In every one of our battles she had shown herself most devoted in

helping the wounded. One day she herself was wounded; it did not

prevent her from going on with her help, careless of the risks she was

running, for the bullets and grape-shot were falling all round her.

Besides all these good qualities, Marie was pretty; she had a number of

friends, too, and her husband was not jealous.

In 1811, while encamped before Almeida (Portugal), some months before

leaving for the Russian campaign, the poor fellow must go plundering

in a village. He entered a country-house, carried off a clock not

worth twenty francs, was foolish enough to bring it into camp, and was

arrested. There were very severe orders against marauders, and General

Roguet, our Commandant, court-martialed him. He was condemned to be

shot within twenty-four hours. Marie therefore became a widow. In a

regiment, particularly during a campaign, if a woman is pretty, she

is not long without a husband; so at the end of two months' mourning

Marie was consoled and married again, as they marry in the army.

Some months after, her new husband was transferred as non-commissioned

officer to a regiment of the Young Guard, so she left us to follow him;

she had been with us for four years.

In Russia she met with the fate of all the _cantinières_ in the army:

she lost horses, carts, money, furs, and also her protector. As for

herself, she had the luck to get back. Four months and a half later, at

the Battle of Lutzen, May 2nd, 1813, chance brought us together; she

had just been wounded in the right hand, while giving drink to a sick

man.

I learned afterwards that she returned to France, and reappeared in the

Hundred Days. She was taken prisoner at the Battle of Waterloo, but,

being a Belgian subject, she was released.[64]

I asked Marie where her husband was.

'Why, you know very well,' she answered, 'that he was killed at

Krasnoë.' (I had not heard this before.) 'He was a good fellow; I miss

him very much.'

Then she frowned and bent her head. A moment afterwards she raised

it again, and, my eyes being still fixed upon her, she looked at me

smiling, but it was a sad smile. I asked her what she was thinking

about.

'About eating, as you can guess. I used to have a friend who got me

food; now I eat whenever I have anything given me, or when I find

something, and that doesn't happen often. There is only drink to be

had.'

And as she spoke she took a pinch of snow, and carried it to her mouth.

I saw her rise with great difficulty to set off on the march; she gave

me her hand, and said 'Farewell.' I noticed that she was worn out with

fatigue and privation; that she walked with difficulty, leaning on a

stick. Mother Gâteau followed her, sheepskin on head, swearing and

mumbling between her teeth. I concluded that it was still about the old

Chasseur.

Just then there might have been about forty of us, and our number

was continually increasing. I caught sight of Humblot, one of our

sergeants. Seeing me, he asked what I was doing there. I answered that

I was resting, and considering whether I should not do well to pass the

night where I was, and start the first thing in the morning.

Humblot, a good fellow who liked me, observed, first, that the weather

was bearable; then what advantage it would be to me to have crossed the

forest: for, he said, on the other side we should find houses where we

could spend the night. The next day early we could reach Wilbalen, a

small town, from three to four leagues distant. There we should find

our comrades, and be able to buy the necessaries of life. In fact,

he said so much that I took up musket and knapsack and set off with

Sergeant Humblot. While walking, Humblot told me that, although we were

in Pomeranian Prussia, it was not wise to walk alone or lag behind, for

several thousand Cossacks had crossed the Niemen on the ice.

Then he told me that he had left Kowno the day before with many others

who had not troubled about anything, for Marshal Ney was still there to

keep the Russians off the town, with a rear-guard composed of Germans

and some French. The Germans, he told me, had formed part of the

garrison of Kowno, and were in excellent condition, having wanted for

nothing; but they were poor soldiers, and but for the few French among

them, they would have thrown down their arms and fled.

'I am going to tell you,' he went on, 'what happened to me yesterday,

and you will see if I am not right in persuading you to get out of this

cursed country as soon as possible.

'After having crossed the Niemen and come within a quarter of a league

of the town, we saw, some distance off, more than 2,000 mounted

Cossacks and others. We halted to decide what was to be done, and

also to wait for those who were behind. Shortly afterwards we found

ourselves about 400 men strong, of all equipments. We formed into a

column, so as, if need be, to re-form into a square. Some officers who

were among us took the command. Twenty-two Poles afterwards joined us.

About fifty of the strongest men, who possessed good weapons, took up a

position as sharp-shooters, in front and on our flanks.

'We marched resolutely upon the cavalry, who at the approach of the

sharp-shooters drew off to right and left of the way. On reaching the

level of the Russians, the column halted to wait for some men still in

the rear. Only a few would be able to rejoin us, it seemed, for a party

of Cossacks detached themselves to cut off those farthest off.

'A man of the name of Boucsin,[65] who played the big drum in our band,

was in the rear, and was doing his utmost to join the column with

(marvellous to relate!) his drum still on his back, and in his hands

a bag of five-franc pieces. This load hindered him from getting along

quickly; he was attacked by the Cossacks at fifty paces to the rear

and to the left of the column. He received a lance-thrust between the

shoulders, and fell full length into the snow, the drum being thrown

over his head. Two Cossacks instantly dismounted to strip him, but a

Polish officer and three men ran upon them, took one prisoner with his

horse, and freed the drummer of his instrument, which he left in the

field. He got off with a lance-thrust and half of his money, which he

distributed among those who had saved his life.

'After this the column set off again to the shouts of "Long live the

Emperor!" with the Cossack and his horse in the middle of them.'

Humblot had barely finished his story before I was forced to stop, in

the same trouble again. Meantime he walked slowly, so that I could

catch up with him. When I resumed my march, I found a great crowd

preventing me from getting along. I regained the road, but had hardly

done so, when I heard repeated shouts: 'Look out for the Cossacks!' I

imagined it was a false alarm, when I caught sight of several officers,

armed with muskets, who halted and bravely stationed themselves in the

road, facing the noise, and crying out: 'Never mind! Let the dogs come

on!'[66] I looked behind me; they were so close that one of the horses

touched me--three were ahead, others followed.

I had only just time to fling myself into the wood, where I thought

I should be in safety; but the three Cossacks entered it almost at

the same moment, and, unhappily, just at this spot the wood was very

open. I tried to get further in, but by a bad stroke of luck one of

my attackers came on. Imagine my position! I wanted to stop, but it

was impossible, two of the three Cossacks being only a few steps away.

Happily, a few steps further on the trees were closer together. The

Cossacks were delayed by them, while I went on at the same pace; but,

stopped short by some branches embedded in the snow, I fell full

length, my head remaining buried. I tried to rise, but I felt myself

held by one leg. I feared one of my Cossacks was gripping me, but it

was only briars and thorns. Making a last effort, I rose and looked

behind me. The Cossacks had halted; two were looking for a spot wide

enough to get their horses through. Meanwhile, I dragged myself on with

extreme difficulty.

A little further on I was stopped by a fallen tree, but I was so weak

that I found it impossible to lift my legs over it, and I was obliged

to sit down.

I had not been there five minutes, when I saw the Cossacks dismount

and fasten their horses to a bush. I thought they were at last coming

to take me, and I had already tried to make an effort to save myself,

when I saw that the two were busying themselves with a third, who had

received a furious sword-stroke on the face. The wounded man lifted up

a piece of his cheek that was hanging down on to his shoulder, while

the others got ready a handkerchief, which they passed under his chin

and tied on the top of his head.

All this took place about ten paces away from me, the Cossacks looking

at me while they talked.

When they had finished pasting their comrade's face, they bore down

directly on me. But now, thinking myself lost, I made a last effort,

mounted the tree-trunk, took up my loaded musket, and determined to

fire on the first who came near. I had only the two men to deal with,

as the third, after being bandaged, seemed to suffer like one of the

damned, walking up and down, and banging the hind-quarters of his horse

with his fists.

Seeing my fighting position, the two Cossacks stopped, and made signs

that I was to go to them. I understood that they meant no ill towards

me, but I remained as I was, all the same.

I heard on my left, in the direction of the road, shouts and oaths,

accompanied by musket-shots, which made my enemies uneasy, for I saw

them looking frequently in the direction of the sound. I hoped they

would leave me, for the sake of their own safety; but a fourth savage

now came up, as if making his escape. Seeing some of his comrades, he

then caught sight of me, and, on account of the underwood, dismounted,

fastened his horse up beside the others, and, pistol in hand, advanced

towards me, under cover of the trees; the two others followed in the

same fashion. It hardly needed all that ceremony for vanquishing me,

but, as luck would have it, at that moment the shouts on the right grew

louder, accompanied by shots; the horses, terrified, and not being

very securely fastened, escaped in the direction of the road, and the

Cossacks set off to pursue them.

Considering my deplorable condition, I felt it would be impossible to

walk further without changing my clothes. It may be remembered that in

a portmanteau found on the mountain of Ponari I had some shirts and

white cotton breeches--clothes belonging to an army commissary.

Having opened my knapsack, I drew out a shirt, and hung it on my

musket; then the breeches, which I placed beside me on the tree. I took

off my jacket and overcoat, and my waistcoat with the quilted yellow

silk sleeves that I had made out of a Russian lady's skirt at Moscow.

