k. And then, the first thing I knew, up came a corporal and a file of
men and arrested me.

"'What am I arrested for?' I asked.

"'For being absent without leave from your regiment during battle,'
said the corporal, and marched me off to the guard-house. Then I was not
proud at all. But I was very angry. That I should be arrested in this
fashion did not seem to me fair.

"In half an hour back came the corporal and his file of men. This time
they took me to headquarters. In we went; and the corporal stood
beside me, and his men behind me in a row. It seemed as though half the
officers of our army were there: my colonel, the general of our brigade,
the general of our division, half a dozen other generals, three or
four English officers in their smart red coats; presently there was a
stir--and in came the Emperor! What the deuce it all meant I could not
tell at all!

"'Private Labonne,' said my colonel, he spoke in a very harsh tone, yet
it seemed to me that there was an odd sort of twinkle in his eye--'you
deserted your post, and you were absent without leave when your regiment
went into action.'

"'Yes, but--'

"'Not a word of excuse, Private Labonne. You know the penalty.' I did
know the penalty, of course; it was to be taken out and shot. I began
to think that this was worse than the Russians!

"'When shall I order the court-martial, your Majesty?' asked my colonel.

"'I will be the court-martial,' said the Emperor. 'This is a serious
matter; this is a matter to be dealt with in a hurry. The case is
proved. There is no need for a trial. I order Private Labonne to be shot
right away.'

"I shivered all down my back. It _was_ worse than the Russians; very
much worse.

"'Take him away,' said my colonel.

"The corporal put his hand on my shoulder and the guard closed in.
'March!' said the corporal.

"'Stop!' said the Emperor. 'Private Labonne, before you are taken away
and shot, tell me what you were doing in that battery.'

"'Nothing, your Majesty.'

"'Nothing? I thought that I heard something about guns being spiked. Did
not you spike a gun, Private Labonne?'

"'Yes, your Majesty.'

"'Did not you spike two guns--and both of them after the gunners and the
officer in command of the battery had run away?'

"'Yes, your Majesty.'

"'And why did you not run away, too, Private Labonne?'

"'Because I wanted to spike the guns, your Majesty.'

"'You did not think, then, that it was your duty as one of my