"
I stared in amazement at what he did. Catching up a long rope he
wound it round the body of my dead comrade, and he tied a cloth
round his mouth so as to almost cover his face.
"Do you lie there!" he cried, and he laid me in the place of the
dead body. "I have four of my men waiting, and they will place
this upon the beacon." He opened the door and gave an order.
Several of the brigands entered and bore out Duplessis. For
myself I remained upon the floor, with my mind in a turmoil of
hope and wonder.
Five minutes later de Pombal and his men were back.
"You are laid upon the beacon," said he; "I defy anyone in the
world to say it is not you, and you are so gagged and bound that
no one can expect you to speak or move. Now, it only remains to
carry forth the body of Duplessis and to toss it over the Merodal
precipice."
Two of them seized me by the head and two by the heels, and
carried me, stiff and inert, from the hut. As I came into the
open air I could have cried out in my amazement. The moon had
risen above the beacon, and there, clear outlined against its
silver light, was the figure of the man stretched upon the top.
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