by Griff Hosker
"Farewell my friend. I must ride once more."
I almost ran back through the crowds which thronged the bridges. It took me longer than I had hoped. Upon reaching the hotel I paid my bill and galloped south. I prayed that I could get to the others quickly and we would be in time to find Bonaparte. I knew where Bonaparte was heading now but if he left Malmaison before I returned it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
I reached the forest and dismounted to lead a weary Pierre to the farmhouse. My horse had ridden nonstop. It was almost dark and I did not wish to risk my exhausted horse breaking a leg. It also gave me time to think. Malmaison was just outside Paris. In many ways it would be easier to take the Emperor there for it was small. Fontainebleau was a huge palace. However there would be nowhere for my troopers to hide and to watch. It was a puzzle. Perhaps I would need Colonel Selkirk's advice. That would please him.
I had always been able to move quietly. Even with a painful and aching leg I could manage it. I smelled the smoke of the clay pipe before I saw the trooper. They had found the farmhouse and set sentries. Sadly the two troopers were facing the wrong direction. I drew a pistol and walked up to the two Hussars whose backs were to me. I pushed the pistol in the back of one of them and said, in French, "Hands up!"
They both turned, startled. Relief flooded their faces when they recognised me. "Oh, it's you sir. You fair gave us both a turn then."
I holstered my pistol. "If you are on watch then watch." I pointed into the forest. "That way!"
"Sir!"
Sergeant Gargery had observed the last part of the conversation. He shook his head, "Dozy lumps! I'll have a word." He waved his hand at the farmhouse. "Nice little billet this. How did you come across it sir?"
I smiled enigmatically, "By accident. But don't get too attached to it, Sergeant. We leave in the morning and we are heading north."
"Righto sir. Thanks for telling me."
I filled in the Colonel and the Lieutenant. "So, Colonel Selkirk, any ideas how we can spirit Bonaparte away from his two squadrons of bodyguards?"
He lit a cigar. "How many did you say there were?"
"I counted twenty Lancers and twenty five Chasseurs. But we don't know how many were guarding his house."
"It doesn't matter. Those are the forty five we have to deal with." He glanced at Lieutenant Howard. Your men may be good, Howard, but I can't see them taking twice their number of Imperial Guard, can you?"
The young officer showed his worth as he shook his head. "No sir."
I went to the pot and ladled some of the stew into a bowl. I was starving. "Then we will have to resort to sneaky. We will need to whittle down their numbers."
While we ate we pored over the maps that the colonel had brought. He was proving more useful than I had anticipated. "Look Robbie. There is a forest here and it is within a few hundred yards of the village. We could hide there."
"The Colonel is right sir. It is worth a look anyway."
It took most of the next day to reach the north western outskirts of Paris. We could not risk riding through Paris and we went the long way round. Paris proper was a few miles away but a straggle of houses lined the road which lead from Porte Dauphin to Malmaison. The Bois de Boulogne was to the east and Forest of Malmaison to the south. After a cursory inspection we chose the latter for our base. It was close enough to watch the house and yet large enough to hide twenty odd men and horses.
Leaving Sergeant Gargery to set up a camp I rode with my two colleagues to scout out the house. It was dark as we rode along the main street. I only knew, vaguely, where it was. Bonaparte had bought it and given it to Josephine for romantic trysts. It was large enough to suit his ego and discreet enough to be away from prying eyes. The two Chasseurs whom we saw outside the largest house in the village were a good indicator of where Bonaparte was living. We found a side street and we dismounted. The house itself was isolated. Bonaparte had made sure that his neighbours were far from his fences. "Lieutenant, you watch the horses." I was about to turn away and then I said, "Have a primed pistol ready."
"Sir."
He looked guilty and I said, "Load it now Lieutenant and always keep a loaded pistol. I am guessing that the men's carbines are also not kept loaded?"
"No sir. My brother preferred us to use our sabres."
