[The Companions of Jehu by Alexandre Dumas, pere]@TWC D-Link bookThe Companions of Jehu CHAPTER VIII 4/7
The general recommends that you use only the latter as far as is possible in your despatches. He observes that precaution when he, on his side, speaks of you." "Have you the list ?" asked the President. "No; I might have been stopped, and the list taken.
Write yourself; I will dictate them to you." The president seated himself at the table, took a pen, and wrote the following names under the dictation of the Breton peasant: "Georges Cadoudal, Jehu or Roundhead; Joseph Cadoudal, Judas Maccabeus; Lahaye Saint-Hilaire, David; Burban-Malabry, Brave-la-Mort; Poulpiquez, Royal-Carnage; Bonfils, Brise-Barriere; Dampherne, Piquevers; Duchayla, La Couronne; Duparc, Le Terrible; La Roche, Mithridates; Puisaye, Jean le Blond." "And these are the successors of Charette, Stoffiet, Cathelineau, Bonchamp, d'Elbee, la Rochejaquelin, and Lescure!" cried a voice. The Breton turned toward him who had just spoken. "If they get themselves killed like their predecessors," said he, "what more can you ask of them ?" "Well answered," said Morgan, "so that--" "So that, as soon as our general has your reply," answered the peasant, "he will take up arms again." "And suppose our reply had been in the negative ?" asked another voice. "So much the worse for you," replied the peasant; "in any case the insurrection is fixed for October 20." "Well," said the president, "thanks to us, the general will have the wherewithal for his first month's pay.
Where is your receipt ?" "Here," said the peasant, drawing a paper from his pocket on which were written these words: Received from our brothers of the Midi and the East, to be employed for the good of the cause, the sum of.... GEORGES CADOUDAL, General commanding the Royalist army of Brittany. The sum was left blank. "Do you know how to write ?" asked the president. "Enough to fill in the three or four missing words." "Very well.
Then write, 'one hundred thousand francs.'" The Breton wrote; then extending the paper to the president, he said: "Here is your receipt; where is the money ?" "Stoop and pick up the bag at your feet; it contains sixty thousand francs." Then addressing one of the monks, he asked: "Montbard, where are the remaining forty thousand ?" The monk thus interpellated opened a closet and brought forth a bag somewhat smaller than the one Morgan had brought, but which, nevertheless, contained the good round sum of forty thousand francs. "Here is the full amount," said the monk. "Now, my friend," said the president, "get something to eat and some rest; to-morrow you will start." "They are waiting for me yonder," said the Breton.
"I will eat and sleep on horseback.
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