surprise and relief, that he had fallen into a heavy sleep, which was
a restorative he particularly needed. On looking from the window,
I say my aunt, almost incapacitated by her fears, attempting to catch
the poultry, in which the dragoons alternately helped and hindered her,
roaring with laughter when a hen flew shrieking over their heads, and
then abusing my aunt. They were quickly caught and plucked, and set,
some to roast, some to broil, according to their capricious mandates;
and then, when everything was in as fair train for their disorderly
feast as it well could be (two or three additional fires having been
kindled), one of them said, "Let us divert the time with a little good
music;" and began to beat a drum.

"Louder! louder!" cried his comrades. "Let's have a chorus of drums!"
How they came to have so many, I know not, except that they were brought
for the special purpose of tormenting; but they produced six or eight,
slung them round their necks, and began to beat them, crying,--

"Now for the tour of the house!"

"Sure my uncle must be dead!" thought I, leaning over him anxiously. But
no, his breath came and went, though inaudibly, and had he been allowed
to finish his sleep in peace it might have been for his healing.

Instead of this, I heard the dragoons come stamping upstairs, producing
a muffled roll on their drums that sounded like muttering thunder. They
went into one room after another, and speedily reached that of my uncle,
on catching sight of whom they triumphantly exclaimed, "Hah! ha! v'lâ
notre ami! Here is he whom we seek, and for whom we prepare the
reveille." And ranging themselves round his bed in a moment of time, in
spite of a warning gesture from me, it being impossible for my voice to