py, who, as a rule, is
very soft spoken and conciliating until he sees that the game is up,
when he becomes insulting. Still, I reflected that the violence of the
three men might be a clever bit of acting also, the more that I could
see for myself that they were abominably, though not speechlessly,
drunk. Their offence was that they had been seen loitering in a field
very close to the fortifications, with their noses almost to the ground.
Do what I would, an explanation I could not get, and at last the most
powerful of the trio made a movement as if to draw a knife. With great
difficulty a dozen of my men succeeded in getting his coat off; and
there, between his waistcoat and his shirt, was a murderously looking
blade, a formidable weapon indeed.

"'He is a Prussian spy, sure enough!' exclaimed the roomful of guards.

"I examined the knife carefully, tried to find the name of the maker,
and all at once put it to my nose. Then I took up a candle and looked
more carefully still at the prisoners. 'They are simply drunk,' I said,
'and the best thing you can do is to take them home.'

"'But the knife?' insisted the sergeant.

"'The knife is all right,' I answered.

"'I should think it is all right,' said the owner, 'seeing that I am
cutting provisions all day with it for those confounded Parisians.'

"But the guards were not satisfied with the explanation. They began to
surround me. 'That was surely a sign you made to the fellow when you
lifted the blade to your face, captain,' said the sergeant.

"'Not at all, friend; I was simply smelling it. And it smelt abominably
of onions.' That will give you an idea, monsieur, of the life they lead
me also. Still, I would ask you, as a particular favour, monsieur, not
to mention your mishap to any one. As you are aware, I am not to blame;
but we are in bad odour enough as it is at the Ministry of War, and we
do not wish to increase our somewhat justified reputation for
irresponsible rowdyism and lack of discipline."

I gave him my promise to that effect, and have not mentioned the matter
until this day.

CHAPTER XXIII.

The siege -- The food-supply of Paris -- How and what the
Parisians eat and drink -- Bread, meat, and wine -- Alcoholism --
The waste among the London poor -- The French take a lesson from
the alien -- The Irish at La Villette -- A whisper of the horses
being doomed -- M. Gagne -- The various attempts to introduce
horsefl