The brigadier sent for some sticks and straw, and having filled the chimney with them, set a light to it.The fire crackled, and the smoke ascended like the dull vapor from a volcano; but still no prisoner fell down, as they expected.
The fact was, that Andrea, at war with society ever since his youth, was quite as deep as a gendarme, even though he were advanced to the rank of brigadier, and quite prepared for the fire, he had climbed out on the roof and was crouching down against the chimney-pots.At one time he thought he was saved, for he heard the brigadier exclaim in a loud voice, to the two gendarmes, "He is not here!" But venturing to peep, he perceived that the latter, instead of retiring, as might have been reasonably expected upon this announcement, were watching with increased attention.
It was now his turn to look about him; the Hotel de Ville, a massive sixteenth century building, was on his right; any one could descend from the openings in the tower, and examine every corner of the roof below, and Andrea expected momentarily to see the head of a gendarme appear at one of these openings.If once discovered, he knew he would be lost, for the roof afforded no chance of escape; he therefore resolved to descend, not through the same chimney by which he had come up, but by a similar one conducting to another room.He looked around for a chimney from which no smoke issued, and having reached it, he disappeared through the orifice without being seen by any one.At the same minute, one of the little windows of the Hotel de Ville was thrown open, and the head of a gendarme appeared.For an instant it remained motionless as one of the stone decorations of the building, then after a long sigh of disappointment the head disappeared.The brigadier, calm and dignified as the law he represented, passed through the crowd, without answering the thousand questions addressed to him, and re-entered the hotel.
"Well?" asked the two gendarmes.
"Well, my boys," said the brigadier, "the brigand must really have escaped early this morning; but we will send to the Villers-Coterets and Noyon roads, and search the forest, when we shall catch him, no doubt." The honorable functionary had scarcely expressed himself thus, in that intonation which is peculiar to brigadiers of the gendarmerie, when a loud scream, accompanied by the violent ringing of a bell, resounded through the court of the hotel.
"Ah, what is that?" cried the brigadier.
"Some traveller seems impatient," said the host."What number was it that rang?""Number 3."
"Run, waiter!" At this moment the screams and ringing were redoubled."Ah," said the brigadier, stopping the servant, "the person who is ringing appears to want something more than a waiter; we will attend upon him with a gendarme.Who occupies Number 3?""The little fellow who arrived last night in a post-chaise with his sister, and who asked for an apartment with two beds." The bell here rang for the third time, with another shriek of anguish.
"Follow me, Mr.Commissary!" said the brigadier; "tread in my steps.""Wait an instant," said the host; "Number 3 has two staircases, -- inside and outside.""Good," said the brigadier."I will take charge of the inside one.Are the carbines loaded?""Yes, brigadier."
