"Ay, my good friends; ay, ay," said Moric, "here I am; but I am in leading-strings, my boys, I am in leading-strings. I'm baby Moric now, and there's my nurse--my captain, I mean to say; so I must go and speak to him, for I have a word for his ear."
"If he seeks to fill his purse," said one, looking at me across the room, "you're the man for him; for you could always fill a purse, but never keep one."
"Too true, good friend, too true," replied Moric, advancing towards me; "but I will do better this time."
They all shook their heads, however, with laugh; and Moric came on and sat down beside me. He had lost no time in pursuing his avocations, and informed me that he had already seen and spoken with nearly twenty of his old comrades, who were hanging about the camp and seeking for employment. They were rather more difficult, however, in their choice than those which I had already enlisted; for not one of them would serve with a leader who had never served at all.
"We must make up to-morrow, sir," said Endem, "for your idleness hitherto. It answered no purpose my telling them that you would do this or do that; the answer always was--Let us see him fight. So to-morrow, at the assault, we must eat fire and brimstone, to show what sort of stuff we are made of."
"Rather a hot breakfast, Master Moric," I replied; "but, nevertheless, I don't think I shall find my appetite fail."
This conversation had been carried on in a low tone, but it had caught the ears of the merchants nevertheless; and one of them asked me at what time it was intended to storm the breach. I replied that I really did not know, as I had not received my orders yet, but supposed that it would not be late; and Martin Vern, in reply, intimated his determination to wait and see the result before he departed. Soon after this I retired to the little cottage which had been appointed as quarters for myself and all my men; and, having given what orders I thought necessary, and seen that the horses had been well fed and put under shelter, I threw myself down upon some straw, which Andriot had prepared for me in one corner of the hovel, and in a few minutes was fast asleep.
I was awake by daylight on the following morning, was up, and had made a soldier's brief toilet, as well as armed myself completely, before five o'clock. Luckily it happened that I was so, for in a few minutes afterward I was visited by a gay-looking youth, who introduced himself as the Captain Genissac, and who told us that in an hour we were to mount the breach together. He looked at me somewhat superciliously from head to foot; and though I felt that I could have broken him through the middle over my knee as a boy breaks a stick, his cool scrutiny annoyed and discomposed me. We talked over what was to be done for some time; and, urging me to hasten my movements, he went to take his station at the head of the storming party. I hurried after at all speed, followed by my little band; and getting out of the hamlet, and passing through the middle of the tents towards the battery which had effected the breach, a fine, a gay, and an interesting sight was presented, which remains as much fixed upon my memory, in consequence of the beauty of the scene, as from being the first military effort of any consequence in which I ever took a part.
The whole army was turned out in the open space between the camp and the city; and about five or six hundred yards in advance of the line was the small battery which had effected a very insufficient breach in the wall. It was still firing, as it had been since the break of day: and a light wind blew the wreaths of smoke down into the hollow which ran towards the Charente, enveloping the base of the hill on which Angoulême stands, while out of the white uncertain mist thus created started forth clear the town of Angoulême, with all its manifold towers and spires. The sun was shining brightly as he rose upon the glittering line of our cavalry and infantry, variously armed, and with many a cornet and a pennon among them: while the rich and peaceful slopes and rises, the clear blue sky, the bright sunshine, and the soft murmur of the autumnal air, contrasted strangely and strikingly with the camp behind us, the long line of iron-clad soldiery in the front, the occasional thunder of our own artillery, and the flashes that burst from time to time from the walls of Angoulême.
Some way in front of the general line appeared a small body of infantry, with Genissac at their head; and behind him, a little in advance of the other forces, an entire infantry regiment, supported by a strong force of cavalry. Between that body and the little peloton of Genissac was a group of officers and gentlemen, with one or two led horses, apparently waiting for their riders. As I passed by, my eye rested for a moment upon the well-known D'Andelot; while another officer, considerably older in appearance, but with a fine, open countenance, whom I took to be the far-famed Admiral de Coligny, sat beside him, on a strong horse, receiving from time to time communications from different persons who rode up. D'Andelot's visor was up, and, as I passed, he noticed me with an inclination of the head, and then, turning to the admiral, pointed me out to him. Coligny immediately beckoned me towards him; and, ordering my men to march on and take the order from Monsieur de Genissac, I advanced to the side of the admiral's horse.