Robert Tournay: A Romance of the French Revolution

by William Sage

  CHAPTER XII

  THE FOUR COMMISSIONERS

  Under the escort of Karl von Waldenmeer and half a dozen of his Frenchofficers, Tournay and Gaillard rode rapidly toward the French boundary.

  It had stopped snowing during the night, and the weather was clear andcold.

  They rode in silence, no sound being heard but the regular dull beatingof their horses' hoofs on the snow-covered ground.

  They drew out of the wood and saw the frozen surface of the Rhine beforethem, the sun dazzling their eyes with its reflected light upon the ice.

  With one accord the party reined in their horses and sat motionless,looking at the glorious sight of the ice-bound river.

  Karl von Waldenmeer was the first to break the silence. Pointing withhis gloved hand toward the opposite shore he said:--

  "There, gentlemen, is France, and my road ends here."

  Tournay merely made an inclination of the head in assent. He wasthinking sadly of Edme standing by the window in the cheerless old salonat Falzenberg; but as he looked out over the river towards his own landhe remembered the army on the other side of the Vosges; the prospect ofthe impending campaign caused his spirits to revive, and he replied:--

  "We owe you thanks, Colonel von Waldenmeer, for the kindness you havebeen pleased to show us. When we meet again it will doubtless be uponthe field of battle, but I shall not even then forget your courtesy ofto-day."

  "It will always give me pleasure to meet you again, under anycircumstances, Colonel Tournay," said the Prussian, "and if it be on thefield, to cross swords with you. A brave foe makes a good friend, and Ishall be glad to count you as both of these. And now, gentlemen, we willrelieve you of our escort; there lies your way over that bridge, justbelow here. We return to Falzenberg."

  "Let us cross upon the ice," said Gaillard to Tournay; "it will bear ourweight easily."

  They rode down the bank. At the brink their horses drew back, but beingurged by their riders, went forward, feeling the ice daintily with theirforefeet with cat-like caution. Seeing that the ice was quite safe, theFrenchmen put spurs into their horses and the animals swung into agallop, their iron-shod feet cutting into the ice with a pleasant,crunching sound.

  Reaching the further side, they rode up the steep bank, then reined intheir horses and looked back. The declining rays of the sun tipped thesnow-clad hemlock trees on the other side of the river with crimson,and against the dark outline of the forest behind, the figures ofColonel von Waldenmeer and his officers sat motionless as statues. Eachparty gave the military salute, and the Prussians rode back into thewood, while Tournay and Gaillard sat looking after them until they wereno longer in sight.

  "We are on French soil once more," exclaimed Tournay, "and now to joinGeneral Hoche and fight for it."

  "I had best return to Paris," said Gaillard.

  "I fear to have you return there now, after having put your head indanger by assisting me," said Tournay anxiously.

  "I shall be as safe in Paris as anywhere in the world," replied hisfriend. "Nobody will suspect the actor Gaillard of having any connectionwith the flight of Mademoiselle de Rochefort. I cannot do better than toreturn to Paris and resume my usual mode of life there. While, if youare suspected, as is more likely, of instigating or effectingMademoiselle de Rochefort's escape from Tours, you must look to yourmilitary reputation and your influence in the convention to protect youfrom an inquiry on the part of the rabid revolutionists."

  "What you say, Gaillard, is sound reasoning. I will follow your advice.Embrace me, my friend, and let us part here."

  "Good-by until we meet again, my colonel!" was Gaillard's only audiblereply, and then he rode off toward the west, while Tournay turned hishorse in the direction of the north, where the French troops layencamped.

  It was about noon of the next day when he reached the French army, andstopping only at his own tent to put on his uniform he hurried to theheadquarters of General Hoche and reported for duty. He had traveled sorapidly from Tours that he reached the army almost as soon as GeneralHoche expected him, and the general attributed the delay of a day or soto the bad condition of the roads.

  Tournay hesitated to set him right in the matter, as he deemed it moreprudent to refrain from mentioning to anyone his part in Mademoiselle deRochefort's escape.

  "What news do you bring from the convention?" was the question of thegeneral as they were seated alone.

