Page 218 - A Jacobite Exile

"Why do you trouble poor people like us? There is the count's chateau three
miles away. They have every luxury there, while we are starving."

After leaving the village, the man to whom she had spoken repeated what

she had said, and it was agreed to make the attempt. At the first cottage
they came to they made further inquiries, and found that the lord of the soil
was very unpopular; for, in spite of the badness of the times, he insisted on

receiving his rents without abatement, and where money was not
forthcoming, had seized cattle and horses, assessing them at a price far

below what they would have fetched at the nearest market.

They therefore marched to the house. It was a very large one. The captain

thoughtfully placed Charlie and Stanislas among the six men who were to
remain without, to prevent any of the inmates leaving the chateau. With the

rest, he made a sudden attack on the great door of the house, and beat it
down with a heavy sledge hammer. Just as it gave way, some shots were
fired from the inside, but they rushed in, overpowered the servants, and

were soon masters of the place.

In half an hour they came out again, laden with booty. Each man carried
half a dozen bottles of choice wine, from the count's cellar, slung at his belt.
On their shoulders they carried bundles containing silver cups and other

valuables; while six of them had bags of silver money, that had been
extracted from the count by threats of setting fire to the chateau, and

burning him and his family.

A halt was made two or three miles away, when the silver was divided into

shares as usual, the men being well satisfied when they learned that Charlie
and his companion claimed no part of it. Some of the provisions they had

also taken were eaten. Each man had a flask of wine, with which the count's
health was derisively drunk.

"This has been a good night's work," the leader said, "and you have each
sixty rix dollars in your pockets, which is more than you have had for

months past. That will keep us in provisions and spirits all through the
winter; but mind, although we took it without much trouble, we have not