ed up at the window.
"Ah! He has limbs enough left to do some mischief," he growled savagely.
"Is he there, your precious cripple of a son? I shall have something to
say to him, one of these days."

"Begone with you all," cried old Joubard, "for a pack of thieves and
murderers! You are a disgrace to the Emperor, his police and his army!"

"Silence, old fool!" shouted Ratoneau. "What do you say about murder,
you idiot? Did you never hear of a man being killed in a duel? Come
down, some of you, I say, or I force my way in."

He would have done so, and easily, but for a sudden interruption.

There was a wild howl of pain from among the trees beyond the kitchen,
where one of Monsieur Joseph's faithful dogs followed him to the land
where all faithfulness is perhaps rewarded; and then the gendarme whom
Joubard had tied to a tree came running down to the house with the
comrade who had freed him and killed his guard. He was eager to tell the
General what he had seen while every one but himself was away in the
western wood. He had seen two women and a child escape from the house,
and hurry away by the footpath under the trees towards La Mariniere. One
of the women was dressed in white; he could see it under her cloak; she
spoke, and it was a lady's voice; they had passed quite near him. How
long ago? Well, perhaps a quarter of an hour. General Ratoneau stamped
his foot and ground his teeth.

"Bring my horse!" he said; and then he looked up again at the window, at
old Joubard's stern face watching him.

"Monsieur Ange de la Mariniere!" he shouted in tones of thunder. "Come
out of your hole, little coward, if you are there. I will teach you to
marry against the Emperor's commands! You shall meet me before you see
your wife again. I will give account of you, and I will have what is my
own. What! you dare not come out? Then follow me to Sonnay, monsieur, by
way of La Mariniere."

He flung himself into the saddle and rode off at a furious pace, turning
round to shout back to Simon, "I shall overtake her! Go on--shoot them
all--burn the house, if you must."

His horse plunged down into the shadows of the narrow lane, and they
heard the heavy thud of its hoofs as it galloped away.

CHAPTER XXVIII

HOW GENERAL RATONEAU MET HIS MATCH

Within and without Les Chouettes the men all listened till those sounds
died away. Then Simon turned to the little group of gendarmes and said:
"Come along, fellows, make a rush for tha