hich had come so
opportunely from outside bespoke the arrival of his friend, the
grenadier. He hoped the man would have sense enough to go immediately
to Sezanne and report the situation. If he could maintain the defense
of the castle for two hours he might be rescued. He stepped to the
hall and called up to Pierre. Receiving a cheery reply to the effect
that all was well and that he would keep good watch, he came back into
the great hall and resumed his ward.

CHAPTER VIII

A TRIAL OF ALLEGIANCE

Mademoiselle d'Aumenier had seated herself at a table and remained
there in spite of the entreaties and black looks of the prisoners.
Marteau did not dare to leave his loophole, but the necessity for
watching did not prevent him from talking. The men outside seemed to
have decided that nothing more could be done for the present. They
withdrew from out of range of the deadly fire of the defenders and,
back of the wagons, kindled fires, and seemed to be preparing to make a
night of it.

The best officers of the detachment were prisoners in the chateau. The
subordinate who had been entrusted with the pursuit was young and
inexperienced; the Cossack commander was a mere raider. They
themselves belonged to the cavalry. They decided, after inspecting the
whole building carefully as nearly as they dared in view of the
constant threat of discharge, that they would have to wait until
morning, unless something occurred to them or some chance favored them.
They trusted that at daylight they would have no difficulty in
effecting an entrance somewhere. A total of three men dead and one
wounded, to say nothing of the sentries and officers, had a
discouraging effect on night work. They did not dream that there was
an enemy, a French soldier, that is, nearer than Troyes. They supposed
that the castle had been seized by some of the enraged country people
who had escaped the Cossacks and that they could easily deal with them
in the morning.

Incidentally, the wine cellars in which the peasants had been shut had
openings to the outer air, and through them came shouts and cries which
added to the mystification of the besiegers and increased their
prudence. The walls of the chateau were massive, the floors thick, the
wine cellar far away, and no sound came from them to the inmates of the
great hall. Indeed, in the exciting adventure that had taken place,
the raiders had been completely forgot by Marteau and the others.