rict filled with the king's troops, and few days passed without some
skirmish, in which, though petty enough, we could ill afford to engage.

It seems little to put down on paper--how we rode hour after hour, often
with insufficient food; how we watched at night, sometimes springing to
arms at a false alarm, and more than once having to fight desperately to
beat off a surprise attack; but it was a stiff business for those who
went through with it.

We were, however, in good spirits, and pushed on steadily day after
day, picking up a few recruits here and there to strengthen our army.
The men were sturdy, resolute fellows, full of zeal for the Cause, and
ready to lay down their lives for the Admiral, to whom they were
devoted.

How wholly dependent we were upon him, in spite of the presence of
Prince Henry and young Conde, became plain when he was taken ill at St.
Etienne. The march was stopped abruptly, and for three weeks we waited
in fear and doubt, asking ourselves anxiously what would happen if he
died.

Even the sanguine Felix admitted that without him the enterprise would
result in failure, but fortunately the Admiral recovered, and we resumed
our march.

The halt which we were forced to make at St. Etienne had done us
considerable service. Horses and men alike were broken down by fatigue,
loss of sleep, and scanty rations, and the long rest had restored their
strength. Shortly before leaving, too, a body of cavalry, fifteen
hundred strong, had ridden into camp amidst the acclamations of the
assembled troops.

"Now," said Felix joyously, "Monseigneur can meet us as soon as he
likes."

After leaving St. Etienne we soon discovered that the worst part of the
journey was still before us. Our way lay over rugged crests, and along
the edge of steep precipices overhanging gloomy chasms. Nothing save a
few chestnut trees, whose fruit was not yet ripe, grew on that bare,
stony ground, while the only animals were small, stunted sheep, and
mountain goats.

Here and there we passed a tiny hamlet, but for the most part we
marched through a wild and desolate solitude, through steep and gloomy
gorges with rapid torrents thundering at the bottom. In the upper passes
the snow lay deep, and more than once as we stumbled along a piercing
shriek told us that some unfortunate animal, missing its footing, had
hurled its wretched rider into eternity.

At length, to the loudly expressed joy of every man in the army, we left