of
15:14
Speaker 1: the others would do so too, it is a terrible
15:17
Speaker 1: thing for men with wives and families to brave the
15:19
Speaker 1: anger of these monsters. They would think nothing of putting
15:23
Speaker 1: us all to death. It isn't the fighting we're afraid of,
15:27
Speaker 1: though the odds are heavy against us, but it's the
15:30
Speaker 1: vengeance they would take afterwards, whether we happen to win
15:33
Speaker 1: or whether we didn't. I cannot blame them Harry said,
15:37
Speaker 1: as you say, even if they succeeded, there would be
15:39
Speaker 1: a terrible vengeance for it afterwards. No, if the girls
15:44
Speaker 1: are to be rescued, it must be by some other way.
15:47
Speaker 1: I have been quite so long because I hope that
15:49
Speaker 1: the intercession of the women would have saved them. As
15:52
Speaker 1: that has failed, I must set to work. I have
15:55
Speaker 1: thought of every method, but bribery seems the only chance.
15:58
Speaker 1: Will you speak to the man you know in the
16:00
Speaker 1: prison and sound him whether it would be possible to
16:03
Speaker 1: carry out any plan in that way? I will speak
16:06
Speaker 1: to him again, Adolf said, But I have already sounded him,
16:10
Speaker 1: and he said that there were so many guards of
16:12
Speaker 1: Jailer's that he feared it would be impossible. But I
16:15
Speaker 1: will try again. The next day, soon after dinner, Adolf
16:20
Speaker 1: came again, and there was a white, scared look upon
16:23
Speaker 1: his face, which filled Harry with alarm. What is it, Adolph?
16:27
Speaker 1: What is your news, monsieur? I can hardly tell it,
16:30
Speaker 1: Adof said, in a low, awe stricken voice. It's too
16:34
Speaker 1: awful even for these fiends. What is it, adolv tell
16:38
Speaker 1: me if they have been murdered. I will go straight
16:40
Speaker 1: to Nante's and kill Carrier the first time he leaves
16:43
Speaker 1: his house. Though they may tear me to pieces afterwards.
16:46
Speaker 1: They're not murdered yet, Adov said, But they ought to be,
16:49
Speaker 1: and everyone else. And this time the sailor sat down
16:52
Speaker 1: and cried like a child. At last, in answer to
16:56
Speaker 1: Harry's entreaties, he raised his head and told his story.
17:00
Speaker 1: The Revolutionary Committee had that day been down at the wharf.
17:03
Speaker 1: He had taken for the public service four old luggers
17:06
Speaker 1: past service, which were lying on the mud, and they
17:09
Speaker 1: had openly boasted that an end was going to be
17:12
Speaker 1: put to the aristocrats, that the guillotine was too slow,
17:16
Speaker 1: that the prison must be cleared, and that they were
17:19
Speaker 1: going to pack the aristocrats on board the luggers and
17:22
Speaker 1: sink them. Harry gave a cry of horror, in which
17:26
Speaker 1: the fisherman and his wife joined, the later pouring out
17:30
Speaker 1: vallible curses against Carrier and the reds. At first, his
17:35
Speaker 1: cry was silent. He sank down onto a low chair
17:38
Speaker 1: and sat there with his face hidden in his hands,
17:41
Speaker 1: for some minutes, while the fisherman and his wife poured
17:45
Speaker 1: question after question upon Adolf. Presently, Harry rose to his
17:50
Speaker 1: feet and saying to Adolf, do not go away. I
17:52
Speaker 1: shall be back presently. I must think by myself. Went
17:56
Speaker 1: out bareheaded to the night. It was half an hour
18:00
Speaker 1: before he returned. Now, Adolf, he said, I can think again. Now,
18:07
Speaker 1: how are they to be saved? I cannot say, Monsieur
18:10
Speaker 1: Adolf said, hesitingly. It does not seem to me they
18:14
Speaker 1: have to be saved. Harry interrupted him, in a grave,
18:18
Speaker 1: steady voice. The question is how, Yes, Monsieur Adolf agreed hesitingly,
18:25
Speaker 1: that is the question. You can rely upon me, Monsieur.
