, shouting: "To the barricades!" In the Rue
Lesdiguieres they had met an old man walking along. What had attracted
their attention was that the goodman was walking in a zig-zag, as though
he were intoxicated. Moreover, he had his hat in his hand, although it
had been raining all the morning, and was raining pretty briskly at the
very time. Courfeyrac had recognized Father Mabeuf. He knew him through
having many times accompanied Marius as far as his door. As he was
acquainted with the peaceful and more than timid habits of the old
beadle-book-collector, and was amazed at the sight of him in the midst
of that uproar, a couple of paces from the cavalry charges, almost in
the midst of a fusillade, hatless in the rain, and strolling about among
the bullets, he had accosted him, and the following dialogue had been
exchanged between the rioter of fire and the octogenarian:--

"M. Mabeuf, go to your home."

"Why?"

"There's going to be a row."

"That's well."

"Thrusts with the sword and firing, M. Mabeuf."

"That is well."

"Firing from cannon."

"That is good. Where are the rest of you going?"

"We are going to fling the government to the earth."

"That is good."

And he had set out to follow them. From that moment forth he had not
uttered a word. His step had suddenly become firm; artisans had offered
him their arms; he had refused with a sign of the head. He advanced
nearly to the front rank of the column, with the movement of a man who
is marching and the countenance of a man who is sleeping.

"What a fierce old fellow!" muttered the students. The rumor spread
through the troop that he was a former member of the Convention,--an old
regicide. The mob had turned in through the Rue de la Verrerie.

Little Gavroche marched in front with that deafening song which made of
him a sort of trumpet.

He sang: "Voici la lune qui paratt,
Quand irons-nous dans la foret?
Demandait Charlot a Charlotte.

Tou tou tou
Pour Chatou.
Je n'ai qu'un Dieu, qu'un roi, qu'un liard, et qu'une botte.

"Pour avoir bu de grand matin
La rosee a meme le thym,
Deux moineaux etaient en ribotte.

Zi zi zi
Pour Passy.
Je n'ai qu'un Dieu, qu'un roi, qu'un liard, et qu'une botte.

"Et ces deux pauvres petits loups,
Comme deux grives estaient souls;
Une tigre en riait dans sa grotte.