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they　drew　it　up　gently　on　the　bank　and　carried　it　to　a　small　property
belonging　to　one　of　them；　where　they　reverently　interred　it。　　The
elder　of　the　two　was　M。　de　Chartruse；　the　younger　M。　Amedee　Pichot。

The　body　was　exhumed　by　order　of　the　marshal's　widow；　and　brought　to
her　castle　of　Saint…Just；　in　Champagne；　she　had　it　embalmed；　and
placed　in　a　bedroom　adjoining　her　own；　where　it　remained；　covered
only　by　a　veil；　until　the　memory　of　the　deceased　was　cleansed　from
the　accusation　of　suicide　by　a　solemn　public　trial　and　judgment。
Then　only　it　was　finally　interred；　along　with　the　parchment
containing　the　decision　of　the　Court　of　Riom。

The　ruffians　who　killed　Marshal　Brune；　although　they　evaded　the
justice　of　men；　did　not　escape　the　vengeance　of　God：　nearly　every　one
of　them　came　to　a　miserable　end。　　Roquefort　and　Farges　were　attacked
by　strange　and　hitherto　unknown　diseases；　recalling　the　plagues　sent
by　God　on　the　peoples　whom　He　desired　to　punish　in　bygone　ages。　　In
the　case　of　Farges；　his　skin　dried　up　and　became　horny；　causing　him
such　intense　irritation；　that　as　the　only　means　of　allaying　it　he　had
to　be　kept　buried　up　to　the　neck　while　still　alive。　　The　disease
under　which　Roquefort　suffered　seemed　to　have　its　seat　in　the　marrow；
for　his　bones　by　degrees　lost　all　solidity　and　power　of　resistance；
so　that　his　limbs　refused　to　bear　his　weight；　and　he　went　about　the
streets　crawling　like　a　serpent。　　Both　died　in　such　dreadful　torture
that　they　regretted　having　escaped　the　scaffold；　which　would　have
spared　them　such　prolonged　agony。

Pointu　was　condemned　to　death；　in　his　absence；　at　the　Assizes　Court
of　La　Drome；　for　having　murdered　five　people；　and　was　cast　off　by　his
own　faction。　　For　some　time　his　wife；　who　was　infirm　and　deformed；
might　be　seen　going　from　house　to　house　asking　alms　for　him；　who　had
been　for　two　months　the　arbiter　of　civil　war　and　assassination。　　Then
came　a　day　when　she　ceased　her　quest；　and　was　seen　sitting；　her　head
covered　by　a　black　rag：　Pointu　was　dead；　but　it　was　never　known　where
or　how。　　In　some　corner；　probably；　in　the　crevice　of　a　rock　or　in　the
heart　of　the　forest；　like　an　old　tiger　whose　talons　have　been　clipped
and　his　teeth　drawn。

Naudaud　and　Magnan　were　sentenced　to　the　galleys　for　ten　years。
Naudaud　died　there；　but　Magnan　finished　his　time　and　then　became　a
scavenger；　and；　faithful　to　his　vocation　as　a　dealer　of　death；　a
poisoner　of　stray　dogs。

Some　of　these　cut…throats　are　still　living；　and　fill　good　positions；
wearing　crosses　and　epaulets；　and；　rejoicing　in　their　impunity；
imagine　they　have　escaped　the　eye　of　God。

We　shall　wait　and　see！




CHAPTER　IX

It　was　on　Saturday　that　the　white　flag　was　hoisted　at　Nimes。　　The
next　day　a　crowd　of　Catholic　peasants　from　the　environs　marched　into
the　city；　to　await　the　arrival　of　the　Royalist　army　from　Beaucaire。
Excitement　was　at　fever　heat；　the　desire　of　revenge　filled　every
breast；　the　hereditary　hatred　which　had　slumbered　during　the　Empire
again　awoke　stronger　than　ever。　　Here　I　may　pause　to　say　that　in　the
account　which　follows　of　the　events　which　took　place　about　this　time；
I　can　only　guarantee　the　facts　and　not　the　dates：　I　relate　everything
as　it　happened；　but　the　day　on　which　it　happened　may　sometimes　have
escaped　my　memory；　for　it　is　easier　to　recollect　a　murder　to　which
one　has　been　an　eye…witness；　than　to　recall　the　exact　date　on　which
it　happened。

The　garrison　of　Nimes　was　composed　of　one　battalion　of　the　13th
Regiment　of　the　line；　and　another　battalion　of　the　79th　Regiment；
which　not　being　up　to　its　full　war…strength　had　been　sent　to　Nimes　to
complete　its　numbers　by　enlistment。　　But　after　the　battle　of　Waterloo
the　citizens　had　tried　to　induce　the　soldiers　to　desert；　so　that　of
the　two　battalions；　even　counting　the　officers；　only　about　two
hundred　men　remained。

When　the　news　of　the　proclamation　of　Napoleon　II　reached　Nimes；
Brigadier…General　Malmont；　commandant　of　the　department；　had　him
proclaimed　in　the　city　without　any　disturbance　being　caused　thereby。
It　was　not　until　some　days　later　that　a　report　began　to　be　circulated
that　a　royal　army　was　gathering　at　Beaucaire；　and　that　the　populace
would　take　advantage　of　its　arrival　to　indulge　in　excesses。　　In　the
face　of　this　two…fold　danger；　General　Malmont　had　ordered　the　regular
troops；　and　a　part　of　the　National　Guard　of　the　Hundred　Days；　to　be
drawn　up　under　arms　in　the　rear　of　the　barracks　upon　an　eminence　on
which　he　had　mounted　five　pieces　of　ordnance。　　This　disposition　was
maintained　for　two　days　and　a　night；　but　as　the　populace　remained
quiet；　the　troops　returned　to　the　barracks　and　the　Guards　to　their
homes。

