rode on the weather grew rapidly worse, and it soon became
impossible to see more than a few yards ahead. The night was settling
down thick with falling snow, so that Rallywood could only pull up and
listen when a faint noise, that might have been a woman's scream, came
to him through the storm. He shouted in return but there was no answer.
Then out of the gray curtain a sleigh with two maddened horses dashed
across his path and was as suddenly lost to sight. Rallywood had only
time to see a woman clinging to the driver's empty seat and clutching
desperately at the dangling reins.

They passed like a vision, noiseless, swift, and dim, and although
Rallywood followed quickly, he could not find them. The gloom and the
snow had obliterated all trace of the sleigh, and at last Rallywood
himself, well as he knew the country, became bewildered; but luckily the
horse he rode was a charger he had had with him on the Frontier. He left
it to choose its own direction, yet it was long before a blur of light
which he knew to be the open doorway of the block-house grew out on the
shifting darkness.

Within, the men of the patrol were standing in a group talking eagerly.
Flinging himself from his horse, Rallywood entered the house just as a
young cavalry officer came out from the inner room, and, recognising
Rallywood, advanced hurriedly to meet him.

'I say, who do you think we have in there?' he said excitedly.

'Tell me afterwards,' interrupted Rallywood; 'I met a runaway
sleigh----'

'They were the horses from the Castle,' interrupted the young man with a
nervous laugh. 'Mademoiselle Selpdorf managed to get hold of the reins
after a bit, otherwise----' he snapped his fingers significantly.

'Then she--the lady is safe?'

'Two of them, my dear friend! One is the handsomest girl in Maasau, and
the other is Madame de Sagan herself! And, by Jove! she's an infernally
pretty woman too. We're in luck, Rallywood! Have you come to look for
them?'

Rallywood hesitated before he replied.

'No, thanks. I must get back to Revonde by the first train, so I will
ride on with the next patrol to the station. Are they hurt?' he nodded
towards the inner room.

'No, but how they escaped the deuce only knows! Madame de Sagan was
insensible when we found them.' He dropped his voice. 'By the way, she
has been saying some queer things! She declares the driver lashed up the
horses and purposely threw himself off the sleigh when they were on the