Hob Elliot very unwisely replied in his native tongue, and bade him go to--it was not Heaven. On this Pricorbin slapped the butt of his musket and challenged again. "_La France_," said I, in a very confident tone, and still continuing to advance; "I am the Chevalier de Boisguiller, going towards Freyenthal on special service." "Boisguiller of the Hussars de la Reine?" "_Oui, mon camarade_," said I, with a jaunty air. "_Bon Dieu_! M. le Chevalier on foot?" "My horse was shot in a skirmish yesterday." "_Tais-toi, nous serrons entendus, monsieur_," said Arnaud, in a subdued voice, and presenting arms as I came close to him. "_Pourquoi?_" said I, with affected impatience. "Because the King of Prussia's Black Hussars are within musket shot of us." "Where?" "Among yonder trees," said all the soldiers together in a whisper. "It matters not to me," said I; "we go under _cartel_." I now perceived that one of the six soldiers had his head and face tied up with bloodstained handkerchiefs. "And this big Gendarme?" inquired Arnaud, pointing to Hob Elliot. "My guide from Ysembourg." "Had he better not return with us? Monsieur is close to the ford." Instead of replying to this uncomfortable suggestion, I asked "Have you found him you watched for?" "The escaped prisoner?" "_Diable_--yes." "No, monsieur," he replied, with a malediction, in which the others, especially he of the slashed visage, heartily joined, while stamping their feet and blowing their fingers; "and so, after being half-frozen, we have left the ford in despair." "Well--in yonder cottage on the slope of the hill you will find him lying dead, with his red coat beside him." "_Tres bon!_--but I have some brandy here, M. le Chevalier," said Arnaud, presenting his canteen. "_A votre santé, mon camarade_," said I, drinking and handing the vessel to Hob, who without the smallest compunction and with a leer in his eye drained it to the last drop. "Diable! 'tis a cold night--I shaved off my moustache to avoid icicles; now, _camarade_, the direct road to the ford?" "Is this we are on, monsieur--a half-mile further will bring you to it, but beware of the Hussars." The deception was complete, and away they went double quick to the dreary cottage on the hill. Amid the darkness which had now set in, we reached the willow bushes and scattered rocks at the ford, the scene of my late affair with its watchers, and there a hoarse challenge in German rung through the frosty air upon our right. Then issuing from a thicket of pines, we saw a patrol of twenty of those dark and sombre fellows, the King of Prussia's Death's-head Hussars, riding slowly toward us.