"Too heavily guarded," was the reply. "Our only chance is south of Dinant. Luckily, I know a man who lives close to Waulsort. We ought to reach his place this evening."
By starting early in the evening from the loft where they had hidden all day, the fugitives reached the banks of the Meuse before midnight. There, the Meuse is deep and wide, flowing at the bottom of a deep valley. The hunchback skirted the woods in the direction of the little farm that he knew and cautiously knocked on the door.
A white, drawn face looked out.
"We are peaceful peasants here!" said a sullen voice, with both terror and hate in the tone.
"Sh! Pierre!" said the hunchback, "we are good Belgians, like yourselves. Let us in quickly."
Surprised and unwillingly the peasant opened the door.
"It is the circus boy!" he exclaimed.
Croquier wasted no time in greetings.
"We must cross the river," he said. "I have information of value to the French. You have a boat?"