Although my Sergeant-major had altered his behaviour towards me,
he could only help me in the squadron, having no power over the
_Volontaires_, who were under the absolute command of Sergeant Legros.
Captain Hermann, who was nominally our chief, and who was supposed to
give us lectures twice a week, never took the trouble to do so, and
we scarcely ever saw him for more than a few minutes at a time. He
left, in fact, the whole of our instruction in Legros' hands, and the
latter's powers seemed to become greater every week.
Hitherto, whenever we had wanted to apply for leave we used to send
our application through the usual channel, handing it over to our
Sergeant-major, who transmitted it to the Captain; but the Colonel
issued a regimental order to the effect that in future any _Volontaire_
wishing to get leave would have to apply for it through Sergeant
Legros. Our Captain also strictly forbade us to apply for ten o'clock
or midnight leave from the officer of the week (to whom all such
demands were made by the other troopers), and told us that in future we
should have to apply on the Saturday to Sergeant Legros for any leave
we might wish to obtain. He added that any _Volontaire_ who applied for
leave to the Lieutenant of his company, or to the Sergeant-major, would
be punished with eight days' _Salle de Police_ for having done so. It
is needless to say that I never obtained a single day's regular leave
after that; but I cared little, as my Sergeant-major had become so
friendly to me that he used to give me whatever leave I wanted.
It was at about this time that I met with rather a serious accident. I
was leading my mare and two other chargers to the watering-tank, when
one of the chargers was bitten by the other, and rearing straight up in
the air, came down on my mare, who fell down on the top of me. I was
much bruised and nearly stunned, but fortunately no bones were broken.
I was led to the dispensary, and, after examining me, the doctor
ordered that I should be detained there. I have already explained that
there was a ward in the place where sick troopers who were not ill
enough to be sent to hospital were placed under medical treatment.
The ward contained twelve beds, and adjoining it were two rooms for
non-commissioned officers. The beds were of the usual military type,
and the sick troopers were only allowed the ordinary rations: those
who could afford it, however, being at liberty to send for extra food
from the canteen. There were no nurses attached to the dispensary,
and it was superintended by a Corporal assisted by one trooper. I
confess that I far preferred being there to going to the hospital.
During the ten days I passed in the dispensary I made great friends
with the Sergeant, who was himself sick. He had enlisted before his
time for conscription was due, and his aim was to work his way up to
a commission from the ranks; but although he had served already three
years, he was thoroughly disgusted with military service, and had made
up his mind to leave it at the end of his five years' engagement. He
explained to me that he stood absolutely no chance of being sent to the
Saumur school, as only three Sergeants were selected every year, and,
although he had passed the examination some time previously, he was
only fourth on the list. He ought by rights to have been the second,
but the two candidates who were classed second and third had taken that
rank through their fathers' influence, one of them being the son of
an ex-Minister of State and the other of an influential Senator. The
Sergeant had but one more chance, and he felt sure that another job
would be perpetrated, as among the next candidates stood the Colonel's
nephew and two sons of Generals. He added that his only chance would
be to re-enlist for another five years, but he was not inclined to do
this. He was a thorough gentleman, and had had an excellent education,
and he naturally hated the life he led among ignorant comrades--men who
had no idea of common decency, and who were addicted to the grossest
immorality.[41]
As _Volontaires_ had only to serve for one year instead of for the five
during which the other troopers had to be under the flag, military
instruction had to be carried out a good deal more rapidly than in the
case of the ordinary recruits. As soon, therefore, as we had become
proficient in the use of our arms on horseback, and showed that we
understood thoroughly drilling on foot by _peloton_, we were put
through mounted drill by _peloton_. We were taught to walk, trot, and
gallop in two ranks, to wheel to the right and to the left, to break
off by fours and by twos, and then to form again into line, each one
of us having to act in turn as commander of the company. At first we
had to execute all these movements without stirrups, and a good deal of
time was also devoted to the improvement of our riding capacities. In
this respect our instruction was first-rate. We were first taken over
jumps singly, being taught to trot our chargers until we got within
twelve to fifteen feet of the jump, when we had to let go the reins
and get over the jump with our hands behind our backs. We also had to
do the same with drawn swords, and without holding the reins, the same
movements being repeated with the carbine held on the leg. Then we had
to repeat the exercises by twos and by fours, and after some time we
were taken over the jumps in two ranks. We were also taught to pass
through the _défilé_, a most difficult manoeuvre.
