"The old man asked the young one if he were sure that was right place. `Oh, yes,' he replied, `'tis the place sure enough,' and by the light of the charcoal fire he showed to his companion a paper, which he carried. `Here is the plan,' he said, `which he gave me before I left London. We were to adhere strictly to that plan, unless I had contrary orders, and I have had none. Here is the road we followed, see. . .here the fork. . .here we cut across the St. Martin Road. . .and here is the footpath which brought us to the edge of the cliff.' I must have made a slight noise then, for the young man came to the door of the hut, and peered anxiously all round him. When he again joined his companion, they whispered so low, that I could no longer hear them.""Well?--and?" asked Chauvelin, impatiently.
"There were six of us altogether, patrolling that part of the beach, so we consulted together, and thought it best that four should remain behind and keep the hut in sight, and I and my comrade rode back at once to make report of what we had seen.""You saw nothing of the tall stranger?"
"Nothing, citoyen."