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Updated: June 23, 2025
"What do you mean?" demanded Roland, exhausting his strength in a struggle as desperate as it was useless. "Because you are captured, sir." It was so true that there could be no answer. "Then kill me!" cried Roland. "We don't want to kill you, sir," replied Branche-d'Or. "Then what do you want?" "Give us your parole not to fight any more, and you are free." "Never!" exclaimed Roland.
P.S. You know that you can safely give Branche-d'Or all the money you have for the Cause. He has promised me not to let himself be taken, and I trust his word. A murmur of enthusiasm ran through the group, as Morgan finished the last words of the letter. "You have heard it, gentlemen?" he said. "Yes, yes, yes," repeated every voice.
"You hear, Branche-d'Or?" said Morgan; "it is not much only half what we gave you last time, but you know the proverb: 'The handsomest girl in the world can only give what she has." "The general knows what you risk to obtain this money, and he says that, no matter how little you send, he will receive it gratefully."
"In the first place, how much money have we to give to Branche-d'Or?" "Thirteen thousand francs from the Lake of Silans, twenty-two thousand from Les Carronnieres, fourteen thousand from Meximieux, forty-nine thousand in all," said one of the group.
"And well-loaded, colonel; that's a job I never trust to any one." "Then we'll mount." The two young men were soon in their saddles, and on the road to Vannes; Cadoudal guiding Roland, and Branche-d'Or, the major-general of the army, as Georges called him, following about twenty paces in the rear.
"Some one who probably does not know what fear is, my dear Branche-d'Or," said Morgan, who recognized in Cadoudal's messenger the same man whom they had received at the Chartreuse the night he himself arrived from Avignon. "I ask pardon on his behalf."
Cadoudal put spurs to his own horse and jumped both horse and rider. Branche-d'Or and his men were ready. They sprang, like a pack of jaguars, upon Roland, entangled under the body of his horse. The young man dropped his sword and tried to seize his pistols, but before he could lay hand upon the holsters two men had him by the arms, while the four others dragged his horse from between his legs.
Let us adopt his heroic motto: Etiamsi omnes, ego non." Then addressing the peasant, he said, "Branche-d'Or, the forty-nine thousand francs are at your disposal; you can start when you like. Promise something better next time, in our name, and tell the general for me that, wherever he goes, even though it be to the scaffold, I shall deem it an honor to follow, or to precede him.
Each body halted three-quarters of a mile down the road, grounded arms and remained motionless. Branche-d'Or returned to Cadoudal. "Have you any special orders to give me, general?" he asked. "Yes, one," answered Cadoudal, "take eight men and follow me.
They marched, bayonets fixed, in three ranks, each rank three abreast. Roland rode at the head of the first rank, General Hatry between the first and second. Both were easily recognized, being the only men on horseback. Among the Chouans, Cadoudal was the only rider, Branche-d'Or having dismounted to take command of the eight men who were to follow Georges.
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