Roland forbade all mention of himself and where he had gone, lest the brigands should get word of his future plans.

The rest of the escort were to carry back their colonel's body, and make deposition on their own account, along the same lines as the conductor, to the authorities, and equally without mention of Roland.
These orders given, the young man dismounted a chasseur and took his horse, selecting the one he thought most serviceable.

Then he reloaded his pistols, and put them in the holsters in place of the regulation weapons of the dismounted chasseur.

Having done this, and promised the conductor and the chasseurs a speedy vengeance, conditioned, however, on their keeping his present proceedings secret, he mounted the horse and rode off in the direction he had already investigated.
When he reached the spot where the two troops had separated, he had to decide between the different trails.

He chose that which descended the Saone toward Belleville.