being　common　to　the　two　languages。　A　few　cattle　gave　life　to　the　scene；　already　so　dramatic。　The　birds　sang；　filling　the　valley　with　a　sweet；　vague　melody　that　quivered　in　the　air。　If　a　quiet　imagination　will　picture　to　itself　these　rich　fluctuations　of　light　and　shade；　the　vaporous　outline　of　the　mountains；　the　mysterious　perspectives　which　were　seen　where　the　trees　gave　an　opening；　or　the　streamlets　ran；　or　some　coquettish　little　glade　fled　away　in　the　distance；　if　memory　will　color；　as　it　were；　this　sketch；　as　fleeting　as　the　moment　when　it　was　taken；　the　persons　for　whom　such　pictures　are　not　without　charm　will　have　an　imperfect　image　of　the　magic　scene　which　delighted　the　still　impressionable　souls　of　the　young　officers。
  Thinking　that　the　poor　recruits　must　be　leaving；　with　regret；　their　own　country　and　their　beloved　customs；　to　die；　perhaps；　in　foreign　lands；　they　involuntarily　excused　a　tardiness　their　feelings　comprehended。　Then；　with　the　generosity　natural　to　soldiers；　they　disguised　their　indulgence　under　an　apparent　desire　to　examine　into　the　military　position　of　the　land。　But　Hulot；　whom　we　shall　henceforth　call　the　commandant；　to　avoid　giving　him　the　inharmonious　title　of　〃chief　of　a　half…brigade〃　was　one　of　those　soldiers　who；　in　critical　moments；　cannot　be　caught　by　the　charms　of　a　landscape；　were　they　even　those　of　a　terrestrial　paradise。　He　shook　his　head　with　an　impatient　gesture　and　contracted　the　thick；　black　eyebrows　which　gave　so　stern　an　expression　to　his　face。
  〃Why　the　devil　don't　they　come　up？〃　he　said；　for　the　second　time；　in　a　hoarse　voice；　roughened　by　the　toils　of　war。
  〃You　ask　why？〃　replied　a　voice。
  Hearing　these　words；　which　seemed　to　issue　from　a　horn；　such　as　the　peasants　of　the　western　valleys　use　to　call　their　flocks；　the　commandant　turned　sharply　round；　as　if　pricked　by　a　sword；　and　beheld；　close　behind　him；　a　personage　even　more　fantastic　in　appearance　than　any　of　those　who　were　now　being　escorted　to　Mayenne　to　serve　the　Republic。　This　unknown　man；　short　and　thick…set　in　figure　and　broad…　shouldered；　had　a　head　like　a　bull；　to　which；　in　fact；　he　bore　more　than　one　resemblance。　His　nose　seemed　shorter　than　it　was；　on　account　of　the　thick　nostrils。　His　full　lips；　drawn　from　the　teeth　which　were　white　as　snow；　his　large　and　round　black　eyes　with　their　shaggy　brows；　his　hanging　ears　and　tawny　hair；seemed　to　belong　far　less　to　our　fine　Caucasian　race　than　to　a　breed　of　herbivorous　animals。　The　total　absence　of　all　the　usual　characteristics　of　the　social　man　made　that　bare　head　still　more　remarkable。　The　face；　bronzed　by　the　sun　（its　angular　outlines　presenting　a　sort　of　vague　likeness　to　the　granite　which　forms　the　soil　of　the　region）；　was　the　only　visible　portion　of　the　body　of　this　singular　being。　From　the　neck　down　he　was　wrapped　in　a　〃sarrau〃　or　smock；　a　sort　of　russet　linen　blouse；　coarser　in　texture　than　that　of　the　trousers　of　the　less　fortunate　conscripts。　This　〃sarrau；〃　in　which　an　antiquary　would　have　recognized　the　〃saye；〃　or　the　〃sayon〃　of　the　Gauls；　ended　at　his　middle；　where　it　was　fastened　to　two　leggings　of　goatskin　by　slivers；　or　thongs　of　wood；　roughly　cut；some　of　them　still　covered　with　their　peel　or　bark。　