In the Name of Liberty

m!

dark room. Through the open window there fell upon their ears a wild metal shriek,

oom! Bo

the length of the walls. As one dog wakes the pack, another and another bell took up the call, ti

thin shrieks of a woman. Lights began to appear, forms clad in night-dres

ms! to

r the rumbling of drums, the scattered popping of fire

citoyens

. She leaned far out, and g

ar

to the window to cry "To arms!" crashed down the stairs, dragging Geneviève, flung out

ose hair stood out in long streams against the racing; la Mère Corniche hobbling along as fast as her old legs would take her; families of five and six running

was feeding pikes to a hundred outstretched hands. The arrival of fresh torches caused the walls to loom up like lurid cliffs, sparkling in spots where a window-pane blazed back the reflection. From the windows flattened

ps, while two banners hung like huge blurs above the tossing surface of pikes and weapons. The noise was

to the

o the fa

ride her husband, comic and furious, beat the air and screamed to the crowd to

eries! To th

apsed on the ground. The anger of the mob against

to Mme.

o the Au

Marseillais, gathering in a body, dominated the tumult with the swelling chords of th

beggars, and the criminals diffused among the zealots, the fanatics, and the idealists. There were the frankly curious and the adventurous, and those with hatred and v

o drop out: there were moments of darkness when one could hardly distinguish the faces about. The cries to advance changed

hour and a half. The first outburst had seemingly exhausted the populace: they remained quietly, awed at the immensity of their daring. Many, tiring of the long vigil on foot, imitated Nicole and Geneviève and stretched out upon the pavements, forming little shallows throughout the length of the street. A few mel

He sent off a band of pikemen and then the M

man was seen running toward them with outstretched hands, trying

ws! The

sand. The sound of a mighty cry could be heard indistinguis

on is

at the H?te

ss started, moving swiftly, consuming its way like a glacier. A scullion, with the sudden convergi

roup, seeing his t

friends. We are your br

at had been summoned. The artillery at the Pont Neuf had been withdrawn. Mandat

k, they were compelled again to wait. When they clamored they were told that they were delaying for the Faubourg St. Marceau, which was to join them

ache

irits began to exhort them. On all sides knots of men flung one of their number into the air, where

ted by a familiar voice, and beheld, aloft the giant shoulders

ette!" A roar of laughter showed him his ground. "I assure you, aristocrats will not fight before breakfast, before they are shaved and powdered and dressed. Patience, my Sans-Culottes; we do not wa

rom Versailles-you are now to strike the great blow for freedom, and you grumble. What matters it if we have waited twenty hours or twenty days, if we may see such an

sfied and elate. Javogues, the Atlas, bellowed out, "

Citoyen B

e, turned, while the crowd, eagerly catc

the Par

the frank enthusiasm of Nicole inspired him, there was something in the tolerant smile of Louison that seemed to mock his ela

patr

devil are

hem; to the Tuile

s news

nt retorted. "A little patience and you

ntrance to the Tuileries, clamoring for admittance. As he hesitated, the gate was flung open and the mass, with the quickness of gunpowder seeking an outlet, crashed in.

em nor the walls that hemmed them in. Leaping and shouting, they ran to the vestibule at the end. There they saw a mass of red that colored i

nks looked into the threatening barrels. Still no sound. The two forces, the machine and the monster, looked into each other's eyes, noting

shouts of laughter. They clapped their hands, laughing like children, and set to work at this

the balcony abov

ir

e smoke, rushing down the vestibule, swirled into the air and lifted. The officer leaned curiously over the balcony and gave the order to

ger and trickled over the garden, widening and assuming mass and shape. At times across the red, like a diamond meeting the sun, there ran a brilliant fla

nce at the sight of their wounds, rushed on to the attack. Barabant, who had received a flesh-

nd unleashed. Suddenly their ranks parted and two tongues of fire lashed out; in the solid bank of the Swiss two gaps appeared. A frenzy possessed the assaulting m

des, cursing, exhorting wildly, laughing; but his bullets, without objective, flattened themselves against the death-dealing walls. At times he saw, through the thick smo

are arms were stained with powder and red with the contact of the wounded; and yet, as she loaded a musket, or presented it to a volunteer, or showed him the flashing walls, she laughe

from the fallen and returning them to her friend. Her face was calm, cold; her eyes sought everything

e he slipped in a pool of blood and went down, his companion falling across him.

ept with a sheet of flame. The assailants, with a cry of triumph, hurled themselves into the palac

iture, howling along the empty corridors, the mob crashed

ort! à

l, stabbed with a dozen useless thrusts, their bodies were flung with exulting cries from the windows; while as

all! Dea

ound himself in front, running beside a Marseill

, keep with me! Leave

his back, fell on his k

nted. Seizing Barabant's arm, he bor

is! Ther

nt beheld a tall form disappearin

a guard-room, only to find it empty. Javogu

aw him; he is h

ho

room, assailing it with his huge fists. All at once he gave a cry,

is h

remained a moment in perplexity. But the sound of women's cries startled him again to activity. He darted back into the cur

't kill

women!" Bar

hers took

does not make

rned to desecration and pillage. Troops of women, like furies, swarmed throug

ed from the wall, spattered with blood and dirt. Heedless of the shouts above him, he passed down the vestibule and over the mountain of slain, suffocate

ained outside, joining the hundreds of women who visited the wounded or sought, in agony, among the de

amiliar voice c

p! h

h the aid of a fishwife she pulled away the corpse, disc

tting the rancor of the woman in

think

he

mered, rising weakly to

llow!" the fishwife cried with rough

o!" Nicole cried, ironically. "Wa

t Cramoisin, having recovered the use of his

g forth from the vestibule. All coquetry

, you are

stream down his forehead. He sat down while she hurriedly washed the wounds and bandaged them. When he essayed to ris

he women. I'll bring you back.

resisted no longer, and together slowly they moved homewar

ating women, of the sudden rumbling of drums, of companies swinging past him, of interminable streets, and of cliffs, mountains high, that gave forth shrieks of triumph. Then in the city, delirio