A guard was left at the town-hall and the rest of the forces were sent in detachments to the various town gates.

Roudier reserved to himself the command of the guard stationed at the Grand'-Porte, which seemed to be more liable to attack than the others.
Rougon, who now felt very conscious of his power, repaired to the Rue Canquoin to beg the gendarmes to remain in their barracks and interfere with nothing.

He certainly had the doors of the gendarmerie opened--the keys having been carried off by the insurgents--but he wanted to triumph alone, and had no intention of letting the gendarmes rob him of any part of his glory.

If he should really have need of them he could always send for them.

So he explained to them that their presence might tend to irritate the working-men and thus aggravate the situation.