They had seen them start at full gallop by the Clermont route.
At eight o’clock a courier arrived from M. de Choiseul.
This courier was poor Léonard, with his cabriolet.
He came to tell M. Damas that he had left M. de Choiseul at Pont-de-Somme-Vesles, at half-past four, and that up to that time no courier had arrived.
Léonard told him also the danger that M. Gorguelot, M. Boudet, and their forty hussars, had incurred.
M. Damas ran no less risk. The same excitement prevailed everywhere. The sight of his soldiers had provoked murmurs. The hour for retreat approached, and he knew that it would be difficult to keep the men under arms, and the horses saddled, during the whole night, so manifest had the hostile demonstrations become.
In this interval the cracking of postilions’ whips announced from afar the arrival of the carriages.
M. Bouillé’s orders were to mount half an hour after the passage of the carriages, and to fall back upon Montmedy, in passing by Varennes.
M. de Damas rushed to the door, told the King what orders he had received from de Bouillé, and asked him what his orders were.