"They are getting ready for something worse," muttered the officer.
"Don't trust appearances. Move away from there."
He had not finished speaking when there was a terrible discharge of
musketry. The great elm was riddled, and a host of leaves shot into the
air. The Prussians had happily fired too high. Dominique dragged, almost
carried, Francoise away, while Pere Merlier followed them, shouting:
"Go down into the cellar; the walls are solid!"
But they did not heed him; they entered the huge hall where ten soldiers
were waiting in silence, watching through the chinks in the closed
window shutters. The captain was alone in the courtyard, crouching
behind the little wall, while the furious discharges continued. Without,
the soldiers he had posted gave ground only foot by foot. However, they
re-entered one by one, crawling, when the enemy had dislodged them
from their hiding places. Their orders were to gain time and not show
themselves, that the Prussians might remain in ignorance as to what
force was before them. Another hour went by. As a sergeant arrived,
saying that but two or three more men remained without, the captain
glanced at his watch, muttering:
"Half-past two o'clock.
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