“Well, well, father!” answered Jacques; “Had you been of my mind, all would have been over by this time. You, Robert, Claude, and myself, why the strangers were but double the number, and I warrant you we might have mastered them. However, Claude is gone; ’tis too late to think of it now. We must wait patiently for the arrival of the gang; and if the travellers escape us tonight, we must take care to waylay them tomorrow.”

“True! True!” said Baptiste; “Marguerite, have you given the sleeping-draught to the waiting-women?”

She replied in the affirmative.

“All then is safe. Come, come, boys; whatever falls out, we have no reason to complain of this adventure. We run no danger, may gain much, and can lose nothing.”

At this moment I heard a trampling of horses. Oh! how dreadful was the sound to my ears. A cold sweat flowed down my forehead, and I felt all the terrors of impending death. I was by no means reassured by hearing the compassionate Marguerite exclaim in the accents of despair,

“Almighty God! They are lost!”

Luckily the woodman and his sons were too much occupied by the arrival of their associates to attend to me, or the violence of my agitation would have convinced them that my sleep was feigned.

“Open! Open!” exclaimed several voices on the outside of the cottage.

“Yes! Yes!” cried Baptiste joyfully; “They are our friends sure enough! Now then our booty is certain. Away! Lads, away! Lead them to the barn; you know what is to be done there.”

Robert hastened to open the door of the cottage.

“But first,” said Jacques, taking up his arms; “first let me dispatch these sleepers.”

“No, no, no!” replied his father; “Go you to the barn, where your presence is wanted. Leave me to take care of these and the women above.”