Chapter 14 Chapter Two Three Children-1

The summer of 1792 was rainy.The summer of 1793 was extremely hot.Brittany has almost no roads due to the civil war, yet people travel in the bright summer months.Dry dirt roads are the best roads. ① Latin, taken from the epic poem of the ancient Roman poet Lucanus (Pharsalia), which can be translated as: It's not just a civil war (the war extends within the family). - Original editor's note About an hour after sunset on a quiet day in July, a rider from Avranches arrived at the little inn called Croix Blanchard.This small inn is the first stop in Pontorson, and the sign reads: "Retail delicious cider".This sign was still there a few years ago.It was a hot day, but it was starting to wind.

The traveler wears a broad cloak that covers even the horse's rump.He wears a large hat with a tricolor cockade.In a place where guns are fired from behind fences and cockades are used as targets, it is dangerous to dress like this.The cloak tied at the neck is slightly open, and the arms are free to move. Below the arms is a three-color belt and two pistol handles exposed above the belt.A saber protruded from under the cloak. The horses stopped, alarming the inn, the door opened, and the proprietor came out holding a lamp.It was dusk, and it was still day on the road, but it was already night in the houses.

The innkeeper looked at the cap badge and said: "Citizen, are you staying at the hotel?" "No" "Where are you going?" "Dole." "Then you must go back to Avranches, or stay at Pontorson." "why?" "There's a war going on at Dole." "Ah!" said the guest, and added: "Feed my horse some oats." The innkeeper brought the feeder, poured a sack of oats into it, and untied the horse, which began to eat, panting. The conversation continued. "Citizen, is your horse requisitioned?" "no."

"Your own?" "Yes, I paid for it." "Where are you from?" "Paris." "It didn't come directly, did it?" "no." "I don't think so. The roads are dead, but there are stagecoaches." "Only to Avranches. I got off the coach at Avranches." "Oh! There will be no stagecoaches in France soon. There are no horses now. The price of horses has risen from three hundred francs to six hundred francs. Forage is staggeringly expensive.I used to be an innkeeper, but now I am a small innkeeper.There used to be 1,113 inn bosses, and 200 of them resigned.Citizen, are you paying for your car with the new price list? "

"Yes, at the May 1st price." "Twenty sous for a coach, twelve sous for a cart, and five sous for a cart. Did you buy this horse at Alençon?" "yes." "Did you run all day today?" "From early morning." "And yesterday?" "And the day before yesterday." "I see. You come from East Furlong and Maldan." "And Avranche." "I see, Citizen, that it is time for you to rest. You must be very tired. Your horse must be tired, too." "Horses can get tired, but people can't." The innkeeper stared at the traveler again.It was a serious, composed, stern face, with gray hair.

The boss glanced at the deserted road and said: "Are you traveling alone like this?" "I have guards." "Where?" "My saber and gun." The innkeeper brought Matty a pail of water.While the horses were drinking water, he looked at the guests again and thought to himself: "Anyway, he's like a priest." The guest asked: "You said there was a war at Dole?" "Yes. There's a war going on." "Who is fighting whom?" "A former nobleman and another former nobleman." "You mean..."

"A former nobleman for the republic and a former nobleman for the king." "But now there is no king." "And the prince. These two former nobles are still relatives. It's really strange." The guest listens attentively.The boss continued: "The two of them, the old and the young, are the uncle and the grandnephew. The uncle is a royalist, and the grandnephew is a revolutionary. The uncle commands the white army, and the grandnephew commands the blue army. Oh! They are merciless. This is a life-and-death war .” "You're going to die?" "Yes, citizen, you see, would you like to see their greetings to each other? This notice was posted everywhere by the old man's order, on every house, on every tree, even on the door .”

The boss moved the lamp closer to a piece of paper taped to one of the door panels.The notice was written in extra large letters, and the guest looked over the mount to see: The Marquis de Langtenac had the honor to inform his nephew, the Count de Fontenay: If Mr. Marquis is lucky enough to capture Mr. Viscount, he will resolutely shoot him. "Here is the other party's answer." The boss continued. He turned and illuminated another notice with his lamp, which echoed the previous one, affixed to the other door.It says: Govan informs Lantenak that if he is caught, he will be shot immediately.

The boss continued: "The first notice was posted on my door yesterday. The second notice was put up this morning. It's the exact opposite." The guest said something in a low voice, as if talking to himself, and the boss heard it, but didn't understand what it meant: "Yes, this is not just a civil war, but a domestic war. It should be like this. Yes. The revitalization of the nation requires this kind of price." The guest stared at the second notice and raised his hand to the brim of his hat in salute. The boss continued: "You see, citizen, the thing is that the people in the cities and the big towns are for the revolution, and the country people are against it. You can also say that the city people are French and the country people are Breton. The country people say we Clumsy, we say they're rustic. The nobles and priests are on their side."

"Not all nobles and priests." "Of course, citizen. Don't we have a viscount here against a marquis?" Then he said to himself again: "And the person I'm talking to is probably the priest." The guest asked: "Which of these two men has the upper hand?" "Being a viscount until now is of course not easy. The old man is very powerful. They are local nobles, the Govan family. This family is divided into two branches. The head of the large branch is the Marquis de Lantenac, and the small branch is The head of the family is the Viscount de Govin, and they fight each other today. Trees can't do such things, but people can. The Marquis de Lantenac is very powerful in Brittany. In the eyes of the peasants He is the fifth prince. The day he landed, eight thousand people were gathered at once, and within a week three hundred parishes took part in an insurrection. If he could hold a small part of the coast, the British would land.

