CHAPTER XIII. (Continued).

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 149, 10 April 1886, Page 3

CHAPTER XIII. (Continued).

When the Captain awoke, he was surprised to see the day wag declining ; having fallen asleep early in the morning, he could scarcely realise that he had been sleeping more'than twelve hours ; but he could nnto t doubt it when he saw the last golden rays of the setting winter's sun. The horses at this moment were going up a very steep hill, the conductor walking alongsids of them, smoking his pipe, when suddenly on the right side of the road an unexpected prospect opened before them. The general aspect of the country was that of a forest intersected by prairies. In the fore-ground, a narrow river rolled like a black ribbon through the bluish sand, and beyond its turnings was seen a modern white chateau, while sfcill further on, the summit of the hill was crowned by a forest of lofty trees, whose tops were rounded like a dome. The high mountains of southern horizons were not seen in this quiet and lonely landscape, but the harmony of the picture had a charm that soothed the Captain, ordinarily no appreciator of the beauties of nature. His two companions were sleeping, or seeming to sleep ; and wishing to gain some information, he put his head out of the carriage window, and cried out : •' Where are we now ?" The conductor hastened to answer, with an eagerness that announced the near end of their journey, as the politeness of porters announce the first day of the year, the time for receiving rewards being close at hand. " We are almost there, gentlemen," he said, in an insinuating manner. "Do you all think of stopping before arriving at Pontorson ?" '* Will we soon arrive at the cabin where they change horses ?" "In twenty minutes, or half-an-hour at most ; we are going to change horses at Ducey, and when \\ c reach the top of that bald hill of Pont au Bault, we can see Mont Saint Michel." Chateaubrun, turning round, saw that Sartilly was still sleeping, but the sailor's eyes were wide open ; and thinking that it would not be well to ask too many explanations before his travelling companion, only said : "We will leave the carriage when you change horses, and afterward find some means of managing our affairs." ' ' I will recommend you to the stableboy," said the conductor, who had his fee in view ; "and I think he can take you to a tavern." At the moment he finished this courteous speech, the mail reached the top of the hill, and a singular panorama was spread before the astonished eyes of Chateaubrun. It was high tide, and an immense sheet of ■jrey and unruffled water extended to the orizon, bounded by a long line of hills, to which diatance gave a pale hue ; there was .othing maritime in the appearance of this bay, without waves and sails, that the sea seemed merely to pass through, the meadows and trees forming capes and creeks along the borders of thia peaceful lake, — h ocean looking as if it had atrayed away irtcthe fields. Two points, however, broke the monotony of the melancholy picture, as two isolated rocks stood in the middle of this lake, the Norman shore being separated, it is said, by the deluge from the archipelago of Jereey. The largest, which appeared on the left, stood up in the form of a pyramid, lifting up a wonderful pile of Gothic constructions towards the sky ; while the other, low, gloo ny, and deserted, stretched along towards the right, like the wreck of a stranded ship. A transparent haze enveloped this singular landscape, giving it a cad, uncertain and soft colour. " There is Mont St. Michel," said the complaisant conductor, pointing to the monumental rock. "And what is the name of that very dark island?" asked Chateaubrun, who had, at this moment, other pre-occupations thaji the architecture of the Middle Ages. "That's Tombelaine," cried the conductor. The postilion whipped up his horses, and, at the first turn of the road, the view could be no longer seen. The Captain's conversation had succeeded in awaking Sartilly, who, much refreshed by his long sleep, giving his friend a significant glance, had begun already his preparations for leaving the coach, while the mute sailor was looking with indifference upon the broom-hedges that bordered the road Chateaubrun, thinking this a propitious moment to make a last attempt to untie the tongue of the mysterious unknown, said in a free and easy way : "Sir, I regret giving you again the trouble of answering me, but before leaving I wish to renew my excuses for my attack of last night. My friend, Viscount de S xrtilly, and I, Captain Chateaubrun, hope to -meet you again at some future time in Paris." This remark did not appear to please the naval officer very much, and it only drew from him this evasive answer : " I go very rarely to Paris, and still more rarely in society ; nevertheless, gentlemen, I shall be '*appy to meet you again, if