"With these horses there should be no need."

The officer of the guard gazed at us suspiciously. "You travel early,
monsieur!" he remarked.

"Too early for comfort!" I replied, "but I must reach Nevers before
Marshal Tavannes leaves. He does not like idle excuses."

"You are right, monsieur!" replied the man, with an instant change of
expression, "one does not play tricks with the marshal. But I did not
know he was at Nevers."

"'Tis but a flying visit, I believe."

"Well, a pleasant journey to you. Have a care, though, if you ride late;
the country is infested with brigands."

Thanking him for his advice I followed after Jacques, who had taken
advantage of the conversation to ride on.

"I thought the officer might take a fancy to ask me some questions, and
I am not so intimately acquainted as you with the doings of the king's
general!" he said with a chuckle. "'Twas a bold stroke, monsieur, but it
paid."

"Yes," I said, "it paid. And now let us push forward."

Strangely enough, now that Jacques had recovered his composure I began
to feel nervous, and more than once caught myself glancing round as if
half expecting to see a body of pursuers on our track. However, we