tart at once you can be there in the morning; and on
the following morning you can bring us back news."

An hour later Fergus, dressed as a small farmer, started. It was a
main line of road, and therefore he was able to travel as fast, at
night, as he would do in the day. There was the advantage, too,
that the disparity between his attire and the appearance of the
horse he rode would pass unnoticed, in the darkness. He had with
him a map of the road, on a large scale; and beneath his cloak he
carried a small lantern, so as to be able to make detours, to avoid
towns where detachments of the enemy's cavalry might be lying.

He had started two hours after the troops halted, and had four
hours of daylight still before him, which he made the most of, and
by sunset he was within fifteen miles of Erfurt. So far, he had not
left the main road; but he now learned, from some peasants, that
there was a small party of French hussars at a place three miles
ahead. He therefore struck off by a byroad and, travelling slowly
along, turned off two hours later to a farmhouse, the lights from
which had made him aware of its proximity.

He dismounted a hundred yards from it, fastened his horse loosely
to a fence, and then went forward on foot, and peeped in cautiously
at the window. It was well that he had taken the precaution, for
the kitchen into which he looked contained a dozen French hussars.
He retired at once, led his horse until he reached the road again,
and then mounted.

Presently he met a man driving a cart.

"My friend," he said, "do you know of any place where a quiet man
could put up, without running the risk of finding himself in the
midst of these French and Confederacy troops?"

"'Tis not easy," the man replied, "for they are all over the
country, pillaging and plundering. We are heartily sick of them,
and there are not a few of us who would be glad, if the King of
Prussia would come and turn them out, neck and crop."

"I don't care what sort of a place it is, so that I could put my
horse up. It is a good one and, like enough, some of these fellows
would take a fancy to it."

"I don't think that it would be safe in any farmhouse within ten
miles of here; but if you like to come with me, my hut stands at
the edge of a wood, and you could leave him there without much
risk."

"Thank you, very much; that would suit me well. It is just what I
had intended to do, but in the darkness I have no great chance of
finding