These　hides　of　the　nanny…goat　（to　give　them　the　name　by　which　they　were　known　to　the　peasantry）　covered　his　legs　and　thighs；　and　masked　all　appearance　of　human　shape。　Enormous　sabots　hid　his　feet。　His　long　and　shining　hair　fell　straight；　like　the　goat's　hair；　on　either　side　of　his　face；　being　parted　in　the　centre　like　the　hair　of　certain　statues　of　the　Middle…Ages　which　are　still　to　be　seen　in　our　cathedrals。　In　place　of　the　knotty　stick　which　the　conscripts　carried　over　their　shoulders；　this　man　held　against　his　breast　as　though　it　were　a　musket；　a　heavy　whip；　the　lash　of　which　was　closely　braided　and　seemed　to　be　twice　as　long　as　that　of　an　ordinary　whip。　The　sudden　apparition　of　this　strange　being　seemed　easily　explained。　At　first　sight　some　of　the　officers　took　him　for　a　recruit　or　conscript　（the　words　were　used　indiscriminately）　who　had　outstripped　the　column。　But　the　commandant　himself　was　singularly　surprised　by　the　man's　presence；　he　showed　no　alarm；　but　his　face　grew　thoughtful。　After　looking　the　intruder　well　over；　he　repeated；　mechanically；　as　if　preoccupied　with　anxious　thought：　〃Yes；　why　don't　they　come　on？　do　you　know；　you？〃
  〃Because；〃　said　the　gloomy　apparition；　with　an　accent　which　proved　his　difficulty　in　speaking　French；　〃there　Maine　begins〃　（pointing　with　his　huge；　rough　hand　towards　Ernee）；　〃and　Bretagne　ends。〃
  Then　he　struck　the　ground　sharply　with　the　handle　of　his　heavy　whip　close　to　the　commandant's　feet。　The　impression　produced　on　the　spectators　by　the　laconic　harangue　of　the　stranger　was　like　that　of　a　tom…tom　in　the　midst　of　tender　music。　But　the　word　〃harangue〃　is　insufficient　to　reproduce　the　hatred；　the　desires　of　vengeance　expressed　by　the　haughty　gesture　of　the　hand；　the　brevity　of　the　speech；　and　the　look　of　sullen　and　cool…blooded　energy　on　the　countenance　of　the　speaker。　The　coarseness　and　roughness　of　the　man；　chopped　out；　as　it　seemed　by　an　axe；　with　his　rough　bark　still　left　on　him；and　the　stupid　ignorance　of　his　features；　made　him　seem；　for　the　moment；　like　some　half…savage　demigod。　He　stood　stock…still　in　a　prophetic　attitude；　as　though　he　were　the　Genius　of　Brittany　rising　from　a　slumber　of　three　years；　to　renew　a　war　in　which　victory　could　only　be　followed　by　twofold　mourning。
  〃A　pretty　fellow　this！〃　thought　Hulot；　〃he　looks　to　me　like　the　emissary　of　men　who　mean　to　argue　with　their　muskets。〃
  Having　growled　these　words　between　his　teeth；　the　commandant　cast　his　eyes　in　turn　from　the　man　to　the　valley；　from　the　valley　to　the　detachment；　from　the　detachment　to　the　steep　acclivities　on　the　right　of　the　road；　the　ridges　of　which　were　covered　with　the　broom　and　gorse　of　Brittany；　then　he　suddenly　turned　them　full　on　the　stranger；　whom　he　subjected　to　a　mute　interrogation；　which　he　ended　at　last　by　roughly　demanding；　〃Where　do　you　come　from？〃
  His　eager；　piercing　eye　strove　to　detect　the　secrets　of　that　impenetrable　face；　which　never　changed　from　the　vacant；　torpid　expression　in　which　a　peasant　when　doing　nothing　wraps　himself。
