ing, it was still going on. The crowd of German disasters. In fact, I don't know where it is troops in the town was immense; stand after going to end. Well, Herr Englander," said he stand of arms appeared, piled in fours, with the to me, "where are you bound for?" the spiked helmets on the bayonets, down all "I am going to the right of Verdun," I the side streets. Some were piled in front of answered; "to a place called Magneville. I am the churches, others were opposite the hotels told that the Second Army Corps is there, and and large buildings. There must have been if so I shall get the general commanding to give several thousand men in this little town. The me leave to follow his ambulance into the next church I saw was entirely cleared out; the altar battle."

At this moment a sergeant dashed up to the Uhlan officer's side to say that one of the wheels of the foremost provision wagon had come off, and just as we heard this the whole column came to a dead halt.

and pews were all gone, and in their place straw "It strikes me that our position here is not was strewn over the floor. On this several altogether safe. You know, we are not very far hundred Prussian soldiers, rolled up in their from Verdun," he answered. "No one seems great-coats, with their knapsacks serving them to know where MacMahon is, and I, for one, as pillows, lay fast asleep. Two men kept guard have never yet been rightly told where to find a over the arms outside, which are so piled that German regiment, division, or army corps, when every man, if alarmed, has not the slightest I have inquired for one. It looks to me like indifficulty in finding his weapon. An alarm was extricable confusion; but I suppose it will all given that the French were coming while I was turn out right. We have a good. man at our looking round the church, and the order and head. He is like a spider in the middle of his quickness displayed by the men in turning out web, and knows everything, while the meshes was something wonderful. The alarm was which form the web know nothing, but do their beaten through the town by a drummer. As work just as well as if they did, Bazaine, the soon as the sentries heard it they woke a young blue-bottle, we have already got locked up lieutenant, who was sleeping on the straw by pretty safely in Metz; but still there are some the side of his men. He sprang up, and shouted, flies left which can sting." "Stand to your arms!" Without speaking a word, they all rose like one man, just as if they had all been shamming sleep, and had been expecting the alarm. They hastily rolled up their great-coats. In two minutes the knapsack was on each man's back, and the coat, rolled into sausage shape, the ends being fastened together by a little strap, was placed across each man's right shoulder. In the most silent manner they quickly left the church, and four men went to each pile of arms. When all were there the officer gave the order to put on helmets and We soon reached Etain. That town was also shoulder arms. The next minute they were in full of troops. Here our wagon drew up at the marching order; their movements were so quick, Hotel de la Couronne, whilst the Uhlan officer yet so mechanical, that they seemed to come went to report himself to the general. The from some accurate and beautiful piece of two Prussian officers with whom I had been machinery. It turned out to be a false alarm, traveling were also looking for the Second arising from a sentry, a mile off, firing his rifle, "Fall out, and pile arms," cried the lieutenant. and in five minutes the men were all on the straw again. The Prussian soldier makes a rule of sleeping whenever he gets the chance, and also of eating enough to last him three days, should fortune give him such an opportunity. After half an hour's good trot we came up to column again.

"Holloa," said the Uhlan officer," we thought we had lost you. Where did you get those horses from? They are fine beasts."

"From Jarny," was the answer. "How far is it to Etain now?"

"Did you ever see anything like this?" said the Uhlan. "We shan't die in our beds if this goes on; we can't stop for the cart. Forwards.

And the wagons got in motion again, leaving the provision wagon with four men and some rope to make the defect temporarily good.

Army Corps. In a few minutes the Uhlan officer joined us in the hotel, and he was told to pass through the Second Army Corps, and that he would find his division half starving at the next village beyond.

We all determined the best thing to be done was to secure something to eat while the horses were munching their noonday meal; so calling the host of the hotel, my friends recommended him to be quick in serving us, unless he wanted

-. The poor man was allowed to fill up the blank in any way that his imagination suggested, and in ten minutes we were served, although the place was crowded with officers, all of whom were as imperious in their demands as we had been.