In order to complete the regulation number of thirty troopers which
form a _peloton_, some old troopers were added to our ranks. We were
then started at a gallop, wheeled round, and brought in front of the
_défilé_. This, as I explained before, consisted of a narrow lane
between two high hurdles, and was just broad enough to allow four
troopers to ride abreast. When we got within twenty yards of the
_défilé_, we had to form fours, and the moment we had gone through it
we had to form once more in line. The passage through the crater at
full gallop was also a most exciting exercise. The two troopers riding
in the centre of the line had to pass down the bottom of the crater
while the others rode on the slope; the centre of the front had to
increase his pace so as to keep our lines perfectly straight, and as we
came out of the crater our two lines had to be unbroken.
I was much astonished at the manner in which we were taught to charge.
Instead of charging in serried ranks, the moment the command "Charge!"
was given, every trooper had to force his horse forward as hard as he
could go, without troubling to keep in line; in fact, it resembled a
race rather than the onset of a compact mass. The troopers of the front
rank charged with the points of their swords held forward, while those
of the second rank held their swords high up, ready to cut down their
men, and as soon as the command had been given every trooper had to
shout at the top of his voice three times, "Charge! Charge! Charge!"
This, with the clattering of the scabbards against our spurs, drove the
chargers to the highest pitch of excitement, and every one of them went
for all he was worth. We were also taught to charge in serried ranks,
but it was explained to us that in case of war this mode of charging
would hardly ever be used, as it would enable modern artillery to
destroy whole regiments before they had been able to reach the enemy.
The charge over, the bugle sounded "Assembly" (_Ralliement_), and at
this command we had to re-form our line.
At the beginning of April we underwent a second examination before a
board consisting of the Captain and the Commander of the _Volontaires_,
the _Capitaine Instructeur_, and one of the Majors. The three
_Volontaires_ who obtained the first places were nominated Corporals
after the examination. One of them certainly fully deserved his
promotion, but the two others only obtained it through interest; one
of them in particular, who is now Duc de ----, ought by rights to have
been classed among the two last, but his family was able to put great
pressure on our Colonel, and one of our Lieutenants, who was his first
cousin, helped him to obtain a place on the list to which he was in no
way entitled. The same thing happens in the case of the promotion of
officers in France, and in some cases undeserved favour is shown in an
absolutely shameful way. I am well aware that in all countries of the
world family interest goes a long way--in this country it is hard to
get on without it--but at least it may be said that the recipients of
special favours have always something to show to their credit, while
this is far from being the case under the French Republic.
After we had passed our half-yearly examination we began our duty as
trained soldiers in earnest, and besides company drill we were taken to
the shooting-range once a week, one day being also devoted to service
in the field. Our shooting, I confess, was very poor, but this was
chiefly due to the bad sighting of our carbines, none of which were
true. They were theoretically sighted up to a thousand yards, but could
not be relied on above three hundred. The range was in the middle of
the forest, in an opening among stately trees, and the target stood
at the foot of a small hill. While firing was going on two of us were
sent to patrol the approaches on each side of the targets, as quite a
number of poor people used, at the risk of their lives, to lurk behind
the targets in order to pick up the bullets. The patrols had strict
orders to prevent any one from approaching within two hundred yards
of the butts, and we had to keep a very sharp look-out, for these
bullet-collectors were up to many dodges to evade us. All of a sudden,
for instance, a couple of them showed themselves on the road leading
to the open space between the troopers and the target, and although we
shouted hard to warn them off, they pretended to be deaf and not to
hear us. We had, of course, therefore, to gallop towards them, and as
we came up to them they pretended to be wood-gatherers on their way
home. Meanwhile, half a dozen others had crawled under the bushes a
couple of hundred yards behind the targets, and we had thus to start
off once more at full gallop to clear the place of the new intruders,
as the shooting had to be interrupted the moment they came in view.
It was for that reason that the best riders, mounted on the fastest
chargers, were usually selected for this patrol work, and I usually
managed to be sent out. I thoroughly enjoyed the work, as it gave me
the chance of a good gallop over rough ground, and more than once we
had quite exciting chases across country after the most obdurate of the
law-breakers. I say "we," as after a short time it became necessary to
post two troopers on each side of the targets, this decision having
been come to on account of an accident which happened while the
infantry were practising. An old woman had managed to creep, unseen by
the sentry, right across the line of fire, and just then a volley was
fired and she received two bullets in her body.
