man who had taken his place, reassured no
doubt by the high collar of the cape that concealed half of his face,
he went straight to the horses which stood ready harnessed, slipped his
pistols into the holsters, and, profitting by the moment when the other
horses were being led into the stable by their postilion, he took a
gimlet, which might in case of need serve as a dagger, from his pocket,
and screwed the four rings into the woodwork of the coach, one into each
door, and the other two into the body of the coach. After which he
put the horses to with a rapidity and skill which bespoke in him a
man familiar from childhood with all the details of an art pushed to
extremes in our day by that honorable class of society which we call
"gentlemen riders."

That done, he waited, quieting his restless horses by voice and whip,
judiciously combined, or used in turn.

Everyone knows the rapidity with which the meals of the unhappy beings
condemned to travel by mail are hurried through. The half-hour was not
up, when the voice of the conductor was heard, calling:

"Come, citizen travellers, take your places."

Montbar placed himself close to the carriage door and recognized Roland
and the colonel of the 7th Chasseurs, perfectly, in spite of their
disguise, as they jumped into the coach, paying no attention whatever to
the postilion.

The latter closed the door upon them, slipped the padlock through
the two rings and turned the key. Then, walking around the coach, he
pretended to drop his whip before the other door, and, in stooping for
it, slipped the second padlock through the rings, deftly turned the key
as he straightened up, and, assured that the two officers were securely
locked in, he sprang upon his horse, grumbling at the conductor who had
left him to do his work. In fact the conductor was still squabbling with
the landlord over his bill when the third traveller got into his place
in the coupe.

"Are you coming this evening, to-night, or to-morrow morning, Pere
Francois?" cried the pretended postilion, imitating Antoine as best he
could.

"All right, all right, I'm coming," answered the conductor; then,
looking around him: "Why, where are the travellers?" he asked.

"Here," replied the two officers from the interior and the agent from
the coupe.

"Is the door properly closed?" persisted Pere Francois.

"I'll answer for that," said Montbar.

"Then off you go, baggage!" cried the conductor, as he climbed into