lantry. He made
him a major; in 1849 this major became lieutenant-colonel, and commanded
a storming column at the siege of Rome; he then came back to Africa,
where Fleury bought him over at the same time as Saint-Arnaud. Louis
Bonaparte made him colonel in July, 1851, and reckoned upon him. In
November this colonel of Louis Bonaparte wrote to the Duc d'Aumale,
"Nothing need be apprehended from this miserable adventurer." In
December he commanded one of the massacring regiments. Later on, in the
Dobrudscha, an ill-used horse turned upon him and bit off his cheek, so
that there was only room on his face for one slap.

The other man was growing gray, and was about forty-eight. He also was
a man of pleasure and of murder. Despicable as a citizen; brave as a
soldier. He was one of the first who had sprung into the breach at
Constantine. Plenty of bravery and plenty of baseness. No chivalry but
that of the green cloth. Louis Bonaparte had made him colonel in 1851.
His debts had been twice paid by two Princes; the first time by the Duc
d'Orleans, the second time by the Duc de Nemours.

Such were these colonels.

Saint-Arnaud spoke to them for some time in a low tone.

CHAPTER II.

THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE

As soon as it was daylight we had assembled in the house of our
imprisoned colleague, M. Grevy. We had been installed in his private
room. Michel de Bourges and myself were seated near the fireplace; Jules
Favre and Carnot were writing, the one at a table near the window, the
other at a high desk. The Left had invested us with discretionary
powers. It became more and more impossible at every moment to meet
together again in session. We drew up in its name and remitted to
Hingray, so that he might print it immediately, the following decree,
compiled on the spur of the moment by Jules Favre:--

"FRENCH REPUBLIC.

"_Liberty, Equality, Fraternity_.

"The undersigned Representatives of the People who still remain at
liberty, having met together in an Extraordinary Permanent Session,
considering the arrest of the majority of their colleagues, considering
the urgency of the moment;

"Seeing that the crime of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte in violently
abolishing the operations of the Public Powers has reinstated the
Nation in the direct exercise of its sovereignty, and that all which
fetters that sovereignty at the present time should he annulled;

"Seeing that all the prosecutions comm