Page:The Works of Honoré de Balzac Volume 29.djvu/60

32 saw the two scouts who had been sent by the commandant to search the woods on the right, painfully toiling down the slope, the less injured man supporting his comrade, whose blood drenched the earth. The two poor fellows had scarcely reached the middle of the bank when Marche-à-Terre showed his hideous face. His aim was so certain that, with one shot, he hit them both, and they rolled heavily down into the ditch. His huge head had barely shown itself before the muzzles of some thirty muskets were leveled at him; but he had disappeared like a phantom behind the ominous gorse bushes. All these things, which it takes so many words to describe, came to pass almost in a moment; and in a moment more, the patriots and soldiers of the rear-guard came up with the rest of the escort.

"Forward!" shouted Hulot.

The company rapidly gained the high and exposed position where the picket had been placed. The commandant then drew up his forces in order of battle, but he saw no further hostile demonstration on the part of the Chouans, and thought that the sole object of the ambuscade was the deliverance of his conscripts.

"Their cries tell me that they are not in great force. Let us march double-quick. We may possibly get to Ernée before we have them down upon us."

A patriot conscript overheard the words, left the ranks, and stood before Hulot.

"General," said he, "I've seen some of this sort of fighting before as a Counter-Chouan. May I put in a word or two?"

"Here's one of these barrack-lawyers," the commandant muttered in Merle's ears; "they always think they are on for hearing. Go on; argue away," he added to the young man from Fougères.

"Commandant, the Chouans have brought arms, of course, for those men that they have just recruited. If we have to run for it now, they will be waiting for us at every turn in the woods, and will pick us off to a man before we can get to Ernée. We must argue, as you say, but it must be with