I untied the shawl which was wrapped round my body, and my trousers

fell about my heels. As for my shirt, I had not the trouble of taking

it off, for it had neither back nor front; I pulled it off in shreds.

And there I was, naked, except for a pair of wretched boots, in the

midst of a wild forest, at four o'clock in the afternoon, with eighteen

to twenty degrees of cold, for the north wind had begun to blow hard

again.

On looking at my emaciated body, dirty, and consumed with vermin, I

could not restrain my tears. At last, summoning the little strength

that remained, I set about my toilet. With snow and the rags of my

old shirt I washed myself to the best of my power. Then I drew on my

new shirt of fine longcloth, embroidered down the front. I got into

the little calico breeches as quickly as I could, but I found them so

short that even my knees were not covered, and my boots only reaching

half-way up my leg, all this part was bare. Finally, I put on my yellow

silk waistcoat, my riding-jacket, my overcoat, over this my belts and

collar; and there I was, completely attired, except for my legs. After

this I got down from my tree-trunk, and going a hundred steps or so, I

caught sight of two people, a man and a woman, and I recognised that

they were Germans. They seemed to be frightened. I asked them if they

would like to come with me, but in a trembling voice the man answered

'No,' and, pointing in the direction of the road, he uttered the single

word 'Cossack!'

They were a canteen man and his wife, belonging to the Rhine

Confederation, probably one of the Kowno garrison, who were following

up the retreat, and being, like myself, surprised in the forest by the

noise, had taken to flight. The woman advised her husband to join me,

but the man would not consent, and, in spite of all I could say to him,

I was obliged, to my regret, to go on alone.

After having wandered haphazard for about half an hour, I stopped to

take my bearings, for night was coming on. In this part of the forest

there was a great deal of snow--neither track nor beaten road, nor

even a trace of one. Sometimes I sat down to rest upon trees lying

uprooted by the great winds. I had to grasp at the twigs of the bushes

in fear of falling, I was so weak. My legs were buried in the snow

above my boots, so that they got filled. However, I was not cold--on

the contrary, drops of sweat fell down my face; but my legs refused to

carry me. In consequence of the efforts I was making to drag myself

out of the snow, in which I sank often up to my knees, I felt an

extraordinary lassitude in my thighs. I will not attempt to describe

what I suffered. For more than an hour I was walking in the dark,

lighted only by the stars. Not succeeding in getting out of the forest

at that point nearest to the road, and able to do no more, exhausted,

breathless, I resolved to rest. I propped myself up against the trunk

of a tree and remained motionless. A moment afterwards I heard a dog

barking. I looked in the direction of the sound, and saw a light

shining. Sighing hopefully, and summoning all the strength I had, I

turned towards this new quarter. But thirty paces further on were four

horses, and, seated around a fire, four Cossacks. Three peasants were

there too. Amongst them were the canteen man and his wife whom I had

met, taken, no doubt, by those Cossacks who had wanted to make off with

me. I easily recognised the one with the sabre-cut across the face, for

I was not twenty steps away.

I watched them for some time, wondering if it would not be better to

go and give myself up rather than die like a brute in the midst of the

wood. The light of the fire tempted me; but for some unknown reason

I did the exact opposite, and drew back. Still I watched them, and

noticed that several earthen pots were around the fire. They had straw

to lie on, and the horses had hay to eat.

The number of trees made it impossible for me to follow the exact

direction I wished to take. I was obliged to bear to the left,

fortunately for me, for, after taking a few steps, I found the forest

clearer, but the snow in greater quantities, so that I fell several

times. One last time I rose and reproached God for my misfortunes,

who was yet watching over me. I now found myself at the end of the

forest and on the high road. There I fell upon my knees and thanked Him

against whom I had just rebelled.

I walked straight on. The road was good, and no doubt the right one;

but the wind, which I had not felt in the forest, was too keen for my

bare legs. My coat, being long, kept off a little of the cold.

Oddly enough, I was not hungry. I do not know whether the excitement I

had been through since the Cossacks' attack were the cause, or if it

were the effect of my sickness, but since leaving the stable where I

had had some soup and meat I had no desire to eat. However, fancying

that there ought to be a piece of meat still left in my bag, I searched

for it, and was lucky enough to find it, and, although hardened by the

frost, I ate it as I went along. My meal over, I raised my head, and

saw two men on horseback on my left, apparently advancing with caution,

and further on, along the road, was a man who seemed to be getting

along better than I was. I doubled my pace to join him, but all at once

he disappeared.

Looking to the left, I caught sight of a little hut, and went in. But

hardly was I inside, when I heard the click of a musket, and a deep

voice said:

'Who goes there?'

'A friend,' I answered, and added: 'A soldier of the Imperial Guard!'

'Ah, ah!' came the answer. 'Where the devil do you come from, comrade,

that I haven't met you while I've been walking all alone?'

I related to him a part of what had happened to me since the Cossacks'

attack, of which he knew nothing.

We resumed our march. I saw that my new comrade was an old Chasseur of

the Guard, and that he carried on his knapsack and around his neck a

pair of cloth trousers that apparently were of no use to him, but could

be of the greatest benefit to me. I begged him to let me buy them of

him, and showed him the naked state of my legs.

'My poor comrade!' he said, 'I would willingly oblige you if I could,

but I must tell you that the trousers are burnt in several places, and

are full of great holes.'

'Never mind that; let me have them. They may perhaps save my life.'

He pulled them off his knapsack, saying: 'Take them.'

Then I took two five-franc pieces from my bag, asking him if it was

enough.

'Quite,' he answered. 'Make haste and let us be off, for I see two men

on horseback coming down this way. They may be Cossack scouts.'

While he was speaking I had put on the trousers--I kept them in place

as I had the former ones, with the shawl wrapped round my body--and

we set off. We hadn't taken a hundred steps before my companion, who

walked faster than I did, was already twenty yards in front of me. I

saw him stoop and pick something up. At first I couldn't distinguish

what it was, but coming to the spot, I saw a dead man, and recognised

him as a Grenadier of the Royal Dutch Guard that, from the beginning

of the campaign, had formed part of the Imperial Guard. He had neither

knapsack nor bearskin, but he still had his musket, cartridge-pouch,

sabre, and great black gaiters on his legs, reaching above the knee. I

took the gaiters and put them over my trousers to cover the holes. Then

I set off walking again, rather faster than usual, as if the dead man

were running after me.

Meanwhile the Chasseur had gone on, and I could not see him. Soon

afterwards I came to a great building, and recognising it as a

posting-house, I made up my mind to pass the night there. An infantry

soldier, the sentinel, called out: 'Who goes there?'

'A friend,' I answered, and entered.

The first thing I saw was about thirty men, some of them sleeping,

others cooking horseflesh and rice, round several fires. To the right

were three men, sitting round a bowl of rice. I sank down beside them.

After a moment I tried to speak to one of them, pulling him by his

coat. He looked at me without a word. Then, in a piteous tone, I said

in a low voice, that the others might not hear: 'Comrade, I entreat

you, let me eat some spoonfuls of rice. I will pay you. You will do me

a great service; you will save my life.'

At the same time I offered him two pieces of five francs, which he

took, saying, 'Eat.'

He handed me his spoon and an earthenware plate, and also gave up

his place near the fire. For my ten francs there were about fifteen

spoonfuls of rice still left.

I looked about me when I had eaten to see if the old Chasseur were

there. I discovered him near a hayrack, busy cutting up a bearskin to

make ear-lappets of. This bearskin belonged to the Dutch Grenadier; he

had picked it up when I saw him stoop. I went over to him to rest, but

hardly was I stretched on the straw when the sentinel exclaimed, 'Look

out!' saying that he had caught sight of Cossacks.

Immediately everybody jumped up and seized their arms. A shout was

heard, 'A friend--Frenchman!'

Two cavalrymen entered the barn, and, dismounting, showed themselves.

But several began questioning them, in particular the old Chasseur, who

said:

'How is it you are on horseback, and dressed like a Cossack? Probably

to rob and pillage our sick and wounded.'

'Nothing of the sort,' replied one of the two troopers; 'when you see

us you will believe it. We can prove it, and when we are settled we

will tell you all about it.'

The speaker, after having tied up the two horses and given them

some straw, of which there was plenty in the barn, returned to his

companion, who seemed to walk with difficulty, and, taking him by the

arm, led him up to a place beside me. After eating some bread and

drinking brandy, and having also given a pull to the old soldier and

myself, the man who had spoken before began:

'Yesterday evening I saved my brother from the Cossacks, who had

wounded and taken him prisoner. I must tell you about it, as it is a

most wonderful story.

'The evening before the arrival at Kowno, dying of cold and hunger, and

spent with fatigue, I wandered from the road with two officers of the

71st, armed, like myself, with muskets, to find some village in which

we could spend the night. But after having walked about half a league,

we were able to go no further without running the risk of perishing in

the snow, so we decided to pass the night in a deserted, tumble-down

house, where, most luckily, we found both wood and straw, and, as I

still had some flour left from Wilna, we made a good fire and had some

broth.

