Les Quarante-cinq. English

by Alexandre Dumas

  CHAPTER LII.

  HOW THEY HUNTED THE WOLF IN NAVARRE.

  When Marguerite left the king, she went at once to the apartments of themaids of honor, and performed her promise with regard to Fosseuse. Whenshe returned, the king thanked her warmly, and then went up to Chicot'sroom, where he found him still asleep. Henri shook him to wake him."Come, compere," said he, "get up, it is two in the morning."

  "Ah! you make me a prisoner," cried Chicot; "I, an ambassador. Sire, youviolate the rights of nations."

  Henri began to laugh, and Chicot could not help joining him.

  "You are mad," said Henri. "Why the devil did you want to go away fromhere, have you not been well treated?"

  "Too well, ventre de biche! too well. It seems to me as if I were like agoose being fattened. Every one says to me, 'Pretty little Chicot, howgentle he is!' but they clip my wings, and shut the doors on me."

  "Oh! reassure yourself, Chicot; you are not fat enough for my table."

  "Sire, you seem very gay this morning; what is it?"

  "I am always gay when I am setting off for the chase. Come, out of bed,compere."

  "You want me, sire?"

  "Yes; you shall be my historian."

  "To count the shots?"

  "Just so."

  Chicot dressed murmuringly, while the king remained in the antechamber.

  "My horse," cried Henri; "and tell M. de Mornay that I am ready."

  "What! is M. de Mornay chief huntsman?" asked Chicot.

  "M. de Mornay is everything here," replied Henri. "I am so poor, than Ican afford but one man."

  "Yes; but he is a good one."

  Chicot found the preparations much less sumptuous than those of HenriIII. A dozen or fifteen gentlemen only, among whom he recognized theVicomte de Turenne, formed the whole suite. And as they were none ofthem rich, they all wore, instead of the usual hunting dress, theirhelmets and cuirasses, which made Chicot ask if the wolves in Gasconyused muskets and artillery.

  "No," said Henri; "but they are fierce beasts, who have claws andteeth, and draw hunters into places where they are likely to tear theirclothes on the thorns, if they wear silk and velvet, or even cloth andbuff, but not if they wear cuirasses."

  "That is a reason, but not a good one, sire."

  "What would you have? I have no other."

  "Then I must be content with this."

  "You had better."

  "So be it."

  "You are angry at being disturbed for this chase."

  "Ma foi! yes."

  "So you find fault?"

  "Is it forbidden?"

  "Oh no."

  "You understand, sire, I am no hunter, and have nothing to do, so I mustamuse myself, while you are thinking of all the wolves that a dozen menare going to kill."

  "Ah, yes, laugh away, Chicot; first it was the clothes, now the numberof wolves."

  "Oh, sire!"

  "But I must say you are not indulgent, for Bearn is not as large asFrance; so the king goes there with two hundred huntsmen, I with adozen, as you see."

  "Yes, sire."

  "But," said Henri, "sometimes the country gentlemen, hearing I am going,quit their chateaux and join me, which sometimes makes up a good escortfor me."

  When they had ridden about half an hour--

  "Look," said Henri to Chicot, "are not those cavaliers that I seethere?"

  Chicot looked and said, "Yes, sire, cavaliers, but not huntsmen."

  "Why not?"

  "Because they are armed like Amadis or Rolando," replied Chicot.

  "Ah! what matters the dress, my dear Chicot? you see we are notparticular as to that."

  "But I see at least two hundred men there."

  "Ah! that is a good number."

  Chicot began to feel very curious. He had really named too low a number,for the group before them consisted of two hundred men, who camesilently and joined their party; each man was well armed and mounted,and they were led by a gentleman who came and kissed Henri's hand withmuch devotion.

  They passed the river Gers, and then came on a second troop of onehundred men; the chief approached, and seemed to be making excuses fornot bringing more men. Henri gave him his hand. They went on till theycame to the Garonne; this they also passed, and about half a league onthe other side, three hundred cavaliers, hidden in a pine forest,suddenly came in sight.

  "Oh! monseigneur," said Chicot, "are not these enemies who have heard ofyour chase, and wish to oppose it?"

  "No, my son, you are wrong; they are friends from Puzmirol."

  "Mordieu! sire, you will have more men in your escort than trees in yourforest."

  "Chicot, I really believe the news of your arrival must have spreadthrough the country, and all these people have come to welcome theambassador from France."

  Chicot saw he was being laughed at, and felt rather offended.

  The day finished at Muroy, where the gentlemen of the country gave agrand supper to the king, of which Chicot took his partenthusiastically, as it had not been deemed necessary to stop on theroad for anything so unimportant as dinner, and he had eaten nothingsince he had left Nerac.

  Henri had the best house in the town, half the troop slept within doors,the other half in the street where the king was.

