In fact, a column began immediately to march in that direction, while another went toward the outworks to mask the movement of the first.
"Materne," cried Jean-Claude, "is there no means of sending a ball into the madman?"
The old hunter shook his head.
"No," said he, "it is impossible; he is out of range."
Just then, Catherine Lefèvre gave a wild scream like a hawk.
"Crush them, crush them, as they did at the Blutfeld!"
And the old woman, an instant before so feeble, threw herself on a mass of rock, lifted it with both hands, advanced, with her streaming gray hair, bent over to the edge of the abyss, and the rock dashed through the space beneath.
A terrible crash resounded below, pieces of pine flew out on all sides, the great stone rebounded a hundred feet away, and descending the steep slope with fresh impulse, struck Yégof, and crushed him at the feet of the enemy's general. This was but the work of a few seconds.
Catherine, upright on the edge of the rock laughed with a rattling sound, which seemed as though it would never end.
The others, as though all animated with new life, precipitated themselves on the ruins of the old castle, shouting: "Slay them! slay them! Crush them as at the Blutfeld!"