'The next day, early in the morning, we set about finding our way back

to the high road; but just as we were about to leave the house we were

surrounded by about fifteen Cossacks. We stopped in front of the door

to reconnoitre them; they made signs to us to approach, but we did the

opposite. We re-entered the house, closed the door, and, opening the

two little windows, began a fire which made the Cossacks fly. At long

musket-shot they stopped, but we had reloaded our weapons and left

the house, firing a second volley, at which a horse and rider fell.

The latter freed himself of the horse and left it. We set off at our

quickest pace, but had hardly taken fifty steps before we saw them

bearing down upon us.

'Directly afterwards they went to the right to pick up a portmanteau

off the horse we had shot. Soon they were lost to sight, and we gained

the road to Kowno, which we were to reach that same day. We were now

in the midst of over 6,000 stragglers, and, as it always happened amid

this rabble, I was separated from my comrades.

'I walked all day, and it was hardly dark when I found myself near the

Niemen, and about a league from Kowno. As there were houses to be seen

on the other side, I decided to cross the river on the ice, so as to

find a shelter, as I did the night before.

'On gaining the bank, I saw two or three houses about half a league

to the right, where I was received fairly well by the peasants, and

passed a quiet night. The next morning at daylight I took to the road,

to rejoin the column on the other side of Kowno; but hardly had I gone

a couple of hundred steps, when I was suddenly surrounded by a dozen

Cossacks, who, without doing me any harm, or even thinking of disarming

me, made me march in front of them in exactly the direction I had

wanted to take. I was a prisoner, though I could not realize it.

'After an hour's walking, we came to a village. There I was relieved

of my arms and of my money, but I was lucky enough to save some pieces

of gold hidden in the lining of my waistcoat. I took off my shako and

covered my head with a cap of black sheepskin I had found. I noticed

that the Cossacks were laden with gold and silver, and that they

did not pay much attention to me, so I decided to take the first

opportunity of escaping.

'It might have been about ten o'clock when we left the village. We met

another detachment of Cossacks escorting prisoners, some of whom were

men belonging to the Imperial Guard, taken in the sortie from Kowno. I

was placed among these.

'We marched, with frequent stoppages, till about three o'clock. I

noticed that the leader was uncertain of the way, not knowing the

country. Before nightfall we had reached a little village, and were

put into a barn, where we all went through a very minute inspection. I

trembled for my gold, but I trembled for nothing.

'The search was barely over when I heard my name called by a prisoner

unknown to me. "Here," I answered. Another prisoner at the far end

answered too. Then, moving in the direction whence the voice had

come, I asked who answered to the name of Dassonville. "I!" replied

my brother, whom you see here. Think of our surprise on finding each

other! We embraced, weeping. He told me that he had been wounded in the

leg on November 28th, near the Bérézina bridge. I told him my plan was

to make our escape before they forced us to recross the Niemen; for

being now in Pomerania, a country belonging to Prussia, we must take

the opportunity that offered.

'The peasants brought us potatoes and water, a piece of good luck we

were far from expecting. They were distributed among us--four for each

of us. We threw ourselves upon them ravenously, and almost all declared

that just then it was better to be a prisoner eating potatoes than to

be free, but dying of hunger and cold on the high road. But I said

that, all the same, it would be better to get out of their clutches.

"Who knows," I said, "that they will not take us to Siberia!" I showed

them a possibility of escape, for, close to where I was lying beside

my brother, I had found out a place where, by taking down two boards,

we could get out easily. They agreed with me; but an hour afterwards,

as ill-luck would have it, we were told we must leave. Night had come

on; many of the men, worn out with fatigue, had fallen asleep. The

Cossacks, seeing their orders were not obeyed quickly, struck those

still lying down with the knout. They would have struck my brother, who

could not rise quickly enough because of his wound, but I placed myself

before him and warded off the blows, meanwhile helping him to rise,

and, instead of leaving the barn like the others, we hid ourselves

behind the door, and were lucky enough not to be seen.

'The Cossacks and all the prisoners were gone; we did not dare to

breathe. Three Cossacks on horseback crossed the barn at a gallop,

looking to right and left to see if there was anyone left. When they

had gone, I dragged myself along to peep outside; I saw a peasant

coming, and crept back to my place. He entered the barn on the side

opposite to us; we had just time to cover ourselves with straw. Very

luckily for us, he did not see us, and shut the two doors. We were now

alone.

'It might have been six o'clock. We rested for another hour, and then I

rose to open the door; but I couldn't manage it, so I had to return to

my first project, that of getting out by removing the two boards. This

I did. I told my brother to wait for me, and got out.

'I went as far as the entrance to the village. At the first house I

saw a light coming through a window, and, peeping in, there were three

great Cossack rascals counting money at a table, a peasant holding a

light for them.

'I was just going back to rejoin my brother in the barn, when I saw

one of them make a movement towards the door, open it, and come out.

Luckily for me, a sledge laden with wood was near, so I lay flat on my

stomach in the snow behind it.

'The Cossack then re-entered the house and closed the door. Instantly I

rose to fly, but, afraid of being seen, instead of crossing in front of

the window, I took a turn to the right. I hadn't gone ten steps, when a

door opened, and to escape notice I crept into a stable, and hid myself

under the trough from which the horses were eating. I had hardly done

so, when a peasant entered with a lantern, followed by a Cossack. I

thought it was all over with me.

'The Cossack was carrying a portmanteau; he fastened it upon his horse

and went out, closing the door.

'I was just going myself, when I thought of taking a horse with me. As

quickly as possible, I seized the one with the portmanteau, but, in

turning his head round to get him out of the stable, something fell

on my shoulder; it was the Cossack's lance, propped up against his

horse. I took it away with me for defence, and went out. I reached the

barn, helped my brother to mount, and, taking the bridle in my hand,

proceeded in the direction of the road.

'When we had gone a couple of hundred steps, I looked round to see

if anything was coming. I handed my brother the Cossack's lance, and

covered him with the great camel's-hair cape that I found on the horse.

After half an hour's walking, we reached the road; then, turning in the

direction of Gumbinnen, we saw some peasants busy removing the wheels

of a deserted waggon. To avoid passing near them, we took a road to

our left, leading to the entrance of a village. We wished we could

have avoided the village, so fearful were we of falling again into the

enemy's clutches. God only knows what would have happened to us, for,

seeing us with a horse and weapon belonging to one of their people,

they would have made sure we had killed the owner.

'We had stopped to consult, when we heard a noise behind us; we thought

at once of flight, but there was no chance, for the masses of snow

on each side of the road prevented our getting into the ditches. Our

situation became critical, and I did not dare tell my fears to my

brother on account of his wound.

'We were starting again straight on, when we saw in front of us the

cause of our fright--some men only a few steps away from us. They came

to a stop, calling to us in German: "Good-evening, friend Cossacks!"

'"Listen," I said to my brother: "you are a Cossack, and I am your

prisoner. You can speak a little German, so only keep cool."

'As he had only a dilapidated sergeant's cap upon his head, I exchanged

it for mine, which was like a Cossack's. We recognised these people for

the peasants we had seen a while before busy round the wheel on the

road. There were four of them, dragging two of the wheels behind them

with ropes. My brother inquired if there were any fellow-Cossacks in

the village. They said, "No."

'"Then," said he, "take me to the burgomaster, for I am cold and

hungry, besides being wounded and obliged to look after this French

prisoner."

'One of them then told us that they had been waiting for the Cossacks

since morning, and that they would have done well to come, for more

than thirty Frenchmen had lodged with them the previous night, and they

had almost all of them been disarmed as they were leaving.

'On hearing this we wished ourselves at the devil; but just then

some more peasants came up, who, seeing me being led by a Cossack,

threatened and insulted me. They were reproved by an old man, who, I

learned afterwards, was a Protestant minister, the curé of the place.

'We were led before the burgomaster, who made my brother exceedingly

welcome, telling him that he should be quartered with him, and his

horse taken care of; but as for the Frenchman, he would have him sent

to the prison.

'"That is to say," he said, "if you do not want to keep him about you

as a servant."

'"I would like that," answered my brother, "especially as I am wounded,

and this Frenchman is a Surgeon-Major. He will dress my leg."

'"Surgeon-Major!" replied the burgomaster; "that is lucky, for we have

here a good fellow in the village who had his arm broken this morning

by a Frenchman. The Surgeon-Major will set his arm for him."

'We were taken into a very warm room, where there was a bed intended

for the Cossack; but he refused it, and asked for some straw for

himself, and some for me, which he had put to one side so as not

to awaken suspicion. For brother Cossack they brought bread, lard,

sauer-kraut, beer, and gin; potatoes and water for me. The burgomaster

showed my brother a quantity of weapons in a corner of the room; they

had belonged to the Frenchmen whom the peasants had disarmed that

morning. There were pistols, carbines, five or six muskets, as well as

cavalry swords and several packets of cartridges.

'While we were at our meal, a peasant with his arm in a sling entered

the room, accompanied by a woman; it was the man with the broken arm.

