The Bath Keepers Volume I Part 47

"Senange, you have dice there," cried Leodgard suddenly, raising his head; "I will play you for my cloak--you were admiring it last night. I will stake it against fifty livres, and, on my word as a gentleman, it cost me more than a hundred--which I have not yet paid, it is true, but which I still owe to my tailor."

"What, Leodgard! do you want to play again?" cried Beausseilly; "but you are not in luck, and if you lose your cloak, how can you return to Paris?"

"I will stake my sword, my doublet, my knee-breeches! I will stake myself, when I have nothing else left! But I must play! So long as I have anything left to stake, by h.e.l.l! it will always be so.--Well, Senange, do you accept the stake I propose?"

"Yes, I agree; your cloak against fifty livres. But what shall we play on? We can't throw dice on the gra.s.s; they would not lie evenly, and the result would be doubtful."

"Play on my back, messieurs," said Monclair, lying flat on his stomach on the gra.s.s. "I promise not to stir."

"So be it; on Monclair's back."

The two young men each took a dicebox, and their companions drew near to watch the game. The valet brought the lantern nearer, while Monclair lay on his stomach and did not stir.

"Begin!" said Leodgard in a gloomy voice, handing the dice to his adversary.

"As you please," said Senange; and placing the dice in the box, he threw them on Monclair's back.

"Four!" cried Beausseilly and La Valteline.

"Four!" echoed Leodgard, with a smile of satisfaction.

"What a beastly throw!" muttered Senange; "I fancy that I may say good-bye to my fifty livres.--Go on, count--play!"

Leodgard took the dice and threw them with a trembling hand.

"Three!" cried Senange. "Pardieu! but I am in luck! Your cloak belongs to me, Leodgard!"

The young Comte de Marvejols dropped his head on his breast, while the other gentlemen held their peace and seemed distressed by the ill fortune which pursued Leodgard.

At that moment a distant, indistinct noise reached the ears of the young men.

"Do you hear, messieurs?" said La Valteline, listening intently; "do you hear?"

"I hear nothing," said Monclair.

"I do," said Beausseilly; "I hear a noise that seems to be coming nearer; it sounds like outcries, imprecations."

"It seems to me that someone is coming toward us. Listen! listen! the footsteps are becoming more distinct."

"Suppose it were Montrevert?"

"Can he have been attacked? We must go to his a.s.sistance!"

"We had better hail him first.--Take that lantern, Bruno, and hold it in the air.--Do as I do, messieurs.--Hola, Montrevert! is that you?"

The shouts of the young men were met by an answering shout.

"It is he," said Leodgard; "and he is not far away."

"There he is! there he is!"

"Come this way! this way!"

A young man of twenty-eight to thirty years, dressed with elegance, but with his garments in disorder, his belt gone, his face transformed by excitement, and without his sword, crossed the Pont-aux-Choux at full speed and joined the friends whose shouts had guided him.

"It is Montrevert!"

"Mon Dieu! what is the matter with him? what a ghastly pallor!"

"What a state his clothes are in!"

"What has happened to you, Montrevert?"

"Have you been attacked?"

"Wait a moment, messieurs; give me a chance to breathe.--Yes, I have been attacked."

"Are you wounded?"

"No, not a scratch! And yet, I a.s.sure you that I tried to defend myself.

It was Giovanni, the famous brigand, who attacked me--yonder, on the other side of the bridge, on the right."

"Giovanni?"

"Oh, yes! he was dressed just as those whom he has robbed describe him, just as he was when Leodgard saw him: the long olive-green cloak, and the cap bristling with hair---- Ah! the villain!--Look you, messieurs, this is how it happened. I stayed behind longer than I expected after your departure; so that when I started, wis.h.i.+ng to make up for lost time and to overtake you the sooner, I walked very rapidly; I lengthened my strides, sometimes cutting across the market gardeners' gardens, and devoting all my thought to keeping my feet out of the holes and ruts and excavations which make such cross cuts extremely dangerous. So it is not surprising that I did not see my robber approaching. However, I think that he must have been hiding behind a tree, for he suddenly blocked my path without my hearing the sound of his footsteps. I was thunderstruck at seeing before me a man whose aspect was so truly frightful, and I instantly put my hand to my sword hilt; but instead of the raucous tones which I expected to hear, it was almost a falsetto voice that said to me:

"'Do not draw your sword, but give me your purse, seigneur; that will be the quickest way.'

"'My purse!' I cried. 'Ah! do you expect to obtain it without striking a blow? I propose to kill you instead of giving you my money.'

"As I spoke, I drew my sword and expected to transfix the robber with ease. But the rascal must be a powerful hand at fence. With two blows of a weapon which he held, he shattered mine; then, throwing me to the ground, he s.n.a.t.c.hed my purse from my belt! Vive Dieu! my purse, which contained two hundred gold pieces! Ah! the gallows bird!--And it was all done so dexterously and so quickly that I was hardly on the ground when it was all over; no purse, no robber--Giovanni had disappeared!--Then it was that I began to shout imprecations, to relieve myself a little. I am not wounded, it is true; but to be beaten and robbed like that by that bandit! It is enough to make a man d.a.m.n himself!"

The young men were stupefied by what they had heard. Leodgard alone sprang to his feet, crying:

"d.a.m.nation! I will not let this opportunity escape. It was on the right-hand side of the road, beyond the bridge, that you were attacked, you said, Montrevert, did you not? It was on the path leading to Vincennes, then?"

"Yes; but what do you mean to do, Leodgard?"

"To avenge you, or rather to avenge us both; for I, like yourself, have been beaten and stripped by Giovanni! But this time I will kill him, or he will kill me!"

"Can you think of such a thing, Leodgard? Pursue that brigand? Why, he must be far away before now! He will not have remained near the scene of his latest exploit."

"Perhaps he will. However, I will go a long distance, if need be; but I will find that man!"

"In that case," said La Valteline, "we will go with you; we will not allow you to run such a risk alone."

"No, messieurs, I beg you, do not come with me; you will make success impossible. If the robber can be surprised, it must be done by cunning.

He would hear the footsteps of several people, and that would put him on his guard. Once more, I say, let me make the attempt alone. One man against one man--that is enough; and if I meet my death in this undertaking, do not pity me; at this moment I care very little for life!"