"Are you mad! Are you crazy! What a pack of boobies! You want to waste
time, do you? Draw lots, do you? By a wet finger, by a short straw! With
written names! Thrown into a hat!--"

"Would you like my hat?" cried a voice on the threshold.

All wheeled round. It was Javert.

He had his hat in his hand, and was holding it out to them with a smile.

CHAPTER XXI--ONE SHOULD ALWAYS BEGIN BY ARRESTING THE VICTIMS

At nightfall, Javert had posted his men and had gone into ambush himself
between the trees of the Rue de la Barrieredes-Gobelins which faced
the Gorbeau house, on the other side of the boulevard. He had begun
operations by opening "his pockets," and dropping into it the two young
girls who were charged with keeping a watch on the approaches to the
den. But he had only "caged" Azelma. As for Eponine, she was not at her
post, she had disappeared, and he had not been able to seize her. Then
Javert had made a point and had bent his ear to waiting for the signal
agreed upon. The comings and goings of the fiacres had greatly agitated
him. At last, he had grown impatient, and, sure that there was a nest
there, sure of being in "luck," having recognized many of the ruffians
who had entered, he had finally decided to go upstairs without waiting
for the pistol-shot.

It will be remembered that he had Marius' pass-key.

He had arrived just in the nick of time.

The terrified ruffians flung themselves on the arms which they had
abandoned in all the corners at the moment of flight. In less than a
second, these seven men, horrible to behold, had grouped themselves in
an attitude of defence, one with his meat-axe, another with his key,
another with his bludgeon, the rest with shears, pincers, and hammers.
Thenardier had his knife in his fist. The Thenardier woman snatched up
an enormous paving-stone which lay in the angle of the window and served
her daughters as an ottoman.

[Illustration: Snatched up a Paving Stone 3b8-21-paving-stone]

Javert put on his hat again, and advanced a couple of paces into the
room, with arms folded, his cane under one arm, his sword in its sheath.

"Halt there," said he. "You shall not go out by the window, you shall go
through the door. It's less unhealthy. There are seven of you, there
are fifteen of us. Don't let's fall to collaring each other like men of
Auvergne."

Bigrenaille drew out a pistol which he had kept concealed under his
blouse, and put it in Thenardier's hand,