"Which further proves," I remarked, "how deeply you and Monsieur le
Ministre of Police are indebted to me over this affair."

He did not argue the point. Indeed, we were both of us far too much
excited to waste words in useless bickerings. Our plans for the
evening were fairly simple. We both pored over the map which
Fournier-Berty had given me, until we felt that we could reach
blindfolded the spot which had been marked with a cross. We then
arranged that Leroux should betake himself thither with a strong posse
of gendarmes during the day, and lie hidden in the vicinity until such
time as I myself appeared upon the scene, identified my friends of the
night before, parleyed with them for a minute or two, and finally
retired, leaving the law in all its majesty, as represented by Leroux,
to deal with the rascals.

In the meantime I also mapped out for myself my own share in this
night's adventurous work. I had hired a vehicle to take me as far as
St. Cergues; here I intended to leave it at the local inn, and then
proceed on foot up the mountain pass to the appointed spot. As soon as
I had seen the smugglers safely in the hands of Leroux and the
gendarmes, I would make my way back to St. Cergues as rapidly as I
could, step into my vehicle, drive like the wind back to Gex, and
place myself at the disposal of my fair angel and her afflicted
mother.

Leroux promised me that at the customs station on the French frontier
the officials would look after me and the ladies, and that a pair of
fresh horses would be ready to take us straight on to St. Claude,
which, if all was well, we could then reach by daybreak.

Having settled all these matters we parted company, he to arrange his
own affairs with the Commissary of Police and the customs officials,
and I to await with as much patience as I could the hour when I could
start for St. Cergues.

4.

The night--just as I anticipated--promised to be very dark. A thin
drizzle, which wetted the unfortunate pedestrian to the marrow, had
replaced the torrential rain of the previous day.

Twilight was closing in very fast. In the late autumn afternoon I
drove to St. Cergues, after which I left the chaise in the village and
boldly started to walk up the mountain pass. I had studied the map so
carefully that I was quite sure of my way, but though my appointment
with the rascals was for eight o'clock, I wished to reach the
appointed spot before the last flicker of grey light ha