The trial of Chantegreil had remained a memorable case in the province.

The poacher boldly confessed that he had killed the gendarme, but he swore that the latter had been taking aim at him.

"I only anticipated him," he said, "I defended myself; it was a duel, not a murder." He never desisted from this line of argument.

The presiding Judge of the Assizes could not make him understand that, although a gendarme has the right to fire upon a poacher, a poacher has no right to fire upon a gendarme.

Chantegreil escaped the guillotine, owing to his obviously sincere belief in his own innocence, and his previous good character.