A new event had taken place, which had appeared to M. Drouet of sufficient importance to warrant a consultation with his friends.
This was the event I speak of.
On the 20th of June, in the morning, a detachment of hussars, with brown dolmans (some said that they were a part of De Lauzun’s regiment, others that they were a part of Esterhazy’s), had entered St. Menehould by the Clermont road.
At that time, when the troops were billeted on the tradespeople, the authorities were generally informed of their arrival two or three days in advance.
In this case, the authorities had received no advice.
M. Drouet had spoken to the officer commanding the detachment. This officer, whom he remembered to have seen two months before passing between St. Menehould, Châlons, and Varennes, was called M. Goguelot.
Recognised by M. Drouet, this officer had no hesitation in chatting with him. He said he had been sent with his forty men to form an escort for a treasure.
While M. Jean Baptiste was talking with him, a messenger arrived from the municipality, asking the reason of his coming unannounced and unexpected.
“Don’t trouble yourself about nothing,” replied the officer; “myself and my men will sleep here; but as we set off in a hurry on a particular service, we are utterly without rations. We will pay all our expenses, so as not to be a burden on the tradespeople. To-morrow, at daybreak, we start for Pont-de-Somme-Vesles.”