the chouans-第5章

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on　from　their　wayside　Virgin　of　rotten　wood？　Religion；　or　rather　the　fetichism　of　these　ignorant　creatures；　absolved　such　murders　of　remorse。

Thus；　when　the　struggle　had　once　begun；　every　part　of　the　country　was　dangerous；in　fact；　all　things　were　full　of　peril；　sound　as　well　as　silence；　attraction　as　well　as　fear；　the　family　hearth　or　the　open　country。　Treachery　was　everywhere；　but　it　was　treachery　from　conviction。　The　people　were　savages　serving　God　and　the　King　after　the　fashion　of　Red　Indians。　To　make　this　sketch　of　the　struggle　exact　and　true　at　all　points；　the　historian　must　add　that　the　moment　Hoche　had　signed　his　peace　the　whole　country　subsided　into　smiles　and　friendliness。　Families　who　were　rending　each　other　to　pieces　over　night；　were　supping　together　without　danger　the　next　day。

The　very　moment　that　Commandant　Hulot　became　aware　of　the　secret　treachery　betrayed　by　the　hairy　skins　of　Marche…a…Terre；　he　was　convinced　that　this　peace；　due　to　the　genius　of　Hoche；　the　stability　of　which　he　had　always　doubted；　was　at　an　end。　The　civil　war；　he　felt；　was　about　to　be　renewed；doubtless　more　terrible　than　ever　after　a　cessation　of　three　years。　The　Revolution；　mitigated　by　the　events　of　the　9th　Thermidor；　would　doubtless　return　to　the　old　terrors　which　had　made　it　odious　to　sound　minds。　English　gold　would；　as　formerly；　assist　in　the　national　discords。　The　Republic；　abandoned　by　young　Bonaparte　who　had　seemed　to　be　its　tutelary　genius；　was　no　longer　in　a　condition　to　resist　its　enemies　from　without　and　from　within；the　worst　and　most　cruel　of　whom　were　the　last　to　appear。　The　Civil　War；　already　threatened　by　various　partial　uprisings；　would　assume　a　new　and　far　more　serious　aspect　if　the　Chouans　were　now　to　attack　so　strong　an　escort。　Such　were　the　reflections　that　filled　the　mind　of　the　commander　（though　less　succinctly　formulated）　as　soon　as　he　perceived；　in　the　condition　of　Marche…a…Terre's　clothing；　the　signs　of　an　ambush　carefully　planned。

The　silence　which　followed　the　prophetic　remark　of　the　commandant　to　Gerard　gave　Hulot　time　to　recover　his　self…possession。　The　old　soldier　had　been　shaken。　He　could　not　hinder　his　brow　from　clouding　as　he　felt　himself　surrounded　by　the　horrors　of　a　warfare　the　atrocities　of　which　would　have　shamed　even　cannibals。　Captain　Merle　and　the　adjutant　Gerard　could　not　explain　to　themselves　the　evident　dread　on　the　face　of　their　leader　as　he　looked　at　Marche…a…Terre　eating　his　bread　by　the　side　of　the　road。　But　Hulot's　face　soon　cleared；　he　began　to　rejoice　in　the　opportunity　to　fight　for　the　Republic；　and　he　joyously　vowed　to　escape　being　the　dupe　of　the　Chouans；　and　to　fathom　the　wily　and　impenetrable　being　whom　they　had　done　him　the　honor　to　employ　against　him。

Before　taking　any　resolution　he　set　himself　to　study　the　position　in　which　it　was　evident　the　enemy　intended　to　surprise　him。　Observing　that　the　road　where　the　column　had　halted　was　about　to　pass　through　a　sort　of　gorge；　short　to　be　sure；　but　flanked　with　woods　from　which　several　paths　appeared　to　issue；　he　frowned　heavily；　and　said　to　his　two　friends；　in　a　low　voice　of　some　emotion：

〃We're　in　a　devil　of　a　wasp's…nest。〃

〃What　do　you　fear？〃　asked　Gerard。

〃Fear？　Yes；　that's　it；　/fear/；〃　returned　the　commandant。　〃I　have　always　had　a　fear　of　being　shot　like　a　dog　at　the　edge　of　a　wood；　without　a　chance　of　crying　out　'Who　goes　there？'〃

〃Pooh！〃　said　Merle；　laughing；　〃'Who　goes　there'　is　all　humbug。〃

〃Are　we　in　any　real　danger？〃　asked　Gerard；　as　much　surprised　by　Hulot's　coolness　as　he　was　by　his　evident　alarm。

〃Hush！〃　said　the　commandant；　in　a　low　voice。　〃We　are　in　the　jaws　of　the　wolf；　it　is　as　dark　as　a　pocket；　and　we　must　get　some　light。　Luckily；　we've　got　the　upper　end　of　the　slope！〃

So　saying；　he　moved；　with　his　two　officers；　in　a　way　to　surround　Marche…a…Terre；　who　rose　quickly；　pretending　to　think　himself　in　the　way。

〃Stay　where　you　are；　vagabond！〃　said　Hulot；　keeping　his　eye　on　the　apparently　indifferent　face　of　the　Breton；　and　giving　him　a　push　which　threw　him　back　on　the　place　where　he　had　been　sitting。

