which the Emperor had recently ordered to Paris. In honor of their
arrival his Majesty had placed here and there in the walks of the Bois
casks of wine with the heads knocked in, so that each soldier could drink
at will; but this imperial munificence had serious results which might
have become fatal. The Holland soldiery more accustomed to strong beer
than to wine, nevertheless found the latter much to their taste, and
imbibed it in such great quantities, that in consequence their heads were
turned to an alarming extent. They began at first with some encounters,
either among themselves or with the curious crowd who observed them too
closely. Just then a storm arose suddenly, and the promenaders of Saint-
Cloud and its environs hastened to return to Paris, passing hurriedly
through the Bois de Boulogne; and these Hollanders, now in an almost
complete state of intoxication, began fighting with each other in the
woods, stopping all the women who passed, and threatening very, rudely
the men by whom, most of them were accompanied. In a flash the Bois
resounded with cries of terror, shouts, oaths, and innumerable combats.
Some frightened persons ran as far as Saint-Cloud, where the Emperor then
was; and he was no sooner informed of this commotion, than he ordered
squad after squad of police to march on the Hollanders and bring them to
reason. His Majesty was very angry, and said, "Has any one ever seen
anything equal to these big heads? See them turned topsy-turvy by two
glasses of wine!" but in spite of this jesting, the Emperor was not
without some anxiety and placed himself at the grating of the park,
opposite the bridge, and in person gave directions to the officers and
soldiers sent to restore order. Unfortunately the darkness was too far
advanced for the soldiers to see in what direction to march; and there is
no knowing how it would have ended if an officer of one of the patrol
guards had not conceived the happy idea of calling out, "The Emperor!
there is the Emperor!" And the sentinels repeated after him, "There is
the Emperor," while charging the most mutinous Hollanders. And such was