should, sir, but I have been making up my
mind that you would, all along; either that you would have had it
shot off, or that you'd throw it away to aise the horse. Now, we
shall do."

"Why, what's in the wallet, Tim?"

"Just a big chunk of bread, your honor It was left on the table
when you had breakfast, this morning; and I said to myself, it may
be useful before night, and so just slipped it into the wallet."

In another minute the bread was taken out, and cut into two
portions.

"I would not eat it all tonight, Tim, if I were you," Ralph said.
"It is not by any means too large for supper, but a mouthful in the
morning will be a great comfort. I suppose there is no chance of
getting anything for the horse?"

"Trust me, your honor One of the first things I did, when the
firing was over, was to pop into a stable and to get a big armful
of hay; and take it out and hide it away, under a hedge. It was
lucky I did; for the minute afterwards we could not have got a
handful, if we had offered a Napoleon for it."

"Where are you going to sleep, Tim?"

"Under that same hedge, Mister Ralph. The horse always lies down;
and he's so tired he won't break the rule, tonight; so I'll give
him half the hay for his supper and, when he's laid down, I'll put
the rest between him and the hedge, and roll myself up in my cloak
and--what with the cloak, and the horse, and the hedge, and the
hay, not to mention the supper--I shall be as warm as a lord; and
it's a comfort to think that there will be something to eat, both
for the baste and myself, in the morning."

"Well, good night then, Tim."

"Good night, your honor."

If Tim Doyle slept, there were not many of his comrades that did, on
that night. The cold was fierce, in the extreme; and those who could
obtain wood of any kind made fires, and crouched over them. Others
lay on the ground, and huddled together for warmth. Others dragged
their feet wearily backwards and forwards. Many and deep were the
curses poured out upon the intendance--or commissariat--whose utter
incompetence, throughout the war, was one of the great reasons of
the continuous bad fortune of the French.

When Ralph entered the room, he was saluted by a variety of voices.
The only light was a dim lantern. The room was half full of
officers; some dozing in corners, others sitting round the table,
smoking.

"Where is the general?"

"He has got a room, about half the size of this, for the use of
himself,