to Renoux. "But they will
probably wait till dark before starting."

"They will unless they're stark mad," said Renoux, hurrying out to the
southern borders of the wood. But no sooner had he arrived on the edge
of the open swale country than he uttered an exclamation of rage and
disgust, and threw up his hands helplessly.

It was perfectly plain to the others what was happening--and what now
could not be prevented.

There lay the big, swift power boat, still at anchor; there stood the
ramshackle wharf and boat-house. But already a boat had put off from
the larger craft and was being rowed parallel with the shore toward
the mouth of a marshy creek.

Two men were rowing; a third steered.

But what had suddenly upset Renoux was the sight of a line of green
jackets threading the marsh to the north, led by Skeel, who was
already exchanging handkerchief signals with the men in the boat.

Renoux glanced at his prey escaping by an avenue of which he had no
previous knowledge. It was death to go out into the open with pistols
and face the fire of half a dozen rifles. No man there had any
delusions concerning that.

Souchez had field-glasses slung around his neck. Renoux took them,
gazed at the receding boat, set his teeth hard.

"Ferez!" he growled.

"What!" exclaimed Westmore, turning a violent red.

"The man steering is Ferez Bey." Renoux handed the binoculars to
Westmore with a shrug.

Barres, bending double, had gone out into the swale. A thicket of
cat-tails screened him and he advanced very carefully, keeping his
eyes on the green-jacketed men whose heads, shoulders and rifles were
visible above the swampy growth beyond.

Suddenly Renoux, who was watching him in bitter silence, saw him turn
and beckon violently.

"Quick!" he said in a low, eager voice. "He may have found a ditch to
shelter us!"

Renoux was correct in his surmise: Barres stood with drawn pistol,
awaiting them in a muddy ditch which ran through the reeds diagonally
across the marsh. It was shin-deep in water.

"We could make a pretty good stand in a ditch like this, couldn't we?"
he demanded excitedly.

"You bet we can!" replied Renoux, jumping down beside him, followed by
Westmore, Alost and Souchez in turn.

Barres, leading, ran down the ditch as fast as he could, spattering
himself and the others with mud and water at every step.

"Here!" panted Renoux, clambering nimbly out of the ditch and peering
ahead through the reeds. Then h