"In God's name," exclaimed
Sir Gaucher, "they have done so. That much is clear. Do all the castles in this land have such an arrangement?"
"Lord," said
Sir Hugues, "there are many such castles in this country, in particular all of those which belonged in former days to
Renaud de Montauban are constructed in this way, for when he and his brothers were at war with
king Charlemagne of France, they had them built in this manner on the advice of their cousin
Maugis, so that when the
king was besieging them with his forces and they realised that they could not escape, they withdrew to the tunnels and made off without so much as a 'by your leave'."
"By my faith," said
Sir Gaucher, "I commend such foresight. I do not know if any king, duke, or neighbour of mine will ever make war on me, but on my return to my country I will have one of these underground passages made at my
castle of Passac."
SHF 3-53 syncTheir conversation ended here. They seized the castle and after having stationed men-at-arms and a garrison within to guard it, they marched on towards the town and castle of
Curvale, the captain of which was
Espagnolet de Paperan, a Basque, and with him a great many pillagers and thieves.
The lords and their army made such progress that they reached the garrison of
Curvale in
Rabastens. They came to a halt there and laid their siege all around.
Sir Gaucher, wishing to consult with the
seneschal of Toulouse, asked him if
Curvale had once been a castle belonging to
Renaud de Montauban.
He replied, "Yes".
"So then it has an underground passage like the others?"
"In God's name," said
Sir Hugues, "it has in truth, and it was through that passage that
Espagnolet took the castle and the lord within it for the second time."
"Order the knight who was present to come here," said
Guichart Daulphin, who heard these words.
"It would indeed be best," added
Sir Gaucher de Passac, "if we were to learn the truth of the matter from him."
Then
Sir Raymond de Curvale was summoned and questioned about the organisation and arrangement of the castle, and if there was an underground passageway like the one at
La Bouffie. He replied,
"Yes indeed, for that is the way I was captured. I had had it blocked off long ago in order for it to be forgotten, but the brigands who now hold my castle repaired and cleared it, and captured me by using it."
"And do you know where it emerges?" asked
Sir Gaucher.
"Yes my lord," he said, "it opens into a wood not that far from here."
"Very good," said
Sir Gaucher, and then he was silent. After four days he was led, accompanied by two hundred well-armed and sturdy varlets of that country and
Sir Raymond de Curvale with them, to the wood where the passage opened. When
Sir Gaucher saw the entrance he had it exposed and all of the earth, grass and brambles surrounding it cleared away. When the area was in good order he had a great many torches lit and said to those who had been selected to go inside,
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