At ten o’clock he started out with his party, followed the road by the side of the Crorrere river—­here a mere streamlet—­and halted in a wood about five miles from Felletin.

At six o’clock in the afternoon, a horseman was seen coming along, and was recognized as the man who had been left at Pont Gibaut.  Desmond went out to meet him.  He reported that, at twelve o’clock, a party of horsemen had come down on to the road a mile to the west of the town.  He had followed at a distance, and they had turned off by the track leading to Croc.  They had with them a carriage and a horse litter, and were travelling slowly.

Desmond and his men at once shifted their position, and took up a post on the track between Croc and Felletin.  An hour later, the party of horsemen were seen approaching the wood in which they were hidden.  Desmond drew up the men, all of whom were armed with pistols, as well as swords, in line among the trees.  He waited until the carriage was abreast of them, and then gave a shout, and the men at once dashed upon the escort.

Taken completely by surprise, these made but a poor fight of it.  Several were shot down at once.  The vicomte, whose head was enveloped in bandages, leapt into the saddle of a horse whose rider had been shot, and, drawing his sword, rode at Desmond, who was making for the door of the carriage.  Expecting no such attack, he would have been taken by surprise had not Mike, who saw his danger, shouted a warning, and at the same moment discharged his pistol.  The ball struck de Tulle in the forehead, and he fell back dead.

His fall at once put an end to the conflict.  The robbers, who had lost some eight of their number, at once turned their horses’ heads and rode off at full gallop.

As Desmond drew bridle by the carriage, the door opened, and the baron leapt out.

“By what miracle have you effected our rescue, my dear Monsieur Kennedy?” he exclaimed.  “My daughter told me that she saw you and your servant break your way through these brigands, and ride off.  She has been suffering an agony of grief for Philip, whom she saw shot.  Have you any news of him?”

“None, sir.  I, too, saw him fall, but whether he was killed, or only wounded, I am unable to say.  I have sent two men to bring him into Moulins, and I trust they will find that he is only wounded.”

“My daughter saw you cut down that villain with a terrible blow.  We have not seen him since, but we know that he was carried on a horse litter behind the carriage.”

“At any rate, he will trouble you no more, Baron.  My man shot him through the head, just as he was riding to attack me from behind.”

“Thank God!  We are saved from further persecutions!  And now, tell me how you came to be here.”