the chouans-第6章

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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　were　standing　at　ease；　and　laughing　and　joking　around　him。　With　another　gesture　he　ordered　them　to　take　up　arms。　When　quiet　was　restored　he　turned　his　eyes　from　one　end　of　the　road　to　the　other；　listened　with　anxious　attention　as　though　he　hoped　to　detect　some　stifled　sound；　some　echo　of　weapons；　or　steps　which　might　give　warning　of　the　expected　attack。　His　black　eye　seemed　to　pierce　the　woods　to　an　extraordinary　depth。　Perceiving　no　indications　of　danger；　he　next　consulted；　like　a　savage；　the　ground　at　his　feet；　to　discover；　if　possible；　the　trail　of　the　invisible　enemies　whose　daring　was　well　known　to　him。　Desperate　at　seeing　and　hearing　nothing　to　justify　his　fears；　he　turned　aside　from　the　road　and　ascended；　not　without　difficulty；　one　or　two　hillocks。　The　other　officers　and　the　soldiers；　observing　the　anxiety　of　a　leader　in　whom　they　trusted　and　whose　worth　was　known　to　them；　knew　that　his　extreme　watchfulness　meant　danger；　but　not　suspecting　its　imminence；　they　merely　stood　still　and　held　their　breaths　by　instinct。　Like　dogs　endeavoring　to　guess　the　intentions　of　a　huntsman；　whose　orders　are　incomprehensible　to　them　though　they　faithfully　obey　him；　the　soldiers　gazed　in　turn　at　the　valley；　at　the　woods　by　the　roadside；　at　the　stern　face　of　their　leader；　endeavoring　to　read　their　fate。　They　questioned　each　other　with　their　eyes；　and　more　than　one　smile　ran　from　lip　to　lip。

When　Hulot　returned　to　his　men　with　an　anxious　look；　Beau…Pied；　a　young　sergeant　who　passed　for　the　wit　of　his　company；　remarked　in　a　low　voice：　〃Where　the　deuce　have　we　poked　ourselves　that　an　old　trooper　like　Hulot　should　pull　such　a　gloomy　face？　He's　as　solemn　as　a　council　of　war。〃

Hulot　gave　the　speaker　a　stern　look；　silence　being　ordered　in　the　ranks。　In　the　hush　that　ensued；　the　lagging　steps　of　the　conscripts　on　the　creaking　sand　of　the　road　produced　a　recurrent　sound　which　added　a　sort　of　vague　emotion　to　the　general　excitement。　This　indefinable　feeling　can　be　understood　only　by　those　who　have　felt　their　hearts　beat　in　the　silence　of　the　night　from　a　painful　expectation　heightened　by　some　noise；　the　monotonous　recurrence　of　which　seems　to　distil　terror　into　their　minds；　drop　by　drop。

The　thought　of　the　commandant；　as　he　returned　to　his　men；　was：　〃Can　I　be　mistaken？〃　He　glanced；　with　a　concentrated　anger　which　flashed　like　lightning　from　his　eyes；　at　the　stolid；　immovable　Chouan；　a　look　of　savage　irony　which　he　fancied　he　detected　in　the　man's　eyes；　warned　him　not　to　relax　in　his　precautions。　Just　then　Captain　Merle；　having　obeyed　Hulot's　orders；　returned　to　his　side。

〃We　did　well；　captain；〃　said　the　commandant；　〃to　put　the　few　men　whose　patriotism　we　can　count　upon　among　those　conscripts　at　the　rear。　Take　a　dozen　more　of　our　own　bravest　fellows；　with　sub…lieutenant　Lebrun　at　their　head；　and　make　a　rear…guard　of　them；　they'll　support　the　patriots　who　are　there　already；　and　help　to　shove　on　that　flock　of　birds　and　close　up　the　distance　between　us。　I'll　wait　for　you。〃

The　captain　disappeared。　The　commander's　eye　singled　out　four　men　on　whose　intelligence　and　quickness　he　knew　he　might　rely；　and　he　beckoned　to　them；　silently；　with　the　well…known　friendly　gesture　of　moving　the　right　forefinger　rapidly　and　repeatedly　toward　the　nose。　They　came　to　him。

〃You　served　with　me　under　Hoche；〃　he　said；　〃when　we　brought　to　reason　those　brigands　who　call　themselves　'Chasseurs　du　Roi'；　you　know　how　they　hid　themselves　to　swoop　down　on　the　Blues。〃

At　this　commendation　of　their　intelligence　the　four　soldiers　nodded　with　significant　grins。　Their　heroically　martial　faces　wore　that　look　of　careless　resignation　to　fate　which　evidenced　the　fact　that　since　the　struggle　had　begun　between　France　and　Europe；　the　ideas　of　the　private　soldiers　had　never　passed　beyond　the　cartridge…boxes　on　their　backs　or　the　bayonets　in　front　of　them。　With　their　lips　drawn　together　like　a　purse　when　the　strings　are　tightened；　they　looked　at　their　commander　attentively　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