Books: The Reign Of Terror
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G. A. Henty >> The Reign Of Terror
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"'I am Jeanne de St. Caux, and this is my sister Virginie. We have
committed no crime.'
"Carrier himself was there, and he said:
"'You are charged with being enemies of France, with being here
in disguise, and with trying to leave France contrary to the laws
against emigration, and with being in company with one who, under
false pretenses, obtained admission to the Committee of Safety
here, but who is an enemy and traitor to France. What do you say?'
"'I do not deny that we were in disguise,' she said in her clear
voice. 'Nor do I deny that we should have escaped if we could. And
as you treat us as enemies, and our lives are in danger, I cannot
see that we were to blame in doing so. I deny that we are enemies
of France, or that the gentleman who was with us was so either. He
did not obtain a place on the committee by fraud, for he was really
the secretary of Monsieur Robespierre, and he could not refuse the
post when it was offered to him.'
"Then we thought it was time to speak, and the women cried out
for mercy, and said how good she had been to the poor; and we men
cried out too. And then Carrier got into a passion, and said they
were traitors and worthy of death, and that they should die. And
we shouted we would not have it, and broke into the Tribunal and
surrounded mesdemoiselles, and then the guards rushed in and there
was a fight. We beat them off and got outside, and then a regiment
came up, and they were too strong for us, though we fought stoutly,
I can tell you, for our blood was up; but it was no use. The dear
ladies were captured again, and many of us got severe wounds. But
the feeling was strong, I can tell you, among the sailors when the
news spread through the town, for some of the women got hurt, too,
in the melee, and I think we could get five hundred men together
to storm the jail."
Harry was bitterly disappointed, for he had hoped that the
intercession of the women might have availed with the judges, and
doubtless would have done so had not Carrier himself been present.
However, he thanked the sailor warmly for the efforts he had made
and gave him some money to distribute among the wounded, for he
always carried half his money concealed in a belt under his clothes.
The other half was hidden away under a board in his lodgings,
so that in case of his being captured the girls would still have
funds available for their escape. As to the prospects of storming
the jail he did not feel sanguine. It was strongly guarded, and
there were three regiments of troops in the town, and these could
be brought up before the fishermen could force the strong defences
of the jail. However, as a last resource, this might be attempted.
Two days later Adolphe again returned, and was obliged to confess
in answer to Harry's inquiries that he feared the sailors as a body
would not join in the attempt.
"I can hardly blame them, monsieur. For though I myself would risk
everything, and some of the others would do so too, it is a terrible
thing for men with wives and families to brave the anger of these
monsters. They would think nothing of putting us all to death.
It isn't the fighting we are afraid of, though the odds are heavy
against us, but it's the vengeance they would take afterwards,
whether we happened to win or whether we didn't."
"I cannot blame them," Harry said. "As you say, even if they succeeded
there would be a terrible vengeance for it afterwards. No; if the
girls are to be rescued it must be by some other way. I have been
quiet so long because I hoped that the intercession of the women
would have saved them. As that has failed I must set to work. I
have thought of every method, but bribery seems the only chance.
Will you speak to the man you know in the prison, and sound him
whether it will be possible to carry out any plan in that way?"
"I will speak again to him," Adolphe said. "But I have already
sounded him, and he said that there were so many guards and jailers
that he feared that it would be impossible. But I will try again."
The next day, soon after dinner, Adolphe came again, and there was
a white scared look upon his face which filled Harry with alarm.
"What is it, Adolphe? What is your news?"
"Monsieur, I can hardly tell it," Adolphe said in a low awe-stricken
voice. "It is too awful even for these fiends."
"What is it, Adolphe? Tell me. If they have been murdered I will
go straight to Nantes and kill Carrier the first time he leaves
his house, though they may tear me to pieces afterwards."
"They are not murdered yet," Adolphe said; "but they are to be, and
everyone else." And this time the sailor sat down and cried like
a child.
At last, in answer to Harry's entreaties, he raised his head and
told the story. The Revolutionary Committee had that day been down
at the wharf, and had taken for the public service four old luggers
past service which were lying on the mud, and they had openly
boasted that an end was going to put to the aristocrats; that the
guillotine was too slow, that the prison must be cleared, and that
they were going to pack the aristocrats on board the luggers and
sink them.
