nd were four
to one against them at least, we had little to boast of when the
fight was over.

"At any rate, I got a mark of the wolves' teeth, which has put a
stop to my hunting, as you see," and he held out his arm. "I left
my right hand on the field of battle. It was in the fight round
Conde. A young Huguenot--for he was smooth faced, and but a
youth--shred it off with a sweeping backhanded blow, as if it had
been a twig. So there is no more wolf hunting for me; but even if I
had my right hand back again, I should not care for any more such
rough sport as that."

Philip congratulated himself that he was sitting with his back to
the speaker, for he remembered the incident well, and it was his
arm that had struck the blow. His visor had been up; but as his
face was shaded by the helmet and cheek pieces, and the man could
have obtained but a passing glance at him, he felt sure, on
reflection, that he would not be recognized.

"Ah, well, we shall do better this time," the first speaker said.
"We are better prepared than we were then and, except La Rochelle
and four or five small towns, every place in France is in our
hands. I expect the next news will be that the prince and Coligny,
and the others, have taken ship for England. Then, when that
pestilent Queen of Navarre and her boy are in our hands, the whole
thing will be over; and the last edict will be carried out, and
each Huguenot will have the choice between the mass and the
gallows.

"Well, I will have one more stoup of wine, and then I will be off,
for we march at daybreak."

"How many ride out with you?" the man who had lost his hand asked.

"A hundred. The town has voted the funds, and we march to join
D'Escars tomorrow. I believe we are not going to Perigueux, but are
to be stationed somewhere on the lower Dordogne, to prevent any of
the Huguenots from the south making their way towards La Rochelle."

The frequenters of the cabaret presently dropped off. Jacques, who
acted as spokesman, had on entering asked the landlord if they
could sleep there; and he said there was plenty of good hay, in the
loft over the stable. As his duties were now over, he came across
to them.

"Which way are you going, lads?" he asked. "Are you bound, like the
others, to join one of the lords on the Dordogne?"

"No," Jacques said, "we are bound for Agen. We come from near
there."

"I thought your tongue had a smack of Gascon in it."

"Yes, we come from across the bord