me bread and meat from his wallet, and
drawing forth a knife divided it into two equal parts, one of which he
offered me, saying,--

"Come, _mon enfant_, eat and be merry while you have the opportunity.
We have a long tramp before us, and for you there is probably a still
longer journey afterwards; still, do not let that spoil your appetite.
We cannot understand each other, but I am sorry for you, _pauvre
garcon_! and we may as well be friends for the short time that remains."

He offered me his hand, as he said this, which I shook heartily.

The speech was by no means calculated to raise my spirits, but I took
pains to conceal my knowledge of its import, hoping that my supposed
ignorance of the language would cause the men to speak unrestrainedly to
each other, and perhaps let fall some piece of information of value,
should I see a chance to make my escape.

We fell to at our breakfast, for which, strange to say, I had a very
tolerable appetite, notwithstanding the disastrous turn which my affairs
had taken, and the soldiers, producing what provisions they had, also
set their teeth to work upon them with a will, laughing and chattering
gaily together meanwhile, but without letting drop any information
likely to help me out of my difficulty.

Breakfast over, the men fell in. I was placed in the centre of the
body, the sergeant giving instructions to those having my more immediate
custody to shoot me on the instant, should I make any attempt to escape.
The word was given to march, and we tramped away across the moor for
about a couple of miles, when we struck upon a beaten track, into which
we turned, and which I learned from a remark made by one of the men was
the road to Ajaccio.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

BELL' DEMONIO.

As we trudged along, I had an opportunity to study to some extent the
characteristics of the individuals forming my escort, and I may say
without reserve that a more unprepossessing set of men it has seldom
been my lot to encounter. With the solitary exception of the sergeant,
who seemed a gay, careless, good-natured fellow enough, they appeared to
be a thoroughly "bad lot:" low, ruffianly-looking men in their outward
semblance, and--judging from their conversation, much of which, however,
I failed to understand from their liberal use of what is now termed
"slang"--utterly given over to the indulgence of the lowest and most
degrading forms of vice, scoffing at all things pure and holy, and
lu