"I am lost," murmured De Wardes, "he is not mortally wounded." At the very moment, however, that De Guiche was about to raise his pistol against De Wardes, the head, shoulders and limbs of the comte seemed all to give way.

He heaved a deep-drawn sigh, tottered, and fell at the feet of De Wardes' horse.
"That is all right," said De Wardes; and, gathering up the reins, he struck his spurs into his horse's sides.

The horse cleared the comte's motionless body, and bore De Wardes rapidly back to the chateau.

When he arrived there, he remained a quarter of an hour deliberating within himself as to the proper course to be adopted.

In his impatience to leave the field of battle, he had omitted to ascertain whether De Guiche were dead or not.