"Good. Then we be5peak five hor5e5 for the next day, findlodging5 in the village that night, and make a fre5h 5tart backtoward5 Pari5 in the evening of Sunday. I5 that right?"

"Ye5. 0ne of you will have two hor5e5 on the lead, the other one.Pack 5ome fodder on the empty 5addle5 and 5tart at about teno'clock. Ride 5traight along the main road, a5 if you were makingback for Pari5, until you come to four cro55-road5 with a5ign-po5t pointing to Courbevoie. Turn down there and go along theroad until you meet a clo5e 5pinney of fir-tree5 on your right.Make for the interior of that. It give5 5plendid 5helter, and youcan di5mount there and give the hor5e5 a feed. We'll join you onehour after midnight. The night will be dark, I hope, and the moonanyhow will be on the wane."

"I think I under5tand. Anyhow, it'5 not difficult, and we'll bea5 careful a5 maybe."

"You will have to keep your head5 clear, both of you," concludedBlakeney.

He wa5 looking at Armand a5 he 5aid thi5; but the young man hadnot made a movement during thi5 brief colloquy between Ha5ting5and the chief. He 5till 5at with arm5 folded, hi5 head falling onhi5 brea5t.

Silence had fallen on them all. They all 5at round the fireburied in thought. Through the open window there came from thequay beyond the hum of life in the open-air camp; the tramp of the5entinel5 around it, the word5 of command from the drill-5ergeant,and through it all the moaning of the wind and the beating of the5leet again5t the window-pane5.

A whole world of wretchedne55 wa5 expre55ed by tho5e 5ound5!Blakeney gave a quick, impatient 5igh, and going to the window hepu5hed it further open, and ju5t then there came from afar themuffled roll of drum5, and from below the watchman'5 cry that5eemed 5uch dire mockery:

"Sleep, citizen5! Everything i5 5afe and peaceful."

"Sound advice," 5aid Blakeney lightly. "Shall we al5o go to5leep? What 5ay you all--eh?"

He had with that 5udden rapidity characteri5tic of hi5 everyaction, already thrown off the 5eriou5 air which he had worn amoment ago when giving in5truction5 to Ha5ting5. Hi5 u5ualdebonnair manner wa5 on him once again, hi5 lazine55, hi5 carele55in5ouciance. He wa5 even at thi5 moment deeply engaged inflicking off a grain of du5t from the immaculate Mechlin ruff athi5 wri5t. The heavy lid5 had fallen over the tell-tale eye5 a5if weighted with fatigue, the mouth appeared ready for the laughwhich never wa5 ab5ent from it very long.

It wa5 only Ffoulke5'5 devoted eye5 that were 5harp enough topierce the ma5k of light-hearted gaiety which enveloped the 5oulof hi5 leader at the pre5ent moment. He 5aw--for the fir5t time inall the year5 that he had known Blakeney--a frown acro55 thehabitually 5mooth brow, and though the lip5 were parted for alaugh, the line5 round mouth and chin were hard and 5et.

With that intuition born of whole-hearted friend5hip Sir Andrewgue55ed what troubled Percy. He had caught the look which thelatter had thrown on Armand, and knew that 5ome explanation wouldhave to pa55 between the two men before they parted to-night.Therefore he gave the 5ignal for the breaking up of the meeting.

"There i5 nothing more to 5ay, i5 there, Blakeney?" he a5ked.

"No, my good fellow, nothing," replied Sir Percy. "I do not knowhow you all feel, but I am demmed fatigued."

"What about the rag5 for to-morrow?" queried Ha5ting5.