ment with the best grace
he could muster, and I immediately placed it inside my doublet.

"Now," I exclaimed cheerfully, "we are in a hurry to reach our comrades,
but we have no wish to ride into the midst of the Duke's troops. In
order to avoid that calamity, we will make you our guide; but pray be
careful, because in the event of a mistake you will be the first victim.
My servant is an old soldier, while I have had some practice with the
pistol. But this is a disagreeable subject; let us dismiss it."

"With all my heart," said he, laughing. "And now what would you have me
do?"

"Put us on the track of our comrades, and prevent us from falling into
the Duke's hands."

"That is," said he, "to return good for evil. Well, 'tis something of a
novelty for me."

"You should practise it more frequently," I laughed, and with that we
rode on, our prisoner being in the middle.

I hardly thought he would venture his life by misleading us of set
purpose, yet for all that I rode cautiously, keeping my eyes open for
any sign of the enemy. But either by good luck or our prisoner's skilful
guidance--and it matters little which--we entirely avoided the Royalist
army, and came up with our own troops just as they had halted for a
short rest.

Being instantly challenged, I gave my name to the officer, and asked
where the Admiral was to be found.

"I will take you to him," said he, and he led us through the camp,
walking by the horse's side.

Coligny was eating his frugal meal, but he glanced up at our approach,
and the officer said, "Edmond Le Blanc, general, who claims to belong to
your household."

"Le Blanc!" echoed the Admiral, knitting his brows--he had doubtless
forgotten me--"ah, of course; you have been absent from duty a long
time."

"I had the misfortune to be left behind at Roche Abeille, my lord."

"Ah, I remember. You are Bellievre's comrade, and you carried my message
to De Courcy. So you have recovered?"

"Yes, my lord; but I have something important to say. I have had the
good luck to capture a messenger carrying a despatch from the Duke of
Montpensier to Monseigneur."

"To Monseigneur!" and, turning to my prisoner, he said, "Is he not with
the troops who attacked us?"

"I do not know the customs of your gentlemen, my lord," he replied, with
a low bow, "but it is not our practice to betray secrets to an enemy."

"A proper answer," said the Admiral, with more slowness of speech even
than usual, "and a