the four horsemen of the apocalypse-第42部分

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ther；　into　the　power　of　the　invader。　　The　shrinkage　of　national　territory　was　going　on　with　such　methodical　regularity　that；　with　watch　in　hand；　and　allowing　an　advance　of　thirty…five　miles　daily；　one　might　gauge　the　hour　when　the　lances　of　the　first　Uhlans　would　salute　the　Eiffel　tower。　　The　trains　were　running　full；　great　bunches　of　people　overflowing　from　their　coaches。

In　this　time　of　greatest　anxiety；　Desnoyers　again　visited　his　friend；　Senator　Lacour；　in　order　to　astound　him　with　the　most　unheard…of　petitions。　　He　wished　to　go　immediately　to　his　castle。　While　everybody　else　was　fleeing　toward　Paris　he　earnestly　desired　to　go　in　the　opposite　direction。　　The　senator　couldn't　believe　his　ears。

〃You　are　beside　yourself！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃It　is　necessary　to　leave　Paris；　but　toward　the　South。　　I　will　tell　you　confidentially；　and　you　must　not　tell　because　it　is　a　secretwe　are　leaving　at　any　minute；　we　are　all　going；　the　President；　the　Government；　the　Chambers。　　We　are　going　to　establish　ourselves　at　Bordeaux　as　in　1870。　　The　enemy　is　surely　approaching；　it　is　only　a　matter　of　days　。　。　。　of　hours。　　We　know　little　of　just　what　is　happening；　but　all　the　news　is　bad。　　The　army　still　holds　firm；　is　yet　intact；　but　retreating　。　。　。　retreating；　all　the　time　yielding　ground。　。　。　。　Believe　me；　it　will　be　better　for　you　to　leave　Paris。　　Gallieni　will　defend　it；　but　the　defense　is　going　to　be　hard　and　horrible。　。　。　。　Although　Paris　may　surrender；　France　will　not　necessarily　surrender。　The　war　will　go　on　if　necessary　even　to　the　frontiers　of　Spain　。　。　。　but　it　is　sad　。　。　。　very　sad！〃

And　he　offered　to　take　his　friend　with　him　in　that　flight　to　Bordeaux　of　which　so　few　yet　knew。　　Desnoyers　shook　his　head。　　No；　be　wanted　to　go　the　castle　of　Villeblanche。　　His　furniture　。　。　。　his　riches　。　。　。　his　parks。

〃But　you　will　be　taken　prisoner！〃　protested　the　senator。　　〃Perhaps　they　will　kill　you！〃

A　shrug　of　indifference　was　the　only　response。　　He　considered　himself　energetic　enough　to　struggle　against　the　entire　German　army　in　the　defense　of　his　property。　　The　important　thing　was　to　get　there；　and　thenjust　let　anybody　dare　to　touch　his　things！　。　。　。　The　senator　looked　with　astonishment　at　this　civilian　infuriated　by　the　lust　of　possession。　　It　reminded　him　of　some　Arab　merchants　that　he　had　once　known；　ordinarily　mild　and　pacific；　who　quarrelled　and　killed　like　wild　beasts　when　Bedouin　thieves　seized　their　wares。　This　was　not　the　moment　for　discussion；　and　each　must　map　out　his　own　course。　　So　the　influential　senator　finally　yielded　to　the　desire　of　his　friend。　　If　such　was　his　pleasure；　let　him　carry　it　through！　　So　he　arranged　that　his　mad　petitioner　should　depart　that　very　night　on　a　military　train　that　was　going　to　meet　the　army。

That　journey　put　Don　Marcelo　in　touch　with　the　extraordinary　movement　which　the　war　had　developed　on　the　railroads。　　His　train　took　fourteen　hours　to　cover　the　distance　normally　made　in　two。　　It　was　made　up　of　freight　cars　filled　with　provisions　and　cartridges；　with　the　doors　stamped　and　sealed。　　A　third…class　car　was　occupied　by　the　train　escort；　a　detachment　of　provincial　guards。　　He　was　installed　in　a　second…class　compartment　with　the　lieutenant　in　command　of　this　guard　and　certain　officials　on　their　way　to　join　their　regiments　after　having　completed　the　business　of　mobilization　in　the　small　towns　in　which　they　were　stationed　before　the　war。　　The　crowd；　habituated　to　long　detentions；　was　accustomed　to　getting　out　and　settling　down　before　the　motionless　locomotive；　or　scattering　through　the　nearby　fields。