Fortunately, his nephew was there, what a coincidence.Govan commanded the Republican Army to push his uncle back.After landing at Lantenac, they massacred a group of prisoners and shot two women, one of whom had three children. A battalion of Paris soldiers had adopted children, so they were very angry at this shooting.This battalion was called the Red Skull, and there were not many men left in it, but they fought like tigers, and they joined Govan's army, and they were as fierce as a baton they went.They want to avenge the two women and get the three children back.They didn't know where the old man had taken the children, so they were very annoyed.Without those three children, the battle might not have reached this point.The vicomte was a kind and good young man, but the marquis was a terrible old man, and the peasants called this battle the battle of Saint-Michel and Belzebes. You probably know Saint-Michel as the local angel.In the bay, in the middle of the sea, there is a mountain that belongs to him. It is said that he defeated the devil and buried it under another hill, not far from here, called Tomble. " "Yes," murmured the guest, "Tumba Beleni, that is, the tomb of Bellerus, Belus, Bel, Belea, Belzeb." ① In Christianity, they are the archangel and the archdevil respectively. ② Latin. "You seem to understand the situation," said the host, and then to himself, "apparently he knows Latin, and he's a priest." He said to his guests: "Yes, citizen, to the peasants angels and devils are at war again. Of course they think the royalist general is an angel, and the revolutionaries command him to be a devil, but in fact, if there was a devil, it would be Lantenac, If there were an angel, it would be Govan. Don't you want something to eat, citizen?" "I have a jug of water and a loaf of bread. Tell me about Dole." "That's right. Govan commanded an expedition in the Coast Army. Lantenac wanted to start riots everywhere, get Lower Normandy to support Brittany, and open the country to Pitt, with twenty thousand Englishmen and two hundred thousand Peasants came to support the army of the Vendée. Govan shattered the plan. He held the coast and drove Lantenac inland and the English out to sea. Lantenac had been here and he drove it away. He recaptured Pontaubeau, drove Lantenac out of Avranches, out of Verdieu, from Granville, and managed to drive him into the forest of Fougères, where he could be besieged. Yesterday everything went well. Govan led his troops here. However, the situation suddenly changed. The cunning old man made a surprise attack, which is said to be in the direction of Dole. If he captures Dole, the cannon - he has The cannon - put it on Mount Dole, then the British can land on this coast, and everything will be over. Govan is a smart person. When he saw that the situation was urgent, he ignored asking for instructions and waiting for orders. He made a decisive decision and ordered Saddle up the horse, put on the cannon cart, pull up the team and attack. And just like that, Gowan pounces on Longtenak as Longtenak pounces on Dol.These two Bretons will fight each other at Dole.It will be a ferocious fight.They have now started. " "How long does it take to get to Dole from here?" "The troops will have to walk for at least three hours to bring supplies and maintain vehicles. But they have already arrived in Dole." The guest listened carefully and said: "Indeed, I seem to hear cannon." The master also listens carefully: "Yes, citizen, and the volley of gunfire, like the sound of tearing cloth. You ought to spend the night here, and it will do no good to go there." "I can't stop. I have to hurry." "You're wrong. I don't know what you're going to do, but it's too dangerous to go there, unless it's about what you value most in the world..." "Indeed," said the guest. "...For example, your son..." "Almost." said the guest. The boss raised his head and said to himself: "But this citizen is like a priest." He thought for a moment and then murmured: "But priests have children, too." "Hair me up," said the visitor, "how much shall I pay?" He paid. The boss put the trough and bucket against the wall, walked back and said: "Since you must go, take my advice. You are obviously going to Saint-Malo, but not by Dole. There are two roads to Saint-Malo, one goes to Dole and the other goes along the coast.Neither road is close.Along the coast, you pass Saint-Georges of Breheny, Cheyruix, and Hirer-Eviviers.You go north of Dole and south of Cancale.Citizen, at the end of this street you see two roads, the one on the left going to Dole, the one on the right going to St. George's in Breeny; listen to me, if you go to Dole, there will be massacres , so don't turn left, turn right. " "Thank you," said the guest. Then he rode his horse and galloped away. It was already dark, and he went into the darkness. He disappeared from the boss's sight. He came to the intersection of the two roads at the end of the street, and heard the innkeeper shouting in the distance: "turn right!" He turns left. According