he wagon exploded
and lifted the poor fellow to a considerable height in the air. The
most remarkable thing was that he was still alive when he came down
and able to speak, though everything had been blown from him except
one of his shoes. He was a perfect blackguard, for although he was in
a most dangerous state he did not refrain from cursing his eyes, which
happened, as it was, to be both gone, and saying what a fool he must
have been. He was that night conveyed to Brussels Hospital with the
rest of the many wounded, and died in a few days, raving mad.

We succeeded, however, in getting a fire at last, and then as I
happened that night to be orderly sergeant to our general I went and
reported myself to him. He was at the time sitting on a gun-carriage
holding his horse, and when he saw me, said, "That's right, sergeant;
I expect two more sergeants directly, but I wish you would meanwhile
try and get some corn for my poor horse." Off I went accordingly, and
found two bushels or so in a sack which had evidently been left by the
enemy, as it was on one of their cannon. When I opened the sack I
found to my great surprise that it likewise contained a large ham and
two fowls, so I asked the general if he would accept them; he,
however, declined, saying he would take the corn, but that I might
keep the meat for myself, advising me, however, to keep it out of
sight of the Prussians, who were a slippery set of men and very likely
to steal it if they saw it.

I prepared the hanger for the pot as quickly as possible, putting
cross-sticks over the fire at a sufficient distance to prevent them
igniting; but before I had finished doing this a quantity of these
same Prussians whom the general had been watching and warned me
against passed by; and two of them coming to my fire to light their
pipes noticed the ham, and remarked that it looked good. I thought it
best to take my sword and immediately cut them off a piece each, and
they relieved my fears by going off seemingly quite satisfied. They
were evidently on the march following up the French, for the whole
night we could hear the distant sound of cannon and musketry from the
French and Prussians, Lord Wellington having completely given up the
pursuit to Marshal Blucher.

I pretty quickly put my ham in the pot after that, and the two
sergeants coming up, I set them to pick the fowls, and these soon
going in after the ham, in two hours were pretty well done. About this
time I