e sent
back to your camp. You will be punished for running away, but you won't
lose your life!"

Sapper Maggs shook his yellow head.

"I'll stay," he answered stolidly; "it's more cumfortable-like for us
four to 'old together, and it's a better protection for the lady. I
bean't afear'd of no Gers, I bean't! I'll go along o' yew officers and
the lady, if yew don't mind, zur!"

So it was settled, and we four agreed to unite forces. Before we set out
Francis wanted to go and reconnoitre. I thought he had done more than
his share that day, and said so. But Francis insisted.

"I know my way blindfold about the forest, old man" he said "it'll be
far safer for me than for you. I'll leave you the map and mark the
route you are to follow, so that you can find the way if anything
happens to me. If I'm not back by midnight, you ought certainly not to
wait any longer, but make the attempt by yourselves."

My brother handed me back the document and went over the route we were
to follow on the map. Then he deposited his bundle in the cave and
declared himself ready.

"And don't forget old Clubfoot's box," he said by way of a parting
injunction.

Monica took him out to the entrance of our refuge. She was dabbing her
eyes with her handkerchief when she returned. To divert her thoughts, I
questioned her about the events that had led to my rescue, and she told
me how, at Francis' request, she had got all the servants out of the
Castle on different pretexts. It was Francis who had got rid of the
soldiers remaining as a guard.

"You remember the Captain of Koepenick trick," she said. "Well, Francis
played it off on the sergeant and those six men. He slept at Cleves, had
himself trimmed up at the barber's, bought those field-boots he is
wearing, and stole that helmet and great-coat off the pegs in the
passage at Schmidt's Cafe, where the officers always go and drink beer
after morning parade. Then he drove out to the Castle--he knew that the
place would be deserted once the shoot had started--and told the
sergeant he had been sent from Goch to inspect the guard. I think he is
just splendid! He inspected the men and cursed everybody up and down,
and sent the sergeant out to the paddock with orders to drill them for
two hours. Francis was telling me all about it as we came along. He says
that if you can get hold of a uniform and hector a German enough, he
will never call your bluff. Can you beat it?"

The hours dragged wearily on.