the chouans-第5章

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　with　inquiring　eyes。

〃You　know；〃　continued　Hulot；　who　possessed　the　art　of　speaking　picturesquely　as　soldier　to　soldiers；　〃that　it　won't　do　for　old　hares　like　us　to　be　caught　napping　by　the　Chouans；of　whom　there　are　plenty　all　round　us；　or　my　name's　not　Hulot。　You　four　are　to　march　in　advance　and　beat　up　both　sides　of　this　road。　The　detachment　will　hang　fire　here。　Keep　your　eyes　about　you；　don't　get　picked　off；　and　bring　me　news　of　what　you　findquick！〃

So　saying　he　waved　his　hand　towards　the　suspected　heights　along　the　road。　The　four　men；　by　way　of　thanks　raised　the　backs　of　their　hands　to　their　battered　old　three…cornered　hats；　discolored　by　rain　and　ragged　with　age；　and　bent　their　bodies　double。　One　of　them；　named　Larose；　a　corporal　well…known　to　Hulot；　remarked　as　he　clicked　his　musket：　〃We'll　play　'em　a　tune　on　the　clarinet；　commander。〃

They　started；　two　to　right　and　two　to　left　of　the　road；　and　it　was　not　without　some　excitement　that　their　comrades　watched　them　disappear。　The　commandant　himself　feared　that　he　had　sent　them　to　their　deaths；　and　an　involuntary　shudder　seized　him　as　he　saw　the　last　of　them。　Officers　and　soldiers　listened　to　the　gradually　lessening　sound　of　their　footsteps；　with　feelings　all　the　more　acute　because　they　were　carefully　hidden。　There　are　occasions　when　the　risk　of　four　lives　causes　more　excitement　and　alarm　than　all　the　slain　at　Jemmapes。　The　faces　of　those　trained　to　war　have　such　various　and　fugitive　expressions　that　a　painter　who　has　to　describe　them　is　forced　to　appeal　to　the　recollections　of　soldiers　and　to　leave　civilians　to　imagine　these　dramatic　figures；　for　scenes　so　rich　in　detail　cannot　be　rendered　in　writing；　except　at　interminable　length。

Just　as　the　bayonets　of　the　four　men　were　finally　lost　to　sight；　Captain　Merle　returned；　having　executed　the　commandant's　orders　with　rapidity。　Hulot；　with　two　or　three　sharp　commands；　put　his　troop　in　line　of　battle　and　ordered　it　to　return　to　the　summit　of　La　Pelerine　where　his　little　advanced…guard　were　stationed；　walking　last　himself　and　looking　backward　to　note　any　changes　that　might　occur　in　a　scene　which　Nature　had　made　so　lovely；　and　man　so　terrible。　As　he　reached　the　spot　where　he　had　left　the　Chouan；　Marche…a…Terre；　who　had　seen　with　apparent　indifference　the　various　movements　of　the　commander；　but　who　was　now　watching　with　extraordinary　intelligence　the　two　soldiers　in　the　woods　to　the　right；　suddenly　gave　the　shrill　and　piercing　cry　of　the　/chouette/；　or　screech…owl。　The　three　famous　smugglers　already　mentioned　were　in　the　habit　of　using　the　various　intonations　of　this　cry　to　warn　each　other　of　danger　or　of　any　event　that　might　concern　them。　From　this　came　the　nickname　of　〃Chuin〃　which　means　/chouette/　or　owl　in　the　dialect　of　that　region。　This　corrupted　word　came　finally　to　mean　the　whole　body　of　those　who；　in　the　first　uprising；　imitated　the　tactics　and　the　signals　of　the　smugglers。

When　Hulot　heard　that　suspicious　sound　he　stopped　short　and　examined　the　man　intently；　then　he　feigned　to　be　taken　in　by　his　stupid　air；　wishing　to　keep　him　by　him　as　a　barometer　which　might　indicate　the　movements　of　the　enemy。　He　therefore　checked　Gerard；　whose　hand　was　on　his　sword　to　despatch　him；　but　he　placed　two　soldiers　beside　the　man　he　now　felt　to　be　a　spy；　and　ordered　them　in　a　loud；　clear　voice　to　shoot　him　at　the　next　sound　he　made。　In　spite　of　his　imminent　danger　Marche…a…Terre　showed　not　the　slightest　emotion。　The　commandant；　who　was　studying　him；　took　note　of　this　apparent　insensibility；　and　remarked　to　Gerard：　〃That　fool　is　not　so　clever　as　he　means　to　be！　It　is　far　from　easy　to　read　the　face　of　a　Chouan；　but　the　fellow　betrays　himself　by　his　anxiety　to　show　his　nerve。　Ha！　ha！　if　he　had　only　pretended　fear　I　should　have　taken　him　for　a　stupid　brute。　He　and　I　might　have　made　a　pair！　I　came　very　near　falling　into　the　trap。　Yes；　we　shall　undoubtedly　be　attacked；　but　let　'em　come；　I'm　all　ready　now。〃

