Part 61 (1/2)

”Curse the fool who did the uard”

”How many of you are there left, then?” asked the same voice a moment later

”Only two, citizen; if one whole section remains with me at the chapel door, and also the wounded h for me, and five are not too many at the chapel door”

And Heron's coarse, cruel laugh echoed against the stone walls of the little chapel ”Now then, one of you get into the coach, and the other go to the horses' heads; and remember, Corporal Cassard, that you and your uard that chapel door are answerable to the whole nation with your lives for the safety of the Englishe door was thrown open, and a soldier stepped in and sat down opposite Marguerite and Ar up the box Marguerite could hear hiathered theroaned as the vehicle sloung round; the wheels ploughed deeply through the soft carpet of dead leaves

Marguerite felt Arainst her shoulder

”Are you in pain, dear?” she asked softly

He ht that he had fainted It was better so; at least the next dreary hours would flit by for him in the blissful state of unconsciousness Now at last the heavy carriage began to movealong at a rapid pace

Marguerite would have given much even now to look back once more at the dense black mass, blacker and denser than any shadow that had ever descended before on God's earth, which held between its cold, cruel walls all that she loved in the world

But her wrists were fettered by the irons, which cut into her flesh when she er lean out of the , and she could not even hear The whole forest was hushed, the as lulled to rest; wild beasts and night-birds were silent and still And the wheels of the coach creaked in the ruts, bearing Marguerite with every turn further and further away from the man who lay helpless in the chapel of the Holy Sepulchre

CHAPTER XLVIII THE WANING MOON

Armand had wakened from his attack of faintness, and brother and sister sat close to one another, shoulder touching shoulder That sense of nearness was the one tiny spark of comfort to both of them on this dreary, dreary way

The coach had luly since all eternity--so it seemed to theh voice had ordered the soldier at the horses' heads to climb on the box beside hio--a terrible cry of pain and terror had rung through the stillness of the night Immediately after that the horses had been put at a uerite as if that one cry of pain had been repeated by several others which soundedaway in the distance behind

The soldier who sat opposite to them must have heard the cry too, for he jumped up, as if wakened from sleep, and put his head out of the

”Did you hear that cry, citizen?” he asked

But only a curse answered hiht of the prisoners by poking his head out of the

”Did you hear the cry?” asked the soldier of Marguerite as he made haste to obey

”Yes! What could it be?” she erous to drive so fast in this darkness,” muttered the soldier

After which reuratively shrugged his shoulders, detaching himself, as it were, of the whole affair

”We should be out of the forest by now,” he remarked in an undertone a little while later; ”the way seeave an unexpected lurch to one side, and after s it ca loudly and then scrae-door was pulled open from without, and the harsh voice called out peremptorily:

”Citizen soldier, here--quick!--quick!--curse you!--we'll have one of the horses down if you don't hurry!”