In the middle of the day they halted for two hours at a farmhouse, and allowed their horses to rest and feed, and then shifted the saddles again, for Rupert had, since starting in the morning, run the greater part of the way with his hand on the horse’s saddle, so that the animal was quite fresh when they reached their first halting place.

They then rode on and came down into the La Rochelle road, at a spot near which they had heard that a wayside inn stood at which they could obtain refreshments.  The instant they drew rein at the door, they saw from the face of the landlord that inquiries had been made for them.

“You had better not dismount, sir.  These fellows may play you some trick or other.  I will bring some refreshments out, and learn the news.”

So saying, Rupert leapt from his horse, took his pistols from their holsters, placed one in his belt, and having cocked the other, went up to the landlord.

“Bring out five manchettes of bread,” he said, “and a few bottles of your best wine; and tell me how long is it since men came here asking if you had seen us?”

“This morning, about noon,” the man said.  “Two gendarmes came along, and a troop of soldiers passed an hour since; they came from Parthenay.”

“Did they say anything besides asking for us?  Come, here is a louis to quicken your recollection.”

“They said to each other, as they drank their wine, that you could not have passed here yet, since you could not get fresh horses, as they had done.  Moreover, they said that troops from every place on the road were out in search of you.”

“Call your man, and bid him bring out quickly the things I have named,” Rupert said.

The man did so; and a lad, looking scared at the sight of Rupert’s drawn pistol, brought out the wine and bread, and three drinking horns.

“How far is it to La Rochelle?” Rupert asked.

“Thirty-five miles.”

“Are there any byroads, by which we can make a detour, so as to avoid this main road, and so come down either from the north or south into the town?”

The landlord gave some elaborate directions.

“Good!” Rupert said.  “I think we shall get through yet.”

Then he broke up two of the portions of bread, and gave them to the horses, removed the bits from their mouths, and poured a bottle of wine down each of their throats; then bridled up and mounted, throwing two louis to the host, and saying: 

“We can trust you to be secret as to our having been here, can we not?”

The landlord swore a great oath that he would say nothing of their having passed, and they then rode on.

“That landlord had ‘rogue’ written on his face,” Adele said.

“Yes, indeed,” Rupert said.  “I warrant me by this time he has sent off to the nearest post.  Now we will take the first road to the north, and make for Nantes.  It is getting dark now, and we must not make more than another ten miles.  These poor brutes have gone thirty already.”