massacres of the south-第51节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


periods　of　civil　strife；　but　we　were　not　left　long　in　uncertainty；
for　the　details　of　the　catastrophe　arrived　all　too　soon。〃




CHAPTER　VIII

For　some　days　Avignon　had　its　assassins；　as　Marseilles　had　had　them；
and　as　Nimes　was　about　to　have　them；　for　some　days　all　Avignon
shuddered　at　the　names　of　five　menPointu；　Farges；　Roquefort；
Naudaud；　and　Magnan。

Pointu　was　a　perfect　type　of　the　men　of　the　South；　olive…skinned　and
eagle…eyed；　with　a　hook　nose；　and　teeth　of　ivory。　　Although　he　was
hardly　above　middle　height；　and　his　back　was　bent　from　bearing　heavy
burdens；　his　legs　bowed　by　the　pressure　of　the　enormous　masses　which
he　daily　carried；　he　was　yet　possessed　of　extraordinary　strength　and
dexterity。　　He　could　throw　over　the　Loulle　gate　a　48…pound　cannon
ball　as　easily　as　a　child　could　throw　its　ball。　　He　could　fling　a
stone　from　one　bank　of　the　Rhone　to　the　other　where　it　was　two
hundred　yards　wide。　　And　lastly；　he　could　throw　a　knife　backwards
while　running　at　full　speed　with　such　strength　and　precision　of　aim
that　this　new　kind　of　Parthian　arrow　would　go　whistling　through　the
air　to　hide　two　inches　of　its　iron　head　in　a　tree　trunk　no　thicker
than　a　man's　thigh。　　When　to　these　accomplishments　are　added　an　equal
skill　with　the　musket；　the　pistol；　and　the　quarter…staff；　a　good　deal
of　mother　wit；　a　deep　hatred　for　Republicans；　against　whom　he　had
vowed　vengeance　at　the　foot　of　the　scaffold　on　which　his　father　and
mother　had　perished；　an　idea　can　be　formed　of　the　terrible　chief　of
the　assassins　of　Avignon；　who　had　for　his　lieutenants；　Farges　the
silk…weaver；　Roquefort　the　porter；　Naudaud　the　baker；　and　Magnan　the
secondhand　clothes　dealer。

Avignon　was　entirely　in　the　power　of　these　five　men；　whose　brutal
conduct　the　civil　and　military　authorities　would　not　or　could　not
repress；　when　word　came　that　Marshal　Brune；　who　was　at　Luc　in　command
of　six　thousand　troops；　had　been　summoned　to　Paris　to　give　an　account
of　his　conduct　to　the　new　Government。

The　marshal；　knowing　the　state　of　intense　excitement　which　prevailed
in　the　South；　and　foreseeing　the　perils　likely　to　meet　him　on　the
road；　asked　permission　to　travel　by　water；　but　met　with　an　official
refusal；　and　the　Duc　de　Riviere；　governor　of　Marseilles；　furnished
him　with　a　safe…conduct。　　The　cut…throats　bellowed　with　joy　when　they
learned　that　a　Republican　of　'89；　who　had　risen　to　the　rank　of
marshal　under　the　Usurper；　was　about　to　pass　through　Avignon。　　At　the
same　time　sinister　reports　began　to　run　from　mouth　to　mouth；　the
harbingers　of　death。　　Once　more　the　infamous　slander　which　a　hundred
times　had　been　proved　to　be　false；　raised　its　voice　with　dogged
persistence；　asserting　that　Brune；　who　did　not　arrive　at　Paris　until
the　5th　of　September；　1792；　had　on　the　2nd；　when　still　at　Lyons；
carried　the　head　of　the　Princesse　de　Lamballe　impaled　on　a　pike。
Soon　the　news　came　that　the　marshal　had　just　escaped　assassination　at
Aix；　indeed　he　owed　his　safety　to　the　fleetness　of　his　horses。
Pointu；　Forges；　and　Roquefort　swore　that　they　would　manage　things
better　at　Avignon。

By　the　route　which　the　marshal　had　chosen　there　were　only　two　ways
open　by　which　he　could　reach　Lyons：　he　must　either　pass　through
Avignon；　or　avoid　it　by　taking　a　cross…road；　which　branched　off　the
Pointet　highway；　two　leagues　outside　the　town。　　The　assassins　thought
he　would　take　the　latter　course；　and　on　the　2nd　of　August；　the　day　on
which　the　marshal　was　expected；　Pointu；　Magnan；　and　Naudaud；　with
four　of　their　creatures；　took　a　carriage　at　six　o'clock　in　the
morning；　and；　setting　out　from　the　Rhone　bridge；　hid　themselves　by
the　side　of　the　high　road　to　Pointet。

When　the　marshal　reached　the　point　where　the　road　divided；　having
been　warned　of　the　hostile　feelings　so　rife　in　Avignon；　he　decided　to
take　the　cross…road　upon　which　Pointu　and　his　men　were　awaiting　him；
but　the　postillion　obstinately　refused　to　drive　in　this　direction；
saying　that　he　always　changed　horses　at　Avignon；　and　not　at　Pointet。
One　of　the　marshal's　aides…de…camp　tried；　pistol　in　hand；　to　force
him　to　obey；　but　the　marshal　would　permit　no　violence　to　be　offered
him；　and　gave　him　orders　to　go　on　to　Avignon。

