Part 50 (2/2)
”Well, we are safe now,” said Edouard, softly putting his head out from under the vegetables which covered him, and seeing nothing but trees and fields about him,--no houses.
”You always think that you are safe, you idiot,” said Lampin, ”but we are not out of danger yet; we have just left Toulon; this peasant is taking us to his village, where we shall be pinched.”
”We must get out of the wagon and hide.”
”A fine thing to do! hide! Where, I should like to know? In the trees, like parrots? We must gain ground first, and with these chains on our feet, we shan't go far.”
”We will file them.”
”Have we got the time? Come, let's make a bold stroke; we are in a sunken road, and I don't see any houses, and--first of all, get down, quick.”
”And then?”
”Get down, I tell you, and stop the horse quietly; meanwhile I will begin by searching our driver.”
Edouard got down from the wagon. Lampin drew in the reins, and the horse stopped.
”We must unharness him, and escape on him,” said Lampin; ”let's make haste.”
As he spoke, he searched the peasant's pockets and took possession of his knife and a few pieces of money. Edouard, being very awkward and unskilled in the art of unharnessing a horse, called Lampin to his a.s.sistance. He seemed to be meditating a new plan as he looked at the peasant's clothes.
”I am in mortal terror that he will wake,” said Edouard.
”If he wakes, he is a dead man,” said Lampin, as he hastily alighted and unfastened the straps that held the horse in the shafts. But the peasant was so accustomed to the movement of the wagon that he woke a few moments after it stopped.
”Go on, go on, I say!” he said, rubbing his eyes.
”We are lost!” whispered Edouard. Lampin did not reply, but he darted toward the wagon, and as the hapless peasant started to rise, he buried his knife in his breast.
The man uttered but one feeble cry. Edouard was horrorstruck.
”You wretch! what have you done?” he said with a shudder.
”What was necessary,” said Lampin; ”the worst of it now is that I can't take his clothes, which are drenched with blood; I must be content with the hat and the blouse.”
As he said this, the villain stripped his victim, put on his blouse, and hastily mounted the horse; then he turned toward Edouard, who had not yet recovered from his stupor.
”Now, my boy,” he said, ”get out of it how you can.”
And he at once p.r.i.c.ked his horse with the point of his knife, and disappeared, leaving Edouard beside the unfortunate man whom his companion had murdered.
x.x.xIII
THE WOOD-CUTTER AND THE ROBBERS
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