I realised at a glance that so far I was defeated in my object, myenemies as yet had won. They had succeeded in surrounding me on threesides, and were bent on driving me off to the left-hand, where therewas already some danger for me, for they had left no guard. I acceptedthe alternative--it was a case of Hobson's choice and run. I had tokeep the lower ground, for my pursuers were on the higher places.However, though the ooze and broken ground impeded me my youth andtraining made me able to hold my ground, and by keeping a diagonalline I not only kept them from gaining on me but even began todistance them. This gave me new heart and strength, and by this timehabitual training was beginning to tell and my second wind had come.Before me the ground rose slightly. I rushed up the slope and foundbefore me a waste of watery slime, with a low dyke or bank lookingblack and grim beyond. I felt that if I could but reach that dyke insafety I could there, with solid ground under my feet and some kind ofpath to guide me, find with comparative ease a way out of my troubles.After a glance right and left and seeing no one near, I kept my eyesfor a few minutes to their rightful work of aiding my feet whilst Icrossed the swamp. It was rough, hard work, but there was littledanger, merely toil; and a short time took me to the dyke. I rushed upthe slope exulting; but here again I met a new shock. On either sideof me rose a number of crouching figures. From right and left theyrushed at me. Each body held a rope.
The cordon was nearly complete. I could pass on neither side, and theend was near.
There was only one chance, and I took it. I hurled myself across thedyke, and escaping out of the very clutches of my foes threw myselfinto the stream.
At any other time I should have thought that water foul and filthy,but now it was as welcome as the most crystal stream to the parchedtraveller. It was a highway of safety!
My pursuers rushed after me. Had only one of them held the rope itwould have been all up with me, for he could have entangled me beforeI had time to swim a stroke; but the many hands holding it embarrassedand delayed them, and when the rope struck the water I heard thesplash well behind me. A few minutes' hard swimming took me acrossthe stream. Refreshed with the immersion and encouraged by the escape,I climbed the dyke in comparative gaiety of spirits.
From the top I looked back. Through the darkness I saw my assailantsscattering up and down along the dyke. The pursuit was evidently notended, and again I had to choose my course. Beyond the dyke where Istood was a wild, swampy space very similar to that which I hadcrossed. I determined to shun such a place, and thought for a momentwhether I would take up or down the dyke. I thought I heard asound--the muffled sound of oars, so I listened, and then shouted.
No response; but the sound ceased. My enemies had evidently got a boatof some kind. As they were on the up side of me I took the down pathand began to run. As I passed to the left of where I had entered thewater I heard several splashes, soft and stealthy, like the sound arat makes as he plunges into the stream, but vastly greater; and as Ilooked I saw the dark sheen of the water broken by the ripples ofseveral advancing heads. Some of my enemies were swimming the streamalso.
And now behind me, up the stream, the silence was broken by the quickrattle and creak of oars; my enemies were in hot pursuit. I put mybest leg foremost and ran on. After a break of a couple of minutes Ilooked back, and by a gleam of light through the ragged clouds I sawseveral dark forms climbing the bank behind me. The wind had now begunto rise, and the water beside me was ruffled and beginning to break intiny waves on the bank. I had to keep my eyes pretty well on theground before me, lest I should stumble, for I knew that to stumblewas death. After a few minutes I looked back behind me. On the dykewere only a few dark figures, but crossing the waste, swampy groundwere many more. What new danger this portended I did not know--couldonly guess. Then as I ran it seemed to me that my track kept eversloping away to the right. I looked up ahead and saw that the riverwas much wider than before, and that the dyke on which I stood fellquite away, and beyond it was another stream on whose near bank I sawsome of the dark forms now across the marsh. I was on an island ofsome kind.
My situation was now indeed terrible, for my enemies had hemmed me inon every side. Behind came the quickening roll of the oars, as thoughmy pursuers knew that the end was close. Around me on every side wasdesolation; there was not a roof or light, as far as I could see. Faroff to the right rose some dark mass, but what it was I knew not. Fora moment I paused to think what I should do, not for more, for mypursuers were drawing closer. Then my mind was made up. I slipped downthe bank and took to the water. I struck out straight ahead so as togain the current by clearing the backwater of the island, for such Ipresume it was, when I had passed into the stream. I waited till acloud came driving across the moon and leaving all in darkness. Then Itook off my hat and laid it softly on the water floating with thestream, and a second after dived to the right and struck out underwater with all my might. I was, I suppose, half a minute under water,and when I rose came up as softly as I could, and turning, lookedback. There went my light brown hat floating merrily away. Closebehind it came a rickety old boat, driven furiously by a pair of oars.The moon was still partly obscured by the drifting clouds, but in thepartial light I could see a man in the bows holding aloft ready tostrike what appeared to me to be that same dreadful pole-axe which Ihad before escaped. As I looked the boat drew closer, closer, and theman struck savagely. The hat disappeared. The man fell forward, almostout of the boat. His comrades dragged him in but without the axe, andthen as I turned with all my energies bent on reaching the furtherbank, I heard the fierce whirr of the muttered 'Sacre!' which markedthe anger of my baffled pursuers.
That was the first sound I had heard from human lips during all thisdreadful chase, and full as it was of menace and danger to me it was awelcome sound for it broke that awful silence which shrouded andappalled me. It was as though an overt sign that my opponents were menand not ghosts, and that with them I had, at least, the chance of aman, though but one against many.
