"You can pass me up," Fergus said sharply. "I am well known to Marshal Keith, and he will assuredly see me."
A soldier took him up to the anteroom. Lieutenant Lindsay, who was on duty, came forward, looked at him doubtfully for a moment, and then shouted joyfully:
"Why, Drummond, is it you? This is indeed a joyful meeting, old fellow. I had thought of you as immured in one of the enemy's fortresses, and as likely to remain there till the war was over, and now here you are! The marshal will be delighted."
"He cannot be more pleased than I am to be back again, Lindsay. Is he alone?"
"Yes. Come in at once. I won't announce you."
He opened the door.
"A gentleman to see you, marshal," he said, and Fergus walked in.
The marshal recognized him at once and, holding out both hands, shook those of Fergus cordially.
"I am indeed glad to see you," he said. "We knew that you were unhurt, for on the morning after the battle we sent in a parlementaire to Browne with the list of prisoners taken, and received his list in return; and as your name was among them, and you were not put down as wounded, my anxiety about you was relieved. We tried a month later to get exchanges, but they would not hear of it. In the first place, there is no doubt that the king's action, in incorporating the Saxons with our army, has caused a strong feeling against him; and in the second, they had plenty of fortresses in which to stow their prisoners, while they would calculate that the more prisoners we had to look after, the fewer men they would have to fight.
"And now, tell me by what miracle you have got here. I have nothing particular to do.