at Montoire, four leagues beyond Vendome, and I
might go with them as a volunteer, or in any case I might have their
company on my journey. I was quite ready for any affair that had a taste
of the old service in it, especially as these treasonable great lords
sometimes make a stout resistance in their chateaux. And so I had the
honour of being introduced to these gentlemen and becoming for the time
their comrade. That same afternoon I set out with them for Montoire, and
we arrived there last Sunday."

"Ah! you must have passed through Vendome while we were in seclusion
there."

"No doubt. That Count's business had to be attended to before he got
wind of our arrival, and so there was no time for inquiring about you at
Vendome. We came upon the Count and a party of attendants in the road,
not a quarter of a league from his chateau. As we heard at the chateau
afterwards, he had been searching the roads far and wide for his wife,
who had fled from his cruelties. He had the daring to resist arrest, and
there was some fighting, in which he was killed. It appears that the
fight and his fall were seen by watchers from the tower of his chateau,
and before we could arrive at that place his accomplice, this Captain
Ferragant, who was in the chateau at the time, made his escape. As soon
as we got to the chateau, we heard of this, and, as the Captain also was
wanted, there was nothing to do but give chase. A few of the guardsmen
were left to hold the chateau in the King's name, and the rest of us,
with no more than a sup and a bite, made off after this Captain. He had
so many followers with him, that he was not difficult to trace, and for
two days we kept his track, until we lost it at the edge of this forest.
From what we learned at Chateaudun, we guessed that his refuge was
somewhere in the forest. That was yesterday afternoon: we at once broke
up into small parties to search the forest, planning to reunite at a
chosen place to-day at noon."

"It was one of those parties that saved the Countess from the robbers,"
said I gratefully.

"Ay, and there your story crosses mine. As for the ruffians who attacked
the Countess, they escaped without affording a clue to the Captain's
whereabouts,--for doubtless they were of his band, though this was not
certain. When our parties met to-day, one of them brought a forester who
offered to show the way to the Captain's hiding-place if he were allowed
to leave before coming in sight of it. We