500 171177

Three or four armed men were coming out of a cottage opposite, and she rightly conjectured that these were scarching for themr escaped prisoncr. Rushing to her room, she shook the man awake, and hurriedly explained to him his danger. Then she flung over him a huge heap o[ the unwashed linen which lay there ready to her hand, leaving only a small

opening at the back of the bed, through which he had barely sufficient space to breathe. She was just m time! When,

the door of the cottage urst open, and the soldiers appeared, the girl’s head was bent over the wash-tub in the kitchen. ‘The men's rough voices roused the old grandmother m the room withim. With a terrified seream, she hastened mto the kitchen, and demanded the reason of this visit.: When she understood themr errand, she was furtous. That they should dare to suspeet Zess of harbouring a rebel! Ter indignation found vent 1 no measured terms, Paying no heed to the old womans re- proaches, the soldiers proceeded to scarch the cottage. They mvaded the sanctuary of the good damce’s repose, and prodded her

a minute later,

bed with thenr bayoncts. When satishied that no living thing lurked beneath the

blankets, they went next to Margot’s room. ‘T'he heap which Tay upon her bed was about to be subjected to a similar examimation, when the old woman ficreely mtup()sul exclaimig that 1t was the gencral’s linen, n

SUTHE OLD WOMAN FIERCELY INTERPOSED,”

STRAND

MAGAZINTI.

time to save the heap from perforation and the secret from discovery.

Margot, meanwhile, stood by, silent, and almost senscless with {right, until she saw

the soldiers, still pursued by her grand- mother’s tongue, leave the cottage. Then,

with a dvq) sigh of relief, and a great lu,a]t— throbh of thml\wnmw she turned again to her work., V.

Marcor had to resort to many and strange devices moorder to keep from her grand- mother the sceret of her guest. The old ludy marvelled greatly at her grand-daughter’s sudden prodigious acceess of appetite, which Margot tried to persuade her was the effect of her mmcereased exertions. "The anxious girl cmployed herself o unceasing cfforts on behalt of her protéed. Night alter night she wore hersell out in altcnng the appearance of cvery article of his attire. She cut his soldier’s coat mnto the jacket of a civilhan;

stripped 1t of ats military ornaments, and turned the skirts mto a cap. Meanwhile, daly skirmishes were taking

place between the Royvalist and Republican troops, and o great battle was expected. At length, La Crosse could endure confinement and 1maction no longer. One dark night, amicdl heavy ran, he took leave of his pro- tectress, who o forced upon him her last- remaining coins, and cautiously made his way to the Republican army.

VI

Trar night of Ta Crosse’s departure was the cve of the battle. Margot was awakened the next morning by the cannon’s roar. here was her friend 2 was her first thought. Making a hasty toilet, she flung open the cottage door, and ran at her utmost speed to the nearest risimg ground m the direction ol the battle. There 1s no need to desertbe the terrible seene. Amid all those sick- cning sights and sounds fear for herself never once entered the brave girl's mind 5 all her anxicty was for /2Zn —her late guest.

For a time victory seemed to smile upon the Royalists. But suddenly their opponents made a general and over- whelming charge, which