and
departure, and to say that from their conversation they were going
south to La Rochelle.

The windings of the country roads that they traversed added greatly
to the length of the journey, and the marquis proposed that they
should strike at once across it for Nantes. Rupert, however, begged
him to continue the line that they had chosen and to show at least
once on the La Rochelle road, so as to lead their pursuers to the
conclusion that it was to that town that they were bound.

In the middle of the day they halted for two hours at a farmhouse,
and allowed their horses to rest and feed, and then shifted the
saddles again, for Rupert had, since starting in the morning, run
the greater part of the way with his hand on the horse's saddle, so
that the animal was quite fresh when they reached their first
halting place.

They then rode on and came down into the La Rochelle road, at a
spot near which they had heard that a wayside inn stood at which
they could obtain refreshments. The instant they drew rein at the
door, they saw from the face of the landlord that inquiries had
been made for them.

"You had better not dismount, sir. These fellows may play you some
trick or other. I will bring some refreshments out, and learn the
news."

So saying, Rupert leapt from his horse, took his pistols from their
holsters, placed one in his belt, and having cocked the other, went
up to the landlord.

"Bring out five manchettes of bread," he said, "and a few bottles
of your best wine; and tell me how long is it since men came here
asking if you had seen us?"

"This morning, about noon," the man said. "Two gendarmes came
along, and a troop of soldiers passed an hour since; they came from
Parthenay."

"Did they say anything besides asking for us? Come, here is a louis
to quicken your recollection."

"They said to each other, as they drank their wine, that you could
not have passed here yet, since you could not get fresh horses, as
they had done. Moreover, they said that troops from every place on
the road were out in search of you."

"Call your man, and bid him bring out quickly the things I have
named," Rupert said.

The man did so; and a lad, looking scared at the sight of Rupert's
drawn pistol, brought out the wine and bread, and three drinking
horns.

"How far is it to La Rochelle?" Rupert asked.

"Thirty-five miles."

"Are there any byroads, by which we can make a detour, so as to
avoid this main road, and so c