"God has blessed you, my children, in giving you the sacred privilege
of fighting in His cause. You would indeed be weak--senseless as the
brutes--unfeeling as the rocks--aye, impious as the republicans, had you
not replied to the summons as you have done; but you have shown that you
know your duty. I see, my children, that you are true Vendeans. I bless
you now, and on tomorrow week, I will be among you before the walls of
Saumur."
Having finished speaking, the priest also jumped off the wall, and again
the people shouted and cheered. And now they went to work with the
lists: Henri, the Mayor, and the Cure each took a pencil, and called the
names of the different men, as they were written down. There was of
course much delay in getting the men as they were called; but Chapeau
had sworn in three or four assistants, and he and they dived in among
the crowd, hurried this way and that, and shouted, screamed, and
screeched with great effect. The lists were made out with some regard
to the localities; the men from the lower end of the village were to go
to Henri's side; those from the northern part to Father Jerome's table;
and the inhabitants of the intermediate village were checked off by the
Mayor.
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