"There," said he, as he led me to the front door, "see that you send it back." On the porch were the secretary and the ladies--three of them. "Ciel! what is it?" one of them whispered as I came out. The post-lights were shining in their faces, and lovelier I never saw than those of the demoiselles. They stepped lightly to the coach, and the secretary asked if I would go in with them. "No, m'sieu'," was my answer; "I sit by ze drivaire." "Come in here, you silly goose," said one of the ladies in French, recognizing my nationality. "Grand merci!" I said, taking my seat by the driver; and then we were off, with as lively a team as ever carried me, our lights flashing on the tree trunks. We had been riding more than two hours when we stopped for water at a spring-tub under a hill. They gave me a cup, and, for the ladies, I brought each a bumper of the cool, trickling flood. "Ici, my tall woman," said one of them, presently, "my boot is untied." Her dainty foot came out of the coach door under ruffles of silk. I hesitated, for I was not accustomed to that sort of service. "Lambine!" she exclaimed. "Make haste, will you?" her foot moving impatiently. My fingers had got numb in the cold air, and I must have been very awkward, for presently she boxed my ears and drew her foot away. "Dieu!" said she. "Tell him to drive on." I got to my seat quickly, confident that nature had not intended me for a lady's-maid. Awhile later we heard the call of a picket far afield, but saw no camp. A horseman--I thought him a cavalry officer--passed us, flashing in our faces the light of a dark lantern, but said nothing. It must have been near midnight when, as we were going slowly through deep sand, I heard the clang of a cow-bell in the near darkness. Another sounded quickly a bit farther on. The driver gave no heed to it, although I recognized the signal, and knew something would happen shortly. We had come into the double dark of the timber when, suddenly, our horses reared, snorting, and stopped. The driver felt for his big pistol, but not in the right place; for two hours or more it had been stowed away in the deep pocket of my gown. Not a word was spoken. By the dim light of the lanterns we could see men all about us with pikes looming in the dark. For a breath or two there was perfect silence; then the driver rose quickly and shouted: "Who are you?" "Frien's o' these 'ere women," said one I recognized as the Corporal D'ri. He spoke in a low tone as he opened the door. "Grace au ciel!" I heard one of the young ladies saying. "It is D'ri--dear old fellow!" Then they all hurried out of the coach and kissed him. "The captain--is he not here?" said one of them in French. But D'ri did not understand them, and made no answer.