CHAPTER XXVIII. HOW THE COMRADES CAME OVER THE MARCHES OF FRANCE

AfterpassingCahors,thepartybranchedawayfromthemainroad,andleavingtherivertothenorthofthem,followedasmallertrackwhichwoundoveravastanddesolateplain.Thispathledthemamidmarshesandwoods,untilitbroughtthemoutintoagladewithabroadstreamswirlingswiftlydownthecentreofit.Throughthisthehorsessplashedtheirway,andonthefarthershoreSirNigelannouncedtothemthattheywerenowwithinthebordersofthelandofFrance.Forsomemilestheystillfollowedthesamelonelytrack,whichledthemthroughadensewood,andthenwideningout,curveddowntoanopenrollingcountry,suchastheyhadtraversedbetweenAiguillonandCahors. IfitweregrimanddesolateupontheEnglishborder,however,whatcandescribethehideousbarrennessofthistentimesharriedtractofFrance?Thewholefaceofthecountrywasscarredanddisfigured,mottledoverwiththeblackblotchesofburnedfarm-steadings,andthegray,gauntgable-endsofwhathadbeenchateaux.Brokenfences,crumblingwalls,vineyardslitteredwithstones,theshatteredarchesofbridges—lookwhereyoumight,thesignsofruinandrapinemettheeye.Hereandthereonly,onthefarthestsky-line,thegnarledturretsofacastle,orthegracefulpinnaclesofchurchorofmonasteryshowedwheretheforcesoftheswordorofthespirithadpreservedsomesmallisletofsecurityinthisuniversalfloodofmisery.Moodilyandinsilencethelittlepartyrodealongthenarrowandirregulartrack,theirheartsweigheddownbythisfar-stretchinglandofdespair.Itwasindeedastrickenandablightedcountry,andamanmighthaveriddenfromAuvergneinthenorthtothemarchesofFoix,noreverseenasmilingvillageorathrivinghomestead. Fromtimetotimeastheyadvancedtheysawstrangeleanfiguresscrapingandscratchingamidtheweedsandthistles,who,onsightofthebandofhorsemen,threwuptheirarmsanddivedinamongthebrushwood,asshyandasswiftaswildanimals.Morethanonce,however,theycameonfamiliesbythewayside,whoweretooweakfromhungeranddiseasetofly,sothattheycouldbutsitlikeharesonatussock,withpantingchestsandterrorintheireyes.Sogauntwerethesepoorfolk,sowornandspent—withbentandknottedframes,andsullen,hopeless,mutinousfaces—thatitmadetheyoungEnglishmanheart-sicktolookuponthem.Indeed,itseemedasthoughallhopeandlighthadgonesofarfromthemthatitwasnottobebroughtbackforwhenSirNigelthrewdownahandfulofsilveramongthemtherecamenosofteningoftheirlinedfaces,buttheyclutchedgreedilyatthecoins,peeringquestioninglyathim,andchampingwiththeiranimaljaws.Hereandthereamidthebrushwoodthetravellerssawtherudebundleofstickswhichservedthemasahome—morelikeafowl'snestthanthedwelling-placeofman.Yetwhyshouldtheybuildandstrive,whenthefirstadventurerwhopassedwouldsettorchtotheirthatch,andwhentheirownfeudallordwouldwringfromthemwithblowsandcursesthelastfruitsoftheirtoil?Theysatatthelowestdepthofhumanmisery,andhuggedabittercomforttotheirsoulsastheyrealizedthattheycouldgonolower.Yettheyhadstillthehumangiftofspeech,andwouldtakecouncilamongthemselvesintheirbrushwoodhovels,glaringwithblearedeyesandpointingwiththinfingersatthegreatwidespreadchateauxwhichatelikeacancerintothelifeofthecountry-side.Whensuchmen,whoarebeyondhopeandfear,beginintheirdimmindstoseethesourceoftheirwoes,itmaybeaneviltimeforthosewhohavewrongedthem.Theweakmanbecomesstrongwhenhehasnothing,forthenonlycanhefeelthewild,madthrillofdespair.Highandstrongthechateaux,lowlyandweakthebrushwoodhutbutGodhelptheseigneurandhisladywhenthemenofthebrushwoodsettheirhandstotheworkofrevenge! Throughsuchcountrydidthepartyrideforeightoritmightbeninemiles,untilthesunbegantoslopedowninthewestandtheirshadowstostreamdowntheroadinfrontofthem.Waryandcarefultheymustbe,withwatchfuleyestotherightandtheleft,forthiswasnoman'sland,andtheironlypassportswerethosewhichhungfromtheirbelts.FrenchmenandEnglishmen,GasconandProvencal,Brabanter,Tardvenu,Scorcher,Flayer,andFreeCompanion,wanderedandstruggledoverthewholeofthisaccurseddistrict.Sobareandcheerlesswastheoutlook,andsofewandpoorthedwellings,thatSirNigelbegantohavefearsastowhetherhemightfindfoodandquartersforhislittletroop.Itwasarelieftohim,therefore,whentheirnarrowtrackopenedoutuponalargerroad,andtheysawsomelittlewaydownitasquarewhitehousewithagreatbunchofhollyhungoutattheendofastickfromoneoftheupperwindows. “BySt.Paul!”saidhe,“IamrightgladforIhadfearedthatwemighthaveneitherprovantnorherbergage.Rideon,Alleyne,andtellthisinn-keep