"Why, it is a good hour's trot. We were to have arrived there by twelve, but it will be past one. I expect the old general will flay me alive. Our repast consisted of a thick slice of vilBut since we left we have had nothing but lanously tough meat: the waiter called it beef;

I called it horse, and I fancy I was right; but cigars in one of these houses; there's too much he would have been worse than a fool who, at wind to do it here." that hour and that place, threw away the chance The column did not stop in the village, but of getting a mouthful of meat, let it be what it we told the lad to draw up, and descending, we might. Salad and bread completed the dinner, made our way into a deserted house. It evitogether with a bottle of Chablis vieux, so that dently belonged to some well-to-do farmer, who we rose quite contented, and paid our twelve had left in a tremendous hurry; so much so, francs a piece (a disgraceful price even for war that the dinner, although placed upon the table, times), with a grin, which was a sign of more delight than some of the other officer's faces bore.

had been left untasted. There was an article in the code of war amongst these Germans, which was, that whenever a house was deserted, Most of them were storming for this, that, and there were any eatables or drinkables left and the other; the waiters, two in number, in it, these were the legitimate property of the always answered "Oui, messieurs," most finder. There were two reasons by which such politely, without ever attempting to note or ful- a proceeding was justified: one was, that when fill a single order. They just simply took any- you had eaten one meal it was quite uncertain thing they could find ready in the kitchen, and whether you would get another for days; and pitched it down in turns on one or other of the the other was, that if you left the eatables they tables, and ran away, with their fingers in their would be sure to spoil, and that if you did not ears, for a fresh load, followed by a storm of take the wine, some one else would. abuse from all sides.

Acting on these principles, we each took a We gladly took our departure from this bottle of wine and some very stale bread, and Babel, and set out on our road to Magneville. giving a bottle to our driver, whom we called The Uhlan officer rode to the front to find out Napoleon, from his likeness to the original, we the way, and we brought up the rear of the started to catch up the proviant wagons, which column, as we had done before. There is a we knew must now be a long way ahead of us. feeling of safety about numbers, or else, had we We ascended the cart, and the horses trotted been so inclined, we might have passed the gaily onwards; they were fine, strong beasts, other wagons, and gone on alone, but we chose with broad chests, and our driver, Napoleon, rnmaining where we were. It was a good long was a good, civil lad; he seemed in a terrible way to Magneville, and after leaving Etain, we state of alarm, and although the Germans did gave two or three tortuous windings out of the nothing to cause him the least misgivings, he town, and then found ourselves on another looked as if he expected every moment to be long broad chaussee. shot. He answered all the questions put to him in a very tremulous voice. One officer asked him where he was during the battle on the 18th.

What is the day of the month?" asked the Uhlan lieutenant.

"The twenty-eighth of August," was the

answer.

66

And we moved on in silence till we reached Abducourt, which was a totally deserted village. 'It's very strange that there should be no Prussians quartered here," said one of the officers; "and if the Second Army Corps, numbering thirty-five thousand men, is to be supplied by the provision and ammunition wagons running up and down this road, they won't get fat on such fare; and as for their rifles and cannons, they might just as well pitch them away. Why, we have not met a single soldier or conveyance since we left the outposts before Etain."

.

Baumstein now rode up to us.

all there-father, mother, sisters, and myself; for the soldiers who passed to the front told us

that if the Prussians gained the day, we should all be murdered; and that they always tied the men to trees, and then killed the women and children before their eyes."

"Did you ever hear anything like that?" said one of the Prussian officers.

We now came to an angle where two straight roads met. Just as we were turning the corner we caught the sound of firing, and we saw a riderless horse, five hundred yards off, coming along the road to meet us at a frightful speed; "it was almost flying. Poor Napoleon nearly fainted. "Turn the horses!" we cried to him; but he was too far gone for that, so I sprang to the reins, and tugged with such haste that the wagon very nearly went over, but luck was with us. 'Now, back you go,” we said to Napoleon. He did not want telling twice. Far down the road we could see a confused (mass of horses

We ought to get a by-road to the left, now,' said this officer. "I was told I should find one after passing the first village, but I don't think the village was called Abducourt. I have lost my map, worse luck to it. What a nuisance it is! I hope we are all right."

"Before we go on any further," said an officer in the cart, "let us get out and light our

and wagons and puffs of smoke, and we could distinctly hear the sound of shots.

"Gott im Himmel," said the Prussians; "they have caught sight of us; off-off.”