18:29
Speaker 1: He went on, to do my best whatever you may decide.
18:32
Speaker 1: But I have no head to invent. Things. You tell me,
18:35
Speaker 1: and I will do it. I know I can rely
18:38
Speaker 1: upon you, Adolf. As far as I can see, there
18:40
Speaker 1: are but two ways. One is for me to go
18:43
Speaker 1: to Carrie's house, find the monster, place a pistol to
18:46
Speaker 1: his head, compel him to order them to be released,
18:49
Speaker 1: stand with him at the prison door till they come out,
18:52
Speaker 1: embark with him, and then in a boat row down
18:55
Speaker 1: the river and put the sea. And then Monsieur Adolf
18:58
Speaker 1: asked for a pause, seeing that Harry was speaking to
19:01
Speaker 1: himself rather than to him. Yes, that is the question
19:05
Speaker 1: that I cannot answer, Harry replied. I can see all
19:07
Speaker 1: the rest of it as if it were passing. I
19:11
Speaker 1: can feel Carrier trembling in my grasp and shrinking as
19:13
Speaker 1: the pistol touches his forehead. I can hear him giving
19:16
Speaker 1: his orders. I can see the crowd falling back as
19:20
Speaker 1: I walk with him through the street. I can hear
19:22
Speaker 1: him crying to the people to stand aside and let
19:24
Speaker 1: us pass. I can see us going down the river together.
19:28
Speaker 1: But what am I to do in a boat with
19:30
Speaker 1: two ladies at sea? Could you not embark in a lugger,
19:33
Speaker 1: Adolf exclaimed, carried away by the picture of which Harry
19:36
Speaker 1: seemed to be describing as if he saw it. Why
19:39
Speaker 1: not start in a lugger at once? I might have
19:42
Speaker 1: the Troy fraid ready, and the men will all stand
19:45
Speaker 1: by you. And when we are once outside the river,
19:48
Speaker 1: we will throw Carrier over to the fishes and make
19:51
Speaker 1: for England. Thank you, Adolf. If the other plan seem impossible,
19:55
Speaker 1: we will try that, but only as a last recourse,
19:59
Speaker 1: for I know the chances are one hundred to one
20:01
Speaker 1: against its success. I should have no fear as to
20:04
Speaker 1: carry at himself. But as I went through the streets.
20:07
Speaker 1: Someone else might place a musket at the back of
20:09
Speaker 1: my head and shoot me. If I could get him alone,
20:12
Speaker 1: it would be different. You could go with me. I
20:15
Speaker 1: would force him to sign the order of release. You
20:17
Speaker 1: could take it, and I would stand over him till
20:20
Speaker 1: you had time to embark with them. Then I would
20:22
Speaker 1: blow out his brains and make my way to the river.
20:25
Speaker 1: But there would be no chance of finding him alone.
20:28
Speaker 1: Monsters like this are always fearful of assassination. And what
20:32
Speaker 1: is Monsieur's other plan? The other plan is to get
20:35
Speaker 1: on board the boat in which they are to be placed.
20:38
Speaker 1: You might find out which it is from your friend
20:41
Speaker 1: in prison. Hide down in the hold until the guards
20:44
Speaker 1: leave her, then join them, and when she sinks, fasten
20:47
Speaker 1: them to a spar and drift down the river with
20:50
Speaker 1: them till out of side of the town, when Pierre
20:53
Speaker 1: could row off and pick them up. They say there
20:56
Speaker 1: are to be soldiers on each side of the river.
20:58
Speaker 1: Adof said despondently to shoot down any who may try
21:02
Speaker 1: to swim to shore, but there would not be many
21:05
Speaker 1: who would try. Most of them, they say, will be
21:07
Speaker 1: women and children, but the heads will be seen as
21:10
Speaker 1: you drifted down. Yes, but we must think of something.
