THE BARRICADES. 105 



surgent flag which floated on an opposing barricade. In 

 vain did the officers try to recall them, and in vain 

 did the defenders of the barricade fire upon them ; they 

 reached the flag, and quarreled for its possession, but were 

 unable to remove it. AVhile disputing, a shot broke the 

 flag-staff; on which one picked up the flag, wrapped it 

 round his shoulders, and, so enveloped, regained his com- 

 pany, his companion being left behind him dead. It 

 appeared that these youngsters had made a bet as to who 

 should get the flag, and thus had started for it without 

 orders. Man}- were too small to carry guns, and had 

 cavalry pistols ; and, he told me, they would steal close to 

 their object, and knock a man over with as much pleasure 

 as if he had been a blackbird, coming back laughing and 

 in great glee. As affairs grew settled, the government dis- 

 banded some, and sent others to Algiers ; and numbers 

 having been destroyed, the class gamin has been greatly 

 reduced. But they were gallant little chaps, and merited 

 better treatment than they received. 



M. Dornout was a man of tried courage, as I afterwards 

 learnt, and a man of principle also. He had declined all 

 employment under Louis Napoleon, and had been looked 

 upon with suspicion in consequence. After the coup 

 d'etat of 2nd December, he w^as placed under strict sur- 

 veillance, and we may judge what this is by the follow- 

 ing anecdote. He had been informed that a person was 

 specially appointed to watch him and report his movements, 

 and returning home one evening to his rooms (where his 

 sister lived with him), he found a man listening at the 

 door. He immediately seized him by the neckcloth and 