The　marshal　reached　the　town　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and
alighted　at　the　Hotel　du　Palais　Royal；　which　was　also　the　post…house。
While　fresh　horses　were　being　put　to　and　the　passports　and　safe…
conduct　examined　at　the　Loulle　gate；　the　marshal　entered　the　hotel　to
take　a　plate　of　soup。　　In　less　than　five　minutes　a　crowd　gathered
round　the　door；　and　M。　Moulin　the　proprietor　noticing　the　sinister
and　threatening　expression　many　of　the　faces　bore；　went　to　the
marshal's　room　and　urged　him　to　leave　instantly　without　waiting　for
his　papers；　pledging　his　word　that　he　would　send　a　man　on　horseback
after　him；　who　would　overtake　him　two　or　three　leagues　beyond　the
town；　and　bring　him　his　own　safe…conduct　and　the　passports　of　his
aides…de…camp。　　The　marshal　came　downstairs；　and　finding　the　horses
ready；　got　into　the　carriage；　on　which　loud　murmurs　arose　from　the
populace；　amongst　which　could　be　distinguished　the　terrible　word
'zaou！'　　that　excited　cry　of　the　Provencal；　which　according　to　the
tone　in　which　it　is　uttered　expresses　every　shade　of　threat；　and
which　means　at　once　in　a　single　syllable；　〃　Bite；　rend；　kill；
murder！〃

The　marshal　set　out　at　a　gallop；　and　passed　the　town　gates
unmolested；　except　by　the　howlings　of　the　populace；　who；　however；
made　no　attempt　to　stop　him。　　He　thought　he　had　left　all　his　enemies
behind；　but　when　he　reached　the　Rhone　bridge　he　found　a　group　of　men
armed　with　muskets　waiting　there；　led　by　Farges　and　Roquefort。　　They
all　raised　their　guns　and　took　aim　at　the　marshal；　who　thereupon
ordered　the　postillion　to　drive　back。　　The　order　was　obeyed；　but　when
the　carriage　had　gone　about　fifty　yards　it　was　met　by　the　crowd　from
the　〃Palais　Royal；〃　which　had　followed　it；　so　the　postillion　stopped。
In　a　moment　the　traces　were　cut；　whereupon　the　marshal；　opening　the
door；　alighted；　followed　by　his　valet；　and　passing　on　foot　through
the　Loulle　gate；　followed　by　a　second　carriage　in　which　were　his
aides…de…camp；　he　regained　the　〃Palais　Royal；〃　the　doors　of　which
were　opened　to　him　and　his　suite；　and　immediately　secured　against　all
others。

The　marshal　asked　to　be　shown　to　a　room；　and　M。　Moulin　gave　him
No。　1；　to　the　front。　　In　ten　minutes　three　thousand　people　filled　the
square；　it　was　as　if　the　population　sprang　up　from　the　ground。　　Just
then　the　carriage；　which　the　marshal　had　left　behind；　came　up；　the
postillion　having　tied　the　traces；　and　a　second　time　the　great　yard
gates　were　opened；　and　in　spite　of　the　press　closed　again　and
barricaded　by　the　porter　Vernet；　and　M。　Moulin　himself；　both　of　whom
were　men　of　colossal　strength。　　The　aides…de…camp；　who　had　remained
in　the　carriage　until　then；　now　alighted；　and　asked　to　be　shown　to
the　marshal；　but　Moulin　ordered　the　porter　to　conceal　them　in　an
outhouse。　　Vernet　taking　one　in　each　hand；　dragged　them　off　despite
their　struggles；　and　pushing　them　behind　some　empty　barrels；　over
which　he　threw　an　old　piece　of　carpet；　said　to　them　in　a　voice　as
solemn　as　if　he　were　a　prophet；　〃If　you　move；　you　are　dead　men；〃　and
left　them。　　The　aides…de…camp　remained　there　motionless　and　silent。

At　that　moment　M。　de　Saint…Chamans；　prefect　of　Avignon；　who　had
arrived　in　town　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning；　came　out　into　the
courtyard。　　By　this　time　the　crowd　was　smashing　the　windows　and
breaking　in　the　street　door。　　The　square　was　full　to　overflowing；
everywhere　threatening　cries　were　heard；　and　above　all　the　terrible
zaou；　which　from　moment　to　moment　became　more　full　of　menace。
M。　Moulin　saw　that　if　they　could　not　hold　out　until　the　troops　under
Major　Lambot　arrived；　all　was　lost；　he　therefore　told　Vernet　to
settle　the　business　of　those　who　were　breaking　in　the　door；　while　he
would　take　charge　of　those　who　were　trying　to　get　in　at　the　window。
Thus　these　two　men；　moved　by　a　common　impulse　and　of　equal　courage；
undertook　to　dispute　with　a　howling　mob　the　possession　of　the　blood
for　which　it　thirsted。

Both　dashed　to　their　posts；　one　in　the　hall；　the　other　in　the
dining…room；　and　found　door　and　windows　already　smashed；　and　several
men　in　the　house。　　At　the　sight　of　Vernet；　with　whose　immense
strength　they　were　acquainted；　those　in　the　hall　drew　back　a　step；
and　Vernet；　taking　advantage　of　this　movement；　succeeded　in　ejecting
them　and　in　securing　the　door　once　more。　　Meantime　M。　Moulin；　seizing
his　double…barrelled　gun；　which　stood　in　the　chimney…corner；　pointed
it　at　five　men　who　had　got　into　the　dining…room；　and　threatened　to
fire　if　they　did　not　instantly　get　out　again。　　Four　obeyed；　but　one
refused　to　budge；　whereupon　Moulin；　finding　himself　no　longer
outnumbered；　laid　aside　his　gun；　and；　seizing　his　adversary　round　the
waist；　lifted　him　as　if　he　were　a　child　and　flung　him　out　of　the
window。　　The　man　died　three　weeks　later；　not　from　the　fall　but　from
the　squeeze。

Moulin　then　dashed　to　the　window　to　secure　it；　but　as　he　laid　his
hand　on　it　he　felt　his　head　seized　from　behind　and　pressed　violently
down　on　his　left　shoulder；　at　the　same　instant　a　pane　was