ght the Austrians off all day, giving the Emperor
time to make his dispositions. We captured four hundred prisoners, an
Austrian battle flag, and three other flags. The firing was terrible,
our cou-cou lost some leaves of his wreath there. We were alone there
and at nightfall our ammunition was all gone. The Austrians were there
in thousands. They charged and overwhelmed us."

"But the Eagle?"

"Ah, we had taken precaution," laughed the old Major. "We wrapped the
'cou-cou' up in the Austrian standard and in the battle flags and
buried it in a cellar, so when they captured us they got nothing but
the men and, of course, we didn't matter."

"And how did you get it back?" came an excited question.

"The Emperor took the town the day after. They had kept us prisoners
there and so we were free. I shall never forget the Emperor on that
day. He rode down to us where we had formed in ranks. He looked over
us. His glance pierced every man's heart. 'Soldiers of the Fifth,' he
said, 'when I heard of the attack on the bridge at Ratisbon I said to
my staff, "I am tranquil, the Terrible Fifth is there," and now I see
you alive, many of you unharmed, and without your Eagle. What have you
done with it?' he thundered out his face black as midnight. 'Sire,'
said I, stepping forward and upon my word, comrades, it took more
courage to face the Emperor in that mood than to charge an Austrian
battery, 'we have not lost our Eagle. We have buried it and having
been but this instant released from captivity by your Majesty, we await
your permission to dig it up.' 'Go and resurrect it,' he said sharply.
'I will wait.'"

"And did he?"

"Most assuredly. We found it safe and brought it back with the
Austrian standard. The Emperor saluted it and commended us. 'I knew I
could trust you,' he said, smiling."

"He loved his Eagles," said another voice.

"That did he," answered a veteran. "I have even seen him get out of
his traveling-carriage and stand at attention as an Eagle at the head
of a regiment marched by."

"I carried the Eagle in Marshal Macdonald's column at Wagram,
messieurs," said the old Eagle-bearer, stepping forward. "It was there
the bullet struck the wing tip, here." He laid his hand tenderly upon
it. "Mon Dieu, that was a march! Twenty thousand men in solid columns
going across the plain at steady step, with drums beating, the
Austrians pouring shot and shell into us. You could hear the bullets
cras