ay, and I'll keep up with you, I'll
warrant. If I'm axed who I am, I'll pretend that I'm a 'Talian, or some
other furriner, who can't speak the French lingo, and just make all
sorts of gabblifications. Just you leave it to me, young gentlemen, if
you'll let me come with you."

Though there was considerable risk in the plan, the midshipmen could
think of no other. They agreed to go to the wood-cutter's hut, and if,
after talking the matter over, they could not improve on Reuben's plan,
to start the following evening. Having assisted him to load his cart,
they set forward at once. The path led them for most of the way through
the forest. It was still broad daylight when they approached the
cottage. It stood at the edge of a green, on which a number of
villagers were seen collected. They were themselves perceived before
they had time to retreat, which it would have been wise for them, they
felt, to do.

"Let us put a bold face on the matter and go forward!" exclaimed
O'Grady. "Reuben, go on with the cart; we had better have nothing to
say to you at present."

They at once walked on towards the villagers without exhibiting any
marks of hesitation. Reuben looked after them with as indifferent an
air as he could assume, as he drove his cart up to the woodman's
cottage.

"I see a high road; let us turn towards it, and walk along it as if we
were not going to stop at the village," observed Paul; "we may thus
avoid questions, and we may come back to the wood-cutter's when it is
dark; Reuben will prepare him for our appearance."

O'Grady agreed to this plan, and they were walking along pretty briskly,
hoping to pass an auberge, or inn, at the side of the road, when the
aubergiste, or inn-keeper, who happened to be in very good humour after
his evening potations, caught sight of them, and shouted out, "Come in,
come in, mes garcons! there is no other auberge in the place, and you
would not pass by the house of Francois le Gros!" And he patted his
well-stuffed-out ribs, for there are fat Frenchmen as well as fat
Englishmen.

Thus appealed to, the midshipmen thought it wiser to go up to the man,
and Paul told him that as they had very little money, they preferred
stopping out at night when the weather was fine.

"That will never do," cried honest Francois. "Tell me all about
yourselves, and you shall have board and lodging free. Numerous great
people stop here, and so does the diligence, and as I am patronised