At dawn of the day after their departure Hulot and his troop were on the
high-road to Alencon, about three miles from that town towards Mortagne,
at a part of the road which leads through pastures watered by the
Sarthe. A picturesque vista of these meadows lay to the left, while the
woodlands on the right which flank the road and join the great forest
of Menil-Broust, serve as a foil to the delightful aspect of the
river-scenery. The narrow causeway is bordered on each side by ditches
the soil of which, being constantly thrown out upon the fields, has
formed high banks covered with furze,--the name given throughout the
West to this prickly gorse. This shrub, which spreads itself in thorny
masses, makes excellent fodder in winter for horses and cattle; but as
long as it was not cut the Chouans hid themselves behind its breastwork
of dull green. These banks bristling with gorse, signifying to
travellers their approach to Brittany, made this part of the road at the
period of which we write as dangerous as it was beautiful; it was these
dangers which compelled the hasty departure of Hulot and his soldiers,
and it was here that he at last let out the secret of his wrath.

He was now on his return, escorting an old mail-coach drawn by
post-horses, which the weariness of his soldiers, after their forced
march, was compelling to advance at a snail's pace. The company of Blues
from the garrison at Mortagne, who had escorted the rickety vehicle
to the limits of their district, where Hulot and his men had met them,
could be seen in the distance, on their way back to their quarters,
like so many black specks. One of Hulot's companies was in the rear, the
other in advance of the carriage. The commandant, who was marching with
Merle and Gerard between the advance guard and the carriage, suddenly
growled out: "Ten thousand thunders! would you believe that the general
detached us from Mayenne to escort two petticoats?"

"But, commandant," remarked Gerard, "when we came up just now and took
charge I observed that you bowed to them not ungraciously."

"Ha! that's the infamy of it. Those dandies in Paris ordered the
greatest attention paid to their damned females. How dare they dishonor
good and brave patriots by trailing us after petticoats? As for me, I
march straight, and I don't choose to have to do with other people's
zigzags. When I saw Danton taking mistresses, and Barras too, I said to
them: 'Citizens, when the Republic called y