r
fell on him and hissed on his wet hair and skin, so that he was fain
to let himself sink below the waves for some few seconds to escape the
_debris_ and those suffocating fumes. And even as he did so, and when
he arose to the surface once more, cooled and refreshed by the
immersion of his face, his first thought was to utter a heartfelt
prayer for his escape from the awful fate that, but half an hour ago,
had threatened him and been so near.

Scarce had he done so than, as he swam a little now, being eased by
having floated and trod water for some time, he saw beneath the smoke,
which dispersed as it neared the shore and drifted inland, that he
himself was close in shore. He could perceive quite clearly the yellow
beach of Cotentin on which the incoming tide was rippling, and could
see also several bodies lying about on that beach--soldiers doubtless
killed by the fire from the English war vessels, or, perhaps, by the
discharge of the French guns when turned upon them by the parties
which had boarded their own ships. But that was all, except one or
two figures moving about and bending over them--no doubt the ghouls
who are to be found wherever a dead body is after a battle.

And as he glanced at these last relics of the great battle of La
Hogue, his foot touched the bottom; a moment later he was wading
ashore.

He stood once more in France, the land in which he would find his
child--if she was still alive.

CHAPTER XXIV.

ON THE ROAD.

He stood once more upon French ground--then fell half fainting on the
wet, shining shingle, struggling to get his breath back, panting and
gasping painfully.

Then came toward him a figure terrible to behold, a creature in the
garb of a woman, a knife at her girdle, her pockets, which were
outside her dress, bulging, and from their openings pieces of gold
lace, a silver-hilted pistol, and other things protruding. But besides
her and the dead bodies lying further inland upon the beach nothing
else was to be seen. The thirty thousand men--some, and most of them,
those rapparees whom Louis had thought good enough to send against
England--some forming part of the regiments of Picardy, Verdelin, Le
Calvados, and others, were not visible, although he could see on the
roofs and turrets of the forts that they were still there and lined
the coast for many miles. Also he saw with dimmed eyes that the
English fleet was moving. It had done its work!

The creature prowling about