〃Friends；〃　continued　Hulot；　in　a　low　voice；　speaking　to　the　two　officers。　〃It　is　time　I　should　tell　you　that　it　is　all　up　with　the　army　in　Paris。　The　Directory；　in　consequence　of　a　disturbance　in　the　Assembly；　has　made　another　clean　sweep　of　our　affairs。　Those　pentarchs；puppets；　I　call　them；those　directors　have　just　lost　a　good　blade；　Bernadotte　has　abandoned　them。〃

〃Who　will　take　his　place？〃　asked　Gerard；　eagerly。

〃Milet…Mureau；　an　old　blockhead。　A　pretty　time　to　choose　to　let　fools　sail　the　ship！　English　rockets　from　all　the　headlands；　and　those　cursed　Chouan　cockchafers　in　the　air！　You　may　rely　upon　it　that　some　one　behind　those　puppets　pulled　the　wire　when　they　saw　we　were　getting　the　worst　of　it。〃

〃How　getting　the　worst　of　it？〃

〃Our　armies　are　beaten　at　all　points；〃　replied　Hulot；　sinking　his　voice　still　lower。　〃The　Chouans　have　intercepted　two　couriers；　I　only　received　my　despatches　and　last　orders　by　a　private　messenger　sent　by　Bernadotte　just　as　he　was　leaving　the　ministry。　Luckily；　friends　have　written　me　confidentially　about　this　crisis。　Fouche　has　discovered　that　the　tyrant　Louis　XVIII。　has　been　advised　by　traitors　in　Paris　to　send　a　leader　to　his　followers　in　La　Vendee。　It　is　thought　that　Barras　is　betraying　the　Republic。　At　any　rate；　Pitt　and　the　princes　have　sent　a　man；　a　/ci…devant/；　vigorous；　daring；　full　of　talent；　who　intends；　by　uniting　the　Chouans　with　the　Vendeans；　to　pluck　the　cap　of　liberty　from　the　head　of　the　Republic。　The　fellow　has　lately　landed　in　the　Morbihan；　I　was　the　first　to　hear　of　it；　and　I　sent　the　news　to　those　knaves　in　Paris。　'The　Gars'　is　the　name　he　goes　by。　All　those　beasts；〃　he　added；　pointing　to　Marche…a…Terre；　〃stick　on　names　which　would　give　a　stomach…ache　to　honest　patriots　if　they　bore　them。　The　Gars　is　now　in　this　district。　The　presence　of　that　fellow〃and　again　he　signed　to　Marche…a…Terre〃as　good　as　tells　me　he　is　on　our　back。　But　they　can't　teach　an　old　monkey　to　make　faces；　and　you've　got　to　help　me　to　get　my　birds　safe　into　their　cage；　and　as　quick　as　a　flash　too。　A　pretty　fool　I　should　be　if　I　allowed　that　/ci…devant/；　who　dares　to　come　from　London　with　his　British　gold；　to　trap　me　like　a　crow！〃

On　learning　these　secret　circumstances；　and　being　well　aware　that　their　leader　was　never　unnecessarily　alarmed；　the　two　officers　saw　the　dangers　of　the　position。　Gerard　was　about　to　ask　some　questions　on　the　political　state　of　Paris；　some　details　of　which　Hulot　had　evidently　passed　over　in　silence；　but　a　sign　from　his　commander　stopped　him；　and　once　more　drew　the　eyes　of　all　three　to　the　Chouan。　Marche…a…Terre　gave　no　sign　of　disturbance　at　being　watched。　The　curiosity　of　the　two　officers；　who　were　new　to　this　species　of　warfare；　was　greatly　excited　by　this　beginning　of　an　affair　which　seemed　to　have　an　almost　romantic　interest；　and　they　began　to　joke　about　it。　But　Hulot　stopped　them　at　once。

〃God's　thunder！〃　he　cried。　〃Don't　smoke　upon　the　powder…cask；　wasting　courage　for　nothing　is　like　carrying　water　in　a　basket。　Gerard；〃　he　added；　in　the　ear　of　his　adjutant；　〃get　nearer；　by　degrees；　to　that　fellow；　and　watch　him；　at　the　first　suspicious　action　put　your　sword　through　him。　As　for　me；　I　must　take　measures　to　carry　on　the　ball　if　our　unseen　adversaries　choose　to　open　it。〃

The　Chouan　paid　no　attention　to　the　movements　of　the　young　officer；　and　continued　to　play　with　his　whip；　and　fling　out　the　lash　of　it　as　though　he　were　fishing　in　the　ditch。

Meantime　the　commandant　was　saying　to　Merle；　in　a　low　voice：　〃Give　ten　picked　men　to　a　sergeant；　and　post　them　yourself　above　us　on　the　summit　of　this　slope；　just　where　the　path　widens　to　a　ledge；　there　you　ought　to　see　the　whole　length　of　the　route　to　Ernee。　Choose　a　position　where　the　road　is　not　flanked　by　woods；　and　where　the　sergeant　can　overlook　the　country。　Take　Clef…des…Coeurs；　he　is　very　intelligent。　This　is　no　laughing　matter；　I　wouldn't　give　a　farthing　for　our　skins　if　we　don't　turn　the　odds　in　our　favor　at　once。〃

While　Merle　was　executing　this　order　with　a　rapidity　of　which　he　fully　understood　the　importance；　the　commandant　waved　his　right　hand　to　enforce　silence　on　the　soldiers；　who