That explained a great deal and was not unusual. "When we get back have them clean and load their weapons. We will be needing them."
Colonel Selkirk smiled as we began to stroll down the tree lined street. "This is the first time I have seen you command, Robbie. Impressive. You are born to it. You ought to stay in the service."
"No, thank you, Colonel. I have seen enough death to last me two lifetimes. And now we speak in French, or Italian; whichever you prefer."
He began to speak in Italian. "What do we do?"
"Walk down the street as though we have every right to be here. We are Italian business men visiting the city with a view to trading and this looks like a nice place to buy a house."
He nodded, "And what are we doing here?"
"Not only do we wish a home here we are also curious about the home of the fabulously beautiful Josephine Beauharnais and we will be surprised at the guards for we thought the Emperor was at one of his palaces and that the house was deserted."
"Can we speak French?"
"I can but they will hear your Scottish accent. You stick to Italian."
I was observing the house surreptitiously all the way along the street. I saw the two guards cocking their carbines as we approached. They stared at us as we approached. It was natural and to be expected. I detected a strong smell of horse manure. The mounts of the Imperial Guard were nearby. As I could not see them then I assumed that they were at the rear. That might prove a vital piece of information.
As we neared them and I saw their musketoons rise I began to jabber in Italian. "Which is her house do you think?"
It took a moment or two for the Colonel to realise what I was doing and then he pointed and said, "It must be the large one."
The Brigadier levelled his musketoon at me. I feigned shock. "This is a prohibited area." The Colonel excelled himself. He gave no sign that he had understood their words. He just looked confused.
I looked around as though seeking a sign. "Prohibited? I thought this was the home of Josephine, the former wife of the Emperor."
The Chasseur relaxed a little and the barrel lowered to aim at my knee. "It was but it is now prohibited to all civilians. Go away!"
I turned to the Colonel and spoke in Italian, "He says we cannot go beyond this house."
"What a pity."
I smiled at the Chasseur. "Is it permitted for us to walk along the other side of the street? We are walking off a rather fine dinner."
He shrugged and gestured for us to cross the street. I heard him say to his friend, "Damned Italians! Not worth piss in a fight!"
We continued our walk and our inane chatter which would confirm the Chasseur's view of us. All the time I was looking at the house. Our scrutiny would now be understood by the Guards and they would not be suspicious of two curious visitors. I saw that the shutters were closed. The large double gate which led to the rear was also closed. He would need to use that for his carriage. It was as if no one was in the house. However I did glimpse, between the trees and the bushes, red and green in the light from the torches burning at the rear. The Guards had a camp there. I could hear horses and I caught the faint whiff pipe tobacco. I guessed that there would be guards behind the doors too. This would be tricky.
We took a street to walk down to the river and then back along so that we would not have to pass the house again. It took us almost an hour to return to the Lieutenant. I sensed his relief when he saw us. "I thought you had been captured."
"No, but we learned much. And you? Did you have to try your French?"
"Just 'Good Evening' when two men rode along the road."
We mounted and rode back to the forest. The next m
orning I cantered down the street towards the river. I had a feeling that they would be different sentries but I changed my jacket in case I had been described. It was the same as the previous night: the shutters and the doors were closed. However I could see smoke rising from the chimney which confirmed that there were people in the house. It had to be Bonaparte although at the back of my mind was a nagging doubt that he was elsewhere. We needed more intelligence. If he was not inside then we were wasting our time. I was going on Pierre-Francois' word and the presence of Chasseurs. They may have been decoys.
I made a decision at lunchtime. "The Colonel and I need to go into Paris again and see if there is any news. We need information."
The Lieutenant asked, "Could we not break into the grounds? We could confirm his presence."
"That is a possibility however it might scare Bonaparte away and we need him to move while we are watching. We will leave that as a last resort. I think he will stay there yet. While I am gone, lieutenant, find out if any of your men have experience of hunting."
"Hunting?"