to church documents, Dole was a Spanish-French city in Brittany.It is not a city, but a street, an old Gothic avenue, with pillared houses on the left and right, and the houses are unevenly spaced, so that the headlands and corners are formed in this broad street.The rest of the city is a network of alleys, which join the central street like brooks to rivers.The city of Dor, situated at the foot of Mount Dor, was unfortified, had neither gates nor walls, and therefore could not defend itself against besiegers, but the street could for a while.The foot corners formed by the houses--which were still there fifty years ago--and the corridors on both sides of the avenue make the avenue a fortified battlefield.There are as many forts as there are houses, and the invaders must conquer them one by one.The old vegetable market is roughly located in the middle of the street. The proprietor of the Croix Blanchard was right.As he spoke, the city of Dole was in a frenzied chaos.The white army that arrived in the morning and the blue army that arrived suddenly at night suddenly launched a night battle, but the strength was very different. The white army had 6,000 men and the blue army had only 1,500 men, but both were equally tenacious.What is striking is that the thousand and five hundred people actually launched an attack on the six thousand people. On one side is the noisy crowd, on the other side is the army.On one side are six thousand peasants, with heart-shaped Jesus statues hanging on their leather jackets, white ribbons on round hats, Christian mottos written on armbands, and rosaries hanging on their belts; They had sabers, and they had lances with bayonets; they hauled cannon by heavy ropes.They are poorly equipped, laxly disciplined, and crudely armed, but they are fanatical.On the other side were 1,500 soldiers. They wore three-cornered hats with three-color cockades on their heads, jackets with large tails and large lapels, crossed armed belts, and held short sabers with copper handles and long guns with bayonets.They are well-trained and well-arranged, obedient and violent, good at commanding and good at obeying.They too were volunteers, but revolutionary volunteers.They were shabby and barefoot.Monarchy is for peasant rangers, revolution is for barefoot heroes, the leader of both sides is the soul of the ranks, an old man on the royalist side, a young man on the republican side; Lantenac on one side, govan. The revolution has young giants like Danton, Saint-Just, and Robespierre, as well as ideal youths like Hosh and Marceau, and Govan belongs to the latter category. Govan was thirty years old, tall and burly, with deep eyes like a prophet, and a smile like a child.He doesn't smoke, drink, or swear.He carried his grooming kit with him in the war, and he took special care of his nails, his teeth, and his fine brown hair. During the rest of the march, he personally took off the captain's uniform full of bullet holes and covered with dust, and slapped it.He has always charged valiantly in battle, but has never been wounded.His voice is soft, but suddenly grows louder when he gives an order.He takes the lead, whether it is windy, rainy or snowy, he is wrapped in a cloak, resting his lovely head on the stone, and lying on the ground.This is a heroic and innocent heart, but with the saber he changes his countenance.He has a feminine look which is terrible in war. In addition, he loves to meditate, is good at philosophy, and is a young sage.He looked like Alcibiades, and talked like Socrates. ① An Athenian general in the fifth century BC, a student of Socrates. In such a sudden change as the French Revolution, the young man became at once a military chief. The troops he trained were the same as the Roman Legion, a small army with a full range of arms, consisting of infantry and cavalry, as well as scouts, engineers, tunnel soldiers, and bridge builders.Roman legions had catapults, his legions had cannons.With three cannons firmly towed, his troops are both powerful and mobile. Lantenac was also a military leader, not only that, he was more prudent and bolder.Really old heroes are calmer because they are far from the dawn, and bolder because they are near death, than young heroes.What do they have to lose?Trivial stuff.So Lantenac's stratagem was as valiant as it was ingenious.However, in this tenacious struggle between the old and the young, Govan has almost always had the upper hand on the whole.This is mostly luck.All good fortune, even terrible good fortune, belongs to the young.Victory is like a maiden. Lantenac was very angry with Govan, firstly because Govan defeated him, and secondly because Govan was his relative. This Govan!The rascal!How do you become a Jacobin?The Marquis has no children, so Govan is his heir, nephew, almost grandson! "Oh!" said the almost grandfather, "if I catch him, I'll beat him like a dog!" The Marquis de Lantenac had not without reason disturbed the Republic.As soon as he landed it was a shock. His name quickly burned through the rebellious