by Eugène Sue
CHAPTER III.
ARMEL AND JULYAN.
The numerous family of Joel, gathered in a semi-circle at one end of thespacious hall, impatiently awaited the combat, with Mamm' Margaridholding the place of honor. The stranger stood at her right, her husbandat her left, and two of the smallest children before her on their knees.Margarid raised her distaff and gave the signal for the combat to begin;the lowering of the distaff was to be the signal for the combat to end.
Julyan and Armel stripped down to the waist, preserving their breechesonly. Again they clasped hands. Each thereupon slung on his left arm abuckler of wood covered with seal-skin, armed himself with a heavy sabreof copper, and impetuously assailed each other, being all the morespurred by the presence of the stranger, before whom they were eager todisplay their skill and valor. Joel's guest looked more highly delightedthan anyone else at the spectacle before him, and his face lighted withwarlike animation.
Julyan and Armel were at it. Their eyes sparkled, not with hatred butwith foolhardiness. They exchanged no words of anger but of friendlycheer, all the while dealing out terrible blows that would have beendeadly had they not been skillfully parried. At every thrust,brilliantly made, or dexterously avoided, the men, women and children inthe audience clapped their hands, and according as the combat ran,cried:
"_Her_ ... _her_ ... Julyan!"
"_Her_ ... _her_ ... Armel!"
Such was the effect of these cries, of the sight of the combat, of theclash of arms, that the huge mastiff Deber-Trud, the man-eater, feltthe ardor of battle seize also himself, and barked wildly looking up athis master, who calmed and caressed him with his hand.
Perspiration covered the young bodies of the handsome and robust Julyanand Armel. Each other's peers in courage, vigor and agility, neither hadyet wounded the other.
"Let's hurry, brother Julyan!" said Armel rushing on his companion withfresh impetus. "Let us hurry to hear the pretty stories of thestranger."
"The plow can go no faster than the plowman, brother Armel," answeredJulyan.
With these words, Julyan seized his sabre with both hands, stretchedhimself at full length, and dealt so furious a stroke to his adversarythat, although the latter threw himself back and thereby softened theblow, his buckler flew into splinters and the weapon struck Armel in thetemple. The wounded man staggered for an instant and then fell flat uponhis back, amid the admiring cries of "_Her_ ... _her_ ... Julyan!" fromthe enraptured by-standers among whom Stumpy was the loudest with thecry of "_Her_ ... _her_!"
After lowering her distaff as a sign that the combat was over Mamm'Margarid stepped toward the wounded combatant to give him her attention,while Joel said to his guest, reaching him the cup:
"Friend guest, you shall drink this old wine to the triumph of Julyan."
"I drink to the triumph of Julyan and also to the valiant defeat ofArmel!" responded the stranger. "The courage of the vanquished youthequals that of the vanquisher.... I have seen many a combat, but neverhave I seen greater bravery and courage displayed! Glory to the familyof Joel!... Glory to your tribe!"
"Formerly," said Joel, "these festive combats took place among us almostevery day. Now they are rarer; they have been replaced by wrestlingmatches; but sabre combats better recall the habits of the old Gauls."
Mamm' Margarid shook her head after a second inspection of the wound,while Julyan steadying himself against the wall sought to hold up hisfriend. One of the young women hurried with a casket of lint and salves,in which was also a little vial of mistletoe water. Armel's wound bledcopiously; it was staunched with difficulty; the wounded youth's facewas pale and his eyes closed.
"Brother Armel," said Julyan to him in a cheerful voice, on his kneesbeside the prostrate Armel, "do not break down for so little.... Eachhas his day and his hour.... To-day you were wounded, to-morrow will bemy turn.... We fought bravely.... The stranger will not forget the youngmen of Karnak and of the family of Joel, the brenn of the tribe."
His face down, his forehead bathed in cold perspiration, Armel seemednot to hear the voice of his friend. Mamm' Margarid again shook herhead, ordered some burnt coal, that was brought her on a little flatstone and threw on it some of the pulverized mistletoe bark. A strongvapor rose from the little brasier, and Mamm' Margarid made Armel inhaleit. A little after he opened his eyes, looked around as if he awoke froma dream, and said feebly:
"The angel of death calls me.... I shall now live no longer here butyonder.... My father and mother will be surprised and pleased to see meso soon.... I also shall be happy to meet them."
A second later he added regretfully:
"How I would have liked to hear the pretty stories of the traveler!"
"What, brother Armel!" said Julyan, visibly astonished and grieved. "Areyou to depart so soon from us? We were enjoying life so welltogether.... We swore brotherhood and never to leave each other!"
"We did so swear, Julyan," Armel answered feebly, "but it is otherwisedecreed."
Julyan dropped his head upon his two hands and made no answer.
Mamm' Margarid, skillful in the art of tending wounds, an art that shelearned from a druid priestess her relative, placed her hand on Armel'sheart. A few seconds later she said to those near her and who, togetherwith Joel and his guest, stood around:
"Teutates calls Armel away to take him to those who have preceded us. Hewill soon depart. If any of us has any message for the loved ones whohave preceded us yonder, and wishes Armel to carry it--let him makehaste."
