“When he reached the second barricade, he drew his horse up, as if it were merely a question of jumping a hurdle in a steeplechase just then I saw the window on the first floor open again.  ‘Ah! you old rascal!’ I exclaimed.  The report of a gun drowned my voice; the horse which had just made the leap, fell on his knees; the horseman tried to pull him up, but after making one effort the animal fell over upon his side.  The ball had gone through the steed’s head.”

“It was that poor Fidele that I gave your husband,” said Mademoiselle de Corandeuil, who was always very sentimental in the choice of names she gave to animals.

“He merited his name, Mademoiselle, for the poor beast died for his master, for whom the shot was in tended.  Several of those horrible faces, which upon riot days suddenly appear as if they came out of the ground, darted toward the unhorsed officer.  I, and several other young men who were as little disposed as myself to allow a defenceless man to be slaughtered, ran toward him.  I recognized Christian as I approached; his right leg was caught under the horse, and he was trying to unsheath his sword with his left hand.  Sticks and stones were showered at him.  I drew out the sword, which his position prevented him from doing, and exclaimed as I waved it in the air:  ’The first rascal who advances, I will cut open like a dog.’

“I accompanied these words with a flourish which kept the cannibals at a distance for the time being.

“The young fellows who were with me followed my example.  One took a pickaxe, another seized the branch of a tree, while others tried to release Christian from his horse.  During this time the crowd increased around us; the shouts redoubled:  ’Down with the ordinances!  These are disguised gendarmes!  Vive la liberte!—­We must kill them!  Let’s hang the spies to the lamp-posts!’

“Danger was imminent, and I realized that only a patriotic harangue would get us out of the scrape.  While they were releasing Christian, I jumped upon Fidele so as to be seen by all and shouted: 

“‘Vive la liberte!’

“‘Vive la liberte!’ replied the crowd.

“’Down with Charles Tenth!  Down with the ministers!  Down with the ordinances!’

“‘Down!’ shouted a thousand voices at once.

“You understand, ladies, this was a sort of bait, intended to close the mouths of these brutes.

“‘We are all citizens, we are all Frenchmen,’ I continued; ’we must not soil our hands with the blood of one of our disarmed brothers.  After a victory there are no enemies.  This officer was doing his duty in fulfilling his chief’s commands; let us do ours by dying, if necessary, for our country and the preservation of our rights.’

“‘Vive la liberte! vive la liberte!’ shouted the crowd.  ’He is right; the officer was doing his duty.  It would be assassination!’ exclaimed numerous voices.

“‘Thanks, Marillac,’ said Bergenheim to me, as I took his hand to lead him away, availing ourselves of the effect of my harangue; ’but do not press me so hard, for I really believe that my right arm is broken; only for that, I should ask you to return me my sword that I might show this rabble that they can not kill a Bergenheim as they would a chicken.’