before us, over which a light pall
of summery vapour hung still and motionless. 'Do you see it? Well, under
that there is death! You may find food in Chateauroux, and stalls for
your horses, and a man to take money; for there are still men there.
But cross the Indre, and you will see sights worse than a battle-field a
week old! You will find no living soul in house or stable or church, but
corpses plenty. The land is cursed! cursed for heresy, some say! Half
are dead, and half are fled to the woods! And if you do not die of the
plague, you will starve.'

'God forbid!' I muttered, thinking with a shudder of those before
us. This led me to ask him if a party resembling ours in number, and
including two women, had passed that way. He answered, Yes, after sunset
the evening before; that their horses were stumbling with fatigue
and the men swearing in pure weariness. He believed that they had not
entered the town, but had made a rude encampment half a mile beyond it;
and had again broken this up, and ridden southwards two or three hours
before our arrival.

'Then we may overtake them to-day?' I said.

'By your leave, sir,' he answered, with grave meaning. 'I think you are
more likely to meet them.'

Shrugging my shoulders, I thanked him shortly and left him; the full
importance of preventing my men hearing what I had heard--lest the
panic which possessed these townspeople should seize on them also--being
already in my mind. Nevertheless the thought came too late, for on
turning my horse I found one of the foremost, a long, solemn-faced man,
had already found his way to Maignan's stirrup; where he was dilating
so eloquently upon the enemy which awaited us southwards that the
countenances of half the troopers were as long as his own, and I saw
nothing for it but to interrupt his oration by a smart application of my
switch to his shoulders. Having thus stopped him, and rated him back to
his fellows, I gave the word to march. The men obeyed mechanically, we
swung into a canter, and for a moment the danger was over.

But I knew that it would recur again and again. Stealthily marking the
faces round me, and listening to the whispered talk which went on, I saw
the terror spread from one to another. Voices which earlier in the day
had been raised in song and jest grew silent. Great reckless fellows of
Maignan's following, who had an oath and a blow for all comers, and
to whom the deepest ford seemed to be child's play, rode wi