the army voted "No" in many districts of
France and Algeria.

The Polytechnic School voted "No" in a body. Nearly everywhere the
artillery, of which the Polytechnic School is the cradle, voted to the
same effect as the school.

Scipio Dumas, it may be remembered, was at Metz.

By some curious chance it happened that the feeling of the artillery,
which everywhere else had pronounced against the _coup d'etat_,
hesitated at Metz, and seemed to lean towards Bonaparte.

Scipio Dumas, in presence of this indecision set an example. He voted
in a loud voice, and with an open voting paper, "No."

Then he sent in his resignation. At the same time that the Minister at
Paris received the resignation of Scipio Dumas, Scipio Dumas at Metz,
received his dismissal, signed by the Minister.

After Scipio Dumas' vote, the same thought had come at the same time to
both the Government and to the officer, to the Government that the
officer was a dangerous man, and that they could no longer employ him,
to the officer that the Government was an infamous one, and that he
ought no longer to serve it.

The resignation and the dismissal crossed on the way. By this word
"dismissal" must be understood the withdrawal of employment.

According to our existing military laws it is in this manner that they
now "break" an officer. Withdrawal of employment, that is to say, no
more service, no more pay; poverty.

Simultaneously with his dismissal, Scipio Dumas learnt the news of the
attack on the barricade of the Rue Aumaire, and that his brother had
both his legs broken. In the fever of events he had been a week without
news of Ossian. Scipio had confined himself to writing to his brother
to inform him of his vote and of his dismissal, and to induce him to do
likewise.

His brother wounded! His brother at the Val-de. Grace! He left
immediately for Paris.

He hastened to the hospital. They took him to Ossian's bedside. The
poor young fellow had had both his legs amputated on the preceding day.

At the moment when Scipio, stunned, appeared at his bedside, Ossian
held in his hand the cross which General Saint-Arnaud had just sent
him.

The wounded man turned towards the aide-de-camp who had brought it, and
said to him,--

"I will not have this cross. On my breast it would be stained with the
blood of the Republic."

And perceiving his brother, who had just entered, he held out the cross
to him, exclaiming,--

"You take it. You have voted