Ten Years Later by Dumas, Alexandre. Part two

strength of the soldier, in getting together in one group to

the amount of about fifty men; and that, with the exception

of a dozen stragglers whom he still saw rolling here and

there, the nucleus was complete, and within reach of his

voice. But it was not the musketeers and guards only that

drew the attention of D’Artagnan. Around the gibbets, and

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particularly at the entrances to the arcade of Saint Jean,

moved a noisy mass, a busy mass; daring faces, resolute

demeanors were to be seen here and there, mingled with silly

faces and indifferent demeanors; signals were exchanged,

hands given and taken. D’Artagnan remarked among the groups,

and those groups the most animated, the face of the cavalier

whom he had seen enter by the door of communication from his

garden, and who had gone upstairs to harangue the drinkers.

That man was organizing troops and giving orders.

“Mordioux!” said D’Artagnan to himself, “I was not deceived;

I know that man, — it is Menneville. What the devil is he

doing here?”

A distant murmur, which became more distinct by degrees,

stopped this reflection, and drew his attention another way.

This murmur was occasioned by the arrival of the culprits; a

strong picket of archers preceded them, and appeared at the

angle of the arcade. The entire crowd now joined as if in

one cry; all the cries united formed one immense howl.

D’Artagnan saw Raoul was becoming pale, and he slapped him

roughly on the shoulder. The fire-keepers turned round on

hearing the great cry, and asked what was going on. “The

condemned are arrived,” said D’Artagnan. “That’s well,”

replied they, again replenishing the fire. D’Artagnan looked

at them with much uneasiness; it was evident that these men

who were making such a fire for no apparent purpose had some

strange intentions. The condemned appeared upon the Place.

They were walking, the executioner before them, whilst fifty

archers formed a hedge on their right and their left. Both

were dressed in black; they appeared pale, but firm. They

looked impatiently over the people’s heads, standing on

tip-toe at every step. D’Artagnan remarked this. “Mordioux!”

cried he, “they are in a great hurry to get a sight of the

gibbet!” Raoul drew back, without, however, having the power

to leave the window. Terror even has its attractions.

“To the death! to the death!” cried fifty thousand voices.

“Yes; to the death!” howled a hundred frantic others, as if

the great mass had given them the reply.

“To the halter! to the halter!” cried the great whole; “Vive

le roi!”

“Well,” said D’Artagnan, “this is droll; I should have

thought it was M. Colbert who had caused them to be hung.”

There was, at this moment, a great rolling movement in the

crowd, which stopped for a moment the march of the

condemned. The people of a bold and resolute mien, whom

D’Artagnan had observed, by dint of pressing, pushing, and

lifting themselves up, had succeeded in almost touching the

hedge of archers. The cortege resumed its march. All at

once, to cries of “Vive Colbert!” those men, of whom

D’Artagnan never lost sight, fell upon the escort, which in

vain endeavored to stand against them. Behind these men was

the crowd. Then commenced, amidst a frightful tumult, as

frightful a confusion. This time there was something more

than cries of expectation or cries of joy, there were cries

of pain. Halberds struck men down, swords ran them through,

muskets were discharged at them. The confusion became then

so great that D’Artagnan could no longer distinguish

anything. Then, from this chaos, suddenly surged something

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like a visible intention, like a will pronounced. The

condemned had been torn from the hands of the guards, and

were being dragged towards the house of

L’Image-de-Notre-Dame. Those who dragged them shouted, “Vive

Colbert!” The people hesitated, not knowing which they ought

to fall upon, the archers or the aggressors. What stopped

the people was, that those who cried “Vive Colbert!” began

to cry, at the same time, “No halter! no halter! to the

fire! to the fire! burn the thieves! burn the extortioners!”

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