At this time, a dreadful discharge of great guns announced that the besiegers and the garrison were hard at work.
[CHAPTER XV.]
THE BLOOD-STAINS.
For a space, the Swiss might believe that they had dealt with an army and wiped it off the earth. They had slain nearly four hundred men in the royal yard, and almost two hundred in the Carrousel; seven guns were the spoils.
As far as they could see, no foes were in sight.
One small isolated battery, planted on the terrace of a house facing the Swiss guard-house, continued its fire without their being able to silence it. As they believed they had suppressed the insurrection, they were taking measures to finish with this battery at any cost, when they heard on the water-side the rolling of drums and the much more awful rolling of artillery over the stones.
This was the army which the king was watching through his spy-glass from the Louvre gallery.
At the same time the rumor spread that the king had quitted the palace and had taken refuge in the House of Representatives.
It is hard to tell the effect produced by this news, even on the most firm adherents.
The monarch, who had promised to die at his royal post, deserting it and passing over to the enemy, or at least surrendering without striking a blow!