Vendée like a fuse, and he immediately became the center of the rebellion.In a rebellion of this nature, the chiefs each have their own jungles and ravines, and are jealous of each other. There must be a person who stands on a high ground and looks at everything, so as to gather the chiefs who are equal in status but scattered in power.Nearly all the chiefs of the forest drew near to Lantenac, and obeyed him, near and far.Only one chief left him, Garhwal who was the first to greet him, why?Because Garhwal is a confidant.He knew all the secrets of the old civil war system, and he had a hand in all its schemes, which Lantenac wanted to cancel and replace.Confidants cannot be inherited.Larou Ali's shoes did not fit Lantenac's feet.Garhwal defected to Bonchan. Langtenac, as a soldier, admired the style of Zartre II, and he wanted to combine the big battle with the small battle.He wanted neither the "chaotic concentration" of Catholicism and the king's army, which was sure to be routed, nor the scattered forces of the briar coppice, which could only harass but fail to crush the enemy.Guerrilla warfare cannot or will hardly play a decisive role. You initially launched an attack on the Republic, but you ended up robbing a stagecoach.The Brittany War understood by Lantenac was neither the plain war of La Roche-Jaclan nor the forest war of Jean Juin, neither the Vendée rebellion nor the Juan party rebellion.What he was asking for was real warfare, using the peasants but backed by soldiers.He relied strategically on the assembled peasantry and tactically on the army.The peasant team can quickly assemble and disperse, which is conducive to attack, ambush and sneak attack, but he feels that this kind of team is unpredictable, as if it is water in his hands.In this erratic and scattered war, he wanted to establish a solid support point, have a regular army in addition to the barbaric forest troops, and make it the pivot of the peasant war.This is a deep and terrible thought.Had it been realized, the Vendée would have been invincible. However, where to find the regular army?Where to find soldiers?Where can I find the team?Where to find a ready-made army?U.K!So Longtenac wanted the British to land.The sectarian consciousness compromised.The white insignia made him invisible to the red uniform.He had only one idea: to occupy a coastal stronghold and open the country to Pete.Therefore, when the locals saw that Dole was not fortified, they rushed forward and wanted to use Dole City to control Dole Mountain and Dole Mountain to control the coast. The location was well chosen.The emplacement of the artillery on Mount Dore would hold Fresnois on the one hand and St. Brelade on the other, keep Cancale's cruisers from approaching, and thus open the way for landers from the Cowannon Gorge to St. May's. The entire coast of the Loire de Zonde. To ensure the success of this decisive attempt, Lantenac brought over six thousand men, the elite part of the peasant army under his command, and all the cannon, including ten sixteen-pound shells. A light long gun, a short round gun with eight catties of shells, and a cannon with four catties of heavy shells.He wanted to establish a strong artillery position at Mount Dore, because ten cannons fired a thousand shells were more effective than five cannons fired a thousand and five hundred shells. Success is in sight.He has six thousand men.In the direction of Avranches, he had only Govin to deal with, but Govin had only fifteen hundred men.In the direction of Dinan, he had only Lecher to deal with, and Lecher had twenty-five thousand, but he was twenty leagues away.Therefore, Langtenac was relieved. The Leixie navy had many troops but was far away, and Govan was close but had few troops.Besides, Lecher was a fool, and later killed himself when his twenty-five thousand men were crushed on the Moor of Croix Bataille. Lantenac was therefore perfectly safe.His occupation of Dole was sudden and harsh.He was known for his cruelty, and his men never showed mercy.At Dole he met no resistance.Residents panicked and shut their doors.The 6,000 Vendée people settled down in the city, chaotically like in a market, without prior arrangements, without delimited residences, camped everywhere, cooked in the open air, scattered in various churches, and put down the robbing to chant sutras.Lantenac, with several artillery officers, went to Mount Dore to inspect the terrain, and entrusted the post of deputy commander to Gouge the Loud, whom he had appointed as adjutant. ①As a common noun, it refers to a semicircular chisel. The boisterous one has left a faint footprint in history.He had two nicknames, the Bane of the Blues, because he slaughtered so many revolutionaries, and Immanus, because there was something terrible about him that cannot be described. Immanius is converted from the Latin Imanis. It is an ancient word in the Lower Norman dialect. It refers to a kind of superhuman, which can be said to be horribly ugly, such as devils, forest gods, and ogres.An ancient manuscript