"Get up early to-morrow morning, Father Moses; don't say a word to any one, and follow me. You will see something that will make you laugh."
"All right, sergeant!" said I.
He went to bed at once, and long before day, about five o'clock, I heard him jump out of bed, which astonished me the more, as I had not heard the call.
I rose softly. Sorlé sleepily asked me: "What is it, Moses?"
"Go to sleep again, Sorlé," I replied; "the sergeant told me that he wanted to show me something."
She said no more, and I finished dressing myself.
Just then the sergeant knocked at the door; I blew out the candle, and we went down. It was very dark.
We heard a faint noise in the direction of the barracks; the sergeant went toward it, saying: "Go up on the bastion; we are going to attack the tile-kiln."
I ran up the street at once. As I came upon the ramparts I saw in the shadow of the bastion on the right our gunners at their pieces. They did not stir, and all around was still; matches lighted and set in the ground gave the only light, and shone like stars in the darkness.
Five or six citizens, in the secret, like myself, stood motionless at the entrance of the postern. The usual cries, "Sentries, attention!" were answered around the city; and without, from the part of the enemy, we heard the cries "Verdâ!" and "Souïda!"*