the
villages where the craft lay up for the night, and arrived at
Ratisbon at nine o'clock in the evening. There they found no
difficulty in obtaining a lodging at a small inn, where no
questions, whatever, were asked.

A short day's journey took them to Neumarkt, a tramp of upwards of
twenty miles. It was a longer journey on to Bamberg, and two days
later, to their satisfaction, they entered Coburg.

They were now out of Bavaria, and had escaped all difficulties as
to the dialect far better than they had anticipated, never having
been asked any questions since they left the boat at Ratisbon. They
had now only to say that they were on their way to join the
Confederate army that was again being gathered; but they preferred
avoiding all questions, by walking by night and resting at little
wayside inns during the day. Avoiding all towns, for the troops
were beginning to move, they crossed the Saxon frontier three days
after leaving Coburg, and then travelled by easy stages to Dresden.

Here they went straight to the headquarters of the commandant of
the town, and reported themselves to him. Fergus had personal
acquaintances on his staff, and had no difficulty in obtaining, for
himself and his companions, an advance of a portion of the pay due
to them, in order that they might obtain new outfits.

This took a couple of days, and the two captains then said goodbye
to Fergus, with many warm acknowledgments for the manner in which
he had enabled them to regain their freedom--expressions all the
more earnest since they heard that the Austrians had decided that,
in future, they would make no exchanges whatever of prisoners--and
started to rejoin their regiments.

Fergus felt strangely lonely when they had left him. The king was
at Breslau. Keith was lying dead in Hochkirch. What had become of
Lindsay he knew not, nor did he know to whom he ought to report
himself, or where Karl might be with his remaining charger and
belongings. Hitherto at Dresden he had felt at home. Now, save for
Count Eulenfurst and his family, he was a stranger in the place.

Naturally, therefore, he went out to their chateau. Here he was
received with the same warmth as usual.

"Of course we heard of your capture at Hochkirch," the count said,
"though not for many weeks afterwards. We were alarmed when the
news came of the marshal's death, for as it was upon his division
that the brunt of the battle had fallen, we feared greatly for you.
At last