Each man was placed between two gendarmes, and was forbidden to utter a single word, and then the documents which had to be printed were distributed throughout the room, being cut up in very small pieces, so that an entire sentence could not be read by one workman.

The manager announced that he would give them an hour to compose the whole.

The different fragments were finally brought to Colonel Beville, who put them together and corrected the proof sheets.
The machining was conducted with the same precautions, each press being between two soldiers.

Notwithstanding all possible diligence the work lasted two hours.

The gendarmes watched over the workmen.