I cannot speak at all highly of the way in which we were taught
field service. We were supposed to learn how to direct ourselves,
how to reach a specified point with the help of a map, and how to
report on the country we had been across. The explanations given to
us by our Sergeant showed that he knew very little about the subject
himself, and I am certain that none of us ever understood a word of
his explanations. I was perhaps the only trooper who knew anything
technically about topography, having begun at a very early age to go
in for mountain-climbing; and as this became a regular hobby with
me I had studied map-making, and had learnt not only to read the
smallest details of the map, but also to find my way among the greatest
difficulties, a detailed map representing to me not only the roads, but
also the whole contour of the country, and the nature of its surface.
During the few years preceding my service I had also explored the
French Alps, forming the frontier between France and Italy, of which
no map had then been published, and I had never failed to make rough
surveys and triangulations with the help of the prismatic compass, an
instrument of which I suppose our Sergeant had never even heard. It
was a great pity that we were never accompanied by an officer on these
field-days; but I do not remember our Captain turning up more than once
during the three months this part of our education lasted. We were
also taught, after a fashion, how to take to pieces and to lay down a
railway line, and two or three times we were shown how to use dynamite.
Such was our work during April and May; it could certainly have been
made most interesting but for the terror we always stood in of being
punished. So far as I was concerned, I do not remember a fortnight
elapsing without my being sent to the _Salle de Police_, usually for
the most absurd reasons. Another great mistake which was committed
was that of never allowing us any personal initiative; and we did not
even dare to ask for any explanations. One or two of the _Volontaires_
having ventured to do so met with a rebuff, accompanied by a punishment.
Shortly after the half-yearly examination we were also told off to
take the guard according to the roll in our different squadrons.
As our regiment had only the barrack guard to supply, an individual
trooper's turn only came about once a month. Ordinary troopers were
allowed to get a comrade to take their turn for them, but the Colonel
issued an order to the effect that no _Volontaire_ would be allowed
to be replaced when his turn for taking the guard came round. The
troopers told off to take the barrack guard numbered six, besides a
trumpeter and two stable guards, and were commanded by a Sergeant and
a Corporal--all of them selected from the same squadron. Besides these
troopers, two stable guards from each one of the other squadrons had
to be supplied at a few minutes before 8 A.M. The troopers nominated
for guard duty met in the yard at some distance from the guard-room,
and the Sergeant in command carefully examined each man to ascertain
that his equipment was in good order. The officer of the week of the
squadron who supplied the guard also inspects the troopers' equipment,
and the _Adjudant_ of the Week stands by, and at eight o'clock sharp
marches the incoming guard past the Captain of the Week, halting the
men in front of the guard-room. He then gives the word, "Front!" and a
fresh inspection of each trooper is made by the Captain of the Week.
At the same time the outgoing guard has been formed up by a Sergeant,
and is marched away under the orders of the outgoing Sergeant, who soon
dismisses his men, and returns with the Corporal to hand the service
over to the Sergeant who replaces him. He has also to make his report
to the Captain of the Week, or to the _Adjudant_ in the absence of the
former. The sentries are then relieved by the incoming Corporal and
sent back to their rooms. All the troopers who have been on guard the
previous day are excused from duty for four and twenty hours. The first
time I took the guard, the Captain of the Week was an old Captain who
was a perfect disgrace to the regiment. He was constantly drunk, and
while at one time he would abuse the troopers in the vilest fashion, at
another he would display a familiarity which was most embarrassing.
That morning, being in one of his furious moods, he found something to
say about the equipment of every one of us, called us a set of dirty
pigs, and told our Sergeant that he was a worse pig than any of us.
"When I was a youngster," he added, "things were different. Then we had
soldiers--then we had an Emperor; but now that is the lot of swine one
has to command," pointing out to us. "Look here," he went on, "they
have given me the Legion of Honour, but I am ashamed of it; and you
see," pointing to the decoration on his breast, "their d---- Republic;
I've put the head the other way, so that it should not be seen!"
