THE TRAITOR  
The door closed behind them. Daylight had not yet come, but the darkness was less profound. The traveller was surprised to see that the Companions had a prisoner with them. His hands were tied behind his back, and he was fastened to a horse which two of the Companions were leading. These three had entered first and had galloped to the end of the courtyard. Two by two the others had followed and had surrounded them. All had then dismounted. The prisoner had remained on horseback for a moment; then they had taken him down.
"Let me speak to Captain Morgan," said the traveller to the monk who had attended him. "He must know at once that I am here."
The monk went and whispered a few words in the leader's ears, who hastened to the traveller's side.
"From whom do you come?" he asked.
"Shall I use the ordinary formula," asked the traveller, "or shall I simply tell you from whom I really come?"
"Since you are here, you have probably satisfied all requirements. Tell me who sent you."
"General Roundhead."
"You have a letter from him?"
"Here it is." And the traveller put his hand to his pocket, but Morgan stopped him.
"Later," said he. "First we must try a traitor. Take the prisoner to the council-chamber," he added.
Just then they caught the gallop of a second troop of horsemen. Morgan listened attentively.
"Those are our brothers," said he; "open the door."
The door was opened.
"Draw back!" cried Morgan.
[Pg 399]
And a second company of four men entered almost as rapidly as the first.
"Have you the prisoner?" cried their leader.
"Yes," replied the Companions of Jehu with one accord.
"And you," asked Morgan, "have you the report?"
"Yes," replied the four with one voice.
"Then all is well," replied Morgan, "and justice will be done."
This is what had happened:
As we have said, several bands, known by the name of Companions of Jehu, or Avengers, and sometimes by both, scoured the country from Marseilles to Besan?on. One had its headquarters in the neighborhood of Avignon, a second in the Jura, and a third, as we have seen, in the old Chartreuse of Seillon.
As all these young men belonged to families residing in the neighborhood, as soon as each undertaking was accomplished, whether or not successfully, they returned to their respective homes. A quarter of an hour later our pillager of diligences, with his hat perched over his ear, his eyeglass in his eye, and his stick in his hand, was walking through the town asking what had happened, and marvelling at the incredible insolence of these fellows to whom nothing was sacred, not even the cash of the Directory. Now, how could young men, some of whom were rich, and all of whom were connected with the ruling powers of the neighborhood, be suspected of highway robbery? Nor were they suspected—though, had they been, no one would have taken it upon himself to denounce them.
However, the government was much annoyed to see its money turned from its original destination—the coffers of the Directory at Paris—into those of the Chouans in Brittany. They therefore decided to play a trick upon their enemies.
In one of the diligences used to convey money, they placed seven or eight gendarmes dressed as citizens, who had sent their pistols and carbines beforehand to the dili[Pg 400]gence, and who had received express orders to take one of the outlaws alive. The thing had been planned so cleverly that the Companions of Jehu had heard nothing about it. The vehicle, with the modest appearance of an ordinary diligence—that is to say, filled with honest bourgeois—ventured into the pass of Cavaillon, and was stopped by eight masked men. A sharp discharge of firearms from within the coach disclosed the trick to the Companions, who............