The Invasion of France in 1814 by Erckmann-Chatrian
CHAPTER XIII
ROUND THE WATCHFIRES
That night, which was on a Friday, the anabaptist's little farm-housenever ceased for an instant to be filled with people coming in andgoing out.
Hullin had established his head-quarters in the large room on theground floor, to the right of the barn, facing Framont: on the otherside of the passage was the ambulance: the upper part was inhabited bythe farm people.
Although the night was very still and the stars were shining inmyriads, the cold was so intense that there was nearly an inch of iceon the panes.
Outside, one could hear the challenge of the sentinel, the passing ofthe patrols, and, on the surrounding peaks, the howling of the wolves,who followed our armies in hundreds since 1812. These wild beastscrouched on the ice, their sharp muzzles between their paws, withhunger at their entrails, calling each other, from the Grosmann to theDonon, with moaning sounds like that of the north wind.
It made more than one mountaineer grow pale.
"It is Death who calls," thought they; "he scents the battle, hesummons us!"
The oxen lowed in the stables, and the horses gave frightful neighs.
About thirty fires blazed on the plateau; all the anabaptist's wood wastaken; fagots were heaped one upon another. Their faces were scorched,and their backs frozen; they warmed their backs, and the ice hung fromtheir mustaches.
Hullin, alone, before the great pinewood table, was taking thought forall. According to the latest tidings of the evening, announcing thearrival of the Cossacks at Framont, he was convinced that the firstattack would take place the next day. He had distributed cartridges,doubled the sentries, appointed patrols, and marked all the posts alongthe outworks. Every one knew beforehand what place he was to occupy.
Hullin had also sent orders to Piorette, Jerome of St. Quirin, andLabarbe, to send him their best marksmen.
The little dark pathway, lit by a dim lantern, was full of snow, andpassing under the immovable light every instant one could see thechiefs of the ambush, with their hats pressed down to their ears, theample sleeves of their great-coats pulled down over their wrists, withtheir dark eyes and beards stiffened with ice.
Pluto no longer growled at the heavy step of these men. Hullin, withhis head between his hands and his elbows on the table, listenedthoughtfully to all their reports:--
"Master Jean-Claude, there is a movement in the direction ofGrandfontaine; and the sounds of galloping are distinguishable."
"Master Jean-Claude, the brandy is frozen."
"Master Jean-Claude, many of the men are in want of powder."
"They are in want of this: they are in want of that."
"Let some one be sent to watch Grandfontaine, and let the sentries onthat side be changed every half-hour." "Let the brandy be brought tothe fire." "Wait until Dives comes: he brings us ammunition. Let theremainder of the cartridges be distributed. Let those who have morethan twenty give some to their comrades."
And so it went on all the night.
At five in the morning, Kasper, Materne's son, came to tell Hullin thatMarc Dives, with a load of cartridges, Catherine Lefevre on a cart, anda detachment from Labarbe, had just arrived together, and that theywere already on the plateau.
The tidings pleased him, especially on account of the cartridges, forhe had feared delay.
He immediately rose and went out with Kasper. The plateau presented acurious spectacle.
On the approach of day, clouds of mist began to rise from the valley,the fires hissed with the damp, and all around could be seen sleepingmen: one stretched on his back, with his arms thrown under his hat, ablue face, and doubled-up legs; another with his cheek on his arm andhis back to the fire; the greater number seated, with bent heads andtheir muskets slung across their shoulders. All was silent, wrapped inpurple light or gray tints, just as the fire blazed or smouldered.Then, in the distance, could be discerned the profile of the sentinels,with their muskets across their arms or clubbed upon the ground, gazinginto the cloud-filled abyss beneath them.
To the right, fifty paces from the last fire, could be heard theneighing of horses, and people stamping with their feet to warmthemselves, and talking aloud.
"Master Jean-Claude is coming," said Kasper, going toward them.
One of the partisans having thrown a few sticks of dry wood on to thefire, there was a bright blaze; and Marc Dives's men on horseback,twelve tall fellows, wrapped in their long gray cloaks, their feltsslouched back over their shoulders, with their long mustaches eitherturned up or falling down to their necks, their sabres in their grasp,stood motionless round the load of cartridges. Farther on CatherineLefevre crouched down in her cart, her hood over her face, her feet inthe straw, her back against a large barrel. Behind her was a caldron,a gridiron, a fresh-killed pig, scalded all white and red, with somestrings of onions and cabbages for making soup. All stood out of thedarkness for a second, and then relapsed into night.
Dives, having quitted the convoy, advanced on his powerful horse.
"Is it you, Jean-Claude?"
"Yes, Marc."
"I have some few thousand cartridges there. Hexe-Baizel is working dayand night."
"Good!"
"Yes, old fellow. And Catherine Lefevre brings provisions as well; shekilled yesterday."
"All right, Marc: we shall want all that. The battle is impending."
"Yes, yes, I thought so; we came quickly. Where is the powder to beput?"
"There, under the cart-house behind the farm. Ah, is that you,Catherine?"
"Of course, Jean-Claude. It is dreadfully cold this morning!"