the chances of my wandering life allow it." " We are going to get down at the next changing place, and you stop at the one after, I believe,"' said the Captain: " perpahs we may meet again at Mont Sfc. Michel ?" This rather direct question did not seem to please the stranger, as he immediately changed the subject and began speaking of last night's events ; while Chateaubrun, convinced that he could draw nothing but commonplace remarks from this impenetrable man, let the conversation drop, each one being engrossed again with his own reflections. After having paesed over a aeries of ascents and descents, that proved the fondness of engineers of former times for following straight lines, the mail-coach had reached the top of a very high hill, from which could be seen a hamlet composed of about twenty thatched horses ; then the road descended, to mount again half a league further on. On the declivity opposite, Chateaubrun thought he saw men and horses^ moving, and although the day wa3 declinining already, the group stood out on the white ridges of the road like a black point. "It is there they change horses," said the Captain, " and I think the conductor was right. But I do not see the least sign of a house. We would have done better to have stopped in the little village we have just passed through." "I know the country," said Sartilly, "and think we will find a sleeping- place somewhere." "Amen 1" answered Chateaubrun, philosophically; and, after all, the nights are not very cold in the month of March."

Chateaubrun's military eye had not deceived him ; it was really the horses that were waiting for them on the road j and in a few minutes their own horses, smelling the stable, ran rapidly down the descent, Btopping themselves before the substitutes standing in the road. '•Here we are, gentlemen, "cried the conductor, jumping to the groand, and running to open the compartment that held the travellers' baggage. The sailor looked round him attentively, without opening his mouth, and bowed to the others coldly ; and the Captain, discouraged by his last attempt, made no furthor effort at politeness. "Ho! Jean," said the conductor to a lad twenty years of age, with a brown woollen cap and wooden shoes, "here are two gentlemen going to Mont Saint Michel ; will you take them there ?" "Yes, I will," said the peasant, in a drawling voice ; "but not to-night; there's danger." "Very well; arrange with them and you will be well paid do not fear," added the conductor, who had just pocketed a large fee. " Thank you very much, gentlemen," he said, bowing to the travellers ; " if they ask in Paris for a testimony of last night's affair, I hope you will be kind enough to sigti it." "Willingly," said Sartilly, handing him his card. A minute after the mail-coach started off rapidly on the road to Pontorson ; the two friends remained alone with t^e postilion, and the lad in wooden shoes, who was looking stupidly at them. " Let us see," said Chateaubrun, " where are we?" "In Bois Chicot,' answered the peasant, pointing to the wide avenues of oak trees at the other side of the road. "Is it a village?" " Oh, no, the village is half a league from here." " There is a chateau there; take us there,' and we will find some one to speak to." " Ah, but you see, in the winter there is no one there but" the gardener," replied the lad, twirling his woollen cap between his fingers. "Well, let us try something else. Is it far to Mont Saint Michel ?" " It is a good league and a half from here to the shore, and then' a good league afterward over the sandy strand "This is not the most interesting thing to know at this moment," said Sartilly. " At what hour is high tide to-night ?" "Seven o'clock," said the peasant, unhesitatingly; "to-day there is the great rise in the water." "Consequently, it will be low tide tonight about one o'clock." " Yes ; but no one will take you to the Mont before daylight, in a tide like this one." " At what hour will we be able to go over to morrow ?" "You might arrive at the Mont at about twelve o'clock ; but you must be very early at the shore, to follow the tide when it goes down." " Is there a tavern by the shore that you speak of ?" asked tho Captain. The lad bagan laughing, and after a moment said : "There is the cabin of the custom-houee officers." " That will do very well, and we will give you twenty francs to take us there this evening." The peasant scratched his ear, seeming much pleased at the prospect of the reward that went far beyond his most ambitious dreams ; hesitating, however, he ended by saying, timidly, "I am left hereto take care of the cabin ; and then there's no moon tonight, and the roads are very bad." " What ! a big lad like you afraid of walking at night ? Come let's be off ; the postilion will take care of the cabin for five francs, that I'm going to give him." Pride, and above all the prospect of the reward, gained the