ff his
upper garments and examine his wounds. They were all at the back of the
shoulder, as his assailants, pressed closely against him, were unable
to strike him in front. The lady tore some strips off her garment and
assisted in bandaging the wound, being, as she said, well accustomed to
such matters.

"Is all quiet on the stairs?" Hector inquired of the two men whom he had
placed on guard there.

"Save for the sound of some groans all is still, colonel," Hunter
replied. "Methinks that after being withstood for four hours by six
retainers they are not likely to make a fresh attempt against six well
armed men.

"What are they doing, Macpherson?"

"They are gathered in front of the chateau, sir. A large number of
things were dragged out before the flames reached them, and at present
they seem to be quarrelling over the division of them. They have got
some barrels of wine out of the cellars and are making free with them."

"So much the better," Hector said. "The company will be up in half an
hour at latest, and will give them a lesson unless they move away before
that; and now that they have taken to drinking they are not likely to do
so."

The bandaging of his wounds being now completed, Hector was assisted to
his feet.

"I grieve, madam," he said, "that I did not arrive in time to prevent
the chateau being burned."

"The loss is not mine; my husband's estates were confiscated when he
crossed into Germany with the duke, and were some ten months ago granted
to a Monsieur de Thours, a relative of the Prince of Conde; but he
sent me a courteous letter to say that as he was serving with the Duc
d'Enghien, I was welcome to continue to occupy the chateau until the war
was over, receiving the rents as his chatelaine, paying the retainers,
and keeping up the establishment, and sending the surplus to his agents
at Nancy. This I was glad to do, for, indeed, had it not been for his
kind offer my daughter and I would scarcely have known whither to go, as
my husband expended his last crown in equipping a force for the service
of the duke."

At this moment Macpherson exclaimed:

"I see the head of a company mounting the slope, colonel."

"Yes, and there is Captain Mieville. Ah! he has halted the men, and is
riding forward alone to take in the situation. I hope that the peasants
won't catch sight of him." When Mieville reached a point where he could
obtain a view of the front of the chateau he checked his horse, and
af