s near a sewer, which
communicated with the moat outside the walls. The entrance was
closed by an iron grating. Were this removed, troops could enter,
by the sewer, into the priest's wine cellar.

"The priest, being promised a large sum of money, set to work.
First, he laid a complaint before the governor that the sewer was
choked with filth, which might be a source of disease to the town
unless removed; and to do this, it was necessary that the grating
should be taken down. Being altogether unsuspicious of evil, the
governor granted his request.

"As soon as the grating was removed, Eugene despatched eight
miners, who crossed the moat at night, made their way up the
sewer, and opened a communication between it and the priest's
house. When all was ready, four or five hundred picked grenadiers
entered, and were concealed in the house of the priest, and other
adherents of the emperor.

"Eugene set two strong bodies of picked troops in motion. The one
was to enter by the Saint Margaret gate, which would be seized by
the force already in the city. This column consisted of five
thousand men. The second force, of two thousand infantry and three
thousand cavalry, under the Prince de Vaudemont, was to cross the
river by a bridge of boats.

"We slept like stupid dogs. Such watchmen as there were on the
walls gave no alarm. The gate of All Saints was seized, its guard
being instantly overpowered, and a party of engineers broke down
the gate of Saint Margaret, which had been walled up; and at
daylight Eugene rode into the town, followed by his troops and one
thousand cavalry; while another mounted force watched the gate,
and the country round, to prevent the escape of fugitives.

"Before any alarm was given, Eugene had established himself at the
Hotel de Ville, was master of the great street that separated half
the garrison from the other half, had taken possession of the
cathedral; and, in fact, the place was captured without a shot
being fired.

"Then the uproar began. Parties of troops, led by natives of the
town, seized a large number of officers at their lodgings; and as
the alarm spread, the troops seized their muskets and rushed out,
only to be sabred and trodden down by the enemy's cavalry. I was
asleep, and dreaming, when my servant rushed into my room, and
said:

"'The Germans are in possession of the town, Captain.'

"'You are a blathering idiot,' I said.

"'It's true, your honour. Get up and listen.'

"