Just as he passed we were able to see it was one of the sergeants, but he had got a cut over the head, and his face was covered with blood and dust to such an extent as to make him Napoleon lashed the horses into a perfect almost indistinguishable. Our eyes were now fury. The riderless horse was now close up to intently fixed on the body of chasseurs. There us. It was the Uhlan lieutenant's. As it was were somewhere about twenty of them; they passing we could see a deep sword-cut across its seemed very tolerably mounted, and were neck, and the poor brute's chest was covered quickly gaining upon us. Our horses were with blood. How it went! We must have giving evident appearances of knocking up. been going at a splendid rate to have kept that We certainly imagined that our hour had come. beast, as long as we did, in sight, for it scarcely We could distinctly see our chasseur friends' seemed to touch the ground; with neck uniforms, and we were speculating whether it stretched out, with bloodshot, rolling eyes, and might not be wiser to pull up, when Napoleon foaming mouth, and nostrils widely dilated, it called out, "Voila, voila!" We turned our shot past us. Our horses took fright and fol- eyes, and to our intense joy a troop of German lowed it. It was a fearful drive. None of us Uhlans appeared. We were about midway expected to reach Etain alive. We tore through between the two squadrons of hostile horse. the village, along the broad road; to the breadth The effect of this sight on the French was of the road we owed our safety as much as to electrifying. They wheeled round, and, in their anything, for the horses, every now and then, turn, were the pursued. made a fearful swerve, but still they kept on gallantly. Ever and anon we cast our glances of the road." behind us, but no horsemen appearing, we thought we were safe. The distance from the village to Etain was about five miles; we had got, perhaps, half of our perilous journey over, when we saw two horsemen coming after us as fast as they could tear.

"Napoleon," we cried, "draw up at the side

As the Uhlans charged past us, we stood up in the cart, and gave them a loud cheer, and actually Napoleon joined in, They answered it. Their horses looked smoking hot, and rather jaded, as if they had already done a good morning's work, but still they seemed to have There are only two of them," said one of plenty of go in them as they dashed along. the Prussians; "take out your chassepots." They did not continue the chase long, as they We placed the straw and the two portmanteaus knew no doubt that more French would come we had been sitting on at the back of the cart out of Verdun. The officer's riderless horse as a sort of barricade, and then took up posi- had dashed into Etain, and had thereby given tions behind it, so that our cart looked from the alarm, upon which a party of Uhlans, just behind nothing more than a simple cart with returning from reconnoitering, were sent out to straw in it. Between the straw and the portmanteaus there was sufficient room to fire; and as both the officers had chassepots and a few dozen cartridges, as keepsakes of Gravelotte, we were fully prepared.

see what was the matter; and, luckily for us, they came just at the right moment. When we reached Etain we found that we had taken the wrong road, and that the garrison of Verdun, instead of the poor Uhlan officer's division, Our wagon was still going at a tremendous was several wagon loads of provisions the richer pace. We could see that the two horsemen by the mistake. The whole town was under were themselves followed by a troop of French arms; long rows of infantry and heavy squadhorse, who were rapidly gaining on them. rons of horse were drawn up waiting only the Presently, there were a few puffs of smoke from word of command. As we arrived, the order the French horsemen. One of the two pursued to "fall out," was given. Cannons were unmen fell, horse and all; the other kept on. He limbered, cavalrymen led their horses back to was better mounted than his pursuers, and had their stables once more, the infantry again piled evidently been only keeping with the other, for their needle-guns before the houses they occudirectly his comrade's horse fell he bounded pied, and in almost as short a time as it takes away, and came on after us at a tremendous to relate it, the whole place was comparatively pace. Our poor beasts were getting rapidly still. The sentries again mounted guard, and tired. We were now within two miles of Etain. the officers returned to the hotels to talk over The German horseman was still being pursued, the bad luck which had attended “the captured but was rapidly distancing his pursuers, and convoy." quickly catching us up. In a few minutes he was alongside.

If misfortune comes into your house, be "Chasseurs! Chasseurs! was all he said; patient and smile pleasantly, and it will stalk and he dashed on. out again, for it can't bear cheerful company.

Only a Year.

