The Trail of the Sword, Volume 2.
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Gilbert Parker >> The Trail of the Sword, Volume 2.
The watch of the Valiant, waking suddenly, sprang up and ran forward,
making no outcry, dazed but bent on fighting. He came, however, on the
point of Perrot's sabre and was cut down. Meanwhile Iberville, hot for
mischief, stamped upon the deck. Immediately a number of armed men came
bundling up the hatch way. Among these appeared Gering and the governor,
who thrust themselves forward with drawn swords and pistols. The first
two men who appeared above the hatchway were promptly despatched, and
Iberville's sword was falling upon Gering, whom he did not recognise,
when De Casson's hand diverted the blow. It caught the shoulder of a man
at Gering's side.
"'Tis Monsieur Gering!" said the priest.
"Stop! stop!" cried a voice behind these. "I am the governor. We
surrender."
There was nothing else to do: in spite of Gering's show of defiance,
though death was above him if he resisted. He was but half-way up.
"It is no use, Mr. Gering," urged the governor; "they have us like sheep
in a pen."
"Very well," said Gering suddenly, handing up his, sword and stepping up
himself. "To whom do I surrender?"
"To an old acquaintance, monsieur," said Iberville, coming near, "who
will cherish you for the king of France."
"Damnation!" cried Gering, and his eyes hungered for his sword again.
"You would not visit me, so I came to look for you; though why, monsieur,
you should hide up here in the porch of the world passeth knowledge."
"Monsieur is witty," answered Gering stoutly; "but if he will grant me
my sword again and an hour alone with him, I shall ask no greater joy
in life."
By this time the governor was on deck, and he interposed.
"I beg, sir," he said to Iberville, "you will see there is no useless
slaughter at yon fort; for I guess that your men have their way with it."
"Shall my messenger, in your name, tell your people to give in?"
"By Heaven, no: I hope that they will fight while remains a chance. And
be sure, sir, I should not have yielded here, but that I foresaw hopeless
slaughter. Nor would I ask your favour there, but that I know you are
like to have bloody barbarians with you--and we have women and children!"
"We have no Indians, we are all French," answered Iberville quietly, and
sent the messenger away.
At that moment Perrot touched his arm, and pointed to a man whose
shoulder was being bandaged. It was Radisson, who had caught Iberville's
sword when the abbe diverted it.
"By the mass," said Iberville; "the gift of the saints!" He pricked
Radisson with the point of his sword. "Well, Monsieur Renegade, who holds
the spring of the trap now? You have some prayers, I hope. And if there
is no priest among your English, we'll find you one before you swing next
sundown."
Radisson threw up a malignant look, but said nothing; and went on caring
for his wound.
"At sunset, remember. You will see to it, Perrot," he added.
"Pardon me, monsieur," said the governor. "This is an officer of our
company, duly surrendered."
"Monsieur will know this man is a traitor, and that I have long-standing
orders to kill him wherever found. What has monsieur to say for him?"
Iberville added, turning to Gering.
"As an officer of the company," was the reply, "he has the rights of a
prisoner of war."
"Monsieur, we have met at the same table, and I cannot think you should
plead for a traitor. If you will say that the man--"
But here Radisson broke in. "I want no one to speak for me. I hate you
all"--he spat at Iberville--"and I will hang when I must, no sooner."
"Not so badly said," Iberville responded. "'Tis a pity, Radisson, you
let the devil buy you."
"T'sh! The devil pays good coin, and I'm not hung yet," he sullenly
returned.
By this time all the prisoners save Gering, the governor, and Radisson,
were secured. Iberville ordered their disposition, and then, having set
a guard, went down to deal with the governor for all the forts on the
bay. Because the firing had ceased, he knew that the fort had been
captured; and, indeed, word soon came to this effect. Iberville then
gave orders that the prisoners from the fort should be brought on board
next morning, to be carried on to Fort Albany, which was yet for attack.
He was ill-content that a hand-to-hand fight with Gering had been
prevented.
He was now all courtesy to the governor and Gering, and, offering them
their own wine, entertained them with the hardships of their travel up.
He gave the governor assurance that the prisoners should be treated well,
and no property destroyed. Afterwards, with apologies, he saw them
bestowed in a cabin, the door fastened, and a guard set. Presently he
went on deck, and giving orders that Radisson should be kept safe on the
after-deck, had rations served out. Then, after eating, he drew his
cloak over him in the cabin and fell asleep.
Near daybreak a man came swimming along the side of the ship to the small
port-hole of a cabin. He paused before it, took from his pocket a nail,
and threw it within. There was no response, and he threw another, and
again there was no response. Hearing the step of some one on the deck
above he drew in close to the side of the ship, diving under the water
and lying still. A moment after he reappeared and moved-almost floated-
on to another port-hole. He had only one nail left; he threw it in, and
Gering's face appeared.
"Hush, monsieur!" Radisson called up. "I have a key which may fit, and
a bar of iron. If you get clear, make for this side."