  〃From　the　country　of　the　Gars；〃　replied　the　man；　without　showing　any　uneasiness。
  〃Your　name？〃
  〃Marche…a…Terre。〃
  〃Why　do　you　call　yourself　by　your　Chouan　name　in　defiance　of　the　law？〃
  Marche…a…Terre；　to　use　the　name　he　gave　to　himself；　looked　at　the　commandant　with　so　genuine　an　air　of　stupidity　that　the　soldier　believed　the　man　had　not　understood　him。
  〃Do　you　belong　to　the　recruits　from　Fougeres？〃
  To　this　inquiry　Marche…a…Terre　replied　by　the　bucolic　〃I　don't　know；〃　the　hopeless　imbecility　of　which　puts　an　end　to　all　inquiry。　He　seated　himself　by　the　roadside；　drew　from　his　smock　a　few　pieces　of　thin；　black　buckwheat…bread；a　national　delicacy；　the　dismal　delights　of　which　none　but　a　Breton　can　understand；and　began　to　eat　with　stolid　indifference。　There　seemed　such　a　total　absence　of　all　human　intelligence　about　the　man　that　the　officers　compared　him　in　turn　to　the　cattle　browsing　in　the　valley　pastures；　to　the　savages　of　America；　or　the　aboriginal　inhabitants　of　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。　Deceived　by　his　behavior；　the　commandant　himself　was　about　to　turn　a　deaf　ear　to　his　own　misgivings；　when；　casting　a　last　prudence　glance　on　the　man　whom　he　had　taken　for　the　herald　of　an　approaching　carnage；　he　suddenly　noticed　that　the　hair；　the　smock；　and　the　goatskin　leggings　of　the　stranger　were　full　of　thorns；　scraps　of　leaves；　and　bits　of　trees　and　bushes；　as　though　this　Chouan　had　lately　made　his　way　for　a　long　distance　through　thickets　and　underbrush。　Hulot　looked　significantly　at　his　adjutant　Gerard　who　stood　beside　him；　pressed　his　hand　firmly；　and　said　in　a　low　voice：　〃We　came　for　wool；　but　we　shall　go　back　sheared。〃
  The　officers　looked　at　each　other　silently　in　astonishment。
  It　is　necessary　here　to　make　a　digression；　or　the　fears　of　the　commandant　will　not　be　intelligible　to　those　stay…at…home　persons　who　are　in　the　habit　of　doubting　everything　because　they　have　seen　nothing；　and　who　might　therefore　deny　the　existence　of　Marche…a…Terre　and　the　peasantry　of　the　West；　whose　conduct；　in　the　times　we　are　speaking　of；　was　often　sublime。
  The　word　〃gars〃　pronounced　〃ga〃　is　a　relic　of　the　Celtic　language。　It　has　passed　from　low　Breton　into　French；　and　the　word　in　our　present　speech　has　more　ancient　associations　than　any　other。　The　〃gais〃　was　the　principal　weapon　of　the　Gauls；　〃gaisde〃　meant　armed；　〃gais〃　courage；　〃gas；〃　force。　The　word　has　an　analogy　with　the　Latin　word　〃vir〃　man；　the　root　of　〃virtus〃　strength；　courage。　The　present　dissertation　is　excusable　as　of　national　interest；　besides；　it　may　help　to　restore　the　use　of　such　words　as：　〃gars；　garcon；　garconette；　garce；　garcette；〃　now　discarded　from　our　speech　as　unseemly；　whereas　their　origin　is　so　warlike　that　we　shall　use　them　from　time　to　time　in　the　course　of　this　history。　〃She　is　a　famous　'garce'！〃　was　a　compliment　little　understood　by　Madame　de　Stael　when　it　was　paid　to　her　in　a　little　village　of　La　Vendee；　where　she　spent　a　few　days　of　her　exile。
  Brittany　is　the　region　in　all　France　where　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　Gau