"But you will thereby preserve to the emperor the lives of upward of three thousand of his soldiers," exclaimed the officers, urgently.
"Never will the emperor believe that this disaster might not have been averted," wailed General Bisson. "Even were I merely unfortunate, he would impute it to me as a crime. He will forgive me no more than Villeneuve and Dupont. His anger is inexorable, and it will crush me."
"Then let it crush you, general," said Teimer, calmly. "It is better that you should be crushed than that several thousand men should now be crushed by the Tyrolese."
"Sign, sign!" cried the French officers, stepping close up to the table, taking up the pen, and presenting it to the general.
"Then you are all determined to sign the capitulation after I have done so?" asked General Bisson, still hesitating.
"We are," cried the officers.
"We are ready to do so," said Major Armance, "and in proof hereof I affix my name to the capitulation before you have signed it, general."
He subscribed the paper with a quick but steady hand.
Another staff-officer stepped up, took the pen, and also wrote his name, "Varin."
"Now, general," he said, presenting the pen to Bisson.