By degrees, the sound of the footsteps became less and less distinct, and at last died away altogether.

“Now, quick! we must not lose any time,” said Dagobert to his son, after waiting about ten minutes; “they are far enough.  Let us try to open the door.”

Agricola leaned his powerful shoulder against it, and pushed vigorously; but the door did not give way, notwithstanding its age.

“Confound it!” said Agricola; “there is a bar on the inside.  I am sure of it, or these old planks would not have resisted my weight.”

“What is to be done?”

“I will scale the wall by means of the cord and hook, and open the door from the other side.”

So saying, Agricola took the cord, and after several attempts, succeeded in fixing the hook on the coping of the wall.

“Now, father, give me a leg up; I will help myself up with the cord; once astride on the wall, I can easily turn the hook and get down into the garden.”

The soldier leaned against the wall, and joined his two hands, in the hollow of which his son placed one of his feet, then mounting upon the robust shoulders of his father, he was able, by help of the cord, and some irregularities in the wall, to reach the top.  Unfortunately, the smith had not perceived that the coping of the wall was strewed with broken bottles, so that he wounded his knees and hands; but, for fear of alarming Dagobert, he repressed every exclamation of pain, and replacing the hook, he glided down the cord to the ground.  The door was close by, and he hastened to it; a strong wooden bar had indeed secured it on the inside.  This was removed, and the lock was in so bad a state, that it offered no resistance to a violent effort from Agricola.

The door was opened, and Dagobert entered the garden with Spoil-sport.

“Now,” said the soldier to his son, “thanks to you, the worst is over.  Here is a means of escape for the poor children, and Mdlle. de Cardoville.  The thing is now to find them, without accident or delay.  Spoil-sport will go before as a scout.  Come, my good dog!” added Dagobert, “above all—­fair and softly!”

Immediately, the intelligent animal advanced a few steps, sniffing and listening with the care and caution of a hound searching for the game.

By the half-light of the clouded moon, Dagobert and his son perceived round them a V-shaped grove of tall trees, at which several paths met.  Uncertain which to choose, Agricola said to his father:  “Let us take the path that runs alongside the wall.  It will surely lead to some building.”

“Right!  Let us walk on the strips of grass, instead of through the mud.  It will make less noise.”

The father and son, preceded by the Siberian dog, kept for some time in a winding path, at no great distance from the wall.  They stopped now and then to listen, or to satisfy themselves, before continuing their advance, with regard to the changing aspects of the trees and bushes, which, shaken by the wind, and faintly illumined by the pale light of the moon, often took strange and doubtful forms.