  "Bad!" replied Tournay, "as you can tell by the tone of thesedispatches. The convention has many able men in it, but they aredominated too entirely by the Revolutionary Tribunal, and that body isdominated too much by one man. His power is ruining the Republic. Unlesswe get rid of Robespierre, we might as well go back to the monarchy."

  After a few moments spent in reading the papers Tournay had put in hishand, General Hoche looked up with an expression of annoyance on hisbrow.

  "Yes; the insulting tone of this dispatch is almost beyond endurance. Iam glad after all that my business is out here fighting the externalenemies of France. Were I at Paris, I should be embroiling myself dailywith some of those who are in power. If we meet with the slightestreverses here at the front there is a howl from St. Just and that crowdthat we are betraying the Republic. Meanwhile they furnish us with abeggarly equipment. It is they who are betraying the Republic. Were itnot for Danton we should get nothing. He alone makes success against ourenemies possible. And we must be successful, Colonel Tournay; look hereat the plan of campaign."

  And the young general, in his military ardor, forgetting entirely theinsulting dispatch, turned with enthusiasm to the maps which lay spreadout on the table.

  "Here are the bulk of the Austrian forces at Wissembourg. That oldGerman beer-barrel von Waldenmeer is at Falzenberg. He intends toconcentrate his troops there and then bring them up to join the Austriangeneral, Wurmser."

  Tournay started at his own general's accurate information in regard tothe enemy's position and plans.

  "We must attack Wurmser at once before he can receive reinforcements,and then proceed to Landau. They have beaten us once at Wissembourg andwill not be looking for us to take the offensive again so soon. I havealready given the order to mobilize the troops. I and my staff will rideforward this evening. By to-morrow night we shall have retakenWissembourg."

  "One moment, general," interrupted Tournay, as Hoche took up anothermap. "I wish to tell you that I have just seen General von Waldenmeer atFalzenberg."

  Hoche looked at his officer with surprise.

  "I went to the Prussian frontier on an errand, the nature of which Ishould prefer to keep secret for the present. I was suspected of being aspy, taken prisoner, and brought before General von Waldenmeer. Helistened to my explanations and released me under circumstances no lesspeculiar than those which brought me within his lines." Here Tournaystopped, the blood coming to the surface under the bronze of his cheekat the steady gaze of General Hoche.

  "Is that all?" inquired the latter.

  "That is all," answered his colonel, "except that had I not made thisdetour I should have been here twenty-four hours earlier, and that as Igot within the Prussian lines by mistake and did not go as a spy, I cangive you no information which you have not already obtained."

  "If you had arrived twenty-four hours later you would have missed thegrandest opportunity of your life; I intend to give you, ColonelTournay, the command of a brigade in the approaching battle."

  "A brigade?" echoed Tournay in surprise.

  "You shall atone for your breach of discipline by bearing greatresponsibility in the attack. I intend your brigade to be where thefight is hottest, and if there is anything left of it after theengagement, and of you, colonel, you shall continue to command it and Iwill recommend you for promotion."

  Tournay grasped his chief by the hand.

  "You may be sure, General Hoche, that I shall do my utmost to deservethe honor you have done me."

  "I was persuaded of that before I determined to give you the command,"replied Hoche; "now go
forward and join your regiment. By midnight Ishall be at Wissembourg and shall have one last word with all of mygenerals. I do not believe in protracted councils of war."

  That evening Colonel Tournay was encamped before the field ofWissembourg. He sat in his tent waiting for the summons that shouldbring him to General Hoche's council board.

  An orderly entered with the word that a commission of four men from theCommittee of Public Safety at Paris wished to speak to him.

  Tournay started from the reverie into which he had fallen. His thoughtshad been dwelling upon the events of the past week, and the announcementstruck a discordant note in his meditation. "Show them in," he repliedbriefly.

  In another moment the four commissioners stood before him. Three of themen were unknown to him, but the fourth was Gardin. The latter, asspokesman, stood a little in advance of the others. On his face therewas a look of mingled insolence and triumph.

  Tournay's gorge rose at sight of the man, but remembering that he wasthe recognized emissary from the committee he controlled his impulse tokick him from the tent.

