by assisting the Admiral to draw off our beaten army in
good order. The assassination of Francois de Guise, as you know,
put an end to that war. De la Noue bitterly regretted the death of
Guise and, after peace was made, retired to his estates in
Brittany, where he has lived quietly for the last four years.

"I have seen him several times, because he has other estates in
Poitou, within a day's ride of us. I have never seen a man I admire
so much. He is all for peace, though he is a distinguished soldier.
While deeply religious, he has yet the manners of a noble of the
court party. He has no pride, and he is loved by the poor as well
as by the rich. He would have done anything to have avoided war;
but you will see that, now the war has begun, he will be one of our
foremost leaders. I can tell you, Philip, I consider myself
fortunate indeed that I am going to ride in the train of so brave
and accomplished a gentleman."

During the day they learned, from a peasant, of a ford crossing the
Cher, two or three miles below Saint Amand. Entering a village near
the crossing place, they found a peasant who was willing, for a
reward, to guide them across the country to Briare, on the
Loire--their first guide had returned from their first halting
place--and the peasant, being placed on a horse behind a
man-at-arms, took the lead. Their pace was much slower than it had
been the night before, and it was almost daybreak when they passed
the bridge at Briare, having ridden over forty miles. They rode two
or three miles into the mountains after crossing the Loire, and
then halted.

"We must give the horses twenty-four hours here," Francois said. "I
don't think it is above twenty miles on to Chatillon-sur-Loing; but
it is all through the hills, and it is of no use arriving there
with the horses so knocked up as to be useless for service. We have
done three tremendous marches, and anyhow, we shall be there long
before the majority of the parties from the west and south can
arrive. The Admiral and Conde will no doubt be able to gather
sufficient strength, from Champagne and the north of Burgundy, for
his purpose of taking the court by surprise.

"I am afraid there is but little chance of their succeeding. It is
hardly possible that so many parties of Huguenots can have been
crossing the country in all directions to the Admiral's, without an
alarm being given. Meaux is some sixty miles from Chatillon, and if
the court get the news onl