Of course, if I could find out which among you have been concerned in this affair, it would be my duty to punish them--for there must have been more than one--severely.

However, although I have done my best to discover this, I am not sorry, men, that I have been unable to do so; for although these men may have failed in their duties as soldiers, they have shown themselves true-hearted fellows to run that risk--not, I am sure, from any thought of reward, but to help those who had helped them.
"'You can all return to your duty, and I hope that you will, in future, remember that duty is the first thing with a soldier, and that he should allow no other feeling to interfere with it.' "Jacques and his comrades are all satisfied that, although the general felt it was his duty to reprimand them, he was at heart by no means sorry that you had got off.
"The gendarmes are still making inquiries, but of course they have learned nothing.

Nobody was about on the wharves at that time of night, and I don't think that they will trouble themselves much longer about it.

They will come to believe that you must, somehow, have managed to get through the line of fortifications, and that you will be caught trying to make your way across the country.
"In another three or four days it will be quite safe for you to go down the river.

For the first two days every boat that went down was stopped and examined, and some of the vessels were searched by a gunboat, and the hatches taken off; but I hear that no boats have been stopped today, so I fancy you will soon be able to go down without fear." Although at night Terence and Ryan were able to emerge from their place of concealment, and walk up and down the little yard for two or three hours, they were heartily glad when, a week after their confinement, Jules told them that he thought they might start at daybreak, the next morning.
"Now, messieurs, if you will tell me what you want, I will buy the things for you." They had already made out a list.