Page:Narrative of a captivity and adventures in France and Flanders between the years 1803 and 1809.djvu/31

 better. Proceeding on our journey, in two days we reached Montpellier, and were delivered into the hands of the commandant, for the night, who ordered us to be confined in the citadel. This was in so ruinous a state, that we might have decamped with little difficulty, had we known where to go or how to act; the subject was mentioned to me, but my hope of an early exchange (in which the right of being included was then understood to be forfeited by an attempt to escape), our total ignorance of the country, of the means of embarking, and of the language, induced me to think it unadvisable. Could I have foreseen what followed, I should have decided differently; nevertheless, my services were offered, but no attempt was made.

From Montpellier we proceeded to Beziers, thence to Narbonne; through Carcassone, Castelnaudary, Ville Franche, and several villages, until we arrived at Toulouse, on the 12th of September, when we were again placed at the head of the ranks, and drummed in triumph to