have some
information first, and here is someone who should be able to give it to
us.'

There was a square, whitewashed house standing by the roadside, which
appeared, from the bush hanging over the door, to be one of those
wayside tabernas which are provided for the muleteers. A lantern was
hung in the porch, and by its light we saw two men, the one in the brown
habit of a Capuchin monk, and the other girt with an apron, which showed
him to be the landlord. They were conversing together so earnestly that
we were upon them before they were aware of us. The innkeeper turned to
fly, but one of the Englishmen seized him by the hair, and held him
tight.

'For mercy's sake, spare me,' he yelled. 'My house has been gutted by
the French and harried by the English, and my feet have been burned by
the brigands. I swear by the Virgin that I have neither money nor food
in my inn, and the good Father Abbot, who is starving upon my doorstep,
will be witness to it.'

'Indeed, sir,' said the Capuchin, in excellent French, 'what this worthy
man says is very true. He is one of the many victims to these cruel
wars, although his loss is but a feather-weight compared to mine. Let
him go,' he added, in English, to the trooper, 'he is too weak to fly,
even if he desired to.'

In the light of the lantern I saw that this monk was a magnificent man,
dark and bearded, with the eyes of a hawk, and so tall that his cowl
came up to Rataplan's ears. He wore the look of one who had been through
much suffering, but he carried himself like a king, and we could form
some opinion of his learning when we each heard him talk our own
language as fluently as if he were born to it.

'You have nothing to fear,' said I, to the trembling innkeeper. 'As to
you, father, you are, if I am not mistaken, the very man who can give us
the information which we require.'

'All that I have is at your service, my son. But,' he added, with a wan
smile, 'my Lenten fare is always somewhat meagre, and this year it has
been such that I must ask you for a crust of bread if I am to have the
strength to answer your questions.'

We bore two days' rations in our haversacks, so that he soon had the
little he asked for. It was dreadful to see the wolfish way in which he
seized the piece of dried goat's flesh which I was able to offer him.

'Time presses, and we must come to the point,' said I. 'We want your
advice as to the weak points of yonder Abbey, and concerning the hab