Nobody's Boy

by Hector Malot

  CHAPTER VIII

  ONE WHO HAD KNOWN A KING

  Our mode of traveling was very simple: We went straight ahead, anywhere,and when we found a village, which from the distance looked sufficientlyimportant, we began preparations for a triumphal entry. I dressed thedogs, and combed Dulcie's hair; stuck a plaster over Capi's eye when hewas playing the part of an old grouchy man, and forced Pretty-Heart intohis General's uniform. That was the most difficult thing I had to do,for the monkey, who knew well enough that this was a prelude to work forhim, invented the oddest tricks to prevent me from dressing him. Then Iwas forced to call Capi to come to my aid, and between the two of us wefinally managed to subdue him.

  The company all dressed, Vitalis took his fife and we went in marchingorder into the village. If the number of people who trooped behind uswas sufficient, we gave a performance, but if we had only a fewstragglers, we did not think it worth our while to stop, so continued onour way. When we stayed several days in a town, Vitalis would let me goabout alone if Capi was with me. He trusted me with Capi.

  "You are traveling through France at the age when most boys are atschool," he once said to me; "open your eyes, look and learn. When yousee something that you do not understand, do not be afraid to ask mequestions. I have not always been what you see me now. I have learntmany other things."

  "What?"

  "We will speak of that later. For the present listen to my advice, andwhen you grow up I hope you will think with a little gratitude of thepoor musician of whom you were so afraid when he took you from youradopted mother. The change may not be bad for you after all."

  I wondered what my master had been in the days gone by.

  We tramped on until we came to the plains of Quercy, which were veryflat and desolate. There was not a brook, pond, or river to be seen. Inthe middle of the plain we came to a small village called Bastide-Murat.We spent the night in a barn belonging to the inn.

  "It was here in this village," said Vitalis, "and probably in this inn,that a man was born who led thousands of soldiers to battle and who,having commenced his life as a stable boy, afterwards became a king. Hisname was Murat. They called him a hero, and they named this villageafter him. I knew him and often talked with him."

  "When he was a stable boy?"

  "No," replied Vitalis, laughing, "when he was a king. This is the firsttime I have been in this part of the country. I knew him in Naples,where he was king."

  "You have known a king!"

  The tone in which I said this must have been rather comical, for mymaster laughed heartily.

  We were seated on a bench before the stable door, our backs against thewall, which, was still hot from the sun's rays. The locusts werechanting their monotonous song in a great sycamore which covered us withits branches. Over the tops of the houses the full moon, which had justappeared, rose gently in the heavens. The night seemed all the morebeautiful because the day had been scorchingly hot.

  "Do you want to go to bed?" asked Vitalis, "or would you like me to tellyou the story of King Murat?"

  "Oh, tell me the story!"

  Then he told me the story of Joachim Murat; for hours we sat on thebench. As he talked, the pale light from the moon fell across him, and Ilistened in rapt attention, my eyes fixed on his face. I had not heardthis story before. Who would have told me? Not Mother Barberin, surely!She did not know anything about it. She was born at Chavanon, and wouldprobably die there. Her mind had never traveled farther than her eyes.

  My master had seen a king, and this king had spoken to him! What was mymaster in his youth, and how had he become what I saw him now in hisold age?...

  We had been tramping since morning. Vitalis had said that we shouldreach a village by night where we could sleep, but night had come, and Isaw no signs of this village, no smoke in the distance to indicate thatwe were near a house. I could see nothing but a stretch of plains aheadof us. I was tired, and longed to go to sleep. Vitalis was tired also.He wanted to stop and rest by the roadside, but instead of sitting downbeside him, I told him that I would climb a hill that was on the left ofus and see if I could make out a village. I called Capi, but Capi alsowas tired, and turned a deaf ear to my call; this he usually did when hedid not wish to obey me.

  "Are you afraid?" asked Vitalis.

  His question made me start off at once, alone.

