“Watch them, Sir Karl! Note the road they
take! If they go by the right, we shall take
the left. We must reach Peronne Castle
before the duke. Death itself hangs upon the
issue, Sir Karl.”
I watched till the duke and all his people had left
the inn; then I followed till I saw them take the
road leading down the right bank of the Somme.
When I returned to the inn, I paid the score, and gave
each member of our little party a boule of
bread to be eaten as we rode; and within five minutes
after the duke’s departure we were fording the
Somme to take the left bank for Peronne.
A RACE WITH THE DUKE
Neither road clung to the river in all its windings,
but at too frequent intervals both touched the stream
at the same points. At places the roads hugged
the Somme, separated only by its width—perhaps
two hundred yards. These would be our danger
points. I did not know them, and Yolanda’s
knowledge of the road was imperfect.
Soon after leaving Cinq Voies, the road on the right
bank—the one taken by the duke—gained
a mile over the road on the left by cutting across
a great bend in the river around which we had to travel.
We therefore lost the duke’s cavalcade at the
outset.
Hoping to pass the duke before the roads came again
within sight of each other, we urged our horses to
full speed. But the duke also was travelling
rapidly, as we learned when we reached the first point
of contact. Should the duke’s men see us
they would certainly hail. Four men in armor
and two ladies, travelling the road to Peronne would
not be allowed to pass unchallenged. Fortunately,
just before the danger point, a clump of trees and
underbushes grew between our road and the river.
Max, who was riding a hundred yards in advance, suddenly
stopped and held up his hand warningly. We halted
immediately, and Max turned back to us, guiding his
horse to the roadside to avoid raising a dust-cloud.
We listened in silence, and I beckoned the squires
to our sides. The men of our little party all
dismounted and stood by their horses’ heads,
ready to strike the noses of the animals should they
offer to salute the horses across the river with a
neigh. Had not our danger been so great it would
have been amusing to see each man, with uplifted hand,
watching the eyes of his horse as intently as though
they were the eyes of his lady-love. Yolanda
laughed despite the danger, but covered her mouth
with her hand when I frowned warningly.
Presently we heard the tramping of horses and the
voices of men across the river, and soon the duke
approached at a canter. I could not help speculating
on the consequences should His Grace know that Yolanda
was watching him—if Yolanda were his daughter.
That “if” would surely be the death of
me.
When the duke had passed a little way down the road,
I peered through the bushes and saw the dust-cloud
ahead of us.
