"Under a king we have foreign wars; under a republic we have civil war."
And the two began placidly discussing political problems with the sound common sense of
peaceful, matter-of-fact citizens--agreeing on one point: that they would never be free. And
Mont-Valerien thundered ceaselessly, demolishing the houses of the French with its cannon
balls, grinding lives of men to powder, destroying many a dream, many a cherished hope,
many a prospective happiness; ruthlessly causing endless woe and suffering in the hearts of
wives, of daughters, of mothers, in other lands.
"Such is life!" declared Monsieur Sauvage.
"Say, rather, such is death!" replied Morissot, laughing.
But they suddenly trembled with alarm at the sound of footsteps behind them, and, turning
round, they perceived close at hand four tall, bearded men, dressed after the manner of
livery servants and wearing flat caps on their heads. They were covering the two anglers
with their rifles.
The rods slipped from their owners' grasp and floated away down the river.
In the space of a few seconds they were seized, bound, thrown into a boat, and taken across
to the Ile Marante.
And behind the house they had thought deserted were about a score of German soldiers.
A shaggy-looking giant, who was bestriding a chair and smoking a long clay pipe,
addressed them in excellent French with the words:
"Well, gentlemen, have you had good luck with your fishing?"
Then a soldier deposited at the officer's feet the bag full of fish, which he had taken care to
bring away. The Prussian smiled.
"Not bad, I see. But we have something else to talk about. Listen to me, and don't be
alarmed:
"You must know that, in my eyes, you are two spies sent to reconnoitre me and my
movements. Naturally, I capture you and I shoot you. You pretended to be fishing, the
better to disguise your real errand. You have fallen into my hands, and must take the
consequences. Such is war.
"But as you came here through the outposts you must have a password for your return. Tell
me that password and I will let you go."
The two friends, pale as death, stood silently side by side, a slight fluttering of the hands
alone betraying their emotion.
"No one will ever know," continued the officer. "You will return peacefully to your homes,
and the secret will disappear with you. If you refuse, it means death-instant death. Choose!"