peasant, than such a choice, made by men so greatly his superior in
rank and station.

Chapter 9: Bad News.

Neither Leigh nor Jean Martin was at Saumur, when this decision was
arrived at. The very night that the town was taken, one of the
former's band, who was wounded and, greatly against his
inclination, had been left behind, arrived there on horseback. He
was the bearer of terrible news.

[Illustration: He was the bearer of terrible news.]

Early on the previous day, a troop of the enemy's cavalry had
arrived. They had apparently ridden all night, and without exciting
any alarm on the way. They had made straight for the chateau,
without going into the village. Beyond the fact that they belonged
to the force operating from Nantes, none knew the route they had
followed. They had doubtless expected to arrest Jean at the chateau
but, on finding him absent, had seized his wife, had placed her in
their midst, set fire to the chateau, and ridden off before any
force could be gathered to oppose them. Jean and Leigh were horror
stricken at the news.

"What is to be done?" the former exclaimed. "What can be done?"

"I should say," Leigh said, "that the first thing to do will be to
tell the generals that we must, for the present, leave them. Then
we must go to Nantes in disguise, find out where she is imprisoned,
and see what can be done to rescue her."

"Certainly that is the best thing, Leigh. Let us start at once."

"It will be daylight in two hours, Jean, and that will make no
difference. I will go and talk with my boys. They are asleep
together on the steps of the church of Saint Marie. They may be
useful to us, and I am sure would follow us anywhere."

Jean made no reply. He had buried his face in his hands, and deep
sobs broke from him. Tears were streaming down Leigh's cheek as he
spoke, but he put his hand upon Jean's shoulder and said, in a
voice which he tried to keep steady:

"It is terrible, Jean, but we must not give up hope. We have beaten
the Blues in the field, and it is hard if we cannot manage to beat
them, somehow, in this business."

The other made no reply, and Leigh, feeling that it would be best
to leave him to himself for the present, went downstairs.

The lad who had brought the message was seated against the wall,
holding the horse's bridle in his hand. Being a stranger in the
place, he did not know where to go.

"Come with me, Philippe. The others are all in the great square,