Read Online Fire Below by Dornford Yates - Free Book Online Page A

very thankful, for the smith must be awakened, and we had no wish to rouse neighbours upon whom we had no claim.
    He must have been a light sleeper, for as I stood back from the oak upon which I had rapped, a window was opened above me and somebody put out his head.
    ‘Ramon,’ says George, ‘we’re in trouble. If you would like to help us, come down and open your door.’
    ‘I come,’ said the other quietly, and disappeared.
    Not until we were in the kitchen and Ramon’s wife was chafing the Countess’ hands, did I understand what the latter had undergone. She was by no means fragile, but the strain of the last ten hours had brought her to the edge of collapse, and though she still smiled, she had the air of a runner that has run himself out. Her needs required no statement, and, before we had told her story, Bell was helping the smith to kindle a fire and Carol had been sent to the larder for brandy and milk and bread.
    The warmth of the fire revived her, and, thinking it best to leave her to the care of the woman alone, we asked the smith to take us into the forge. And there by the glow of the coals, to the wheeze of the aged bellows we told that good man the truth.
    He showed no surprise at our story, still less any fear, but when he heard that I was Leonie’s husband, he seemed to regard me as her consort and so entitled to share the esteem and affection in which she had always been held. Indeed, he would have it that the Prince was afraid of a movement to set up my wife in his stead and so was scheming to put us both out of the way, ‘for that,’ said he, ‘would be treason, and you have just told me, my lord, that he gave your conduct that name.’
    I shrugged my shoulders and let him have his way.
    ‘Will you shelter the Countess, Ramon? And keep her man?’
    ‘That is easy enough, my lord. God forgive me, but I am known as a smuggler, and no one hereabouts is astonished if we sit down to breakfast one morning four souls instead of two.’
    ‘Then that is settled,’ said I. ‘And now can you recommend shelter for us that are left. If it’s not too far, we can make it before the dawn.’
    As I spoke, I heard hoofs in the street and a moment later someone was kicking the shutters which kept the mouth of the forge.
    ‘Troopers,’ breathed George. ‘Who else would knock up a smith?’
    Without a word Ramon left us to seek the door of the house, while George slunk close to the shutters to hear what was said.
    Before we had recovered our wits, he was asking in broken German to have a horse shod and swearing that he would pay double if the smith would do it at once.
    ‘You must wait until daylight,’ said Ramon. ‘I cannot yet see.’
    ‘Not I,’ said the other roughly. ‘You must do it by candle-light. I tell you, I’ll pay you double–’
    ‘At dawn,’ said Ramon shortly and shut the door.
    As he re-entered the forge—
    ‘Who on earth is that?’ said George. ‘And what is he doing here?’
    ‘He is out of the circus,’ said Ramon. ‘I heard it was here. They passed through Elsa last night and are going to a pitch beyond Vardar, to give their show. But they must have been delayed by the way, for they ought to be there by now and taking their rest.’
    ‘And so we should,’ said the voice we had heard before, ‘if we hadn’t been stopped for three hours by the — police. There’s something the matter with this country. Never again. And now come on and open.’
    Not to be denied, the fellow had entered the house and stood in the little passage that led from the kitchen to the forge.
    As Ramon began to protest, I heard the ring of a hoof and a frightened snort.
    The next minute all was Bedlam.
    By the mercy of God the Countess was gone upstairs, for the kitchen was full of two horses, and one of them cast.
    I suppose, being circus horses, they were more bold than most, for they had clearly followed their master in.
    Since the street-door led out of the kitchen, they had no hail to