heard the sound of
smashing panels and furniture, and the pulling up of floors. At the end of
that time the troopers left the house and mounted, the officer saying:
"You have deceived us this time, old traitor, but we will catch you yet."

"Catch me if you can. I tell you that if you level the house to the ground
you will find nothing."

After they had ridden off, Van Duyk went out to the haystack.

"They have gone for the present, meinheer, but you had better stay where
you are. They are quite capable of coming back again in the hope that you
may have come out from some hiding-place they may have overlooked."

Indeed, an hour later the troop galloped up again, only to find the
Dutchman smoking placidly on a seat before his house. Another search was
made, but equally without success, and then, with much use of strong
language, the party rode off.

"I think you can come down safely now," the Dutchman said to Will.

"Thank you, but I don't wish to run the least risk. I will remain where I
am till it gets dark; I can very well sleep the time away till then. I
sha'n't get much sleep to-night."

Not until it was quite dark did Van Duyk and his men come with a ladder to
remove the thatch again. It took but a minute to extricate Will from his
hole.

"We will get that filled up and mended before morning," Van Duyk said.
"Now, can I let you have a horse?"

"No, thank you, I have but twelve miles to walk. I noted the road as I
came, and can find the spot where I landed without difficulty."

With thanks for the Dutchman's kindness, and handing him the reward with
which the captain had entrusted him, Will started on his walk. When he
approached the spot it was still four hours from the time at which the
boat was to arrive, and seeing a light in a cottage he went and looked in
at the window. Only a girl and an old woman were there, so he lifted the
latch and went in. "I am an English officer," he said, "will you let me
sit down by your fire for a couple of hours? The cold is piercing
outside."

The old woman answered in broken French, bidding him welcome, and he sat
down and began to talk to her. Her stock of French was small, and the
conversation soon languished. Presently the girl leapt to her feet and
exclaimed in Dutch: "Soldiers!" The old woman translated, and Will then
heard the trampling of horses. He jumped up, snatched a long cloak of the
old woman's from the wall, and threw it round him. He also took one of he