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Decree; his great stature, his loud and bold words, the packet of
handbills which he raised, and waved above his head, caused all hands to
be stretched out towards him. "Shout 'Down with Soulouque!'" said he,
"
and you shall have some." All this in the presence of the soldiers.
Even a sergeant of the line, noticing Charamaule, stretched out his hand
for one of the bills which Charamaule was distributing. "Sergeant," said
Charamaule to him, "cry, 'Down with Soulouque!'" The sergeant hesitated
for a moment, and answered "No." "Well, then," replied Charamaule,
"
Shout, 'Long live Soulouque.'" This time the sergeant did not hesitate,
he raised his sword, and, amid bursts of laughter and of applause, he
resolutely shouted, "Long live Soulouque!"
The reading of the Decree added a gloomy warmth to the popular anger.
They set to work on all sides to tear down the placards of the coup
d'état. At the door of the Café des Variétés a young man cried out to
the officers, "You are drunk!" Some workmen on the Boulevard
Bonne-Nouvelle shook their fists at the soldiers and said, "Fire, then,
you cowards, on unarmed men! If we had guns you would throw the butts of
your muskets in the air." Charges of cavalry began to be made in front
of the Café Cardinal.
As there were no troops on the Boulevard St. Martin and the Boulevard du
Temple, the crowd was more compact pact there than elsewhere. All the
shops were shut there; the street lamps alone gave any light. Against
the gloss of the unlighted windows heads might be dimly seen peering
out. Darkness produced silence; this multitude, as we have already said,
was hushed. There was only heard a confused whispering. Suddenly a
light, a noise, an uproar burst forth from the entrance of the Rue St.
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