reads in ancient dialect: "I saw Immanus with my own eyes." The old people in Boca fever do not know who the noisy archaeological day is today, or who the blue scourge is, but they roughly Know Immanus.Immanus had been incorporated into local superstition. In the villages of Tremorel and Plumugha, two villages that were once the victim of the rabble-rousers, people still talk about Immanus.In the Vendée, other people are barbaric, but Furuta, the rambunctious one, is tyrannical.Like a chieftain, he was tattooed with crucifixes and lilies all over his body, and had an almost supernatural gleam in his face, which showed that his soul was different from other souls.In battle he was vicious, and after battle he was brutal.His heart is crooked, he can be loyal, and he can also be vicious.Can he reason?Yes, but in a spiral like a crawling snake.His starting point is heroism, but his end point is murder.It is impossible to guess where his decisions come from, which are spectacular in their brutality.He can do all kinds of unexpected and terrible things.His cruelty is thrilling. Hence his monstrous moniker: Immanius. The Marquis de Lantenac trusted his cruelty. Cruel, not bad at all.Emmanuus' specialty is cruelty.But in terms of strategy and tactics, he is not very good.The Marquis probably shouldn't have made him second-in-command.In short, the Marquis asked Emmanus to take care of everything for him. In ancient times, the noisy man was a warlike man rather than a military strategist. He could kill a group of people but was not good at defending a city.But he still deployed outposts. As dusk approached, the Marquis de Lantenac returned to Dole after inspecting the planned fort terrain, when suddenly he heard the sound of a cannon.He looked up and saw red smoke rising from the streets of Dole.This is offense, surprise and surprise.There is war in the city. Lantenac, who has always been calm when things happen, was dumbfounded this time.He never expected this to happen.Who could this be?Obviously not Govan.It is impossible to attack four people with one person.So Lecher?What a hasty march that must be!It was unlikely to be Lecher, and it could never be Govan. Lantenac hastened on.When he met fleeing people on the road, he asked them, and they cried out in despair: "Blue Army! Blue Army!" When he rushed into the city, the situation was bad. Here's what happened. We have just seen that when the peasants reach Dole, they disperse in the town and do what they please, as the Vendée say: "obedience out of affection."Such obedience produces heroes, but not soldiers.They put the cannon and the luggage under the vaults of the old vegetable market, and while they ate and drank, they "made rosary beads", exhausted, and fell in disorder in the street, not guarding the street, but blocking it.Dusk gradually approached, and most people fell asleep with their heads in their pockets.A few had their wives with them, for peasant women were often accompanied by peasants; in the Vendée a pregnant woman could serve as a spy.It was a warm July night, and the stars twinkled in a deep dark blue sky.In this campsite, which looks like a business hotel rather than a military camp, people sleep peacefully.Suddenly, those who hadn't closed their eyes saw three cannons facing the street in the dim light of dusk. This is Govan.He attacked the outposts, entered the city, and occupied the streets. A farmer stood up to ask the password and fired a shot, which was returned by cannons, and a fierce gun battle began.The drowsy people suddenly jumped up.Terrible blow.They sleep in starlight, only to wake up to shrapnel flying. The first moment was horrific.What could be more tragic than a dense crowd of people being shot dead suddenly? They shouted, ran, and threw themselves upon their weapons, and many fell.The offense caught them off guard and they even shot each other.Some people ran out of the house in a daze, ran back, ran out again, and ran around in a daze under the bullets.Some families call out to each other.Women and children were also involved in this tragic war.The howling bullets pierced the darkness.The smoke filled the air, and there was a lot of noise.In addition, the truck and the cart collided into a ball.The horses are kicking.People stepped on the wounded, and there were groans on the ground.Some were terrified, others dumbfounded.Soldiers look for officers and officers look for soldiers.And amidst all this was a sullen indifference.A woman was leaning against the wall to nurse her baby, and her husband was also leaning against the wall, one leg was broken and bleeding, but he still calmly loaded his gun and fired blindly into the dark front.Some men were prostrate and firing guns from behind the wheels of carts.There was an uproar at times, but the roar of the cannon drowned out everything.The sight was chilling. It's like felling trees, trees fall one after another.Govan was in ambush in the dark, and his bullets never missed. The casualties of his men were very small. However, the peasants, in