“Yes,” replied the other. “It is the King.” “Call together the municipal council.” Then, running to the door of the house, “Guillaume, Guillaume!” he cried. Guillaume, who was within, ran out to him. Drouet pointed out to him the King. “That is he whom we have been expecting,” said he. Meanwhile M. Farcy had run to the municipality, and there made his report. Drouet followed after him, and likewise entered the municipal council chamber. Scarcely had he turned the corner of the street, than the carriages, which had been relayed in the twinkling of an eye, started off at a sharp trot. A somewhat strange event accompanied their departure. Behind the carriage a sous-officer of dragoons, whom we have seen speaking to the King, notwithstanding his inferior rank, pushed on at a gallop, firing, as he did so, a pistol in the air. Without doubt, it was a signal; but the citizens took it as a sign for hostilities, especially as, on hearing it, the dragoons rushed to their horses. At this pistol-shot, cries were heard. A man who was threshing in a barn on the left-hand side of the road, a little above the small bridge thrown over the Aisne, left the barn, and tried to stop the sous-officer with his flail. The officer drew his sabre, cut the flail in half, and passed on. During this time the municipal council had decided that some one should run after the royal carriages, and stop them. “But who will do it?” asked the Mayor. “I will,” replied M. Drouet. Other young men offered to accompany him; but he had not at the post-house more than one horse of his own, with the exception of a little pony, which was for his friend Guillaume, on which he could count as well as he could on himself. Two other citizens seized horses, and determining not to leave them, set out with them, or, at least, behind them. They started, amid shouts of encouragement from the whole town. Two hours after, the two citizens returned on their paltry hacks. They had not been able to keep up the pace. But M. Jean Baptiste Drouet, bearer of _A Warrant from the Municipality to arrest the King_, and Citizen Guillaume, continued the chase. I underline the warrant given by the municipality for the arrest of the King, because I have never seen mention made of it by any historian, and because, having seen the warrant in M. Drouet’s hand, I can speak positively with regard to the existence of the paper. I wish you to understand why I lay so much stress on the fact of the existence of a warrant. It is because M. Jean Baptiste Drouet, sent by the municipality of St. Menehould to arrest the King and the royal family, is not the isolated fanatic, obeying a regicidal impulse, as the Royalist journals and histories would have it, but a citizen of unblemished character, who fulfilled but his duty in obeying the commands of the magistrates of his country. But to return to our tale.