In eight days, all France was armed. Each day the National Assembly gave audiences to ten couriers. It had at its disposal a million of men. Drouet and Bertrand took a stroll in the village of Islettes. They enrolled twenty men. The keepers of the Forest of Argonne enlisted themselves and formed that part of the brigade of which Father Descharmes was chief. I wished to be one of M. Bertrand’s detachment, consequently in M. Drouet’s company. He accompanied me as far as Father Descharmes’ cottage, and asked me about the visit of the evening before. He also asked if the Princes had not returned. “No; because they have gone to Verdun,” said I. “Why did they not send to hire their horses from my place?” “Because they preferred to have them from Clermont.” “Hum!” said M. Jean Baptiste. “Do you know who they were who accompanied the Duke d’Enghien and the Prince de Condé?” “I heard them mention M. Vandreul and M. Broglie.” “Exactly,” said he. “Réné, they come not to inspect Verdun. They have abandoned the King, and quitted France. They have gone to intrigue with strangers.” Then I remembered the sadness of the Duke d’Enghien; and I called to mind his peculiar look, when I said that an Austrian or Prussian were easier to shoot than a pigeon. I also remembered his last words before leaving—“I hope that you will always think of me with kindness.” Poor Prince! He had left France, and that was the cause of his sorrow. “Would that all would follow his example,” murmured M. Drouet, “from the first to the last! But,” continued he, grinding his teeth, “I fancy that if the King or Queen were to try that move, they would not escape so easily.” CHAPTER IX. I GO TO MAKE CAPTIVES AND AM TAKEN CAPTIVE MYSELF. Our National Guard was at first a curious sight. The first rank were armed with guns; the second with scythes; the third with clubs, and so on. Later on, the armorers made some pikes for those who had no guns. But however the guard was armed, there is no doubt but that it was filled with enthusiasm. Not a man, had he received the order, would have hesitated to march on Paris. What was most remarkable, with regard to this corps, was the manner in which the battalions seemed, as it were, to spring from the earth. Liberty was as yet quite young; and yet she had only to strike with her foot on the ground, to raise this deadly harvest of men. It was in the sainted year of 1789 that all France became soldiers. After the 14th July, every Frenchman was born with teeth ready to bite a cartridge. Villages and towns joined in one compact; and that was, to mutually help each other when necessary. One day, we saw arrive, by way of Clermont, the people of Verdun; and, by way of Paris, the people of St. Menehould. They had heard that a band of robbers had issued from the Forest of Argonne, set fire to Islettes, and plundered the village.