Page 1534 - les-miserables

wards the barrier near which sat Jean Valjean; a second, of
the same aspect, followed, then a third, then a fourth; seven
chariots made their appearance in succession, the heads of
the horses touching the rear of the wagon in front. Figures
were moving on these vehicles, flashes were visible through
the dusk as though there were naked swords there, a clank-
ing became audible which resembled the rattling of chains,
and as this something advanced, the sound of voices waxed
louder, and it turned into a terrible thing such as emerges
from the cave of dreams.
As it drew nearer, it assumed a form, and was outlined
behind the trees with the pallid hue of an apparition; the
mass grew white; the day, which was slowly dawning, cast a
wan light on this swarming heap which was at once both se-
pulchral and living, the heads of the figures turned into the
faces of corpses, and this is what it proved to be:—
Seven wagons were driving in a file along the road. The
first six were singularly constructed. They resembled coo-
pers’ drays; they consisted of long ladders placed on two
wheels and forming barrows at their rear extremities. Each
dray, or rather let us say, each ladder, was attached to four
horses harnessed tandem. On these ladders strange clus-
ters of men were being drawn. In the faint light, these men
were to be divined rather than seen. Twenty-four on each
vehicle, twelve on a side, back to back, facing the passers-
by, their legs dangling in the air,—this was the manner in
which these men were travelling, and behind their backs
they had something which clanked, and which was a chain,
and on their necks something which shone, and which was

1534 Les Miserables