ing he had given them to his master, I ran upstairs and examined
the pockets of the Captain, but in vain. Where to look next I knew not,
so I returned to the court-yard and made known my unsuccess.

"Tut!" said my father; "a door is but a door, and we can break down that
of your tower as we broke down this gate. This gentleman"--meaning the
leader of the guardsmen--"has most courteously offered to accompany us,
with part of his noble troop, and he has chosen a guide from among the
prisoners."

"Ay, they all know the tower," said the guardsman, "but this fellow
appears the most sensible.--Now, my man, how long will it take us, your
comrades bearing the pine trunk with which we rammed this gate, to reach
the tower of Morlon?"

"Two hours, Monsieur, I should say," replied the robber.

"It is too much," said the guardsman. "You will lead us thither in an
hour at the utmost, or at the end of the hour you shall hang to the tree
I then happen to be under." He thereupon gave orders to the guardsmen,
and to the prisoners. As night would overtake us in the forest, he had a
brief search made of the outhouses, and a number of dry pine sticks were
found, to serve as torches. Our party was to go mounted, except the
robbers impressed to carry the battering ram: so I went to the stalls at
one side of the yard, and found my own horse, chewing hay in fraternal
companionship with the animals which had doubtless brought Captain
Ferragant and his men from Lavardin.

As I led out my horse, I suddenly bethought me of the man for whose life
I had promised to speak. During the final preparations for our start, I
looked again among the robbers, wondering why this man had not forced
himself upon my attention. But I soon found the reason: he lay on his
side, and when I turned him over I saw he was pierced between two ribs
and had no life left to plead for.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE MOUSTACHES OF BRIGNAN DE BRIGNAN

My father, the leader of the guardsmen, and several of his men walked,
while I rode, to the nearby edge of encircling woods, the defeated
robbers bearing the young tree-trunk. Here my father and the guardsmen
mounted, their horses having been tied to the trees. A pair of panniers
containing wine, bread, and cold meat, was placed across my father's
horse, a very strong animal, and, torches being lighted, we proceeded
through the forest. The guide led, being attached to a halter, of which
the commander of the guardsmen held th