ion which occupied the barracks there had been cut off by
the advance of the troops. Artillery and musketry were both at work
there, but elsewhere there was no artillery fire.

Close to the bridge at Neuilly the struggle was maintained for a time,
and presently a column of troops were seen advancing against the bridge.
As it did so the firing there ceased at once, and it was soon evident
that the troops had gained the position. Numbers of National Guards soon
came trooping in at the gate. A very few remained there; the rest,
without waiting for orders, hurried on into Paris. A dark group now
appeared on the road leading up to Courbeil; there was a white puff of
smoke and a shell exploded a hundred yards on the other side of the
gate. A steady fire was now kept up by two guns, the greater part of the
shells exploded beyond the outer works; but several came up the avenue,
two of them striking houses, and others exploding in the roadway. Each
time when the whistle of a shell was heard approaching, Cuthbert drew
Mary back from the balcony into the room.

"I fancy," he said, "the troops have an idea that there are masses of
the Communists assembled near the gates in readiness for a sortie, and
they are firing to prevent their coming out, until they have fortified
the bridge and the other points they have occupied."

The firing continued for some time. At other windows the inhabitants
were watching the conflict, and Cuthbert pointed out, to Mary's great
amusement, the precautions that some of them were taking to ensure their
personal safety. One woman had drawn down the Venetian blinds, and was
looking between them, another was peering out with a pillow held over
her head. The few National Guards who remained at their post were men of
courage, for they showed no signs of flinching even when shells exploded
within a few yards of the position they occupied. Presently there was a
sound of wheels, and two four-pounder guns were brought up and placed
one on each side of the gate to sweep the approaches.

Between one and two o'clock several battalions of National Guards came
leisurely up, piled their arms and sat down under shelter of the wall.
It was evident they had no idea of making a sortie, but had been brought
up to defend the gate in case it was attacked. Soon after their arrival,
a party that had remained near the river returned and it was clear that
at least a portion of the troops had proved faithless, for with them
we