iage; and when he stepped out
from it (which he did without asking the coachman to let down the
steps), he bore exactly the appearance of a cook's boy carrying a dish;
and with this he slipped through the exempts quite unsuspected, and bade
adieu to the Lazarists and his honest father, who came out speedily to
seek him, and was not a little annoyed to find only his coat and wig.

With that coat and wig, Cartouche left home, father, friends,
conscience, remorse, society, behind him. He discovered (like a great
number of other philosophers and poets, when they have committed
rascally actions) that the world was all going wrong, and he quarrelled
with it outright. One of the first stories told of the illustrious
Cartouche, when he became professionally and openly a robber, redounds
highly to his credit, and shows that he knew how to take advantage of
the occasion, and how much he had improved in the course of a very few
years' experience. His courage and ingenuity were vastly admired by his
friends; so much so, that, one day, the captain of the band thought fit
to compliment him, and vowed that when he (the captain) died, Cartouche
should infallibly be called to the command-in-chief. This conversation,
so flattering to Cartouche, was carried on between the two gentlemen,
as they were walking, one night, on the quays by the side of the Seine.
Cartouche, when the captain made the last remark, blushingly protested
against it, and pleaded his extreme youth as a reason why his comrades
could never put entire trust in him. "Psha, man!" said the captain, "thy
youth is in thy favor; thou wilt live only the longer to lead thy troops
to victory. As for strength, bravery, and cunning, wert thou as old as
Methuselah, thou couldst not be better provided than thou art now, at
eighteen." What was the reply of Monsieur Cartouche? He answered, not by
words, but by actions. Drawing his knife from his girdle, he instantly
dug it into the captain's left side, as near his heart as possible; and
then, seizing that imprudent commander, precipitated him violently
into the waters of the Seine, to keep company with the gudgeons and
river-gods. When he returned to the band, and recounted how the captain
had basely attempted to assassinate him, and how he, on the contrary,
had, by exertion of superior skill, overcome the captain, not one of
the society believed a word of his history; but they elected him captain
forthwith. I think his Excellency Don R