He was within a day's march of Grenoble.

His following consisted of eleven hundred French infantry, eighty Polish horsemen, and a few guns; troops of the line, and the grenadiers of the Elba guard.

The peasants had been apathetic.

He had carefully avoided garrisoned towns, choosing the unfrequented and difficult route over the maritime Alps of Southern France.

He was marching straight into the heart of the country, to conquer or to die with this little band.