view served to sustain him. They had had a hard time of it since they
left Rheims, making nearly forty miles in two days' marching; if they
could maintain the pace and if they kept straight on in the direction
they were pursuing, there could be no doubt that they would destroy
the second German army and effect a junction with Bazaine before the
third, the Crown Prince of Prussia's, which was said to be at
Vitry-le Francois, could get up to Verdun.

"Oh, come now! I wonder if they are going to let us starve!" was
Chouteau's remark when, at seven o'clock, there was still no sign of
rations.

By way of taking time by the forelock, Jean had instructed Loubet to
light the fire and put on the pot, and, as there was no issue of
firewood, he had been compelled to be blind to the slight irregularity
of the proceeding when that individual remedied the omission by
tearing the palings from an adjacent fence. When he suggested knocking
up a dish of bacon and rice, however, the truth had to come out, and
he was informed that the rice and bacon were lying in the mud of the
Saint-Etienne road. Chouteau lied with the greatest effrontery
declaring that the package must have slipped from his shoulders
without his noticing it.

"You are a couple of pigs!" Jean shouted angrily, "to throw away good
victuals, when there are so many poor devils going with an empty
stomach!"

It was the same with the three loaves that had been fastened outside
the knapsacks; they had not listened to his warning, and the
consequence was that the rain had soaked the bread and reduced it to