"Yes Lieutenant, I have an idea how we can keep a closer watch on our prey."
We did not travel into the heart of Paris. We found a bar close to the Porte de Dauphin. We sat outside at an end table. Once we spoke in Italian we were ignored and we heard little snippets of information. After an hour we were able to return to the camp. We had one stop to make at a shop which sold working men's clothes.
I gathered all of the men, save for the sentries, around us. They needed as much information as we had. "Bonaparte has abdicated in favour of his son. I am not certain that makes a great deal of difference. There is a rumour that he is either at Malmaison or he has left the country. I do not think it is the latter. The bad news is that the Prussians are rushing towards Paris and they have sent Hussars to look for and apprehend the Emperor. We cannot allow that to happen." I saw them digesting the information and then nodding. "Now then, Lieutenant, any hunters amongst your troopers?"
"Yes sir, Sergeant Gargery and Trooper Jennings were both countrymen."
I looked at the two of them, "Poachers or gamekeepers?"
Trooper Jennings spat, "Gamekeepers indeed!"
The other troopers laughed.
"Then you have answered me. Tomorrow night the three of us will enter the grounds of Malmaison. However to make sure that they are still there I have brought some clothes to use as disguises. In the morning I want you, lieutenant, to take one of your men and walk from here to the river. Walk on the opposite side of the road from the house. Look as though you are heading back to the country having failed to find work in the city. Trudge! You will find the river if you walk far enough and you just loop around. If they ask you are both looking for work. You can wear your overalls which will show them that you were soldiers once. We saw many old soldiers either looking for work or begging. I do not think that they will question you. Keep your head down and if they speak to you then avoid eye contact." I watched his face as I asked, "Is that all right with you?"
He grinned, "I'll say. This is more fun than piquet duty."
"Yes but a damned sight more dangerous." I turned to the others. "If any of you sees or hears the Prussians then the Colonel and I need to know immediately! If they are here then we will not have the luxury of time. We will need to act quickly and decisively and that may mean we will have to bloody our hands. Do not hesitate!"
The next morning I was aware that Lieutenant Howard was becoming increasingly nervous. I took him to one side. "Be confident, Johnny. Do not put yourself in danger. If there are no guards then come directly back. Look for smoke from the chimney. See if the shutters are open or closed. You are looking for little details."
He nodded, "Yes sir. I am not afraid it is just, well I don't want to let you or the chaps down."
"You won't."
They were back by eleven and they looked relieved. "There were two Polish Lancers on duty, sit and smoke was coming from the chimney. The shutters were closed."
"Good, anything else?"
The trooper said, "Yes sir. Horse shit! It stunk! There are horses there all right. And I think I caught a glimpse of a carriage. I can't be certain though. It might just have been a posh wagon." The faint whiff I had had was now confirmed and the presence of a carriage meant that I was now certain that the Emperor was within.
The sergeant and the trooper who were to come with me were ready before dark. None of us wore jackets. They had both fashioned themselves a club. I had told them to leave guns behind. I did not want a gun going off as we clambered through the undergrowth. We were going to observe. I also told them to leave their swords. They would only get in the way. I had my stiletto with me and my leather pouch filled with sand. It had never let me down. As we left I suddenly missed Sharp. I had no doubt that these were both fine fellows but I did not know them. I was used to Alan watching my back. Would they hesitate? Would I hesitate for fear of a mistake they might make? Only time would tell.
Before we left I asked, "Trooper Jennings, what is your name?"
He looked confused, "Your first name, you dozy man!" Joe Gargery shook his head.
"Tom sir."
"Right then tonight if we have to talk then we use first names. I am Robbie. I don't want them to know we are soldiers. A 'sir' gives it away. Ideally we will not talk. But if we have to then do not use rank. Watch my hands and I will signal what I want you to do. You two are here to watch my back!"
