Meantime Rougon constantly bethought himself of Felicite's wild gestures, which seemed to betoken danger somewhere.

Granoux, assuredly the most foolish of the three, was the first to suggest that there must be some Republicans left in the town.

This proved a flash of light, and Rougon, with a feeling of conviction, reflected: "There must be something of Macquart's doing under all this." An hour or so later the friends met again in the cart-shed, which was situated in a very lonely spot.

They had glided stealthily from door to door, knocking and ringing as quietly as possible, and picking up all the men they could.

However, they had only succeeded in collecting some forty, who arrived one after the other, creeping along in the dark, with the pale and drowsy countenances of men who had been violently startled from their sleep.