eckless man even ran halfway up the stairs to the landing before he
threw his hand-grenade. Having hurled it, he sped down again,
slipping, sliding and falling. However he was unhurt.

In spite of all these efforts the fire directed at the two messengers
did not cease. So far, however, they were untouched and were only
fifty or sixty feet distant from their goal. Suddenly the man carrying
the barrel staggered. He reeled drunkenly for a moment and then sank
to the ground. His companion, who was in the lead, was not aware of
this and it was not until he had gained the protection of the chateau
that he realized that his comrade was missing.

Of course the machine-gun was useless with one part gone. Someone
would have to retrieve the other half and Armande instantly took it
upon himself to be that one. Without waiting to see whether anyone
else was going he dashed out of the doorway and raced towards the spot
where the lost barrel lay. His appearance was greeted with a storm of
bullets from the tower.

Untouched, however, he reached his goal. The barrel was lying on the
ground beside the prostrate form of the soldier who had carried it that
far; the soldier was dead, however, with a bullet through his heart.

Armande bent over and seizing the missing part of the gun he turned and
ran for the chateau. All about him the bullets whined and sang; it
seemed impossible that he should ever cover those few yards alive. The
evening before, however, he had remarked to Jacques that having seen
the new moon over his right shoulder he would be lucky. Whether or not
that was the reason the fact remains that he gained the doorway and
handed the barrel over to Jacques. His uniform had been torn on one
shoulder and blood was oozing from the wound, which although deep, was
not serious.

"Your life is charmed, Armande," exclaimed Lippen in admiration.

"I hope so," said Armande grimly. "Set up the gun."

No time was lost in this operation, and in less than two minutes the
machine-gun was ready for action. The man who had carried the tripod
had also brought the necessary ammunition.

"Train it on one spot," Lippen directed. "As soon as we get a hole
through the floor we'll send a few hand-grenades through it."

Careful aim was taken and a moment later the gun was spitting an almost
continuous stream of bullets into a space about a yard square on the
ceiling. The plaster began to fly and some candelabra came to the
f