"We followed closely the instructions you sent us from Jersey," Blue-Heart explained, as his grimy forefinger wandered along the surface of the map. "Great-Fang obtained work in the garden of Les Acacias and soon located the disused shaft you spoke of, quite close to the house. It had, just as you said, been used at one time for lowering wine barrels into the cellar. It was no trouble to Great-Fang, in the course of his work, when no one was about, to loosen the stone which closed the mouth of the shaft, and after that matters were quite easy."
"I used to leave the postern gate on the latch," interpolated Great-Fang; "and the others took it in turns, two by two, to steal into the grounds by night. We very soon found the trap-door at the bottom of the shaft which gave directly on the cellars underneath the house, and when we had removed that our work was practically done."
"Now we've got two kilogrammes of gunpowder stored down there," added the man who as called Green-Eye.
"We carried it over, keg by keg, of nights," interposed Blue-Heart.
"Our time-fuse is set," quoth White-Beak.
"Even if you hadn't come, we should have fired it," concluded another. "We were not going to have our work for nothing."
They all spoke at once, eager to have their say, anxious that the leader lately come from England should know the share everyone had in the dastardly work which was to rid France of her Emperor.
"Thank Heaven I am in time, then," concluded de Livardot fervently. "When does the Corsican arrive?"
"To-morrow afternoon," replied Blue-Heart.
"And he sleeps at Les Acacias?"