The girl looked at it with admiration.

"Perhaps you will accept this, and give me a basket, or a matting bag
instead?" he said.

She quickly produced a bag large enough to hold all the things.

"Now can you give me any news of anything happening in the village?"

"Yes, some soldiers have been there, and impudent fellows they were;
some of them came to our house, and if my Pierre had been present there
would have been a fight. I am glad that they have gone. It is said
they were in search of deserters or spies, and that they had caught one
of them, but could not find the rest. If monsieur dislikes the military
as much as I do, he'll keep out of their way."

The girl said this in a significant manner. Rayner thanked her and the
old woman, and advised them to say nothing about his visit.

"If we know nothing we can say nothing, eh, monsieur? Bon voyage, and
keep out of the way of the soldiers," whispered the girl as she let him
out.

He could not help thinking, as he hurried back towards the cave, that
she suspected he was one of the persons the soldiers were in search of.
Although she wished to befriend him, her father might be in a different
mood. There was the danger, too, that if poor Le Duc was caught, he
might be tortured to make him confess where his companions were. Rayner
considered, therefore, that it would be imprudent to remain longer in
the cave, and that it would be safer even to carry Jack, should he be
unable to walk, than to delay their journey.

He got back safely, and the food he brought soon restored the spirits of
the party. Even Jack declared that he was strong enough to walk a dozen
miles if necessary. They were in great hopes, therefore, of getting
across the border before daybreak. They regretted greatly the loss of
Le Duc, who had served them so faithfully, especially as they feared
that he himself was in danger of suffering in consequence of the
assistance he had given them.

Rayner led the way. The stars being as bright as on the previous night,
he had no difficulty in directing his course. The country was much of
the same character as that they had previously crossed. In some parts
they came to plantations, and could distinguish the residences of the
proprietors.

Now they had to make their way by narrow paths through jungles, now to
wade through marshes.

Jack, helped by Brown and Tom, got on better than might have been
expected. Rayner intended to halt for a short