ter the baker, ran past his horse, which was still
galloping, stopped it, and brought back the cart to the barricade which
had been begun.
They overturned the bread-cart.
An omnibus came up on the road from the Bastille.
"Very well!" said the conductor, "I see what is going on."
He descended with a good grace, and told his passengers to get
down, while the coachman unharnessed his horses and went away shaking
his cloak.
They overturned the omnibus.
The four vehicles placed end to end barely barred the street of the
Faubourg, which in this part is very wide. While putting them in line
the men of the barricade said,--
"Let us not injure the carts more than we can help."
This formed an indifferent barricade, very low, too short, and which
left the pavements free on either side.
At this moment a staff officer passed by followed by an orderly, saw the
barricade, and fled at a gallop.
Schoelcher calmly inspected the overturned vehicles. When he reached the
peasant's cart, which made a higher heap than the others, he said, "that
is the only good one."
The barricade grew larger. They threw a few empty baskets upon it, which
made it thicker and larger without strengthening it.
They were still working when a child came up to them shouting, "The
soldiers!"
In truth two companies arrived from the Bastille, at the double, through
the Faubourg, told off in squads at short distances apart, and barring
the whole of the street.
The doors and the windows were hastily closed.
During this time, at a corner of the barricade, Bastide, impassive, was
gravely telling a story to Madier de Montjau. "Madier," said he, "nearly
two hundred years ago the Prince de Conde, ready to give battle in this
very Faubourg St. Antoine, where we now are, asked an officer who was
accompanying him, 'Have you ever seen a battle lost?'--'No, sire.'
'Well, then, you will see one now.'--Madier, I tell you to-day,--you
will speedily see a barricade taken."
In the meanwhile those who were armed had assumed their places for the
conflict behind the barricade.
The critical moment drew nigh.
"Citizens," cried Schoelcher, "do not fire a shot. When the Army and the
Faubourgs fight, the blood of the People is shed on both sides. Let us
speak to the soldiers first."
He mounted on one of the baskets which heightened the barricade. The
other Representatives arranged themselves near him on the omnibus.
Malardier and Dulac were on his
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