disarray, finally went on the defensive.They retreated to the vegetable market, which was a dark fortress, a forest of stone pillars.They have established themselves there.Anything resembling a wood gives them confidence.Emmanuus did everything he could to fill Lantenac's place.To Govan's great amazement, the peasants left the cannons unused, for the officers of the artillery went to Mount Dore with the Marquis, and the boys knew neither the long nor the short, but they shot the cannons with their guns. blues.They responded to the cannon with continuous fire.Now they've found cover.They used flatbed carriages, trucks, luggage and all the barrels in the old vegetable market to pile up a high street, leaving a gap in the middle for the guns to stick out.Because of the holes, their shots are dangerous.It all came very quickly.In less than a quarter of an hour, the vegetable market became an invincible fortress. Things turned serious for Govan.The vegetable market suddenly became a fortress, which he did not expect.There the peasants rallied firmly.Govan successfully completed the surprise attack, but failed to defeat the enemy.He dismounted, sword in one hand, arms folded on his breast, and stood in the light of the torches that illuminated the battery, intently observing the great darkness. The people on the other side of the barricade saw his tall figure in the light of the fire.He was targeted, but he couldn't care less. he mused.Rows of bullets from the barricades rained down around him. But his cannon was good enough for that many rounds.Cannonballs always have the upper hand.Whoever has the cannon wins.His cannons are powerful enough to guarantee an advantage. Suddenly, flames erupted from the dark vegetable market, followed by a thunderous bang, and a shell pierced the house above Govan's head. The barricades responded to the cannon with cannon. How is this going?Something new has emerged.Now both sides have guns. A second shell followed, piercing the wall very close to Govan.A third shell knocked his hat off the ground. These were large-caliber shells, fired from sixteen-pound cannons. "They're targeting you, Commander," shouted the gunners. So they put out the torches.Govan picked up his hat, thoughtful. Someone was indeed targeting Govan, and it was Langtenac. The Marquis had just come to the barricade from behind. Emmanus ran towards him. "My lord, we have been attacked." "who is it?" "have no idea." "Is the road still open to Dinan?" "Probably okay." "Let's start retreating." "It has begun. Many have fled." "It's not fleeing, it's retreating. Why don't you fire?" "We're in a panic, and the artillery officer isn't here." "I go." "My lord, I have transferred to Fougères as much baggage as possible, and women, and everything of no use. What about the three little captives?" "Oh! Those three children?" "right" "They are hostages, take them to Turg." The Marquis finished speaking and went to the barricade.Once the leader arrives, everything changes.A barricade is not suitable for a battery, only two cannons can be mounted. They made two breaches in the barricade, and the Marquis set up two sixteen-pound cannon.As he leaned over one of the guns, watching the enemy guns through their emplacements, he saw Govan. "It's him!" he cried. So he wiped the gun dealer himself, loaded the shells, and aimed at the sight. Three times he aimed at Govan, but missed three times.The third time only took Gowan's hat off. "Stupid!" said Lantenac, "and hit him on the head a little lower." The torch suddenly went out.There was darkness before him. "Forget it," he said. Then he turned and shouted to the peasants who fired: "shooting." Govan was also very serious.The situation is deteriorating.The battle has entered a new phase.The barricades were now firing at him.Who knows if they'll switch from defense to offense?Excluding the dead and deserters, the enemy numbered at least 5,000 men, while he himself had only 1,200 men left to fight.If the enemy finds that there are not many republicans here, they will be in trouble.The positions will be reversed, and they will be the attacked instead of the attackers.If the enemy broke through the barricades, it could all be over. what to do?It was impossible to attack the barricades from the front.Attacking is a fool's dream.1,200 people cannot drive away 5,000 people.Attacking is impossible, but waiting is fatal.This situation must end, but how? Govan is a local, he is familiar with the city.He knew that behind the old market, where the Vendée had used it as a barricade, was a labyrinth of narrow and winding alleys. He turned to the adjutant, who was the brave and invincible Géchon, who later cleared the forest of Consize, where Jean Juin was born, and stopped the rebels before the causeway of the Xie En Pond, and held Burnaf, Hence the fame. "Gaishan," Govan said, "you command. Fight as you can. Blow down the barricades with cannons. You have to keep these people in check." "Understood." Gaishan said. "Assemble the whole team, load the bullets, and