A Monk of Fife Read online

  CHAPTER XXI--HOW A HUNDRED SCOTS SET FORTH TO TAKE PARIS TOWN

  Entering the tavern of "The Crane," I found the doorways crowded witharchers of our Guard, among whom was Randal Rutherford.

  When I had come, they walked into a chamber on the ground floor, callingfor wine, and bidding certain French burgesses go forth, who needed nosecond telling. The door was shut, two sentinels of ours were postedoutside, and then Randal very carefully sounded all the panels of theroom, looking heedfully lest there should be any hole whereby what passedamong us might be heard in another part of the house, but he foundnothing of the kind.

  The room being full, some sitting and some standing, as we could, Randalbade Father Urquhart, our chaplain, tell us to what end we had beencalled together.

  The good father thereupon stood up, and spoke in a low voice, but so thatall could hear, for we were all hushed to listen.

  "There is," he said, "within Paris, a certain Carmelite, a Frenchman, anda friend of Brother Richard, the Preacher, whom, as you know, the Englishdrove from the town."

  "I saw him at Troyes," said one, "where he kneeled before the Maid, andthey seemed very loving."

  "That is the man, that is Brother Richard. Now, as I was busy tendingthe wounded, in the skirmish three days agone, this Carmelite was aboutthe same duty for those of his party. He put into my hand a slip ofpaper, wherein Brother Richard commended him to any Scot or Frenchman ofthe King's party, as an honest man, and a friend of the King's. When Ihad read this, the Carmelite spoke with me in Latin, and in a low voice.His matter was this: In Paris, he said, there is a strong party ofArmagnacs, who have, as we all know, a long score to settle with them ofBurgundy. They are of the common folk and labourers, but among them aremany rich burgesses. They have banded themselves together by an oath totake our part, within the town, if once we win a gate. Here is a cedulesigned by them with their names or marks, and this he gave me as a proofof good faith."

  Here he handed a long slip of parchment, all covered with writing, toRandal, and it went round among us, but few there were clerks, savemyself. I looked on it, and the names, many of them attested by sealswith coat armour, were plain to be read.

  "Their counsel is to muster in arms secretly, and to convey themselves,one by one, into certain houses hard by the Port St. Denis, where certainof their party dwell. Now, very early to-morrow morning, before dawn,the purpose of the English is to send forth a company of a hundred men-at-arms, who will make a sudden onset on the windmill, where the Maid liesto-night, and so will take her, if they may."

  "By St. Bride of Douglas," said one of us, "they will get their kailthrough the reek, for our guard is to lie in arms about the windmill, andbe first in the field to-morrow."

  "The craft is, then," Father Urquhart went on, "that we shall destroythis English company with sword or arrow, but with no alarm of culverinsor cannon. Meanwhile, some five score of you will put on to-night thered cross of St. George, with plain armour, so that the English shallmistake you for their own men returning from the sally, and some few menin our own colours and coats you will hale with you as prisoners. And,if one of you can but attire himself in some gear of the Maid's, with ahucque of hers, scarlet, and dight with the Lilies of France, the Englishgate-wards will open to you all the more eagerly."

  "By the bones of St. Boswell!" cried Randal in his loud voice, but thegood Father put a hand on his mouth.

  "Quiet, man!" he said.

  "By the blessed bones of St. Boswell," Randal said again, as near awhisper as he could attain to, "the lady of the linen-basket shall comeas the Maid. We have no man so maidenly."

  They all shouted, laughing, and beating the tables with hands andtankards.

  "Silence!" cried Robin Lindsay.

  "Nay, the louder we laugh, the less will any suspect what is forward,"said Randal Rutherford.

  "Norman, will you play this part in the mumming?"

  I was ashamed to say no, though I liked it not over well, and I noddedwith my head.

  "How maidenly he blushes!" cried one, and there was another clamour, tillthe walls rang.

  "So be it then," says Father Urquhart, "and now you know all. The honestArmagnacs will rise so soon as you are well within the gate. Theycommand both sides of the street that leads to the Port St. Denis, andfaith, if the English want to take it, when a hundred Scots are within,they will have to sally forth by another gate, and come from the outside.And you are to run up the banner of Scotland over the Port, when once youhold it, so the French attack will be thereby."

  "We played the same game before Verneuil fight, and won it," said one;"will the English have forgotten the trick?"

  "By St. Bride, when once they see us haling the Maid along, they willforget old stratagems of war. This is a new device! Oh to see theirfaces when we cry 'St. Andrew,' and set on!"

  "I am not so old as you all in the wars," I began.

  "No, Mademoiselle la Lavandiere, but you are of the right spirit, withyour wench's face."

  "But," I said, "how if the English that are to attack the windmill in thefirst grey of the morning come not to hand-strokes, or take to theirheels when they find us awake, and win back to Paris before us? Ourcraft, methinks, is to hold them in an ambush, but what if we catch themnot? Let but one runaway be swift of foot, and we are undone."

  "There is this to be said," quoth Father Urquhart, "that the Englishcompany is to sally forth by the Port St. Denis, and it is the Port St.Denis that our Armagnacs will be guarding. Now I speak as a man ofpeace, for that is my calling. But how would it be if your hundred menand Norman set forth in the dark, and lay hid not very far from the St.Denis Gate? Then some while after the lighting of the bale-fires fromthe windmill, to be lit when the English set on, make straight for thegate, and cry, 'St. George for England!' If you see not the bale-firesere daylight, you will come back with what speed you may; but if you dosee them, then--"

  "Father, you have not lived long on the Highland line for nothing," quothRobin Lindsay.

  "A very proper stratagem indeed," I said, "but now, gentlemen, there isone little matter; how will Sir Hugh Kennedy take this device of ours? Ifwe try it and fail, without his privity, we had better never return, butdie under Paris wall. And, even if we hold the gate, and Paris town istaken, faith I would rather affront the fire of John the Lorrainer thanthe face of Sir Hugh."

  No man spoke, there were not two minds on this matter, so, after somechaffer of words, it was agreed to send Father Urquhart with Randal toshow the whole scheme to Sir Hugh, while the rest of us should awaittheir coming back with an answer. In no long time they were with us, thefather very red and shamefaced.

  "He gave the good father the rough side of his tongue," quoth Randal,"for speaking first to me, and not to him. Happily we were over cunningto say aught of our gathering here. But when he had let his bile flow,he swore, and said that he could spare a hundred dyvour loons of hiscommand, on the cast of the dice, and, now silence all! not a word or acry," here he held up his hand, "we are to take 'fortune of war'!"

  Every man grinned gladly on his neighbour, in dead stillness.

  "Now," said Randal, "slip out by threes and fours, quietly, and toquarters; but you, Norman, wait with me."