"It is no use mounting guard over a woman who is half dead,"he said spitefully to the soldiers, "when you have allowed five men who were very much alive to escape."Obediently the soldiers rose to their feet.
"You'd better try and find that footpath again for me, and that broken-down cart we left on the road."Then suddenly a bright idea seemed to strike him.
"Ah! by-the-bye! where is the Jew?"
"Close by here, citoyen," said Desgas; "I gagged him and tied his legs together as you commanded."From the immediate vicinity, a plaintive moan reached Chauvelin's ears. He followed his secretary, who led the way to the other side of the hut, where, fallen into an absolute heap of dejection, with his legs tightly pinioned together and his mouth gagged, lay the unfortunate descendant of Israel.