mastery, and the Norman began taking the valises of his employer in the shed, which answered for a habitation for him and his horses. " What do you think of my idea?" asked the Captain of his friend. "It seems to me the only practicable one ; by sleeping, this evening, on the shore, we can go to Tombelaine and return between the two daily tides." " Well, then, we must not lose opportunity. De Noreff is not very far off, lam sure." Their guide was waiting on the road ; it was quite dark now ; the sky was as black as ink, and a violent webt wind blowing. "Let's be off," said Chateauburn, gayly, flourishing his cane. Sartilly, still gloomy, followed him, murmuring: "If we can only arrive in time." The guide started off resolutely along a path that led in a downward direction from the road, the two friends following him without exchanging a word. Sudden gusts of wind whistled through the great oaks ; now and then a dead branch fell to the ground with a mournful sound, and the darkness was so dense that nothing could be seen ten steps before them. The friends walked on without knowing where they were putting their feet, and very soon the Captain felt that he was walking in mud, while Sartilly knocked himself severely against a huge stone. " Ah, my boy," ciied Chateaubrun, "where the deuce are you taking us to? If you begin by losing your way we will never arrive there." " But it is the way," said the boy, very much surprised by this remark " What ! the way ? Why we are in a beg. lam already up to my knees in mud, and my friend nearly broke his leg a little while ago." "Ah, sir," said the guide, laughing, "it has rained a great deal this winter, and they have not yet begun to bring the waggons with stones." "You do not know this country, my dear friend," said Sartilly, who remembered the wretched roads in Brittany ; "It if always so at this season." " Not very promising, certainly. I did not expect a wide, macadamised road, but if we go on wading, through many more of these bogs, we'll end by sticking in them," " And De Noreff, who perhaps has already reached there." " Oh, as to that, I don't believe that this cursed Russian has had any better luck than we have had, and do not despair ot finding him sticking in some mud-hole." Sartilly, not in the least reassured by this sally, shook bis head again, saying: "Let us try to go on. It was not an easy thing to do, and one must know the rough roadß of Brittany at this time, to form an idea of the situation'of these two Parisians pushing their way at night through the muddy paths. In all the land that extends along the frontier of Brittany and Normandy, the fields are invariably inclosed by monstrous hedges, planted by persons owning the property, and between these fortifications are narrow paths, that answered very well for the purposes of locomotion, very little developed among the peasants. Although in summer these shaded walks had all the charm of an English garden, as the oaks and venerable beech-trees extended a dome of leafy branches over the pedestrian, where one might walk whole hours between two walls of verdure and wild flowers ; in winter, the flowery path was changed into

a muddy hole, and the pale western sun was powerless to dry the great mass of water in these deep r?vines. However determined the two friends might be to persevere, they began to find they had not sufficient strength to struggle with the difficulties of suoh a road ; and Sartilly, although a sportsman, had lost for a long time the habit of taking fatiguing walks, while Chateaubrun, an excellent horseman, confessed he was worth nothing on foot. Besides, neither of them had taken the wise precaution of equipping themselves for bo wet an excursion, and, after trying to get along for half an hour, acknowledged it was impossible to go further. The Captain was first to confess his inability ; but he made this acknowledgment with his formidable volley of oaths addressed to his guide. " Ah, what a little rascal you are," ho cried to him. " You dare yet to say that we aro in a path, — a real path, — a path for men." " Upon my life, there is .noother path to go to the Mount," said tho frightened boy, moving away as far as possible from the irascible Chateaubrun. " Do not abuse the boy," said Sartilly, in a low voice to him ; "he might run away, and what then could we do?" " Zounds ! I know that, but what can we do ? I declare it is impossible for me to go any .further through these stony pools First of all, it will end by our breaking our limbs, and then Ije, Noreff could operate at his ease." " Let us see ; there is still another way we might leave the road and cross the fields." "That's a good idea, do you hear, little one, — can we reach the shore, by crossing the fields?" " If it were daylight, 1 would not say no but in this weather we oaight loose ourselves ; and then there are the-pools." " The pools, now ; what aro they ? Oh,' what