mplete description of Marteau drawn up and sent to
every gate in the walled town. The guard was ordered to permit nobody
and nothing to pass without the severest scrutiny and the closest
search or inspection. The Governor made preparations for public
proclamation on the morrow, offering a large reward for the fugitive's
apprehension dead or alive, and also an additional reward for
information that would lead to the discovery of the missing Eagle.

Promising himself to deal with the matter even more thoroughly in the
morning, he had at last dismissed his subordinates and retired. If
Marteau was within the city walls--and it was impossible to see how he
could have got out of the town without a pass after twelve o'clock at
night--he would find him if he had to search every house in the town.
The spirit of the old man was high and aflame. To be so braved, to
have his command the scene of such an outbreak of disloyalty and
treason to the King was more than he could bear with equanimity.

There was another regiment in the town that had formerly been known as
the Seventh-of-the-Line, commanded by Colonel Labedoyere, and there
were detachments of artillery. The Eagle of the Seventh had never been
sent to the War Office in Paris. It, too, had disappeared. But that
had been months before the Marquis' time, and he had no responsibility
for that. Colonel Labedoyere was more than suspected of lukewarmness,
but as he was a young man of great influence, high social standing and
much personal popularity no steps had as yet been taken against him.
The Marquis determined to have it out with him also at the first
convenient season, and unless he could be assured of his absolute
devotion to King Louis, he would report to the Minister of War the
necessity of the Colonel's removal.

The old man was fully alive to the Napoleonic sentiment among the
soldiers, a sentiment which arose from a variety of motives. In the
first place, war was the trade of most of the soldiers. They lived on
it, thrived by it, delighted in it. The permanence of the monarchy
meant peace. There would be little chance for advancement and none at
all for plunder. Self-interest predisposed every old soldier to
continue an imperialist.

In the second place, the finances of France were naturally in a most
disordered condition. The pay of officers and men was greatly in
arrears; promises made had not been kept, and there was much heart-felt
dissatisfaction