."

"You were not noticed, Pierre, or pursued?"

"No, sir. There were so many men about in the village that one more
stranger attracted no attention."

"Then we can remain here safely for half an hour," Philip said.

The conversation had taken place a few paces from the troop. Philip
now joined his men.

"The Sieur D'Arblay and Count Francois have been taken prisoners.
Your comrades fell into an ambush, and have, I fear, all lost their
lives. Dismount for half an hour, men, while I think over what is
best to be done. Keep close to your horses, so as to be in
readiness to mount instantly, if necessary. One of you take my
horse.

"Do you come with me, Pierre.

"This is a terrible business, lad," he went on, as they walked away
from the others. "We know what will be the fate of my cousin and
Monsieur D'Arblay. They will be burnt or hung, as heretics. The
first thing is, how are we to get them out; and also, if possible,
the gentleman and his wife who were taken with them?"

"We have but ten of the men-at-arms left, sir; and four of them are
so wounded that they would not count for much, in a fight. There
are the two other lackeys and myself, so we are but fourteen, in
all. If we had arrived in time we might have done something but,
now they are firmly lodged in the prison at Toulouse, I see not
that we can accomplish anything."

Philip fell into silence for some minutes, then he said:

"Many of the councillors and members of parliament live, I think,
in villas outside the walls. If we seize a dozen of them, appear
before the city, and threaten to hang or shoot the whole of them,
if the four captives are not released, we might succeed in getting
our friends into our hands, Pierre."

"That is so, sir. There really seems a hope for us, in that way."

"Then we will lose no time. We will ride at once for Toulouse. When
we get near the suburbs we will seize some countryman, and force
him to point out to us the houses of the principal councillors and
the members of their parliament. These we will pounce upon and
carry off, and at daybreak will appear with them before the walls.
We will make one of them signify, to their friends, that if any
armed party sallies out through the gates, or approaches us from
behind, it will be the signal for the instant death of all of our
captives.

"Now let us be off, at once."

The party mounted without delay, and rode towards Toulouse. This
rich and powerful city was surrounde