this? Where did it come from?'

"'An ass, may it please you, sir,' said I, trembling all over, for I saw
he was in a rare passion. And as he repeated the word after me, I told
him the whole story, and how we could not suffer such capital prog to be
eaten by any other than good citizens of the Republic.

"While I was telling him so much, the rest stood round terrified; they
could not even turn the joint, though it was burning; and, to say truth,
I thought myself we were all in a bad way, when suddenly he burst into a
fit of laughing, and said,--

"'What part of France do these fellows come from?'

"'Alsace, mon general,' was the answer from every one.

"'I thought so, I thought so,' said he; 'Sybarites, all.'

"'No, mon general, grenadiers of the Fourth. Milhaud's brigade,' said I.
And with that he turned away, and we could hear him laughing long after
he galloped off. I saw he mistook us," said Pioche, "and that he could
not be angry with the old Fourth."

"You must have seen a great deal of hardship, Pioche," said I, as
he came to a pause, and wishing to draw him on to speak more of his
campaigns.

"_Ma foi!_ there were few who saw service from '92 to '97 had not their
share of it. But they were brave times, too; every battle had its day
of promotion afterwards. Le Petit Caporal would ride down the ranks
with his staff, looking for this one, and asking for that. 'Where 's the
adjutant of the Sixth?' 'Dead, mon general.' 'Where 's the colonel of
the Voltigeurs?' 'Badly wounded.' 'Carry him this sabre of honor.' 'Who
fell over the Austrian standard, and carried away the fragment of the
drapeau?' 'One of my fellows. General; here he is.' 'And what is your
name, my brave fellow?'"

The corporal paused here, and drew a deep breath; and after a few
seconds' pause, added in altered tone, "_Sacristi!_ they were fine
times!"

"But what did he say to the soldier that took the colors?" asked I,
impatiently. "Who was he?"

"It was I," replied Pioche himself, in a deep voice, where pride and
devotion struggled powerfully together.

"You, Pioche! indeed! Well, what said the general when he saw you?"

"'Ah, Pioche,' said he, gayly, 'my old friend of Toulouse!'

"'Yes, General,' said I, 'we 've had some warm work together.'

"'True, Pioche, and may again perhaps. But you've been made a corporal
since that; what am I to do for you now?'

"This was a puzzling question, and I did not know how to answer it, and
he rep