al of the
army, as Georges called him, following about twenty paces in the rear.

When they reached the end of the village, Roland darted his eyes along
the road, which stretches in a straight line from Muzillac to the
Trinite. The road, fully exposed to view, seemed absolutely solitary.

They rode on for about a mile and a half, then Roland said: "But where
the devil are your men?"

"To right and left, before and behind us."

"Ha, what a joke!"

"It's not a joke, colonel; do you think I should be so rash as to risk
myself thus without scouts?"

"You told me, I think, that if I wished to see your men I had only to
say so."

"I did say so."

"Well, I wish to see them."

"Wholly, or in part?"

"How many did you say were with you?"

"Three hundred."

"Well, I want to see one hundred and fifty."

"Halt!" cried Cadoudal.

Putting his hands to his mouth he gave the hoot of the screech-owl,
followed by the cry of an owl; but he threw the hoot to the right and
the cry to the left.

Almost instantly, on both sides of the road, human forms could be seen
in motion, bounding over the ditch which separated the bushes from the
road, and then ranging themselves beside the horses.

"Who commands on the right?" asked Cadoudal.

"I, Moustache," replied a peasant, coming near.

"Who commands on the left?" repeated the general.

"I, Chante-en-hiver," replied another peasant, also approaching him.

"How many men are with you, Moustache?"

"One hundred."

"How many men are with you, Chante-en-hiver?"

"Fifty."

"One hundred and fifty in all, then?" asked Georges.

"Yes," replied the two Breton leaders.

"Is that your number, colonel?" asked Cadoudal laughing.

"You are a magician, general."

"No; I am a poor peasant like them; only I command a troop in which
each brain knows what it does, each heart beats singly for the two great
principles of this world, religion and monarchy." Then, turning to his
men, Cadoudal asked: "Who commands the advanced guard?"

"Fend-l'air," replied the two Chouans.

"And the rear-guard?"

"La Giberne."

The second reply was made with the same unanimity as the first.

"Then we can safely continue our way?"

"Yes, general; as if you were going to mass in your own village."

"Let us ride on then, colonel," said Cadoudal to Roland. Then turning to
his men he cried: "Be lively, my lads."

Instantly every man jumped the ditch and disappeared. For a few seconds
the crack