After leaving the village, the man to whom she had spoken repeated what she had said, and it was agreed to make the attempt.  At the first cottage they came to they made further inquiries, and found that the lord of the soil was very unpopular; for, in spite of the badness of the times, he insisted on receiving his rents without abatement, and where money was not forthcoming, had seized cattle and horses, assessing them at a price far below what they would have fetched at the nearest market.

They therefore marched to the house.  It was a very large one.  The captain thoughtfully placed Charlie and Stanislas among the six men who were to remain without, to prevent any of the inmates leaving the chateau.  With the rest, he made a sudden attack on the great door of the house, and beat it down with a heavy sledge hammer.  Just as it gave way, some shots were fired from the inside, but they rushed in, overpowered the servants, and were soon masters of the place.

In half an hour they came out again, laden with booty.  Each man carried half a dozen bottles of choice wine, from the count’s cellar, slung at his belt.  On their shoulders they carried bundles containing silver cups and other valuables; while six of them had bags of silver money, that had been extracted from the count by threats of setting fire to the chateau, and burning him and his family.

A halt was made two or three miles away, when the silver was divided into shares as usual, the men being well satisfied when they learned that Charlie and his companion claimed no part of it.  Some of the provisions they had also taken were eaten.  Each man had a flask of wine, with which the count’s health was derisively drunk.

“This has been a good night’s work,” the leader said, “and you have each sixty rix dollars in your pockets, which is more than you have had for months past.  That will keep us in provisions and spirits all through the winter; but mind, although we took it without much trouble, we have not heard the last of the business.  No doubt, by this time, the count has sent off a messenger to the nearest town where there are troops, and, for a day or two, we shall have to march fast and far.  It is one thing to plunder villages, and another to meddle with a rich nobleman.”

For the next forty-eight hours they marched by night instead of by day, keeping always together, and prepared to resist an attack.  One morning they saw, from their hiding place among some high reeds near the river, a body of about sixty horsemen ride past at a distance.  They were evidently searching for something, for parties could be seen to break off several times, and to enter woods and copses, the rest halting till they came out again.

As the band had with them enough food for another three days, they remained for thirty-six hours in their hiding place, and then, thinking the search would by that time be discontinued, went on again.  The next day they killed two or three goats from a herd, the boy in charge of them making off with such speed that, though hotly pursued and fired at several times, he made his escape.  They carried the carcasses to a wood, lit a fire, and feasted upon them.  Then, having cooked the rest of the flesh, they divided it among the band.