smounted, and advanced alone;
some paces behind him came a hundred of his guard, with their arms
reversed. There was perfect silence on all sides until he was within a
few yards of the men. He then halted, threw open his surtout so as to
show the star of the Legion of Honour, and exclaimed, "If there be among
you a soldier who desires to kill his general--his Emperor--let him do
it now. Here I am."--The old cry of _Vive l'Empereur_ burst
instantaneously from every lip. Napoleon threw himself among them, and
taking a veteran private, covered with chevrons and medals, by the
whisker, said, "Speak honestly, old Moustache, couldst thou have had the
heart to kill thy Emperor?" The man dropped his ramrod into his piece to
show that it was uncharged, and answered, "Judge if I could have done
thee much harm--all the rest are the same." Napoleon gave the word, and
the old adherents, and the new, marched together on Grenoble.

Some space ere they reached that town, Colonel Labedoyere, an officer of
noble family, and who had been promoted by Louis XVIII., appeared on the
road before them, at the head of his regiment, the seventh of the line.
These men, and the Emperor's little column, on coming within view of
each other, rushed simultaneously from their ranks, and embraced with
mutual shouts of _Live Napoleon! Live the Guard! Live the Seventh!_
Labedoyere produced an eagle, which he had kept concealed about his
person, and broke open a drum which was found to be filled with
tricolor cockades; these ancient ensigns were received with redoubled
enthusiasm. This was the first instance of an officer of superior rank
voluntarily espousing the side of the invader. The impulse thus afforded
was decisive; in spite of all the efforts of General Marchand,
Commandant of Grenoble, the whole of that garrison, when he approached
the walls, exclaimed _Vive l'Empereur_! Their conduct, however,
exhibited a singular spectacle. Though thus welcoming Napoleon with
their voices, they would not so far disobey the governor as to throw
open the gates. On the other hand no argument could prevail on them to
fire on the advancing party. In the teeth of all the batteries,
Buonaparte calmly planted a howitzer or two, and blew the gates open,
and then, as if the spell of discipline were at once dissolved, the
garrison broke from their lines, and he in an instant found himself
dragged from his horse, and borne aloft on these men's shoulders towards
the principa