We charged a body of sergents de ville who were
coming up, and then scampered back to barracks;
for the populace were becoming too strong
for us, and we were determined not to be
tempted into shedding blood. Up to the very
barrack-gates they pursued us, throwing everything
they could lay their hands upon, and we
were only preserved from perhaps serious hurt
by the guard turning out and surrounding us.
The guard made us prisoners, and the sergeant
put down the name of each man as he passed
through the gates. Hugo, who was on guard,
stood near me. I asked him to let me pass
by him into the crowd, for if I were put on the
list I knew I should lose all chance of promotion.
Hugo, hoping probably to get rid of a rival,
refused, and answered me by "Stop where you
are!" I pushed through the prisoners and
found a man at another extremity of the circle
who did not aspire to rank, and who let me pass
him. In another minute I had scaled the wall
at the back of the barracks and was looking out
of my bedroom window, telegraphing my
defiance to Hugo. The men, whose names were
taken down, were interdicted carrying the sword
in public for three months, were confined to
barracks for one month, and had eight days'
prison. As for me, I got off, on a principle
universally recognised in the French army— pas
vu, pas pris; no report from any of my accomplices
would have been listened to.

Hugo was abused right and left for his
behaviour to me. Often and often had I passed him,
and he me; in the best regulated regiments such
things are slyly done. We got to words upon
the subject, from words to taunts, and finally
compromised ourselves so gravely in the
presence of our comrades, that two officious mutual
friends declared the affair unarrangeable. Per-
mission was asked of the colonel for us to settle
our differences in a military manner, the
permission was accorded, and we pinked each other
slightly in a duel. As to the rest of the story,
the civilians clamoured so much that the
adjutant had to be broken and disgraced. He
was only reduced to the ranks, on the plea
of "extenuating circumstances." A brawl,
a fight, a civilian killed, the adjutant disgraced
(reduced), the adjutant demands to exchange
into another regiment. Accorded. Six months
after, he is sergeant in another regiment; nine
months after that, adjutant; a year after that,
officer. The old soldiers were right; the de
before his name, and the friend at the Tuileries,
were of some avail.

A few days after the business in the town, the
competition for the stripes came off. At the
last quarterly examination I was second on the
list of promotion; Hugo being first. Now, the
colonel and staff having taken their seats, the
school-books were called forth, and our names
in order of merit called out.

Hugo, Meudon, &c.

"Hugo, stand up," says the colonel.
"Supposing you were chief of the post at the
drawbridge of the southern gate, and a convoy
of waggons were to present itself for admittance,
what would you do? During war,
mind!"

"My sentinels would have stopped them at
the outer barrier," answers Hugo, "and passed
on the word to the post. I should then
immediately send out four men to examine the
waggons, to see that they contained nothing
dangerous to the safety of the place; and, being
satisfied on that head, should allow them to
proceed slowly, and at such a distance from
one another as to allow of a barrier or
drawbridge being lifted up between any two, in case
of a surprise."

"Good. Supposing one of the waggons were
to break down on one of the bridges?"

"I should immediately call the guard to arms,
and cause the barriers to be closed, and all
communications stopped."

"Why?"

"Because the breaking down of the waggon
might only be a ruse of the enemy's to keep the
bridge down."

In this way, Hugo was questioned on every detail
of the service des places: I, on the service
en campagne: and the above will serve to show
how much is expected in the French army of a
man who aspires to a corporalship. After this,
we were desired to make a soup, theoretically;
to wash shirts, in the same way; dress tents, and
drill recruits. We both answered like books,
and it was evident that we must keep our
places — Hugo first, and I second. But there
was still an operation to be gone through which
required all our energies. In the first place, to
drill a squad; in the next place, to pack our
valises, roll our cloaks, saddle and bit our horses,
and be on horseback in a few minutes. I had
the advantage over Hugo at drill, for the men
executed the commands with greater alacrity
under me than under him; not that they understood
me better, or that my tone of command
was more precise, but that there was a better
will towards me, and the men in this experience
can greatly support an aspirant.

In packing and saddling I was a good ten
minutes in advance of Hugo; hailed by the
title of corporal as soon as I came back to my
room, I was congratulated by everybody. "It
must be, it is sure to be," said my sergeant-
major; " the colonel looked at you as he looks
at future corporals." At six o'clock the decision
came out. I was corporal, and was draughted
into another company. The sensation was very
peculiar; but few persons can imagine the
gratification a French soldier experiences when he
receives the stripes. The first step has been
accomplished. From a corporal, a man may become
field-marshal; almost any step can be given to
a corporal for an act of intrepidity, while to a
private the highest reward would be a corporalship,
and, perhaps, the order of the Legion of
Honour. To be a corporal, a man must know a
great deal. A French corporal knows as much
as an English sergeant-major; he is entrusted
with the command of posts, and, on such occasions,
is not only responsible for the safety of
the posts entrusted to him, but has also the