nny arm in the
direction of the forest.

"That way, that way!"

"Eh? What's that you say? Those houses that we see down there, at the
end of the field?"

"Oh! farther, much farther. Down yonder, away down yonder!"

The general seemed as if his anger must suffocate him. "It is too
disgusting, an infernal country like this! one can make neither top nor
tail of it. There was Belgium, right under our nose; we were all afraid
we should put our foot in it without knowing it; and now that one wants
to go there it is somewhere else. No, no! it is too much; I've had
enough of it; let them take me prisoner if they will, let them do what
they choose with me; I am going to bed!" And clapping spurs to his
horse, bobbing up and down on his saddle like an inflated wine skin, he
galloped off toward Sedan.

A winding path conducted the party down into the Fond de Givonne, an
outskirt of the city lying between two hills, where the single village
street, running north and south and sloping gently upward toward the
forest, was lined with gardens and modest houses. This street was just
then so obstructed by flying soldiers that Lieutenant Rochas, with
Pache, Lapoulle, and Gaude, found himself caught in the throng and
unable for the moment to move in either direction. Maurice and Jean
had some difficulty in rejoining them; and all were surprised to hear
themselves hailed by a husky, drunken voice, proceeding from the tavern
on the corner, near which they were blockaded.

"My stars, if here ain't the gang! Hallo, boys, how are you? My stars,
I'm glad to see you!"

They turned, and recognized Chouteau, leaning from a window of the
ground floor of the inn. He seemed to be very drunk, and went on,
interspersing his speech with hiccoughs:

"Say, fellows, don't stand on ceremony if you're thirsty. There's enough
left for the comrades." He turned unsteadily and called to someone who
was invisible within the room: "Come here, you lazybones. Give these
gentlemen something to drink--"

Loubet appeared in turn, advancing with a flourish and holding aloft in
either hand a full bottle, which he waved above his head triumphantly.
He was not so far gone as his companion; with his Parisian _blague_,
imitating the nasal drawl of the coco-venders of the boulevards on a
public holiday, he cried:

"Here you are, nice and cool, nice and cool! Who'll have a drink?"

Nothing had been seen of the precious pair since they had vanished
under pretense o