"I don't understand," said the Duke. "The colonel promised your
father a corporal and six men. Didn't they come?"

"They came to the railway station all right," said Germaine. "But
you know the little inn half-way between the railway station and the
chateau? They stopped to drink there, and at eleven o'clock next
morning one of the villagers found all seven of them, along with the
footman who was guiding them to the chateau, sleeping like logs in
the little wood half a mile from the inn. Of course the innkeeper
could not explain when their wine was drugged. He could only tell us
that a motorist, who had stopped at the inn to get some supper, had
called the soldiers in and insisted on standing them drinks. They
had seemed a little fuddled before they left the inn, and the
motorist had insisted on driving them to the chateau in his car.
When the drug took effect he simply carried them out of it one by
one, and laid them in the wood to sleep it off."

"Lupin seems to have made a thorough job of it, anyhow," said the
Duke.

"I should think so," said Germaine. "Guerchard was sent down from
Paris; but he could not find a single clue. It was not for want of
trying, for he hates Lupin. It's a regular fight between them, and
so far Lupin has scored every point."

"He must be as clever as they make 'em," said the Duke.

"He is," said Germaine. "And do you know, I shouldn't be at all
surprised if he's in the neighbourhood now."