In　the　stations　of　any　importance　all　the　tracks　were　occupied　by　rows　of　cars。　　High…pressure　engines　were　whistling；　impatient　to　be　off。　　Groups　of　soldiers　were　hesitating　before　the　different　trains；　making　mistakes；　getting　out　of　one　coach　to　enter　others。　The　employees；　calm　but　weary…looking；　were　going　from　side　to　side；　giving　explanations　about　mountains　of　all　sorts　of　freight　and　arranging　them　for　transport。　　In　the　convoy　in　which　Desnoyers　was　placed　the　Territorials　were　sleeping；　accustomed　to　the　monotony　of　acting　as　guard。　　Those　in　charge　of　the　horses　had　opened　the　sliding　doors；　seating　themselves　on　the　floor　with　their　legs　hanging　over　the　edge。　　The　train　went　very　slowly　during　the　night；　across　shadowy　fields；　stopping　here　and　there　before　red　lanterns　and　announcing　its　presence　by　prolonged　whistling。

In　some　stations　appeared　young　girls　clad　in　white　with　cockades　and　pennants　on　their　breasts。　　Day　and　night　they　were　there；　in　relays；　so　that　no　train　should　pass　through　without　a　visit。　　They　offered；　in　baskets　and　trays；　their　gifts　to　the　soldiersbread；　chocolate；　fruit。　　Many；　already　surfeited；　tried　to　resist；　but　had　to　yield　eventually　before　the　pleading　countenance　of　the　maidens。　Even　Desnoyers　was　laden　down　with　these　gifts　of　patriotic　enthusiasm。

He　passed　a　great　part　of　the　night　talking　with　his　travelling　companions。　　Only　the　officers　had　vague　directions　as　to　where　they　were　to　meet　their　regiments；　for　the　operations　of　war　were　daily　changing　the　situation。　　Faithful　to　duty；　they　were　passing　on；　hoping　to　arrive　in　time　for　the　decisive　combat。　　The　Chief　of　the　Guard　had　been　over　the　ground；　and　was　the　only　one　able　to　give　any　account　of　the　retreat。　　After　each　stop　the　train　made　less　progress。　　Everybody　appeared　confused。　　Why　the　retreat？　。　。　。　　The　army　had　undoubtedly　suffered　reverses；　but　it　was　still　united　and；　in　his　opinion；　ought　to　seek　an　engagement　where　it　was。　　The　retreat　was　leaving　the　advance　of　the　enemy　unopposed。　　To　what　point　were　they　going　to　retreat？　。　。　。　　They　who　two　weeks　before　were　discussing　in　their　garrisons　the　place　in　Belgium　where　their　adversaries　were　going　to　receive　their　death　blow　and　through　what　places　their　victorious　troops　would　invade　Germany！　。　。　。

Their　admission　of　the　change　of　tactics　did　not　reveal　the　slightest　discouragement。　　An　indefinite　but　firm　hope　was　hovering　triumphantly　above　their　vacillations。　　The　Generalissimo　was　the　only　one　who　possessed　the　secret　of　events。　　And　Desnoyers　approved　with　the　blind　enthusiasm　inspired　by　those　in　whom　we　have　confidence。　　Joffre！　。　。　。　　That　serious　and　calm　leader　would　finally　bring　things　out　all　right。　　Nobody　ought　to　doubt　his　ability；　he　was　the　kind　of　man　who　always　says　the　decisive　word。

At　daybreak　Don　Marcelo　left　the　train。　　〃Good　luck　to　you！〃　　And　he　clasped　the　hands　of　the　brave　young　fellows　who　were　going　to　die；　perhaps　in　a　very　short　time。　　Finding　the　road　unexpectedly　open；　the　train　started　immediately　and　Desnoyers　found　himself　alone　in　the　station。　　In　normal　times　a　branch　road　would　have　taken　him　on　to　Villeblanche；　but　the　service　was　now　suspended　for　lack　of　a　train　crew。　　The　employees　had　been　transferred　to　the　lines　crowded　with　the　war　transportation。