21:13
Speaker 1: Adolf think, Man, think, and you, Pierre think. If you
21:19
Speaker 1: were in a sinking ship and you wanted something which
21:22
Speaker 1: would hide you from the eyes of people one hundred
21:25
Speaker 1: yards away, what would you take? But you would be
21:29
Speaker 1: seen on anything you climbed on or clung to, monsieur.
21:33
Speaker 1: But we need not climb on to it, Harry said,
21:35
Speaker 1: I can take pieces of cork with me and wrap
21:38
Speaker 1: round so as to keep their face just afloat. I
21:41
Speaker 1: should only want something that would hide their faces. A
21:45
Speaker 1: hatch might do, Pierre said, the very thing, Harry exclaimed,
21:48
Speaker 1: with a fresh ring of animation and hopefulness in his voice,
21:52
Speaker 1: the very thing. Of course, there would be a hatchway
21:55
Speaker 1: to the forecastle of the lugger. We might get that
21:58
Speaker 1: loosen beforehand so that it would float off. What is
22:01
Speaker 1: the size of such a hatch? Some four feet square, monsieur.
22:05
Speaker 1: That will be enough, Harry said, But how high would
22:08
Speaker 1: a hatch float out of water? Because there must be
22:11
Speaker 1: room between the top of the water for us to
22:12
Speaker 1: breathe as we lie on our backs. Four inches would
22:15
Speaker 1: be enough. Are the sides buoyant enough to keep the
22:18
Speaker 1: top that much out of the water. I do not
22:21
Speaker 1: think so, Monsieur Pierre said, with a shake of his head.
22:24
Speaker 1: It would float nearly level with the water. But see here,
22:28
Speaker 1: Monsieur Adof said eagerly. I have an idea. The hatches
22:31
Speaker 1: are covered with tarpaulin. If you could hide in the
22:34
Speaker 1: forecastle during the night, you might cut away all the
22:37
Speaker 1: top underneath the tarpaulin and prop it up so that
22:40
Speaker 1: if anyone trod on it in the morning they would
22:43
Speaker 1: not notice what had been done. Then when they have
22:45
Speaker 1: pushed off, you can knock away the props. The board
22:48
Speaker 1: would tumble down and there would be only tarpaulin cover
22:52
Speaker 1: on the sides. It would float then quite four inches
22:55
Speaker 1: out of the water, and that in the middle of
22:57
Speaker 1: the stream would look almost level with it. I will
23:00
Speaker 1: try it, Harry said. There is a chance of success.
23:04
Speaker 1: It is a terrible risk. Monsieur Pierre said, I know.
23:07
Speaker 1: Harry replied, but it's just possible. The chances are one
23:11
Speaker 1: hundred to one against it, but it may succeed. Well, Pierre,
23:16
Speaker 1: do you be with your boat on the river just
23:18
Speaker 1: below the point where the town can be seen, if
23:20
Speaker 1: you see a hatch floating down road to it? If
23:23
Speaker 1: we are beneath it well and good if not, If not, monsieur,
23:28
Speaker 1: the fisherman's wife said, soulemnly, we will pray for your souls.
23:32
Speaker 1: Adolph will send down to you in the morning the
23:35
Speaker 1: two fishergirls dresses his wife had prepared for the ladies.
23:39
Speaker 1: Have some brandy in the boat, and your little charcoal stove,
23:42
Speaker 1: and keep water boiling. They will want it. And now goodbye,
23:45
Speaker 1: my friends. Pray for us tonight. Now, Adolf, let us
23:50
Speaker 1: hasten back to the town, for there is much to
23:52
Speaker 1: be done. And first of all you must see your
23:54
Speaker 1: friend in the prison. Find out if the mademoiselle's are
23:57
Speaker 1: on the list of those to be murdered. I have
23:59
Speaker 1: no doubt they will be, for after the emulet there
24:02
Speaker 1: has been about them, they are almost sure to be
24:05
Speaker 1: among the first victims. But above all, find out if
24:09
Speaker 1: you can, which vessel they are to be placed in.
