Books › Blue Book v074 n02 [1941-12], 1941 › scan 6
Scan 6
Blue Book v074 n02 [1941-12], 1941
86 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1"Fool! Steel is my business, not yours. Give my compliments to your master the devil!"
3Jacques coughed something; his knees loosened, and he fell on his face and was quiet. A groom ran to him, half turned him over, then let him slip down again, and furtively crossed himself. Silence fell on the courtyard and upon the staring men.
5ANGUS went to Malcolm, slipped an arm around him, and walked him to the bench beside the tavern door. He aided him to sit, and straightened up as the innkeeper came out.
7"Small beginnings, grave endings," said Angus. "From the beating of a dog comes the death of a man. Who's this bearded fury, good host?"
9"He belongs to the Vicomte d'Oger, monsieur," said the innkeeper, "and has a farm just outside the village. A violent and terrible man; none the less—"
11"None the less," said Angus sardonically, "he is dead. Eh, Malcolm? What is it?"
13The younger man had reached up, pulling at his sleeve. "The dog, Angus. Free him."
15Black Angus cocked an eye at the great hound. "Be damned if I do!" said he. "That beast is dangerous."
17"Not so. He understands English. Go try him yourself! I'll not stir from here till he comes with us."
19Angus rolled his eyes resignedly. "I'll humor you," he growled; "but I'd not lay hand on that brute for all the wealth of St. Andrews!"
21Gingerly enough, he approached the dog, stopped, and began to speak—not in English but in broad Scots. Almost instantly the ears of the beast pricked up; he stood looking at Angus, his tail lifted and wagged, and from the astonished man broke a sharp exclamation of surprise.
23"He's not English, Malcolm! Scots he is—and a friend, by his eye."
25"Set him free, set him free," said Malcolm impatiently. "Loose the ropes; I'll call him and he'll come to me. You'll see."
27Angus was none too sure. Poniard ready, he advanced warily. The dog looked up at him, and as he later swore, smiled into his eyes. Angus put down a hand to the ropes, worked at the knots with the point of his dagger, and they came apart. Cries of fear escaped the grooms, who scattered hastily, but Malcolm called the dog and extended his hand, and the animal went to him and crouched at his feet.
29The staring landlord pointed to something beside the pump.
31"There is a collar that broke from him," said he to Angus. "It has a brass plate with something writ in a foreign tongue."
33Angus strode over to the spot, picked up the broken piece of leather, and came back to Malcolm and the dog. He looked at the metal plate, and knit his brow.
35"I can read big letters, but not script," said he. "Here are big letters first, and script afterward. Five letters, Malcolm; damn it, man, why haven't you your eyes?"
37"Bad luck, Angus Dhu," said Malcolm. His lips were tightly set, as he fondled the dog's head. "Hellfire's in my head and eyes: but spell the letters. What are they?"
39"T is first," replied Angus. "Then H. I know it by the cross-bar. Then an O. That's simple. Then P… No, wait! It's the one like P, only different. R. that's what it is! And last comes the two strokes with the leaning bar—N, that's it. Does it make sense?"
41"Thorn," said Malcolm. "Thorn! Eh? Why, the dog's head jumped up at the word!"
43"He's looking up at us. By the saints, that's his name, of course! Thorn!" cried Angus, and the dog's head and gaze swung to him. "That's his name, Malcolm, Thorn! That's why it was on the collar. But the plate isn't brass. These fools took it for brass; if it's not ruddy gold, then I'm an Englishman!"
45"Take care of it," said Malcolm, and sighed. "I'm done up, Angus. The pain's more than I can bear. Did ye ask about a surgeon?"
47"Must send to Blois. It's not far; the court's there, and—" Angus broke off suddenly. A low oath escaped him as he swung around. "Oh, the devil! Here's trouble."
49Hoofs clattered and muttered warnings flew among the grooms. Into the courtyard rode an officer, gayly resplendent, and six archers. A low word escaped the landlord.
51"God save us all! The provost's lieutenant!"
53The officer had seen the body of Jacques. He drew rein with a sharp cry.
55"De par le Roi! In the King's name! What have we here, you damned rascals? Murder?" He dismounted and strode arrogantly to the landlord and Black Angus. "Speak, speak! You, landlord, you dare to kill without authority?"
57"Not I, your worship, not I!" The landlord fell on his knees, stones or no stones. "The dead man is Jacques, the villein of M. d'Oger. This foreign gentleman was attacked by him, and killed him."
59"Eh?" said the officer, and bent his brows upon Black Angus. "You?"
61"I, monsieur," said Angus, composedly.
63"Then you shall be bound and taken before the provost—"
65"Not so fast, monsieur," said Angus. "Haste is a fast horse, but precaution's a better one. You've no authority to lay hand upon me, and you'd best not try."
67"Indeed!" The officer regarded him with a sneer. "Indeed! You are, no doubt, the good St. Michael himself, to be independent of the authority of France, and to kill peasants who are the property of gentlemen!"
69"[address hidden]. Michael," rejoined Black Angus. "If you'd said Saint Andrew, you'd have been closer to the mark, monsieur. I'm Angus Douglas of Kilspindie, sergeant of the Scots Archer Guards, at present returning from furlough in Scotland to my duty. And I'm subject only to the authority of the Captain of the Guards, the Earl of Arran, or of His Majesty in person, or of the Dauphin or his good lady, Mary Queen of Scotland. Outside of which, you or any other authority in France will get your fingers damned well burned if you lay them on me."
71An officer of the Scots Guards! That was something, indeed. It was so distinctly something, that the provost's lieutenant swallowed hard.
73"Have you any proof of this claim?" he demanded.
75"Certainly, under the hand of the Earl of Arran and of His Majesty as well," said Angus. He produced a folded pad of vellum. "There's my passport, and you'll note that it requires all officers of the realm to give me aid and support on demand."
77THE lieutenant unfolded the vellum, glanced at the writing, and nodded. Then he looked at Angus with sudden interest.
79"Can it be that you're the two gentlemen who were attacked by thieves on the road hither from Veuve, earlier in the day?"
81"We are," said Angus, pocketing his passport again. "And except we were taken off our guard, there'd have been little trouble. My comrade here, Malcolm Campbell, who's on his way to take service in the Guards, was grievously hurt when his sword splintered and bits of the steel blinded him; but we killed three of the rogues."
83"And wounded four others," added the lieutenant. "Word was brought of the matter, and I was sent to investigate. Well done, monsieur! You have my permission to kill a dozen peasants if you desire; you've rid us of a most troublesome gang of robbers who have plagued our roads for the past year!"
85"Soft words salve no wounds," said Angus dourly. "My comrade is sore hurt. I ask your aid in sending to Blois for a surgeon. The court is at Blois, so there must be no end of doctors and surgeons about—" He broke off sharp-
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