Part 51 (2/2)

The miserable wretch, who was overdone with fatigue, and who had not slept on so soft a couch for a weary while, soon yielded to the sleep that took possession of him. The wood-cutter, who had pretended to do the same, rose softly as soon as he was certain that the stranger whom he had made welcome was asleep.

He left the room, and struck a light in a small cave. He lighted a lamp, took his gun, and noiselessly returned to the small room where Edouard lay. The unhappy man's sleep was disturbed and restless; he struggled and twisted violently on his couch, and broken sentences escaped from his lips; the wood-cutter listened and distinctly heard these words:

”On the road--in the middle of the night--he was murdered--take off these irons, relieve me of these chains which prevent me from escaping.”

”Murdered!” echoed the peasant between his teeth. ”d.a.m.nation! I have taken in a highway robber! And that scoundrel is sleeping on an honest man's bed! Who knows that he hasn't made an appointment with all his gang at my house? Indeed, they say that the neighborhood has been infested with robbers for some time. Perhaps they mean to take possession of my cabin and turn it into one of their dens. The devil! if I was sure of it, I'd begin by getting rid of this fellow, while he is alone. But let me see; I must try to verify this suspicion of mine.”

The wood-cutter walked toward Edouard; with great care he slit the back of the unfortunate convict's waistcoat, put aside the portion which covered the shoulder, and held his lamp to it, concealing with the other hand the rays of light which might have fallen on the stranger's eyes.

Holding his breath, he put his head forward and with a shudder of horror saw the fatal brand.

”I wasn't mistaken,” said the wood-cutter, setting his lamp down on the hearth and c.o.c.king his gun. ”He is a villain, but by all the devils, he shan't stay in my house any longer! Even if I have to run the risk of other dangers, I will drive this rascal out of my cabin.”

He returned to the bed and pushed Edouard roughly with the b.u.t.t of his gun. The convict woke, sat up in bed and gazed in terror at his host, who was aiming the gun at him, and whose eyes were blazing with anger.

”Leave my house this minute!” cried the wood-cutter in a loud voice, with his gun still leveled at Edouard; ”clear out! and don't think of coming back, or I will blow your brains out.”

”What's the matter? why this outbreak?” said Edouard, gazing about him in surprise. ”Am I no longer in the cabin where I was made welcome? Are you the man who deigned to share your food and your bed with an unfortunate fellow-creature? And now you turn me out! What have I done to be treated like this?”

”You know well enough, you villain; go and join your comrades on the highroads, go and rob and murder travellers; but you will find no shelter under my roof.”

”You are mistaken, monsieur, you are wrong; I swear to you, I am not a robber, I am not capable of evil designs!”

”Indeed! and perhaps you're an honest man? What about that mark that you bear? Was it for your brave acts that you were decorated like that?”

”Great G.o.d!” said Edouard, putting his hand to his waistcoat and discovering that it was cut; ”what--you dared----”

”I wanted to make sure what you were; your conduct aroused my suspicion and I had to see if I was right. Come, you can see that your talk and your stories won't deceive me any longer. Come now, off with you, I can't sleep with a man like you.”

”Unhappy wretch that I am,” said Edouard, leaving the bed and beating his brow, ”I have no resources left; I am lost, cast out by the whole world. Obliged to shun society, which spurns me, reduced to the necessity of living in the darkness, this infamous mark drives me to crime; only among brigands can I find shelter now; only by committing new crimes can I prolong my existence! The road of repentance is closed to me; I have no choice but to be a criminal!”

As he spoke, he threw himself on the ground and writhed in despair at the wood-cutter's feet. The latter was moved for a moment, when he saw the mental distress of the wretch before him; he laid down his gun, and would perhaps have yielded to compa.s.sion, when two whistles rang out and were repeated loudly in different parts of the forest.

Instantly the wood-cutter's suspicion and rage revived in full force. He had no doubt that the signal that he had heard was that of the brigands come to join their comrade. He took his gun again; Edouard tried once more to implore his compa.s.sion; he approached his host, raising his hands in entreaty; but the wood-cutter, mistaking the meaning of the miserable wretch, whom he deemed capable of murdering him, stepped back and pulled the trigger.

The gun was discharged! being badly aimed, the murderous bullet did not strike its victim, but whistled over his shoulder as he knelt on the floor, and buried itself in the wall. Thereupon rage and despair revived Edouard's courage; he determined to sell his life dearly; he seized an axe which he saw in a corner of the cabin, and as his host returned toward him to strike him with the b.u.t.t of his gun, he dealt him a blow in the head which stretched him lifeless at his feet. The wood-cutter fell without uttering a sound; his blood spurted upon Edouard, who was horrified to find himself covered with it.

At the same moment the door of the cabin was broken in; four men, clothed with rags, but armed to the teeth and wearing hideous masks, appeared in the doorway and put their heads into the room, gazing for some moments in surprise at the spectacle which met their eyes.

”Oho!” said the one who seemed to be their chief, ”it seems to me that strange things are happening here, and that we have comrades in the neighborhood. Thunder and guns! Here's a fellow who looks to me as if he had done a good job!”

Edouard was standing motionless in the middle of the room, still holding in his hand the b.l.o.o.d.y axe with which he had struck down the wood-cutter.

The brigands entered the room. The leader scrutinized Edouard and uttered an exclamation of surprise and delight.

”It is he!” he cried at last; ”it is really he! Look at him, comrade,--you should recognize him too.”

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