He then ordered the _Adjudant_ to dismiss us. He walked into the
guard-room, where a wooden camp-bed, similar to the one in the _Salle
de Police_, occupied the whole length of the room, while a few forms,
on which we could sit, were scattered about. In a tiny recess adjoining
this room was a table. This was the portion of the guard-room reserved
for the Sergeant. We only had to supply two sentries, one in front of
the barrack gate and the other near the entrance of the forage-store
in a small side-street some two hundred yards from the barracks. Our
Corporal made out the list of the sentries and stuck on the wall a bit
of paper on which he had written our rotation. We had to be twenty-four
hours on guard duty, so that each one of us had to be on sentry-go four
times, doing two hours at a time, and with an interval of four hours
before his turn came round again. I was put on the second turn, from 10
A.M. to noon, 4 to 6 P.M., 10 to 12 P.M., and 4 to 6 A.M. The Sergeant
and Corporal were both on friendly terms with me, so that I did not
have too bad a time of it. I took a great deal of interest in the
duties of the Sergeant, and he explained to me what an awkward task his
was. Of course I was supposed to have learned before all the routine
of a Sergeant of the Guard, but merely hearing a description read out
gives one but a poor idea of what things are in practice.
The Sergeant of the Guard is of course responsible for the relieving
of sentries (though the actual duty is left to the Corporal); he has
besides to see that the trumpeter is punctual in the various calls,
he is responsible for the cleanliness of the various barrack-yards,
and of the cells, and the _Salle de Police_, and for all the sanitary
arrangements of the barracks. Whenever he requires troopers for fatigue
duty he gets the trumpeter to call the various Corporals of the Week
belonging to his squadron and tells them how many men he requires. He
has the right to call the troopers who are punished with _Salle de
Police_ or confinement to barracks, and order them for fatigue duty.
He has to examine every Sergeant, Corporal, and trooper who goes out
of barracks, and has power to prevent their going out in the event
of their outfit not being in proper order. He has also to see that
no strangers come into the barracks without proper leave. After the
night-call he sees that the doors of the barracks are closed, visits
the stables to ascertain that no horses are loose, and that the stable
guards are at their posts. He has also during the night to make rounds
outside the barracks, and in case a horse or a trooper is taken sick
and requires urgent help, he has to send round to call either the Vet.
or the doctor as the case may be. The regulations on this subject are
rather amusing, special stress being laid on the fact that the Sergeant
of the Guard must only send on such an errand an _intelligent_ trooper.
There is no doubt that a Sergeant taking the guard gets very little
opportunity for rest during the continuous twenty-four hours he is on
duty, especially if he is under the orders of a strict _Adjudant_, or
of an erratic Captain of the Week, such as Captain des Tourelles, who
was on duty the first time I took the guard.
When I took my first turn as sentry I was put outside the barrack
gates, my instructions being as follows:
In case any officer up to the rank of Captain passed me I was to
shoulder arms, and if the officer was a Major or Lieutenant-colonel
I had to present arms; in case of our Colonel coming to the barracks
I was to present arms, shouting at the same time, "Aux armes!" all
the troopers in the guard-room having to turn out and to render him
military honours. I had to prevent strangers from going out of barracks
with a parcel, and was not to let any Corporal or trooper out of
barracks if they carried a parcel or a carbine, unless the Sergeant of
the Guard gave me orders to the contrary. When I took my third turn
(from ten to twelve) I was placed as sentry before the forage-store,
and my orders were of the strictest--I had to challenge anybody passing
within ten yards of me, and in case no reply was given to my challenge,
I was to arrest the offender and to call out for help. This last order
was well-meant, but the guard-room being over three hundred yards
away, I did not see how the others could possibly hear me. I was also
ordered to prevent any one from approaching the wall of the store, and
in case the offender did not move away after being challenged three
times I had to fire on him. I had not, however, to salute any officers,
such honours being dispensed with after evening call. For the first
hour nobody passed through the street, but towards half-past eleven
I noticed Captain des Tourelles coming along; he was rather unsteady
in his gait, and had to help himself by holding on to the wall. When
he came within the regulation distance I challenged him, whereupon he
leant against the wall of the store and said: "That's all ri', my boy,
it's all ri', it's me."
I walked up to him and respectfully told him that my orders were to
allow nobody to come near the wall of the forage-store.
"It's all right," he said, "it's me."
I expostulated with him, but I could not get him to budge, and I
hardly knew what to do, when he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket
and asked me for a match. I was well aware that if I allowed him to
smoke near the forage-store I became liable to be court-martialled,
but, on the other hand, if I laid hands on an officer I should also be
court-martialled, so while he was fumbling in his pocket for a match I
said to him, "Look here, sir, this is the forage-store, and you know
that I can't let you smoke here."