Mamm' Margarid thereupon kissed the forehead of the dying young man andsaid to him: "Give to all the members of our family the kiss ofremembrance and hope."
"I shall give them, Mamm' Margarid, the kiss of remembrance and hope inyour name," answered Armel in a fainting voice, and added again in apet, "and yet I would so much have liked to hear the pretty stories ofthe traveler!"
These words seemed deeply to affect Julyan, who still holding hisfriend's head looked down upon him with sadness.
Little Sylvest, the son of Guilhern, a child of rosy cheeks and goldenhair, who held with one hand the hand of his mother Henory, advanced alittle and addressing the dying relative said:
"I loved little Alanik very much; he went away last year.... Tell himthat little Sylvest always remembers him, and embrace him for me,Armel."
"I shall embrace little Alanik for you, little Sylvest," and Armel addedagain, "and yet I would have liked to hear the pretty stories of thetraveler!"
Another man of Joel's family said to his expiring kinsman:
"I was a friend of Houarne of the tribe of Morlech, our neighbor. He waskilled defenceless, while asleep, a short time ago. Tell him, Armel,that Daoulas, his murderer, was discovered, was tried and condemned bythe druids of Karnak and his sacrifice will soon take place. Houarnewill be pleased to learn of Daoulas' punishment."
Armel signified that he would convey the message to Houarne.
Stumpy, who, not through wickedness but intemperate language, was thecause of Armel's death, also drew near with a message to the one aboutto depart, and said:
"You know that at the eighth face of this month's moon old Mark, wholives near Glen'han was taken ill; the angel of death told him also toprepare for a speedy departure. Old Mark was not ready. He wished toassist at the wedding of his daughter's daughter. Not being ready to go,old Mark bethought him of some one who might be ready to go in his placeand that would satisfy the angel of death. He asked the druid, hisphysician, if he knew of some 'substitute.' The druid answered him thatGigel of Nouaren, a member of our tribe, would be available, that hemight consent to depart in the place of old Mark, and that he might beinduced to do so both out of kindness to Mark and to render himselfagreeable to the gods, who are always pleased at the sight of suchsacrifices. Gigel consented freely. Old Mark made him a present of tenpieces of silver with the stamp of a horse's head, which Gigeldistributed among his friends before departing. He then cheerfullyemptied his last cup and bared his breast to the sacred knife amid thechants of
the bards. The angel of death accepted the substitute. OldMark attended the wedding of his daughter's daughter, and to-day he isin good health--"
"Do you mean to say that you are willing to depart in my stead, Stumpy?"asked the dying warrior. "I fear it is now too late--"
"No, no; I am not ready to depart in your stead," Stumpy hastened toanswer. "I only wish to request you to return to Gigel three pieces ofsilver that I owed him; I could not repay him sooner. I feared Gigelmight come and demand his money by moonlight in the shape of somedemon." Saying which Stumpy rummaged in his lamb-skin bag, took outthree pieces with the stamp of a horse's head, and placed them in thepocket of Armel's breeches.
"I shall hand your three pieces of silver to Gigel," said Armel in avoice now hardly audible; and for a last time he murmured at Julyan'sear: "And yet ... I would ... have liked ... to hear ... the prettystories ... of ... the traveler."
"Be at ease, brother Armel," Julyan answered him; "I shall attentivelylisten to the pretty stories so that I may remember them well; andto-morrow ... I shall depart and tell them to you.... I would weary herewithout you.... We swore brotherhood to each other, and never to beseparated; I shall follow you and continue to live yonder in yourcompany."
"Truly ... you will come?" said the dying youth, whom the promise seemedto render happy; "will you come ... to-morrow?"
"To-morrow, by Hesus.... I swear to you, Armel, I shall come."
The eyes of the whole family turned to Julyan at hearing the promise,and looked lovingly upon him. The wounded youth seemed the most pleasedof all, and with his last breath said:
"So long, then, brother Julyan ... listen attentively ... to thestories.... And now ... farewell ... farewell ... to all of you of ourtribe," and Armel sought to suit the motion of his hands to his words.
As loving relatives and friends crowd around one of their own when he isabout to depart on a long journey, during which he will meet people ofwhom they all preserve a cherished remembrance, each now pressed thehand of Armel and gave him some tender commission for those of theirtribe whom he was about to meet again.
After Armel was dead, Joel closed the youth's eyes and had him taken tothe altar of grey stones, above which stood the copper bowl with theseven twigs of mistletoe.
The body was then covered with oak branches taken from the altar, sothat, instead of the corpse, only a heap of verdure met the eye, withJulyan seated close to it.
Finally, the head of the family filled the large cup up to the brim,moistened his lips in it and said to the stranger: "May Armel's journeybe a happy one; he has ever been good and just; may he traverse underthe guidance of Teutates the marvelous regions and countries that liebeyond the grave which none of us has yet traveled over, and which allof us will yet see. May Armel meet again those whom we have loved, andlet him assure them that we love them still!"
The cup went around; the women and young girls expressed their goodwishes to Armel on his journey; the remains of the supper were removed;and all gathered at the hearth, impatient to hear the promised storiestold by the stranger.
