manner; he spun round the room like a pegtop,
and first with one hand, then the other, and
with each foot alternately, slapped and kicked
every man, standing at the foot of his bed on
purpose; then, tumed a somersault, and finished
off with a few of the most admired steps of the
cancan, and a grotesque imitation of the colonel
in a rage.

I could not resist joining in the laugh at this
performance, but I grew quite nervous about
this little man, who would jump over you when
you least expected it, whirl you round like a top
as he was proceeding to his duties, or come
down on you at any moment with his wordy
joke. It was my fortune to have him as my drill
instructor, and then I was always in fear of the
little compliments he paid me before an
admiring audience. He would tell me, that that
foot I was holding out, belonged to me, though
I did not appear to be aware of it; and that if
the stones really interfered with my keeping my
balance, he would allow me to pick them all up
out of the yard after drill. When he had got
me into the most uncomfortable position I had
ever been put into in my life, he would turn
round to some officers or other persons present,
and desire them to "admire the curiosity he
had received from London;" one day he pointed
me out to the colonel as an "English machine
of the latest importation." Nevertheless, I felt
that it was my good fortune that I had him for
my instructor. He was untiring in his endea-
vours to drill me into a soldier. He would stand
before me and execute a movement over and over
again, and whenever he showed any sign of
impatience it was only in jokes at my expense.
I was drilled for about six months. At the end
of that time I was admitted as clerk in the
treasurer's office, where I began to study
the administration of the French army, and
to prepare myself to compete for the rank of
corporal.

Notwithstanding Corporal de Bonfils's
prognostication, "that a man with rosbif in his
blood could never make an active soldier," I be-
came as lithesome and smart as any troupier
Fr-r-rançais! I even played at "rat" one day
with Corporal de Bonfils, and succeeded in
mystifying him.

The game of "rat" is essentially a military
pastime, and is very much encouraged in the
French army: so much so, indeed, that it is not
rare to see officers join in the sport with private
soldiers. On such occasions the whole regiment
will meet to see the fun. In the cavalry,
the game is mostly played in winter, when the
intemperance of the weather will not allow
exercise in the open air. The infantry play it at
all times of the year. It is played thus: the
infantry generally choosing a smooth green or
meadow: the cavalry always using the riding-
school. A stout pole is firmly planted in the
centre of the place. Two ropes, about half an
inch thick, with a noose at the end of each, are
fixed to the pole in such a manner, that a man
holding the lower end can run round and round
without winding the ropes round the pole. One
of the ropes is twenty-two feet, long (say) and
the other only twenty. Whether the ropes be
made longer or shorter, there must always be a
difference of two feet between their respective
lengths. The ropes being fixed, the lookers-on
must stand out of the reach of the longer one.
Two advance and draw lots who shall be "rat"
and who shall be "cat." This being decided,
each man seizes his rope, the rat taking the
longer of the two, and they stand, opposite to
one another, the umpire blindfolds them, delivers
to cat a tough knotted handkerchief, and to rat
a little wooden saw and a small board— these
rubbed together go c-r-r-r-ack — crack! Everything
being ready, the umpire says "Cherche!"
and then the sport begins. The cat's object is
to get up to the rat, and belabour him with the
knotted handkerchief. The rat's object is to
avoid the cat's favours, and at the same time,
with sundry manoeuvres of his rope, to bring cat
down upon his nose. Rat is obliged to squeak
at least once in every minute. When cat hears
one of these squeaks he rushes either right or
left; rat expecting him, lowers his shorter
rope, and often succeeds in flooring the cat.
Presently, cat will be seen to sneak up to
rat, who is listening anxiously for him. Each
hardly breathes. Rat hearing nothing, and
little suspecting that the cat is only half a foot
from him, ventures upon a little c-r-r-rack,
which is immediately answered by thwack,
thwack, and off they both rush, until rat
suddenly stopping, and lowering the rope,
down comes cat. When the players are tired,
two others take their places.

This game, simple as it may seem when thus
described, is very fascinating to French soldiers.
There is something of warfare in it, and they
say that it makes men very sharp and cunning
in the dark; it also teaches them many devices
by which they can stealthily approach an enemy,
whether to surprise or watch him.

In the spring my drill was over. But about
this time we had to perform some marches,
which highly interested me. They were called
"Marches Militaires," and when I heard they
were to take place, I, of course, referred to
the regulations to see what I should have
to do. The first thing I discovered was anything
but satisfactory. On these marches arms
and baggage are carried. The unmounted
soldiers accompany their respective squadrons
on foot— I was one of the unmounted. Sometimes
the marches lasted a day or two; then we
had to bivouac, and this was at first very
unpleasant; but the precautions taken to prevent
our catching cold, and to ensure our comfort
and health, I thought then, and think now,
excessive.

In the first place, if the weather were chilly,
we were obliged to march in close order— for
warmth. As the day grew warmer, the ranks
were opened, so that we should not be incommoded
by dust and perspiration. As soon as
we began to perspire, delirious sergeants, captains,
and lieutenants, trotted about our columns
shouting to men to button up their coats if