ho knew
all arts appertaining to war, examined the man's leg and made a kind of
cradle for it, while I questioned the woman.

'They are there still?' I said. 'I saw their horses tethered under the
walls.'

'Yes, God requite them!' she answered, trembling violently.

'Tell me about the castle, my good woman,' I said. 'How many roads into
it are there?'

'Only one.'

'Through the nearer tower?'

She said yes, and finding that she understood me, and was less dull of
intellect than her wretched appearance led me to expect, I put a series
of questions to her which it would be tedious to detail. Suffice it
that I learned that it was impossible to enter or leave the ruin except
through the nearer tower; that a rickety temporary gate barred the
entrance, and that from this tower, which was a mere shell of four
walls, a narrow square-headed doorway without a door led into the court,
beyond which rose the habitable tower of two stories.

'Do you know if they intend to stay there?' I asked

'Oh, ay, they bade me bring them faggots for their fire this morning,
and I should have a handful of my own meal back,' she answered bitterly;
and fell thereon into a passion of impotent rage, shaking both her
clenched hands in the direction of the castle, and screaming frenzied
maledictions in her cracked and quavering voice.

I pondered awhile over what she had said; liking very little the thought
of that narrow square-headed doorway through which we must pass before
we could effect anything. And the gate, too, troubled me. It might not
be a strong one, but we had neither powder, nor guns, nor any siege
implements, and could not pull down stone walls with our naked hands. By
seizing the horses we could indeed cut off Bruhl's retreat; but he might
still escape in the night; and in any case our pains would only increase
the women's hardships while adding fuel to his rage. We must have some
other plan.

The sun was high by this time; the edge of the wood scarcely a hundred
paces from us. By advancing a few yards through the trees I could see
the horses feeding peacefully at the foot of the sunny slope, and even
follow with my eyes the faint track which zigzagged up the hill to
the closed gate. No one appeared--doubtless they were sleeping off
the fatigue of the journey--and I drew no inspiration thence; but as
I turned to consult Maignan my eye lit on the faggots, and I saw in a
flash that here was a chance of putting into practice