The Royal Life Guard; or, the flight of the royal family.
Page 12
CHAPTER XII.
MISCHANCE.
Ten minutes after young Charny rode out, the King's coach rumbled in.
As the duke had foreseen, the crowd had dissolved almost completely.
Knowing that a detachment of soldiery was to be at Sommevelle, Charnyhad thought he need not linger and had galloped beside the door, urgingon the postillions and keeping them up to the hand-gallop.
On arriving and seeing neither Choiseul nor the escort, the King stuckhis head out of the window.
"For mercy's sake, do not show yourself," said Charny; "let me inquire."
In five minutes he returned from the postinghouse where he had learntall, and he repeated it to the monarch. They understood that the counthad withdrawn to leave the road open. No doubt he had fallen back on St.Menehould where they ought to hasten to find him with the hussars anddragoons.
"What am I to do?" asked Charny as they were about to proceed again;"does the Queen order me to go ahead or ride in the rear?"
"Do not leave me," said the Queen.
He bowed, and rode by the carriage side.
During this time Isidore rode on, gaining on the vehicle, and fearingthat the people of St. Menehould would also take umbrage at having thesoldiers in their town. He was not wrong.
The first thing he perceived there was a goodly number of NationalGuards scattered about the streets; they were the first seen since heleft the capital.
The whole town seemed in a stir and on the opposite side, drums werebeating.
He dashed through the streets without appearing to notice the tumult:crossing the square he stopped at the postinghouse.
On a bench in the square he noticed a dozen dragoons not in theirhelmets but fatigue caps, sitting at ease. Up at a ground floor windowlounged Marquis Dandoins in undress, also, with a riding whip in hishand.
Isidore passed without seeming to look, presuming that the captain wouldrecognize the royal courier by his uniform and not need any other hint.
At the posthouse was a young man whose hair was cut short in the EmperorTitus fashion which the Patriots adopted in the period: he wore hisbeard all round the lower face from ear to ear. He was in a dressinggown.
"What do you want?" challenged the black-whiskered man, seeing that thenew-comer was looking round.
"To speak to the postmaster."
"He is out just now, but I am his son, Jean Baptiste Drouet. If I canreplace him, speak."
He had emphasized his name as though he fore-felt that it would take aplace on the historic page.
"I want six horses for two carriages coming after me."
Drouet nodded to show that he would fulfill the order and walked intothe stable yard, calling out:
"Turn out there! six horses for carriages and a nag for the courier."
At this nick Marquis Dandoins hurriedly came up to Isidore.
"You are preceding the King's coach, I suppose?" he questioned.
"Yes, my lord, and I am surprised to see that you and your men are notin the battle array."
"We have not been notified; besides, very ugly manifestations have beenmade around us; attempts to make my men mutiny. What am I to do?"
"Why, as the King passes, guard the vehicle, act as circumstancesdictate, and start off half an hour after the Royal Family to guard therear." But he interrupted himself saying: "Hush, we are spied. Perhapswe have been overheard. Get away to your squadron and do all you can tokeep your men steadfast."
Indeed, Drouet was at the kitchen door where this dialogue was held.Dandoins walked away.
At this period, cracking of whips was heard: the royal coach rolled upacross the square and stopped at the posthouse.
At the noise it made, the population mustered around the spot withcuriosity.
Captain Dandoins, whose heart was sore about the oversight, and wantingto explain why his men were standing at ease instead of being readyfor action, darted up to the carriage window, taking off his cap andbowing, with all kind of respect to excuse himself to the sovereign andthe Royal Family. To answer him the King put his head out of the windowseveral times.
Isidore, with his foot in the stirrup, was near Drouet who watchedthe conveyance with profound attention: he had been up to town tothe Federation Festival and he had seen the King whom he believed herecognized. That morning he had received a number of the new issue of_assignats_ the paper money of the State which bore the monarch's head:he pulled one out and compared it with the original. This seemed to cryout to him: "You have the man before you."
Isidore went round the carriage to the other side where his brother wasmasking the Queen by leaning his elbow on the window.
"The King is recognized," he said; "hurry off the carriage and takea good look at that tall dark fellow--the postmaster's son, who hasrecognized the King. His name is Jean Baptiste Drouet."
"Right," responded George, "I will look to him. You, be off!"
Isidore galloped on to Clermont to have the fresh horses ready there.
Scarcely was he through the town before the vehicle started off, byMalden and Valory pressing and the promise of extra money.
Charny had lost sight of Drouet who did not budge, but was talking withthe groom. The count went up to him.
"Was there no horse ordered for me, sir?" he demanded.
"One was ordered, but we are out of them."
"What do you mean--when here is a saddled horse in the yard."
"That is mine."
"But you can let me have it. I do not mind what I pay."
"Impossible. I have a journey to make, and it cannot be postponed."
To insist was to cause suspicions; to take by force was to ruin all.He thought of a means to smoothe over the difficulty. He went over toCaptain Dandoins who was watching the royal carriage going round thecorner. He turned on a hand being laid on his shoulder.
"Hush, I am Count Charny," said the Lifeguard. "I cannot get a horsehere. Let me have one of your dragoons' as I must follow the King andthe Queen. I alone know where the relays set by the Count of Choiseulare, and if I am not at hand the King will be brought to a standstill atVarennes."
"Count, you must take my charger, not one of my men's."
"I accept. The welfare of the Royal Family depends on the leastaccident. The better the steed the better the chances."
The two went through the town to the marquis' lodgings. Before departingCharny charged a quarter-master to watch young Drouet.
Unfortunately the nobleman's rooms were five hundred paces away. Whenthe horses were saddled a quarter of an hour had gone by; for themarquis had another got ready as he was to take up the rear guard dutyover the King.
Suddenly it seemed to Charny that he heard great clamor and coulddistinguish shouts of "The Queen, the Queen!"
He sprang from the house, begging Dandoins to have the horse brought tothe square.
The town was in an uproar. Scarcely had Charny and his brother noblegone, as if Drouet had waited for it, he shouted out:
"That carriage which went by is the King's! in it are the King, theQueen, and the Royals!"
He jumped on his horse; some friends sought to detain him.
"Where are you off to? what do you intend? what is your project?"
"The colonel and the troop are here. We could not stop the King withouta riot which might turn out ill for us. What cannot be done here can bedone at Clermont. Keep back the dragoons, that is all I ask."
And away galloped he on the track of the King.
Hence the shouting that the King and the Queen had gone through, asCharny heard. Those shouts set the mayor and councilmen afoot; the mayorordered the soldiers into the barracks as eight o'clock was strikingand it was the hour when soldiers had no business to be about in arms.
"Horses!" cried Charny as Dandoins joined him.
"They are coming."
"Have you pistols in the holsters?"
"I loaded them myself."
"Good! Now, all hangs on the goodness of your horse. I must catc
h upwith a man who has a quarter-hour's start, and kill him."
"You must kill him----"
"Or, all is lost!"
"Do not wait for the horses, then."
"Never mind me; you, get your men out before they are coaxed over; lookat the mayor speechifying to them! you have no time to lose either; makehaste!"
At this instant up came the orderly with the two chargers. Charny tookthe nearest at hazard, snatched the reins from the man's hands, leapedastride, drove in both spurs and burst away on the track of Drouet,without clearly comprehending what the marquis yelled after him. Yetthese words were important.
"You have taken my horse and not yours, and the pistols are not loaded!"