the Woman in the Morgue, waiting for the happiest moment in the lives of
these two before her. And when it comes, as she did with the portrait,
as she did with him before, she will set her foot upon his face and then
on Clare's; only neither Luke nor Clare will live again after that
crucifixion." Then aloud: "Hello! what's that?--a messenger riding hard
to meet us! Smoke in the direction of Noumea and sound of firing!
What's that, doctor? Convicts revolted, made a break at the prison
and on the way to the quarries at the same moment! Of course--seized
the time when the post was weakest, helped by ticket-of-leave-men and
led by Henri Durien, Gaspard, and Gabrielle Rouget. Gabrielle Rouget,
eh! And this is the twenty-fifth! Yes, I will take Barre's horse,
captain, thank you; it is fresher than mine. Away we go! Egad, they're
at it, doctor! Hear the rifles!" Answering to the leader's cry of
"Forward, forward!" the detachment dashed into the streets of this
little Paris, which, after the fashion of its far-away mother, was
dipping its hands in Revolution. Outcast and criminal France were
arrayed against military France once more. A handful of guards in the
prison at Ile Nou were bravely holding in check a ruthless mob of
convicts; and a crowd of convicts in the street keeping back a determined
military force. Part of the newly-arrived reinforcements proceeded to
Ile Nou, part moved towards the barricade. Shorland went to the
barricade.

The convicts had the Cafe Voisin in their rear. As the reinforcements
joined the besieging party a cheer arose, and a sally was made upon the
barricade. It was a hail of fire meeting a slighter rain of fire--a cry
of coming victory cutting through a sullen roar of despair. The square
in which the convicts were massed was a trench of blood and bodies; but
they fought on. There was but one hope--to break out, to meet the
soldiers hand to hand and fight for passage to the friendly jungle and