tax was only equalled by his suspicion of it. The _maire's_ irony
merely irritated him and his coolness puzzled him. "I give you thirty
seconds to sign," he said, as he took out his watch and the inevitable
revolver. The _maire_ took up a needle-like pen, dipped it in the ink,
and with a sigh wrote in fragile but firm characters "X---- Y----." The
officer called a corporal's guard, and the _maire_, who had fasted since
noon, was marched out of the room and thrust into a small closet upon
the door of which were the letters "_Cabinet_." This, he reflected
grimly, was certainly what in military language is called "close
confinement." The soldiers accompanied him. There was just room for him
to stretch his weary body upon the stone floor; one soldier remained
standing over him with fixed bayonet, the others took up their position
outside.

Meanwhile a company of Landwehr had bivouacked in the square, four
machine-guns had been placed so as to command the four avenues of
approach, patrols had been sent out, sentries posted, all lights
extinguished, and all doors ordered to be left open by the householders.
Billeting officers had gone from house to house, chalking upon the doors
such legends as "_Drei Maenner_," "_6 Offiziere--Eingang verboten_," and,
on rare occasions "_Gute Leute hier_." The trembling inhabitants had
been forced to wait on their uninvited guests as they clamoured noisily
for wine and liqueurs. All the civilians of military age, and many
beyond it, had been rounded up and taken under guard to the church;
their wives and daughters alone remained, and were the subject of
menacing pleasantries. So much the _maire_ knew before he had returned
from his errand. As he lay in his dark cell he speculated painfully as
to what might be happening in the homes of his fellow-townsmen. He sat
up once or twice to listen, until the toe of the sentry's boot in his
back reminded him of his irregularity. Now and again a woman's cry broke
the silence of the night, but otherwise all was still. He composed
himself to sleep on the floor, reflecting that he must husband his
strength and his nerves for what might lie ahead of him. He was very
tired and slept heavily in spite of his cold stone bed. At the hour of
one in the morning he was awakened by a kick, and he found himself
staring at an electric torch which was being held to his face by a tall
figure shrouded in darkness. It was the captain. He sat up and rubbed
his eyes.

"'_