Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/296

 their real character, watched the arrival of the detachments. The former, wishing to cross their stock with Arab blood, pushed their biddings up to a certain sum, the average of which did not exceed a hundred francs; the latter rode away proudly, on our poor dumb companions in arms; tears dimmed the eyes of many an old trooper, when he heard the last neigh of his faithful charger. The men would have felt less regret at this separation (which in any case must be a sad one) if they had known that these faithful servants were going back to die under Maximilian's banner, for which we and they had fought for the last five years. Politics went for nothing in these sad adieus; sympathy for the deserted prince was the only thing that spoke. Rather than have witnessed this dispiriting spectacle—which really had much resemblance to the rout of an army—our soldiers would willingly have repaid to the imperial treasury the small sum that this lamentable proceeding could have brought in.

The feeling that prevailed in Paris was, however, a more kindly one, when they bethought themselves of our poor colonies of Martinique and Guadeloupe, nowadays so cast off by the mother-country that they are gradually withering away, despite their bright tropical sun, and, in order that they may exist, are asking that they may become either English or Russian dependencies. Admiral La Roncière le Noury conveyed into our possessions in the Antilles 400 of the best horses of the expeditionary corps; these, at least, will find their graves in soil belonging to their country.

Up to the last hour of the occupation, the Mexican treasury was drawn upon, although it became more impoverished every day. This was following a course of action which was hardly worthy of France; but M. Dano was forced to obey the instructions of our minister