g, and the whole air filled
with the heavy rumble and the jingling of chains. There was a roar from
the ditches, and a shout from the gunners, and we saw a rolling grey
cloud before us, with a score of busbies breaking through the shadow.
Then we closed up again, while the growling ahead of us grew louder and
deeper than ever.

"There's three batteries there," said the sergeant. "There's Bull's and
Webber Smith's, but the other is new. There's some more on ahead of us,
for here is the track of a nine-pounder, and the others were all
twelves. Choose a twelve if you want to get hit; for a nine mashes you
up, but a twelve snaps you like a carrot." And then he went on to tell
about the dreadful wounds that he had seen, until my blood ran like iced
water in my veins, and you might have rubbed all our faces in pipeclay
and we should have been no whiter. "Aye, you'll look sicklier yet, when
you get a hatful of grape into your tripes," said he.

And then, as I saw some of the old soldiers laughing, I began to
understand that this man was trying to frighten us; so I began to laugh
also, and the others as well, but it was not a very hearty laugh either.

The sun was almost above us when we stopped at a little place called
Hal, where there is an old pump from which I drew and drank a shako
full of water--and never did a mug of Scotch ale taste as sweet.
More guns passed us here, and Vivian's Hussars, three regiments of
them, smart men with bonny brown horses, a treat to the eye. The noise
of the cannons was louder than ever now, and it tingled through my
nerves just as it had done years before, when, with Edie by my side, I
had seen the merchant-ship fight with the privateers. It was so loud
now that it seemed to me that the battle must be going on just beyond
the nearest wood, but my friend the sergeant knew better.

"It's twelve to fifteen mile off," said he. "You may be sure the
general knows we are not wanted, or we should not be resting here at
Hal."

What he said proved to be true, for a minute later down came the colonel
with orders that we should pile arms and bivouac where we were; and
there we stayed all day, while horse and foot and guns, English, Dutch,
and Hanoverians, were streaming through. The devil's music went on till
evening, sometimes rising into a roar, sometimes sinking into a grumble,
until about eight o'clock in the evening it stopped altogether. We were
eating our hearts out, as you may t