As　he　said　these　words　in　a　low　voice；　rubbing　his　hands　with　an　air　of　satisfaction；　he　looked　at　the　Chouan　with　a　jeering　eye。　Then　he　crossed　his　arms　on　his　breast　and　stood　in　the　road　with　his　favorite　officers　beside　him　awaiting　the　result　of　his　arrangements。　Certain　that　a　fight　was　at　hand；　he　looked　at　his　men　composedly。

〃There'll　be　a　row；〃　said　Beau…Pied　to　his　comrades　in　a　low　voice。　〃See；　the　commandant　is　rubbing　his　hands。〃

In　critical　situations　like　that　in　which　the　detachment　and　its　commander　were　now　placed；　life　is　so　clearly　at　stake　that　men　of　nerve　make　it　a　point　of　honor　to　show　coolness　and　self…possession。　These　are　the　moments　in　which　to　judge　men's　souls。　The　commandant；　better　informed　of　the　danger　than　his　two　officers；　took　pride　in　showing　his　tranquillity。　With　his　eyes　moving　from　Marche…a…Terre　to　the　road　and　thence　to　the　woods　he　stood　expecting；　not　without　dread；　a　general　volley　from　the　Chouans；　whom　he　believed　to　be　hidden　like　brigands　all　around　him；　but　his　face　remained　impassible。　Knowing　that　the　eyes　of　the　soldiers　were　turned　upon　him；　he　wrinkled　his　brown　cheeks　pitted　with　the　small…pox；　screwed　his　upper　lip；　and　winked　his　right　eye；　a　grimace　always　taken　for　a　smile　by　his　men；　then　he　tapped　Gerard　on　the　shoulder　and　said：　〃Now　that　things　are　quiet　tell　me　what　you　wanted　to　say　just　now。〃

〃I　wanted　to　ask　what　this　new　crisis　means；　commandant？〃　was　the　reply。

〃It　is　not　new；〃　said　Hulot。　〃All　Europe　is　against　us；　and　this　time　she　has　got　the　whip　hand。　While　those　Directors　are　fighting　together　like　horses　in　a　stable　without　any　oats；　and　letting　the　government　go　to　bits；　the　armies　are　left　without　supplies　or　reinforcements。　We　are　getting　the　worst　of　it　in　Italy；　we've　evacuated　Mantua　after　a　series　of　disasters　on　the　Trebia；　and　Joubert　has　just　lost　a　battle　at　Novi。　I　only　hope　Massena　may　be　able　to　hold　the　Swiss　passes　against　Suwarow。　We're　done　for　on　the　Rhine。　The　Directory　have　sent　Moreau。　The　question　is；　Can　he　defend　the　frontier？　I　hope　he　may；　but　the　Coalition　will　end　by　invading　us；　and　the　only　general　able　to　save　the　nation　is；　unluckily；　down　in　that　devilish　Egypt；　and　how　is　he　ever　to　get　back；　with　England　mistress　of　the　Mediterranean？〃

〃Bonaparte's　absence　doesn't　trouble　me；　commandant；〃　said　the　young　adjutant　Gerard；　whose　intelligent　mind　had　been　developed　by　a　fine　education。　〃I　am　certain　the　Revolution　cannot　be　brought　to　naught。　Ha！　we　soldiers　have　a　double　mission；not　merely　to　defend　French　territory；　but　to　preserve　the　national　soul；　the　generous　principles　of　liberty；　independence；　and　rights　of　human　reason　awakened　by　our　Assemblies　and　gaining　strength；　as　I　believe；　from　day　to　day。　France　is　like　a　traveller　bearing　a　light：　he　protects　it　with　one　hand；　and　defends　himself　with　the　other。　If　your　news　is　true；　we　have　never　the　last　ten　years　been　so　surrounded　with　people　trying　to　blow　it　out。　Principles　and　nation　are　in　danger　of　perishing　together。〃

〃Alas；　yes；〃　said　Hulot；　sighing。　〃Those　clowns　of　Directors　have　managed　to　quarrel　with　all　the　men　who　could　sail　the　ship。　Bernadotte；　Carnot；　all　of　them；　even　Talleyrand；　have　deserted　us。　There's　not　a　single　good　patriot　left；　except　friend　Fouche；　who　holds　'em　through　the　police。　There's　a　man　for　you！　It　was　he　who　warned　me　of　a　coming　insurrection；　and　here　we　are；　sure　enough；　caught　in　a　trap。〃

〃If　the　army　doesn't　take　things　in　hand　and　manage　the　government；〃　said　Gerard；　〃those　lawyers　in　Paris　will　put　us　back　just　where　we　were　before　the　Revolution。　A　parcel　of　ninnies！　what　do　they　know　about　governing？〃

