king down
of the carriage, however, detained the king, and the hussars, observing
the suspicions their presence was awaking, departed half an hour before
the arrival of the carriages. Had the king arrived but one half hour
sooner, the safety of the royal family would have been secured. The king
was surprised and alarmed at not meeting the guard he had anticipated,
and drove rapidly on to the next relay at Sainte Menehould. It was now
half past seven o'clock of a beautiful summer's evening. The sun was
just sinking below the horizon, but the broad light still lingered upon
the valleys and the hills. As they were changing the horses, the king,
alarmed at not meeting the friends he expected, put his head out of the
window to see if any friend was there who could inform him why the
detachments were detained. The son of the post-master instantly
recognized the king by his resemblance to the imprint upon the coins in
circulation. The report was immediately whispered about among the crowd,
but there was not sufficient force, upon the spur of the moment, to
venture to detain the carriages. There was in the town a detachment of
troops, friendly to the king, who would immediately have come to his
rescue had the people attempted to arrest him. It was whispered among
the dragoons that the king was in the carriage, and the commandant
immediately ordered the troops to mount their horses and follow to
protect the royal family; but the National Guard in the place, far more
numerous, surrounded the barracks, closed the stables, and would not
allow the soldiers to depart. The king, entirely unconscious of these
movements, was pursuing his course toward the next relay. Young Drouet,
however, the post-master's son, had immediately, upon recognizing the
king, saddled his fleetest horse, and started at his utmost speed for
the post-house at Varennes, that he might, before the king's arrival,
inform the municipal authorities of his suspicions, and collect a
sufficient force to detain the travelers. One of the dragoons,
witnessing the precipitate departure of Drouet, and suspecting its
cause, succeeded in mounting his horse, and pursued him, resolved to
overtake him, and either detain him until the king had passed, or take
his life. Drouet, however, perceiving that he was pursued, plunged into
the wood, with every by-path of which he was familiar, and, in the
darkness of the night, eluded his pursuer, and arrived at Varennes, by a
very much sho