"What do you think of this?" asked Santerre of the second horseman.
"Vaith, me dink of dot milidary broverb which it say: 'De soldier ought to march to where he hear dot gun-firing going on,'" replied the other rider, who was a small, fair man, with his hair cropped short, speaking with a strong German accent. "Zubbose we go where de goons go off, eh?"
"Hi! you had a young officer with you," called out the leader on foot to one of the runaways; "I don't see anything of him."
"He was the first to be dropped, citizen representative; and the more's the pity, for he was a brave young chap."
"Yes, he was a brave young man," replied, with a slight loss of color, the man addressed as a member of the House, "and he shall be bravely avenged. On you go, Citizen Santerre!"
"I believe, my dear Billet," said the brewer, "that in such a pinch we must call experience into play as well as courage."
"As you like."
"In consequence, I propose to place the command in the hands of Citizen Westerman—a real general and a friend of Danton—offering to obey him like a common soldier."
"I do not care what you do if you will only march right straight ahead," said the farmer.