way to
Amboise, and next instant the clearer thunder of Bertrand's hoofs came
ringing back from the harder sod which lay between the river and the
road. The bay had headed for the bank where, by the same bend, the
river curved to a line ahead. Death would pay all debts, and the
crooked would be made straight: he would pay Commines all he owed him
and there would be clean hands for them both. Clean hands? "By God!
No!" he cried, and shook the tightened rein loose. Clean hands? Saul,
who consented to Stephen's death, was as red-handed as the man who
hurled the first stone: what better was it to let the boy ride to his
fate unaided? That way there was no cleansing of hands. To permit a
preventable death was murder--murder.

Stooping lower La Mothe drove Grey Roland forward, urging him with
voice and hand, "Faster, boy, faster, faster." That he had no spurs
was a point against him, but drawing his dagger he laid the point
against the wet flank. There was no need to draw blood, no need for
goading. The generous heart of the beast understood the touch, and the
splendid muscles coined their utmost strength, squandering it in a
spendthrift, willing energy. They were gaining now, stride by stride
they were gaining: Bertrand, the half Arab, had the greater endurance,
but English Grey Roland the greater power and the stouter heart. Yes,
they were gaining, and there was hope if only the Dauphin kept the
saddle, and so far he had held his place like a crouched statue,
stooping by instinct as La Mothe had stooped, and clinging to the long
mane with both hands. He was no coward, boy though he was, and not
once had looked back, nor did he now though the following hoofs must
have been loud in his ears as stride by stride the grey gained on the
bay, and the ten lengths of space between them closed to five, to
three, to one, and the glint of the river rose almost at their feet.
Then La Mothe spoke.

"Monseigneur, keep your nerve, it will be all right. When I say 'Now!'
loose your hold and try to kick your feet free from the stirrups; leave
the rest to me."

The gap narrowed foot by foot: up to the girth of the bay crept the
straining muzzle of the grey, the eyeballs staring, the teeth bared,
the nostrils wide, the foam flying with every jar of the hoof, up and
up with a scant two yards of river-bank to spare upon the outer side,
up and up till, leaning forward and aside with outstretched arm, La
Mothe could feel the pr