The artilleryman, after stretching himself two or three times, took up something from the ground beside him, and then went some distance down the side of the hill, but still in sight of the watchers. "He has got something on his shoulder, sir. I think it is a shovel, and he has either a cloak or a sack on his arm." "He is evidently up to something," Leigh replied, "but what it can be, I cannot imagine." Presently the man stopped, and began to work. "He is digging," Andre said, in surprise. "It looks like it certainly, but what he can be digging for I have no idea." Presently the man was seen to raise a heavy weight on to his shoulders. "It was a sack he had with him," Andre said, "and he has filled it with earth and stones." Leigh did not reply. The mystery seemed to thicken, and he was unable to form any supposition, whatever, that would account for the man's proceedings. The latter carried his burden up to the cannon, then he laid it down, and took up some long tool and thrust it into the mouth of one of the cannon. A light suddenly burst upon Leigh. "The scoundrel is going to draw the charges," he said, "and fill up the cannon with the earth that he has brought up." Andre would have leapt to his feet, as he uttered an exclamation of rage. "Keep quiet!" Leigh said, authoritatively. "We have no evidence against him, yet. We must watch him a bit longer, before we interrupt him." After two or three movements, the man was seen to draw something from the gun. This he laid on the ground, and then inserted the tool again. "That is the powder," Leigh whispered, as something else was withdrawn from the gun; "there, you see, he is taking handfuls of earth from the sack, and shoving it into the mouth." This was continued for some time, and then a rammer was inserted, and pushed home several times. Then he moved to the next cannon. "Now follow very quietly, Andre. Busy as he is, we may get quite close up to him, before he notices us. Mind, you are not to use your knife. We can master him easily enough, and must then take him down to Cathelineau, for his fate to be decided on." [Illustration: Leigh gave the word and, leaping up, they threw themselves on the traitor.] Noiselessly they crept up the hill. When within five or six paces of the gun at which Bruno was at work, Leigh gave the word and, leaping up, they threw themselves on the traitor; who was taken so completely by surprise that they were able to throw him, at once, to the ground. Snatching up a rope that had been used for drawing the guns, Leigh bound his arms securely to his side; and then, putting a pistol to his head, ordered him to rise to his feet. "Shoot me, if you like,"' the man growled. "I will not move." "I will not shoot you," Leigh replied. "You must be tried and condemned. "Now, Andre, we must carry him." The four boys had no difficulty in carrying the man down. As they passed the officer on sentry, he said: "Whom have you there, Monsieur Stansfield?"