Chapter 17 Chapter 17 The Followed Spy

You mean that rude ranger?The spy who was spotted? don't touch him You can't beat these hillbillies. Book.John The Tale of Robin Hood When Quentin rushed out of the monastery, he found that the Bohemian was running fast into the distance, and his black figure could be seen from a distance under the moonlight running swiftly and swiftly like a whipped wild dog. Across the village street, and beyond, a flat meadow. My chap is fast, thought Quentin, but he'll have to go faster to dodge the fastest scuds ever run across the heath of Gran-Hurajin. The Scottish mountain native was thankfully sans cape and armour, so he was able to sprint forward at a speed that would have been a champion in his native valley.Quentin was able to overtake him quickly, though the bohemian was also running fast.However, catching up with him is not his purpose.He felt that it was more important to monitor Hyladin's actions than to stop him.All the more so when he saw that the bohemian was running on incessantly along the line he had planned, for his continued running after the agitation of being forcibly expelled from the monastery had worn off seemed to indicate that he This kind of running has a purpose, not like being suddenly kicked out of a good residence in the middle of the night by others, and you have to find another place to live.He doesn't even look back.Because of this, it was possible for Darwilt to sneak behind him without being noticed.At last the Bohemian crossed the meadow and came to a brook lined with cypresses and willows.Seeing him stop, Quentin blew the horn lightly, and then heard someone whistling in response not far away.

This is an appointment, Quentin thought, should I come closer and listen to what they have to say?I have to be careful, or the sound of footsteps and rustling through the branches will give me away.By St. Andrew, I'll have to approach them like Glen-Isra's elk and let them know I haven't learned the woods in vain.It was two figures colliding.So, there are two of them, and if I should be discovered, and they are likely to have ill intentions, I will be wretched, and the Countess Isabel will lose her poor friend!Well, if I'm not ready for a dozen enemies for her, I'm not worthy of being called her friend either.Haven't I already fought the best knight in France, Dunois?Am I still afraid that one or two tramps will fail?Pooh!If God and St. Andrew help me, they will find me brave and alert.

Having made up his mind, our friend stepped into the brook with a certain vigilance acquired by habit in the woods.The creek has different depths, sometimes just below the back of the feet, sometimes as deep as the knees.He walked forward stealthily, hiding himself among the weeping willows on the bank, and the sound of his footsteps was covered by the gurgling water. (We ourselves used to approach the waking crow in this way, to dig out its nest.) In this way the young Scot stalked towards them, until he distinctly heard the voice of his subject.But he still couldn't hear what they were saying.He happened to be standing under the branches of a large willow tree that almost brushed the water.So he grabbed a thick branch, and using his quickness, dexterity, and strength, he climbed up the big tree with the help of the branch, and sat in the middle of the branch, without any danger of being discovered.

From where he sat, he saw that it was a man of his own tribe who was talking to Hiradin.But he was also disappointed to find that he could hardly understand the language that he knew nothing about.They laughed a lot.When Hyradin made a bouncing gesture and finally rubbed his shoulders with his hands, Davelt guessed that he must be telling the story of how he was beaten before he escaped from the monastery. At this time, there was another whistle in the distance.Hyaddin answered him once or twice softly with the horn.Soon I saw a tall and strong man who looked like a samurai approaching.His well-developed sinews contrasted sharply with the small bohemian limbs.A broad ribbon slung across his shoulders, from which hung a sword almost across the front of his body.His trousers are decorated with many long seams.Underneath the long slits are silk or silk gauze of various colors.The trousers were fastened with at least five hundred ribbons to the yellow leather bodysuit he wore.On the right sleeve is the emblem of their chief, a silver wild boar.On his head, he wore a small hat on one side in a dignified manner.Curly locks under the hat blended with a broad beard, about four inches long, on either side of his broad face.He held a spear in his hand.According to his full equipment, he is a German adventurer called spearman in English and lanzknecht in German.These mercenaries constituted a formidable force of infantry at the time; brutal and greedy, it goes without saying.There is a silly saying among them that German spearmen cannot go to heaven because of their crimes, and they cannot go to hell because of their unruly rebellion.So they are not afraid of death at all, as if they desire neither heaven nor hell.

