shot."

"To your saddle, men," Philip said. "A pistol shot has been heard,
and it may be that your comrades have fallen into an ambush.
Advance to the edge of the wood, and be ready to dash out to
support them, should they come."

But a quarter of an hour passed, and there was no sound to break
the stillness of the evening.

"Shall I go into the village and find out what has taken place,
Monsieur Fletcher? I will leave my iron cap and breast and back
pieces here. I shall not want to fight but to run, and a hare could
not run in these iron pots."

"Do, Pierre. We shall be ready to support you, if you are chased."

"If I am chased by half a dozen men, I may run here, sir; if by a
strong force, I shall strike across the country. Trust me to double
and throw them off the scent. If I am not back here in an hour, it
will be that I am taken, or have had to trust to my heels; and you
will find me, in the last case, tomorrow morning at the wood where
we halted today. If I do not come soon after daybreak, you will
know that I am either captured or killed. Do not delay for me
longer, but act as seems best to you."

Pierre took off his armour and sped away in the darkness, going at
a trot that would speedily take him to the village.

"Dismount and stand by your horses," Philip ordered. "We may want
all their strength."

Half an hour later Pierre returned, panting.

"I have bad news, sir. I have prowled about the village, which is
full of soldiers, and listened to their talk through open windows.
The Sieur D'Arblay, Monsieur Francois, and the owner of the chateau
and his wife were seized, and carried off to Toulouse this morning,
soon after daybreak. By what I heard, one of the servants of the
chateau was a spy, set by the council of Toulouse to watch the
doings of its owner; and as soon as Monsieur D'Arblay arrived there
last night, he stole out and sent a messenger to Toulouse. At
daybreak the chateau was surrounded, and they were seized before
they had time to offer resistance. The troop of horse we saw have
all day been searching for us, and went back before nightfall to
Merlincourt; thinking that we should be sure to be going there,
sometime or other, to inquire after our captain. The five men you
sent were taken completely by surprise, and all were killed, though
not without a tough fight. A strong party are lying in ambush with
arquebuses, making sure that the rest of the troop will follow the
five they surprised