descended a rope, with a slip-knot at the end,
—a halter, in fact. The knot was held in
the cleft of a long stick, by which it was slowly
directed towards the head of my slumbering
effigy. Hang me, if this is not past a joke!
A bold sort of hunting, this snaring of sleeping
men! A villanous one, too, to lasso
them thus in cold blood, without giving them
a chance of escape. This time, cut-throats,
don't be too sure! O, Jules, if you were but
here, to make number two in my standing
army. The halter approaches my very own
night-cap. I gently draw the string attached
to the lower end of the pillow, and the
puppet follows the tug beneath the cover-
lid, as if it shrunk down to keep itself a
little warmer. "Ha, ha, ha, ha!" with a
silent and an inward chuckle. The trick,
however deficient in art, has taken. I am not
to be hung; perhaps they'll drown me. The
rope is withdrawn, and the slide is closed.

A couple of minutes more of suspense, and
the landlord passes before the window. Not
a suspicion that I am not fast asleep. A
respite, until the second attack. Oh, Jules,
Jules! what point of the national road have
you reached? Hush! The landlord again,
looking savage, flits past, like an angry phantom.
I count the time required to mount
the granary steps, to open the door, and steal
to the vile spot overhead; and exactly as I
count the seconds, the slide is withdrawn for
a decisive blow. I can just see the barrel of
a pistol, and part of a swarthy hand grasping
the butt end of it—when, can it be he?—a
faint tinkle steals on my listening ear and
in two seconds more, a still louder tinkle—
the blessed sound of my own grelots. Their silvery tone has far preceded both the horse's
footsteps and the cracking whip. Other
ears than mine have heard it too, and do not
care to proceed, while a traveller is approaching
near. The slide is closed, and my innocent
and unconscious representative remains
unshot in his bed.

Jingle! jangle! crick! crack! trimp!
tramp! It is Jules himself, and the little
brown mare, or I'll be eaten alive by those
cannibals! But they shall not have even my
nightcap as a trophy. It is instantly taken
possession of by the rightful owner ; the window
is thrown up with a sudden jerk ; I leap
into the stable-yard; and in a moment stand
on the national road.

"Ah, Jules! you are here just in time! I
might have had an unpleasant struggle."

"Monsieur Feelsone, you do not know
what pleasure it gives me to see you safe out
of that house!"

"Sacrée canaille!" said I, rattling the r,
with a better French accent than I thought
I was capable of—"Sacrée canaille!" thrusting
my hand into my pocket ; "I will smash
their windows with this handful of sous,
which conveniently happens to be more
numerous than usual, as a polite way of bidding
them good-bye."

"Be sage, be tranquil, Monsieur Feelsone;
do nothing of the kind, I pray you;" interposed
Jules, putting the mare into a rapid
trot, and soon carrying me off, far out of
sous' throw. "You have saved your
banknotes, and perhaps something of more
consequence still; and I do not want to lose the
benefit of having drawn my billet de banque.
The trial will doubtless come on exactly at
the time of my wedding; and, if anything
happens to bring us in as witnesses, Louise
will have to wait for a week or so."

"I do not understand what you mean by
the trial."

"Listen, Monsieur Feelsone, and I will
explain to you that; as well as how you happen
to be sitting by my side at this hour, instead
of defending yourself against the people there.
I had not been long on the departmental
road again, after parting with you last evening
where we lost ourselves, before I came up
to my cousin Josephine, who is married to
one of the gensdarmes stationed half-way
between that and Mambergue. She was
walking home in a hurry to prepare
Bravemouce's supper, so I took her up into the
cabriolet. She asked me to stop and give
good-day to her husband; and while there,
I told them why it was I happened to be
driving alone, arid where you were going to
sleep and wait till I called for you. Bravemouce
looked uneasy, without saying anything
at first; but Josephine at once told me
that it was a very dangerous place, indeed.
An Englishman, who was supposed to have
robbed a bank, and then escaped to France,
had lately been traced as far as Mambergue,
and had never been heard of afterwards.
They both informed me that, this very
Midsummer's Day, a search was to be made in
the house, and also in the garden, where it
was expected strange things would be found;
and that if I had any regard for your safety,
I had better press on and join you as soon as
possible, even if it were in the middle of the
night, no matter how tired the horse might
be. I assure you, Monsieur Feelsone, I did
not loiter, and I see by your manner that
something has happened."

"Something might have happened, Jules;
though I cannot say exactly what. Whatever
they may have intended to do, I should have
a difficulty in charging them with anything
they have done. Meanwhile, I am not sorry
to be on the road again, although the little
mare is almost done up. But I thought, my
friend, you were in no hurry to be married?"

"Well. Yes. But not particularly so.
Louise and her friends, perhaps, are getting
impatient. If you want me three or four days
afterwards, I shall be ready to drive
you wherever you please."

''Be it so, as you are so much of a philosopher;
and the next time we lose ourselves
in the cross roads of a forest, Jules, I will be
cautious where I take up my lodgings at
night."