Thunder and lightning!It was the first greeting he uttered in a kind of German mixed with French that he barely imitated. Then he said: Why did you make me wait for three nights? My sir, I can't meet you earlier, said Hyaldin humbly, there is a young Scot with eyes as keen as a wild cat, who keeps a close eye on my every move.He is already suspicious of me.If he had confirmed his suspicions, he would have killed me on the spot and sent the two women back to France. That's okay!The spearman said, Look, there are three of us.Tomorrow we will attack them and take the two women.You said those two followers were cowards.Then you and your companions should be able to deal with them both. I am not afraid that the devil will find me, but I will deal with your Scottish wild cat.

You will find it foolhardy, said Hiradin, and you know the three of us don't mean anything when it comes to war.This guy has played against the best knights in France and has done well.I just knew someone had seen him beat Dunois to pieces. Hail and thunderstorms!You're a coward to say something like that.said the German soldier. I am no more timid than you, said Hiradin, but war is not my calling.It's also fine if you stick to the agreed schedule where you are.If not, I will take them safely to the Bishop's Vatican.If William.Delamak was as powerful as he had boasted a week ago, and he could easily snatch them away.

Needless to say, said the German spearman, we are not only as strong as we were, but even stronger.But we heard that Burgundy sent a hundred spearmen, and you see, one spearman with four retinues equals five hundred men.I can guarantee they would rather trouble us than we would trouble them.In fact, the bishop already has a regular army, I'm right! So, you must lay an ambush at Three Kings Cross, or you will have to abandon this adventurous plan.said the Bohemian. Abandoning plans to find a rich bride for our noble chief?Hell!I would rather go to hell to charge than give up this plan.God!We'll all be princes and what they call dukes, and we'll drink in musty French palaces, or with pretty girls when bearded chiefs get tired of them.

So is the ambush plan at Three Kings Cross still valid?asked the Bohemian. My god, of course it works. You gotta make sure you get them there.They'll kneel before that cross, and they'll jump off their horses, and all will, except a heathen like you.Then we will attack them, and the two women will fall into our hands. Well, I agree with you on the necessary intrigue.But there must be a condition, Hiradin said, I will not allow you to damage the young man's hair.If you swear to me this by your three ancients of Cologne, then I swear to you by seven night gods, and I will never break my promise on the rest.If you break your vows, seven nights in a row the seven night gods will wake you from your sleep between midnight and morning, and on the eighth night they will strangle you and eat you.

But, thunder and hail, why do you want so dearly the life of this young man with whom you have no relation or relationship? You don't ask that, honest Henrik.Some people are interested in cutting other people's necks, and others are interested in keeping other people's necks, so swear to me that you will never hurt a hair on him.Otherwise, according to the bright Adopolan constellation, if this matter is brought down, swear by what you call the three kings of Cologne.I know you don't care about other swears. You are kind of funny.The spearman said, well, I swear No, said the Bohemian, brave spearman, you must turn your face to the east, or the three kings will not hear you.

Na Qiuba swore a curse in the prescribed way.Then he said he could get ready soon, as the place was less than five miles from their present camp, and it would be very convenient to take action. Wouldn't it be safer if a small detachment of cavalry were placed on the road to the left of the inn, so that they could be caught if they went that way? The Bohemian thought for a while and replied: It's not good that your team will alarm the defenders of Namur if your team appears there.Your ambush will become a big problem, and you will not be sure of winning.Besides, they will go along the right bank of the Maes, because I can take them any way I want.Clever as he was, the Scotch mountaineer never consulted anyone else on the route except mine.Needless to say, for I was assigned to him by a trustworthy friend, and no one would doubt his words unless he knew something about him.

