Another word or two, and out from a gateway poured, as it seemed to me,
a tide of red and blue, as the guard turned out. All around seemed
blazing with light, and the flash of steel, the clink and rattle of
arms, and the loud, harsh voices of command. As I fell forward, utterly
exhausted, a soldier caught me. I looked back in dreadful expectation,
and saw the mass of dark forms disappearing into the night. Then I must
have fainted. When I recovered my senses I was in the guard room. They
gave me brandy, and after a while I was able to tell them something of
what had passed. Then a commissary of police appeared, apparently out of
the empty air, as is the way of the Parisian police officer. He listened
attentively, and then had a moment's consultation with the officer in
command. Apparently they were agreed, for they asked me if I were ready
now to come with them.

'Where to?' I asked, rising to go.

'Back to the dust heaps. We shall, perhaps, catch them yet!'

'I shall try!' said I.

He eyed me for a moment keenly, and said suddenly:

'Would you like to wait a while or till tomorrow, young Englishman?'
This touched me to the quick, as, perhaps, he intended, and I jumped to
my feet.

'Come now!' I said; 'now! now! An Englishman is always ready for his
duty!'

The commissary was a good fellow, as well as a shrewd one; he slapped my