ball,
fallen about thirty paces from me, had sent a little dust.

"It seems the Russians perceived how small was the effect of their round
shot, for they replaced them by shells, which could reach us better in
the hollow where we were posted. A tolerably large fragment of one of
these knocked off my shako and killed a mail beside me.

"'I congratulate you,' said the captain, as I picked up my shako. 'You
are safe for to-day.' I knew the military superstition which holds the
maxim _Non bis in idem_ to be as applicable on a battle-field as in a
court of justice. I proudly replaced my shako on my head. 'An
unceremonious way of making people bow,' said I, as gaily as I could.
Under the circumstances, this poor joke appeared excellent. 'I
congratulate you,' repeated the captain; 'you will not be hit again, and
to-night you will command a company, for I feel that my turn is coming.
Every time I have been wounded, the officer near me has received a spent
ball, and,' he added in a low voice, and almost ashamed, 'all their
names began with a P.'

"I affected to laugh at such superstitions. Many would have done as I
did--many would have been struck, as I was, by these prophetic words. As
a raw recruit I understood that I must keep my feelings to myself, and
always appear coldly intrepid.

"After half an hour the Russian fire sensibly slackened; then we emerged
from our cover to march against the redoubt. Our regiment was composed
of three battalions. The second was charged to take the redoubt in flank
on the side of the gorge; the two others were to deliver the assault. I
was in the third battalion.

"On appearing from behind the sort of ridge that had protected us, we
were received by several volleys of musketry, which did little harm in
our ranks. The whistling of the bullets surprised me: I turned my head
several times, thus incurring the jokes of my comrades, to whom the
noise was more familiar. 'All things considered,' said I to myself, 'a
battle is not such a terrible thing.'

"We advanced at storming pace, preceded by skirmishers. Suddenly the
Russians gave three hurras, very distinct ones, and then remained
silent, and without firing. 'I don't like that silence,' said my
captain. 'It bodes us little good.' I thought our soldiers rather too
noisy, and I could not help internally comparing the tumultuous clamour
with the imposing stillness of the enemy.

"We rapidly attained the foot of the redoubt: the palisades ha