e, and to
put aside all arms, and accouterments, that could strike against
anything and make a noise.

Then, taking a coil of strong rope in his hand, and followed by the
two men, he again mounted the ladder. The instructions to the men
were that one was to enter at once, with him; the other to remain
where he was, until he received the signal. The major entered the
room noiselessly, and dropped at once on to his hands and knees;
and was, a minute after, joined by his follower. He now crawled
forward--groping his way with the greatest caution, so as to make
no noise--until he found the bed. Then, rising to his feet, he
threw himself upon the sleeping man and, in a moment, had him
tightly by the throat with one hand, while the other was placed
firmly on his mouth.

Paralyzed by the suddenness of the attack, and with his arms
tightly kept down by the bedclothes, and the weight of his
assailant, the schoolmaster was unable to struggle.

"Now, light the light," Major Tempe said, quietly.

His follower at once struck one of the noiseless German
matches--which are used almost exclusively, in these parts of
France--and lighted a lamp which was standing upon the table. He
then came up to the bed, and assisted the major to securely gag and
bind the prisoner--whose looks, when he saw into whose hands he had
fallen, betokened the wildest terror.

"Search his pockets," Major Tempe said. "We may find something of
importance."

In the breast pocket of his coat was a pocket book; and in it among
the papers was a letter, from the colonel commanding at
Saverne--which had evidently been brought to him by the officer of
the detachment, that morning--telling him to come down to Saverne,
on the following evening, to guide the troops to the village in
which the franc tireurs were stationed. The letter also enclosed
ten hundred-thaler notes [a thaler is about equal to two
shillings].

"They are part of our blood money," the major said, grimly. "Bring
them away, they are the fair spoil of war.

"Tell Barre to come in."

The man on the ladder now joined them; and together they quietly
lifted the schoolmaster, and carried him to the window. They then
fastened a rope round the prisoner's body, lifted him out on to the
ladder, and lowered him gradually down to the men below.

They now blew out the light, and descended the ladder. The two men
who had waited at its foot raised the prisoner on their shoulders,
and carried him off to t