a horrible country," growled Chateaubrun. "My friend," said Sartilly to the boy, wanting to reassure him and encourage him at the same time, " if you can take us by an easier road to the cabin of the customhouse officors, 3 will give you forty francs instead of twenty." " I'll try, gladly ; but if we meet with any misfortune, I won't bear the blame, that's very sure." " Very well ; very well, "said the Captain ; "nothing worse can happen us than being drowned in a mud-hole. Let's leave here, at all events, and go ahead," ; The guide, excited at the prospect of a greater reward, begged the friends to wait a moment while he sought some place to get out of this muddy path. ' ' I hope he won't leave us here, " said Chatteaubrun, this disastrous beginning of their expedition had put into a very bad humour. " No danger of that," answered Sartilly ; " tbe3e Bretons are too fond of making money;" and he was right in his opinion, as the guide reappeared very soon, having discovered an opening in the hedge that overhung tho path, and conducted the two friends to the neighbouring field through the thorny gap. " This is better," said Chateaubrun, stamping his boots on the dry grass ; " now that wo are in the fields, we will be able to mako up for lost time." It was too dark for Chateaubrun to see the peasant shrugging his shoulders, but he heard Sartilly murmur: "Level ground is scarce here, and we are not at tho end of our difficulties." The Viscount was not far from the truth, as thirty steps further on theie was another hedge to climb over, which was not done without difficulty, nor without a few scratches ; then, stepping on level ground and walking five minutes, another thorny steep presented itself equally difficult to cross. For more than an hour Chateaubrun was horoic, not complaining of the scratches on his face and hands ; climbing over the hedges with the ardour of a soldier making an assault; but aftor going over one where he nearly had his eye put out by a short thorn, he could not help swearing energetically, " flow long are we to go through this exercise !" he cried out to the guide. " Not very long," said the boy. "I think we are not far from Bret6che, and from here to the shore is all marsh now." "Ouf ! what sport," cried Chateaubrun, wiping his forehead ; "Itis a real steeplechase, and we only want an English river." " I think we shall meet more than one of tbein," said Sartilly in a low voice, who, ha7ing heard their guide's remark, did not wiah to discourage his friend. The country indeed soon changed its appearance : the fields were larger, and hedges more rare. But very soon the Captain, who had imprudently takon the lead, uttered a loud imprecation, as, in attempting to jump over a hedge, he had just fallen into a pool of water, from which he had great trouble to get out. "It is one of the pools of stagnant water that are about hore," said the guide, quietly. Chateaubrun was obliged to bear up undor this new misfortune, and, wet to the skin, walked on in fury, disdaining to speak. The guide had changed his tactics, as, after having crossed a field, he 3ounded with his stick along the sides of the pools, until he found a safe place to cross, the friends jumping after him. As the pools were often double, he was obliged to walk a long time by the sloping bank before he could leap securely into the next field ; and these prudent precautions had the J serious inconvenience of almost indefinitely lengthening their journey, the little party being sometimes a quarter of an hour overcoming an obstacle, and nothing announced as yet that their rough walk was coming to an end The Captain act reached a state of desperation difficult to describe, Sartilly trying all in his power to calm him, when a last disaster raised his fury to a greater height, as the little peasant, who until now had walked on with the assured step of a person knowing what he wa« about, began showing unequivocal signs of hesitation, retracing his steps, stopping, looking alternately at the ground and. the few stars that shone through the clouds. "I wager that the rascal has lost his way," said Chateaubrun, brandishing his cane, " Let's see, my lad, where we are 1" asked Sartilly. " I don't think the shore is very far off," said the in a piteous tone of voice ; " but I was afraid of having left the cabin of tho custom-house officers on the left hand." "This is not the time to get angry," murmured Sartilly, pressing the Captain's arm. "Let us try rather to get out of this ; there is just before us a hedge ot tamarisks, that only grow near the sandy shore." The Viscount was not mistaken, as a row of Bickly, stunted trees bordering the pool announced the sea, as grass and trunks of floating trees announced the land to Christopher c'olumbua. " A light ! I see a light !" cried tho Captain, suddenly. And, indeed, on going up a small hill, they saw a light quite near them.