24:12
Speaker 1: But if I cannot find that out, monsieur, if there
24:15
Speaker 1: is no arrangement made at all, though I should think
24:17
Speaker 1: there would be, for the butchers would like to have
24:20
Speaker 1: everything done in order, then I will get you to
24:22
Speaker 1: find a dozen men you can trust to volunteer to
24:26
Speaker 1: row the boats. To put them on board, and you
24:28
Speaker 1: must be sure to take the boat in which they
24:30
Speaker 1: are the lugger will have prepared. I will try, Adolf said,
24:34
Speaker 1: though I would rather cut off my hand than pull
24:37
Speaker 1: an or to take those poor creatures out to be murdered.
24:40
Speaker 1: But I will do it most of you. But except
24:43
Speaker 1: for that, I warrant me they will not get a
24:46
Speaker 1: sailor in Nantes to put his hand to an oar
24:48
Speaker 1: to aid their cursed work. It was four o'clock when
24:53
Speaker 1: they arrived at Nantes. Adolf went straight to the prison,
24:57
Speaker 1: while Harry walked along the quay. When he came of
25:00
Speaker 1: breast the center of the town, a number of sailors
25:02
Speaker 1: and fishermen were standing, talking in low tones and looking
25:05
Speaker 1: with horror at four luggers moored in a line in
25:09
Speaker 1: the center of the river. A number of men, drawn
25:11
Speaker 1: from the scum of the town, were painting them white,
25:14
Speaker 1: while a strong body of troops were drawn up on
25:16
Speaker 1: the quay and readiness to put a summary stop to
25:18
Speaker 1: any demonstration of hostility on the part of the sailors.
25:22
Speaker 1: These did not indeed venture to express openly their detestation
25:26
Speaker 1: of the proceedings, but the muttered excircations and curses that
25:30
Speaker 1: rose from the little group showed how deep were their feelings.
25:34
Speaker 1: Harry joined a little knot of three or four men
25:36
Speaker 1: who had been with Adolph in the habit of greeting
25:39
Speaker 1: him as he landed. All is lost, you see, one
25:41
Speaker 1: of them said, in a tone of deep commiseration. There
25:44
Speaker 1: is nothing left but vengeance. We will take that one
25:47
Speaker 1: of these days. But that is poor consolation for you.
25:51
Speaker 1: Now all is not quite lost, Harry said, I have
25:54
Speaker 1: yet one hope. We dare not try to force. One
25:58
Speaker 1: of the other men said, they have marched three more
26:00
Speaker 1: regiments of reds in today. What can we do against them?
26:03
Speaker 1: Without arms? I could cry to think that we are
26:06
Speaker 1: so helpless in the face of these things. No, I
26:10
Speaker 1: know force is useless, Harry said. Still, I have just
26:12
Speaker 1: one hope left. It is my desperate one, and I
26:16
Speaker 1: cannot tell you what it is now. But tonight, maybe
26:19
Speaker 1: aid Off may ask you to help us. I expect
26:22
Speaker 1: him here soon. In half an hour, Adolf returned, and
26:26
Speaker 1: Harry at once joined him. I have got the news
26:29
Speaker 1: I wanted, he said. Mademoiselle's are to be and the
26:32
Speaker 1: first batch brought out. Boats have already been brought by
26:35
Speaker 1: the reds to row them out, and men hired. They
26:38
Speaker 1: were forced to buy the boats, for not a man
26:40
Speaker 1: would let his craft for such a purpose, it would
26:43
Speaker 1: be a cursed Ever afterwards, no sailor would ever put
26:46
Speaker 1: a foot on board. The first boats would go to
26:48
Speaker 1: the ship lying lowest in the stream. Then they will
26:51
Speaker 1: come back and take the next batch out to the
26:53
Speaker 1: vessel next above, And so until all are on board,
26:57
Speaker 1: there will be fifty placed on board each lofeug And
27:00
Speaker 1: I hear Molsieu that it is only the first of it,
27:04
Speaker 1: and that the drownings will go on until the prisons
27:06
Speaker 1: are cleared. Thank god, we know that much, Adolf. Now
27:10
Speaker 1: in the first place, I want you to get me
27:12
Speaker 1: some tools, a sharp saw, a chisel, a large screwdriver,
27:15
Speaker 1: and a half dozen large screws. Also two beams of
27:19
Speaker 1: wood to fasten across the hatchway and keep the boards
27:21
Speaker 1: up after I saw him through them. Also, I want
27:25
Speaker 1: three bundles of cork. Flat pieces will be the best
27:28
Speaker 1: if you can get them, But it doesn't matter much.