But now that the spell of silence was broken the sounds came thick andfast. From boat to shore and back from shore to boat came quickquestion and answer, all in the fiercest whispers. I looked back--afatal thing to do--for in the instant
someone caught sight of my face,which showed white on the dark water, and shouted. Hands pointed tome, and in a moment or two the boat was under weigh, and followinghard after me. I had but a little way to go, but quicker and quickercame the boat after me. A few more strokes and I would be on theshore, but I felt the oncoming of the boat, and expected each secondto feel the crash of an oar or other weapon on my head. Had I not seenthat dreadful axe disappear in the water I do not think that I couldhave won the shore. I heard the muttered curses of those not rowingand the laboured breath of the rowers. With one supreme effort forlife or liberty I touched the bank and sprang up it. There was not asingle second to spare, for hard behind me the boat grounded andseveral dark forms sprang after me. I gained the top of the dyke, andkeeping to the left ran on again. The boat put off and followed downthe stream. Seeing this I feared danger in this direction, and quicklyturning, ran down the dyke on the other side, and after passing ashort stretch of marshy ground gained a wild, open flat country andsped on.
Still behind me came on my relentless pursuers. Far away, below me, Isaw the same dark mass as before, but now grown closer and greater. Myheart gave a great thrill of delight, for I knew that it must be thefortress of Bicetre, and with new courage I ran on. I had heard thatbetween each and all of the protecting forts of Paris there arestrategic ways, deep sunk roads where soldiers marching should besheltered from an enemy. I knew that if I could gain this road I wouldbe safe, but in the darkness I could not see any sign of it, so, inblind hope of striking it, I ran on.
Presently I came to the edge of a deep cut, and found that down belowme ran a road guarded on each side by a ditch of water fenced oneither side by a straight, high wall.
Getting fainter and dizzier, I ran on; the ground got morebroken--more and more still, till I staggered and fell, and roseagain, and ran on in the blind anguish of the hunted. Again thethought of Alice nerved me. I would not be lost and wreck her life: Iwould fight and struggle for life to the bitter end. With a greateffort I caught the top of the wall. As, scrambling like a catamount,I drew myself up, I actually felt a hand touch the sole of my foot. Iwas now on a sort of causeway, and before me I saw a dim light. Blindand dizzy, I ran on, staggered, and fell, rising, covered with dustand blood.
'Halt la!'
The words sounded like a voice from heaven. A blaze of light seemed toenwrap me, and I shouted with joy.
'Qui va la?' The rattle of musketry, the flash of steel before myeyes. Instinctively I stopped, though close behind me came a rush ofmy pursuers.
Another word or two, and out from a gateway poured, as it seemed tome, a tide of red and blue, as the guard turned out. All around seemedblazing with light, and the flash of steel, the clink and rattle ofarms, and the loud, harsh voices of command. As I fell forward,utterly exhausted, a soldier caught me. I looked back in dreadfulexpectation, and saw the mass of dark forms disappearing into thenight. Then I must have fainted. When I recovered my senses I was inthe guard room. They gave me brandy, and after a while I was able totell them something of what had passed. Then a commissary of policeappeared, apparently out of the empty air, as is the way of theParisian police officer. He listened attentively, and then had amoment's consultation with the officer in command. Apparently theywere agreed, for they asked me if I were ready now to come with them.
'Where to?' I asked, rising to go.
'Back to the dust heaps. We shall, perhaps, catch them yet!'
'I shall try!' said I.
He eyed me for a moment keenly, and said suddenly:
'Would you like to wait a while or till tomorrow, young Englishman?'This touched me to the quick, as, perhaps, he intended, and I jumpedto my feet.
'Come now!' I said; 'now! now! An Englishman is always ready for hisduty!'
The commissary was a good fellow, as well as a shrewd one; he slappedmy shoulder kindly. 'Brave garcon!' he said. 'Forgive me, but I knewwhat would do you most good. The guard is ready. Come!'
And so, passing right through the guard room, and through a longvaulted passage, we were out into the night. A few of the men in fronthad powerful lanterns. Through courtyards and down a sloping way wepassed out through a low archway to a sunken road, the same that I hadseen in my flight. The order was given to get at the double, and witha quick, springing stride, half run, half walk, the soldiers wentswiftly along. I felt my strength renewed again--such is thedifference between hunter and hunted. A very short distance took us toa low-lying pontoon bridge across the stream, and evidently verylittle higher up than I had struck it. Some effort had evidently beenmade to damage it, for the ropes had all been cut, and one of thechains had been broken. I heard the officer say to the commissary:
'We are just in time! A few more minutes, and they would havedestroyed the bridge. Forward, quicker still!' and on we went. Againwe reached a pontoon on the winding stream; as we came up we heard thehollow boom of the metal drums as the efforts to destroy the bridgewas again renewed. A word of command was given, and several men raisedtheir rifles.
'Fire!' A volley rang out. There was a muffled cry, and the dark formsdispersed. But the evil was done, and we saw the far end of thepontoon swing into the stream. This was a serious delay, and it wasnearly an hour before we had renewed ropes and restored the bridgesufficiently to allow us to cross.
We renewed the chase. Quicker, quicker we went towards the dustheaps.