You listen to me, friend Hiradin, said the soldier, I want to ask you a question: You said yourself that you and your brother are great astrologers and fortune tellers, so why didn't you foresee your brother Zamai What about being hanged? I tell you, Henrik, said Hyradine, if I had known my brother would be so foolish as to tell the Duke Charles of Burgundy what King Louis intended, I could have predicted him as well as good weather in July. Will definitely die.Louis was both eyes and ears and helper at the Burgundian court.Charles's counselors love the clink of French gold coins as you love the clang of wine jugs.Goodbye, please abide by the agreed arrangement.The Scot got up early.I had to wait for him a stone's throw from the gate of the lazy pig's den, or he would suspect that I had gone somewhere secretly to endanger the safety of his journey. Take a sip of wine first to calm down!The spearman handed him a bottle of wine and said, Ah, I forgot, you are like a beast and drink nothing but water.What a bad servant of Muhammad and Temaquand. You yourself are the servant of the bottle and the jug, said the Bohemian, and no wonder the wise only entrust you with the cruelty of their plans.A man who wants to read other people's minds and hide his own cannot drink.But of what use is it to you, who are always as thirsty as the banks of the Arabian desert?Good-bye, I want my companion Tuisco to go with you.To see him near the monastery would have aroused suspicion. The two parted ways after everyone re-promised to meet near Three Kings Cross. Quentin.Dawilt waited until they were completely out of sight before jumping out of hiding.His heart skipped a beat as he remembered how he and the girl under his protection had only escaped (if at all) from a long-planned and evil scheme.He was worried that he might run into Hyaddin on the way back to the monastery.So he went across rough terrain and made a wide circle, which made it possible for him to return to the monastery through another gate. Along the way, he thought carefully to see if he could find a perfect solution.As soon as he heard of the treachery exposed by Hyadin, he made up his mind to kill him as soon as they parted and his companions were at a considerable distance.But when he heard afterwards that the Bohemian really wanted to save his own life, he felt a little sorry for giving him the severe punishment his treachery deserved.At last he resolved to spare his life, and, if possible, continue to use him as a guide; but he had to take some precautions to ensure the safety of the girl whom he regarded as a treasure.In fact, he was secretly prepared to give his life to keep her safe. But where they should go is a question. Now that the two Ladies of Croix have escaped from Burgundy, they cannot go there again.And they can no longer stay in France, because France is tantamount to an expulsion order for them.The brutality of Duke Charles in Burgundy was no less terrible than the ruthless and imperious tactics of King Louis in France.After some deep thinking, Davelt thought that the safest way to protect them was to bypass the enemy's ambush, go to Liege along the left bank of the Maes River, and defect to Liege according to the original plan of the two ladies. The good bishop asked for protection.The Bishop would certainly like to protect them.There is no doubt about this.With the support of the Burgundian army, it can also be considered that the bishop has the ability to protect them.In case the bishop is accepted by William.Given the threat of Delamach and the imminent danger of riots in Liege, he himself was able to protect the two unfortunate ladies, and finally went to Germany under the appropriate escort. Now to sum up the conclusions of this thinking, by the way, how can a kind of thinking be done without involving some personal considerations?In short, Quentin thought that since King Louis had cruelly arranged for him a fate of death row or captivity, this relieved him of his obligations to the King of France.He also resolved not to recognize those obligations.He speculated that the Bishop of Liege might need additional soldiers.The two ladies, especially the older one, had treated him very kindly.He figured that through their accounts he might be given some kind of commanding office, and that he might be entrusted with taking the Croyles to somewhere safer than Liege.It may be added, finally, that the two ladies spoke almost jokingly of recruiting the Countess's own servants, in order to try to strengthen their own strong castle, as other nobles did in these troubled times. , to defend against possible attacks.They had asked Quentin, half in jest, if he would accept the dangerous position of steward.It was with joy and devotion that they had seen him accept the office that he had kissed their hands on this honorable investiture.Countess Isabel's hand was indeed the most beautiful and handsome hand in the world that a faithful and respectful servant had the honor to kiss.He even felt that her hands were beginning to tremble because his lips stayed on a little longer than the etiquette required.Her cheeks and eyes showed panic as she drew her hand back.All this may lead to some kind of result.In Quentin.What warrior at Davelt's age doesn't take these fantasies into account when deciding on his future actions? Having decided this, the next step was to consider how far he could use the unfaithful Bohemian to continue to serve as their guide.He had given up on the original idea of ​​killing him while he was still in the forest.If he found another guide and sent him away