"You are always the same. Have you no fear?"
"What! should I be a woman if I were not curious? I must poke my noseeverywhere."
"Yes, you always make excuses for the fine and noble things you do."
"Hullin, you are wearisome with your repetitions; let me alone withyour compliments. Must not all those people eat? Can they live on airin such weather as this? And is not air fattening on a day socold--like needles and razors. So I took my measures. Yesterday weslaughtered an ox--poor Schwartz, you know--he weighed a good ninehundred. I have brought his hind-quarters for this morning's soup."
"Catherine, it is in vain I have known you so long," cried Jean-Claude,quite touched; "you are always astonishing me. No sacrifice is toogreat for you, neither money, care, nor trouble."
"Ah," replied the old farm-wife, rising and springing from her cart,"you tease and worry me, Jean-Claude. I am going to warm myself."
She gave Dubourg the reins of her horse, and looking back, said,"Jean-Claude, those fires are a pleasure to behold. But where isLouise?"
"Louise spent the night cutting and sewing bandages with Pelsly's twodaughters. She is at the ambulance: over there you see, where thelight is shining."
"Poor child!" said Catherine, "I will go and help her. That will warmme."
Hullin watched her retreating figure, and made a gesture, as thoughsaying, "What a woman!"
At this moment, Dives and his people were carrying the powder into theshed, and as Jean-Claude approached the nearest fire, what was hissurprise to see, among the crowd of partisans, Yegof the madman,crowned as usual, gravely seated on a stone, with his feet in theashes, and draped in his rags as though they were a royal mantle.
Anything more strange than this figure by the fire-light could not beimagined. Yegof was the only one awake of the crowd, and might readilyhave been taken for some barbarian king musing in the midst of hissleeping horde.
Hullin only saw in him a madman, and laying his hand softly on hisshoulder, said, ironically:
"I salute thee, Yegof! Thou art come, then, to lend us the help of thyinvincible arm and of thy countless armies?"
The madman, without showing the least surprise, replied: "That dependson thee, Hullin; thy fate, and that of all these people, is in thyhands. I have suspended my anger, and I will allow thee to pronouncesentence."
"What sentenc
The other, without replying, continued, in a low solemn voice: "Beholdus two on the eve of a great battle, as we were sixteen hundred yearsago. At that time, I, the chief of so many people, came among thytribe to ask a passage."
"Sixteen hundred years ago!" said Hullin. "Zounds! Yegof, that makesus terribly old! But it is of no consequence--each to his taste."
"Yes," rejoined the madman, "but, with thy usual obstinacy, thouwouldst hear nothing. Men died on the Blutfeld--men who now call forvengeance!"
"Ah, the Blutfeld!" said Jean-Claude. "Yes, yes, an old story; I seemto have heard it before."
Yegof reddened, and his eyes sparkled.
"Thou pridest thyself on thy victory!" cried he; "but take care--takecare! blood calls for blood!" And in a calmer tone, "Listen," headded. "I am not angry with thee. Thou art brave; the children of thyrace might mingle with those of mine. I am anxious for an alliancewith thee--thou knowest it."
"There, he is going to begin about Louise," thought Jean-Claude. And,foreseeing a formal demand, he said: "Yegof, I am sorry, but I mustleave thee. I have so much to see after----"
The madman did not wait the end of this leave-taking, and rising, withhis face distorted by indignation, "Thou refusest me thy daughter?"cried he, lifting his finger solemnly.
"We will talk of that later on."
"Thou refusest!"
"Yegof, thy shouts will awaken every one."
"Thou refusest, and it is for the third time! Beware! beware!"
Hullin, despairing of making him become more reasonable, walked rapidlyaway, but the madman furiously pursued him with these strange words:
"Huldrix, woe on thee! Thy last hour is at hand; the wolves are comingto feed upon thy carcass. All is over. I let loose the tempests of mywrath; and neither to thee nor thine shall mercy, pity, or pardon beshown. Thou hast so willed it."
And, flinging his rags over his shoulder, the poor wretch went away inthe direction of the peak of Donon.
Some of the volunteers, awakened by his cries, looked up drowsily, andsaw him disappearing in the darkness. They heard the fluttering ofwings round the fire; then, as though it were a dream, they turnedround and fell asleep again.
About an hour later, Lagarmitte sounded the _reveille_; and in a fewminutes all were on their feet.
The chiefs of the ambuscade collected their men: some went toward theshed, to obtain cartridges; others filled their gourds with brandy fromthe cask. All this was done in good order, their chiefs being at thehead of each body of men; then the several companies disappeared in thegray morning light toward the out-posts on the hill-sides.
When the sun rose, the plateau was quite deserted, and, with theexception of five or six fires which were still burning, there was nosign that the partisans were in possession of all the posts on themountain, or in what place they had passed the night.
Hullin hurriedly ate a crust and drank a glass of wine with his friendsDoctor Lorquin and Pelsly the anabaptist.
Lagarmitte was with them, for he was not allowed to leave MasterJean-Claude all day, and had to transmit his orders in case of need.