‘Very heroic,’ he said. ‘Quite magnificent, M. Chevalier-errant. But you see, unfortunately, you come too late.’
‘Too late,’ I said incredulously.
‘Yes, too late,’ he replied, with a mocking smile. And the Lieutenant grinned too. ‘Unfortunately, you see, the man has just confessed. We have only been giving him an extra touch or two, to impress his memory, and save us the trouble of lashing him up again.’
‘I don’t believe it,’ I said bluntly—but I felt the check, and fell to earth. ‘The man cannot speak.’
‘No, but he has managed to tell us what we want; that he will guide us to the place we are seeking,’ the Captain answered drily. ‘The whip, if it cannot find a man a tongue, can find him wits. What is more, I think that he will keep his word,’ he continued, with a hideous scowl. ‘For I warn him that if he does not, all your heroics shall not save him. He is a rebel dog, and known to us of old; and I will flay his back to the bones, ay, until we can see his heart beating through his ribs, but I will have what I want—in your teeth, too, you d——d meddler.’
‘Steady, steady!’ I said, sobered. I saw that he was telling the truth. ‘Is he going to take you to M. de Cocheforet’s hiding-place?’
‘Yes, he is!’ the Captain retorted. ‘Have you any objection to that, Master Spy?’
‘None,’ I replied. ‘Only I shall go with you. And if you live three months, I shall kill you for that name-behind the barracks at Auch, M. le Capitaine.’
He changed colour, but he answered me boldly enough.
‘I don’t know that you will go with us,’ he said, with a snarl. ‘That is as we please.’