equest you to
billet us for the night."

"Assuredly, monsieur," said the little man, delighted at the turn
affairs had taken. "Of how many does your party consist?"

"Of seven deserters and five soldiers."

"A dozen," said the maire, rubbing his chin. "I fear I shall have
to ask some of my fellow townsmen to share in billeting you."

"It is not to be heard of," I said, guessing that he wished to
distribute the expense.

Not that I should have had any objection to that; but that it was
necessary to the design I had suddenly conceived that we should be
all together.

"It will not be safe," I continued. "The deserters are desperate
fellows, and will need careful guarding. Besides, I have had the
good luck to capture some English prisoners who had escaped, and
they are too precious to be allowed out of my sight. My men must
take turns at watching during the night; if there were an outbreak,
it would not easily be quelled if we were separated."

The maire had pricked up his ears at the mention of the prisoners.

"Prisoners, monsieur!" he exclaimed. "You said nothing of them. We
have heard about them, and there is a reward offered for their
capture. If monsieur would deign to give us part of the reward--"

"We will talk of that again, monsieur," I said. "I am in haste to
get to Cherbourg with the deserters; I can trust you, no doubt, to
guard the prisoners well until an escort can be sent for them from
St. Malo. In consideration of that, no doubt--"

I broke off expressively, and the maire doubtless regarded his
share of the reward as secure, for he raised no more objections. He
accompanied me to the door, looked contemptuously at my comrades
(who were in a great state of anxiety, I can assure you, knowing
nothing of what I had in mind), and then went on to the wagon where
the supposed deserters were lying. On seeing him the captain
started up and with many contortions struggled to speak.

"Why are they gagged, monsieur?" asked the maire.

I repeated the explanation I had already given.

"Terrible!" said the maire, and the captain grew purple in the
face.

"You perceive I could not allow my men's ears to be defiled by the
language of such a ruffian," I remarked.

"Perfectly, monsieur. Ah, scilerat!" he cried, shaking his fist at
the infuriate officer, and pouring out upon him a torrent of loyal
abuse which I find it impossible to translate.

Then he turned to the bosun, and asked him how he had come by hi