me one on a wharf at Gravesend. The unfortunate bird became
in the end the property of a butcher in Boulogne.

By six P. M. the party in the "Edinburgh Castle" grew very uneasy;
the prince had not arrived. Count Orsi took a post-chaise and drove
overland to Ramsgate, where Count Montholon (Napoleon's fellow-exile
at St. Helena) and two colonels were waiting the arrival of the
steamer. Only one of these gentlemen had been let into the plot, and
Montholon was subsequently deeply wounded by having been excluded.

About dawn, when this party had just gone to bed, the "Edinburgh
Castle" steamed up to the beautiful Ramsgate pier; but it was already
the hour when she should have been off Boulogne.

A second time Louis Napoleon had damaged his chances and risked
his friends by his want of punctuality. He had not taken proper
precautions as to his mode of leaving London. He found that the
police were on the alert, and it was late in the day before he
contrived to leave his house unseen. He might have made more exertion,
but he had quite forgotten the importance of the tide!

What was now to be done? Four hours is the passage from Ramsgate
to Boulogne. It would not do to arrive there in broad daylight.
They dared not stay at Ramsgate. It became necessary to put to
sea, and to steam about aimlessly till night arrived. The captain
and the crew had to be told the object of the expedition, the van
had to be opened, and the arms and uniforms distributed. This was
done after dark, and no light was allowed on board the steamer.

At three o'clock A. M. of Aug. 6, 1840, the "Edinburgh Castle"
was off Wimereux, a little landing-place close to Boulogne. The
disembarkation was begun at once. The steamer was ill provided
with boats. She had but one, and could only land eight men at a
time. This was one of the many oversights of the expedition.

At five A. M. the little troop, clad as French soldiers, marched up
to the barracks at Boulogne. The gates were thrown open by friends
within, and the prince and his followers entered the yard. The
reason why it had been so important to reach Boulogne twenty-four
hours earlier, was that a certain Colonel Piguellier, who was a
strong republican, was sure to be against them. Some French friends
of the prince, who were in the secret, had therefore invited Colonel
Piguellier to a shooting-party on the 4th, the invitation including
one to pass the night at a house in the country; but by the evening
o