going to make an attempt on her life, she yielded without much
difficulty, and not very angry neither, for he was a strong young
fellow, but really not too rough.

When she got up, the thought of her overturned pails suddenly filled
her with fury and taking off one of her wooden clogs, she threw it, in
her turn, at the man to break his head, if he did not pay her for her
milk.

But he, mistaking the reason for this sudden violent attack, somewhat
sobered, and frightened at what he had done, ran off as fast as he could
while she threw stones at him, some of which hit him in the back.

He ran for a long time, very long, until he felt more tired than he had
ever done before. His legs were so weak that they could scarcely carry
him; all his ideas were confused, he lost the recollection of
everything, and could no longer think about anything; and so he sat
down at the foot of a tree, and in five minutes was fast asleep. He was
soon awakened, however, by a rough shake and on opening his eyes he saw
two cocked hats of polished leather bending over him, and the two
gendarmes of the morning, who were holding him and binding his arms.

"I knew I should catch you again," said the brigadier, jeeringly. But
Randel got up without replying. The two men shook him, quite ready to
ill treat him if he made a movement, for he was their prey now, he had
become a jail-bird, caught by those hunters of criminals who would not
let him go again.

"Now start!" the brigadier said, and they set off, It was getting
evening and the autumn twilight was settling heavy and dark over the