to extract
me from my present horrible position? The second miracle did take place
in the following manner. Marshal Augereau had a valet named Pierre
Dannel, a very intelligent and very faithful fellow, but somewhat given
to arguing. Now it happened during our stay at La Houssaye that Dannel,
having answered his master, got dismissed. In despair, he begged me to
plead for him. This I did so zealously that I succeeded in getting him
taken back into favour. From that time the valet had been devotedly
attached to me. The outfit having been all left behind at Landsberg, he
had started all out of his own head on the day of battle to bring
provisions to his master. He had placed these in a very light waggon
which could go everywhere, and contained the articles which the marshal
most frequently required. This little waggon was driven by a soldier
belonging to the same company of the transport corps as the man who had
just stripped me. This latter, with my property in his hands, passed
near the waggon, which was standing at the side of the cemetery, and,
recognising the driver, his old comrade, he hailed him, and showed him
the splendid booty which he had just taken from a dead man.

'Now you must know that when we were in cantonments on the Vistula the
marshal happened to send Dannel to Warsaw for provisions, and I
commissioned him to get the trimming of black astrachan taken from my
pelisse, and have it replaced by grey, this having recently been adopted
by Prince Berthier's aides-de-camp, who set the fashion in the army. Up
to now, I was the only one of Augereau's officers who had grey
astrachan. Dannel, who was present when the transport man made his
display, quickly recognised my pelisse, which made him look more closely
at the other effects of the alleged dead man. Among these he found my
watch, which had belonged to my father and was marked with his cypher.
The valet had no longer any doubt that I had been killed, and while
deploring my loss, he wished to see me for the last time. Guided by the
transport man he reached me and found me living. Great was the joy of
this worthy man, to whom I certainly owed my life. He made haste to
fetch my servant and some orderlies, and had me carried to a barn, where
he rubbed my body with rum. Meanwhile someone went to fetch Dr. Raymond,
who came at length, dressed the wound in my arm, and declared that the
release of blood due to it would be the saving of me.

[Illustration: 'Guided