people."

"I should say, Francois, that we should take prisoners, and hold as
hostages, any citizens of importance, or priests, whom we may find
encouraging the townsfolk to massacre. I would take the village
priests, and maire too, so as to carry out the same plan that acted
so well at Toulouse. We could then summon Niort, and say that,
unless the Huguenots in prison are released, and they and all the
Huguenots in the town allowed to come out and join us, we will in
the first place burn and destroy all the Catholic villages round
the town, and the pleasure houses and gardens of the citizens; and
that in the second place we will carry off the prisoners in our
hands, and hang them at once, if we hear of a single Huguenot being
further ill treated."

"That would be a capital plan, Philip, if we could get hold of
anyone of real importance. It is likely some of the principal
citizens, and perhaps Catholic nobles of the neighbourhood, will be
with those who sally out; so that they can claim credit and praise,
from the court party, for their zeal in the cause. I wish our
parties had been a little stronger for, after we have entered a
village or two, we shall have to look after the prisoners."

"I do not think it matters, Francois. A dozen stout men-at-arms,
like ours, would drive a mob of these wretches before them. They
will come out expecting to murder unresisting people; and the sight
of our men-at-arms, in their white scarves, will set them off
running like hares."

"Let it be understood," Philip continued, "that if, when one of us
gets round to the other side of the town, he should not meet the
other party, and can hear no tidings of it, he shall gallop on till
he meets it; for it is just possible, although I think it unlikely,
that one or other of us may meet with so strong a party of the
enemy as to be forced to stand on the defensive, until the other
arrives."

"I think there is little chance of that, Philip; still, it as well
that we should make that arrangement."

As they neared Niort, they met several fugitives. From them they
learned that, so far, the townspeople had not come out; but that
the Catholics in the villages were boasting that an end would be
made of the Huguenots that day, and that many of them were, in
consequence, deserting their homes and making their escape, as
secretly as they could, across the country. When within two miles
of Niort, a column of smoke was seen to arise on the left of th