Part 58 (2/2)

”En avant, then,” quoth the other; ”the sooner we come up with him the better”

And the squad of mounted men, the two coaches, the drivers and the advance section ere leading their horses slowly restarted on the way The horses snorted, the bits and stirrups clanged, and the springs and wheels of the coaches creaked and groaned dish the carpet of pine-needles that lay thick upon the road

But inside the carriage Arhtly by the hand

”It is de Batz--with his friends,” she whispered scarce above her breath

”De Batz?” he asked vaguely and fearfully, for in the dark he could not see her face, and as he did not understand why she should suddenly be talking of de Batz he thought with horror that mayhap her prophecy anent herself had coht--had becoed

”Yes, de Batz,” she replied ”Percy sent hih me, to meet him--here I am not mad, Armand,” she added more calmly ”Sir Andrew took Percy's letter to de Batz the day that we started from Paris”

”Great God!” exclaimed Armand, and instinctively, with a sense of protection, he put his arms round his sister ”Then, if Chauvelin or the squad is attacked--if--”

”Yes,” she said calmly; ”if de Batz makes an attack on Chauvelin, or if he reaches the chateau first and tries to defend it, they will shoot us Armand, and Percy”

”But is the Dauphin at the Chateau d'Ourde?”

”No, no! I think not”

”Then why should Percy have invoked the aid of de Batz? Nohen--”

”I don't know,” she murmured helplessly ”Of course, when he wrote the letter he could not guess that they would hold us as hostages He ht that under cover of darkness and of an unexpected attack he ht have saved himself had he been alone; but no that you and I are here--Oh! it is all so horrible, and I cannot understand it all”

”Hark!” broke in Arhtly

”Halt!” rang the sergeant's voice through the night

This ti the sound; already it ca and panting, and now and again calling out as he ran

For a moment there was stillness in the very air, the wind itself was hushed between two gusts, even the rain had ceased its incessant pattering Heron's harsh voice was raised in the stillness

”What is it now?” he deeant, ”coht?” and the exclamation was accompanied by a volley of oaths; ”the direction of the chateau? Chauvelin has been attacked; he is sending a eant, close up round that coach; guard your prisoners as you value your life, and--”

The rest of his words were drowned in a yell of such violent fury that the horses, already over-nervous and fidgety, reared inthem in For a few minutes noisy confusion prevailed, until theanis

Then the troopers obeyed, closing up round the coach wherein brother and sister sat huddled against one another

One of the ent kno to curse! One day he will break his gullet with the fury of his oaths”

In the meanwhile the runner had come nearer, always at the saed: