Adventure Magazine, December 10, 1924 — page 156: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

134 and ‘turned and kept pace with them, but it was long before the marshal could notice him, for the king was in a martial humor that day, he had mounted his black charger, he had put on his gilded armor and his silver helmet with the black plumes and he had to tell the marshal:thow to conquer Italy. i) But at last earnest looks and signs did their work. The marshal shook off His Majesty and broke away and rode out to Silvain. ‘‘What the ails you that you come hovering over us like a crow?” “T bring you ill news, my lord,” Silvain said in a low voice. ‘‘Your plan is be- trayed. The Italians will be ready for you at Fornovo.” The marshal glared at him. “____!_ you promised me the pass of Fornovo was clear.”’ “And so it was, my lord. But there are traitors stand by the king. After you made your plan last night, two knights of the Sieur de Vesc stole out from the camp, Gilbert du Marais and Philibert de la Vire. And when I knew it I hunted them over the mountains and Philibert is dead but Gilbert saved himself from me and came down to the Italians at Parma. He was in the king’s tent. He knows all. He will bring them to meet you at Fornovo. Still there is time, my lord. Halt and turn aside and make for the Parma valley.” “Make for ,’ the marshal growled. “You are too cunning, my man. You know too much. Wherever we go you find danger. The, —— -take you, if--we are trapped at Fornovo you led us into the trap.”’ “T have warned you, my lord. Turn -now and go by Parma.” “Oh rogue, can I turn the king’s army as you turn your horse?” “There is time yet——” ‘‘___. I will hear no more of you. To the —— with your tales. If all Italy holds the pass against us we will break through.”’ “{ pray you, my lord, give me men to Jcad,” Silvain cried. “You? Go to the rear. Ride with the baggage. That is the place for you and vour fears. Go, I say, I will not trust you near the enemy. You are too busy, my man.,”’ Silvain turned his horse and slowly made his way down the column. Among the mules and the packhorses laden with the Adventure king’s pomp and the spoils of Italy Thibaut found him. ‘God comfort you, my lord,” he groaned. ‘What is this?” ‘“‘This is my wages, brother,’’ Silvain said. “T have failed and I live.” The army was smitten with convulsions. The marshal and his knights and hi. squires raged up and down calling on the laboring guns to go forward, sending pike- men on, bringing horsemen back. It was the desire of the marshal that the army should advance in order of battle, no easy thing to contrive on a march down the broken ground of a mountain side into a funnel of a valley. Thibaut sucked his teeth. “My poor bones, we make haste,’’ he said. “We are all tumbled and shattered before we have fought. What shall we be like after?”’ ‘“‘Pray God the Italians are hurried too,” Silvain said. ‘That is our hope.” “Why if they run at us as we run at them we shall all be as merry as peas in soup.” | Once down in the valley the marshal harried his army into some order and made a front that spread from side to side, though the boulders that strewed the ground and the torrent in the midst broke the line. Some way ahead they saw ban- ners and the gleam of steel. The Italians had a long march to make from their old position and they were not rushing to the fight. Francesco of Mantua knew his men and his trade. He had chosen his ground well. Where the valley opened out and forked his ranks were drawn up barring the easier road, ready to charge the French in flank if they turned to the other. He had already enough men to make a stand and more were coming up the valley but all his force was not yet in sight. “By my faith, we may do it yet!’’ Silvain cried as he scanned their numbers. ‘Here is only a morsel of an army. Forward! Forward!” But the marshal sounded a halt. Hav- ing room for a wider front he must make a new order of battle and fight by the rule. He spread his army out and brought up his fourteen guns and set them in the middle of the line and the weary gunners began a slow and solemn cannonade. The Italians had no guns to answer it, CoMmiclboolk Wh) (© =