FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157  
158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   >>   >|  
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
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157  
158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
barricade
 

Madier

 

Faubourg

 

omnibus

 

overturned

 
vehicles
 
street
 

moment

 
baskets
 

larger


soldiers

 

officer

 
battle
 

Schoelcher

 
Bastille
 

People

 
Montjau
 
Prince
 

arranged

 

hundred


telling

 

impassive

 

barring

 

distances

 

squads

 

windows

 

corner

 

Malardier

 

Bastide

 

During


hastily

 
closed
 

gravely

 

speedily

 

Representatives

 
heightened
 

double

 
mounted
 

critical

 
assumed

conflict
 

accompanying

 
places
 
Antoine
 

Citizens

 

Faubourgs

 
reached
 

shaking

 
horses
 

unharnessed