"Most certainly," replied Lipthay. "I was on it, _cher ami_. But I had better tell you the tale from the beginning, for you matter-of-fact Englishmen are like St Thomas, and require palpable facts." He slipped his feet out of the stirrups, so that his long legs dangled comfortably, and, after shifting the carbine slung across his back into an easy position, began his tale. "Towards the end of November, Linh-Nghi, the informer, was sent on to us at Thaï-Nguyen. You know the man, probably?" I nodded an affirmative, and he continued: "_Et bien_, Lieutenant Deleuze, chief of our Intelligence Department, used to pass hours at a time with him; took him to his house, and never lost sight of the fellow for a week. Deleuze speaks the vernacular like a native--pity there are so few like him--and the pair were soon like _corps et chemise_. I knew there was something brewing, and was not surprised when, on the 2nd December, orders were issued for a _reconnaissance en force_ to proceed to Nha-Nam the following day. One company of the Legion and one of _tirailleurs_--a column 350 strong--and, of course, Deleuze and Linh-Nghi, were with them; so was I. Major Berard himself was in command. We slept a night at Nha-Nam, and went on to Bo-Ha the next day, after taking with us the mountain-gun from the former fort. At Bo-Ha we rested, and the following morning left by a path which runs to the north-west and passes through two ruined villages, Cho-Kai and Long-Ngo, which were burnt by Colonel Frey's column in January last." "Why, you must have been due north of where the enemy's new positions are supposed to be!" I exclaimed.