Part 16 (2/2)
As night drew on, father and son repaired to the little church within the walls, and for seven long hours kept an earnest vigil before the altar, praying fervently for the success of their enterprise, and invoking the protection of their patron saints against the perils of land and sea. Then, as daylight dawned, they arose, weary and stiff, to partake of food and drink ere embarking.
Tidings of their mission had already spread throughout the garrison of the castle, and when, accompanied by the Constable himself, the two travellers made their way to the water-gate, a large concourse of soldiers and members of the household flocked behind them to cheer them on their way and to wish them G.o.d-speed.
Riding easily at her hempen cable, on the first of the ebb tide, lay the staunch vessel that was to carry them across the Channel. On her stern were engraved the words _Les Trois Freres de Guernesey_, showing her to be one of the Channel Islands boats, whose crew, brave and hardy fishermen, were the best pilots obtainable.
They were, in fact, the only vessels that in those days were capable of making any pretence of sailing into the wind, and even then only, in nautical language, ”full and bye.” The usual type of s.h.i.+ps, with their huge square sail, could only run before the breeze.
The skiff of _Les Trois Freres_ was waiting at the little Hard, and the farewells were quickly said. The precious despatch was sewn in the hem of Raymond's jerkin, and once again the stern old knight impressed upon his squire the necessity of the utmost caution. Then he extended his hand to the lad.
”G.o.d be with thee, and bring thee safely home again. I would be loth to lose so promising a lad!” exclaimed Sir John.
”Thanks for thy good wishes, fair sir,” replied Raymond. ”And should I not return,” he added, with a faint catch in his voice which, in spite of his stout heart, he was unable to conceal, ”I pray you send this packet to the lady whose superscription appears hereon.” And, thrusting into the knight's hand a bulky missive, Raymond turned quickly on his heel, to hide his rising colour, and stepped into the skiff.
The Constable watched the Guernsey bark hoist her sails, and waited till she was well on her way down towards the harbour's mouth; then he returned slowly towards his quarters.
Glancing at the packet, he deciphered with difficulty the superscription, written in a scrawling hand: ”To ye richt wors.h.i.+ppefulle Ladye Audrey Scarsdale.”
”Heaven bless the lad,” he mused. ”Certes I am of a mind to forward this missive whether he returns or not!”
CHAPTER XI
THE CHIRURGEON OF LeGUe
WITH a powerful following wind, _Les Trois Freres_ made a rapid pa.s.sage down the harbour, and, before Raymond fully realised the fact, the little vessel was lifting to the gentle heave of the Channel.
By midday the chalk cliffs of the Isle of Wight were all that was visible of the sh.o.r.es of England, and, though a careful watch was kept for hostile s.h.i.+ps, not a sail was to be seen on the wide expanse of water.
The master, Pierre de la Corbiere, was a huge-limbed, swarthy Guernseyman, who spoke in a guttural patois that was almost unintelligible to the young squire, though Redward, to whom most of the dialects of France were familiar, could make himself understood with comparative ease.
Nine men and a boy composed the crew, a large one for so small a craft; but the perils of war, added to the dangers of the sea, were a sufficient excuse for their numbers. Each man, picturesquely clothed and wearing silver earrings, was a trained pilot, and most of them had served in that capacity on board the s.h.i.+ps that had on past occasions taken the King and his troops to France and Flanders. All of them carried short daggers or knives in their belts, while a large chest, lashed to ringbolts in the deck, contained a good supply of swords and axes.
”If this wind lasts,” remarked the master, ”we shall sight Cap de la Hogue within a couple of hours. Whither would ye land, good sir?”
”Nay, I know not,” replied Redward. ”And, moreover, I care not, so long as it be not too close to the town.”
”There are the ports of Quimper, Doualan, Auray, and Morbihan,” said Pierre, counting them on his fingers. ”All of easy distance from Hennebon--though, perchance, we may receive a rough handling when we arrive. Ma foi! And the pa.s.sage of the Chenal du Four 'Twould be quicker and safer to run into St. Brieuc.”
”St. Brieuc!” exclaimed Redward, referring to a very rough plan.
”Why, 'tis at least twenty leagues from the town to which we journey.”
”Twenty leagues by land, as ye say,” replied the Guernseyman doggedly. ”But if 'tis a question of time, commend me to St. Brieuc, for if we lose the wind or have a contrary wind off Ushant, it may mean a week's buffeting in the Chenal du Four, with a score of reefs and unseen rocks on each side of us.”
”As ye will, then,” a.s.sented Redward; and he moved away to tell Raymond of the alteration of their plans.
<script>