s'
throats for. We have got thirty soldiers quartered in the village
now, though what they are doing here is more than I can imagine. We
shall be glad when they are gone; for they are a rough lot, and
their leader gives himself as many airs as if he had conquered the
place. I believe they belong to a force that is lying at Bazas,
some five leagues away. One would think that the Queen of Navarre
had got a big Huguenot army together, and was marching north."

"I should not think she could raise an army," Philip said
carelessly; "and if she is wise, she will stop quietly down in
Bearn."

"There is a rumour here," the landlord said, "that she is at Nerac,
with only a small party of gentlemen; and that she is on her way to
Paris, to assure the king that she has no part in these troubles. I
don't know whether that has anything to do with the troops; who, as
I hear, are swarming all over the country. They say that there are
fifteen hundred men at Agen."

"I am afraid we shall have trouble at this bridge," Philip said, as
the landlord left them. "They seem to be a rough lot, and this
truculent lieutenant may not be satisfied with a story that his
betters would accept, without question. We will ask our host if
there is any place where the river can be forded, without going too
far up. We can all swim and, as the river is no great width, we can
make a shift to get across, even if the ford is a bad one."

The landlord presently returned. Jacques put the question:

"By your account of those fellows at the bridge, we might have
trouble with them?"

"As like as not," the landlord said. "They worry and vex all who
come past, insult quiet people; and have seized several, who have
happened to have no papers of domicile about them, and sent them
off to Bazas. They killed a man who resented their rough usage, two
days ago. There has been a talk, in the village, of sending a
complaint of their conduct to the officer at Bazas; but perhaps he
might do nothing and, if he didn't, it would only make it the worse
for us, here."

"We don't want troubles," Jacques said, "and therefore, if we could
pass the river without having to make too wide a detour, we would
do so. Do you know of any fords?"

"Yes, there are two or three places where it can be crossed, when
the water is low; and as there has been no rain, for some weeks
past, you will be able to cross now, easily enough. There is one
four miles higher up. You will see a clump of wi