From  now  on  he  was  resolved  to  wage  war  against
Madame  on  his  own  account.  She  had  laughed
in  his  face.  He  pushed  on,  examining  trees,  hol-
lows and  ditches.  Sometimes  he  put  his  hand
to  his  ear  and  listened.  There  was  no  sound  in
the  great  lonely  forest,  save  for  the  low  murmur
of  the  wind  through  the  sprawling  boughs.  Shad-
ows danced  on  the  forest  floor.  Once  he  turned
and  shook  his  clenched  fist  toward  the  spot  which
marked  the  location  of  the  Red  Chateau.  He
thanked  Providence  that  he  was  never  to  see  it
again.  What  an  adventure  to  tell  at  the  clubs
when  he  once  more  regained  his  Vienna !  Would
he  regain  it?


362     v    THE     PUPPET     CROWX

Why  did  Madame  keep  Fitzgerald  to  her  strings?
He  concluded  not  to  bother  himself  with  problems
abstract;  the  main  object  was  to  cross  the  Thalians
by  a  path  of  his  own  choosing.  When  he  had  cov-
ered what  he  thought  to  be  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  he
mounted  a  lookout.  The  highway  was  about  three
hundred  yards  to  the  left.  That  was  where  it
should  be.  He  saw  no  sentries,  so  he  slid  down
from  the  tree  and  resumed  his  journey.  The
chestnuts,  oaks,  and  firs  were  growing  thicker  and
denser.  A  dead  branch  cracked  with  a  loud  report
beneath  his  feet.  With  his  heart  almost  in  his
throat,  he  lay  down  and  listened.  A  minute  passed ;
he  listened  in  vain  for  an  answering  noise.  He  got
up  and  went  on.
