tion.

At last, the gray light of early dawn came creeping in through the
prison-bars. Chanlouineau was in despair.

"The letter was useless!" he murmured.

Poor generous peasant! His heart would have leaped for joy could he have
cast a glance on the courtyard of the citadel.

More than an hour had passed after the sounding of the _reveille_, when
two countrywomen, who were carrying their butter and eggs to market,
presented themselves at the gate of the fortress.

They declared that while passing through the fields at the base of the
precipitous cliff upon which the citadel was built, they had discovered
a rope dangling from the side of the rock. A rope! Then one of the
condemned prisoners must have escaped. The guards hastened to Baron
d'Escorval's room--it was empty.

The baron had fled, taking with him the man who had been left to guard
him--Corporal Bavois, of the grenadiers.

The amazement was as intense as the indignation, but the fright was
still greater.

There was not a single officer who did not tremble on thinking of
his responsibility; not one who did not see his hopes of advancement
blighted forever.

What should they say to the formidable Duc de Sairmeuse and to the
Marquis de Courtornieu, who, in spite of his calm and polished manners,
was almost as much to be feared. It was necessary to warn them, however,
and a sergeant was despatched with the news.

Soon they made their appearance, accompanied by Martial; all frightfully
angry.

M. de Sairmeuse especially seemed beside himself.

He swore at everybody, accused everybody, threatened everybody.

He began by consigning all the keepers and guards to prison; he even
talked of demanding the dismissal of all the officers.

"As for that miserable Bavois," he exclaimed, "as for that cowardly
deserter, he shall be shot as soon as we capture him, and we will
capture him, you may depend upon it!"

They had hoped to appease the duke's wrath a little, by informing him of
Lacheneur's arrest; but he knew this already, for Chupin had ventured to
awake him in the middle of the night to tell him the great news.

The baron's escape afforded the duke an opportunity to exalt Chupin's
merits.

"The man who has discovered Lacheneur will know how to find this traitor
d'Escorval," he remarked.

M. de Courtornieu, who was more calm, "took measures for the restoration
of a great culprit to the hand of justice," as he said.

He sent couriers in every direc