"Read them," said Pichegru.
"Read them, citizen representative of the people; read them!" cried all the officers.
The soldiers, in whose ranks the volley had plowed several furrows, looked impatiently at the group of officers. A second discharge was heard, and a second hurricane of fire whistled past. Other furrows were opened.
"Close the ranks," Pichegru cried to the soldiers.
"Close the ranks!" repeated the officers.
And the empty spaces disappeared.
In the middle of the circle a horse was lying dead beneath his rider. The officer disengaged his feet from the stirrups and drew nearer to Saint-Just in order to hear better.
Saint-Just read:
28th Frimaire of the Year II. of the Republic, one and indivisible;
eleven of the evening.
Citizen Dugommier to the National Convention:Citizen Representatives—Toulon is ours: Yesterday we took Fort Mulgrave and the Little Gibraltar.
This morning the English evacuated the forts and burned the French fleet and the arsenal. The building where the masts were stored is on fire; twenty-six warships are burned, eleven of which are ships of the line, and six are frigates; fifteen are captured, and thirty-eight saved.
At ten o'clock this evening Colonel Cervoni entered the town. To-morrow I will write more fully. Long live the Republic!
"Long live the Republic!" cried the officers in turn.