Alexandre Dumas - The Last Cavalier - Being the Adventures of Count Sainte-Hermine in the Age of Napoleon

“‘I’m not at all surprised,’ said Roland.

“‘It was a way to save not only our church but also the magnificent tombs inside.’

“‘By doing what?’

“‘By turning the church into a storeroom for fodder for the cavalry.’

“‘I understand,’ said Roland. ‘Hay saved the marble. You are quite right, my friend, that was a great idea.’

“‘So they turned the church over to me. And then I decided to visit it inside and out.’

“‘We’re listening religiously, Captain.’

“‘Well, at one end of the crypt I discovered a small door opening onto a tunnel. After I walked about a quarter of a league, I found the tunnel was blocked by a gate, but on the other side were the Ceyzériat caves.’

“‘I’ll be damned,’ said Roland. ‘I’m beginning to see what you mean.’

“‘Well, not me,’ said the colonel of dragoons.

“‘And yet it’s quite obvious,’ said Mademoiselle de Fargas.

“‘Explain things to the colonel, Diana,’ said Roland, ‘and show him you did not waste your time while you were Cadoudal’s aide-de-camp for two years.’

“‘Yes, please explain,’ said the colonel, spreading his legs apart, leaning on his sword, opening wide his eyes, and blinking, as he looked up.

“‘Well,’ said Mademoiselle de Fargas, ‘with ten or fifteen men the captain will enter through the church in Brou and guard that entrance to the tunnel, whereas we will attack the outside entrance with twenty men or so. The Companions of Jehu will then attempt to escape by the other entrance which, they believe, is known only to them. There they will find the captain and his men. That’s it, they’re caught in the crossfire.’

“‘Exactly,’ said the captain, astonished that a mere woman could have come up with such a plan.

“‘How stupid of me!’ said the colonel in disgust. Roland nodded his agreement.

“Then he turned toward the captain. ‘However, Captain, it is important for you to be at the church entrance ahead of time. The Companions don’t go to the caves before nightfall, and they use only the outside entrance, of course. I shall go in with Mademoiselle de Fargas, and we shall be disguised as Chouans. I shall get the forty thousand francs. As we’re leaving, thanks to the password that will let me approach the two sentinels, I shall silence them with my knife. We shall hide the forty thousand francs or entrust them to a gendarme. Then we shall turn around, go back into the caves, and attack the Companions. When they realize there’s a surprise attack, they will try to escape, but at the gate they will find their way blocked by the captain and his gendarmes. They will either have to surrender or be killed, from the first to the last man.’

“‘I’ll be at my post this morning before daybreak,’ said the captain. ‘I’ll take along enough food for the entire day. And battle tonight!’ He drew his sword and struck the wall several times. Then he returned the sword to its sheath.

“Roland allowed the old soldier some time for his heroic gestures, and when the soldier had calmed down, he slapped him on the shoulder. ‘There will be no changes to our plans. At midnight, Mademoiselle de Fargas and I shall enter the caves to get our money, and a quarter of an hour later, with the first gunshot you hear, there will be battle, as you say, my good captain.’

“‘Battle!’ the colonel of dragoons echoed.

“Once more Roland went over what they had agreed upon so that everyone knew exactly what to do. Then he took leave of the two officers, the captain of the gendarmerie, whom he would see only in the caves, and the colonel of dragoons, whom he would not see until two thirty.

“Everything happened the way it had been arranged. Diana de Fargas and Roland, using the identities and costumes of Bruyère and Branched’Or, entered the Ceyzériat caves after exchanging the watchwords with the two sentinels, one at the base of the mountain and the other at the cave entrance.

“Inside, they learned something disappointing: Morgan had had to leave. Montbar and the two other leaders, d’Assas and Adler, were governing in his absence. They suspected nothing and handed the forty thousand francs over to Diana and Roland.

“It was clear that the Companions were planning to bivouac that night in the caves. But without their chief leader. So no matter how successfully Roland and Diana accomplished their mission, their victory would be incomplete if they were unable to take Morgan along with the others.

“Might Morgan come back during the night? If he were to, when? With their plans already set in motion, Roland and Diana decided to proceed, as it would be better to capture three leaders than to let four of them escape. Further, unless Morgan left the country, it would be easier to take him alone rather than with three other leaders and their band. Once Morgan realized how isolated he was, perhaps he would surrender.

“Thanks to the watchwords, Roland was able to again approach the sentinel at the cave’s entrance without arousing suspicion. After a brief exchange, the sentinel collapsed and fell facedown on the ground. Roland had knifed him. The second fell like the first, without a cry.

“Then, on hearing the agreed-upon signal, the colonel appeared with his twenty dragoons. Though not an intelligent man, the colonel was a veteran soldier as brave as his sword, which he had drawn as he advanced at the head of his men. Roland joined him on his right, Diana on his left.

“They had not taken more than ten steps into the cave when two gunshots rang out. The fire came from one of the stagecoach thieves who, sent by Montbar to Ceyzériat village, had just then happened upon Roland’s dragoons. One of the shots went wild; the other broke a man’s arm.

“‘To arms!’ someone shouted; and a man rushed into one of the twenty or thirty rooms on either side of the main tunnel where torches flickered on the walls; his rifle was still smoking. ‘To arms!’ he shouted. ‘To arms! It’s the dragoons!’

“‘I’ll take command,’ cried Montbar. ‘Put out all the lights! Retreat toward the church!’

“They all promptly obeyed; they understood the danger. Hard on the heels of Montbar, who knew the tunnel’s every twist and turn, they followed him deeper and deeper into the caves.

“Suddenly, Montbar thought he heard, some forty yards ahead, someone whisper an order—and then the sound of guns being cocked. ‘Halt!’ he said, his voice tense, his hand raised.

“‘Fire!’ ordered a voice up ahead.

“‘Facedown!’ shouted Montbar.

“Scarcely had they dropped to the floor than the tunnel was lit by a terrible explosion. All those who’d had the time to obey Montbar’s order heard the bullets whistle over their heads. Among those who had not, two or three collapsed. In the light of the explosion, brief though it was, Montbar and his companions recognized the uniform of the gendarmes.

“‘Fire!’ Montbar shouted in turn.

“Twelve or fifteen shots rang out, and once again the dark vault grew bright. Three of the Companions of Jehu lay stretched out on the ground.

“‘Our escape has been cut off,’ said Montbar. ‘We must go back. Our only chance, if we have one, is through the forest.’

“As Montbar and his companions, at a run, started back, a second volley from the gendarmes shook the tunnel. A couple of sighs and the sound of a body hitting the ground evidenced that it had not been without effect.

“‘Forward, my friends!’ Montbar cried. ‘Let’s sell our lives for what they’re worth, as dearly as possible.’

“‘Forward!’ his companions repeated.

“But as they moved forward, Montbar was worried by the smell of smoke. ‘I think those scoundrels are trying to smoke us out,’ he said.