nstant it began
again from one end of the village to the other, and everything was
enveloped in smoke.

At that moment I heard some one shout from below, "Joseph, Joseph!"

It was Buche; he had had the courage after he had drank himself, to
fill the bucket, unfasten it, and bring it back with him.

[Illustration: He had had the courage to pull up the bucket.]

Several old soldiers wanted to take it from him, but he shouted, "My
comrade first! let go, or I'll pour it all out!"

They were compelled to wait till I had drank, then they took their
turn, and afterward the others who were upstairs drained the rest.

We all went up together greatly refreshed.

It was about seven o'clock and near sunset, the shadows of the houses
on our side reached quite to the brook--while those occupied by the
Prussians were still in the sunlight, as well as the hill-side of Bry,
down which we could see the fresh troops coming on the run. The
cannonade had never been so fierce as at this moment from our side.

Every one now knows, that at nightfall between seven and eight o'clock
the Emperor, having discovered that the column which had been signalled
in our rear was the corps of General d'Erlon, which had missed its
route between the battle of Ney with the English at Quatre-Bras and
ours here at Ligny, had ordered the Old Guard to support us at once.

The lieutenant who was with us said, "This is the grand attack.
Attention!"

The whole of the Prussian cavalry was swarming between the two
villages. We felt that there was a grand movement behind us, though we
did not see it. The lieutenant repeated, "Attention to orders! Let no
one stay behind after the order to march! Here is the attack!"

We all opened our eyes. The farther the night advanced the redder the
sky grew over St. Amand. We were so absorbed in listening to the
cannonade that, we no longer thought of anything else. At each
discharge you would have said the heavens were on fire. The tumult
behind us was increasing.

Suddenly the broad street running along the brook was full of troops,
from the bridge quite to the end of Ligny. On the left in the distance
the Prussians were shooting from the windows again, while we did not
reply. The shout rose--"The Guard! the Guard!" I do not know how that
mass of men passed the muddy ditch, probably by means of plank thrown
across, but in a moment they were on the left bank in force.

The batteries of the Prussians at th