"Why take your horse, then, if there is a relay post?"
"Ah! in case the post-master should have sent out all his horses; they may have been seized. That is the reason I cannot take my carriage, because of the barricades and because all the posting-masters have not post-carriages in their sheds in spite of the law which legally compels them to have them. Then you see, my dear fellow, if we find a carriage, we will take it; if we only find one horse, we will ride side by side at full speed; if we find neither one nor the other, we shall still have my horse, and you must ride behind me, and we will represent the finest half of the four sons of Aymon."
"I understand."
"Then fetch my horse and the pistols, and whichever reaches Le Bourget first, waits for the other."
"I will fly the whole way!" cried Bard, as he dashed off towards the quay Pelletier.
"And I also," I replied, as I ran off down the rue de la Vannerie, which led straight into the rue Saint-Martin, my most direct way for reaching La Villette.
One word about what was passing while Bart was running along the quay Pelletier and I was scampering down the rue Saint-Martin.
Étienne Arago returned to the National office when he had dispersed his men.
"Do you know the news?" Stapfer asked him.