  "When are we to begin the hunt?" asked Chicot of Henri, as he wasundressing.

  "We are not yet in the territory of the wolves, my dear Chicot."

  "And when shall we be?"

  "Curious!"

  "Not so, sire; but you understand, one likes to know where one isgoing."

  "You will know to-morrow; meanwhile, lie down there on those cushionson my left; here is Mornay snoring already at my right."

  "Peste!" said Chicot, "he makes more noise asleep than awake."

  "It is true he is not very talkative; but see him at the chase."

  Day had partly appeared, when a great noise of horses awoke Chicot. Theydressed, drank some spiced wine, and took other refreshment, and thenHenri cried:

  "To horse! gentlemen, we have a long day's work before us."

  Chicot saw with astonishment that five hundred cavaliers had swelled thetrain during the night.

  "Sire!" cried he, "you have an army."

  "Wait!" replied Henri.

  At Lauzerte, six hundred more men came and ranged themselves behind thecavaliers.

  "Foot soldiers!" cried Chicot.

  "Nothing but beaters," said the king.

  Chicot frowned and spoke no more.

  Twenty times his eyes turned toward the country, and the idea of flightpresented itself to him. But Chicot had his guard of honor, doubtless asambassador of the king of France, and so well was he recommended to thisguard, that he could not make a movement that was not repeated by tenmen.

  This annoyed him, and he said so to the king.

  "Diable!" said Henri, "it is your own fault; you tried to run away fromNerac, and I am afraid you will try it again."

  "Sire, if I give my word as a gentleman not to do so?"

  "That will do."

  "Besides, I should be wrong to do so."

  "How so?"

  "Yes; for if I stay, I believe I shall see curious things."

  "I am of your opinion, my dear Chicot."

  At this moment they were going through the town of Montcuq, and fourfield-pieces took their place in the army.

  "I return to my first idea," said Chicot, "that the wolves in thiscountry are different from others, and are differently treated; withartillery, for instance."

  "Ah!" said Henri, "it is a mania of the people of Montcuq. Since I gavethem these four pieces they take them about everywhere."

  "Well, sire, shall we arrive to-day?"

  "No, to-morrow."

  "To-morrow morning or evening?"

  "Morning."

  "Then," said Chicot, "it is at Cahors we are to hunt, is it not, sire?"

  "On that side," replied Henri.

  "But, sire, you who have infantry, cavalry, and artillery to hunt wolv
eswith, should also have taken the royal standard, and then the honor tothe wolves would have been complete."

  "We have not forgotten it, Chicot, ventre St. Gris! only it is left inthe case for fear of dirtying it. But if you wish to see it, and knowunder whose banner you march, you shall see it."

  "No, no, it is useless; leave it where it is."

  "Well, be easy, you will see it before long."

  They passed the second night at Catus. Troops kept arriving all night.

  "It is lucky we are not going on to Paris," said Chicot, "we shouldarrive with 100,000 men."

  The next morning, by eight o'clock, they were before Cahors, with 1,000foot soldiers and 2,000 horse.

  They found the city in a state of defense, M. de Vezin having heardrumors of the advance.

  "Ah!" said the king, "he is warned; that is very annoying."

  "We must lay siege in due form, sire," said Mornay; "we expect stillabout 2,000 men, and that is enough."

  "Let us assemble the council and begin the trenches."

  Chicot listened to all this in amazement. The pensive air of Henri alonereassured him, for it confirmed his suspicions that he was no warrior.He let every one speak, and said nothing. All at once he raised hishead, and said in a commanding tone:

  "Gentlemen, this is what we must do. We have 3,000 men, and you say youexpect 2,000 more, Mornay?"

  "Yes, sire."

  "That will make 5,000. In a regular siege we should lose 1,000 or 1,500men in two months, their death would discourage the others, and weshould lose 1,000 more in retreating. Let us sacrifice 500 men at once,and take Cahors by assault."

  "What do you mean, sire?" asked Mornay.

  "My dear friend, we will go straight to the nearest gate. We shall finda fosse in our way, which we will cover with fascines; we may leave twohundred men on the road, but we shall reach the gate."

  "After, sire?"

  "Then we will break it down with petards and go in. It will not bedifficult."

  Chicot looked at Henri, astonished.

  "Oh!" growled he, "perhaps he is a coward and a boaster."

  "Let us not lose time, gentlemen," cried Henri. "Forward, and let allwho love me follow."

  Chicot approached Mornay.

  "Well! M. le Comte," said he, "do you all want to be cut to pieces?"

  "Oh! we take our chance."

  "But the king will get killed."

  "Bah! he has a good cuirass."

  "But he will not be foolish enough to fight himself, I suppose?"

  Mornay shrugged his shoulders and turned on his heel.

  "After all, I like him better asleep than awake; he is more politesnoring than speaking," said Chicot.