battle and threw him sidelong on the
ground, while bright red blood spouted all over his breast, and the
surgeon and seconds ran to attend to him. He lost consciousness and fell
back, limp and ghastly.

No sooner had he fallen than a figure in black sprang out of the wood,
brandishing his sword, and shouting--

"Well done, our champion! I will finish your work"; and rushing at the
prostrate man, over whom the seconds were bending, he pushed them aside,
and was on the point of driving the weapon into his body.

Lecour threw himself forward and struck up the steel with his own.

"Coward!" he shouted, preparing for further defence of his late
antagonist, while the astonishment of Grancey and his fellow-second at
the apparition held them momentarily helpless.

"I am no coward, but the Instrument of Vengeance. His blood has slain
mine. The scales of heaven are nice to a hair. Let me kill him!" and the
stranger's sword glittered again in a sudden movement. But this time
Grancey seized him, and his colleague assisted in overcoming the man's
struggles.

"It is a madman," said the surgeon, his hands occupied with his
bandages; "keep him safe till I can finish this work."

"A madman, yes!" shouted Philibert; "and who made me mad? It was one of
this man's race of murderers and traitors. Justice will only sleep when
he too dies by the sword, like my father, whom they slew. Let me strike!
let me kill him! or, if you will not let me kill him, I will depart, for
the hour of Justice it seems is not yet."

"Depart quickly then," sternly said the surgeon, taking advantage of the
turn in his mood, and at the words the seconds released the maniac.

Philibert ran again into the woods and disappeared.

"There is too much loss of blood--too much," the surgeon remarked
gravely.

Lecour, wondering and agitated, divined, while the others were occupied,
the identity of the visitant.

CHAPTER XXIX

THE LETTRE DE CACHET

Lecour had succeeded for a time in baffling the forces arrayed against
him.

The next turn was made by de Lotbiniere, who entered in his journal his
intention of now speaking to the following persons, in their order--

The Minister,
Repentigny,
The Chevalier de Villerai,
Vaudreuil,
The Genealogist of France,
The Prince de Poix,
The Marechale de Noailles,
The Baroness de la Roche Vernay.

He went to the first on the list and obtained an interview in private
with his chief secretary, from which he