, riding a powerful horse.

"Good-day, messieurs," he said, glancing at us, I thought, very keenly;
"am I on the right track for Nevers?"

"Yes," I answered rather curtly.

"Perhaps monsieur is himself going there? I am a stranger in these
parts."

"No," I replied, "we are not going to the town, but you cannot miss the
way."

He hung about for some time, trying to make conversation, but presently
rode on, and a bend in the road hid him from our view.

"An ugly customer to meet on a dark night, Jacques," I remarked.

"Let us push on, monsieur; that fellow meant us no good. Did you notice
his speech?"

"No."

"I did; he comes from our own neighbourhood. It is possible he has seen
us before."

"And what of that?"

"Nothing, except that it is curious," and Jacques quickened his pace.

At the end of a quarter of a mile a cross-road to the left led to the
river, and along this track we travelled. It was very narrow, so narrow,
indeed, that we were forced to ride in single file, Jacques going
before. The stranger had disappeared; no one was in sight; the
countryside seemed deserted.

"Do you know where the ford is situated?" I asked.

"I have a fairly good notion. Ah, what is that?" and he reined up
sharply.

From our position we could just catch a glimpse of several horsemen
riding swiftly along the bank of the river. They were out of sight in a
few minutes, and we proceeded in a somewhat uncomfortable frame of mind.

"They can have nothing to do with us, Jacques," I said cheerily.

"No, monsieur, nothing," he replied.

"How much farther do we go before descending?"

"About a quarter of a mile."

"Once across the river we shall be in no danger at all."

"None at all, monsieur."

"A plague on you, Jacques!" I cried, "can't you make some sensible
remark?"

"I was but agreeing with monsieur."

We had gone about four hundred yards when the track began to descend in
winding fashion toward the water. My companion was still in front, and I
noticed he had loosened his sword. I had done the same, and in addition
had seen that my pistols were in order. Somehow, a strange sense of
approaching peril, for which I could not account, hung about me.

"There is the ford," said Jacques, drawing rein, and pointing straight
ahead of him. "That is where we must cross."

"Yes," I said.

"But I cannot see the horsemen, and they should be visible from here. It
is very absurd, of course, but still, I would advise