alive, it would be tantamount to letting the spy go to William C. with information about their actions.Delamach's battalion headquarters.He considered whether to ask the abbot of the monastery to be his adviser, and begged him to detain the bohemian till they reached the bishop's castle.But after some consideration, he felt that he did not have the courage to make such a request to such an old and timid monk.It should be noted that he regards maintaining the safety of the monastery as his most important duty, and he will tremble all over when he hears the name of the Ardennes wild boar. Finally Dawilt finally decided on a plan of action.Since the plan was to be carried out by himself, he felt safer.And for the mission he was currently engaged in, he also felt that he could do anything.Quentin was aware of the perilous situation, but he had a firm and calm conviction, like a man who walks with a burden: on the one hand, he knows the weight of his burden, but on the other hand, he also knows that the burden is not beyond his strength and ability.Just as he was finalizing the plan, he had arrived at the gate of the monastery. He knocked on the door lightly, and the abbot specially asked the monk who was going to guard the door to open the door immediately, and told him that the brothers and sisters in the monastery were singing hymns, and they would sing until dawn, praying for God to forgive all the scandals that happened that night among them . The venerable monk wanted Quentin to join them in their prayers.But the young Scot was so wet that he was obliged to decline the opportunity, and begged to be allowed to warm himself by the fire in the kitchen, and dry his clothes before daylight.The monk not only agreed to his request, but also took the initiative to be his companion.This was exactly what Davelt wanted, for he was eager to learn something about the two routes he had overheard from the Bohemian's conversation with the German spearman.The monk had been entrusted by the monastery to go on business trips many times, so he was the most qualified to introduce to him the situation he asked to know among all the brothers and sisters.However, he said that as sincere pilgrims, the two ladies escorted by Quentin should walk along the right bank of the Maes River, passing the Three Kings Cross, because Kasbah, Melchior and Baltaicha (which is The Catholic name for the three sages who went to Bethlehem to pay homage to Jesus) the blessed remains performed some miracles there before being sent to Cologne. Quentin replied that the two ladies were determined to stop at all the sacred places that should be stopped very strictly according to the rules, and would visit the Three Kings Cross both on the way to Cologne and on the way back.But they heard that the wicked William.Delamark's bandits have made the road on the right bank of the river very unsafe at present. For heaven's sake, said Father Francis, the Ardennes boar has brought its nest so near us again!Fortunately, the wide Maes River can act as a good barrier for us when we have to. If we cross the river and go on the right bank, then the river will not stop the robbers from attacking the two ladies I am protecting.Quentin said. God bless his subjects, young man.The monk said that since the blessed three kings of Cologne could not tolerate a Jew or a heathen entering the city, it is hard to imagine that they would allow a vicious dog like the Ardennes wild boar to be robbed and abused as a sincere pilgrim. Pilgrims of their temples!You know, this wild boar is worse than the Saracen pagans in the entire desert, plus the ten tribes of the Israelites. No matter how much Quentin, as a devout Catholic, should rely on the special protection of Melchior, Kasbah, and Baltaicha, he must consider that since the pilgrimage of the two ladies is only based on secular He and his protégés could hardly expect any protection from the three sages of the East at present.So he decided to avoid as much as possible the two ladies into a situation requiring divine intervention.At the same time, he vowed in the simple sincerity of his faith that he would go to Cologne to pay homage to these three reasonable holy kings, if only they would allow his protege's plan of a pilgrimage in disguise to achieve its intended purpose. In order to enable him to solemnly fulfill the ceremony of making a wish, he asked the monk to take him into a small chapel connected to the monastery, and then knelt down to express the wish he had made in his heart through devout prayers.The sound of singing in the distance, the solemnity of the midnight hour he had chosen for the wish, and the impression of flickering lights illuminating the small Gothic building all made Kun Ding's mind was in a devout state, willing to admit human frailties, and to seek help and protection from the gods, which in any prayer must be linked to repentance of past sins and a determination to atone and correct them in the future.As for Quentin choosing the wrong object of prayer, it was not his fault.Since his intentions are sincere, it is difficult to imagine that the one true God would find his prayers unacceptable, since God values ​​the motive of prayer rather than the form of prayer.In the eyes of God, the sincere prayers of pagans are more valuable than the hypocritical piety of Pharisees. After entrusting himself and his two feeble companions to the protection of the saints and the heavens, Quentin went into the house to rest, leaving the monk to sit alone, feeling deeply that his earnest and deep prayer had greatly benefited him. inspire.