But　on　Monday　a　concourse　of　people；　who　had　heard　that　the　army　from
Beaucaire　would　arrive　the　next　day；　made　a　hostile　demonstration
before　the　barracks；　demanding　with　shouts　and　threats　that　the　five
cannons　should　be　handed　over　to　them。　　The　general　and　the　officers
who　were　quartered　in　the　town；　hearing　of　the　tumult；　repaired　at
once　to　the　barracks；　but　soon　came　out　again；　and　approaching　the
crowd　tried　to　persuade　it　to　disperse；　to　which　the　only　answer　they
received　was　a　shower　of　bullets。　　Convinced　by　this；　as　he　was　well
acquainted　with　the　character　of　the　people　with　whom　he　had　to　deal；
that　the　struggle　had　begun　in　earnest　and　must　be　fought　out　to　the
bitter　end；　the　general　retreated　with　his　officers；　step　by　step；　to
the　barracks；　and　having　got　inside　the　gates；　closed　and　bolted
them。

He　then　decided　that　it　was　his　duty　to　repulse　force　by　force；　for
everyone　was　determined　to　defend；　at　no　matter　what　cost；　a　position
which；　from　the　first　moment　of　revolt；　was　fraught　with　such　peril。
So；　without　waiting　for　orders；　the　soldiers；　seeing　that　some　of
their　windows　had　been　broken　by　shots　from　without；　returned　the
fire；　and；　being　better　marksmen　than　the　townspeople；　soon　laid　many
low。　　Upon　this　the　alarmed　crowd　retired　out　of　musket　range；　and
entrenched　themselves　in　some　neighbouring　houses。

About　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；　a　man　bearing　something　resembling
a　white　flag　approached　the　walls　and　asked　to　speak　to　the　general。
He　brought　a　message　inquiring　on　what　terms　the　troops　would　consent
to　evacuate　Nimes。　　The　general　sent　back　word　that　the　conditions
were；　that　the　troops　should　be　allowed　to　march　out　fully　armed　and
with　ail　their　baggage；　the　five　guns　alone　would　be　left　behind。
When　the　forces　reached　a　certain　valley　outside　the　city　they　would
halt；　that　the　men　might　be　supplied　with　means　sufficient　to　enable
them　either　to　rejoin　the　regiments　to　which　they　belonged；　or　to
return　to　their　own　homes。

At　two　o'clock　A。　M。　the　same　envoy　returned；　and　announced　to　the
general　that　the　conditions　had　been　accepted　with　one　alteration；
which　was　that　the　troops；　before　marching　out；　should　lay　down　their
arms。　　The　messenger　also　intimated　that　if　the　offer　he　had　brought
were　not　quickly　accepted　say　within　two　hoursthe　time　for
capitulation　would　have　gone　by；　and　that　he　would　not　be　answerable
for　what　the　people　might　then　do　in　their　fury。　　The　general
accepted　the　conditions　as　amended；　and　the　envoy　disappeared。

When　the　troops　heard　of　the　agreement；　that　they　should　be　disarmed
before　being　allowed　to　leave　the　town；　their　first　impulse　was　to
refuse　to　lay　down　their　weapons　before　a　rabble　which　had　run　away
from　a　few　musket　shots；　but　the　general　succeeded　in　soothing　their
sense　of　humiliation　and　winning　their　consent　by　representing　to
them　that　there　could　be　nothing　dishonourable　in　an　action　which
prevented　the　children　of　a　common　fatherland　from　shedding　each
other's　blood。

The　gendarmerie；　according　to　one　article　of　the　treaty；　were　to
close　in　at；　the　rear　of　the　evacuating　column；　and　thus　hinder　the
populace　from　molesting　the　troops　of　which　it　was　composed。　　This
was　the　only　concession　obtained　in　return　for　the　abandoned　arms；
and　the　farce　in　question　was　already　drawn　up　in　field　order；
apparently　waiting　to　escort　the　troops　out　of　the　city。

At　four　o'clock　P。M。　the　troops　got　ready；　each　company　stacking　its
arms　in　the　courtyard　before：　marching　out；　but　hardly　had　forty　or
fifty　men　passed　the　gates　than　fire　was　opened　on　them　at　such　close
range　that　half　of　them　were　killed　or　disabled　at　the　first　volley。
Upon　this；　those　who　were　still　within　the　walls　closed　the　courtyard
gates；　thus　cutting　off　all　chance　of　retreat　from　their　comrades。
In　the　event；　however；　it　turned　out　that　several　of　the　latter
contrived　to　escape　with　their　lives　and　that　they　lost　nothing
through　being　prevented　from　returning；　for　as　soon　as　the　mob　saw
that　ten　or　twelve　of　their　victims　had　slipped　through　their　hands
they　made　a　furious　attack　on　the　barracks；　burst　in　the　gates；　and
scaled　the　walls　with　such　rapidity；　that　the　soldiers　had　no　time　to
repossess　themselves　of　their　muskets；　and　even　had　they　succeeded　in
seizing　them　they　would　have　been　of　little　use；　as　ammunition　was
totally　wanting。　　The　barracks　being　thus　carried　by　assault；　a
horrible　massacre　ensued；　which　lasted　for　three　hours。　　Some　of　the
wretched　men；　being