Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

We OES De OU i he | SU UNE LIS) Me : ui > Var; Vise a a i Av") Wee TW PVE eee Hh ty he eee weeR nae ‘ ’ "4 300 captain, but as Hilaire Duhamel, hard hit by great trouble, and in sore need of aid. You know that M. the Duke d’Epernon brought about the death of my father. For _the sake of the king, and for other reasons, I have foregone the vengeance which I would have taken. Now that same man threatens the honor of the lady whom I hope to make my wife. He would sell her to another man, basely, and as cattle are sold. . ‘She has sent a messenger to me with a call for aid. I ride to-day to try to save her. Until I have done so, I renounce my allegiance to the king, and in this one thing become his enemy—for it is to the king that M. the Duke would sell my lady. “Alone I can do little. Yet I cannot ask any soldier of the king to peril his head in my behalf. But if there be among ye any who think my cause deserving of his aid, I will accept it gratefully, and will do my utmost to take upon myself full re- sponsibility before the king.” I stopped short. It was all that I could say. “T ride with Captain Duhamel,” said Torinaz, advancing beside me. “And I,” growled Mark, “as any fool might know,” and he stood at my other el- bow. The men stood staring at us and uneasily kicking their heels. One Lazare Doury, son of a farmer on my lands, a careless, rather Joose tongued fellow usually, was the first to speak; and his face’ was earnest. “My captain, we all know that the Sieur Duhamel, your father, was a just man, and you are like him. We left our homes to fight for France, and for the king, because we thought that he would do the right for France. We knew that some of us would not go home again; for that is war. ‘‘ Now in what you have told us you are right, and the king is wrong, and what is right cannot harm France. ‘There is dan- ger too, you say. Eh, well, then it is the same. By God and His throne, I would as lief go jogging home and tell my old mother and my sister that I had in truth turned traitor to France as that I had failed the Sieur Duhamel and his lady in such a case!” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “And I! And I!” cried the others, their assent merging into acclamation. I saw their honest, eager faces through a sudden mist. ‘““Can’t you see how it is, my captain?” sang out Jacquou Coudriet. ‘We would all be blithe to ride through hell with you, but know not how to tell you so.” ‘So it is bugles, trot, gallop, after all!” blared Mark. ‘‘ Come, my braves; let us be getting the saddles on!” While we were making ready, Moise re- turned from the inn. It cost me no little argument to make the lad see that he would best serve me by remaining with the troop; but I convinced him. “Aunt Dorothée would say another word to you before you go, Hilaire,” he told me. ‘* My faith! what a wonderful old lady she is—all love and fire,’ he sighed; and I knew that she had been petting him and talking about our mother. Our way lay by the inn, and I stopped there. Aunt Dorothée was at a window, and motioned to me not to dismount. She had been counting my men like a gen- eral. ‘You may need more aid, Hilaire,’ she said, as I rode near. ‘JI have thought of something. “Tis a good thought too, if only because it will plague Jean.” She chuckled maliciously. “On your way to Rambouillet, go to Npernon, which will be little out of your way. Say boldly to Jean that you have been sent by the king to take Serene, and- demand aid in the king’s name against De Belleforét. The fact that you know of her plight will be your warranty. He will never suspect that I, whom he deems a fool, have dared to hunt you. He thinks that I am with her. “Nor will he credit you with daring to run counter to the king. He will be com- pelled to aid you, which will vex him; and when he finds that he has been tricked, he will rave until his tongue grows weary, and I shall laugh at him. ‘Now farewell, and may God bless and speed you, dear boy!” She leaned from the window to pat my shoulder, and once more I kissed her hand. Brave old Aunt Dorothée! I never saw CEOPMIE OO KS (E©)