Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-11-21

ne calIeQ 10 the most, ''fOr twenty peO-
pie: and it is to be eaten just the same,
whether we are alive or,,dead-here are
200 francs" The other answered that
he might pay on the morrow.
"But if should be shot?'
"Then I shall pay"
A shout arose, Hurrah for Car tier |"
Dumas drank off his wine, and, we
might add, the act-drop fell.
It was now about IL o'clock. The
horses were put to, the chaise was wait
ing, and the bold trio, Dumas, Bard,
and Hutin (who was to pass them
through the gates), drove away on their
daring expedition. By l o'clock they
had reached the gates of Soissons,
through which they were allowed to
pass, "the doorkeeper little dreaming"
says Alexandra the great, " that he was
admitting the Revolution"
They went straight to the house of
Hutin's mother, where their first bust
ness was the manufacture of a huge tri.
color flag. She contributed her blue
and red curtains, with table-cloth, and
all the women of the household were
set to work to sew the pieces together.
By daybreak the task was completed.
The pole, of course, gave no trouble, as
the one from which the Bourbon white
Gag was floating would answer. The
flagstaff" as Dumas says, "had no po-
itical opinions"
The plan they had arranged was real
ly Quixotic in its extravaganza, and in
deed seems almost incredible. Making
all allowance for Dumas bombast, it
will be seen that at the most he has on
ly been guilty of the novelist's exagger-
alton; and though at the time the story
of the adventure was all but secuted, it
e, -
which are given with the most minute
details of dates, names and places. 1t
was settled that Bard and Hutin were
to take the flag and contr1ve to get into
the cathedral, under pretence of seeing
the sun rise from the tower. If the sa-
cristan made any resistance he was to
be flung over the parapet. Then, hav-
ing dragged down the white flag and
set the tri-color floating from the tower,
Bard was to hurry on to lend his aid to
Dumas, who would be engaged at the
powder magazine.
Such was the dashing plan of these
three men.
They started at daybreak, and Dumas
made his way to the Fort st. Jean,
where small pavilion, close to the
gateway, was used as the magazine. He
dared not attempt the gate, but, steal
ing round, climbed up the wall eau
tiously, and took a peep into the fort.
He saw two soldiers busy hoeing little
garden at the corner. He let himself
down again, and looked over at the
distant cathedral. He saw distinctly
against the sky a dark outline of some
figures, then the white flag, after being
tossed about in an extraordinary FASH
ion that could not have been owing to
the wind, finally disappeared, and the
tri color took its place. Now was the
moment; his companions had done
their part. He slung his double-bar-
relied gun about him and began to
climb the wall. When he got to the
top he saw the two soldiers staring with
wonder at the strange flag on the cathe-
dral, then cooking both barrels of his
gun, he leaped down and stood before
them. One was named Capt. Mo1lard
the other Sergeant Ragou. He ad-
vanced on them, presenting his piece,
and made them a courteous but hur-
ried speech, explaining who he was,
and his errand. He was Mons. Alexan-
DIRE Dumas, son of Gen. Dumas, etc. He
came in the name of Gen. Gerard to de-
mand the surrender of the powder, and
there was his order signed by the Gen
eral, which he presented with one hand,
holding his cooked gun in the other.
The pair were much taken back, and
knew not what to do, when the Colonel,
D'Orcourt, who was in command, was
seen approaching. The matter was ex-
planned to him, and after many courte-
GUS phrases a treaty was arranged, by
which the three officers promised their
neutrality, and engaged to keep within
doors. Thus the powder magazine
would seem to have been captured by
Dumas single-handed. 1t has the air Of
a very brilliant achievement, and the
picture of the hero alone in the fort,
his finger on the triggers of his gun,
courteously but firmly controlling his
three opponents, is a most dramatic
scene. When writing the account of
his adventure, from which which we
| take these particulars, however, Dumas
forgets that il the official report fur
nished to the official journal twenty
| three years before, he had stated that
| three of his friends were waiting at the
| gate.
Thus successful, he opened the gate
and found his friend Bard. To him he
handed over the charge of the maga-
zine, and went away to deal with the
commandant of the fort, LINERS. He
found this officer just rising, and dis
cussing the news of the sudden appear
ance of the flag on the cathedral. Du-
mas laid down his gun at the door, in
troduced himself, and made his demand
for an order to rem We the powder. The
other declined to acknowledge Gen.
Gerard's order, and said that there was
scarcely any powder in the magazine.
The commandant seemed, in fact,
rather amused, and smiled scornfully
when Dumas answered that the party
at the magazine were his prisoners. AL
exandre, replying that he would &c
back at once and bring proof under
their hard that the powder was there
made his bow and retired. He flew
back, found that he was right, and re
turned presently with satisfactory proof
that large quantity of powder was in
the magazine. But when he reached
the commandant's office he found that
the party had been increased during his
absence, and that Lenferna, an officer
of gendarmes, and Bonvilliers, Colonel
of the Engineers, were there in full uni
form, and armed. The commandant
addressed him in a sort of bantering
tone, telling him that he had sent fol
these officers, who, with him, were in
command of the town, in order thai
| thew might hava tho nleas11re of haar