He came and sat down near me, so I decided to go in for bravado. I

asked for linen bandages, and a little splint of pine-wood. The arm

was broken clean between the wrist and the elbow. During the last five

years, I had seen so many operations that I did not hesitate to set

to work. There was no wound to be seen. I signed to a peasant to hold

the sick man by the shoulders, and to the wife to hold his hand. Then I

set, and pretty well, too, I think, the broken bone, just as I should

have set a piece of wood. To begin with, I felt my way a little, while

the devil of a fellow shouted and made villainous faces. Then I applied

compresses, sprinkled with schnapps; afterwards four splints that I

bound up with linen bandages. The man felt better, and told me I was a

good fellow. His wife and the burgomaster complimented me, and I was

able to breathe. They gave me a large glass of gin to reward me.

'But this was not all. The burgomaster gave me to understand I must go

and see a woman who for the last few days had been suffering horribly;

it was a case of a young woman in labour. They had been to Kowno for an

accoucheur, but all was in such disorder because of the Russians and

French that one could not be found.

'"As a general thing," he said, "it is a service the old women render,

but it seems this is a complicated case."

'I tried to make the burgomaster understand that, having lost my

surgical instruments, I could undertake no operation; that, moreover, I

was no accoucheur--I understood nothing about it. But I couldn't make

myself understood; they thought it was simply ill-will on my part. I

was obliged to go. Conducted by two peasants and three women, I was led

to the end of the village. I do not know if it was my having left such

a warm room, but I was as cold as death. Finally we reached the place.

'I was taken into a room where I found three old women, just like the

three Fates; they were round a young woman lying on a bed, who was

shrieking every now and again a great deal louder than the man with

the broken arm. One of the old women took me up to the sick woman,

and a second lifted the coverlet. Imagine my embarrassment! Saying

nothing, I looked at the three old crones, to gather from their looks

what they wanted me to do. But they were waiting likewise, looking at

me to see what I intended. The sick woman, too, had her eyes fixed upon

me. Finally, I understood one of the old women to say I must find out

whether the child still lived. I made up my mind, and placed my great

paw, as cold as ice, on the patient. The touch made her leap up and

utter a scream enough to make the house shake. This cry was followed

by a second; the three old cronies seized her, and in less than five

minutes all was over--a Prussian subject was born.

'Then, proud of my fresh cure, I rubbed my hands; and as I knew what

was usual in my village under similar circumstances, the infant being

bathed in warm water and wine, I ordered some to be brought in a basin.

Afterwards I asked for some schnapps. They gave me a bottleful of it. I

tasted it several times; then, taking a piece of linen which I wetted

in the warm water, I sprinkled the schnapps upon it, and applied the

compress to the patient, who was feeling extremely comfortable, and who

thanked me, pressing my hand.

'I left, escorted by the two men who had brought me, and by two of the

old duennas. I was reconducted before the burgomaster, and praised up

to the skies. My Cossack brother had been in a fearful fright, but was

delighted to see me again.

'I had still one wounded man to patch up, and that was himself. I

bathed the wound with warm water, and dressed it with a little more

knowledge of what I was about. We were left alone. When I was certain

that everyone was asleep, I picked out two pairs of pistols, as well as

a beautiful infantry sword, and two lots of cartridges of the right

size for our pistols. We took the precaution to load these at once.

Mine were hidden while awaiting the time of our departure, and then we

rested.

'In the morning they brought us something to eat. This time I was

treated to the same food as the Cossack. While we were breakfasting,

the burgomaster complimented me on my skill, asked me if I would

like to remain with them, and said that he would give me one of his

daughters in marriage. I told him that that could not be, as I was

already married and had children. Then, turning to the Cossack, he

asked him in what direction he was going. "I am going to rejoin my

brother and my comrades, who are following the road to the town; I do

not remember its name, but it is the first I should come to along the

road." "I know," said the burgomaster, "you mean Wilbalen. Well, we

will go together. I will guide you to a place about a league from here,

where you will find more than 200 Cossacks; for I have just received

orders to send there everything in the way of hay and flour, and to

follow afterwards myself. We will set out in half an hour. I will get

your horse ready with my own."

'Hardly had he gone from the room, when I thrust my pistols into my

belt, and about thirty cartridges into my pockets. My Cossack brother

fastened on the sword I had chosen for him, and also put a pair of

pistols in his belt. A moment afterwards they came to tell us that all

was ready for our departure. I took the Cossack's portmanteau, and we

went out.

[Illustration: BESIDE THE ROAD, NOT FAR FROM PNÉWA, NOVEMBER 8, 1812.

_From a sketch made at the time by an officer of Napoleon's army. The

Emperor stands in front of the fire, which is made of broken wheels

and bits of gun-carriages._]

'We found the burgomaster at the posting-station in travelling dress.

He wore a long coat lined with fine sheepskin, a fur cap, and boots of

the same. His servant wore a sheepskin coat. I helped my brother the

Cossack to mount; and, as I was fastening on the portmanteau, I said

softly, so as not to be heard, that, should the opportunity offer, he

must seize the burgomaster's horse and coat, and that of his servant as

well, so that by means of these disguises we might escape; and that, in

our present position, we must act promptly, as it meant life or death.

'We set off on our march, the servant in front as guide, I next and

between the two on horseback, as a prisoner would. A little before the

end of the village we took a road to the left, and after a quarter of

an hour's walking we reached a little pine-wood. While crossing it,

I thought of putting my project into execution. After we had crossed

the wood, I looked in front of me and to right and left, looking

out for anything likely to harm us. Seeing nothing, I strode to the

burgomaster's side, and seizing the horse's bridle with one hand, and

presenting a pistol with the other, I ordered him to dismount. As you

may imagine, he was terribly taken aback; he looked at the Cossack as

if to tell him to run me through the body. Meanwhile the servant, with

a great stick, rushed to knock me down; but, without letting go of

the horse's bridle, I struck him such a violent blow across the chest

with the butt-end of the pistol that I sent him sprawling yards off,

and threatened to kill him if he made the slightest movement towards

getting up.

'While this was happening, my brother told the burgomaster that he

had better dismount; but he was so stupefied that the order had to be

repeated several times. Finally he dismounted, and I gave his animal to

my brother to hold.

'Immediately I took off the servant's boots, coat, and cap. Then,

taking off my own cloak and coat and my cap, I threw them down on him,

forcing him to put on the coat, so that in his turn he looked like the

prisoner.

'Imagine the burgomaster's face at seeing his servant dressed up in

such a fashion! But that was not all. Telling my brother, who had

dismounted, to keep an eye on the servant, I effected a change of

costume in his master, who, at my invitation and without much trouble,

gave me his overcoat, boots, and cap. I gave him in exchange my coat

and his servant's cap. Then I made my brother put on the servant's

coat and boots, and when he was completely attired and remounted, and

in a position to mount guard over our two prisoners, I dressed myself

in my turn in the burgomaster's clothes. Mounting his horse, I took

possession of his sword, and we set off at a gallop, leaving our two

Prussians thunderstruck, and probably not knowing whether my brother

was really a Cossack or not. We did not feel comfortable, either, for,

although disguised, we were afraid of falling into the clutches of the

Cossacks of whom the burgomaster had spoken before our setting out.

'After advancing at a gallop for about ten minutes we reached a little

village, where the inhabitants, on seeing us, began shouting out:

"Hurrah! hurrah! Our friends the Cossacks! Hurrah!"

'They told us that our comrades had slept at a large village a quarter

of a league away, and that they had left to cut off the French in their

retreat before they should have reached the wood which intersected the

route. They wanted to make us dismount and drink, but as we were not

easy in our minds, we were satisfied with some glasses of schnapps

without dismounting. Then my brother shouted "Hurrah!" and we decamped,

carrying off the bottle of schnapps, and accompanied by the hurrahs of

the whole population.

'It might have been about three o'clock when we saw the wood in front

of us and heard firing. A fight was going on between the French and

the Russian cavalry near a house on the borders of the road. So the

peasants had not lied to us: the Cossacks had really intended to cut

off the retreat of the column of stragglers before they could reach the

wood.

'On seeing this we set our horses to a gallop, and, without thinking

of our resemblance to the Cossacks, we stationed ourselves along the

road, in order to try and gain the entrance of the wood towards which

the stragglers were rushing. They took us for Cossacks, and ran faster.

The Cossacks, on their side, taking us for some of themselves, and

thinking we were pursuing the French, came a dozen strong to support us

and follow us into the wood. I had a Cossack to my right, my brother to

my left; behind me, the remaining Cossacks. Anyone would have thought I

was their chief.

'The road was hardly wide enough to allow three horses to go abreast.

After having trotted forward about fifty yards, we saw several of our

officers barring the way with crossed bayonets, and shouting to those

in flight, "Don't mind these dogs! let them come on!"

'I seized the opportunity, and, slackening my horse's pace, I slashed

at the face of the Cossack to my right with my sword.'[67] He took

another step and stopped, turning his head in my direction; but, seeing

that I was preparing to go on, he turned and escaped, bellowing. Those

who were following did the same, and our horses imitated the movement,

so that there we were, going in our turn after the Cossacks, who ran as

if all the devils were after them.

'I caught sight of a road to the right, with a Cossack in front of us.

