THE STORY OF A RECRUIT. . 235

found ourselves quartered in a Flemish village, where
the people didn’t understand us, and we didn’t understand

seen before. Altogether, however, I cannot say that
they were disobliging to us, though we must have put
them out terribly. As for the old lady I lodged with, I
fancy she was more French than Belgian.

The country round about was very beautiful,—so much
like England, in fact, that had it not been for the foreign
dresses of the labourers, I could have fancied myself a
couple of miles from Market Harborough. The discipline
while we were here was very strict, not—I am sorry to
say—without reason ; for we had many men of Joe Coblins’
stamp in the ranks, and the colonel, I can assure you,
was a man not to be played with.

The army was spread over a considerable extent of
country, my own corps being one of the most distant
from head-quarters. Being cavalry we were stationed
where we were on account of the forage, which was
plentiful in the neighbourhood. ‘The greatest part of the
infantry were with the Duke of Wellington at Brussels.
This circumstance annoyed our young officers not a little ;
as of course they would have liked to be present where
all the high jinks were going on, balls, parties, and such
like. Tused to hear them calling our comfortable quarters
a d hole, which perhaps it was to gentlemen like
them; but they knew the colonel too well to shirk their
duty. The lady-killers among the men were more fortu-
nate, for they got on better with the peasant girls than
could have been expected, considering neither side could
make out what the other said.

This was our mode of life; some happy, some miserable,
some like Sam Phillips, neither one thing nor the other.
Iwas quite satisfied myself, and beginning to pick upa
few words of the language,—in a not disagreeable
manner either, namely, by helping the pretty servant-
maid with her work. Well, one afternoon I was carry-
ing home two pails of water, on a yoke, from the well,
when, on a sudden, I heard the clatter of a horse behind
me, and the next moment I found myself sprawling on
my back in the road, pails and all. Worse than that
I barely cleared the heels of a dragoon’s horse, who
galloped through the town in the direction cf the colonel’s
quarters as if he was demented. The orderly on his back
took no more notice of me. than if I was a piece of wood,
though the end of the yoke had caught his horse’s shoul-
der and spun me round. Not overpleased at this
treatment, I was picking up myself and my pails as well
as I could, when an unusual bustle at the end of the
street, where the colonel lodged, attracted my attention.
Several non-commissioned officers, very red in the face,
dashed down the steps of the house and scattered in
various directions. Old Serjeant Wilkins, the oldest man
in the regiment, came my way.

“Drop that, Jack!” he shouted in passing ; “there is
better work for you.”

What could he mean? Egad! I was not long in find-
ing out.

Tra! la! Tra! la! Tra! Ja! la! la! Tra! la!
From all parts of the town at once, the trumpets were
sounding.

Have you ever seen a nest of hornets after they have
been disturbed? Have you ever seen a colony of ants

ee SS SS SE eee SSS SSS SS SSS

when the brick which covered them has been lifted? If

you have, you can have some idea of the commotion

them. Such fat people, men and women, I had never’

among the —th, when the news came that we were
wanted at Quatre Bras!

Here I must stop and leave what I have to relate till
to-morrow, move particularly as some young fellows who
have come in for a game at bagatelle, have begun to quiz
me in away I don’t fancy. I have not done so much
writing for twenty years; but I daresay that to-morrow
T shall be as fresh as ever.

Ill.

Wauew I got to Pegey’s stall she was plunging and
pulling at her halter, as if she would pull the place down.
The intelligent creature had heard the trumpet-call. As
a matter of course she understood the signal, and wanted
to get out to answer it. A word from me quieted her,
although the calls were still ringing in our ears. In the
interim I had put on my uniform and accoutrements,
besides providing myself with the ration of hay which we
were ordered to have in readiness. So all I had to do,
was to saddle Peggy.

Riding along the strect in the direction of the market-
place I was joined by Sam Phillips, who having been on
guard when the alarm was sounded had little preparation
to make. He seemed as happy as if he was going to his
own wedding. Instead of that, poor fellow, it was to be
his own funeral, such as that was.

We were nearly 400 strong on parade; so that you
can imagine we made a tolerably good show, as we were
drawn up, waiting for the word of command. Our
uniform was close fitting, with the old fashioned fnrred

jacket hanging from the left shoulder,—pantaloons and

hessians. The people assembled in the streets to see us
off—many of the women crying. Some of us expected
a speech from the colonel, the usual thing in those days.
But our colonel was a man of almost as few words as
Sam Phillips; so the only speech we got (when every
thing was reported ready for starting) was, “Threes
about! trot !”—which, as Sam very truly said was, “all
we wanted to know.”

In less than half an hour we had left that old fashioned
Flemish town, where we had spent many pleasant hours,
a considerable distance in the rear. On we went, through
fields of grain, over meadows—scattering the cattle right
and left, occasionally striking a paved country road; farm-
houses, too, in front of which the people stood in groups,
with white faces, watching us as we swept past. Horses
blown, a fact for which our careful commander would
have halted us directly at any other time; but now there
was no pause, no stoppage. At length towards evening a
distant rumble or muttering could be heard. “ Waggons,”
said Joe Coblins. “Guns!” shouted Sam Phillips. “Silence
there!” roared Captain S——. Presently the word was
passed along to drop all forage and qiicken the pace. I
managed to secrete a few precious wisps—which I found
the value of afterwards. Meanwhile the rumble was

becoming louder every moment, yaried at intervals by an |

L = . are ar gat uf e
odd kind of clattering. ‘“ Musketry, said Sam to me in
an undertone, as he jolted along at my side. There was
no mistake about it now. We were soon to be in the
thick of it. Strong whiffs of powder were blown across
our faces as we dashed onwards in the direction of the
fighting. Poor Pegey’s coat was wet with sweat, and
my own shirt was sticking to my back; but still we
pressed forward. “ Forward!” “ Forward!” I thought

__ ee