A little later he worked the whole of his body into security, rolled over
on his back with closed eyes to the sky, and waited while his heart
slowed down to its normal rhythmic beat.

At last, quite suddenly, he sat up and looked around him. The laughter
flashed back into his eyes. He sprang to his feet, mud-stained,
dishevelled, yet exultant.

He clicked his heels together and faced the sinking sun, slim and
upright, one stiff hand to his head. He had diced with the gods, and he
had won.

"_Destinée! Je te salue!_" he said, and the next instant whizzed smartly
round with a soldier's precision of movement and marched away towards the
fortress that crowned the hill above the rocks of Valpré.




CHAPTER III

A ROPE OF SAND


Undoubtedly Mademoiselle Gautier was querulous, and equally without doubt
she had good reason to be so; but it made it a little dull for Chris.
Accidents would happen, wherever one went, and what was the good of
making a fuss?