Seeing us, he slackened speed, stopped, and spoke to us in a language

we did not understand. I hit him a violent blow on the head with my

sabre, which I believe would have severed it had it not been for the

bearskin cap he wore. Astonished at this manner of reply, he made his

escape, and being the better horseman, was soon out of sight. A quarter

of an hour later we had reached the other side of the wood. There was

the Cossack again, who, seeing us, set off at a gallop, and we had no

desire to follow him. We skirted the wood to its extremity. Afterwards

we manoeuvred about till evening to find the right road, and we got

here with much difficulty.

'Now,' concluded the sergeant, 'we must rest a little, and set off, for

at daybreak we may have to be off again.'

On this we each of us settled down to take a little rest, while six men

of the Kowno garrison, soldiers in good condition, voluntarily offered

to take a turn at watching at the door of the barn.

We had not been resting an hour, when we heard a shout, 'Who goes

there?' Directly afterwards a man came in and fell down full length.

Some of the men rose to help him. He was a gunner in the Imperial

Guard, who had been found at the bivouac I had missed. He had more than

twenty wounds on his body, lance-thrusts and sword-cuts. They asked for

linen to bandage him with. I hastened to give one of my best shirts.

The sergeant, one of the two brothers, made him swallow some drops of

gin; the old Chasseur gave some lint that he drew out of the depths of

his bearskin. The wounded man was made more comfortable, and settled as

well as could be. Happily, his wounds were mainly on the back and head;

a few on the right arm, but his legs were sound.

I went up to ask him how he was. Almost before looking at me, he

exclaimed: 'It is you, sergeant! You were wise not to stay at the

house by the wood where you had made up your mind to pass the night,

for a quarter of an hour after your departure more than 400 Cossacks

came up.[68] We took up arms to defend ourselves, being then about 400

men. Seeing that we were ready to give them a reception, they halted;

a detachment was formed, with an officer at their head, who advanced,

telling us in good French to surrender.

'But a Chasseur of the Guard, named Michaut--the old _cantinière's_

friend--left the ranks, and advancing so as to be heard by the Russian

officer: "Tell me, you _lapin_, how long have Frenchmen surrendered

with arms in their hands? Come on, we are waiting for you!" The officer

instantly retired. They prepared to charge; we waited for them, and

when they were about five-and-twenty yards off half our men fired.

Some of them fell. Then, thinking that we all had discharged our

weapons, and that we should not be able to reload, they advanced again,

shouting and hurrahing. But they were met by another volley, that put

the greater number of their men _hors de combat_. At this they took

to flight, and we thought we were rid of them; but five minutes later

they returned in greater numbers, and just at the moment when we were

retreating to the wood, not having had again time to reload, we were

overcome by the blows of lance and sword. Almost all were killed or

wounded.

'I remained on the ground, wounded, and pretending to be dead; and,

finding myself on the edge of a ditch bordering the road, I rolled into

it. The peasants came up, and set to work to despoil the dead and

wounded, accompanied by some Cossacks whose horses had been killed. I

was lucky enough to escape notice, and when they had withdrawn, raising

myself with difficulty, I gained the wood and crossed it. And, finally,

my friends, I am so lucky as to have met you. But what is to become of

me?'

'We will lead you,' replied the soldiers of the garrison. 'And I,' said

the sergeant brother, 'will lend you my horse.'

In spite of the sleep which overwhelmed me, I began to think of setting

off, for, not being strong, I took a great deal of time to go a very

little way. A young soldier offered to accompany me, if I wanted to set

out at once; I accepted his offer, especially as this young man, who

had suffered nothing, was strong and would be able to help me. And so

we took our departure.

We entered a wood, through which the road lay. Here the soldier, who

was unarmed, wished to carry my gun; I gave it up to him, as, in my

feeble condition, he was better able to make use of it than I. After

walking I do not know how long, supported by my young companion's arm

(for I often dozed while marching), we reached the extremity of the

wood; it might have been about four o'clock in the morning, December

16th.

We walked on, haphazard, for about another half-hour; very luckily, the

moon rose. But with it came a high wind and so fine a snow that it cut

our faces and prevented our seeing before us.

I suffered greatly from the longing to sleep, and without the help

of the little soldier, who held me all the time by the arm, I should

certainly have fallen down sleeping. My companion pointed out to

me a large group of buildings some way in front. I saw it was a

posting-station, and concluded from that that we had gone about three

leagues. In a quarter of an hour's time we had reached the doors.

Entering, I threw myself down near a fire. There were several left by

the soldiers, almost all of the Imperial Guard, who had marched on

to Wilbalen. Some gunners, also of the Guard, were still there, but

getting ready to leave.

I had slept peacefully for about ten minutes, when I felt myself shaken

by the arm. I tried to resist, but someone raised me by my shoulders;

I awoke at last and heard a shout coming from an old gunner: 'The

Cossacks! Get up, my boy! Courage a little longer!'

Eleven Cossacks had come to a standstill, and were probably only

awaiting our departure to come and take our places. 'Come,' said the

gunner, 'we must give up the position and beat a retreat on Wilbalen.

We have only another league; so come, let us be off!'

We had to take to the road again; there were six of us--four gunners,

the little soldier and myself. We left the barn. It was December 16th,

the fifty-ninth day's march since leaving Moscow. The wind was high

and the cold terrible. All at once, in spite of all that my comrade

could do to hold me, I sank down, overcome with sleep and fatigue. The

efforts of my companion and two gunners were necessary to get me on my

feet, although when there I was still asleep. I awoke, however, when

a gunner rubbed my face with snow. Then he made me swallow a little

brandy; that pulled me together a little.

They each took an arm, and so made me walk much faster than I could

have done alone. It was in this way that I reached Wilbalen. On

entering the town, we learned that King Murat was in it with all the

remnant of the Imperial Guard.

In spite of the great cold there was plenty of bustle going on in the

town on the part of the soldiers, who were in hopes of buying bread

and brandy from the numerous Jews in the place. At the door of each

house, too, there was a sentinel, and whenever anyone presented himself

for admission he was answered that some General lodged there, or some

Colonel, or that there was no more room. We were told by others to go

and 'look for our own regiment.' The gunners found some comrades of

their own, and went off with them. I was beginning to be in despair,

when I was told by a peasant that in the first street to the left there

were only a few people. We went there, but always found a sentinel at

every door, and everywhere the same response. I saw for myself that

inside the houses the men were heaped up on one another. However, we

could not remain very long in the street without dying of cold.

It would be difficult to express how much I suffered on this day from

cold, but still more from disappointment at seeing myself repulsed

everywhere, and that, too, by comrades.

At last I spoke to a Grenadier, who told me there were people

everywhere, but ill-will and selfishness as well, and that no attention

must be paid to the houses being sentinelled; that one must go in, 'For

I see,' he continued, 'that you are in a bad way.'

Making a sign to my comrade to follow me, I turned to enter the first

house I came to. An old fellow barred the way with his musket, saying

that it was the Colonel's quarters, and that there was no more room.

I answered that, even were it the Emperor's lodging, there would have

to be room for two, and that I should go in. Just then I caught sight

of another Grenadier busy fastening a pair of officer's epaulettes on

to the shoulders of his overcoat. To my great surprise I recognised

Picart, my old companion, whom I had not seen since leaving Wilna, on

December 6th. Instantly I said:

'Tell Colonel Picart that Sergeant Bourgogne is asking him for room.'

'You are mistaken,' he answered.

But without listening to him, I forced my way past the sentry; the

other followed me, and we entered.

No sooner did Picart recognise me, than he threw his big epaulettes on

to the straw, exclaiming:

'_Jour de Dieu!_ it is _mon pays_, my sergeant! How is it that you are

alone? Have you been in the rear-guard?'

Without replying, I let myself fall upon the straw, exhausted with

fatigue, want of sleep, and hunger, and suffocated as well with the

heat of a great stove. Picart ran to his knapsack, brought out a bottle

of brandy, and made me swallow a few drops, which brought me round a

little. Then I begged him to let me rest. It might have been about

eight o'clock in the morning: it was two in the afternoon when I awoke.

Picart placed between my knees a little earthen plate of soup with

rice, which I ate with pleasure, looking meanwhile all round me, trying

to collect my thoughts. Finally everything became clear to me, so that

I could remember all that had happened during the last twenty-four

hours.

Picart broke into my reflections to tell me all that had happened to

him since we were separated at Wilna:

'After having driven away the Russians who showed themselves on the

heights of Wilna, we were brought back to the square; from there we

were led to the suburb on the Kowno road, to act as guard to King

Murat, who had just left the town. There I looked round for you,

thinking you had followed, and was astonished not to see you. At

midnight we had to set out for Kowno, to accompany Murat and Prince

Eugène, who also was lodged in the suburb. But on reaching the foot

of the mountain we found it impossible to cross it on account of the

quantity of snow and the number of carriages and waggons along the road.

'When the day had broken, the King and Prince, by making a sweep around

the mountain, succeeded in continuing on their way; but I and many

others, having no horses, began to climb the road again. Lucky for

us, for we had the opportunity to _monter à la roue_ and make a few

five-franc pieces ... at your service, you hear, _mon pays_.'