27:30
Speaker 1: I may as well have an augur too. When you
27:34
Speaker 1: get back to your house, will you go in next
27:36
Speaker 1: door and ask our landlady Mayor Leflow. She died three
27:40
Speaker 1: days ago. The man said, then go into the house
27:43
Speaker 1: without asking, and in the farthest corner, to the right
27:46
Speaker 1: hand side of the kitchen, scratch away the earth, and
27:48
Speaker 1: you will find a little bag of money. If I
27:51
Speaker 1: fail tomorrow, keep it for yourself. If I succeed, bring
27:54
Speaker 1: it to me at Pierre's. When does your luggers sail
27:57
Speaker 1: for England? In three days? Monsieur? I have already sounded
28:01
Speaker 1: the captain, and I think he will take you. And
28:03
Speaker 1: what shall I do next? At nine o'clock this evening,
28:06
Speaker 1: have a boat with the things on board, half a
28:08
Speaker 1: mile below the town. Give a low whistle and I
28:11
Speaker 1: will answer it. Wrap some flannel round the row locks
28:14
Speaker 1: to muffle the sound. It will be a dark night,
28:16
Speaker 1: and there's a mist rising already from the river. I
28:19
Speaker 1: do not think there is much chance of our meeting
28:21
Speaker 1: any boats near those vessels. No. Indeed, it off agreed.
28:25
Speaker 1: It makes me shiver to look at them. There will
28:28
Speaker 1: be no boat on the river tonight except ours. Will
28:31
Speaker 1: you not come with me, monsieur until it is time
28:33
Speaker 1: to start. You will need supper, for you must keep
28:36
Speaker 1: up your strength. Harry accepted the sailor's invitation, and, after
28:40
Speaker 1: partaking of a meal with Adolf and his wife, who
28:43
Speaker 1: was informed of the attempt which was about to be made,
28:46
Speaker 1: he sat looking quietly into the fire, arranging in his
28:49
Speaker 1: mind all the details of the enterprise, uttering many a
28:52
Speaker 1: silent but fervent prayer that he might be permitted to
28:55
Speaker 1: save the lives of the two girls. Adolf went in
28:59
Speaker 1: and out, making hiss. At half past eight, he said,
29:02
Speaker 1: touching Harry on the shoulder, it is time to start, monsieur.
29:06
Speaker 1: I have got the bag of money. Everything is in
29:08
Speaker 1: the boat, and I saw the men start with it.
29:11
Speaker 1: It is time for us to go and meet them.
29:13
Speaker 1: Marth burst into tears as she said goodbye to Harry.
29:16
Speaker 1: I shall spend all night on my knees, she said,
29:18
Speaker 1: praying God and the Holy Virgin to aid you and
29:21
Speaker 1: save those dear angels. Here is a packet, monsieur, with
29:25
Speaker 1: some food for you to eat in the morning, in
29:27
Speaker 1: a bottle of good wine. You will want strength for
29:30
Speaker 1: your adventure. Three or four minutes after Harry and Adolf
29:33
Speaker 1: had gained the appointed spot, they heard a low whistle
29:36
Speaker 1: on the water. Adolf whistled in return, and In another minute,
29:40
Speaker 1: a dark object appeared through the mist. They took their
29:43
Speaker 1: places in the stern, and the boat rowed quietly off again.
