2014 Les Miserables
charge; small charges for that sort of engine are imposed by
the ballistic necessities, such, for instance, as the preserva-
tion of the gun-carriage. In short, that despot, the cannon,
cannot do all that it desires; force is a great weakness. A
cannon-ball only travels six hundred leagues an hour; light
travels seventy thousand leagues a second. Such is the supe-
riority of Jesus Christ over Napoleon.’
‘Reload your guns,’ said Enjolras.
How was the casing of the barricade going to behave
under the cannon-balls? Would they effect a breach? That
was the question. While the insurgents were reloading their
guns, the artillery-men were loading the cannon.
The anxiety in the redoubt was profound.
The shot sped the report burst forth.
‘Present!’ shouted a joyous voice.
And Gavroche flung himself into the barricade just as
the ball dashed against it.
He came from the direction of the Rue du Cygne, and
he had nimbly climbed over the auxiliary barricade which
fronted on the labyrinth of the Rue de la Petite Truanderie.
Gavroche produced a greater sensation in the barricade
than the cannon-ball.
The ball buried itself in the mass of rubbish. At the most
there was an omnibus wheel broken, and the old Anceau
cart was demolished. On seeing this, the barricade burst
into a laugh.
‘Go on!’ shouted Bossuet to the artillerists.