Harry gave a cry of horror, in which the fisherman and his wife
joined, the latter pouring out voluble curses against Carrier and
the Reds.
After his first cry Harry was silent; he sank down on to a low chair,
and sat there with his face hidden in his hands for some minutes,
while the fisherman and his wife poured question after question upon
Adolphe. Presently Harry rose to his feet, and saying to Adolphe,
"Do not go away, I shall be back presently, I must think by myself,"
went out bareheaded into the night.
It was half an hour before he returned.
"Now, Adolphe," he said, "I can think again. Now, how are they to
be saved?"
"I cannot say, monsieur," Adolphe said hesitatingly. "It does not
seem to me -"
"They have to be saved," Harry interrupted him in a grave, steady
voice. "The question is how?"
"Yes, monsieur," Adolphe agreed hesitatingly, "that is the question.
You can rely upon me, monsieur," he went on, "to do my best whatever
you may decide; but I have no head to invent things. You tell me
and I will do it."
"I know I can rely upon you, Adolphe. As far as I can see there
are but two ways. One is for me to go to Carrier's house, find the
monster, place a pistol at his head, compel him to order them to
be released, stand with him at the prison door till they come out,
embark with him and them in a boat, row down the river, and put to
sea."
"And then, monsieur?" Adolphe asked after a pause, seeing that
Harry was speaking to himself rather than to him.
"Yes, that is the question that I cannot answer," Harry replied.
"I can see all the rest as if it were passing. I can feel Carrier
trembling in my grasp, and shrinking as the pistol touches his
forehead. I can hear him giving his orders, I can see the crowd
falling back as I walk with him through the street, I can hear him
crying to the people to stand aside and let us pass, I can see us
going down the river together; but what am I to do in a boat with
two ladies at sea?"
"Could you not embark in a lugger?" Adolphe exclaimed, carried
away by the picture which Harry seemed to be describing as if he
saw it. "Why not start in a lugger at once? I might have the Trois
Freres ready, and the men will all stand by you; and when we are
once outside the river we will throw Carrier over to the fishes
and make for England."
"Thank you, Adolphe. If the other plans seem impossible we will
try that, but only as a last resource; for I know the chances are
a hundred to one against its success. I should have no fear as to
Carrier himself, but as I went through the streets some one else
might place a musket at the back of my head and shoot me. If I
could get him alone it would be different. You could go with me;
I would force him to sign the order of release; you could take it;
and I would stand over him till you had time to embark with them;
then I would blow out his brains and make my way down to the river.
But there would be no chance of finding him alone. Monsters like
this are always fearful of assassination."
"And what is monsieur's other plan?"
"The other plan is to get on board the boat in which they are to be
placed - you might find out which it is from your friend in prison
- hide down in the hold until the guards leave her; then join them;
and when she sinks fasten them to a spar and drift down the river
with them till out of sight of the town, when Pierre could row off
and pick them up."
"They say there are to be soldiers on each side of the river,"
Adolphe said despondently, "to shoot down any who may try to swim
to shore. But there would not be many who would try. Most of them,
they say, will be women and children; but the heads would be seen
as you drifted down."
"Yes; but we must think of something, Adolphe - think, man, think
- and you, Pierre, think; if you were in a sinking ship, and you
wanted something which would hide you from the eyes of people a
hundred yards away, what would you take?"
"But you would be seen on anything you climbed on to or clung to,
monsieur.
"But we need not climb on to it," Harry said. "I can take pieces
of cork with me and wrap round them so as to keep their faces just
afloat. I should only want something that would hide their faces."
"A hatch might do," Pierre said.
"The very thing!" Harry exclaimed with a fresh ring of animation
and hopefulness in his voice. "The very thing! Of course there
would be a hatchway to the forecastle of the lugger. We might get
that loosened beforehand, so that it would float off. What is the
size of such a hatch?"
"Some four feet square, monsieur."
"That will be enough," Harry said; "but how high would a hatch
float out of water, because there must be room between the top of
the water for us to breathe as we lie on our backs. Four inches
would be enough. Are the sides buoyant enough to keep the top that
much out of water?"
"I do not think so, monsieur," Pierre said with a shake of the
head. "It would float nearly level with the water."
"But see here, monsieur," Aldolphe said eagerly; "I have an idea!
