4. A Story of Brigands

“There was, in this clearing, a large oak tree, with thick branches which reached nearly to the ground. In an instant, like a frightened bird, she climbed from branch to branch until she reached the highest. She did well not to lose any time; a moment more and all the brigands came out of five or six roads at once, for all these galleries led to this clearing.

“‘Well, what have you discovered?’ cried a well-known voice to the horsemen who came forward.

“‘Nothing,’ answered one. ‘I only found this,’ and he showed the red ribbon.

“The Chief looked carelessly at this ribbon,—he was too indifferent to know whether his wife ever had one like it.

“‘I have seen no one,’ said another.

“‘No trace of any one,’ said a third. And thus answered all of them.

“‘Let us still search,’ said the husband, ‘living or dead we must find her. Come! away! The safety of all depends upon it.’

“He did not finish his commands, something had caught his eye.

“With one bound he jumped from his horse, and stooping down, picked up an object which he examined.

“‘A handkerchief!’ he exclaimed to the others, ‘a woman’s handkerchief! She whom we seek is not far.’”

“Too bad!” said the Envoy, “since she must lose it, she would have done better not to have taken it.”

“The grass was tall and thick. They began beating it, some with their hands and feet; others with their sabers and pikes; some trampled down the shrubs with their horses’ feet; others cut them with axes to make sure that the fugitive had not found a retreat there.

“But the husband looked toward the large leafy oak-tree.

“‘This foliage is very thick,’ said he, ‘women are all birds. Who knows if my wife has not gone to perch up there?’

“He took a lance from the hand of one of his men, climbed up on the lowest branches; and, holding himself with one hand, with the other he began to pierce the highest branches with his lance.”

“Poor woman!” said the Envoy, “it is all over with her!”

“What a good thing it was that she had put on her black dress,” said Maroussia; “thanks to this dark color, her husband could not see her. He pushed the blade of his lance into the heavy foliage, striking at hazard and by choice in the most somber places. Terrified, mute and motionless, clasping with her contracted arms the branch which served her for support, she gave her soul to the care of God, asking him to make her body invisible.