〃I'm　always　afraid　they'll　treat　with　the　Bourbons；〃　said　Hulot。　〃Thunder！　if　they　did　/that/　a　pretty　pass　we　should　be　in；　we　soldiers！〃

〃No；　no；　commandant；　it　won't　come　to　that；〃　said　Gerard。　〃The　army；　as　you　say；　will　raise　its　voice；　andprovided　it　doesn't　choose　its　words　from　Pichegru's　vocabularyI　am　persuaded　we　have　not　hacked　ourselves　to　pieces　for　the　last　ten　years　merely　to　manure　the　flax　and　let　others　spin　the　thread。〃

〃Well；〃　interposed　Captain　Merle；　〃what　we　have　to　do　now　is　to　act　as　good　patriots　and　prevent　the　Chouans　from　communicating　with　La　Vendee；　for；　if　they　once　come　to　an　understanding　and　England　gets　her　finger　into　the　pie；　I　wouldn't　answer　for　the　cap　of　the　Republic；　one　and　invisible。〃

As　he　spoke　the　cry　of　an　owl；　heard　at　a　distance；　interrupted　the　conversation。　Again　the　commander　examined　Marche…a…Terre；　whose　impassible　face　still　gave　no　sign。　The　conscripts；　their　ranks　closed　up　by　an　officer；　now　stood　like　a　herd　of　cattle　in　the　road；　about　a　hundred　feet　distant　from　the　escort；　which　was　drawn　up　in　line　of　battle。　Behind　them　stood　the　rear…guard　of　soldiers　and　patriots；　picked　men；　commanded　by　Lieutenant　Lebrun。　Hulot　cast　his　eyes　over　this　arrangement　of　his　forces　and　looked　again　at　the　picket　of　men　posted　in　advance　upon　the　road。　Satisfied　with　what　he　saw　he　was　about　to　give　the　order　to　march；　when　the　tricolor　cockades　of　the　two　soldiers　he　had　sent　to　beat　the　woods　to　the　left　caught　his　eye；　he　waited　therefore　till　the　two　others；　who　had　gone　to　the　right；　should　reappear。

〃Perhaps　the　ball　will　open　over　there；〃　he　said　to　his　officers；　pointing　to　the　woods　from　which　the　two　men　did　not　emerge。

While　the　first　two　made　their　report　Hulot's　attention　was　distracted　momentarily　from　Marche…a…Terre。　The　Chouan　at　once　sent　his　owl's…cry　to　an　apparently　vast　distance；　and　before　the　men　who　guarded　him　could　raise　their　muskets　and　take　aim　he　had　struck　them　a　blow　with　his　whip　which　felled　them；　and　rushed　away。　A　terrible　discharge　of　fire…arms　from　the　woods　just　above　the　place　where　the　Chouan　had　been　sitting　brought　down　six　or　eight　soldiers。　Marche…a…Terre；　at　whom　several　men　had　fired　without　touching　him；　vanished　into　the　woods　after　climbing　the　slope　with　the　agility　of　a　wild…cat；　as　he　did　so　his　sabots　rolled　into　the　ditch　and　his　feet　were　seen　to　be　shod　with　the　thick；　hobnailed　boots　always　worn　by　the　Chouans。

At　the　first　cries　uttered　by　the　Chouans；　the　conscripts　sprang　into　the　woods　to　the　right　like　a　flock　of　birds　taking　flight　at　the　approach　of　a　man。

〃Fire　on　those　scoundrels！〃　cried　Hulot。

The　company　fired；　but　the　conscripts　knew　well　how　to　shelter　themselves　behind　trees；　and　before　the　soldiers　could　reload　they　were　out　of　sight。

〃What's　the　use　of　/decreeing/　levies　in　the　departments？〃　said　Hulot。　〃It　is　only　such　idiots　as　the　Directory　who　would　expect　any　good　of　a　draft　in　this　region。　The　Assembly　had　much　better　stop　voting　more　shoes　and　money　and　ammunition；　and　see　that　we　get　what　belongs　to　us。〃

At　this　moment　the　two　skirmishers　sent　out　on　the　right　were　seen　returning　with　evident　difficulty。　The　one　that　was　least　wounded　supported　his　comrade；　whose　blood　was　moistening　the　earth。　The　two　poor　fellows　were　half…way　down　the　slope　when　Marche…a…Terre　showed　his　ugly　face；　and　took　so　true　an　aim　that　both　Blues　fell　together　and　rolled　heavily　into　the　ditch。　The　Chouan's　monstrous　head　was　no　sooner　seen　than　thirty　muzzles　were　levelled　at　him；　but；　like　a　figure　in　a　pantomime；　he　disappeared　in　a　second　among　the　tufts　of　gorse。　These　events；