The hatches are covered with tarpaulin. If you could hide in the
forecastle during the night you might cut away all the top underneath
the tarpaulin and prop it up, so that if anyone trod on it in the
morning they would not notice what had been done. Then when they
have pushed off you could knock away the props, the board would
tumble down, and there would be only the tarpaulin cover on the
sides. It would float then quite four inches out of the water, and
that in the middle of the stream would look almost level with it."
"I will try it," Harry said; "there is a chance of success."
"It is a terrible risk, monsieur," Pierre said.
"I know it," Harry replied; "but it is just possible. The chances
are a hundred to one against it, but it may succeed. Well, Pierre,
do you be with your boat on the river just below the point where
the town can be seen. If you see a hatch floating down row to it.
If we are beneath it, well and good; if not -"
"If not, monsieur," the fisherman's wife said solemnly, "we will
pray for your souls."
"Adolphe will send down to you in the morning the two fisher-girls'
dresses his wife had prepared for the ladies. Have some brandy in
the boat and your little charcoal stove, and keep water boiling.
They will want it. And now good-bye, my good friends! Pray for us
to-night. Now, Adolphe, let us hasten back to the town, for there
is much to be done. And first of all you must see your friend in
the prison; find out if mesdemoiselles are on the list of those
to be murdered. I have no doubt they will be, for after the emeute
there has been about them they are almost sure to be among the
first victims. But above all, find out, if you can, which vessel
they are to be placed in.
"But if I cannot find that out, monsieur; if there is no arrangement
made at all - though I should think there would be, for the butchers
will like to have everything done in order -"
"Then I will get you to find a dozen men you can trust to volunteer
to row the boats to put them on board. And you must be sure to take
the boat in which they are to the lugger we have prepared."
"I will try," Adolphe said, "though I would rather cut off my hand
than pull an oar to take these poor creatures out to be murdered.
But I will do it, monsieur. But except for that I warrant me they
will not get a sailor in Nantes to put his hand to an oar to aid
their accursed work."
It was four o'clock when they arrived at Nantes. Adolphe went
straight to the prison, while Harry walked along the quay. When
he came abreast the centre of the town a number of sailors and
fishermen were standing talking in low tones, and looking with
horror at four luggers moored in a line in the centre of the river.
A number of men drawn from the scum of the town were painting them
white, while a strong body of troops were drawn up on the quay in
readiness to put a summary stop to any demonstration of hostility
on the part of the sailors. These did not indeed venture to express
openly their detestation of the proceedings, but the muttered
execrations and curses that rose from the little group showed how
deep were their feelings.
Harry joined a little knot of three or four men who had been, with
Adolphe, in the habit of greeting him when he landed.
"All is lost, you see!" one of them said in a tone of deep
commiseration. "There is nothing left but vengeance - we will take
that one of these days - but that is a poor consolation for you
now."
"All is not quite lost," Harry said. "I have yet one hope."
"We dare not try force," one of the other men said. "They have marched
three more regiments of Reds in to-day. What can we do against them
without arms? I could cry to think that we are so helpless in the
face of these things."
"No; I know force is useless," Harry said. "Still I have just one
hope left. It is a desperate one, and I cannot tell you what it is
now; but to-night, maybe, Adolphe may ask you to help us. I expect
him here soon.
In half an hour Adolphe returned, and Harry at once joined him.
"I have got the news I wanted," he said. "Mesdemoiselles are to be
in the first batch brought out. Boats have already been bought by
the Reds to row them out, and men hired. They were forced to buy
the boats, for not a man would let his craft for such a purpose.
It would be accursed ever afterwards, no sailor would ever put a
foot on board. The first boats will go to the ship lying lowest in
the stream; then they will come back and take the next batch out
to the vessel next above; and so until all are on board. There will
be fifty placed on board each lugger; and I hear, monsieur, that
is only the first of it, and that the drownings will go on until
the prisons are cleared."
"Thank God we know that much, Adolphe! Now, in the first place,
I want you to get me some tools - a sharp saw, a chisel, a large
screw-driver, and half a dozen large screws; also, two beams of
wood to fasten across the hatchway and keep the boards up after I
have sawn through them; also, I want three bundles of cork - flat
pieces will be the best if you can get them, but that doesn't matter
much. I may as well have an auger too. When you go back to your
house will you go in next door and ask our landlady, Mere Leflo -"
"She died three days ago," the man said.
