The Marquis, who had apparently thought of everything, had reconnoitered the country, and had decided upon the defensibleness of a place like this in the case of such an emergency as he was about to face, for along that hillside ran the main highway to the coast of France.
The troops reached it about noon-time.

The road was high up on the hillside.

The Marquis, riding in advance of his regiment, saw far down the long road and across a little river a moving column of men.

Above them floated the tricolor flag, the blue and the red vividly distinct in the bright sun, which seemed to be reflected, as it were, from a crown of glory at the top of the staff.

There were perhaps twelve hundred soldiers on foot and a few score on horseback.