Evening star., 1905-11-09
THE WHITE COMPANY
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
How the Army Made the Passage OF
Roncesvalles.

Ianguedoc is an arid and prOf1tlesS expanSe
in winter, save where the swift-iowing
Adour and her snow-fed tributaries, the
Louts. the Oloron and the Pau, run down
to the sea of Biscay. South Of the Adour
the jagged line of mountains which fringe
the skyline send out long granite claws,
running down into the Iowlands and df-
vidfng them into caves or stretches Of
valley. Hilocks grow into hills. and hills
into mountains. each range everything Its
neighbor until they soar up In the giant
chain which raises its spOtless and untrod-
den peaks, white and dazzling, against the
pale-blue wintery sky.
quiet land is this-a land where the
slow-moving Basque. with his fiat biretta-
cap, his red sash, and his heInpen sandals,
tills his scanty farm or drives his lean flock
to their hillside pastures. 1t is the country
of the wolf and the isard of the brown
bear and the mountain goat, land OF bare
rock and of rushing water. Yet here 1t was
that the will of great prince had now as
Sembled gallant army, so that from the
Adour to the passes of Navarro the barren
valleys and wind-swept wastes were popu-
lous with soldiers and loud with the shout
ing of orders and the neighDg of horses.
For the banners of war had been flung to
the wind once more, and over those glsten-
ing peaks was the highway along which
Honor pointed in an age when men had
chosen her their guide.
And now all was ready for the enterprise.
From Dax to ST. Jean Pied d-duPort the
country was mOttled with the white tents
of Gascans, Aquitanians and English, all
eager for the advance. From all sides the
free companions had trooped in. until not
less than twelve thousand of these veteran
troops were cautioned along the frontiers OF
Navarro. From England had arrived the
princes brother. the Duke of Lancaster,
with four hundred knights in his train and
a strong company of archers. Above all. an
heir to the throne had been born in Bor-
deaux, and the prince might leave his
spouse with an easy mind, for all was well
with mother and child
The keys of the mountain passes still
lay in the hands of the shiity and ignoble
Charles of Navarro, who had chartered and
bargained both with the English and with
the Spanish, taking money from the one
side to hold them open and from the other
to keep them sealed. The mallet hand or
Edward, however, had shattered all the
schemes and wiles of the plotter. Neither
entreaty nor courtly remonstrance came
from the English prince; but Sir Hugh Cal
verley passed silently over the border with
his company, and the blazing walls of the
two cities of Miranda and Puenta della
Reyna warned the unfaithful monarch that
there were other metals besides gold, ana
that he was dealing with a man TO "hom
X was unsafe to lie. His price was pald,
his objections silenced. and the mountain
gorges lay open to the invaders. From the
feast of the Epiphany there was muster
ing and massing, until, in the first week
of February-three days after the White
Company Joined the army-the word was
given for a general advance through the
defile of Roncesvalles. At hVe IN the colo
winters morning the bugles were blow
ing in the hamlet of st. Jean Pied
du-Port and by six Sir Nigeis company,
300 strong, were on their way for the oenie'
pushing swiftly in the dim nght up the
steep curving road; for 1t was the prince
order that they should be the first to pass
through, and that they shonid remain ON
guard at the further end until the whole
army had emerged from the mountains. Day
was already breaking in the east and the
SUBMITS of the great peaks had turned rosy
red while the valleys still lay in the shad-
ow, when they found themselves with the
cliffs on either hand and the long, rugged
pass stretching away before them.
Sir Nigel rode his great black war horse
at the head of his archers, dressed in full
armor, with Black Simon bearing his ban
ner behind him, while Alleyne at hls brld!e
arm carried his blaZoned shield and his
well-steeled ashen spear proud and
happy man was the knight. and many
time he turned in his saddle to look at the
long column of bowmen who swung swiftly
along behind him.
by ST. Paul! Alleyne,' said he, this
pass is a very perilous place, and l would
that the King of Navarro had held 1t
against US, for it would have been very
honorable venture had 1t fallen to us TO
win a passage. I have heard the minstrels
sing of one Sir Roland who was slain by
the infdels in these very parts
IF it please you, my fair lord, said
Black Simon. II know something of these
parts, for / have twice served a term with
the King of Navarro. There Is a hosplce
of monks yonder, where you may see the
roof among the trees, and there it was that
Sir Roland was slain. The village upon the
left is Orbaiceta and know house there
in where the right wine of Jurancon is to
be bought II 1t would please you to quaff
morning cup"
There is smoke yonder upon the right
ha n named Les AlldeS.
| know a hostel there also where the wine
is of the best 1t is said that the innkeeper
hath buried treasure. and l doubt not,
my fair lord, that if you grant me leave l
could prevail upon him to tell US where he
hath hid it,
Nay, nay, Simon said Sir Nigel, curt1y,
Il pray you to forget these free companion
tricks Ha! Edricson l see that you stare
about YOU and in good sooth these noun
tans must seem wondrous indeed to one
who hath but seen Butser or the PortSdown
hill"
The broken and rugged road had wound
along the crests of low hills, with wooded
ridges on either side of it, over which
peeped the loftier mountains, the distant
Peak of the South and the vast Altabisca,
which lowered high above them and cast
its black shadow from left to right across
the valley. From where they stood
they could look forward down a long vista
of beech woods and Jagged rock -strewn will
derneSS all white with snow, to where the
pass opened out upon the uplands beyond.
Behind them they could still catch a glimpse
of the gray plains of Gascony, and could
see her rivers cleaning like coils of silver
in the sunshine AS far as eye could see
from among the rocky gorges and the
bristles of the pine woods there came the
quick twinkle and glitter of steel, while the
wind brought with it sudden distant bursts
of martial music from the great host which
rolled by every road and by-path toward
the narrow pass of Roncesvalles. On the
cliffs on either side might also be seen the
flash of arms and the waving of pennons
where the force of Navarro looked down
upon the army of strangers who passed
through their territories.
by ST Paul. said Sir Nigel blinking up
al them, Il think that we have much to
hope for from these cavaliers, for they clus-
ter very thickly upon our flanks. Pass word
to the men, Aylward. that they unsline
their bows, for l have no doubt that there
are some very worthy gentlemen yonder
who may give us some opportunity for hon
orable advancement
Il hear that the prince hath the King of
Navarro as hostage" said Alleyne land 1t
is said that he hath sworn to put him to
death If there be any attack upon u.s.
1T was not so that war was made when
good King Edward first turned his hand to
it." said Sir Nigel, sadly 'Ah! Alleyne.
fear that you will never live to see such
things for the minds of men are more set
upon money and gain than of old. BY ST
Paul! il was a noble sight when two great
armies would draw together upon a certain