loudly to them:

"Here he is," to draw them off from the girl.

They dropped her at once and started in my direction. I ran on ahead,
yet at a disadvantage, for I knew not where to go, knowing, too, that I
could not fight them both. Yet more than all I dreaded falling into
the hands of the city guard with the papers I had upon me. I ran under
a street lamp, and taking up a position some twenty feet beyond in the
dark, waited. The knife for one, the sword for the other, was my
thought. Holding my long sword in my left hand, I swung my right free,
and catching my knife by its point, stood my ground. The younger man
was swifter, yet seemed afraid to lead Yvard. So they passed under the
lamp side by side.

Selecting Yvard as my mark, I made a quick cast, and had the
satisfaction of seeing my knife glitter as it struck him full in the
shoulder, and bury itself well to the hilt. It was a trick I had
learned from the Indians, and it had not been lost.

"A million devils, who was that?" screamed the stricken man, tugging to
free the knife. Out it came, followed by a widening dark stain upon
his doublet.

"He had others with him--hidden in the dark," and at his companion's
suggestion, they stood back to back, in readiness for their imaginary
foes.

This gave me an opportunity to slip away, they pursuing no further. I
dodged round the next corner and took my way up a street running
parallel to the one I left.

When they no longer came I slackened my pace to a walk, trying in vain
to recall how I came and how to reach Rue St. Denis. There was nothing
for it but to keep straight on. The streets grew broader and travelers
were not so few. I questioned several, and for a coin secured an
honest-looking idler to guide me. It was not so very far after all to
my inn, yet right joyful I was to see the place again and to find a
cheerful fire blazing on the hearth. I stood before the homelike
warmth and chuckled to myself at the success of my adventure.

The host and some crony of his sat at table with their cards and ale.
I overlooked the game. They exchanged glances and prepared to leave
off, whereat I apologized and begged them not to let me disturb them.
Claude declared he had only waited for me, and being tired he would
shut the house. He went on up to bed and his friend took a seat beside
me at the fire.

He was a simple-looking young fellow, dressed after the fashion of a
peasant farmer, with mild blue ey