r from pleasant loitering
about, as drunken soldiers, dressed in every variety of uniform,
staggered along the narrow walks, ready to pick a quarrel with any
stranger chancing their way, while groups of officers, gorgeous in
white coats and gold lace, lounged in shaded corners, greeting each
passer-by with jokes that stung. Every tavern was crowded to the
threshold with roistering blades whose drunken curses, directed against
both French and English, quickly taught me the discretion of keeping
well away from their company, so there was little left but to move on,
never halting long enough in one place to become involved in useless
controversy.

It all appeared so unnatural that I felt strangely saddened by the
change, and continued aimlessly drifting about the town as curiosity
led, resolved to leave its confines at the earliest opportunity. I
stared long at the strange vessels of war, whose like I had never
before seen, and finally, as I now remember, paused upon the ragged
grass of the Place d'Armes, watching the evolutions of a battery of
artillery. This was all new to me, representing as it did a line of
service seldom met with in the wilderness; and soon quite a number of
curious loiterers gathered likewise along the edge of the parade.
Among them I could distinguish a few French faces, with here and there
a woman of the lower orders, ill clad and coarse of speech. A party of
soldiers, boisterous and quarrelsome from liquor, pressed me so closely
that, hopeful of avoiding trouble, I drew farther back toward the curb,
and standing thus, well away from others, enjoyed an unobstructed view
across the entire field.

The battery had hitched up preparatory to returning to their quarters
before I lost interest in the spectacle and reluctantly turned away
with the slowly dispersing crowd. Just then I became aware of the
close proximity of a well-dressed negro, apparently the favored servant
in some family of quality. The fellow was observing me with an
intentness which aroused my suspicion. That was a time and place for
exercising extreme caution, so that instinctively I turned away, moving
directly across the vacated field. Scarcely had I taken ten steps
before I saw that he was following, and as I wheeled to front him the
fellow made a painful effort to address me in English.

"Mornin', sah," he said, making a deep salutation with his entire body.
"Am you dat Englisher Massa Benteen from up de ribber?"

Lean