"Great Heaven!" said the squire to himself, turning pale, "I seem to be known hereabouts; and if I am really recognized, it's all over with me." It was too late, however, for him to turn about and make his escape, for the soldiers were all around him. Fortunately it was already pretty dark. "Who are you, and where are you going?" one of them asked him. "My name is Martin-Guerre," replied Arnauld, trembling with fear; "I am the squire of Vicomte d'Exmès, now a prisoner at Calais, and I am on my way to Paris to procure the money for his ransom. Here is a safe-conduct signed by Lord Wentworth, governor of Calais." The leader of the troop called one of his men, who carried a torch, and began with very serious mien to examine Arnauld's pass. "The seal is all right," said he; "and the pass seems to be genuine. You have told the truth, my friend; and you may go on about your business." "Thanks," said Arnauld, breathing again. "One word more, my friend. You have not chanced to meet on your way a man who had the appearance of a fugitive, a rascally gallows-bird, who answers to the name of Arnauld du Thill?" "I don't know any such man as Arnauld du Thill," was Arnauld du Thill's hasty reply. "Perhaps you don't know him, my friend; but you might have met him among these by-paths. He is about your height, and as well as one can judge in this darkness, of somewhat the same build. But he is by no means so well dressed as you, I must admit. He wears a brown cape, round hat, and gray leggings, and he should be in hiding somewhere in the direction that you came from. The villain! Oh, if he but fall into our hands just once more, that devilish scoundrel!" "What has he done, pray?" inquired Arnauld, hesitatingly. "What has he done? This is the third time that he has escaped from us. He claims that we made his life too hard for him. I think he's right too! When he ran away the first time he carried off his master's light o' love. Surely that deserved punishment. Then he had nothing to pay for his ransom. He has been sold over and over again, and has passed from hand to hand, and was the property of anybody who wanted him. It was no more than fair that since he could be of no value to us, he should entertain us; but that made him proud, and he didn't choose to do it any longer, so he ran away again. Now, this makes the third time that he has done it, and if we catch the blackguard again!" "What will you do to him?" asked Arnauld, again. "The first time we beat him; the second time we half killed him; and the third time we will hang him!" "Hang him!" echoed Arnauld, in alarm. "To the nearest tree, my good fellow; and without trial. He is ours. To hang him will amuse us, and teach him a lesson. Look to your right, my friend. Do you see that gallows? Well, we shall string up Arnauld du Thill on that very gallows the moment we succeed in capturing him." "Oh, indeed!" said Arnauld, with rather constrained merriment.