prepare to charge." He moved closer to Yishang's ear and said a few words. "Okay." Gaishan said. Govan asked again: "Is our drummer here?" "exist" "We have nine drummers, you keep two and give me seven." The seven drummers lined up in front of Govan in silence. Then Govan cried: "Red Beanie Camp 2" Twelve people came out of the team, and one of them was Zhongtu. "All the battalion of red beanies!" said Govan. "Here," said the sergeant. "There are only twelve of you." "There are only twelve people left." "Okay," Govan said. This sergeant was the kind and rude Radu who had accepted the three children as battalion sons in the Sodley Wood. We also recall that half of the battalion was killed in El Buangpay, and Radu survived. There is a cart of fodder nearby, Govan pointed to it and said to Zhongshang: "Middle-earth, tell your men to weave straw ropes and wrap them around the spears so that they will not collide and make a sound." A minute passed, and the orders were carried out silently in the dark. "It's wrapped," said the sergeant. "Soldiers, take off your shoes," Govan said again. "We have no shoes," said the sergeant. Including the seven drummers, there were nineteen of them.Govan is the twentieth. he shouted: "Stand in single file. Follow me. The drummer follows me, and then the battalion. Sergeant, you command the battalion." He was at the head of the line, and the twenty men slid like shadows amidst the gunfire from both sides, into the deserted alley. In this way they walked for a while along the winding base of the wall.Cities seem to die.The townspeople took refuge in the cellars, all the doors were barred, and all the windows shut.Not a ray of light. In this dead silence, the sound of guns and guns on the street became more intense.The artillery battle continued.Republican and Royalist artillery fired wildly at each other. Govan walked confidently in the dark, and after twenty minutes of zigzag walking, he came to the end of an alley and from there walked onto the main street, which was on the other side of the vegetable market. The location has changed.There is no defense on this side, and the barricade builders have always miscalculated on this point.The vegetable market is open.Govan and his men could go under the stone pillar, where several carts of baggage were preparing to retreat.They were dealing with 5,000 Vendéans, but from behind rather than from the front. Govan whispered a few words to the sergeant.The straw rope wrapped around the gun was untied.Twelve soldiers stood in battle positions at the end of the alley.The seven drummers raised their sticks and waited for an order. The discharge of artillery was intermittent.在两次炮击中间，戈万突然举起剑，用军号般的宏亮声音打破了寂静，喊道： “二百人去右路，二百人去左路，其余的人留在中路！” 响起了十二下枪声，七名鼓手敲起了冲锋的鼓声。 戈万发出了蓝军可怕的喊声： “拼刺刀！冲呀！” 奇异的效果。 那一大群农民感到背后受到攻击，以为从后面又杀出一支军队。与此同时，盖尚指挥的那支占领大街另一头的共和军听见鼓声也行动起来，也敲着冲锋的鼓点冲向街垒。 农民们发现自己腹背受敌。惊惶失措往往会夸大事实。在惊惶失措时，枪声变成了炮声，喧嚣变成了幽灵，狗吠声成了猛狮的咆哮。此外，农民一惊惶失措就会溃不成军。于是出现了难以描述的溃败。 不一刻的工夫，菜市场便空空如也。惊恐万状的小伙子们四处逃窜，军官们无能为力，伊马纽斯打死了两三个逃跑者，但无济于事，只听见一片呼声：“快逃命呀！”这支军队像穿过筛孔一样穿过城市，消失在田野里，其速度之快如风卷残云。 一些人逃向夏托纳夫，另一些人逃向普莱尔盖，还有人逃向昂特兰。 德?朗特纳克目睹了这次溃败。他用手关上了大炮的火门，慢慢地、冷冷地撤退，他是最后撤退的。他说：“显然，农民是顶不住的。我们需要英国人。” 戈万大获全胜。 他转身对红色无檐帽营的人说： “你们只有十二个人，但抵得上一千人。” 在当时，首领的赞赏等于是荣誉勋章。 戈万派盖尚出城追击败兵，他抓回不少俘虏。 人们点燃了火把，在城里搜索。 凡是没能逃走的人都投降了。大街被火坛照得通明，满街都躺着死人和伤兵。战斗快结束时总是要寸土必争的，因此有几伙人作垂死挣扎，从这里或那里放冷枪，他们被包围，最后缴械投降。 在乱糟糟的溃逃中，有一个人引起了戈万的注意，此人像农牧神一样机灵强壮，英勇无畏，他掩护别人逃跑而自己不逃。他巧妙地使用手中的枪，用枪简射击，用枪托猛打，以致把枪托部打碎了。现在他一手持短枪，一手持马刀。谁也不敢靠近他。突然，戈万看见他踉跄了几下，靠在大街上一根石柱上。他刚刚受了伤，但仍然握着刀枪。戈万将剑夹在服下，朝他走过去。 “投降吧。”戈万说。 那人死死盯住他。伤口在流血，从衣服下面流到脚前的地上，形成一摊血。 “你是我的俘虏。”戈万说。 那人一声不响。 "What's your name?" “我叫影子舞。” “你很勇敢。”戈万说。 戈万向他伸出手。 那人回答说；“国王万岁！” 并且使出全身力气，举起双臂，朝戈万胸部开枪，同时用刀朝戈万头部砍去。 这一切他做得十分敏捷，但是有人比他更敏捷。那是一位骑马的人。他刚到不久，没有引起人们的注意。他一见旺代人举起刀枪，便扑到旺代人和戈万之间。要是没有他，戈万必死无疑。马匹挨了一枪，骑者挨了一刀，都跌倒在地。这一切来得很快，不到呼喊一声的工夫。 旺代人也倒在铺路石上。 骑马人脸上挨了一刀，摔在地上昏厥过去。马匹也被打死了。 戈万走过来，问道： "Who is this guy?" 他仔细端详。受伤人满脸是刀伤的血，仿佛戴了一副红色面具。无法看清他的脸，只能看见他的灰白头发。 “这个人救了我的命。”戈万说，“这里有谁认识他吗？” “指挥官，”一位士兵说，“这个人刚刚进城。我是看见他来的，他从蓬托尔松那边来。” 军队的外科医生提着药箱跑了过来。受伤的人仍然昏迷不醒。军医检查了一下，说道；“简单的刀伤。不要紧，能缝合。一个礼拜以后他就能复原。这一刀可够结实的。” 受伤的人披着斗篷，系着三色腰带，带着两把枪和一把马刀。人们把他放在担架上躺好，给他脱衣服，拿来一桶凉水，军医开始给他洗伤口，他的脸慢慢露出来了。戈万聚精会神地瞧着他。 “他身上有证件吗？”戈万问道。 军医拍了拍受伤人侧面的口袋，抽出一个钞票夹，送给戈万。 戈万翻翻钞票夹，找到一张把成四折的纸，展开来，看到；救国委员会西穆尔丹公民……戈万呼叫起来： “西穆尔丹！” 呼声便受伤的人睁开眼睛。 戈万欣喜若狂。 “西穆尔丹！是你！你这是第二次救我的命。” 西穆尔丹瞧着戈万。流血的脸上闪着难以描述的欢乐的光。 戈万双膝跪在他面前，呼道： “我的老师！” “你的父亲。”西穆尔丹说。 他们有多年没有见面了，但是他们的心从未分离。他们彼此相认，仿佛昨天才分手。 多尔市政府成了临时医院。西穆尔丹被搬到一个小房间的床上，小房间与伤员的大病室相连。外科医生缝合了伤口，认为应该让西穆尔丹睡觉，所以禁止这两个男人倾诉衷肠。何况职责和战胜后的许多事情都等待戈万去处理。西穆尔丹一人留在那里，他没有睡觉。他在发烧，因伤口而发烧和因欢乐而发烧。 他没有睡，但似乎也不清醒。is it possible?他的梦想实现了。西穆尔丹这样的人是不相信满五①的，但却得到了满五。他找到了戈万。他离开戈万时，戈万还是孩子，这次见面戈万已是男人了，高大、英勇、令人生畏，而且无往不胜，为人民而无往不胜。戈万是革命在旺代地区的支柱，而正是他西穆尔丹为共和国造就了这根支柱。这位胜利者是他的学生。这张年轻的面孔也许会进共和国的先贤调，面孔上闪烁的正是他西穆尔丹的思想。从现在起，他的弟子，他精神上的儿子就已经是英雄了，不久以后他将成为光荣。西穆尔丹仿佛看到自己的灵魂成为天才。他刚才亲眼目睹戈万如何作战，就像基隆②目睹阿基琉斯作战一样。教士与马人之间的关系很神秘，教士只有半个人身。 ①玩罗多游戏时，抽出的编号棋子正巧摆满方格盘的同一行五格。 ②希腊神话中的马人（半人半马），曾是英雄阿基琉斯的老师。 种种巧合使西穆尔丹兴奋不已，伤痛也使他难以入眠。一个年轻的生命正在升起，壮丽非凡，他对这个生命拥有全部权力，对此深感快乐。只要戈万再获得一次类似的战果，西穆尔丹就可轻而易举地让共和国将大军托付给戈万。当时人人都在做军事梦，人人都想成为将军。丹东想当韦斯特曼，马拉想当罗西尼奥，埃贝尔想当龙森，罗伯斯比尔想打败他们所有的人。西穆尔丹想，为什么戈万就不能呢？