cken-thieves, which afforded many an
amusing story that made even the generals laugh.

"Ah!" said Prosper, with a more serious face, "it's different here; the
fighting is done in quite another way."

And in reply to a question asked by Maurice, he told the story of their
landing at Toulon and the long and wearisome march to Luneville. It was
there that they first received news of Wissembourg and Froeschwiller.
After that his account was less clear, for he got the names of towns
mixed, Nancy and Saint-Mihiel, Saint-Mihiel and Metz. There must have
been heavy fighting on the 14th, for the sky was all on fire, but all he
saw of it was four uhlans behind a hedge. On the 16th there was another
engagement; they could hear the artillery going as early as six o'clock
in the morning, and he had been told that on the 18th they started the
dance again, more lively than ever. But the chasseurs were not in it
that time, for at Gravelotte on the 16th, as they were standing drawn up
along a road waiting to wheel into column, the Emperor, who passed
that way in a victoria, took them to act as his escort to Verdun. And a
pretty little jaunt it was, twenty-six miles at a hard gallop, with the
fear of being cut off by the Prussians at any moment!

"And what of Bazaine?" asked Rochas.

"Bazaine? they say that he is mightily well pleased that the Emperor
lets him alone."

But the Lieutenant wanted to know if Bazaine was coming to join them,
whereon Prosper made a gesture expressive of uncertainty; what did any
one know? Ever since the 16th their time had been spent in marching and
countermarching in the rain, out on reconnoissance and grand-guard duty,
and they had not seen a sign of an enemy. Now they were part of the army
of Chalons. His regiment, together with two regiments of chasseurs de
France and one of hussars, formed one of the divisions of the cavalry of
reserve, the first division, commanded by General Margueritte, of whom
he spoke with most enthusiastic warmth.

"Ah, the _bougre_! the enemy will catch a Tartar in him! But what's the
good talking? the only use they can find for us is to send us pottering
about in the mud."

There was silence for a moment, then Maurice gave some brief news of
Remilly and uncle Fouchard, and Prosper expressed his regret that he
could not go and shake hands with Honore, the quartermaster-sergeant,
whose battery was stationed more than a league away, on the other side
of the Laon road. But th