The doctor followed him without reply, after having made the general a parting sign to recommend prudence. The day passed away without further incident. The prisoners looked for the night with impatience; in spite of themselves, a confidence in the doctor had gained upon them--they hoped. Towards evening the worthy _savant_ reappeared. He walked with a deliberate step, his countenance was cheerful, he held a torch in his hand. "What is there fresh, doctor?" the general asked; "you appear to be quite gay." "In fact, general, I am so," he replied with a smile, "because I have found the means of securing your escape--not forgetting my own." "And those means?" "Are already half executed," he said, with a little dry smile, which was peculiar to him when he was satisfied. "What do you mean by that?" "By Galen! something very simple, but which you never would guess: all our bandits are asleep, we are masters of the grotto." "That may be possible; but if they should wake?" "Don't trouble yourself about that; they will wake, of that there is no doubt, but not within six hours at least." "How the devil can you tell that?" "Because I took upon myself to send them to sleep; that is to say, at their supper I served them with a decoction of opium, which brought them down like lumps of lead, and they have all been snoring ever since like so many forge bellows." "Oh, that is capital!" said the general. "Is it not?" the doctor observed, modestly. "By Galen, I was determined to repair the mischief I had done you by my negligence! I am not a soldier, I am but a poor physician; I have made use of my proper weapons; you see that in certain cases they are as good as others." "They are a hundred times better! Doctor, you are a noble fellow!" "Well, come, let us lose no time." "That is true, let us be gone; but the captain, what have you done with him?" "Oh, as to him, the devil only knows where he is. He left us after dinner without saying anything to anybody; but I have a shrewd suspicion I know where he is gone, and am much mistaken if we do not see him presently." "All, then, is for the best; lead on." The three men set off at once. In spite of the means employed by the doctor, the general and the Negro were not quite at ease. They arrived at the compartment which now served as a dormitory for the bandits; they were lying about asleep in all directions. The fugitives passed safely through them. When they arrived at the entrance of the grotto, at the moment they were about to unfasten the raft to cross the river, they saw, by the pale rays of the moon, another raft, manned by fifteen men, who steadily directed their course towards them. Their retreat was cut off. How could they possibly resist such a number of adversaries? "What a fatality!" the general murmured, despondingly. "Oh!" said the doctor, piteously, "a plan of escape that cost me so much trouble to elaborate!"