such a
terrible situation?

'You can imagine my grandfather's feelings during those last few awful
minutes! A hundred conjectures flashed through his mind. Suppose the boy
never gave the message! or suppose the men were late! or suppose the
clock was not slow after all!

'At last the Republicans were ready, and Philippe gave himself up for
lost. Suddenly the sound of horses' hoofs was heard breaking through the
undergrowth. The Republicans hesitated, and, as they stood undecided,
ten or a dozen men rode up hastily. They were only just in time; the
Republicans fought for a few minutes, but they were taken by surprise,
and soon surrendered. Philippe was saved!'

* * * * *

'What a narrow escape, Mother,' we cried, 'and if it had not been for
the old clock's habit of losing time----'

'Well, my dear, the story would have ended very differently.'

[Illustration: "The men set to work to load their muskets."]

[Illustration: "''Tis the very man!'"]

HEROES AND HEROINES OF FAMOUS BOOKS.

III.--GARTH AND HIS FRIENDS.[4]

This striking story belongs to the days of the Great French Revolution
of 1792. The hero is a young Englishman, the son of Colonel Mainwaring,
of the 2nd Dragoon Guards, and at the time the story opens he is on a
visit to Paris to his uncle and aunt. Before we narrate one or two
striking incidents of his life in France, however, we must say
something, very briefly, about the French Revolution, during which so
many terrible things were done that it was known as the Reign of Terror.
One of the grievances of the people in France was that the power of the
nobles had greatly increased, so that they did as they liked. Though
they claimed unlimited privileges, yet they refused to take up the
responsibilities of their position, and even evaded the taxes which they
laid on the shoulders of the people. One unpopular tax was the
_gabelle_, or salt tax, which compelled every person to bring a fixed
quantity of salt every year, and made them buy it of certain people who
alone had the right to sell, and charged enormous prices. The peasants,
too, had to work on the roads for nothing, leaving their farms and
little plots of ground whenever they were ordered. They could not earn
enough to live on, and what with heavy dues to their lords, and the
State interference with trade, they were in a wretched plight, and
discontent was widespread. Then famous writers, moved by what was