And when the dawn threw a pale ray of light into the air-hole he got up and said, speaking to himself: "I see that the fight will be a stiff one." Forthwith he composed a memorandum in which he clearly showed that Pyrot could not have stolen from the Ministry of War the eighty thousand trusses of hay which it had never received, for the reason that Maubec had never delivered them, though he had received the money.

Colomban caused this statement to be distributed in the streets of Alca.

The people refused to read it and tore it up in anger.

The shop-keepers shook their fists at the distributers, who made off, chased by angry women armed with brooms.

Feelings grew warm and the ferment lasted the whole day.