29:46
Speaker 1: So well were the oars muffled that Harry could hear
29:49
Speaker 1: no sound, save in almost imperceptible splash each time they
29:53
Speaker 1: dipped into the water. The town was very still and
29:57
Speaker 1: scarce a sound was heard. The awe a horrible event
30:01
Speaker 1: which was about to take place hung over the town,
30:03
Speaker 1: and although there was drinking and exultations among the Ruffians
30:06
Speaker 1: in the back lanes, even these instinctively avoided the neighborhood
30:10
Speaker 1: of the river. So thick was the fog that they
30:14
Speaker 1: were some little time before they found the white luggers.
30:18
Speaker 1: When they did so, they rode to the moor, lowest
30:21
Speaker 1: down the stream, and made fast alongside noiselessly. The tools
30:25
Speaker 1: and beams were handed on board. Then Harry said, that
30:28
Speaker 1: is all, Adolf, not at all, monsieur. We are not
30:31
Speaker 1: going to leave you until the work is done. We
30:34
Speaker 1: have settled that for sets of hands can work better
30:37
Speaker 1: than one. And besides, we may hit on some idea
30:40
Speaker 1: no one can say. Finding it useless to remonstrate, Harry,
30:44
Speaker 1: let the good fellows have their way The men had
30:47
Speaker 1: already removed their boots and noiselessly made their way to
30:49
Speaker 1: the hatch of the forecastle. Ah, it is just as
30:52
Speaker 1: well I brought a file with me, Adof said in
30:55
Speaker 1: a low voice, as he knelt down and felt the hatch.
30:58
Speaker 1: It is fastened down with the staple and padlock. They
31:01
Speaker 1: are old, but you might have some trouble breaking them.
31:05
Speaker 1: But let us see first. No, it moves now a
31:09
Speaker 1: wrench altogether. As he spoke, the staple came up through
31:12
Speaker 1: the rotten wood of the deck. The hatch was then
31:15
Speaker 1: lifted lower it down the cornerways into the forecastle. Adov said,
31:20
Speaker 1: we can work all the better at there. Jacques, do
31:23
Speaker 1: you get that sail up out of the boat and
31:25
Speaker 1: throw it over the hatch. It isn't likely anyone will
31:27
Speaker 1: come out here through the fog, but it's just as
31:30
Speaker 1: well not to run any risk. As soon as all
31:33
Speaker 1: were below and the sail spread over the opening above,
31:37
Speaker 1: Adof produced a dark lantern from the great pocket of
31:41
Speaker 1: the fisherman's cloak, together with two or three candles. These
31:44
Speaker 1: were all lit at the lantern, and the party then
31:47
Speaker 1: set to work. Two saws had been brought on board
31:50
Speaker 1: and a piece three feet square was cut out on
31:53
Speaker 1: top of the hatch, leaving six inches of wood all round.
31:57
Speaker 1: Great pains were taken not to solve through the tarp
31:59
Speaker 1: and cup. Now the next thing to do, Harry said,
32:02
Speaker 1: is to fix the beams so as to hold the
32:04
Speaker 1: wood in its place. Again, four pieces of wood, each
32:09
Speaker 1: three inches long, were screwed against it, combining of the
32:12
Speaker 1: hatchway in such a position that when the beams replaced
32:15
Speaker 1: upon them, they were exactly level with the top and
32:18
Speaker 1: supported the piece cut out from the hatchway in its
32:20
Speaker 1: original position. That will do rarely, Adolf said. When it
32:24
Speaker 1: was finished and the hatchway experimentally placed in its position,
32:28
Speaker 1: now all you have to do is just to knock
32:31
Speaker 1: the ends of the beams off their ledges. The bit
32:34
Speaker 1: will have cut out, will fall down, and you'll be
32:37
Speaker 1: able easily enough to lift the hatchway from its place.
32:40
Speaker 1: It is of no great weight. Now it will do capitally,
32:43
Speaker 1: Harry agreed, And when it floats, that tarpaulin will certainly
32:47
Speaker 1: be three inches above the water. Yes, I have no
32:50
Speaker 1: fear of that part of the adventure going wrong. You
32:52
Speaker 1: don't think that it will be noticed from the shore
32:54
Speaker 1: right off, not it, adof answered confidently. Why from the
32:58
Speaker 1: shore will look a wash with the No one will
33:01
Speaker 1: even dream that there could be a soul alive underneath it.
