the
occasion for the lights in the chateau? That body of cavalry that he
had seen leaving Sacken's men that morning with the civilians--was she
that woman? The mystery would be solved at the chateau. And it was
there he had arranged to meet his comrade, anyway.

He stopped and looked back at the devastated village. Already a light
was blazing in one of the houses. It would soon be afire. He could do
nothing then. The chateau called him. He broke into a run again,
heavy-footed and tired out though he was. Around the chateau in the
courtyard were dozens of wagons. His experienced glance told him that
they were army wagons, containing provisions, arms, ammunition. Some
of the covers had been raised to expose the contents. There was not a
living man present, and scarcely a living horse. There had been some
sort of a battle evidently, for the wagons were in all sorts of
confusion and there were dead men and horses everywhere. He did not
stop to examine them save to make sure that the dead men were French,
proving that the convoy had come from Paris. He threaded his way among
the wagons and finally reached the steps that led to the broad terrace
upon which rose the chateau.

The main door was open. There were no soldiers about, which struck him
as peculiar, almost terrifying. He went up the steps and across the
terrace, and stopped before the building, almost stumbling over the
bodies of two men whose uniforms were plainly Russian! He inspected
them briefly and stepped toward the door of the entrance hall. It was
open but dimly lighted, and the light wavered fitfully. The faint
illumination came into the hall from a big broad open door upon the
right, giving entrance to what had been the great room. Still keeping
within the shadow, he moved carefully and noiselessly into the hall,
until he could get a view of the room beyond.

A huge fire was burning in the enormous fireplace. The many tables
with which the room had been furnished had been pushed together in the
center, several tall candles pulled from the candelabra and fastened
there by their own melted wax stood upon these tables and added their
illumination to the fire-light. Several men in uniforms, two of them
rough-coated Cossacks, and two whose dress showed clearly that they
belonged to the Russian Imperial Guard, lay on the floor, bound and
helpless. A stout, elderly man, in civilian garb, with a very red face
and an angry look, his wig awr