I had noticed that there was a high wall all around Malmaison. It explained why they concentrated the guards on the front. The high walls secured the rest of the grounds. We entered from the house to the right. While the trooper held his hands for my foot I sprang to the top of the high wall. I reached down and pulled Joe Gargery up. The two of us were able to pull Tom, who was a big man, up to the top.
I took the time to scan the gardens and the grounds. I could see the horse lines. There were just thirty five horses. That, in itself, was interesting. They had a couple of Chasseurs with musketoons patrolling the interior walls but it looked to be a token gesture.
We slipped down into the bushes and the undergrowth. They had been planted for aesthetic reasons but the grounds looked to have been neglected since the death of Josephine and they were somewhat overgrown. I moved forward about twenty paces and checked that there were no guards in the vicinity and then I waved the other two forward. I had my stiletto ready but there was no apparent danger. There was a large lawn and I headed for the edge of it. The grounds were lit by burning torches. We were hidden by the overgrown bushes and shrubs. I waved the other two to lie down as I did. I saw a group sat around a table close to the house. There were candles and oil lamps lighting it. I recognised a couple of generals but Ney was not present and I saw no one of the rank of Marshal. I wondered if the Emperor had been abandoned or had the Marshals who had followed him been taken. It was largely irrelevant. Without the head of the snake the beast was impotent. We now knew the numbers. I still had the nagging fear that Bonaparte had gone elsewhere. I waited.
I felt relief as I watched Napoleon Bonaparte emerge from the house. He seemed shrunken somehow. That may have been because of the tall lancers who flanked him. He was still here. He had not fled. That, however, did not help me for there were far too many guards and senior officers present. I would not sacrifice the 10th Hussars in a vain attempt to capture him; he was not worth one of their lives.
He sat at the table and I saw, but could not hear the heated debate which ensued. One of the officers, I think it was Count Pajol, the cavalryman, suddenly stood and stormed off. I could see others imploring him to come back but he mounted his horse and left. I saw that he left through another gate at the rear. That was a vital piece of information. There was a second entrance to the house. We had not known that and I had assumed that he would leave by the front. We could watch the front gate. We would need to find out where the rear gate was.
I had seen enough. I waved the other two back towards the wall. Th
ey were both half way to the wall when the two guards stepped out with muskets levelled. They told the sergeant and Tom to halt and I realised that they had not seen me. My two companions raised their hands. I shouted, in French, "Hit them!" Of course neither man understood me but the two Chasseurs turned to look at the direction of the noise. Joe and Tom swung their clubs and the two guards fell to the ground. They turned to look at me and I waved them to the wall. I let them move knowing that the other guards would rush towards them.
I felt a movement from my right and instinctively, I swung my hand with the stiletto. I felt the hot blood flood across my hand as the jugular of my assailant was severed. I waited, for the guards operated in pairs. Sure enough the other guard came to look for his friend. He saw the body and, at the same time, sensed me. I smacked my sand filled leather black jack against the side of his head and then ran to the wall. The two Hussars pulled me up as a fusillade of muskets rattled through the trees and into the wall. I rolled over the side and ran after the other two towards the forest. When we reached the eaves we stopped to catch our breath.
Joe' s shoulders shook as he laughed, "By, Major but you are a rum 'un and no mistake. You know how to handle yourself."
I shrugged and clapped them both on the back, "It is how I have survived for so long. But you two did well. I could not fault your actions."
In the camp everyone was keen to know what had happened. They had heard the shots and worried about us until we emerged from the trees. I addressed my comments to the two officers but all of them listened. They now knew they were involved. "There are four or five generals with him. There are just the thirty odd Guards although a couple less after tonight."
"Sir, why did you shout in French?"
"I wanted them to think that we were French robbers. It is why we wore rough French clothes. The Guards who survived will also tell them that. We used clubs, knives and a blackjack. They are not the weapons of either Prussian or British soldiers. They might increase their vigilance but they will not be worried by a couple of robbers. Now if they thought that we were English then the Emperor might flee."