sprang into Mr Harvey's room to awaken him. Fortunately he had a
light burning on the table.

"There's something fearful happening, sir," I said, as he started up,
looking very much astonished. I got down his coat and sword, which I
helped him to put on.

"The treachery the Count spoke of is at work, I fear, but I hope the
conspirators will quickly be put down. We must go to the help of our
friends if we can manage to find them," he said, while he was quickly
slipping into his clothes.

We hurried down stairs; the rest of the people in the house were rushing
out, but, as far as I could discover, they were hurrying off, away from
the direction of the firing and shouts.

Presently I could hear the cry of "Vive la Republique," then came a
sharp rattle of musketry, some of the bullets pinging against the walls
above our heads.

"Come on, Wetherholm, I think I can find out where the Count is
quartered; we may be in time to help him."

As we were about to leave the house, the cry of "Vive la Republique"
again echoed from all parts of the fort in front of us, the shouting and
shrieking continuing, mingled with cries and groans and fierce
exclamations, with the constant report of pistols. Still Mr Harvey was
pushing on, when through the darkness we could distinguish a number of
persons flying towards the rear of the fort.

At length we made out others following them, the flash from their
pistols showing that they had swords in their hands. They fortunately
turned away from where we were standing.

"There can be no doubt that the fort has been surprised, and that it
will go hard with the Count and his soldiers," said Mr Harvey. "I
should like to have assisted him in defending his post, but perhaps the
best thing I can do is to bring up the marines to his support. I think
we may find their quarters, though I am not very certain about the
direction."

I agreed with Mr Harvey, for I saw that it would be madness to rush
among a number of people fighting, when we could not distinguish between
friends and foes.

We accordingly made our way across the fort to where we believed we
should find the major of marines. Mr Harvey thought we ought to keep
more to the left, but I felt certain that if we turned to the right we
should reach the building.

"Who goes there?" I heard a voice shout out.

It was that of the sentry stationed in front of the building used for
the marine barracks, and finding who we were, he tol