Picart gave me the details of his journey up to the moment when chance

had brought about our meeting. I then told him that every time I met

him it gave me the same pleasure, but that this time I was especially

pleased at finding him a Colonel. He began to laugh, telling me it was

a _ruse de guerre_, which he had played to get a good lodging. He had

appointed himself Colonel the day before, and was recognised as such by

those about him, who showed him all respect.

Picart told me that at three o'clock a review was to be held by Murat,

when orders would be given, telling the remnants of the different corps

the places at which they were to meet. I decided to go, so as to meet

my comrades there. Picart shaved me with a blunt razor that we had

found in the kit of the Cossack killed on November 23rd. It was my

first shave since leaving Moscow, and although he ground the razor on

his scabbard, and then passed it over his hand to give it an edge, he

none the less rasped my face.

At the appointed hour we left our lodging to repair to the rendezvous.

The muster was to take place in a large street. Soldiers of all

ranks and regiments came. Several of the veterans of the Guard, to

draw attention to themselves, had dressed themselves as if for grand

parade: to see them one would have thought they had come from Paris,

rather than from Moscow. At the rendezvous I had the luck to meet all

those with whom I had been on the preceding day, as well as a good many

others whom I had not seen since leaving Wilna; but our numbers had

diminished. Grangier said to me:

'I hope you will not leave us again; you must come to our quarters, and

as we are allowed to make use of sledges or carts to travel in, we will

try to find one.'

We stopped in the street a long time waiting for King Murat. Meanwhile

there were many surprises at meeting friends, in finding those living

whom one had long thought dead. I had the pleasure of meeting Sergeant

Humblot, with whom I had been travelling the evening before, and from

whom I had been separated in the wood at the time of the Cossack

attack. I learned also that the _cantinières_, Marie and Mother Gâteau,

had got into good quarters.

As Murat did not come, the names of those men unable to walk were

taken, these to be despatched the next day at six o'clock in the

morning on sledges furnished by the authorities. We could not find one

for ourselves, however, and had to comfort ourselves by preparing to

pass a good night, so as to be fit to march the following day.

Picart had said that he wanted to speak to me before we separated.

Hardly was the order for departure given, when I felt a smart tap on my

shoulder. I turned and saw Picart. He made a sign to me, and Grangier

also, to follow him, and when we had moved away a little, he said:

'You are going to do me the kindness of accepting a good pull of white

wine--Rhine wine.'

'Is it possible?' I exclaimed.

For only answer he said: 'Follow me.'

He then told us that the evening before he had made the acquaintance of

a Jew with the idea of selling him things he wanted to dispose of--his

Colonel's epaulettes, for instance--and as he had been often taken for

a Jew, he passed himself off as one, saying that his mother was the

daughter of the Rabbi at Strasbourg, and that he was called Salomon.

The Jew was delighted at the hope of making a good bargain, and had

pointed out to him his house, assuring him that he would find some good

Rhine wine there.

We went to the back of the synagogue. To one side was a little house,

where Picart stopped. He looked all round to see if anyone was there;

then, pinching his nose, he called out in a nasal voice, 'Jacob! Jacob!'

At a barred opening we saw a figure appear in a long fur cap and

adorned with a dirty beard. Recognising Picart, he said to him in

German: 'Ah, my dear Salomon, it is you. I will open the door.'

We entered a very warm room, stinking and disgusting. As soon as we

were seated on a bench around the stove, we saw three other Jews, who,

Jacob said, constituted his family.

Picart, who knew how to go to work with his pretended co-religionists,

began by opening his knapsack and drawing out, to begin with, a pair

of epaulettes--not a Colonel's, but a Field-Marshal's--and a parcel of

lace stripes, the whole of it new, picked up on the Wilna mountain out

of the deserted waggons.

There were also some silver covers that had come from Moscow. The Jews

opened their eyes wide. Picart now asked for wine and bread. Some

excellent Rhine wine was brought. The bread was not exactly of the same

quality, but just then it was better than one could have hoped for.

While we were drinking, the Jews were inspecting the articles spread

out upon the bench. Jacob asked Picart how much he wanted for all that.

'Name it yourself,' answered Picart.

The Jew mentioned a price very far from what Picart wanted.

He said: 'No.'

Jacob went a little higher.

This time Picart, on whom the wine was beginning to take effect, looked

at the Jew sneeringly, and answered him by laying a finger on the side

of his nose, and humming the Rabbi's chant in the synagogue on the

Sabbath.

The four Jews began to rock like Chinamen, and chant verses. Grangier

looked at Picart, thinking he was tipsy, and I, in spite of my

sufferings, was almost dying of laughter. At last Picart stopped

singing to pour us out some drink. Meanwhile the Jews talked together

about the price of the articles. Jacob offered a still higher price;

but it was not yet as much as Picart wanted, so he recommenced his

chant, till finally a bargain was concluded, on condition that he

received gold. Jacob paid Picart in Prussian gold pieces. He was

probably satisfied with his bargain, for he gave us nuts and onions.

The wine had gone to our heads, for when Picart received his money we

began to 'perform the Sabbath' like him.

This charivari would have gone on a long time if there hadn't been a

knocking at the door made by the butt-ends of muskets. Jacob looked

through the grating and saw several soldiers, who told him they were

billeted on him, and that if he didn't open at once the door would be

beaten in. He opened directly. We made up our mind to retire, and I

said good-bye to Picart, with a promise to meet again at Elbing, the

place to which we were under orders to march.

On reaching our lodging we had some rice bouillon; then I attended to

my feet and shoes and stockings, and, as we were in a warm room and on

fresh straw, I soon fell asleep.

The next day--the 17th--by five o'clock in the morning the town looked

deserted. Men who had not been under a roof for two months, and who now

slept warmly, were in no hurry to leave their quarters. Two or three

drummers, still remaining among those belonging to the Guard, beat

the _grenadière_ for us, and the _carabinière_ for the infantry. When

in the street, we noticed that it was less cold than on the preceding

evening. A sledge drove up, drawn by two horses, and stopped. It was

driven by two Jews, and laden with groceries. I proposed that they

should drive us--for payment, of course--as far as Darkehmen, our day's

destination, or that we should seize the sledge if they refused.

At first, under one pretext or another, they made a good many

difficulties. We offered half the price down, the other half on our

arrival. The Jews then agreed. The price was fixed at forty francs,

we paying them the half at once; but as they reckoned the five-franc

pieces at the value of only a thaler each (worth no more than four),

that cost us an additional ten francs. We made no difficulty, however,

and to win their confidence we foolishly let them see we had a great

deal of money. A sergeant-major named Pierson showed them several

pieces of silver plate he had. On this they began to speak in Hebrew,

so that we could not understand what they were saying.

There were five of us--Leboude, Grangier, Pierson, Oudict, and myself.

The sledge was unloaded, the horses rested, and we prepared to start.

We placed our muskets in the bottom of the sledge, our knapsacks upon

them, and off we went. It was past six o'clock; the entire remnant of

the army was already in motion, but without order or organization,

so that we could hardly get out of the town. Those who had not the

strength to walk tried to seize the sledges.

Our drivers made us understand that they were going to take us round a

road to the left, where there was not a soul to be seen, and that in

less than an hour we should have rejoined the highway and overtaken the

head of the column. We ought to have inquired why other sledge-drivers,

who ought to have known of the road, did not take it, as it was such a

good one; but this we did not think of. After we had been travelling

at a fast trot a good quarter of an hour, I saw that the way we were

following was turning imperceptibly towards the left, separating us

from the road the army was following, and that the ground over which we

were gliding, and which they made us believe was a road, was nothing

but an embankment between a canal on our right and a ditch on our left.

I wanted to point this out to my comrades, so I shouted as loud as I

could several times, 'Halt! Stop!'

Grangier asked me what I wanted.

I redoubled my cries: 'They are tricking us! We are with rascals!'

Then Pierson, who was on the front seat, carrying a silver urn that

he had brought from Moscow, and which he continually made use of for

brewing tea, began to shout 'Halt!' in his turn.

The rascal Jews jumped down from the bundle of hay on which they were

seated, and, still going on, but not so rapidly, they took the horses

by the bridle, turned the sledge, and upset us from the top to the

bottom of the bank into the ditch. Happily for me, I was sitting at the

back, with my legs hanging over the side of the sledge, so I had been

able to see their intention, and letting myself slip down, I avoided

the fall; but my comrades rolled to the bottom, more than twenty-five

feet, and came down, bruised all over, on the ice. As their feet and

hands were frozen, they shouted loudly. These cries changed into cries

of rage against the Jews, who, keeping their hold upon the horses'

bridles, had prevented the sleigh, although overturned, from rolling

to the bottom, and had by now already dragged it to the edge of the

bank. They were preparing to escape with our baggage; but I drew my

sword, and gave one of the Jews a cut on his head. He had to thank his

fur cap that his head wasn't split in two. I struck him a second blow,

which he parried with his left hand covered with sheepskin. They would

have escaped us, but Pierson came up to help me, while the others,

still at the bottom of the embankment--which they had not the strength

to climb--were swearing and shouting to us to kill the Jews. The one

whom I had struck escaped by crossing the canal; the other, who was

holding the horses, asked for mercy, saying it was his comrade's fault.

