im, unless
Nature works a miracle. Our professors at the Ecole de Medecine in
Paris often used to speak to us of the phenomenon which you have
just witnessed. Some maladies of this kind bring about changes in the
voice-producing organs that give the sufferer a short-lived power
of song that no trained voice can surpass. I have made you spend a
melancholy day, sir," said the doctor when he was once more in
the saddle. "Suffering and death everywhere, but everywhere also
resignation. All these peasant folk take death philosophically; they
fall ill, say nothing about it, and take to their beds like dumb
animals. But let us say no more about death, and let us quicken our
horses' paces a little; we ought to reach the town before nightfall, so
that you may see the new quarter."

"Eh! some place is on fire over there," said Genestas, pointing to a
spot on the mountain, where a sheaf of flames was rising.

"It is not a dangerous fire. Our lime-burner is heating his kiln,
no doubt. It is a newly-started industry, which turns our heather to
account."

There was the sudden report of a gun, followed by an involuntary
exclamation from Benassis, who said, with an impatient gesture, "If that
is Butifer, we shall see which of us two is the stronger."

"The shot came from that quarter," said Genestas, indicating a
beech-wood up above them on the mountain side. "Yes, up there; you may
trust an old soldier's ear."

"Let us go there at once!" cried Benassis, and he made straight for the
little wood, urging his horse at a furious speed across the ditches and
fields, as if he were riding a steeplechase, in his anxiety to catch the
sportsman red-handed.

"The man you are after has made off," shouted Genestas, who could
scarcely keep up with him.

Benassis wheeled his horse round sharply, and came back again. The man
of whom he was in search soon appeared on the top of a perpendicular
crag, a hundred feet above the level of the two horsemen.

"Butifer!" shouted Benassis when he saw that this figure carried a
fowling-piece; "come down!"

Butifer recognized the doctor, and replied by a respectful and friendly
sign which showed that he had every intention of obeying.

"I can imagine that if a man were driven to it by fear or by some
overmastering impulse that he might possibly contrive to scramble up to
that point among the rocks," said Genestas; "but how will he manage to
come down again?"

"I have no anxiety on that score," answe