Adventure Magazine Cover — page 164: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

162 from within; I had therefore to dismount my men, arrange for the keeping of their horses while we should be absent and to march them to the scene of our labors as an infantry column. It had been Pietro Uccello’s thought (though ’tis generally attributed to me) that each cavalryman should also be drilled dismounted, and each infantryman compelled to learn to ride, while both arms should be taught to use our cannon; and this plan had been most strictly carried out. I was right glad of it on this occasion; for signs were not lacking, ere we reached our destination, that old Ricardo Salviati had understated the case in favor of Count Roberto. Item: there was a strange lack of men fit to bear arms along our route; we gained not a single recruit on all that march; item: the shopkeepers in small towns grinned at us what time we bought sup- plies; item: a village idiot on the border did tell us in so many words that the count was not without friends. He stopped us, and mopped and mowed, and demanded to know if we were more pretty soldiers on our way to aid Roberto; and when I said we were (reflecting that we might thus gain news, and could in no case lose anything)—he held up his five fingers and said that number of detach- ments had passed before us. ‘As many as we are?” asked Benedetto, at my side. “Oh, more, more!” laughs the idiot, dancing away down the road. ‘And pret- tier, prettier!’’ ‘‘Mad,” says Benedetto, looking at me sidewise. “Doubtless,” says I; and we moved on again. Nevertheless, we doubled the strength of our advance-guard, and threw out extra scouting parties on the wings— these were horse, numbering fifty, which I had brought for use in sorties from the castle. “Where should he gather such forces?” asked Benedetto uneasily, as we moved cautiously along the last league toward the castle. I had been thinking over this, during the night, and had, as it turned out, lit on the right answer. “The Duke Alessandro hath been schem- ing so long, and dispossessing so many small nobles,” says I, ‘that they, and such de- pendants as have kept to them, should make F, R. BUCKLEY a nice little force by this time; ’tis possible that they are taking Roberto’s cause for an excuse, and rallying together for a last blow at his Highness while he is busy else- where.” ‘“‘They will have no discipline.” “Let us thank God for it,” says I; ‘‘and also let us hope that this castle is indeed impregnable, and well stocked with pro- visions, or we shall earn our money hard.” S me if I see why thou refused the offer of the Sienese,”’ grumbled Benedetto. “Then fall back two lengths, and think over the problem,” says I irritably. “In any case, question me no more; this is not thy province.” 9 ee “One more word; and thou’rt sergeant!”’ So he fell back; but not for long. This conversation was at our entry into the dense wood which stretches, curving, about the castle at a distance of the third of a league from the walls; and ere we were half-way through it, back came flying half the ad- vance-guard to say there was a strong force investing the place; drawn up in the open between the wood and the castle-hill. “How many? MHorseor foot? Have they guns?” ‘‘Are they ware of us?’ demands Bene- detto, having retaken his place at my side. “They are as many as we, sirs,”’ says the spokesman for the advance-party. ‘‘Half horse and half foot, I should say, but no guns. ‘They are drawn up in battle order, out of range of the castle.”’ ‘Then perchance they are in range of us,”’ I thought; and ordered forward the guns, commanding them to take place under cover of the wood, but not to fire until the word. Then, with Benedetto, I rode forward to observe the state of affairs with mine own eyes. It wasillenough. Ata glance I perceived that the castle on its bare rock, and with its three several enceintes was well enough; but at a glance also it was visible that winning to it would be no mere matter of saying “Forward!” First, the scout had erred con- cerning the number of cavalry; seven hun- dred there must have been, and a good five hundred foot; and very neatly placed for the purpose they had in mind—infantry in the center, and horse at the wings, to fly for- ward and break up the attack before it should reach the foot. I was comforted, however, by observing that, though they COmiclboo S (©