"Not certainly. I should like to see him. I left Max and that rascal of a landlord half a mile out. The town is quiet; do you think it will be safe to send for them?"
"Oh yes! I will do that. You will find the prince at the Rathhaus."
"Will you lend me a change of things while mine are drying?"
"Of course! The sleeves of my coat will be short for you, I fear, but you will not need it long."
To change was but the work of a few minutes; then Harry hastened to the Rathhaus. The guard made some demur to admitting him at such an hour, but yielded when he assured them that his message was urgent, and he was conducted to an aide-de-camp, who on hearing his story in outline did not scruple to awaken the prince. Harry was not prepared for the reception his news met with. The prince broke into a roar of laughter.
"A right tit-for-tat for the Duke de Vendôme," he said. "Two can play at coney-catching! You are surprised at my levity, young sir; but the truth is, I tried to play the same game on the duke two years ago: attempted to seize him in his house at Rivalto on the banks of the Lake of Mantua. I sent fifty men in boats to capture him; but they killed the sentinel instead of carrying him off, as I intended; the noise drew the guard to the spot, and my men had to re-embark to save their skins. Well, in war let him trick the other who can: I am obliged to you for your warning. Un homme averti en vaut deux: we'll be even with the tricksters. What shall we do, lieutenant?"
"It would seem that we must take another road, Monsieur le Prince," said the aide-de-camp.
"Ma foi, non; we'll cut our way through them. I never turned back on my enemy yet."
"They are too many, your highness. Your thirty men could not cut their way through two hundred."
"Then we must go another way."