"Perhaps our friend here can tell you" and he turned to Anatole, asking the question in French.
"A glorious affair, truly!" replied the Frenchman, delighted to have an opportunity of launching out.
"I was there—I, who speak to you."
"Tell us about it," said Hyde; "I will interpret it to these gentlemen."
"The Russians, you must understand, have been forming ambuscades in front of our bastion Du Mât, which have given us infinite trouble. Last night we attacked them in three columns, 10,000 strong, and drove them out."
"Well done!"
"It was splendidly done!" went on Anatole, bombastically. "Three times the enemy tried to retake their ambuscades; three times we beat them back at the point of the bayonet, so!"
And the excitable Frenchman jumped from his seat and went through the pantomime of charging with the bayonet.
"You lost many men?"
"Thousands. What matter? we have many more to come. The Imperial Guard has landed, and the reserve, are at Constantinople."