strong force of hostile cavalry. Our preparations for battle were all
made, so Coligny continued his march, the horsemen retiring before us,
and making no effort to attack.

We passed an anxious night: the sentries were doubled, the outposts
strengthened, and the men slept with their weapons in their hands, ready
to spring up at the first note of warning. For the Admiral's personal
attendants there was no sleep whatever. We passed our time in visiting
the outposts, and in seeing that everything was secure. Only after day
broke were we able to snatch an hour or two's rest.

"Faith," laughed Felix, as the march was resumed, "this is fine
preparation for a battle! Edmond, rub the dust from your eyes; you look
sleepy enough to fall from your saddle!"

"And all our labour was wasted!" I grumbled. "Those fellows just went
comfortably to sleep, laughing at us for our pains."

"Never mind!" said my comrade merrily, "it may be our turn to laugh
next. And, after all, I would rather laugh last."

All that day we marched through a woody, irregular district, the
horsemen watching our movements, but retiring steadily at our approach,
as if wishing to lure us into some cunning trap. But Coligny was not to
be tempted; he kept his troops well in hand, and in the evening we
camped by the side of a small stream with a marsh in our front.

"We have caught him," cried Felix, in a tone of delight.

"Or he has caught us!" said I dubiously. "Anjou has some skilful soldier
at his elbow who chose that position."

On the other side of the marsh rose a rugged hill, and at the summit the
royalist general had pitched his camp. Rude breastworks, from which the
muzzles of several guns peeped out, had been erected, and altogether it
looked as if Monseigneur had provided us with a hard nut to crack.

Coligny rode out across the marsh to examine the enemy's position more
clearly, and I fancied there was a shade of anxiety on his usually
serene face. It was a heavy responsibility he had to bear, for, should
his troops be defeated, the Huguenot Cause was lost. There was no other
army to replace the one under his command.

"The longer you look at it the less you'll like it," said Roger Braund
cheerfully--for our English comrade often came over for a chat when we
had pitched camp--"Monseigneur has fenced himself in marvellously well."

"The more credit in digging him out!" laughed Felix. "Don't make Edmond
more doleful; he is half afraid now of