r all, the creatures of God, and which man unjustly persecutes.
Thus we see that good is the child of evil, and evil is the offspring of
good; such is the paramount law of the universe! I now order you all,
on pain of displeasing your very humble grand master, to procure
clandestinely, each one of you, twenty rats, male or female as heaven
pleases. Collect your contingent within three days. If you can get more,
the surplus will be welcome. Keep the interesting rodents without food;
for it is essential that the delightful little beasts be ravenous with
hunger. Please observe that I will accept both house-mice and field-mice
as rats. If we multiply twenty-two by twenty, we shall have four
hundred; four hundred accomplices let loose in the old church of the
Capuchins, where Fario has stored all his grain, will consume a not
insignificant quantity! But be lively about it! There's no time to lose.
Fario is to deliver most of the grain to his customers in a week or so;
and I am determined that that Spaniard shall find a terrible deficit.
Gentlemen, I have not the merit of this invention," continued Max,
observing the signs of general admiration. "Render to Caesar that
which is Caesar's, and to God that which is God's. My scheme is only a
reproduction of Samson's foxes, as related in the Bible. But Samson
was an incendiary, and therefore no philanthropist; while we, like the
Brahmins, are the protectors of a persecuted race. Mademoiselle Flore
Brazier has already set all her mouse-traps, and Kouski, my right-arm,
is hunting field-mice. I have spoken."

"I know," said Goddet, "where to find an animal that's worth forty rats,
himself alone."

"What's that?"

"A squirrel."

"I offer a little monkey," said one of the younger members, "he'll make
himself drunk on wheat."

"Bad, very bad!" exclaimed Max, "it would show who put the beasts
there."

"But we might each catch a pigeon some night," said young Beaussier,
"taking them from different farms; if we put them through a hole in the
roof, they'll attract thousands of others."

"So, then, for the next week, Fario's storehouse is the order of the
night," cried Max, smiling at Beaussier. "Recollect; people get up early
in Saint-Paterne. Mind, too, that none of you go there without turning
the soles of your list shoes backward. Knight Beaussier, the inventor
of pigeons, is made director. As for me, I shall take care to leave my
imprint on the sacks of wheat. Gentlemen, you ar