In　vain　he　sought；　with　most　generous　offers；　a　horse；　a　simple　cart　drawn　by　any　kind　of　old　beast；　in　order　to　continue　his　trip。　　The　mobilization　had　appropriated　the　best；　and　all　other　means　of　transportation　had　disappeared　with　the　flight　of　the　terrified。　　He　would　have　to　walk　the　eight　miles。　　The　old　man　did　not　hesitate。　Forward　March！　　And　he　began　his　course　along　the　dusty；　straight；　white　highway　running　between　an　endless　succession　of　plains。　　Some　groups　of　trees；　some　green　hedges　and　the　roofs　of　various　farms　broke　the　monotony　of　the　countryside。　　The　fields　were　covered　with　stubble　from　the　recent　harvest。　　The　haycocks　dotted　the　ground　with　their　yellowish　cones；　now　beginning　to　darken　and　take　on　a　tone　of　oxidized　gold。　　In　the　valleys　the　birds　were　flitting　about；　shaking　off　the　dew　of　dawn。

The　first　rays　of　the　sun　announced　a　very　hot　day。　　Around　the　hay　stacks　Desnoyers　saw　knots　of　people　who　were　getting　up；　shaking　out　their　clothes；　and　awaking　those　who　were　still　sleeping。　　They　were　fugitives　camping　near　the　station　in　the　hope　that　some　train　would　carry　them　further　on；　they　knew　not　where。　　Some　had　come　from　far…away　districts；　they　had　heard　the　cannon；　had　seen　war　approaching；　and　for　several　days　had　been　going　forward；　directed　by　chance。　　Others；　infected　with　the　contagion　of　panic；　had　fled；　fearing　to　know　the　same　horrors。　。　。　。　　Among　them　he　saw　mothers　with　their　little　ones　in　their　arms；　and　old　men　who　could　only　walk　with　a　cane　in　one　hand　and　the　other　arm　in　that　of　some　member　of　the　family；　and　a　few　old　women；　withered　and　motionless　as　mummies；　who　were　sleeping　as　they　were　trundled　along　in　wheelbarrows。　　When　the　sun　awoke　this　miserable　band　they　gathered　themselves　together　with　heavy　step；　still　stiffened　by　the　night。　Many　were　going　toward　the　station　in　the　hope　of　a　train　which　never　came；　thinking　that；　perhaps；　they　might　have　better　luck　during　the　day　that　was　just　dawning。　　Some　were　continuing　their　way　down　the　track；　hoping　that　fate　might　be　more　propitious　in　some　other　place。

Don　Marcelo　walked　all　the　morning　long。　　The　white；　rectilinear　ribbon　of　roadway　was　spotted　with　approaching　groups　that　on　the　horizon　line　looked　like　a　file　of　ants。　　He　did　not　see　a　single　person　going　in　his　direction。　　All　were　fleeing　toward　the　South；　and　on　meeting　this　city　gentleman；　well…shod；　with　walking　stick　and　straw　hat；　going　on　alone　toward　the　country　which　they　were　abandoning　in　terror；　they　showed　the　greatest　astonishment。　　They　concluded　that　he　must　be　some　functionary；　some　celebrity　from　the　Government。

At　midday　he　was　able　to　get　a　bit　of　bread；　a　little　cheese　and　a　bottle　of　white　wine　from　a　tavern　near　the　road。　　The　proprietor　was　at　the　front；　his　wife　sick　and　moaning　in　her　bed。　　The　mother；　a　rather　deaf　old　woman　surrounded　by　her　grandchildren；　was　watching　from　the　doorway　the　procession　of　fugitives　which　had　been　filing　by　for　the　last　three　days。　　〃Monsieur；　why　do　they　flee？〃　she　said　to　Desnoyers。　　〃War　only　concerns　the　soldiers。　　We　countryfolk　have　done　no　wrong　to　anybody；　and　we　ought　not　to　be　afraid。〃

Four　hours　later；　on　descending　one　of　the　hills　that　bounded　the　valley　of　the　Marne；　he　saw　afar　the　roofs　of　Villeblanche　clustered　around　the　church；　and　further　on；　beyond　a　little　grove；　the　s