"The forage-store," he replied, "the forage-store--shpose can't
smoke--here, you smoke it for me, my boy," he added, handing the
cigarette over to me.
I stuck it in my pocket and again asked him to move on.
"Yes, move on," he said; "it's all very fine to say move on, but I
sh'ld like to know first where my house is. Now where is my house?"
I knew that he lived opposite the stores, and pointed out his house to
him.
"Oh," he said, "that's my house? Funny my house getting so big all of
a sudden. Why, it's all over windows--why's that, now tell me why d' I
see so many windows?"
"It's rather foggy, sir," I replied, "that is what makes you think so.
It is your house all right, and there are only four windows to it."
"Contr'dict me," he said, "and you contr'dict your superior officer.
You will have four days' _Salle de Police_, you understan'-four days'
_Salle de Police_ for contr'dicting your superior officer. Now--just
hold on to me."
I noticed that he was ready to collapse, and putting my carbine against
the wall I held him up. After a few minutes his attack was over, and it
evidently did him good, for he seemed much steadier on his legs, and
proceeded to walk with some accuracy in the direction of his house. He
had just reached the middle of the road when he stopped and called out
to me, "Dragoon!" he said, "you are a nice old Dragoon, and there's
for you." Thereupon he handed over to me a 50-centime piece, and then
reached the door of his house with my help. I suggested his handing me
over his key, and having opened the door for him I stuck the key in his
pocket and closed the door upon him. Soon after the Corporal came to
relieve me, and I returned to the barracks.
When I reached the guard-room I went to the Sergeant's room, and told
him what had happened, but we both agreed that it would never do to
report the matter, as it never paid to "give away" an officer. I had
to be once more on sentry-go (from 4 to 6 A.M.), but I tipped one of
the troopers, who agreed to take my turn, and to remain four hours
instead of two at his post. At half-past twelve, as I was disposing
myself to lie down for a good sleep, Captain des Tourelles turned up
again. All the other troopers were lying down, and I had just left the
Sergeant's office, so the Captain pounced on me. "Trooper," he said,
"catch hold of a lantern, I want to go for a round," and at the same
time he shouted for the Sergeant and Corporal of the Guard; noticing
through the open door the Sergeant, who had begun to doze with his head
resting on his arms. As soon, however, as the Captain called out to him
he jumped up and stood at "Attention."
"_Nom de Dieu de fainéant!_" ("You d---- lazy beast!") he cried out in
a drunken voice. "There, I catch you asleep."
The Sergeant tried to excuse himself, but the Captain told him to shut
up.
"I am going with this Dragoon," he said, pointing to me, "to see
whether everything is in order, and if everything is not in order _je
t'en ficherai de dormir_. Come on," he added, turning to me, "walk in
front of me."
I prepared to do so, and asked the Captain where he wished to go.
"To the _Adjudant's_ room, of course," he replied. "Why do you stick
the light of that lantern in my eyes? Come on, walk alongside of me,
and give me your arm: you know that I am a father to all my Dragoons,
and I don't know where I have seen your face, but I like you--yes, I
like you," he went on repeating.
As we got to the staircase leading to the _Adjudant's_ room the Captain
stopped, and told me he was not going up all those stairs, and he
ordered me to go and rouse the _Adjudant_, and to tell him that if
he did not come sharp he would be sorry for it. The _Adjudant_, who
had been a gendarme, and was an old soldier of many years' standing,
having only a few months to wait to get his pension, cursed and swore
when I explained matters to him. I abstained from telling him that the
Captain was drunk, but he evidently knew the old fellow's failing, for
he muttered, as he got out of bed, "Drunk again, the old beast!" I did
not wait for him, but returned to the Captain. I found him sitting at
the bottom of the stairs dropping off into a doze; but as soon as he
heard my steps, and saw the light of my lantern, he tried to get up,
but was quite unable to do so until I helped him. He looked at me in a
stupid way, and muttered, "What do you want?" I reminded him that he
had sent me to call the _Adjudant_.
"The _Adjudant_? Oh yes, the _Adjudant_. Why isn't he here?"
"He is dressing, sir, and coming at once," I answered.
