raising it,
"gentlemen, we surrender."

The light-horse dropped their muskets.

"But first tell us why we must do so?"

"You must ask that of the King of Navarre."

"What crime have we committed?"

"Monsieur d'Alencon will inform you."

Coconnas and La Mole looked at each other. The name of their enemy at
such a moment did not greatly reassure them.

Yet neither of them made any resistance. Coconnas was asked to dismount,
a manoeuvre which he executed without a word. Then both were placed in
the centre of the light-horse and took the road to the pavilion.

"You always wanted to see the pavilion of Francois I.," said Coconnas to
La Mole, perceiving through the trees the walls of a beautiful Gothic
structure; "now it seems you will."

La Mole made no reply, but merely extended his hand to Coconnas.

By the side of this lovely pavilion, built in the time of Louis XII.,
and named after Francois I., because the latter always chose it as a
meeting-place when he hunted, was a kind of hut built for prickers,
partly hidden behind the muskets, halberds, and shining swords like an
ant-hill under a whitening harvest.

The prisoners were conducted to this hut.

We will now relate what had happened and so throw some light on the
situation, which looked very dark, especially for the two friends.

The Protestant gentlemen had assembled, as had been agreed on, in the
pavilion of Francois I., of which, as we know, De Mouy had the key.

Masters of the forest, or at least so they had believed, they had placed
sentinels here and there whom the light-horse, having exchanged their
white scarfs for red ones (a precaution due to the ingenious zeal of
Monsieur de Nancey), had surprised and carried away without a blow.

The light-horse had continued their search surrounding the pavilion; but
De Mouy, who, as we know, was waiting for the king at the end of the
Allee des Violettes, had perceived the red scarfs stealing along and had
instantly suspected them. He sprang to one side so as not to be seen,
and noticed that the vast circle was narrowing in such a way as to beat
the forest and surround the meeting-place. At the same time, at the end
of the principal alley, he had caught a glimpse of the white aigrettes
and the shining arquebuses of the King's bodyguard.

Finally he saw the King himself, while in the opposite direction he
perceived the King of Navarre.

Then with his hat he had made a sign of the cross, which was the si