e peasant; "in any case the
insurrection is fixed for October 20."

"Well," said the president, "thanks to us, the general will have the
wherewithal for his first month's pay. Where is your receipt?"

"Here," said the peasant, drawing a paper from his pocket on which were
written these words:

Received from our brothers of the Midi and the East, to be
employed for the good of the cause, the sum of....

GEORGES CADOUDAL,
General commanding the Royalist army of Brittany.

The sum was left blank.

"Do you know how to write?" asked the president.

"Enough to fill in the three or four missing words."

"Very well. Then write, 'one hundred thousand francs.'"

The Breton wrote; then extending the paper to the president, he said:
"Here is your receipt; where is the money?"

"Stoop and pick up the bag at your feet; it contains sixty thousand
francs." Then addressing one of the monks, he asked: "Montbard, where
are the remaining forty thousand?"

The monk thus interpellated opened a closet and brought forth a
bag somewhat smaller than the one Morgan had brought, but which,
nevertheless, contained the good round sum of forty thousand francs.

"Here is the full amount," said the monk.

"Now, my friend," said the president, "get something to eat and some
rest; to-morrow you will start."

"They are waiting for me yonder," said the Breton. "I will eat and sleep
on horseback. Farewell, gentlemen. Heaven keep you!" And he went toward
the door by which he had entered.

"Wait," said Morgan.

The messenger paused.

"News for news," said Morgan; "tell General Cadoudal that General
Bonaparte has left the army in Egypt, that he landed at Frejus, day
before yesterday, and will be in Paris in three days. My news is fully
worth yours, don't you think so? What do you think of it?"

"Impossible!" exclaimed all the monks with one accord.

"Nevertheless nothing is more true, gentlemen. I have it from our friend
the Priest (Lepretre), [Footnote: The name Lepretre is a contraction
of the two words "le pretre," meaning the priest; hence the name under
which this man died.] who saw him relay at Lyons one hour before me, and
recognized him."

"What has he come to France for?" demanded several voices.

"Faith," said Morgan, "we shall know some day. It is probable that he
has not returned to Paris to remain there incognito."

"Don't lose an instant in carrying this news to our brothers in the
West," said the president to