"Dressing?" he said. "What business has he to be undressed? I'm not
undressed."
Thereupon the _Adjudant_, who had donned his uniform in a remarkably
short time, came down the stairs.
He saluted, and said: "You have sent for me, sir?"
"Sent for you," slowly replied the Captain. "Oh yes--I sent for you;
why the devil didn't you come at once?"
"I was in bed, sir, and had to dress."
"Well," replied the Captain, "you had better go and undress and get
back to bed; I don't want you. I've got a Dragoon, and I have got a
lantern, and do you imagine that I want any one to show me what is
wrong? Don't stare at me like that," he added. "Go to bed, I tell you."
The _Adjudant_ saluted, and quietly returned to his room, evidently
well accustomed to such scenes.
"Come on, my Dragoon," said the Captain, taking hold of my arm, and
dragging me towards the kitchen. When we got to the door I told him
where we were.
"That is just it," he says; "it's the kitchen I want to see"; and as
we stepped in, he slipped on the dirty floor, and before I could stop
him he was sitting down besmeared with grease. He laughed, but the
fall appeared to have done him good, and to have partly recalled him
to his senses. I helped him to rise, and as he did so he turned to
me, and ordered me to light up the stove with my lantern. "That's all
right," he said, "I only wanted to see in what state the cooks had left
the kitchen. I'll give them four days' cells to-morrow for having left
their floor in such a disgraceful condition. And now I'll go home."
According to his orders I walked ahead, and, pulling himself together,
he followed me; he told me to lead him as far as the gate of the
infantry barracks, thus saving himself a _détour_ of at least 300
yards. When he got to the gate he had so far recovered that he was
able to order the infantry Sergeant to open it for him, and he walked
straight out, the Sergeant never suspecting for a moment the state
he was in. I returned to the guard-room and reported matters to the
Sergeant, who asked me to keep the matter quite dark for the sake of
the honour of the regiment.
I do not mean to suggest that the picture I have just drawn is meant
to represent the average French officer. Captain des Tourelles was,
like Lieutenant Pernot, whom I have previously mentioned, one of those
officers who had gained their commission during the Franco-Prussian
War, and who but for an accident would never have held the rank of
an officer in the French cavalry. They were therefore men of an
exceptional class no longer to be found in the French army. Most of the
cavalry officers nowadays are gentlemen, and this remark even applies
to the majority of those who have gained their commissions through the
ranks, since the examinations for the admission of cavalry Sergeants
to the school of Saumur can only be passed by men who have received
a superior education, and, as I have already stated, the Cadets of
the St. Cyr who are allowed to serve in the cavalry are selected from
amongst the most able of the candidates. I should not like to give so
high a character to the French infantry officers. From my personal
experience, as well as from all I have heard, I should say that very
few of them are gentlemen. There are, of course, exceptions, but, taken
as a class, they are certainly below the average British Sergeant in
education, manners, and military training. I am speaking here of the
subalterns, as those who reach a higher rank are either men belonging
to the middle classes, whose contact with gentlemen has improved their
manners, or men who belong to good families but have been unable to
secure the highest places as Cadets at St. Cyr.
Such, then, was my experience of the first guard I took. Twenty-four
hours on duty seems a long time, but, after all, troopers enjoy a
great deal of rest between the intervals of sentry-go, and "Taking the
guard" is really more of a hardship to Sergeants and Corporals than to
the troopers themselves. Where it becomes a real burden is in Paris,
or other great towns where the various regiments have to supply a
considerable number of men for different guards, so that the Sergeants
may be called upon to take the guard as often as twice a week, and even
the troopers cannot expect more than a week's immunity.
FOOTNOTE:
[41] The picture he drew of the average Sergeant was not an inviting
one, but all he told me was quite in accord with the description
given in a book published later on--"Sous-Offs," by Lucien Descares.
This book was written by a _Volontaire_ who had served at Evreux in
the Duc de Chartres' regiment, both under the Duke himself and under
the Colonel who had replaced the former when he was expelled from
the French army. The latter officer was so furious with the work
when it appeared that he ordered it to be burnt on a dung-hill, and
promised thirty days in prison to any trooper found reading it. The
book presents a vivid picture of the life of sergeants in a cavalry
regiment; but to appreciate it the reader must have served in the
French army himself, as it teems with military slang; I may add that
the details given are so gross that its pages cannot be perused without
disgust.