ivide, as I hope
they will, we shall be able to give them a lesson."

This was evidently the intention of the Catholics. After a short
pause an officer trotted off with half the troop, making a circuit
to come down behind the wood and cut off all retreat. As they moved
off, the Huguenots could count that there were twenty-five men in
each section.

"The odds are only great enough to be agreeable," D'Arblay laughed.
"It is not as it was outside Paris, where they were ten to one
against us. Counting our servants we muster twenty-two, while that
party in front are only four stronger; for that gentleman with the
long robe is probably an official of their parliament, or a city
councillor, and need not be counted. We will wait a couple of
minutes longer, until the other party is fairly out of sight; and
then we will begin the dance."

A minute or two later he gave the word, and the little troop moved
through the trees until nearly at the edge of the wood.

"Now, gentlemen, forward," D'Arblay said, "and God aid the right!"

As in a compact body, headed by the three gentlemen, they burst
suddenly from the wood, there was a shout of dismay; and then loud
orders from the officer of the troop, halted a hundred and fifty
yards away. The men were sitting carelessly on their horses. They
had confidently anticipated taking the Huguenots alive, and thought
of nothing less than that the latter should take the offensive.

Scarcely had they got their horses into motion before the Huguenots
were upon them. The conflict lasted but a minute. Half the
Catholics were cut down; the rest, turning their horses, rode off
at full speed. The Huguenots would have followed them, but D'Arblay
shouted to them to halt.

"You have only done half your work yet," he said. "We have the
other party to deal with."

Only one of his Huguenots had fallen, shot through the head by a
pistol discharged by the officer; who had himself been, a moment
later, run through by D'Arblay, at whom the shot had been aimed.
Gathering his men together, the Huguenot leader rode back and, when
halfway through the wood, they encountered the other party; whose
officer had at once ridden to join the party he had left, when he
heard the pistol shot that told him they were engaged with the
Huguenots. Although not expecting an attack from an enemy they
deemed overmatched by their comrades, the troop, encouraged by
their officer, met the Huguenots stoutly.

The fight was, fo