I scrambled down the side of Pignon, bending among the rocks lest they should see me, and so came out on to the larger rocks, inside which lies the landing-place.  I was thus in the rear of the Herm men, with the open sea behind me, and a glance told me that the Senechal’s fears were justified.  The two boats that had pushed in were alone there, and I heard the sound of oars working lustily down the coast.

I turned and tumbled back the way I had come, scrambling and falling, cutting and bruising myself on the ragged rocks, and so up to our men.

“There are only two boats there,” I shouted.  “The rest are off for the Creux.”

“Good lad!” cried George Hamon.  “Off after them, Phil, and keep them in sight.  Fire your pistol if they stop.  We’ll divide and follow, and we’ll not be far behind;” and I ran on past Les Fontaines and Creux Belet.

I heard them pass Banquette as I stood in the gorse of the hillside, and followed them round to Greve de la Ville, where there was little chance of their landing, as the shore is not easy, and the climb not tempting.

From there I could have cut across into the Creux Road, and been at the harbour long before them, but I thought best to follow the cliffs and keep them in touch, lest they should try any tricks.

They had to keep well out round Moie a Navet, but they came in again under Grande Moie, and so we came down the coast, they below and I above, till I ran across country, back of the Cagnons, and dropped into Creux Road just above the tunnel, and there found George Hamon with a good company come straight by the road from La Tour, and still panting hard from their rush.

“Ah, here you are, mon gars!” said Uncle George.  “And where are they?”

“Coming along.  I saw them past Les Cagnons.  How are they at Eperquerie?”

“We left them at it, but they’re scotched there.  Will they try here, or go on?”

“Dixcart, if they know their business.  It’ll be all hands to the pumps there, Uncle George.  Four of us could hold the tunnel here against fifty.”

“Yes, we’ll get on by Les Laches and wait there and make sure.  Do you stop here, Phil, with Godfray and De Carteret and Jean Drillot, until you are sure they have gone on, then come on and join us.  Best barricade the tunnel with some of that timber.”

He and the rest went on up the hillside to Les Laches, and we four set to work hauling and piling, till the seaward mouth of the tunnel leading from the road to the shore was barred against any possible entrance.  And listening anxiously through our barrier, with the stillness of the tunnel behind us, we presently heard the sound of the toiling oars pass slowly on towards Dixcart.  We waited till they died away, and then climbed the hill to Les Laches and sped across by the old ruins, with a wide berth to the great Creux at the head of Derrible Bay, and down over the Hog’s Back into Dixcart Valley, where we knew, and they knew, their best chances lay.  For in Dixcart the shore shelves gently, and the valley runs wide to the beach; fifty boats could land there in a line, and their crews could come up the sloping way by the streamlet ten abreast.  It would be no easy place to defend if the enemy pushed his attack with persistence, and every man we had would be needed.