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Rh along the road from Zenda, I made out a party of men. There were seven or eight of them; four were on horseback and the rest were walking, and I saw that they carried long implements, which I guessed to be spades and mattocks, on their shoulders.

"They'll save you the trouble," said Sapt. "Come along."

He was right. The approaching party must, beyond doubt, be Duke Michael's men, come to remove the traces of their evil work. I hesitated no longer, but an irresistible desire seized me. Pointing to the corpse of poor little Joseph, I said to Sapt:

"Colonel, we ought to strike a blow for him!"

"You'd like to give him some company, eh? But it's too risky work, your Majesty." "I must have a slap at 'em," said I.

Sapt wavered.

"Well," said he, "it's not business, you know, but you've been a good boy—and if we come to grief, why, hang me, it 'll save us a lot of thinking? I'll show you how to touch them."