A year it was only a year ago—

Here by the old stile where I stand-
Here we met in the autumn glow,
Walked in the warm fields hand in hand.
There are the trees we passed between-
Ah, God! how easy it is to recall !
How weary it is to feel the keen,

Calm truth that a year has changed it all!

Here is the meadow we went across;
Here is the hedge he pushed away;
Even the golden buttercups toss,
As if it had been but yesterday.
This is the lime we sat beneath,

Shading, I think, the self-same heather;
The flowers he pulled, to bind me a wreath,
There, as we rested close together.

I know that your heart was all mine then,
Roland, and you were as happy as I
When we lingered here in the glen,
Lingered till stars came out in the sky.
Are you as happy now, Roland?

Are you as happy (wherever you be)?
Only a year-and you are wed,
And I am alone by the green lime-tree.

Long ago, it seems to me now

Far away was that tender time:
Roland, you have forgotten the vow

Which then you sware to me under the lime!
You were crushing the seeded grass,

Crushing it in your hand as we sat:

Only a year ago-alas!

Is it, indeed, not more than that?

THE HAVANA.

A white roomy gig approaches, carrying a rather ominous-looking yellow flag. She is pulled by six oars; and in her stern-sheets, covered with a fixed awning, sit three Spanish gentlemen, all dressed alike in white trousers and waistcoats, black coats, and silk hats of the highest finish and newness. One of these is the health officer, the others are his official subordinates. All correct here-a clean bill of health; turn ahead. Stop again. Another official-looking boat, larger than the last, but not so luxuriously furnished. The sitters are dressed in a uniform of what appears at first sight to be bed-ticking: it is, however, white linen or calico covered with fine blue stripes, which in the Spanish uniforms takes the place of white. A very sensible substitute too; for, while in appearance and reality it is equally suitable for tropical wear, it does uot show the traces of soil so soon. In fact, in a country where such a texture is necessarily worn all the year round, the washing of white uniforms would be a tax which would necessitate double pay to support. We take one of these gentlemen on board, who will take up his abode with us during our stay, to prevent smuggling.

There is no such thing as free trade in Cuba; everything that enters or leaves the ports must pay duty. There is even a duty on foreign letters beyond the postage. On at least one occasion, they tried to make a steamer pay duty on the copper which she discharged into the I don't know why, in England, we always floating dock for the purpose of being recoppered misspell the name of the capital city of Cuba, herself; and were it not for the intervention of or why we invariably omit the definite article the British consul she would have had to pay prefix which belongs to it. However, what's in it. Turn ahead once more. We thread our a name?-Here we are at daybreak, in the way through shipping of all sizes, saluting as we middle of October, lying off the Morro waiting for the pilot.

Our patience is not put to a severe test, and we soon turn slowly ahead in charge of old Pedro, the harbor-pilot, who, to judge by his unceasing signals to the men at the wheel, must consider the passage up the harbor a very intricate one. Now we pass under the lofty Morro, from which we are greeted by loud shouts, which we can not comprehend, until the pilot informs us that they can't make out who we are a piece of information quite necessary before we go any farther.

pass the Spanish men-of-war, who as politely dip the "blood and gold" ensign in return. At last we have arrived safely at our buoy; and Don Carlos is already on board to know when we shall be ready to coal. We do not want any, however; and the gang of slaves with their coal-barrows will not be needed.

Don Carlos is very particular about his slaves : they must not work in the rain, if possible; the coal-wharf is kept well swept, lest, by tripping over, or treading on lumps of coal, they might lame themselves; they must have their full time for meals-in fact, Don Carlos takes as good care of his slaves as an Englishman does of his horses, and a deal better than we do of our soldiers. Of course it is his interest to do so; besides, he may be conscientious.

The skipper is livid with rage. What do they want? The English flag is at the peak, the Company's flag at the main, and the ship's number at the fore: what more do they want? Turn ahead again she's drifting ashore. Still they Slavery is wicked, and no sophistry or argushout-What is it, pilot ?-They say the English ment can make wrong right: nevertheless, there mail-steamer was here yesterday. Of course is-superficially-a painful contrast between the she was; we don't pretend to carry the mails; hearty, merry, fat Cuban slave, and the listless, we want to be docked. Well, tell them so. All weary, indolent, free negro of Jamaica. Judging right now; not for long, however. Stop her! from external appearance, one would say that