tion of the National Guard, were
never more strikingly exemplified than on this occasion. Without them,
there would have been no means or possibility of uniting together an
entire population; of leading the people from a distance of more than
three miles, night and day, so as to insure a regular and continued
service; all would have been trouble and confusion. With them, on the
contrary, every thing was ready, and in motion, at the voice of a single
chief; and the whole was conducted with such precision and regularity
as had never on similar occasions, been witnessed before.

The road from St. Etienne to Bois-Monzil, exhibited a scene of the most
animated kind. In the midst of the motley and moving multitude, the
National Guards were seen hurrying to and fro; chasseurs, grenadiers,
cavalry and artillery-men, all clothed in their rich new costume, as on
a field day. Some of the crowd were singing _a la Parisienne_, others
were lamenting, praying, hoping, despairing, and, by "fits and starts,"
abandoning themselves to those opposite extravagances of sentiment so
peculiarly characteristic of a French population. When night drew her
sable curtains around, the picturesque of the scene was still more
heightened. Fresh bands of miners, conducted by their respective chiefs,
coming in from every side; their sooty visages lighted up by glaring
torches; National Guards arriving from different parts of the country,
to join their comrades of St. Etienne; farmers and peasants, on
horseback and afoot, hastening to offer their humane aid; sentinels
posted--muskets piled--watch-fires blazing, and, in short, the _tout
ensemble_ rendered the approaches of Bois-Monzil like a bivouac on the
eve of an expected battle; happily, however, the object of these brave
men was to preserve life and not to destroy it.

On Saturday, the _chaine a bras_ was discontinued, as the engineers had
brought the pumps effectually to work. Suddenly a cry of joy was echoed
from mouth to mouth, "They are saved! they are saved! six of them are
freed from their subterraneous prison!" shouted a person at the entrance
of the mine. The rumor was instantly repeated along the crowd, and a
horseman set off at full speed for St. Etienne, with the gratifying
news; another followed, and confirmed the report of his predecessor. The
whole town was in motion, and all classes seemed to partake of the
general joy, with a feeling as if each had been individually interested.
In the