Miette was now leaning forward, in order to see more of the little bands described to her by the young man.  The quiver she felt rose from her bosom to her throat.  Then a battalion larger and better disciplined than the others appeared.  The insurgents composing it were nearly all dressed in blue blouses, with red sashes round their waists.  One would have thought they were arrayed in uniform.  A man on horseback, with a sabre at his side, was in the midst of them.  And most of these improvised soldiers carried guns, probably carbines and old muskets of the National Guard.

“I don’t know those,” said Silvere.  “The man on horseback must be the chief I’ve heard spoken of.  He brought with him the contingents from Faverolles and the neighbouring villages.  The whole column ought to be equipped in the same manner.”

He had no time to take breath.  “Ah! see, here are the country people!” he suddenly cried.

Small groups of ten or twenty men at the most were now advancing behind the men of Faverolles.  They all wore the short jacket of the Southern peasantry, and as they sang they brandished pitchforks and scythes.  Some of them even only carried large navvies’ shovels.  Every hamlet, however, had sent its able-bodied men.

Silvere, who recognised the parties by their leaders, enumerated them in feverish tones.  “The contingent from Chavanoz!” said he.  “There are only eight men, but they are strong; Uncle Antoine knows them.  Here’s Nazeres!  Here’s Poujols!  They’re all here; not one has failed to answer the summons.  Valqueyras!  Hold, there’s the parson amongst them; I’ve heard about him, he’s a staunch Republican.”

He was becoming intoxicated with the spectacle.  Now that each battalion consisted of only a few insurgents he had to name them yet more hastily, and his precipitancy gave him the appearance of one in a frenzy.

“Ah!  Miette,” he continued, “what a fine march past!  Rozan!  Vernoux!  Corbiere!  And there are more still, you’ll see.  These have only got scythes, but they’ll mow down the troops as close as the grass in their meadows—­Saint-Eutrope!  Mazet!  Les Gardes, Marsanne!  The whole north side of the Seille!  Ah, we shall be victorious!  The whole country is with us.  Look at those men’s arms, they are hard and black as iron.  There’s no end to them.  There’s Pruinas!  Roches Noires!  Those last are smugglers:  they are carrying carbines.  Still more scythes and pitchforks, the contingents of country folk are still passing.  Castel-le-Vieux!  Sainte-Anne!  Graille!  Estourmel!  Murdaran!”