light, I drew my sword and prepared
to force an exit, no matter what the odds. But scarce had the door
moved when I caught a low whisper. "The chest against the wall!
Quick!" Then followed the voice of Madame Prevost raised in dismay:
"Mon Dieu, Charles! My candle has gone out! Hurry, bring a light!"

The moment's delay sufficed; I gained the chest and squeezed myself
in, letting the lid down over me.

In a moment and before my heart ceased beating I heard her clear
accents again. "There, Charles! There, Antoine! Take it up and
carry it to my room." And I felt the chest slowly lifted, and the
men staggered out, complaining loudly of its weight.

Up the stairs we travelled, uncomfortably for me; then on a level
again along the passage; and I was laughing to myself at the probable
outcome of my adventure, when I heard,

"Where in the name of all the devils are you lugging that thing?"

It was the Commissary!

"To my room. I want to put my furs away," came the soft answer from
madame.

"Blague! Put it down!" And I was jarred on the stone flags.

Then came a pause, and I was speculating on the best mode of attack
for a man in my ridiculous position, when the chest was lifted at
one end and again dropped heavily.

Then came the same voice, but with a tone of triumph to it:

"Well, do as you like; but there is a lot of old rubbish in it.
Take it first, and empty it over the Princess's Bastion!" And once
more the chest was slowly lifted.

A pretty situation surely, and clever on the part of M. the
Commissary again. A tumble down on those rocks or into the moat
would be equally effective, and would not require such explanations
as if my body were found in the King's vaults; but my gentleman
reckoned without his host.

My scheme was as simple as his own. Hardly had we got clear of the
house before my mind was made up. When I judged we were at the
open space between the end of the barricaded street and the ramparts
I uttered a terrifying yell and flapped the lid. It was enough.
The chest went crashing to the ground, and I crawled out, bruised
but otherwise unhurt, and my valiant porters were out of sight.

[Illustration: "I crawled out bruised, but otherwise unhurt."]

Without delay I made my way to M. Bois de la Mothe, in charge of
the fleet, and stated the case, carefully suppressing, however,
all mention of my personal adventure, and by morning was in possession
of the desired stores, extracted from the Comm