CHAPTER XXVIII.
The battle was hardly over, about eight o'clock, when Marc Dives, Gaspard, and about thirty mountaineers, with panniers of provisions, ascended the Falkenstein. What a spectacle awaited them up there! All the besieged, stretched on the ground, seemed dead. It was in vain to shake them, to shout in their ears, "Jean-Claude! Catherine! Jerome!"--they answered not. Gaspard Lefevre, seeing his mother and Louise motionless and with clenched teeth, told Marc that if they did not recover he would blow out his brains with his gun. Marc replied that every one was free to do as he pleased, but that, for his part, he should not blow out his brains for Hexe-Baizel. At length, old Colon having deposited his pannier on a stone, Kasper Materne suddenly sniffed its contents, opened his eyes, and, seeing the provisions, began to clash his teeth like a fox on the chase.
Then they understood what was the meaning of that; and Marc Dives, going from one to the other, simply held his flask under their noses, which sufficed to bring them round. They wanted to swallow all at once; but Doctor Lorquin, in spite of his delirium, had still the good sense to warn Marc not to listen to them, and that the least over-feeding would kill them. So, for this reason, each one received nothing but a little bread, an egg, and a glass of wine, which singularly revived their moral courage. They then placed Catherine, Louise, and the others upon _schlittes_, and re-descended to the village.
As to painting now the enthusiasm and emotion of their friends when they saw them return, leaner than Lazarus rising from the grave, it is a thing impossible. They looked at each other, embraced; and at each fresh comer from Abreschwiller, from Dagsburg, from St. Quirin, or elsewhere, it was all gone over again.
Marc Dives was obliged to relate more than twenty times the story of his journey to Phalsbourg. The brave smuggler had not been much favoured by fortune. After having escaped by miracle from the bullets of the _kaiserlicks_, he had fallen, in the valley of Spartzprod, into the midst of a troop of Cossacks, who had stripped him of everything. He had been compelled to wander afterwards during two weeks round the Russian posts that encircled the town, braving the fire of the sentinels and risking twenty times to be arrested as a spy, before being able to penetrate into the place. To crown all, the governor, Meunier, alleging the weakness of the garrison, had at first refused all assistance; and it was only at the pressing solicitation of the citizens of the town that he at length consented to detach two companies.
The mountaineers, listening to this recital, admired the courage of Marc, his perseverance in the midst of dangers.
"Oh!" the big smuggler would good-humouredly reply to those who congratulated him, "I have only done my duty. Could I leave my comrades to perish? I knew well it was no easy matter. Those dogs of Cossacks are more cunning than Custom-house officers; they will scent you out like ravens. But no matter; we have outwitted them all the same."
When five or six days were passed, every one was afoot. Captain Vidal, of Phalsbourg, had left twenty-five men at the Falkenstein to guard the ammunition. Gaspard Lefevre was of the number. The young fellow came down every morning to the village. The Allies had all passed into Lorraine; no more was seen of them in Alsace, except round the strong places.
Soon news was brought of the victories of Champ Aubert and of Montmirail; but times of great misfortune were at hand. The Allies, in spite of the heroism of our army and the genius of the Emperor, entered Paris.
This was a terrible blow for Jean-Claude, Catherine, Materne, Jerome, and all the mountaineers; but the recital of these events does not enter into our history; others have related them.
Peace made, in the spring they rebuilt the farm of Bois-des-Chenes. The woodcutters, sabot-makers, masons, bargemen, and all the workmen of the country lent a hand.
About the same period, the army having been disbanded, Gaspard cut off his moustaches, and his marriage with Louise took place.
On that day all the combatants arrived from the Falkenstein and the Donon, and the farm received them with doors and windows wide open. Every one brought his presents to the bride and bridegroom--Jerome, little shoes for Louise; Materne and his sons, a fine heathcock, the most amorous of birds, as everybody knows; Dives, packets of smuggled tobacco for Gaspard; and Doctor Lorquin, a parcel of fine linen.
There was open table kept even in the barns and outhouses. What was consumed in wine, bread, meat, tarts, and _kougelhof_, we cannot say; but what we know is, that Jean-Claude, who had been very gloomy and depressed since the entry of the Allies into Paris, brightened himself up on that day by singing the old air of his youth as gaily as when he set off, gun on shoulder, for Valmy, Jemmapes, and Fleurus. The echoes of the Falkenstein opposite repeated from afar this old patriotic song--the grandest, the most noble that man has ever heard under heaven. Catherine Lefevre beat time upon the table with the handle of her knife; and if it is true, as many say, that the dead come to listen when we speak of them, our brave fellows must have been satisfied, and the King of Diamonds have foamed in his red beard.
Towards midnight, Hullin rose, and addressing the newly-married couple, said to them:
"You will have brave children; I will dance them upon my knees; I will teach them my old song; and then I will go and rejoin my forefathers!"
So saying, he embraced Louise, and arm-in-arm with Marc Dives and Jerome, he went down to his little cottage followed by all the wedding guests, singing in chorus the sublime song.
Never was there seen a more beautiful night; inumerable stars sparkled in the deep blue sky; there was a gentle rustling among the shrubs at the foot of the mountain beneath which so many brave men had been interred. Every one experienced by turns feelings of joy and of regret.
On the threshold of the modest dwelling there was shaking of hands and wishing good-night; and then all, some to the right, others to the left, returned to their villages.
"Good night, Materne, Jerome, Dives, Piorette, good-night!" exclaimed Jean-Claude.
His old friends returned the salute, waving their hats, and they all said to themselves:
"There are still days when one is very happy to be in the world. Ah! if there were never either plagues, or wars, or famines--if men could agree together, love and help each other--if no unjust quarrels rose between them, the earth would be a real Paradise!"
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