33:04
Speaker 1: I begin to think you will do it, monsieur. At
33:06
Speaker 1: first it seem hopeless. Now I really think there is
33:08
Speaker 1: a chance. I should feel pretty confident if it was
33:12
Speaker 1: you and the two of us who had to do it.
33:14
Speaker 1: But the difficulty will be to get the young ladies
33:17
Speaker 1: under it, and then to get them to lie quiet there.
33:21
Speaker 1: That is the difficulty, Harry admitted. I am sure of
33:24
Speaker 1: the eldest, her nerves are as good as mine. What
33:26
Speaker 1: I fear is about the younger. I'll tell you what, monsieur.
33:31
Speaker 1: One of the other men said. If you take my advice,
33:33
Speaker 1: you will have a piece of rope and readiness and
33:35
Speaker 1: tie it around her arms so as to prevent her struggling.
33:39
Speaker 1: That would be the best way. Harry agreed. Yes. If
33:41
Speaker 1: I see she won't be calm and do as I
33:43
Speaker 1: tell her, that is what I will do now, Monsieur,
33:47
Speaker 1: I will bore a couple of arger holes through the
33:49
Speaker 1: bulkhead here so that you can see what's going on
33:52
Speaker 1: in the hold. They have got the hatch off there.
33:55
Speaker 1: I suppose it wasn't padlocked, and they will no doubt
33:58
Speaker 1: go down to boreholes the life thing like enough. They
34:02
Speaker 1: have bored them already and will only have to knock
34:04
Speaker 1: out the plugs. I will just go and see anyhow.
34:08
Speaker 1: If that is so, you may set your mind at
34:10
Speaker 1: rest that none of them will come down here in
34:12
Speaker 1: the morning, so, saying, taking a dark lantern, he climbed
34:16
Speaker 1: up on deck and descended the hold. That's it, he said,
34:20
Speaker 1: when he returned. There are six holes bored with plugs
34:22
Speaker 1: in them, so they won't be coming down here. When
34:26
Speaker 1: we go up, we will put the staple into the
34:28
Speaker 1: hole again so that it will look all right. Now, monsieur,
34:32
Speaker 1: we will have one nip of brandy apiece out of
34:34
Speaker 1: this bottle, and then we will be off. It's just
34:37
Speaker 1: gone midnight, and it were best we should leave you
34:39
Speaker 1: to sleep for a few hours. You will want your
34:41
Speaker 1: strength in the morning, unless, of course, you would rather
34:45
Speaker 1: be stopped with you for a bit. No, thank you,
34:47
Speaker 1: adof I don't think I shall sleep. I shall sit
34:50
Speaker 1: and think out every detail. Then good night, monsieur. May
34:55
Speaker 1: the Good God bless you and your aid tomorrow and
34:58
Speaker 1: I think he will. I do not think you are
35:00
Speaker 1: the bravest man I ever met. I am not brave
35:04
Speaker 1: for myself, Adolf said, but for them. The three men
35:08
Speaker 1: shook hands with Harry, and one after another, husky voices
35:11
Speaker 1: gave him their good wishes. Then they ascended to the deck,
35:15
Speaker 1: put on the hatch, pressed the staple down through its
35:18
Speaker 1: holes in the deck, got into the boat, cast off
35:21
Speaker 1: the head rope, and got out the oars. Mon dieu,
35:24
Speaker 1: what courage, one of them explained. His hand is as
35:27
Speaker 1: steady and his voice is as firm as if you
35:30
Speaker 1: were going fishing tomorrow. I think you will succeed, Adolf said. Anyhow,
35:35
Speaker 1: we will have our boat out below the bend of
35:38
Speaker 1: the river and lend a hand to Pierre to get
35:41
Speaker 1: them out. End of Chapter thirteen, recorded by Ryan Cherrick.