Pray make General Bibikoff my compliments when you meet him," replied
Count Saxe, gravely. "And since your prisoners can be reached
to-night, not a moment must be lost in setting out."

It was high noon when we had perceived Schnelling, and by two o'clock
all the arrangements were made, the money was put in two leather bags,
I had picked out ten men and had started. I had not much fear of
treachery on the part of our Russian-Courland friends. They knew
Maurice of Saxe too well to try any tricks on him. We struck out
through a green, well-wooded country, avoiding the highroads and ever
going deeper into the forests of larch and fir that led toward the
west from Uzmaiz. If my heart had not been full of Francezka, I should
have enjoyed the conversation of that rascal, Schnelling. He frankly
gave up his attempt to pass for a private soldier and appeared like a
genuine fine gentleman, in spite of his bare legs and sheepskin cloak.
He had known many adventures in the world, and told of them, laughing
uproariously at things that I would have killed any man for, had he
told them on Captain Babache.

I did not wish to speak of Mademoiselle Capello to him, but in spite
of me the words came out. I asked him, trying meanwhile to look
unconcerned, about the boy Francois. He glanced at me sidewise, and I
believe he read my heart, and delighted in torturing me.

"A lad of fine spirit, but delicate in many ways. The elder--Monsieur
Gaston Cheverny--could not take better care of him if he were a sister
instead of a brother. Monsieur Gaston never leaves him by day, and by
night watches him. It would have been as easy, as far as Monsieur
Gaston was concerned, to have got twenty thousand crowns as ten
thousand."

We trudged for five hours, and the sun sank, and there was no moon. I
walked on like a blind man. Schnelling seemed to know his way
perfectly, but occasionally he stopped and struck his flint; when by
that small, pale gleam, the abysses of darkness seemed vaster and more
menacing. At last, toward ten o'clock at night, there came, on the
faintly stirring dense air, the odor of smoke, of burning boughs. Then
a twinkle of light was visible, and the next minute we came upon an
open space, in which a huge fire of resinous wood blazed and roared.
There were pickets about. This precious gang of rascals, who
impudently claimed to be a part of General Bibikoff's force, had all
served some time or other as soldiers, all wore uniforms, a