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It was when she did this for the ninth or tenth time that she gave a start, and her lips parted with a half-uttered ejaculation of alarm. I followed her look and saw five mounted figures far behind us, on the road. It was most probable that these were De Berquin, Barbemouche, and the latter's three ragged comrades. But in this sight I found no reason to be disturbed.
From having looked back at this group many times during the preceding day, I had stamped certain of its figures on my memory, and I now recognized it as Barbemouche and his party. "Another day of it," I said, to myself, and spurred my horse to a gallop. An increase in their own pace told me that they in turn had recognized me. "This grows monotonous," I mused.
They swore that neither Barbemouche nor any one of them, nor De Berquin himself, had borne any message to the governor; that the five had remained together from the first, living under the rock and keeping watch from the tree-top, as De Berquin had narrated, until the previous afternoon, when the three had deserted, only to fall into the hands of our sentinel.
It stopped, made a gesture towards the wood, and then continued its course. Three more figures then came out of the wood, one very tall, one exceedingly broad, and the third extremely thin. They came on with great caution, and finally joined the first comer near the inn. By this time I had recognized the leader as my old friend, Barbemouche. The others were his companions.
There was some hard squeezing, some quick bending either way, a final powerful forcing forward of the arms on the part of Blaise, a last violent propulsion of the same arms, and Barbemouche was thrown backward down the precipice. Blaise stood for a time looking oven. We heard a series of dull concussions, a sound of the flight of detached small stones, and then nothing.
"Rascals!" repeated the tall fellow, his pride awakened by his second mug of wine. "By the bones of my ancestors, it goes against me to be so often called rascal!" Barbemouche saw an opportunity to retaliate for the fun that had been made of his pretensions to beauty. "They whom the term fits," he growled, "ought not to complain, if I endure it, who am a gentleman!"
So, when M. Barbemouche and his troop of Guisards had gone some distance down the road, I came forth from the shed and followed them, afoot, keeping well to the roadside, ready to vanish, should any of them turn back. It was evident that Barbemouche had little or no hope of catching me on the road. His plan was to surprise me at my chateau, or to lie there in wait for me.
He then commanded Barbemouche to walk at my left side, and Francois to walk at my right, De Berquin retained his place behind me, and the other two rascals followed him. In this order we proceeded towards the inn. My object in leading my enemies to the inn was to set them drinking.
But we looked on with some interest, deferring until its adjustment our own conversation. "Then it was you who spoiled my appearance for the rest of my days!" cried Barbemouche. "May you writhe in the flames of hell!" And, being without sword or other weapon, he aimed a blow of the fist at Blaise's head.
A second later and I was on my feet. My first act was to possess the weapons of Barbemouche and Francois, these two being nearest me. I then ran towards the inn, calling at the top of my voice, "Blaise! To arms!" Behind me I heard De Berquin, who had risen, kicking the prostrate bodies of his men and crying: "Up, you drunken dogs! We have been fooled! After him!"
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