the wood the outrider, the two
jockeys, the outrider's horse, and two of the carriage horses which they
had unharnessed. The chevalier sprang from his horse, mounted that of
the first postilion; Laval and Valef placed themselves before the doors,
the carriage set off at a gallop, and taking the first turn to the left,
began to roll, without noise and without light, in the direction of
Charenton. All the arrangements had been so perfect, that the seizure
had not occupied more than five minutes; no resistance had been made,
not a cry had been uttered. Most assuredly, this time fortune was on the
side of the conspirators.

But having arrived at the end of the cross-road, D'Harmental encountered
a first obstacle; the barrier--either by accident or design--was closed,
and they were obliged to retrace their steps and take another road. The
chevalier turned his horses, took a lateral alley, and the journey,
interrupted for an instant, recommenced at an increased speed.

The new route which the chevalier had taken led him to a four-cross
road; one of the roads led straight to Charenton. There was no time to
lose, and in any event he must traverse this square. For an instant he
thought he distinguished men in the darkness before him, but this vision
disappeared like a mist, and the carriage continued its progress without
interruption. On approaching the cross-roads D'Harmental fancied he
heard the neighing of a horse, and a sort of ringing of iron, like
sabers being drawn from their sheaths, but either taking it for the
wind among the leaves, or for some other noise for which he need not
stop, he continued with the same swiftness, the same silence, and in the
midst of the same darkness. But, having arrived at the cross-roads,
D'Harmental noticed a singular circumstance, a sort of wall seemed to
close all the roads; something was happening. D'Harmental stopped the
carriage, and wished to return by the road he had come down, but a
similar wall had closed behind him. At that instant he heard the voices
of Laval and Valef crying:

"We are surrounded, save yourself!"

And both left the doors, leaped their horses over the ditch, darted into
the forest, and disappeared among the trees.

But it was impossible for D'Harmental, who was mounted on the
postilion's horse, to follow his companions, and, not being able to
escape the living wall, which the chevalier recognized as a regiment of
musketeers, he tried to break through it, and