Jodot rose and took the electric lamp. He had not smelled the trap. William followed him. As they passed they saw the rifles which Ralph had drawn towards him at the beginning, and pushed a little further away. Jodot slung one of them from his shoulder, William the other. Ralph took the lantern hanging from the bough and followed on the heels of the two ruffians. “This time I’m bringing it off,” he said to himself with a lightness of spirit which must have shown in his face. “A few more convulsions perhaps. But the main battle is won.” They went down the cliff. At the edge of the lake Jodot moved along a sandy and gravelly beach at the foot of the cliff, went round a rock which hid a fairly deep cave at the mouth of which a boat was moored, dropped on his knees, removed some big stones, and uncovered four levers in a line at the end of four chains which ran into earthenware pipes. “Here it is, quite close to the machinery of the flood-gates,” he said. “The chains raise the slabs which close the sluices at the bottom of the lake.” He pulled up one of the levers. Ralph pulled up another and felt quite plainly that the chain grew taut and raised the slab that closed the sluice. The other two levers seemed to work no less successfully. There came from some distance away the sound of a sudden ebullition in the waters of the lake. The hand of Ralph’s watch pointed to twenty past nine. Aurelie was saved. “Lend me your rifle,” said Ralph. “Or, rather, fire it yourself—a couple of shots.” “Whatever for?” said Jodot in some surprise. “It’s a signal.” “A signal.” “Yes. I left Aurelie in the cave, which was nearly full of water, and you can imagine how frightened she must be. When I left her I promised to let her know by firing a rifle twice that she had nothing to fear.” Jodot was stupefied. The audacity of Ralph, this frank admission of the danger which Aurelie was still running, astounded him and at the same time increased in his eyes the prestige of his late adversary. Not for a second did he think of taking advantage of the situation. The two reports of the rifle rang out among the rocks and cliffs. “Hang it all! You are a leader, you are,” said Jodot. “You’re one to obey without asking any questions. Here are the documents of the Marquess, and here’s his will.” “That shows real sense,” said Ralph as he took the documents. “I shall make something out of you. Not an honest man—never in this world at least—but a pretty fair crook. You don’t want this boat, do you?” “Rather not.” “I shall find it useful to return to Aurelie in. And just another word of advice: don’t show yourselves any more in this district. If I were you I should make a point of getting to Clermont-Ferrand before morning. Good-by, comrades.” He stepped into the boat; Jodot cast off the chain.