happy people,
roused from sleep by the yells of the mob, could offer but little
resistance; they were slain in their beds, or escaped from the murderers
only to be killed in the streets.

But every one did not die tamely. At one spot we saw about a dozen of
our comrades, some only half dressed, standing shoulder to shoulder,
with their backs to the wall and holding the mob at bay. At this sight
Felix, wrapping his mantle round his left arm and drawing his sword, ran
toward them, crying defiantly, "Coligny! Coligny! For the Admiral!"

It was a daring venture, and yet no more, dangerous than remaining in
the crowd, where we must shortly have been discovered.

"Coligny! Coligny!" shouted the fighters by the wall, and the very sound
of the name inspired them with fresh courage. One of the ruffians pushed
at Felix with his pike, but he, with a vigorous stroke, clave him from
the shoulder, and our comrades cheered again as the rascal fell.

"This way, Bellievre," they cried; "this way, Le Blanc! Where is the
Admiral?"

"Murdered!" answered Felix bitterly, "and thrown like a dog into the
courtyard of his own house."

His words sent a thrill of horror through the little band. Coligny
murdered! Their noble chief done to death by a pack of human wolves!
Their eyes flashed fire; they set their teeth hard, and one, a strong,
sturdy fellow from Chatillon, crying "Vengeance for Coligny!" sprang at
the howling mob. Three times his blade gleamed in the air, and each time
it descended a man fell.

"Three for Coligny!" he cried grimly, springing back to his place.

It was a fearful conflict, chiefly because we had no hope. We could
fight to the death, but there was no escape. The men with the pikes
rushed at us repeatedly; we beat them off, and the heap of their slain
grew steadily larger, but we had lost two of our number, and were worn
with fatigue. And presently from the rear of the mob there arose a shout
of "Anjou! Anjou!" as if Monseigneur himself or some of his troopers had
arrived to complete our destruction.

"Let us defend the house!" exclaimed Felix, "we can kill more from the
inside!" and the rest agreed.

The door of the house to which my comrade pointed had been smashed; the
building itself contained no one but the dead. We worked our way along,
keeping the mob at bay with our swords, until we were all in shelter;
then they came with a terrific rush, but the foremost were wounded or
slain, and their bodies block