road.

In the meantime General Bourgain-Desfeuilles, commanding the brigade,
had found quarters suited to his taste in the little farmhouse toward
which the designs of Loubet and his companions were directed. He had
discovered something that had the semblance of a bed and was seated at
table with a roasted chicken and an omelette before him; consequently
he was in the best of humors, and as Colonel de Vineuil happened in
just then on regimental business, had invited him to dine. They were
enjoying their repast, therefore, waited on by a tall, light-haired
individual who had been in the farmer's service only three days and
claimed to be an Alsatian, one of those who had been forced to leave
their country after the disaster of Froeschwiller. The general did not
seem to think it necessary to use any restraint in presence of the
man, commenting freely on the movements of the army, and finally,
forgetful of the fact that he was not an inhabitant of the
country, began to question him about localities and distances. His
questions displayed such utter ignorance of the country that the
colonel, who had once lived at Mezieres, was astounded; he gave such
information as he had at command, which elicited from the chief the
exclamation:

"It is just like our idiotic government! How can they expect us to
fight in a country of which we know nothing?"

The colonel's face assumed a look of vague consternation. He knew that
immediately upon the declaration of war maps of Germany had been
distributed among the officers, while it was quite certain that not
one of them had a map of France. He was amazed and confounded by what
he had seen and heard since the opening of the campaign. His