"Then go into the house without asking, and in the farthest corner
to the right-hand side of the kitchen scratch away the earth, and
you will find a little bag of money. If I fail to-morrow, keep it
for yourself; if I succeed, bring it to me at Pierre's. When does
your lugger sail for England?"
"In three days, monsieur. I have already sounded the captain, and
I think he will take you. And what shall I do next?"
"At nine o'clock this evening have a boat with the things on board
half a mile below the town. Give a low whistle, and I will answer
it. Wrap some flannel round the rowlocks to muffle the sound. It
will be a dark night, and there's a mist rising already from the
river. I do not think there's much chance of our meeting any boats
near those vessels."
"No, indeed," Adolphe agreed. "It makes me shiver to look at them.
There will be no boat out on the river to-night except ours. Will
you not come home with me, monsieur, until it is time to start?
You will need supper, for you must keep up your strength."
Harry accepted the sailor's invitation; and after partaking of
a meal with Adolphe and his wife, who was informed of the attempt
which was about to be made, he sat looking quietly into the fire,
arranging in his mind all the details of the enterprise, uttering
many a silent but fervent prayer that he might be permitted to save
the lives of the two girls.
Adolphe went in and out making his preparations. At half-past eight
he said, touching Harry on the shoulder: "It is time to start,
monsieur. I have got the bag of money. Everything is in the boat,
and I saw the men start with it. It is time for us to go and meet
them."
Marthe burst into tears as she said good-bye to Harry.
"I shall spend all night on my knees," she said, "praying God and
the Holy Virgin to aid you and save those dear angels. Here is
a packet, monsieur, with some food for you to eat in the morning,
and a bottle of good wine. You will want strength for your adventure."
Three or four minutes after Harry and Adolphe had gained
the appointed spot they heard a low whistle on the water. Adolphe
whistled in return, and in another minute a dark object appeared
through the mist. They took their places in the stern, and the boat
rowed quietly off again. So well were the oars muffled that Harry
could hear no sound save an almost imperceptible splash each time
they dipped into the water.
The town was very still and scarce a sound was heard. The awe
of the horrible event which was about to take place hung over the
town, and although there was drinking and exultations among the
ruffians in the back lanes, even these instinctively avoided the
neighbourhood of the river.
So thick was the fog that they were some little time before they
found the white luggers. When they did so they rowed to that moored
lowest down the stream and made fast alongside. Noiselessly the
tools and beams were handed on board. Then Harry said:
"That is all, Adolphe."
"Not at all, monsieur. We are not going to leave you till the work
is done. We have settled that four sets of hands can work better
than one, and besides, we may hit on some idea. No one can say."
Finding it useless to remonstrate, Harry let the good fellows have
their way. The men had already removed their boots, and noiselessly
made their way to the hatch of the forecastle.
"Ah, it is just as well I brought a file with me," Adolphe said in
a low voice, as he knelt down and felt the hatch. "It is fastened
down with a staple and padlock. They are old, but you might have
some trouble in breaking them. But let us see first. No, it moves.
Now, a wrench all together."
As he spoke the staple came up through the rotten wood of the deck.
The hatch was then lifted.
"Lower it down corner-ways into the fo'castle," Adolphe said. "We
can work all the better at it there. Jacques, do you get that sail
up out of the boat and throw it over the hatch. It isnt likely
anyone will come out here through the fog; but it's just as well
not to run any risk."
As soon as all were below, and the sail spread over the opening
above, Adolphe produced a dark lantern from the great pocket of his
fisherman's cloak, together with two or three candles. These were
lit at the lantern, and the party then set to work.
Two saws had been brought on board, and a piece three feet square
was cut out of the top of the hatch, leaving six inches of wood
all round. Great pains were taken not to saw through the tarpaulin
cover.
"Now, the next thing to do," Harry said, "is to fix the beams so
as to hold the wood in its place again." Four pieces of wood, each
three inches long, were screwed against the combing of the hatchway
in such a position that when the beams were placed upon them they
were exactly level with the top, and supported the piece cut out
from the hatchway in its original position.
"That will do rarely," Adolphe said, when it was finished and the
hatchway experimentally placed in its position. "Now, all you have
to do is just to knock the ends of the beams off their ledges. The
bit we have cut out will fall down, and you will be able easily
enough to lift the hatchway from its place. It is no great weight
now.