  Night had fallen. There was no moon, but the twinkling stars in the skythrew their light on a misty atmosphere. The various things around meseemed to take on a strange, weird form in the dim light. Wild furzegrew in bushes beside some huge stones which, towering above me, seemedas though they turned to look at me. The higher I climbed, the thickerbecame the trees and shrubs, their tops passing over my head andinterlacing. Sometimes I had to crawl through them to get by. Yet I wasdetermined to get to the top of the hill. But, when at last I did, andgazed around, I could see no light anywhere; nothing but strange shadowsand forms, and great trees which seemed to hold out their branches tome, like arms ready to enfold me.

  I listened to see if I could catch the bark of a dog, or the bellow of acow, but all was silent. With my ear on the alert, scarcely breathing soas to hear better, I stood quiet for a moment. Then I began to tremble,the silence of this lonely, uncultivated country frightened me. Of whatwas I frightened? The silence probably ... the night ... anyhow, anameless fear was creeping over me. My heart beat quickly, as thoughsome danger was near. I glanced fearfully around me, and then in thedistance I saw a great form moving amongst the trees. At the same time Icould hear the rustling of branches. I tried to tell myself that it wasfear that made me fancy I saw something unusual. Perhaps it was a shrub,a branch. But then, the branches were moving and there was not a breathof wind or a breeze that could shake them. They could not move unlessswayed by the breeze or touched by some one.

  Some one?

  No, this great, dark form that was coming towards me could not be aman--some kind of animal that I did not know, or an immense night bird,a gigantic spider, hovering over the tops of the trees. What wascertain, this creature had legs of unusual length, which brought italong with amazing bounds. Seeing this, I quickly found my own legs, andrushed down the hill towards Vitalis. But, strange to say, I made lesshaste going down than I had in climbing up. I threw myself into thethick of the thistles and brambles, scratching myself at every step.Scrambling out of a prickly bush I took a glance back. The animal wascoming nearer! It was almost upon me!

  Fortunately, I had reached the bottom of the hill and I could runquicker across the grass. Although I raced at the top of my speed, theThing was gaining upon me. There was no need for me to look behind, Iknew that it was just at the back of me. I could scarcely breathe. Myrace had almost exhausted me; my breath came in gasps. I made one finaleffort and fell sprawling at Vitalis' feet. I could only repeat twowords:

  "The beast! the beast!"

  Above the loud barking of the dogs, I heard a hearty peal of laughter.At the same time my master put his hands on my shoulders and forced meto look round.

  "You goose," he cried, still laughing, "look up and see it."

  His laugh, more than his words, brought me to my senses. I opened oneeye, then the other, and looked where he was pointing. The apparition,which had so frightened me, had stopped and was standing still in theroad. At the sight of it again, I must confess, I began to shake, but Iwas with Vitalis and the dogs were beside me. I was not alone up therein the trees.... I looked up boldly and fixed my eyes on the Thing.

  Was it an animal or a man? It had the body, the head, and arms like aman, but the shaggy skin which covered it, and the two long thin legsupon which it seemed to poise, looked as though they belonged to ananimal.

  Although the night was dark, I could see this, for the silhouette ofthis dark form stood out against the starry sky. I should have remaineda long time undecided as to what it was, if my master had not spoken toit.

  "Can you tell me if we are far from the village?" he asked, politely.

  He was a man, th
en, if one could speak to him! What was my astonishmentwhen the animal said that there were no houses near, but an inn to whichhe would take us. If he could talk, why did he have paws?

  If I had had the courage, I would have gone up to him to see how hispaws were made, but I was still somewhat afraid, so I picked up my bagand followed my master, without saying a word.

  "You see now what scared you so," Vitalis said, laughing, as we went onour way.

  "But I don't know what it is, yet. Are there giants in this part of thecountry, then?"

  "Yes, when men are standing on stilts."

  Then he explained to me that the Landais, so as to get over the marshyplains, and not sink in up to their hips, stride about the country onstilts.

  What a goose I had been!