Page 197 (1/2)

Was it wonderful, when they had suffered sothe ht them, after the first inonville's gorge rose against the

sense of compulsion, of inferiority To be driven forward after this

fashion, whether he would or no, to be placed at the back of every base-

born e of what had happened or of

as passing, or of the peril from which they fled, than the women

as kindled anew the sullen fire of hate

North of the Loire there had been some excuse for his inaction under

insult; he had been in the man's country and power But south of the

Loire, within forty leagues of Huguenot Niort, e was infla

back as they rode clear of the wooden houses of Ponts de Ce, he missed

Tavannes and several of his men; and he wondered if Count Hannibal had

remained on his own side of the river It seemed possible; and in that

event La Tribe and he and Carlat ht deal with Badelon and the four who

still escorted them But when he looked back athe party with a stern face; and not Tavannes

only Bigot, with two of the ten , was

with hiood news, for they had

scarcely ridden up before Count Hannibal cried, "Faster! faster!" in his

harshest voice, and Bigot urged the horses to a quicker trot Their

course lay almost parallel with the Loire in the direction of Beaupreau;

and Tignonville began to fear that Count Hannibal intended to recross the

river at Nantes, where the only bridge below Angers spanned the stream

With this in vieas easy to comprehend his wish to distance his

pursuers before he recrossed