"THIRDLY. The Tyrolese patriots in the custody of these troops will be released on the spot." "FOURTHLY. The field and staff-officers of the French and Bavarian troops will retain their baggage, horses, and side-arms, and their property will be respected." "You see, sir, it is impossible for me to sign this," cried General Bisson. "You cannot expect me to subscribe my own disgrace." "If you refuse to subscribe the capitulation, you sign thereby not only your own death-warrant, but that of all your soldiers," said Teimer calmly. "See, general, here is fortunately a table, for this is the place where the people of Wiltau assemble on Sundays, and dance and drink. Fate placed this table here for us that we might use it for signing the capitulation. There is the capitulation; I have already affixed to it my name and title as commissioner of the Emperor Francis. I have also brought pen and ink with me, that you might have no trouble in signing the document. Subscribe it, therefore, general, and let your staff-officers do so too. Spare the lives of your poor soldiers for you see every minute's delay costs you additional losses." "I cannot sign it, I cannot!" cried Bisson, despairingly. He burst into tears, and in his boundless grief he struck his forehead with his fist and tore out his thin gray hair with his trembling hands. [Footnote: Hormayr's "Andreas Hofer," vol. 1, p. 257.] "I cannot sign it," he wailed loudly. "Sign it," cried his officers, thronging round the table. "You must refuse no longer, for the lives of all our soldiers are at stake." "But my honor and good name are likewise at stake," groaned Bisson, "and if I sign the capitulation, I shall lose both forever." "But you will thereby preserve to the emperor the lives of upward of three thousand of his soldiers," exclaimed the officers, urgently. "Never will the emperor believe that this disaster might not have been averted," wailed General Bisson. "Even were I merely unfortunate, he would impute it to me as a crime. He will forgive me no more than Villeneuve and Dupont. His anger is inexorable, and it will crush me." "Then let it crush you, general," said Teimer, calmly. "It is better that you should be crushed than that several thousand men should now be crushed by the Tyrolese." "Sign, sign!" cried the French officers, stepping close up to the table, taking up the pen, and presenting it to the general. "Then you are all determined to sign the capitulation after I have done so?" asked General Bisson, still hesitating. "We are," cried the officers. "We are ready to do so," said Major Armance, "and in proof hereof I affix my name to the capitulation before you have signed it, general." He subscribed the paper with a quick but steady hand. Another staff-officer stepped up, took the pen, and also wrote his name, "Varin." "Now, general," he said, presenting the pen to Bisson.