musicians to be silent, and they obeyed me; but instantly a cry arose, which soon became general—"to the door, to the door." There was no time to hesitate, and it was necessary to repress the most forward of the party before they became so violent as to proceed to blows. I immediately produced my authority, and, in the name of the law, ordered every one, females excepted, to leave the room. Some murmurs were heard at this injunction, but, after a few minutes, the most riotous surrendered and began to depart. I then stationed myself in the passage, and, as I recognized one or more of the individuals whom I sought, I marked a cross on their backs with white chalk, which was a pre-concerted signal, to point out to the gendarmes, who were in attendance without, to seize them and fetter them as they went out. In this manner we secured thirty-two of these noted offenders, of whom we formed a string, which was conducted to the nearest guard-house, and thence to the prefecture of police.
The boldness of this coup-de-main made much noise amongst the persons who frequent the barrier; and, in a short time it was reported amongst all the thieves and blackguards of Paris, that there was a spy amongst them, called Vidocq. The most notorious threatened to "do for me" on the first opportunity, and some of them attempted it, but were defeated most wofully; and the repulses they met with begot for me such an extensive renown, that it was at length equally spread over all the individuals of my brigade; and there was not a stripling amongst them who had not the reputation of Alcides himself; and, to such a pitch was this idea carried, that, forgetting occasionally of whom they were discoursing, I experienced a sentiment almost amounting to fear, when the people, without knowing who I was, conversed, in my presence, of me or my agents. We were colossal in stature, and the "old man of the mountain" was not more terrible; his emissaries, the Seids, were not more devoted or more to
