ad
with rage.

"That's a good one, that is!" yelled Nibet, who, beside himself with
rage, suddenly forgot his avowed respect for judicial forms.

"Since he is determined to tell lies, and hasn't the pluck to say what
he's done, there's only one thing for us to do, and that's to stop his
mouth up!... Ernestine, put the plug back!"

And as the girl once more rolled the scarf round and round the head of
the miserable Jules, Nibet turned to his comrades.

"Now then? One hasn't any need to waste more time over it!... We know
all the story--not so?... It's settled, I tell you!... A fellow who has
done what he has done, what does he deserve?... You answer first,
Mother Toulouche, since you are the oldest?..."

Mother Toulouche stretched out a trembling hand, as though calling on
Heaven to witness an oath.

"I," said the old woman, with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "I don't
hesitate!... Comrades who flinch, sneaks who betray, get rid of them,
say I!... I condemn him to death!..."

The old woman's sentence was greeted with loud applause.

Nibet resumed.

"It is said!... It is unanimous!... Make a quick finish, my lads!...
Since each has been injured, let each take his revenge! I say: Death by
the hammer!"

In that smoke-thickened air rose a chorus of hate and of vengeance.

"Death by the hammer! Death by the hammer!"

* * * * *

In that noisome lair of the bandits a horrible scene ensued.

Mother Toulouche went groping in a dark corner. She searched for, and
found, a blacksmith's hammer. She lifted it with trembling hands, and
planting herself in front of the victim, more dead than alive, she said
in a menacing voice:

"You did harm to the Numbers! You wronged them! Here goes for that
then!"

The hammer described a quarter of a circle in the air and descended in a
smashing blow on the wretched victim's face!

The awful punishment had begun!

According to age, one after another, the hooligans passed on the hammer,
and, in a blind passion of hate, beat followed beat on the agonising
body of Jules!

At last the terrible agony was over and done! The passion of hate, the
lust for revenge had burnt themselves out. Jules had expiated the crime
they had imputed to him!

The band were the victims of a paralysing fatigue. Emilet flung the
blood-stained hammer into a far corner of their den.

"Well done!" said he. "He has paid the price!"

Emilet's eyes fell on Nibet. He was leani