  "Will you be seated, citizens?" he said, rising and addressing hisremark more to the three commissioners who were not known to him than toGardin. "Orderly, bring seats."

  "Our business with you will be of such short duration that we shall haveno need to sit down," answered Gardin curtly.

  "Orderly, do not bring the seats," was Tournay's quick order, as heresumed his former place on a camp-chair and sat carelessly looking atthe four men standing before him. This placed Gardin in just theopposite role from that he had intended to assume. He saw his mistake atonce, and hastened to recover his lost ground.

  "Citizen colonel," he said, drawing a paper from his pocket and puttingit in Tournay's hands, "here is a document from the committee which evenyou cannot question. It is addressed to Robert Tournay."

  Tournay broke the large red seal of the letter and read:--

  CITIZEN COLONEL ROBERT TOURNAY; with the Army of the Moselle, Citizen General Lazare Hoche commanding:--

  The Citizen Colonel Tournay is hereby summoned to appear before the Committee of Public Safety to answer charges affecting his patriotism and loyalty to the Republic. He will resign his command at once, and return to Paris in the company of the four commissioners who bring him this document.

  Signed: For the Committee of Public Safety,

  COUTHON, ST. JUST.

  This 5th Pluviose, the year II. of the French Republic one and indivisible.

  When he had finished reading the document Tournay folded it carefullyand placed it in his pocket.

  "Well?" demanded Gardin impatiently.

  "I cannot at present leave the army," was the reply.

  The four commissioners exchanged looks.

  "We are on the eve of a decisive engagement with the enemy. When that isover--in a few days, if I am alive, I will answer the committee'ssummons."

  "We were instructed to bring you back with us at once," said one of thecommissioners.

  "And we'll do it, too," muttered another under his breath.

  The fourth pulled Gardin by the sleeve and whispered something in hisear.

  "I regret, citizen commissioners," repeated Tournay, "that I cannot atpresent leave the army."

  Then rising suddenly and confronting Gardin he said passionately:--

  "Tell your masters that it is not necessary to drag Robert Tournay toParis like a felon, that he will appear before the committee of his ownfree will; that he regards the welfare of France as paramount toeverything else, and that his duty to her will take him to the fieldto-morrow."

  "Your answer is not satisfactory to us," persisted Gardin, "nor will itbe to the committee. Once more, and for the last time, citizen colonel,will you obey this summons as it is written?"

  "No!" thundered Tournay.

  "Then in the name of the Republic I suspend you from your command, andarrest you as a traitor. Lay hands upon him!"

  Gardin himself, remembering his previous encounter with Tournay in whichhe had come off so poorly, merely gave the command, leaving the othersto execute it. Two of them stepped forward with alacrity, one upon eachside of Tournay, and grasped him by the arms.

  He offered no resistance, but raising his voice a little called out:--

  "Officers of the guard!"

  Half a dozen of his Hussars who were in the adjoining tent hastened inat his call.

  "Arrest these four men!" commanded Tournay quietly.

  "Stop!" cried Gardin; "arrest us at your peril. We are the authorizedemissaries of the Committee of Public Safety," and he flourished hiscommission in the soldiers' faces. "We are but carrying out our strictorders. To lay hands upon us will be to bring down upon your heads thevengeance of Robespierre."

  The Hussars stood still. The name of the man who governed France underthe cloak of the Republic made them hesitate.

  "Conduct the prisoner away with as much dispatch as possible," saidGardin in a quick, low tone to his companions.

  "Lieutenant Dessarts, arrest these four men instantly," repeatedTournay. There was a ring in his voice which his subordinates wellunderstood, and without further hesitation they laid hands upon theParis commissioners and proceeded to drag them from the tent by force.

  "He has been relieved of his command and therefore has no right to giveyou orders. Are you slaves that you obey him thus?" yelled Gardin,struggling with the big corporal who held him.

  "See that no harm is done them, Lieutenant Dessarts," Tournay called outas the men were led away. "Conduct them outside our lines and giveorders that they shall not be permitted to return."

