t from the fog ahead:

"_Qui va la?_"

Tristram halted, then took another step forward in some uncertainty.

The voice repeated its challenge in an angrier tone; and this time
our hero stood stock-still. The misfortune was that he knew not a
word of the French language.

Once more the voice called. Then a trigger clicked, a yellow flare
leapt out on the fog with a roar, and something sang by Tristram's
ear. He jumped off the road and pelted across the meadow to his
right. A second shot was sent after him, but this time very wide of
its mark. Then, as it seemed, at his very feet a dozen black forms
rose out of the earth. He tripped over one and went floundering on
to his nose. As his hands touched the ground, a score of bright
sparks flew up and were extinguished. With a cry of pain he rolled
upon his back, and was at once pinned to the ground by a dozen firm
hands.

He had blundered full-tilt across the embers of a French camp-fire.

A lantern was lit and thrust close to his face. He blinked painfully
for a moment or two, and then perceived that he lay within a circle
of fierce, grey-coated soldiers, who were putting him a score of
questions in a tongue which he felt sure it would take him a year to
master.

He endeavoured to say so.

"Ar-r-rh!" exclaimed one of the soldiers, spitting contemptuously,
"_C'est un Anglais_."

"_Espion!_"

"_J'en reponds_." He gave an order, and in a trice Tristram's wrists
were strapped together with a handkerchief. Then he was heaved up on
his feet, and a couple of men took him, each by an arm. They were
about to march him off, when a voice hailed them, and up rode a
general officer, with two dragoons cantering behind him for escort.

"_Qu'y a-t-il, mes enfants?_" He had plainly been disturbed by the
noise of the firing.

The soldiers murmured, "M. de Soisson!" and presented arms.
Then they explained matters, and thrust Tristram forward, holding the
lantern uncomfortably near his face.

M. de Soisson began an interrogatory in good French. As the prisoner
shook his head, he harked back and repeated his questions in
extremely bad English. Tristram answered them truthfully, which had
the effect of raising disbelief in M. de Soisson's breast. After ten
minutes this disbelief grew to such an extent that the peppery
officer turned to the sergeant and ordered Tristram to be taken off
to the barn where the deserters were kept under guard.

This barn lay a mile t