Come what might, I was ruined, for I had no
longer the means of lighting the beacon even if I should reach
it.
Eight of them, my friends, with three peasants, and I unarmed!
Was Etienne Gerard in despair? Did he lose his wits? Ah, you
know me too well; but they did not know me yet, these dogs of
brigands. Never have I made so supreme and astounding an effort
as at this very instant when all seemed lost. Yet you might
guess many times before you would hit upon the device by which I
escaped them. Listen and I will tell you.
They had dragged me from the waggon when they searched me, and I
stood, still twisted and warped, in the midst of them. But the
stiffness was wearing off, and already my mind was very actively
looking out for some method of breaking away. It was a narrow
pass in which the brigands had their outpost. It was bounded on
the one hand by a steep mountain side. On the other the ground
fell away in a very long slope, which ended in a bushy valley
many hundreds of feet below. These fellows, you understand, were
hardy mountaineers, who could travel either up hill or down very
much quicker than I.
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