I was able now to walk without assistance, and even to sit in the saddle, though not very firmly, and I felt eager to rejoin my comrades.  But to this neither Jacques nor the surgeon would consent, so I continued to while away the time in the quaint old town as patiently as possible.  But, as the weeks passed and my strength returned more fully, life in Limoges became more and more insupportable, and I finally resolved to travel by easy stages to Poictiers.

The news we gathered on the journey was by no means reassuring.  Coligny had failed to capture the town; he had lost several thousand good troops, and had raised the siege.  Equally discomforting was the information that Anjou was in the field again with a strong and well-equipped army.

“We seem to have gained little by our victory,” I said disconsolately.

“We shall do better after our next one,” said Jacques cheerily.  “We learn by our mistakes, monsieur.”

The rival armies had apparently vanished.  From time to time we obtained news of Coligny, but it was very vague, and left us little the wiser.  One day he was said to be at Moncontour, another at Loudun; on a third we were told he was retreating pell-mell to La Rochelle, with Anjou hot on his heels.

Within a few hours’ ride of Loudun we put up for the night at a small inn.  Jacques attended to the animals—­one of us generally saw them properly fed—­while I gave instructions to the landlord concerning our supper.  He was an old man, almost as old as Pierre, and he had such a peculiar trick of jerking his head in answer to my remarks that I almost feared it would come right off.

“I am sorry, monsieur, I will do my best; but the larder is empty.  I will kill a fowl; there is one left; but monsieur will be under the disagreeable necessity of waiting.”

“We are sharp set,” I said.  “Is there no cold meat in the house?”

“Monsieur, the troopers have devoured everything.”

“Whose troopers?” I asked sharply.

“Whose but Monseigneur’s!” replied the old man; “but they did not remain long; they were busy hunting down the heretics.”

After asking a few more questions, I sent him away to catch and cook our supper, and then discussed his information with Jacques.  From the old man’s story we gathered that the Duke of Montpensier was marching south with a division of the royal army in pursuit of our comrades.

“Between Montpensier and Anjou we are in an awkward situation,” I said.  “We have overshot the mark.”

“That is true, monsieur; we must turn back, if we wish to join the Admiral; but our animals are tired.”

“We will give them a few hours’ rest, and start early in the morning.”

“If the supper is cooked by then!” answered Jacques slily.

There seemed to be some little doubt about that, but finally our host, who had been scouring the village, returned in triumph with provisions for an ample meal.