"Lstus go on," said Sartilly, directing his steps to it. The guide, disheartened by his mistake, followed without speaking, and in less than ten minutes they reached the lighted house, which was not a camp, but a fire, as through the open door of a low hut the wandering travellers saw a bright, clear, burning flame, and half-naked men with odd movements passing round this clear flame, that looked in the dark night like the crater of a volcano. "What diabolical cooking are these people engaged in ?" asked the astonished Captain, " I don't understand it at all," said Sartilly, not less astonished than his friend. The guide had completely changed his manner as a knowing smile had taken the place of his abashed look, and he said, quietly : "Gentlemen, it is the people from the shore makingr salt from the sea-i water." This simple explanation brought a burst of laughter from the Captain, who had recovered all his good-humour upon seeing a lodging place. " This is for not being well posted in geography," he cried, " as I never would have dreamed of their having a manufactory of the kind in this poor country." " 'Tis very lucky for us," added Sartilly, "as without it we would have to sleep upon the ground; these good people will, I suppose, , be willing to receive us.'' "Oh, there is no.doabti of that, gentlemen," said the guide ; "you have only to go in." The travellers did not wait to be entreated, and very soon after reached the door of this small manufactory, roughly constructed of stones placed one upon another, and covered by a roof of laths, with an opening the full length of the >uilding to let the smoke escape. Before a largo chimney -place three men were moving huge basins filled with sea-water, which the h.eat of the fire evaporated gradually. In a cornet sat an old woman, who spread out the salt obtained by this primitive process, - tolerated etill at this time out of respect to an immemorial custom now interdicted. And as this poor trade, that supported a few borderers living along the bay, required a certain supervision, the custom-house officers had little else to do than to overlook these manufactories, this side of the coast being almost unapproachable to shios. The entrance oi the travellers prod uced very little effect, the 3alt-makers scarcely turning to look at them ; but Chateaubrun spied out asoJdier, in a green coat, smoking his pipe, sitting on the only stool in tho room ; and the Captain, on seeing the uniform, thinking always he was among friends, went directly to the officer, who got up politely on recognizing a military man. " Good - ovening, comrade," he cried ; " you serve in the royal salt mines, I in the huspars ; both being officers, we can understand one another." " What can Ido for you ?" said the officer, flattered by tho familiarity of the Captain, although the words salt mines sounded rather unpleaaantly to his ear?. "Fii-st, acsept this cigar, which is better than your pipe, and aid us in obtaining: from these worthy salt-makers a supper and a bed." "That would be very difficult, gentlemen. It is not good-will that's wanting, but they have nothing ; the hard earth to sleep on, and water to drink, are the only resources of the house. Ido not even know if they have any bread." "Zounds ! must we die of hunger and fatiguo ? We will pay well for an omelet and a mattress." " You are going, wibhout doubt, to Mont Saint Michel ?" " Yes, to-morrow, after high tide. We will want a guide also, and he will be well paid for his trouble." " I have leave of absence to-morrow, and will be your guide. " ' Then that will do : thank you, comrade." "You," said the custom-house officer to the guide, '• go to our barrack, — you know whore it is,— and tell the brigadier to bring our provisions and blankets." The lad immediately started. " We have not much at our pose," began tho soldier, " but it is better than nothing ; at least, you will not be obliged to lie on the floor." S Sartilly, who had not yet taken part in tho conversation, thought tho time had come to thank this unexpected auxiliai'y, and also to ask for some information. " Do you think we can reach, early tomorrow morning, the Mont and Tombelaine ?" said