egnizeyou,now.

”thereisnostake,lonel”hesaid,gravely;”no

stifieyourpledge,andassurahatthese

aretheofficerseer,any

stakeghtbefatal.”

”theseareyword.”

”itisarvelousdisguise,”gaettasaid,hisdoubtsno

rest;”aheensecredit.

”therearethedispatches,geheyaredoneupiwo

quills,andsealed.theyareoftheutstiortandst

not,atanyhazard,fallintothehandsoftheehe

dispatchesareinduplicatesothat,incaseoneosin,the

purposeisserved.

”thisisaairesandotherfrench

authorities,theogiveyoueverypossibleassistance.

”thisisaspeaireoflun.

”hereisalettertogeneralaurelles,atorleans.ifheisnotin

hechiefofhisstaffo

sendastaffofficerhyou,throughthelines,asfarasyou

requirehithehorsesareirain.

”noure,foryallant

youngfellows.”

sosaying,heshooktheybythehand;andtheyhurriedoff

tothetrain.

chapter15:theexpedition.

aspecialtelegraadbeefortourstostation

steratorleans,torequesthioorderthet

forhetrain,tobegotoutoftheirboxeshoutanyloss

ofti;andtodoanythingelseheohehorses

required.agly,asthetrainingoutsidethe

station,theguardcaroundandaskedateaarriageforthe

ohehorses.heappearedalittlesurprised,wojews

ansheinquiry;ashehadexpectedthattheyersof

highrank,andiortance.

”theplintsofthestationster,”hesaid,”andisthere

anythinghedohthehorses”

”yes,”ralphsaid.”giveplintstothestationster;and

saythatishallbechobligedifheoutofthe

horseboxes,e,ahenatohe

headquartersofgeneralaurelles.e,ina

vehicle.”

fiveer,andthe

guardranup.

”thisen.acarriageisengaged.”

uponarrivingatheadquarterstheyfoundthatoothe

forethoughtofloheyedfor,uponsending

intheias,theyitted;althoughseveral

officers,ofallgrades,.

thelohestaffgaveaventofsurprise.

”thereissostakehere,”hesaid,totheorderlywhohadshown

then;”iorderedthelieutenantsbaritted.”

”thesearethegentlehecard,lohe

orderlyanswered.

”itisso,”ralphsaid.”ifyouontalone,

attertoyou.”

theloheallcabi,adjoining.

”hu,”ralphsaid;

”andhavedisguisedourselves,toendeavortopassthroughthe

gernlines.”

”oh,isthatit”thelonelsaid.”istreallyapologize;but

noone,”hesaid,sling,”uldregnizeyou,inthatdisguise,

tobefreners.beforeustaskyoufor

soproofthatyouareyoustateyourselvestobe;forat

presentihaveonlyyourcards.”

”hereisourletterfroonsieurgaettatogeneralaurelles,”

ralphsaid.”itisdirectedtobeopenedbyyou,shouldhebe

absent.”

”thatisallright,”thelonelsaid,y

surpriseatyourappearancewe

receivedthisingonlysaid:

”thetenantsbarclayrain.

theirbusinessisstiortant.haveaountedofficerof

staffreadytoaythehroughlines.

”ithought,ofurse,thatyouhadorderstoreportonpositionof

troops;a,iadt,ratherangrythatgaettashouldwish

tosendsubalteoffiattersnghhe

hasfullreports.

”youogoonatonce”

”ourhorsesinutes,”ralphsaid,”andwewish

togetasfaraspossible,tonight.eantocrosstheloingat

ntargis,aasfarasonight;soastoarrive

eitherataux,orlun,torroourse,

preferlun,asbeingchtheshortestroutetowardsversailles.

ans.”

”youhavenotbreakfasted,ofurse”thelonelsaid.”iwas

justgoingtositdoein;foouttothefront

atten,anditishalfpastnine,nohanceof

gettinganything,beforeyouarriveatntargis.

”itroduceyoutotheofficerpanyyou.”

theboysreadilyaeptedtheinvitation,andatoncefollohe

looanotherroowaslaid,andseveral

officersofthestaffingforthearrivalofthelonel,

tobegin.thereered

htrangelookitleincreased

whenhesaid:

”gehelieutenantsbarclay.youlooksurprised;butyour

astonishntellyouthattheyareuponan

iortantssion,anddonotlookliketheelves.andnoo

table,fortheyhavetostarties.

”captainduprat,letkeyouspequaihese

geheyareboundforntargis,andyou

throughouroutposts.”

inanotherquarterofanhour,theboysthe

streetsoforleans;andahandgallop,by

theroadalongthebanksoftheloire;othenorthstretched

theflatanddenselyryknoheforestoforleans.

asfaraschateauheykeptheriver.heretheyhalted

halfanhivebreathingtitotheirhorses;thenstarted

again,androdefasttobellegarde.herehelastpostof

regulartroops,butcathlineausfranctireurstered

throughouttheuntry,asfarasntargis;anditwouldhavebeen

rediffithan

throughtheregulartroops,astheyhadlessrespectforpasses.

afteranotherhalt,theyagainstarted;andcaptainduprat

aiedthesfarasntargis,allbody

offranaptaindupratsordersosleepat

ntargis,autochateauheday.

theboysfeltratherstiffandtired,astheyrodeintis;

fortheyhadnotbeenonhorsebacethedayheywere

takenprisoners,inthevosges,andtheyhadriddenfortyles

sincebreakfast.theyillinglypush

...