heir pistols at the runaway, and cried, "Stand and deliver in the king's
name," and then all burst out laughing.

Bewildered by this, Villemet's hand yet sought his pistol, but Tournier
grasped his wrist and held it as in a vice, saying, "Don't you know me,
old friend?"

"I don't call you a friend," said Villemet, "to put a pistol at my head,
and stop me from escaping!"

"My dear man," answered one of the party, "none of our pistols are
cocked."

At this, Villemet made a frantic effort to disengage his hand, but he was
overpowered, and both his pistols taken from him.

"Remember, sir," the other said, "we can cock our pistols in a moment,
and use them too: they are all loaded."

"Look here, my friend," said Tournier, calmly, "we have no wish to attend
your funeral at Yaxley, or to have you shut up in the barracks all the
rest of your time. So, if you will pass your word of honour to _me_ that
you will not again attempt to escape, and come back with us, no one shall
know anything about this matter; and, as you will remember, your parole
from the major extends over to-morrow, so you will be all right in that
quarter."

Villemet made no reply. The proposal was hard of digestion in his very
ruffled state, but there was certainly gilt on the gingerbread.

"And what if I refuse your gracious offer?" at last he said.

"Then, in that case," replied Tournier, "we shall tie your feet under the
belly of this noble steed, with our pistols at full cock, lest he should
run away, and take you back in triumph to Norman Cross to meet the fate
you deserve."

The compact was made, and faithfully adhered to.

All parties concerned kept the secret well, and happily the air of Yaxley
was unfavourable to idle gossip.

* * * * *

The overpowering sense of weariness and impatience which must have
afflicted the prisoners, as in the case of Villemet, had its simplest and
most direct antidote in _occupation_. A well known German poet has said,
that occupation and sympathy are the two great remedies for grief of all
sorts. Happily there were a great many of the prisoners who tried the
first of these specifics. They spent a considerable portion of their
time in making a variety of articles of more or less elaborate
workmanship, and in many cases of great artistic beauty. Indeed, it is
difficult which to admire most, the skill displayed in their work, or the
dexterity with which they turned to account the very limited material