Part 28 (1/2)

”Italong, oldfor us”

It was very difficult to see clearly even a ht one, and the old nag seemed to know it al at her own pace, covering the ground very slowly for Ffoulkes's burning iet down and lead her over a rough piece of ground

They passed several groups of disht still burned, and as they skirted St Ouen the church clock slowly tolled the hour of reater part of the way derelict, uncultivated spaces of terrains vagues, and a few isolated houses lay between the road and the fortifications of the city The darkness of the night, the late hour, the soughing of the wind, were all in favour of the adventurers; and a coal-cart slowly trudging along in this neighbourhood, with two labourers sitting in it, was the least likely of any vehicle to attract attention

Past Clichy, they had to cross the river by the rickety wooden bridge that was unsafe even in broad daylight They were not far from their destination now Half a dozen kilo Courbevoie on their left, and then the sign-post would coht After that the spinney just off the road, and the welcoot down in order to make sure of the way He walked at the horse's head now, fearful lest he n-post

The horse was getting over-tired; it had covered fifteen kilo

Another hour went by in absolute silence Ffoulkes and Blakeney took turns at the horse's head Then at last they reached the cross-roads; even through the darkness the sign-post shohite against the surrounding gloom

”This looks like it,” murmured Sir Andrew He turned the horse's head sharply towards the left, down a narrower road, and leaving the sign-post behind hi for another quarter of an hour, then Blakeney called a halt

”The spinney ot down from the cart, and while Ffoulkes reloo out three times into the air It was answered alht of the road Soon the soft sounds that to a trained ear invariably betray the presence of a nu senses He took his old nag out of the shafts, and the shabby harness from off her, then he turned her out on the piece of waste land that faced the spinney So, her and the cart with the shabby harness laid in it, and, having wondered if all these things had perchance dropped down from heaven, would quietly appropriate theift

Blakeney in thechild out of the cart

Then he called to Sir Andrew and led the way across the road and into the spinney

Fiveof France in his arms

Unlike Ffoulkes, my Lord Tony wanted to hear all about the adventure of this afternoon A thorough sportsers cleverly avoided, risks taken and conquered

”Just in ten words, Blakeney,” he urged entreatingly; ”how did you actually get the boy away?”

Sir Percy laughed--despite hierness

”Next tiued, and there's this beastly rain--”

”No, no--nohile Hastings sees to the horses I could not exist long without knowing, and we are well sheltered from the rain under this tree”

”Well, then, since you will have it,” he began with a laugh, which despite the weariness and anxiety of the past twenty-four hours had forced itself to his lips, ”I have been sweeper and man-of-all-work at the Temple for the past feeeks, you must know--”

”No!” ejaculated u yourself heaving coal on the canal wharf, I was scrubbing floors, lighting fires, and doing a nu villains, and”--he added under his breath--”incidentally, too, for our league

Whenever I had an hour or two off duty I spent thes, and asked you all to come and meet me there”

”By Gad, Blakeney! Then the day before yesterday?--e all met--”

”I had just had a bath--sorely needed, I can tell you I had been cleaning boots half the day, but I had heard that the Si from the Temple on the Sunday, and had obtained an order from the boots!” murmured my Lord Tony with a chuckle ”Well! and then?”