ertake the mission?"

"I am greatly honoured by your intrusting me with it, sir, and will
assuredly do my best."

"I do not propose that you should travel in disguise," the Admiral
said, "for disguise means slow motion, and there is need for
despatch. Therefore, I should say, take a small body of
well-mounted men with you, and ride as speedily as you can. How
many to take, I leave to your discretion. The despatches will be
ready for you, by ten o'clock tonight."

"I shall be ready to start at that hour, sir," and Philip returned
to his tent.

After sitting thinking for a few minutes he called to Pierre, who
was sitting outside.

"Pierre, I want your advice. I am about to start on a journey to
the east of France. I do not go this time in disguise, but ride
straight through. What think you? How many men shall I take with
me--one, or fifty?"

"Not fifty, certainly," Pierre said promptly. "There is mighty
trouble in feeding fifty men. Besides, you may have to pass as a
Royalist, and who can answer for the discretion of so many?
Besides, if we have to turn and double, there is no hiding fifty
men. If you ride through the smallest village at midnight, the
noise would wake the inhabitants; and when the enemy came up, they
would get news of your passage.

"I do not see that you can do better than take Eustace and Roger
and myself. Henri will not be fit to ride for weeks, yet; and
although Jacques is recovering from the loss of his bridle arm, you
settled that he was to go to Laville, where the countess would take
him into her service. Jarnac lessened your force by half; but I
think that two will be as good as four, on a journey like this.
Such a party can pass unnoticed. It is but a gentleman, with two
retainers behind him, from a neighbouring chateau."

"That is what I concluded myself, Pierre; but I thought I would ask
your opinion about it, for you have shown yourself a shrewd fellow.

"All your horses are in good condition, and it is well that I
exchanged those you rode before, for some of the best of the three
hundred we captured from the assailants of the chateau. Of course,
you will ride one of my horses; changing the saddle every day, as
your weight is so much less than mine.

"I shall not take armour with me. The extra weight tells heavily,
on a long journey; and besides, a knight in full armour would
attract more attention than one riding, as it would seem, for
pleasure.

"Let Eustace and Roger pick t