hat is no reason why we should lose the jovial humour of
our forefathers. Thank Heaven! we have preserved their qualities of
dash and bravery. But it is more difficult to keep a smiling face in
this hideous mole warfare, which is imposed even upon us troopers. All
the more reason for liking and admiring the cheery officers who keep
our spirits up, and G. is one of them.

We shook hands without speaking, for it seemed to us that if we opened
our mouths the frost would get into our bodies and freeze them, and we
set off at a sharp trot along the narrow by-road which, crossing the
high-road to Paris, leads to C. There we should have to leave our
horses, cross the zone of the enemy's artillery fire, and get to the
trenches on foot. The horses snorted with pleasure, happy to warm
themselves by rapid movement. Some of them indulged in merry capers,
which were repressed, not too gently, by their more sedate riders.
Their hoofs struck the uneven ground with a metallic ring which must
have echoed far; and the clink of bits and stirrups also disturbed the
sleeping country. Before us the road ran straight amidst the dark
fields, a long pale grey ribbon. No one thought of laughing or
talking; sleep seemed still to hover over the column, and every one
knew that the two days of trench duty would be long and hard to get
through even if the Prussians left us in peace.

We passed a cross, which shone white on the side of the road under the
pale light of the moon, and saluted it. We had known it from the first
days, and had its inscription by heart:

80 NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS,
CORPORALS, AND SOLDIERS
OF THE 39TH AND 74TH REGIMENTS OF
INFANTRY,
KILLED IN ACTION.
PRAY FOR THEM.

We dimly discerned the modest wreaths of green leaves, now faded and
yellow, and the little nosegays of withered flowers attached to the
arms of this cross, left there after the departure of the regiment and
undisturbed by any sacrilegious hand.

We crossed the Paris road, with its double row of trees, which, in the
night, appeared gigantic, and, after answering the challenge of the
Territorial guarding the approach to C., we entered the village.

It appeared to be completely empty, and yet there were two battalions
of the ---- Territorials quartered there. The moon seemed to be
amusing itself by casting the shadows of the houses on one side of the
street upon the walls of the other