In front a herd of pigs routed among the mast, and grunted lazily; and high above us a boy lay watching them.

'We part here,' I said to my companion.
It was my plan to ride a little way along the road to Auch so as to blind his eyes; then, leaving my horse in the forest, I would go on foot to the Chateau.

'The sooner the better!' he answered with a snarl.

'And I hope I may never see your face again, Monsieur.' But when we came to the wooden cross at the fork of the roads, and were about to part, the boy we had seen leapt out of the fern and came to meet us.
'Hollo!' he cried in a sing-song tone.
'Well,' my companion answered, drawing rein impatiently.

'What is it ?' 'There are soldiers in the village.' 'Soldiers,' Antoine cried incredulously.
'Ay, devils on horseback,' the lad answered, spitting on the ground.
'Three score of them.