A hundred voices answered:-- "Yes! yes! we are on the king's side, and we want to leave the fort!" "Oho!" exclaimed Richon, realizing that he had to deal, not with the whim of a single man, but with a general revolt; "oho! that's another matter; I thought that I had simply one malcontent to deal with, but I see that I have five hundred cowards!" Richon did very wrong to include the whole garrison in his accusation: only a hundred men or thereabouts had spoken; the rest had held their peace, but they began to grumble too, when they were included in the charge of cowardice. "Come, come," said Richon, "let us not talk all together; if there is an officer who is willing to be false to his oath let him speak for all; I give you my word that he may speak with impunity." Ferguzon thereupon stepped out from the ranks, and said, saluting his commanding officer with irreproachable courtesy:-- "Commandant, you hear the wish expressed by the garrison. You are fighting against his Majesty our king. Now the greater number of us were not informed that we enlisted to make war upon such a foe. One of these brave fellows, finding this violence done to his opinions, might easily, in the excitement of the assault, have made a mistake in his aim and lodged a bullet in your brain; but we are loyal soldiers, not cowards, as you wrongfully called us. This, then, is our ultimatum, which we make known to you with due respect: send us to the king, or we shall go to him of our own motion." This speech was received with a universal shout of approval, which proved that the opinion expressed by the lieutenant was shared by the greater part, if not the whole, of the garrison. Richon saw that all was lost. "I cannot defend the place alone," he said, "and I do not propose to surrender; as my soldiers abandon me, let some one negotiate for them, as he and they think best, but that some one shall not be myself. If the few brave fellows who remain faithful to me, provided that there are any such, are promised their lives, I ask nothing more. Who will be your spokesman?" "I will be, commandant, if you have no objection, and if my comrades honor me with their confidence." "Yes, yes, Lieutenant Ferguzon!" cried five hundred voices, among which those of Barrabas and Carrotel could easily be distinguished. "You are to be the man, monsieur," said Richon. "You are free to go out and in, as you choose." "And you have no special instructions to give me, commandant?" "Liberty for my men." "And for yourself?" "Nothing." Such disinterestedness would have brought to their senses men who had been misled simply, but these men were sold. "Yes! yes! liberty for us!" they cried. "Have no fear, commandant; I will not forget you in the capitulation." Richon smiled sadly, shrugged his shoulders, and withdrew to his own apartments, where he shut himself in.