reaching Mouzon.

"You see," was all that Jean said to Maurice.

The two friends cast a look in the direction of the wood that
sufficiently expressed their sentiments toward the scoundrel who had
gained his freedom by such base means, while their hearts were stirred
with feelings of deepest compassion for the poor devil whom he had made
his victim, a guzzler and a toper, who certainly did not amount to much,
but a merry, good-natured fellow all the same, and nobody's fool.
And that was always the way with those who kept bad company, Jean
moralizingly observed: they might be very fly, but sooner or later a
bigger rascal was sure to come along and make a meal of them.

Notwithstanding this terrible lesson Maurice, upon reaching Mouzon, was
still possessed by his unalterable determination to attempt an escape.
The prisoners were in such an exhausted condition when they reached the
place that the Prussians had to assist them to set up the few tents that
were placed at their disposal. The camp was formed near the town, on low
and marshy ground, and the worst of the business was that another
convoy having occupied the spot the day before, the field was absolutely
invisible under the superincumbent filth; it was no better than a
common cesspool, of unimaginable foulness. The sole means the men had of
self-protection was to scatter over the ground some large flat stones,
of which they were so fortunate as to find a number in the vicinity.
By way of compensation they had a somewhat less hard time of it that
evening; the strictness of their guardians was relaxed a little once the
captain had disappeared, doubtless to seek the comforts of an inn. The
sentries began by winking at the irregularity of the proceeding when
some children came along and commenced to toss fruit, apples and pears,
over their heads to the prisoners; the next thing was they allowed the
people of the neighborhood to enter the lines, so that in a short time
the camp was swarming with impromptu merchants, men and women, offering
for sale bread, wine, cigars, even. Those who had money had no trouble
in supplying their needs so far as eating, drinking, and smoking were
concerned. A bustling animation prevailed in the dim twilight; it was
like a corner of the market place in a town where a fair is being held.

But Maurice drew Jean behind their tent and again said to him in his
nervous, flighty way:

"I can't stand it; I shall make an effort to get away as soo