Belle-Rose — page 220: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

WHAT WOMAN WISHES, GOD WISHES. 209 Déroute let fly his whip at him, but the lash struck the ~ hay three feet from the sleeper. ‘*Hh, monsieur officer!’’ said Déroute, ‘Shere is a terrible sleeper who bars the way. Ask one of your brave men to pull his ears for him.’ The officer opened the portiére, and Bouletord jumped. into the road. He began by pulling the wagon, which rolled slowly forward; but the sleeper, awakened by the shock, descended from his hay and ran to Bouletord, who immediately grabbed him by the collar. Unfortunately the man with the wagon was not of a disposition to sur- render without resistance; he answered by such a vigor- ous blow of the fist that Bouletord rolled over on the eround. Immediately Déroute urged on his horses with so much skill that the wheel struck a tree, and the carriage overturned on the side where the officer was sitting, of whom Belle-Rose made a stepping-stone for leaving the vehicle. Four or five men, who seemed to spring up from the earth, rushed to the road and ran to the carriage as if to aid Déroute to arise. In the midst of the commotion into which this fall had thrown the officer, neither he nor his comrade thought of the possibility of an ambuscade. The new-comers had the appearance of honest men who only asked to aid them; but the officer and the guard, drawn from the chaise by their assistance, were imme- diately gagged and bound. As to Belle-Rose, he aided Cornelius—who was no other than the man with the chariot—to overcome Bouletord. ‘‘Let us be wise,’’ said Belle-Rose to the ex-cannoneer, who, bruised by the blows which he had received, was foaming with rage inarut; “it is another game which I win.”’ When the officer and the two guards were unable to de- fend themselves, Déroute and his comrades set to work to right the carriage. “This is what they call carrying a town without firing a gun,’’ said the sergeant. Cornelius cut the traces of the horses who were relieved of their harness; he leaped upon one of them and led the two others to Belle-Rose and the sergeant. “One minute,’’ said Déroute,’’ these gentlemen may catch a cold if we leave them in the road. The night is somewhat cool.”’ Aided by his comrades, he carried the officer and the guards to the carriage, locked the doors, and witherew after having saluted them politely. GOmMmIEcHoOoKS:. co.