"And then you know, commander, our little ones are in this tower. Our children are there,--the children of the battalion, our three children. That abominable wretch Brise-Bleu, called the Imânus, that Gouge-le-Bruand, Bouge-le-Gruand, Fouge-le-Truand, that thundering devil of a man, threatens our children,--our children, our puppets, commander! No harm must come to them, whatever convulsion shakes the Tourgue. Do you understand that, commander? We will not endure it. Just now I took advantage of the truce, and climbing up the plateau, I looked at them through the window. Yes, they are certainly there,--you can see them from the edge of the ravine; I saw them, and frightened the darlings. Commander, if a single hair falls from the heads of those little cherubs,--I swear it by the thousand names of all that is sacred,--I, Sergeant Radoub, will demand an account of God Almighty! And this is what the battalion says: we want the babies to be saved, or else we all want to be killed. We have a right to ask it. Yes, that every man of us be killed! And now I salute you, and present my respects." Gauvain held out his hand to Radoub as he exclaimed:-- "You are brave fellows! You will join the attacking column. I shall divide you into two parties; six of you I shall place in the vanguard to insure the advance, and six in the rear-guard to prevent a retreat." "And am I still to command the twelve?" "Of course." "Thank you, commander. In that case, I join the vanguard." Radoub made the military salute, and returned to the ranks. Gauvain drew out his watch, whispered a few words to Guéchamp, and the attacking column began to form. VIII. THE SPEECH AND THE ROAR. [Illustration 112] Meanwhile, Cimourdain who had not yet taken his position on the plateau, and who stood beside Gauvain, approached a trumpeter. "Sound the trumpet!" he said to him. The clarion sounded, the horn replied. Again the clarion and the trumpet exchanged calls. "What does that mean?" asked Gauvain of Guéchamp. "What does Cimourdain want?" Cimourdain, with a white handkerchief in his hand, approached the tower; and as he drew near, he cried aloud,-- "You men in the tower, do you know me?" And the voice of the Imânus made answer from the heights,-- "We do." These two voices were now heard exchanging question and reply as follows:-- "I am the ambassador of the Republic,' "You are the former curé of Parigné." "I am a delegate of the Committee of Public Safety." "You are a priest." "I am a representative of the law." "You are a renegade." "I am a commissioner of the Revolution." "You are an apostate." "I am Cimourdain." "You are a demon." "Do you know me?" "We abominate you." "Would you like to have me in your power?" "There are eighteen of us here who would give our heads to have yours." "Well, then, I have come to give myself up to you." A burst of savage laughter rang out from the top of the tower, with the derisive cry,-- "Come!"