Pierson, however, gave him a few blows with the flat of his sword,

while he entreated pardon, calling us 'General' and 'Colonel.'

Pierson, taking the horse's bridle, ordered the Jew to go down and

help our comrades to climb out. He hastened to obey, and was rewarded

by blows of the fist very forcibly applied. When they were all up

again, Leboude announced that we had acquired a right to the sledge and

horses, as these two rascals had attempted to kill us in order to make

off with our possessions.

We ordered the Jew to drive us at a gallop, and by the shortest way, to

where we might rejoin the army, but we had to go back the whole way we

had come.

When we got near the town, the Jew wanted to go there under pretext of

fetching something from his house; no doubt it was to give us up to

the Cossacks, who were now filling the town. We gave him a taste of

sword-point in his back, and threatened to kill him if he took another

step in the direction of the town. Accordingly, he hastened to turn to

the right, the road the army had taken; we caught sight of the last

stragglers a long distance ahead. We got up with them a quarter of an

hour later, and then, rapidly descending a hill, left them behind.

I was at the back of the sledge; the pole of one of the sledges,

descending, caught me on the right side, and threw me six feet out

on the snow. I lay unconscious. A quarter-master belonging to the

Mamelukes, who knew me, hurried to lift me up and seat me upon the

snow.[69] My comrades came running up, too; they imagined the pole had

wounded me, but my clothes, fortunately, had deadened the blow. Also,

as luck would have it, the edge of the pole was covered with sheepskin.

I was lifted up and placed again upon the sledge, and, except for some

sickness, I was no worse for the accident.

It might have been about nine o'clock when we arrived at a large

village; a great many men were already there. We turned into a house to

warm ourselves; we left our sledge at the door, after having taken the

precaution to unload our baggage and make the Jew come in with us, for

fear that he might make off with our conveyance.

The soldiers who were warming themselves told us that herrings and gin

were on sale in the village. As the others had been very kind to me,

and as they all, except myself, had frozen feet, I undertook to go for

them, and on leaving I recommended them to keep their eyes upon the

sledge.

'Don't bother about that,' said Pierson; 'I'll answer for it.'

I went off with our Jew as guide and interpreter. He led me to the

house of one of his friends, where I found some herrings, some gin,

and some poor rye-cakes. While I was warming myself over a glass of

gin, I noticed my guide had disappeared with another Jew, with whom he

had been talking a moment before. Seeing that he did not come back,

I returned to rejoin my friends with the provisions; but on nearing

the house I saw that the sledge was gone. My comrades, calmly warming

themselves, asked me for the provisions. I asked them for the sledge.

They looked into the street; the sledge was gone! Without saying a

word, I threw the provisions down, and, feeling miserable, lay on the

straw beside the stove. Half an hour afterwards there was a call to

arms, and we were told that two short leagues away there were sledges

for everybody, so that Gumbinnen should be reached the same day.

On reaching the place, we found a great number of sledges, and directly

afterwards they made us set off. During the journey I felt ill; the

movement of the sledge made me sea-sick. I chose at last to march

for a while on foot, but I nearly perished with the cold, which had

now become almost unbearable. My comrades happily saw my wretched

condition, had the sledge stopped, and came to fetch me. I couldn't go

a step further. We reached Gumbinnen none too soon. We all five of us

received a billet, and had a very warm room and some straw.

The first thing we did after we were installed was to inquire if

anything to eat and drink was to be had for money. The villager, who

looked like a good fellow, said he would do his best to get us what we

wanted; an hour later he brought us soup, roast goose and potatoes,

beer and gin. We devoured it with our eyes, but, unhappily, the goose

was so tough that we could eat only very little of it, and that little

nearly choked us; we were reduced to potatoes.

With Sergeant-Major Oudict, I went into the town to see if we could

find anything to buy. Chance led us to a house where Oudict met a

Surgeon-Major, a fellow-countryman. He was quartered with the remnant

of the regiment, two officers, and three soldiers. They were in a

pitiable condition; they had almost all lost their toes and hands.

While we were here a man offered to sell us a horse and sledge, which

we eagerly purchased for the sum of eighty francs.

The next day, the 18th, after having made an attempt to eat our goose,

which was no more tender than the day before, we mounted our sledge

and set out for Wehlau, where we were to sleep; but we were hardly

outside the town before Pierson, who drove the sledge, and understood

nothing about it, turned a somersault with it, broke the shaft, and

threw us out upon the snow. We were near a house, which we entered to

get the sledge mended; while the peasant was busy at the job, we warmed

ourselves, but when we came to set out again our weapons were gone. The

Prussians had taken our muskets, piled up against the door. We shouted,

we swore: 'We will have our arms, or we will set fire to the house!'

But the peasant swore in his turn that he had seen nothing of them. We

had to make up our minds to leave without them. Happily, after about an

hour's progress, we met a waggon which had left Gumbinnen that morning

with a consignment of muskets for the Imperial Guard, so we were able

to get others. Finally, at three o'clock we reached Wehlau.

We saw more than 2,000 soldiers gathered together near the Hôtel de

Ville, waiting for their billets. A big Prussian rascal came up to us,

and told us, if we cared about it, we could lodge with him for a small

sum; he had a well-warmed room, straw for us to sleep on, and a stable

for our horse. We accepted eagerly. On reaching his house, he put the

horse in the stable, and made us mount to the second floor, and there

showed us a room only passably clean; it was the same with the straw,

but it was warm--that was the essential.

A woman appeared, nearly six feet high, with a veritable Cossack face.

She told us that she was the mistress of the house, and that if we

needed anything we had only to give her some money, and she would go

and fetch it. This was just what we wanted, for we had none of us any

inclination to go out. I gave her five francs to bring us some bread,

meat, and beer. She brought us all three shortly afterwards. Soup was

made, and after having eaten, and seen that the horse was cared for, we

slept till the following morning.

Before leaving, we gave our hostess a five-franc piece for the night,

but she told us that was not enough. We gave her a second; but still

this did not meet her reckoning. She required five francs a head for

each man, and one more for the horse.

At that I told her that she was a cheat, and that she should have no

more. She passed her hand over my face, and answered: 'Poor little

Frenchman! Six months ago that was all very well--you were the

stronger; but to-day things are different. You are going to give me

what I ask, or I will keep my husband from putting the horse into the

sledge, and have you taken by the Cossacks!' For reply, I told her that

I snapped my fingers at the Cossacks and at the Prussians. 'Oh yes,'

she answered; 'but you wouldn't say so if you knew they were close at

hand.' On this, seeing the whole wickedness of the woman, I caught her

by the neck to strangle her, but she was the stronger; she threw me

down upon the straw, and tried, in her turn, to strangle me. Luckily,

a kick behind from one of my comrades made her get up. Just then the

husband came in; but he received a great blow from his dear wife's

fist. She was like a fury, telling him he was no more than a great

coward, and that if he did not instantly go and fetch the neighbours

and the Cossacks she would tear his eyes out. As we were five against

two, we prevented them leaving the house, and forced them to harness

the horse to the sledge. But we had to give what this female scoundrel

demanded; there was no time for bargaining, the Cossacks being close

by. Before leaving, I told this she-devil that, should I come back, I

would make her return the money we had given her, with interest. She

replied to this by spitting in my face. I wanted to strike her with the

butt-end of my musket, but my comrades kept me back.

We mounted the sledge to get away as quickly as possible.

This day, December 19th, we were to sleep at Insterbourg, where we

arrived by nightfall. We were quartered with some worthy people.

The next day, the 20th, fell on a Sunday. We left at daylight, in order

to sleep at Eylau. There we repaired at once to the town-hall, and

without any difficulty obtained our billets. We were with good people

again; we found a fire in the room, and each of us was offered a glass

of gin. Afterwards our hostess went in search of our rations, taking

our billet with her, for the inhabitants had just received orders to

supply us with provisions.

When we were warmed and had rested a little, we made up our minds,

while waiting for our soup, to pay a visit to the field of battle.

We walked over most of it, and saw several simple wooden crosses. We

noticed one in particular, with this inscription:

'Here rest twenty-nine officers of the brave 14th (line regiment),

who died on the field of honour.'[70]

After making some notes on the placing of the troops the day of this

terrible battle, we entered the town, which appeared to us deserted.

It was Sunday, and on account of the season the inhabitants were shut

up in their houses, and we were the only Frenchmen about, the others

having taken another direction.

Returning to our lodging, we stretched ourselves out on the straw while

waiting for our meal.

Hardly were we settled down, when a Prussian veteran entered to warn

us that Cossacks had been seen on a hill about a quarter of a league

from the town, and that he advised us to be off as quickly as possible.

As it was only too true, we made hasty preparations for departure. Our

meat, barely half cooked, we packed up in straw.