"It will do capitally," Harry agreed, "and when it floats the
tarpaulin will certainly be three inches above the water. Yes, I
have no fear of that part of the adventure going wrong. You don't
think that it will be noticed from the shore, Adolphe?"
"Not it," Adolphe answered confidently. "Why, from the shore it
will look awash with the water. No one will ever dream that there
could be a soul alive underneath it. I begin to think you will do
it, monsieur. At first it seemed hopeless. Now I really do think
there is a chance. I should feel pretty confident if it was you
and two of us who had to do it; but the difficulty will be to get
the young ladies under it, and then to get them to lie quiet there."
"That is the difficulty," Harry admitted. "I am sure of the eldest.
Her nerves are as good as mine; what I fear is about the younger."
"I'll tell you what, monsieur," one of the other men said; "if you
take my advice you will have a piece of rope in readiness and tie
it round her arms so as to prevent her struggling."
"That would be the best way," Harry agreed. "Yes, if I see she
won't be calm and do as I tell her, that is what I will do."
"Now, monsieur, I will bore a couple of auger-holes through the
bulkhead here so that you can see what is going on in the hold.
They have got the hatch off there. I suppose it wasn't padlocked,
and they will no doubt go down to bore the holes the last thing.
Like enough they have bored them already, and will only have to
knock out the plugs. I will just go and see anyhow. If that is so
you may set your mind at rest that none of them will come down here
in the morning.
So saying, taking the dark lantern he climbed up on deck, and
descended the hold.
"That's it," he said when he returned; "there are six holes bored
with plugs in them, so they won't be coming down here. When we
go up we will put the staple into its hole again, so that it will
look all right. Now, monsieur, we will just have one nip of brandy
apiece out of this bottle, and then we will be off. It's just
gone midnight, and it were best we should leave you to sleep for a
few hours. You will want your strength in the morning, unless, of
course, you would rather we stopped with you for a bit."
"No, thank you, Adolphe, I don't think I shall sleep; I shall sit
and think out every detail."
"Then good night, monsieur. May the good God bless you and aid you
to-morrow, and I think he will! I do think you are the bravest man
I ever met."
"I am not brave for myself, Adolphe, but for them."
The three men shook hands with Harry, and one after another in
husky voices gave him their good wishes. Then they ascended to the
deck, put on the hatch, pressed the staple down through its holes
in the deck, got into the boat, cast off the head-rope, and got
out the oars.
"Mon Dieu, what courage!" one of them exclaimed. "His hand is as
steady, and his voice as firm as if he were going fishing to-morrow."
"I think he will succeed;" Adolphe said, "anyhow, we will have our
boat out below the bend of the river, and lend a hand to Pierre to
get them out."
CHAPTER XIV The Noyades
When left alone Harry blew out the other candles, but left that
in the lantern burning, and threw himself down on the locker and
thought over every detail of the work for the next day. As he had
said, the great danger was of Virginie struggling and being too
frightened to follow his instructions. Certainly he could fasten a
rope round her, but even then it might be difficult to manage her.
The next danger was, that other persons might cling to the hatchway.
Harry felt the long knife which was concealed in his breast.
"God grant I may not have to use it!" he said. "But, if it must be,
I shall not hesitate. They would simply destroy us without saving
themselves, that is certain; therefore, I am justified in defending
the girls, as I would against any other enemy."
He knelt down and prayed for some time. Then he replaced the piece
they had cut out from the hatch, and fixed the beams beneath it,
and then lay down again. He was worn out by the excitement of the
day, and in spite of his anxiety about the morrow he presently fell
off to sleep.
It was long before he woke. When he did so, he looked through one
of the auger-holes into the hold and saw the light streaming down
the open hatchway, and could tell that the sun was already up.
He ate the food which Marthe had put into his pocket just as he
was starting; saw that the bundles of corks were ready at hand, and
the ropes attached to them so placed that they could be fastened on
in an instant. Then there was nothing to do but to wait. The time
passed slowly. Presently he heard the sound of drums and bugles, and
knew that the troops were taking up their positions on the quays.
At last - it seemed many hours to him - he heard the splash of oars,
and presently a slight shock as a boat ran alongside the lugger.
Then there were voices, and the sound of feet above as persons
mounted on to the deck. There was a scraping noise by the lugger's
side, and immediately afterwards another bump as the second boat
took the place of the first.
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