s. About eleven o'clock he got up,
went quietly to the door, and found Maertz seated on the ground, his
back propped against the wall, and his head sunk on his breast. As a
consequence, he was snoring melodiously.

He woke quickly enough when the Englishman's hand was clapped over his
mouth and held there until his torpid wits were sufficiently clear that
he should understand the stern words muttered in his ear.

"Pardon, monsieur," he said shamefacedly. "I thought there was no harm
in sitting down. I listened to the guns, and began counting them. I
counted one hundred and ninety-nine shots, I think, and then----"

"And then you risked six lives, Leontine's among them!"

"Monsieur, I have no excuse."

"Yet you have been a soldier, I suppose? And you gabble of serving your
country?"

"It will not happen again, monsieur."

Dalroy pretended an anger he did not really feel. He wanted this stolid
Walloon to remain awake now, at any rate, so turned away with an
ejaculation of contempt.

Maertz rose. He endured an eloquent silence for nearly a minute. Then he
murmured, "Monsieur, I shall not offend a second time. Counting guns is
worse than watching sheep jumping a fence."

The moon had risen, revealing a cleared space in front of the hut. A
dozen yards away a thin fringe of brushwood and small trees marked the
edge of the quarry, while the woodcutter's path was discernible on the
left. A slight breeze had called into being the myriad tongues of the
wood, and Dalroy realised that the unceasing cannonade, joined to the
rustling of the leaves, would drown any sound of an approaching enemy
until it was too late to retreat. He knew that Von Halwig, not to
mention the military authorities at Vise, would spare no effort to hunt
out and destroy the man who had dared to flout the might of Germany, so
he was far from satisfied with the apparent safety of even this secluded
refuge.

"Have you a piece of string in your pockets?" he demanded gruffly.

Trust a carter to carry string, strong stuff warranted to mend
temporarily a broken strap. Maertz gave him a quantity.

"I am going to the cross-road," he continued. "Keep a close watch till I
return. When you hear any movement, or see any one, say clearly 'Vise.'
If it is I, I shall answer 'Liege.' Do you understand?"

"Perfectly, monsieur. A challenge and a countersign."

Dalroy believed the man might be trusted now. Taking the rifle, he made
off along the path, treading a