Our peasant set off with us to put us in the right road. On reaching

it, he pointed the Cossacks out to us, upon a hill. There were more

than thirty. The weather was foggy; the snow had not ceased to fall

since our departure. We had not gone half a league before night

overtook us. We met two peasants and asked them if there was still

far to go before we got to a village. They told us a large wood would

have to be crossed first; but that we should find to the right, about

twenty-five paces from the road, an inn, owned by a forest-keeper,

and that we might be able to lodge there. After about half an hour's

progress, we reached the house indicated. It was nine o'clock; we had

gone four leagues.

Before the door was opened we were asked who we were and what we

wanted. We answered that we were Frenchmen, soldiers of the Imperial

Guard, and that we wanted, for payment, lodging, food, and drink. The

door was instantly opened, and we were made welcome. We first put up

our horses in the stable. Then we were shown into a large room, where

we saw three Chasseurs of the Guard laid on the straw. They had arrived

during the day, but in worse plight than ours, for they had lost their

horses, and, although their feet were frozen, they were thus forced to

go on foot. Something was brought us to eat, and then we lay down and

slept like the blessed.

On waking, we were surprised not to see the Chasseurs, but we learned

from the master of the house that about an hour previously a Jew,

travelling with a sledge, had offered to drive them three leagues for

two francs, and that they had eagerly accepted. We heard this news with

delight. After paying five francs--all that was asked--for our horse

and ourselves, we set out, our host advising us to follow the track of

the sledge in front of us.

We had a nine leagues' journey that day, and reached Heilsberg, where

we were to sleep, by nightfall.

We first repaired to the burgomaster for our billets; we were lucky

enough to find ourselves all told off to the same house, where we were

fairly well received. Six Chasseurs of the Guard were there already.

They gave us soup, meat, a quantity of good potatoes, and beer; we

asked for wine, which of course we paid for. They procured us some at

a thaler (four francs) a bottle, which was good and not dear. Before

lying down to sleep on some good straw, we asked our hostess to have

something ready for us by five o'clock in the morning, for we had a

long stretch between us and our next halting-place.

The next day, December 22nd, we rose very early. A servant appeared,

bringing us a candle; we ordered him to see to the horse, promising

him a _pourboire_ when he was ready harnessed to the sledge. Soup was

brought us--in fact, everything we asked for. So each of us flattered

our hostess, calling her 'Good woman! beautiful creature!' and giving

her little slaps on the back and arms. When our meal was over, we

prepared to set off; the sledge was ready, and we were bidding good-bye

to the woman, when she suddenly said:

'This is all very well, gentlemen, but before leaving don't forget to

pay me.'

'What! pay you! We are billeted on you! You have to feed us!'

'Yes,' she answered, 'that holds good for yesterday, but for what you

have had to-day I must have two thalers (ten francs).'

I declared I would not pay; but when the woman saw that we were getting

ready to leave without giving her any money, she ordered the door to be

shut, and a dozen great Prussian rascals entered, armed with big sticks

the thickness of my arm. It was not a case for discussion; we paid and

went away. _Autre temps, autre moeurs._ Now we were the weaker.

The Chasseurs had left while we were breakfasting. We had still two

days' journey to Elbing, twelve leagues; and, as we did not wish to

tire our horse, we made up our minds to put up at three leagues from

the town.

After going about a league, we saw several sledges coming on our

left, also going towards Elbing. This made us think we could not have

followed the road taken by the remnant of the army, and that, instead

of going to Eylau, we ought to have taken the direction of Friedland.

A large-sized sledge, drawn by two powerful horses, passed close by us.

It was going so swiftly that we could not distinguish to what regiment

the men in it belonged. In about half an hour's time we caught sight of

a good house. It turned out to be a posting-station, and an inn also.

There were several soldiers of the Guard at the door, setting out on

sledges that had been procured for them.

We dismounted and entered, asking for wine, as we had been just told

that there was plenty of it and very good. The men who told us seemed

to have themselves partaken copiously; they were both in a state of

wild gaiety. This happened to almost all those who, like ourselves, had

endured so much misery and privation. The least amount of drink went

to our heads. One of them asked us if we had met the regiment of Dutch

Grenadiers who had formed a part of the Imperial Guard.

We said, 'No.'

'It passed you,' said the Vélite, 'and yet you didn't see it? That big

sledge that overtook you contained the entire Dutch regiment! There

were seven of them!'

The posting-master told the two soldiers that there was a sledge at

their disposal, and that he would drive them the three leagues to

Elbing for fifteen francs. As they had a driver, we decided to go with

them, and five minutes later we were on the way.

Grangier and I were unwell and dreadfully sick. This was the result

of our being unaccustomed to nourishing food; we ought to have taken

it quietly, by degrees. We resolved to do this in future. On reaching

a village, we each took a glass of Dantzig gin, and went on again

till we reached the village where we were to put up. It was night; we

presented ourselves at the burgomaster's to get our billet, but were

brutally refused, and told that the only place for us to sleep in was

the street. We had something to say about this, but the door was shut

in our faces. We went to several inns where we asked for a lodging,

offering payment, but everywhere we met with the same reception.

We decided, and the Chasseurs also, that we would keep together, that

they should make use of our sledge, and that, as it was not big enough

to hold us all, two should each go on foot in turn.

In this way we meant to try and reach some village where we might find

the inhabitants more hospitable. At about a gun-shot off, we caught

sight of a house a little way back from the road. We made up our mind

to force a lodging, if they would not take us in with a good will.

However, the peasant told us that he would lodge us with pleasure; but

that if it was known to the villagers, he would suffer for having given

us shelter. If no one had seen us enter, he would risk putting us up.

We assured him that no one had seen us, that he could take us without

any fear, and that before we left we would give him two thalers. He

seemed very pleased, and his wife still more so, and we established

ourselves round the stove.

While the man was out, putting our horse up in the stable, the woman

came up to us and told us in a low voice, and all the time looking to

see if her husband was coming, that the peasants were ill-disposed

towards the French, for this reason: When the army passed through in

May, some Chasseurs of the Guard had been quartered for a fortnight

in the village; and one of them, who stayed at the burgomaster's, was

so young and handsome that all the women and girls flocked to their

doors to see him. He was quarter-master. It happened one day that the

burgomaster caught him kissing and embracing his wife, with the result

that the lady got a thrashing. The quarter-master, in his turn, beat

the burgomaster. The lady is now in a certain condition, and the fault

is put down to the quarter-master. We all listened, and smiled at the

way in which the woman related the story.

'That is not all,' she continued; 'there are three other women in the

village in the same condition as the burgomaster's wife, and that is

why they mean mischief towards the French, such handsome fellows as

they are.' She had scarcely uttered the words before the old soldier

had risen, caught her round the neck, and kissed her.

'Take care! here is my husband!' she cried.

And in he came, telling us that he had fed the horse, and would give

him something to drink presently; but that, if we wanted to oblige him,

we would set off before daybreak, so that no one might know that he had

taken us in.

'I have a sledge,' he said, 'and for a small consideration I will drive

those of you who have none.'

The Chasseurs accepted.

They now served us with milk, soup, and potatoes; afterwards we lay

down to sleep fully dressed, with our arms loaded.

The next day, the 23rd, the peasant came to awaken us before four in

the morning, saying that it was time we set out. We paid the woman,

kissed her, and took our leave.

At a second village the inhabitants mobbed us, throwing stones and

snowballs. We reached one of the suburbs of Elbing, and stopped at an

inn to warm ourselves, for the cold had increased. We had some coffee

there, and at nine o'clock we entered the town with the rest of the

army who had arrived, like ourselves, but by other roads.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 59: This Sergeant Daubenton was a veteran who had been

through the Italian campaigns.--_Author's Note._]

[Footnote 60: This dwelling was a Gothic castle, of which many are to

be found in Spain.--_Author's Note._]

[Footnote 61: _Ruban de queue_: a soldier's expression to designate a

long march.--_Author's Note._]

[Footnote 62: _Monter à la roue_: an expression used by old soldiers to

indicate the taking of money from the waggons abandoned on the mountain

of Ponari.--_Author's Note._]

[Footnote 63: It was the convent that I had visited on June 20th, at

the time of the passage of the Niemen.--_Author's Note._]

[Footnote 64: I have learnt that Marie is still living, and is a member

of the Legion of Honour, and decorated with the St. Helena medal. She

resides at Namur.--_Author's Note._ Bourgogne died in 1867.]

[Footnote 65: Boucsin is the slang for noise (_tapage_). In this case

the drummer's nickname was his real one.]

[Footnote 66: Colonel Richard, ex-commanding officer at Condé, was one

among them. He and I have often spoken of the incident.--_Author's

Note._]

[Footnote 67: This Cossack, whose face the sergeant cut with his

sabre, was the one I saw in the wood, and whose face his comrades

bandaged.--_Author's Note._]

[Footnote 68: The gunner was mistaken as to the number of Cossacks,

for I learned from one of my friends who was there that they were not

more than 250, probably those whom the burgomaster spoke of to the two

brothers.--_Author's Note._]

[Footnote 69: This Mameluke was named Angelis, and we knew each other

in Spain. He was one of the Mamelukes whom the Emperor had brought from

Egypt; only a few of this fine body escaped the fatalities of this

campaign.--_Author's Note._]

[Footnote 70: Besides 590 non-commissioned officers and

soldiers.--_Author's Note._]