r tears flowed afresh, but
they were beneficent tears this time, and brought healing and comfort
with them. She arose and kissed his hands, kissed him on the forehead,
uttering meanwhile but that one word, which was in itself a prolonged
caress:

"My friend! my friend--"

Meantime the sun was declining; Prosper had gone and taken the
counterpane from the cart, and between them they raised Honore's body,
slowly, reverently, and laid it on the bed-covering, which they had
stretched upon the ground; then, first wrapping him in its folds, they
bore him to the cart. It was threatening to rain again, and they had
started on their return, forming, with the donkey, a sorrowful little
cortege on the broad bosom of the accursed plain, when a deep rumbling
as of thunder was heard in the distance. Prosper turned his head and had
only time to shout:

"The horses! the horses!"

It was the starving, abandoned cavalry mounts making another charge.
They came up this time in a deep mass across a wide, smooth field, manes
and tails streaming in the wind, froth flying from their nostrils,
and the level rays of the fiery setting sun sent the shadow of the
infuriated herd clean across the plateau. Silvine rushed forward and
planted herself before the cart, raising her arms above her head as if
her puny form might have power to check them. Fortunately the ground
fell off just at that point, causing them to swerve to the left;
otherwise they would have crushed donkey, cart, and all to powder. The
earth trembled, and their hoofs sent a volley of clods and small stones
flying through the air, one of which struck the donkey on the head and
wounded him. The last that was seen of them they were tearing down a
ravine.

"It's hunger that starts them off like that," said Prosper. "Poor
beasts!"

Silvine, having bandaged the donkey's ear with her handkerchief, took
him again by the bridle, and the mournful little procession began to
retrace its steps across the plateau, to cover the two leagues that lay
between it and Remilly. Prosper had turned and cast a look on the dead
horses, his heart heavy within him to leave the field without having
seen Zephyr.

A little below the wood of la Garenne, as they were about to turn off
to the left to take the road that they had traversed that morning, they
encountered another German post and were again obliged to exhibit their
pass. And the officer in command, instead of telling them to avoid
Sedan, orde