"If you get yourself shot," he said, "you will be setting a very bad
example, indeed. We can't spare anybody, Captain, and certainly not
you." I tried to look as modest as possible, but I could not refrain
from glancing around to see if the men had heard him, and I observed
with satisfaction that they had.

Laguerre asked me if I could hold the barracks, and I told him that I
thought I could. He then ordered me to remain there.

"Would you like a cup of coffee, General?" I asked. The General's
expression changed swiftly. It became that of a very human and a very
hungry man.

"Have you got any?" he demanded anxiously.

"If you can lend me some men," I said, "I can send you back eight
gallons." At this the men behind the barricades gave a great cheer of
delight, and the General smiled and patted me on the shoulder.

"That is right," he said. "The best kind of courage often comes from a
full stomach. Run along now," he added, as though he were talking to a
child, "run along, and don't fire until we do, and send us that coffee
before we get to work again."

I called in all of my men from the side streets, and led them across
to the barracks. I placed some of them on the roof and some of them on
tables set against the inside of the wall in the yard.

As I did so, I saw Porter run across the plaza with about fifty of his
men, and almost immediately after they had disappeared we heard