Here they force
everybody who has any wheat to give it to them at 24 livres," and
even at 18 livres, the sack. Those among the band, who say that
they have no money, carry away their portion without payment.
Others, after having paid what they please, re-sell at a profit,
which amounts to even 45 livres the sack. This is a good business,
and one in which greed takes poverty for its accomplice. At the
next harvest the temptation will be similar: "they have threatened
to come and do our harvesting for us, and also to take our cattle
and sell the meat in the villages at the rate of two sous the
pound." -- In every important insurrection there are similar evil-
does and vagabonds, enemies to the law, savage, prowling
desperadoes, who, like wolves, roam about wherever they scent a
prey. It is they who serve as the directors and executioners of
public or private malice. Near Uz?s twenty-five masked men, with
guns and clubs, enter the house of a notary, fire a pistol at him,
beat him, wreck the premises, and burn his registers along with the
title-deeds and papers which be has in keeping for the Count de
Rouvres.
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