Page:Memoirs of Vidocq, Volume 1.djvu/256

 placing his ear on the ground; "do as I do, and listen; with this cursed Polish legion one must be always on the watch. Did you hear nothing?" I replied that I thought I heard the footsteps of a body of men. "Yes," he added, it is they; stir not on your life, or we shall be taken." He had scarcely spoken, when a patrol guard came towards the thicket in which we were concealed. "Did you see anything, you fellows?" said some one in a low tone.—"Nothing, serjeant."

"Parbleu! I thought so; it is as dark as an oven. This devil of a Roman, whom heavens thunders crush! To make us travel all night like wolves in a wood! Ah, if ever I find him, or any of his gang!"

"Qui vive? (who goes there?)" cried a soldier suddenly.

"What do you see?" said the serjeant.—"Nothing; but I heard a breathing on this side," and he indicated the spot where we were.

"Stuff! you are dreaming. You are so much alarmed about Roman, that you think that you always have him in your cartridge-box."

Two other soldiers asserted that they had heard the same.

"Hold your tongues," replied the serjeant. "I see there is nobody, and we must once more, according to custom, return to Pourières without having trapped our game. Come, my lads, it is time to be off." The patrol seemed disposed to retreat. "It is a ruse de guerre," said my companion. "I know they will beat the wood and return upon us in a semi-circle."

It was now necessary that I should be firm and composed. "Are you fearful?" said my guide.

"This is no time for fear," I replied."

"Well then, follow me: here are my pistols; when I fire, do you the same, so that the four shots only sound like one report. Now, fire!"

The four shots were fired, and we then ran with all speed, without being pursued. The fear of falling into