He spoke in a whisper. At that moment he again heard steps above, and
dived as before. The watch looked over, having heard a slight noise; but
not knowing that Gering's cabin was beneath, thought no harm. Presently
Radisson came up again. Gering understood, having heard the footsteps.
"I will make the trial," he said. "Can you give me no other weapon?"
"I have only the one," responded Radisson, not unselfish enough to give
it up. His chief idea, after all, was to put Gering under obligation to
him.
"I will do my best," said Gering.
Then he turned to the governor, who did not care to risk his life in the
way of escape.
Gering tried the key, but it would not turn easily and he took it out
again. Rubbing away the rust, he used tallow from the candle, and tried
the lock again; still it would not turn. He looked to the fastenings,
but they were solid, and he feared noise; he made one more attempt with
the lock, and suddenly it turned. He tried the handle, and the door
opened. Then he bade goodbye to the governor and stepped out, almost
upon the guard, who was sound asleep. Looking round he saw Iberville's
cloak, which its owner had thrown off in his sleep. He stealthily picked
it up, and then put Iberville's cap on his head. Of nearly the same
height, with these disguises he might be able to pass for his captor.
He threw the cloak over his shoulders, stole silently to the hatchway,
and cautiously climbed up. Thrusting out his head he looked about him,
and he saw two or three figures bundled together at the mainmast--
woodsmen who had celebrated victory too sincerely. He looked for the
watch, but could not see him. Then he drew himself carefully up, and on
his hands and knees passed to the starboard side and moved aft. Doing so
he saw the watch start up from the capstan where he had been resting, and
walk towards him. He did not quicken his pace. He trusted to his ruse--
he would impersonate Iberville, possessed as he was of the hat and cloak.
He moved to the bulwarks and leaned against them, looking into the water.
The sentry was deceived; he knew the hat and cloak, and he was only too
glad to have, as he thought, escaped the challenge of having slept at his
post; so he began resolutely to pace the deck. Gering watched him
closely, and moved deliberately to the stern. In doing so he suddenly
came upon a body. He stopped and turned round, leaning against the
bulwarks as before. This time the watch came within twenty feet of him,
saluted and retired.
Immediately Gering looked again at the body near him, and started back,
for his feet were in a little pool. He understood: Radisson had escaped
by killing his guard. It was not possible that the crime and the escape
could go long undetected; the watch might at any moment come the full
length of the ship. Gering flashed a glance at him again, his back was
to him still,--suddenly doffed the hat and cloak, vaulted lightly upon
the bulwarks, caught the anchor-chain, slid down it into the water, and
struck out softly along the side. Immediately Radisson was beside him.
"Can you dive?" the Frenchman whispered. "Can you swim under water?"
"A little."
"Then with me, quick!"
The Frenchman dived and Gering followed him. The water was bitter cold,
but when a man is saving his life endurance multiplies.
The Fates were with them: no alarm came from the ship, and they reached
the bank in safety. Here they were upon a now hostile shore without
food, fire, shelter, and weapons; their situation was desperate even yet.
Radisson's ingenuity was not quite enough, so Gering solved the problem:
there were the Frenchmen's canoes; they must be somewhere on the shore.
Because Radisson was a Frenchman, he might be able to impose upon the
watch guarding the canoes. If not, they still had weapons of a kind-
Radisson a knife, and Gering the bar of iron. They moved swiftly along
the shore, fearing an alarm meanwhile. If they could but get weapons and
a canoe they would make their way either to Fort Albany, so warning it,
or attempt the desperate journey to New York. Again fortune was with
them. As it chanced, the watch, suffering from the cold night air, had
gone into the bush to bring wood for firing. The two refugees stole
near, and in the very first canoe found three muskets, and there were
also bags filled with food. They hastily pushed out a canoe, got in, and
were miles away before their escape was discovered.
Radisson was for going south at once to New York, but Gering would not
hear of it, and at the mouth of a musket Radisson obeyed. They reached
Fort Albany and warned it. Having thus done his duty towards the
Hudson's Bay Company, and knowing that surrender must come, and that in
this case his last state would be worse than his first, Gering proceeded
with Radisson--hourly more hateful to him, yet to be endured for what had
happened--southward upon the trail the Frenchmen had taken northward.
A couple of hours after Gering had thrown his hat and cloak into the
blood of the coureur du bois, and slid down the anchor-chain, Iberville
knew that his quarry was flown. The watch had thought that Iberville had
gone below, and he had again relaxed, but presently a little maggot of
wonder got into his brain. He then went aft. Dawn was just breaking;
the grey moist light shone with a naked coldness on land and water; wild-
fowl came fluttering, voiceless, past; night was still drenched in sleep.
Suddenly he saw the dead body, and his boots dabbled in wet!
In all that concerned the honour of the arms of France and the conquest
of the three forts, Hayes, Rupert, and Albany, Iberville might be
content, but he chafed at, the escape of his enemies.
"I will not say it is better so, Pierre," urged De Casson; "but you have
done enough for the king. Let your own cause come later."
"And it will come, abbe," he answered, with anger. "His account grows;
we must settle all one day. And Radisson shall swing or I am no soldier
--so!"
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