  Following them to the door of his tent, Tournay coolly watched theunhappy commissioners as they were led away, protesting vehementlyagainst the indignity of their arrest and vowing vengeance for it.

  It was a cold winter night, and the wind blew down through the mountainpasses of the Vosges with biting keenness. Throwing his cloak over hisshoulder he strolled out through the camp. In spite of the chilling windthe soldiers showed the greatest enthusiasm. As he went down the longline of camp-fires, he was recognized and cheered roundly. Cries of"We'll beat them at Wissembourg to-morrow, colonel!" "Landau or death!"greeted him on all sides.

  The next day showed that they had not uttered vain boasts.

  Tournay's command, sweeping through a narrow defile in the face of adestructive fire, tore through the enemy's centre, and combining withDessaix on the left, and Pichegru on the right, sent Wurmser's troopsbackward before his Prussian allies could come to his assistance.

  With the cry of "Landau or death!" the victorious French dashed ontoward the beleaguered city and raised the siege just as the bravegarrison was in the last extremity for want of food and ammunition.

  The day after the relief of Landau, Colonel Tournay entered the tent ofthe commander-in-chief. Hoche rose to meet him, and taking him by thehand said warmly:--

  "Colonel Tournay, in the name of France I thank you for the efficiencyand bravery displayed yesterday. The victory of Wissembourg will live inthe annals of history, and a full share of the glory belongs to you. Inmy dispatches to the convention I have not omitted to mention your nobleconduct."

  The generous Hoche pressed the hand of his colonel in fraternal feeling.He was two years younger than Tournay, although care and fatigue gavehim the looks of an older man. At twenty-four this remarkable man hadrisen to be preeminently the greatest general in France, and but for hispremature death might in later years have contested with Napoleon forhis laurels.

  "I have come, general, to ask your permission to return to Paris," saidTournay, much gratified by the words of praise from the lips of one whomhe regarded as the greatest military hero of the age.

  "Again?" said Hoche, in a tone of surprise.

  "The Committee of Public Safety have seen fit to summon me to appearbefore them," Tournay continued. "Some one has been found to impeach myloyalty, and I must answer the charge."


  A shade passed over the face of Hoche.

  "But I can ill spare you, Colonel Tournay. What does this committee meanby suspecting the integrity of an officer in whom I have implicit faith?By Heaven, I will not permit it! If they arrest you, I'll throw mycommission back in their faces before I will allow you to answer theircharges."

  "That, my general, would but work injury to France, who depends uponsuch a man as you to save her. You surely will not desert her because afew overheated brains at Paris have seen fit to listen to some of mytraducers. I will go back to Paris and confront my enemies. My conductat Wissembourg will be an answer to their charge of treason." And thecolonel drew himself up with a flash of pardonable pride in his darkeyes.

  "You may be right," replied Hoche, "but I would not trust them. Thereputation which your conduct at Wissembourg will create for you willmake them jealous, and they will whisper it about that your popularityrenders you dangerous. I know them. They become jealous of any man'sreputation. They will have me before the bar of their tribunal as soonas they feel that they can spare me."

  And Hoche laughed scornfully as he uttered the prophecy which was sosoon to be fulfilled.

  "I have no fear but that I shall be able to satisfy them as to loyalty,"replied Tournay, smiling at the absurdity of the great and popular Hochepleading before the tribunal.

  "Well, go if you will, but understand, Tournay, that if you refuse toobey this summons, I will protect you. They shall bring no fictitiouscharges against a trusted officer in my army without entering into acontest with me."

  "I thank you again, my general, but I will not permit you to embroilyourself with the committee on my account. You are too indispensable toFrance. Now I will take the leave of absence you accord me. In ten daysyou may look for my return."

  General Hoche shook his head as Tournay left his presence:--

  "I fear it will be longer than that, my friend," he sighed to himself.

  Colonel Tournay, accompanied by but one orderly, rode toward Paris. Thefeelings of pride and pleasure which his general's praise had raised inhis heart were subdued by the humiliation at being summoned before theCommittee of Public Safety. But there was a fire in his eye, and ahardening of the lines near the mouth which boded that he would notsubmit tamely to insult nor an unjust sentence.