"Yes."
"Did you burn the hamlet?"
"No."
"Burn it."
"The Blues tried to defend themselves, but they were a hundred and fifty, and we were seven thousand."
"Who are these Blues?"
"Santerre's Blues."
"Who ordered the drums to beat while the king's head was being cut off. So it is a Parisian battalion?"
"A half battalion."
"What is it called?"
"General, 'Battalion of Bonnet-Rouge' is on their flag."
"Wild beasts."
"What is to be done with the wounded?"
"Put an end to them."
"What is to be done with the prisoners?
"Shoot them."
"There are about eighty."
"Shoot them all."
"There are two women."
"Shoot them also."
"There are three children."
"Bring them here. We will see what can be done with them."
And the marquis started off on his horse.
CHAPTER VII.
NO MERCY: THE WATCHWORD OF THE COMMUNE. NO QUARTER: THE WATCHWORD OF THE PRINCES.
While this was taking place near Tanis, the beggar was travelling toward Crollon. He penetrated the ravines, under vast hollow bowers, inattentive to everything, attentive to nothing, as he had said himself, dreaming rather than thinking, for thoughts have an aim, but dreams have none, wandering, roving, stopping, eating here and there a bunch of wild sorrel, drinking from the springs, occa-
