d impatience, picked the paper up and handed it
respectfully to Chauvelin.

"Read it, sergeant," said the latter curtly.

"It is almost illegible, citoyen . . . a fearful scrawl . . ."

"I ordered you to read it," repeated Chauvelin, viciously.

The sergeant, by the light of his lantern, began deciphering the few
hastily scrawled words.

"I cannot quite reach you, without risking your lives and endangering
the success of your rescue. When you receive this, wait two minutes,
then creep out of the hut one by one, turn to your left sharply, and
creep cautiously down the cliff; keep to the left all the time, till you
reach the first rock, which you see jutting far out to sea--behind it
in the creek the boat is on the look-out for you--give a long, sharp
whistle--she will come up--get into her--my men will row you to the
schooner, and thence to England and safety--once on board the DAY DREAM
send the boat back for me, tell my men that I shall be at the creek,
which is in a direct line opposite the 'Chat Gris' near Calais. They
know it. I shall be there as soon as possible--they must wait for me
at a safe distance out at sea, till they hear the usual signal. Do not
delay--and obey these instructions implicitly."

"Then there is the signature, citoyen," added the sergeant, as he handed
the paper back to Chauvelin.

But the latter had not waited an instant. One phrase of the momentous
scrawl had caught his ear. "I shall be at the creek which is in a direct
line opposite the 'Chat Gris' near Calais": that phrase might yet mean
victory for him. "Which of you knows this coast well?" he shouted to his
men who now one by one all returned from their fruitless run, and were
all assembled once more round the hut.

"I do, citoyen," said one of them, "I was born in Calais, and know every
stone of these cliffs."

"There is a creek in a direct line from the 'Chat Gris'?"

"There is, citoyen. I know it well."

"The Englishman is hoping to reach that creek. He does NOT know every
stone of these cliffs, he may go there by the longest way round, and
in any case he will proceed cautiously for fear of the patrols. At any
rate, there is a chance to get him yet. A thousand francs to each man
who gets to that creek before that long-legged Englishman."

"I know of a short cut across the cliffs," said the soldier, and with an
enthusiastic shout, he rushed forward, followed closely by his comrades.

Within a few minutes their running fo