Francoise, all of a tremble,
had mechanically put her hands to her ears. Dominique, behind the
soldiers, looked on; when the smoke had somewhat lifted he saw three
Prussians stretched upon their backs in the center of the meadow. The
others had thrown themselves behind the willows and poplars. Then the
siege began.
For more than an hour the mill was riddled with balls. They dashed
against the old walls like hail. When they struck the stones they were
heard to flatten and fall into the water. They buried themselves in the
wood with a hollow sound. Occasionally a sharp crack announced that the
mill wheel had been hit. The soldiers in the interior were careful of
their shots; they fired only when they could take aim. From time to time
the captain consulted his watch. As a ball broke a shutter and plowed
into the ceiling he said to himself:
"Four o'clock. We shall never be able to hold out!"
Little by little the terrible fusillade weakened the old mill. A shutter
fell into the water, pierced like a bit of lace, and it was necessary to
replace it with a mattress. Pere Merlier constantly exposed himself to
ascertain the extent of the damage done to his poor wheel, the cracking
of which made his heart ache.
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