he, hesitating while speaking the last words. "The Mont? yep," answered the officer; "but I would not advise you to go to Tombelaine." "But why not?" "Because you will have to pass two rivers, the Sellune and the See, and in these high soas the fords are displaced ; without counting that between Tombelaine and the mountain there are quicksands." " Ah, moving sands ; I know that," cried the Captain, who by chance had heard of this peculiar phenomenon of the bay. "No one knows exactly where they are, gentlemen ; and if one has the misfortune to fall in one of them, there is no escape." "We must positively be at Tombelaine to-morrow between the tides," said Sartilly, in so decided a manner that the customhouse officer, looking at him with astonishment, said : " But, gentlemen, I assure you there is nothing to be seen there,— nothing but an ugly rock, where a few rabbits burrow." " That's it," said the Captain, who saw a look of suspicion on the soldier's honest face; "we have come to hire the right of hunting there, and are in a hurry to return to Paris ; but before going back, we want to sco it there are many rabbit 3 on the island." "Indeed, 1 heard tho owner wanted to rent it; and as you are so determined, gentlemen, I will take you there as you wish. I promised you that I know tho way." " We accept your offer," said Sartilly, eagerly ; "and if you have need of a recommendation at Paris, come to us." The officer's face brightened, and he was going to thank them warmly, when the return of the messenger diverted their attention. He came alone, but loaded with baskets and blankets, announcing that the brigadier could not leave his post, but he had sent the provisions asked for. On examining the basket, they found the lad had brought a large jug of cider, some bread, buckwheat cakes, and a bag full of coquee, — a small shell-fish, the special product of the sands* of Mont Saint Michel, The travellers devoured the bread and cakes, while the officer broiled the shell-fish ' on a bed of bright coals artistically arranged, while the lad was making the bed with the blankets. Chateaubrun ate with more pleasure than if he had been sitting before one of his excellent club dinners, his gayety overflowing in various and joyous remarks. He related his campaigns to the custom-house officer, of whom he had decidedly made the conquost, ridiculing the dangers of a journey to Tombelaine, and dwelling upon the future rabbit hunts he expected to enjoy there, — his conversation being a rolling fire of jokes and au interminable succession of histories.

" It is very strange," said the officer, who had been tryinsr a long time to get in a word ; " it seems really as if all the gentlemen in Paris have met here to see this tide." "What ! all the gentlemen of Paris ? "asked the Captain. "Yes; one has passed already this morning with his servan v. The driver of the carriage that he hired at Pontorson told me that he had posted from Paris, sowing napoleons on his way like grains of buckwheat." Sartilly half raised himself up, his heart beating so violently that he could not say a word. " Posting from Paris'with a servant?" repeoted Chateaubrun, having also some difficulty in hiding his agitation. "You saw the n ? What are they like ?" " The master is a man about sixty years of age, but youthful looking and vigorous, while the servant is quite young, almost a child." " At what hour did they start for Mont Saint Michel ?" l< About ten o'clock this morning." "And they have not yet come back ?" " No, certainly not, for I was on duty all day, and I would have seen them on the beach ; they must have slept at the Mont, and will come back to-day between the tides " I am tired of sitting here," said Sartilly, in a low voice, to the Captain ; "let us go out for an instant to breathe the fresh air." "Bah!" said Chateaubrun, when they wore on the embankment, " who can say that this traveller is really De Noreff ?" " Give me your word that you don't think it is he." ' ' Well, even if it should be he, he has not returned yet ; we'll detect him in the act, and wring his neck." " Silence '" said the Viscount, pointing out a shadow approaching them. {To be Continued.)