他浮想联翩，面前有无限的空间，从一种设想跳到另一种设想，一切障碍都烟消云散。谁一旦踏上这把梯子就无法停下，无止境地向上攀登，从人出发抵达星辰。大将军仅仅是军队的统帅，而大军事家是军队兼思想的统帅。西穆尔丹幻想戈万成为大军事家。他任凭幻想驰骋，想像戈万在大西洋上驱赶英国人，在莱茵河上惩罚北方的君主，在比利牛斯山击退西班牙，在阿尔卑斯山示意罗马肃立。西穆尔丹身上有两个人，一个温情，一个阴沉，这两个人都十分满意，因为西穆尔丹看到戈万既杰出又令人畏惧，而严酷无情正是西穆尔丹本人的理想。西穆尔丹认为必须有所摒弃才能有所建树，因此此刻不该儿女情长。戈万将--用当时的话说--“立在高处”，他将披着光辉，头部像流星闪亮，一手持剑，将黑暗踩在脚下，展开正义、理智和进步的巨大翅膀；他是天使，但是歼灭性大使。 幻想几乎使他神志恍惚。他想得正兴奋时，从半掩的门传来话语声，那是从隔壁的大病室传来的。他听出了戈万的声音，这声音消失了多年，却一直留在他耳畔。孩童的声音变成了成年人的声音。他仔细听，有人走动。士兵说： “指挥官，朝您开枪的就是这个人。刚才他趁我们不注意钻进了地窖。我们找到了他。这就是他。” 于是传来戈万和那人的对话： “你受伤了？” “还能挨一枪。” “让这人躺在床上，给他包扎和治疗，让他康复。” “我宁可死。” “你要活着。你想以国王的名义杀死我，我以共和国的名义宽恕你。” 西穆尔丹的脸上掠过阴云。他仿佛突然惊醒，阴沉而沮丧地喃喃说： “他果然是宽大的人。” 刀伤可以很快痊愈，但有一个人比西穆尔丹的伤势更重，那就是乞丐泰尔马什在埃尔布昂帕伊农场的遍地血泊中救起的那个被枪击的女人。 米歇尔?弗莱夏的伤势比泰尔马什想像的更严重。除了胸部上方的枪洞以外，她的肩肿止还有一个洞。一颗子弹打断了她的锁骨，另一颗子弹穿过了她的肩骨，幸好肺部没有受伤，她还能康复。泰尔马什是“官学家”，这是农民对略懂医道、手术和巫术者的称呼。泰尔马什在洞穴里，在简陋的海藻床上为这女人治伤，使用的是神秘的“药草”，居然使这女人活了下来。 锁骨重新接上了。胸部和肩部的伤口愈合了。几个星期以后，受伤的女人进入康复期。 一天早上，她靠在泰尔马什身上走出了洞穴，坐在树下享受阳光。泰尔马什对她知之不多，因为她胸部受伤不能多说话，而在她康复以前的垂危状态时，她也没有说几句话。她想开口时，泰尔马什就叫她别说话，但她显然有一件念念不忘的心事。泰尔马什在她眼中看到反复出现的悲痛。这天早上，她身体不错，几乎能独立行走。治愈一个人就等于创造了一个人，因此泰尔马什十分高兴地看着她。这位善良的老人微笑地对她说： “瞧，我们站起来了，再没有伤口了。” “只有心头的伤口。”她说。 她又接着问道： “这么说，你根本不知道他们在哪里？” “谁？”季尔马什问道。 “我的孩子们。” “这么说”表达了几层意思，它意味着：“既然你从不对我谈起，既然你在我身边这么久却一字不提，既然每当我要打破沉默时，你都不让我开口，既然你似乎怕我提起，那就是说你没有什么可以告诉我的。”在高烧、恍惚和谵妄中，她常常呼唤自己的孩子，她也看到--因为谵妄中也能观察事物--老人不回答她。 泰尔马什的确不知道该对她说什么。和一位母亲谈论她失去的孩子，这不是一件容易事。何况他又知道什么呢？一无所知。他只知道一位母亲遭到枪杀，倒在地上被他发现了，他救起了她，当时她几乎是尸体，这个尸体有三个孩子，德?朗特纳克侯爵枪杀母亲后，带走了孩子。这便是地知道的全部情况。那些孩子们后来如何？still alive?他打听了一下，只知道这是两个男孩和一个刚断奶的女孩，其他一概不知。关于这几个不幸的孩子，他提出了一大堆疑问，但得不到答案。当地人对他的询问只是摇摇头。他们不愿意谈德?朗特纳克先生这个人。 人们不愿谈论德?朗特纳克，也不愿和泰尔马什说话。农民有一种爱猜疑的怪脾气、他们不喜欢泰尔马什。凯门鳄泰尔马什令他们不安。他为什么总是看天？what is he doing 他久久地一动不动在想什么？显然他是个怪人。这个地区正处于激烈的战火、大动荡、大混乱之中，人们只干一件事，毁坏，只有一项工作，屠杀从们忙着烧杀抢掠，忙着相互布下陷阶，设下圈套，忙着相互厮杀，而这位孤独者却浸沉在大自然中，仿佛浸沉在万物的无边宁静之中，他采摘草木，只关心花鸟和星辰，他肯定是危险人物。他显然失去了理智，从不躲藏在荆棘后面，从不向任何人开枪，因此，周围的人对他怀有几分畏惧。 “这是个疯子。”过路的人说。 泰尔马什不仅孤立，而且人们见他就躲。 谁也不向他提问题，谁也不回答他。他无法打听他想打听的事。战争蔓延到了别处，人们在更远的地方作战。德?朗特纳克候爵从地平线上消失了。就泰尔马什的心境而言，他已把战争忘在脑后了，除非战争刺他一下。 听到那女人说“我的孩子们”，泰尔马什不再微笑了。母亲哭了起来。她的心灵里发生了什么事？她仿佛处在深渊底部。突然她看着泰尔马什，用几乎气愤的声调又叫了起来： “我的孩子们呀！” 泰尔马什像罪犯一样低下头。 他想到德?朗特纳克侯爵，侯爵肯定不会想到他，也许根本忘记世上还有他这个人。 他明白这一点，他在想：“老爷嘛，危难时认你，危难过去就不认你了。” 于是他自问：“当初我为什么要救这位老爷呢？” 又自答道：“因为他是人。” 对这个回答，他沉思片刻，又接着想：“果真如此吗？” 他辛酸地自言自语：“早知如此！” 这件事使他很沮丧，因为他在自己的行为中看到一种谜语。他痛苦地思索。看来善行可以产生恶果。拯救狼就等于屠杀羊。谁为秃鹰修补翅膀就该为它的钩爪承担责任。 他的确自感有罪。这位母亲本能的气愤是有道理的。 不过，他拯救了这位母亲，这减轻了他拯救侯爵的过失。 但是孩子们呢？ 母亲也在凝思。他们两人的思绪很接近，虽然没有明说，而且也许在暗暗的默想中相遇。 此刻，母亲的眼底是黑夜，她再次盯着泰尔马什。 “不能这样下去。”她说。 “嘘！”泰尔马什把手指放在嘴上说。 她继续说。 “你不该救我。都怪你。我宁可死，那样我就能看见他们了。我就能知道他们在哪里。他们看不见我，但我能呆在他们身边。我死了也肯定能保佑他们。” 他拉起她的手臂，给她号脉： “镇静一点，你又发烧了。” 她用几乎冷酷的口吻问道： “我什么时候可以走？” "Walk?" “是的，走路。” “你如果任性，永远也走不了。你如果明智，明天就能走。” “什么叫明智？” “信任神。” “神？他把我的孩子带到哪里去了？” 她六神无主，用变得柔和的声音说道，： “你明白，我不能这样呆着。你没有孩子，但是我有，这很不一样。你不知道的事，你就无法判断。你没有孩子，对吧？” “对。”泰尔马什回答。 “可我呢，我只有孩子。没有了孩子，我还是活人吗？谁能向我解释为什么我失去孩子。我不明白，只是感觉正在发生什么事。有人打死了我丈夫，有人朝我开枪，可为什么，我不明白。” “算了吧，”泰尔马什说，“你又发烧了。别再说了。” 她瞧着他，沉默了。 从这天起，她不再开口。 她变得比他希望的更听话，她一连几个小时蹲在老树下发呆。她在幻想，但保持沉默。那些经历过刻骨铭心的痛苦的单纯心灵，往往在沉默中寻找庇护。她似乎不再试图去理解。绝望达到某种程度时，连绝望者本人也无法理解。 泰尔马什观察她，内心十分激动。面对如此的痛苦，这位老人像女人一样想道： “呵是的，她的嘴不说话，但她的眼睛在说话。她显然有一个固执的念头。她曾经是母亲，而现在不再是母亲了！她曾经是奶妈，而现在不再是奶妈了！她不可能听天由命。 她一直在想，想，想。的确，让一张粉红小嘴吮吸你，将你的灵魂从肉体中吸出来，用你的生命创造她的生命，这种感觉肯定很美妙！ " 他也沉默着，他明白，面对如此的消沉，言语是无能为力的。沉默不语的固执念头是可怕的。怎样才能劝解沉溺于固执念头中的母亲呢？母爱是绝对的，无法和它说理。 母亲之所以崇高，因为她是一种动物。母性本能具有神圣的动物性。母亲不再是女人，她是雌性。 孩子是患儿。 因此，在母亲身上既存在低于理智又存在高于理智的东西。母亲嗅觉灵敏。天地万物的巨大而隐晦的意志存在于她身上，而且指引她。她处事轻率盲目，然而又充满了睿智。 泰尔马什现在想让这个不幸的女人开口，但未能成功。有一次他对她说： “可惜我老了，走不动了。走不多远就精疲力竭。一刻钟以后就迈不开腿，必须停下来。要不然我就陪你去。不过，不陪你也许是好事，因为我对你没有多少用处，反而给你惹麻烦。这里的人对我还能宽容，可是蓝军会怀疑我是农民，农民会怀疑我是巫师。” 他等待她回答。她连眼睛也不抬。 顽念导致疯狂或英勇。 ＿但是一位可怜的农妇能有什么英勇呢？impossible.她只能是母亲，仅此而已。她一天天更沉溺于逻想中。泰尔马什在观察她。 他想方设法让她干点什么，给她拿来针线和顶针。她果然缝制起来，这使可怜的凯门鳄很高兴。她依旧遇想，但她在干活，这是健康的征象。她渐渐恢复体力，她缝补自己的内衣、外衣、鞋子，但目光仍然呆滞无神。她一面缝，一面低声哼唱晦涩难懂的歌。 她喃喃地念叨一些名字，可能是孩子的名字，但泰尔马什听不清楚。她停住听鸟叫，仿佛鸟给她带来了信息。她的嘴唇在努动，她低声自言自语。她缝了一个口袋，往里面装满栗子。一天早上，泰尔马什看见她出发了，她的眼睛茫然盯着森林深处。 “你去哪里？”他问道。 “我去找他们。” 他没有挽留她。 在几个星期的拉锯战以后，富热尔地区的人们只谈论两个人，他们截然相反，但从事同一事业，即并肩进行伟大的革命斗争。 野蛮的旺代战争仍在继续，但旺代人已处于劣势，特别是在伊尔埃维兰。那位年轻的革命派指挥官以一千五百人的兵力居然在多尔大胆地击败了六千名保皇派，消灭了叛乱，至少是大大地遏制住、限制住叛乱。在这以后，革命派又屡次胜利，从而形成了一种新局面。 形势改观，但出现了一种奇怪的复杂情况。 在旺代的这个地区，毫无疑问，共和国处于优势。然而这是哪种共和国呢？因为在逐渐成熟的胜利中，出现了两种形式的共和国，恐怖的共和国和宽大的共和国，前者主张严酷，后者主张仁慈。它们之中谁将占上风呢？宽容和不宽容的这两种形式，分别以两个人为代表，他们都拥有威望和权力，其中一人是军事指挥官，另一人是文职特派代表，他们之中谁将取胜呢？特派代表有令人生畏的后盾，他带来巴黎公社对桑泰尔营的可怕命令：“决不宽恕，毫不留情”。一切都应服从他，因为国民公会的法令明文规定“凡释放被俘的叛乱分子首领并任其逃窜者将被处死”。他拥有救国委员会授予的全权，还有由罗伯斯比尔、丹东、马拉签署的命令：所有人都要服从这位特派代表。另一位是军人，他的后盾是一种力量--仁慈。 他只有手臂，用它打击敌人；他只有心灵，用它宽恕敌人。作为战胜者，他认为自己有权宽容战败者。 因此，这两人中间出现了潜在的，然而是深刻的分歧。他们两人都沉溺于自己的遥想，但两人都在与叛乱分子战斗，而且各有各的杀手铜，一个是胜利，一个是恐怖。 在整个博卡热地区，人们都在谈论他们，四面八方的目光都在注视他们，目光流露出不安，因为这两个绝对相反的人同时又亲密无间，是对手也是朋友。从来没有更强更深的感情使两颗心如此接近。凶狠者救过宽厚者的命，脸上还留着刀疤。他们之中，一人代表死亡，一人代表生命，一人遵循恐怖原则，一人遵循温和原则，但他们又彼此相爱。我们不妨想像一个宽大为怀的俄瑞斯忒斯和严酷无情的彼拉季斯①。不妨想像阿里穆斯会成为奥尔穆斯的兄弟②。此外，被称作“无情者”的那个人同时又是最和善的人，他包扎伤员，照料病人，日日夜夜守在临时或正式医院里，看见光着脚的孩子就心疼；他本人一无所有，把一切都给穷人。哪里在打仗，他就去哪里，走在队伍前头投入激烈的战斗；他有武器，腰间挂着马刀和枪，但又没有武器，因为他从不抽出马刀，从不碰他的枪。面对打击，他从不还手。人们说他当过教士。①俄瑞斯忒斯是希腊神话中的英雄，杀母以报父仇。被拉季斯是他的挚友。 ②阿里穆斯和奥尔穆斯分别为古波斯人拜火教的恶魔与善神。 这两个人，一个是戈万，一个是西穆尔丹。 在这两人之间是友谊，然而在这两个原则之间是仇恨，就好比一个心灵被一分为二，由两人分享。戈万的确接受了西穆尔丹的一半心灵，那温和的一半，他似乎接受了白色部分，给西穆尔丹留下所谓的黑色部分。深刻的分歧由此产生。这场潜在的战争不可能不爆发。一天上午战斗打响了。 西穆尔丹问戈万：