e could not effect
his purpose with the regiment, no staff officer could aid him. He was a
lonely old man and a hard that morning. The odds against him were
tremendous, and his weapons were flawed and breaking in his hand. That
only made him the more firmly resolute. He knew how sometimes one man
could enforce his will on unwilling thousands. Was he that man that day?
He would see.

Some miles south of the town the winding road ran along the side of a
high and rocky hill. On the side opposite to the hill was a deep morass.
This place was known as the Gap. The Marquis, who had apparently thought
of everything, had reconnoitered the country, and had decided upon the
defensibleness of a place like this in the case of such an emergency as
he was about to face, for along that hillside ran the main highway to the
coast of France.

The troops reached it about noon-time. The road was high up on the
hillside. The Marquis, riding in advance of his regiment, saw far down
the long road and across a little river a moving column of men. Above
them floated the tricolor flag, the blue and the red vividly distinct in
the bright sun, which seemed to be reflected, as it were, from a crown of
glory at the top of the staff. There were perhaps twelve hundred
soldiers on foot and a few score on horseback. They were coming steadily
along the road. The distance was almost too great to distinguish men,
but one rode a white horse at the head. The soldiers could see with
their minds and hearts better than their eyes, and they recognized that
gray-coated figure on that familiar white horse. They could hear the
beating of drums faintly. The bridges had not been broken. The fords
were not guarded. The advance parties had failed. Presage of disaster!

The Marquis congratulated himself that he was in time to repair the
disobedience of orders, which he promised himself to punish at the first
opportunity. Instantly he directed Major Lestoype to deploy the men from
column into line, so that they filled the road, which was here very broad
and spacious. On a sloping hillside he placed flanking companies. The
command was given to load, and the ramrods soon rang in the gun-barrels.
Major Lestoype's voice shook as he gave the commands, which were repeated
hoarsely, brokenly, nervously, by the company and the platoon officers.
The dispositions of the men were soon concluded. The place of the
Marquis was behind the line, but he rode to t