een the hills in that country, and
presses down into the valleys, had just begun to rise, and the stars to
grow more dim above our heads, when I was looking over the castle-wall
towards the breach. The captain came out and asked me what I was
looking at. I told him I hardly knew; but there did appear something
unusual in the valley, immediately below the breach. He listened a
moment, looked attentively with his night-glass, and exclaimed, in his
firm voice, but in an undertoned manner, "To arms!--they are coming!"

In three minutes every man was at his post; and though all were quick,
there was no time to spare, for by this time the black column of the
enemy was distinctly visible, curling along the valley like a great
centipede; and, with the daring enterprise so common among the troops of
Napoleon, had begun in silence to mount the breach. It was an awful and
eventful moment; but the coolness and determination of the little
garrison was equal to the occasion.

The word was given to take good aim, and a volley from the masked guns
and musketry was poured into the thick of them. They paused--deep
groans ascended! They retreated a few paces in confusion, then rallied,
and again advanced to the attack; and now the fire on both sides was
kept up without intermission. The great guns from the hill fort, and
the Swiss sharpshooters, still nearer, poured copious volleys upon us,
and with loud shouts cheered on their comrades to the assault. As they
approached and covered our mine, the train was fired, and up they went
in the air, and down they fell buried in the ruins. Groans, screams,
confusion, French yells, British hurras, rent the sky! The hills
resounded with the shouts of victory? We sent them hand-grenades in
abundance, and broke their shins in glorious style. I must say that the
French behaved nobly, though many a tall grenadier and pioneer fell by
the symbol in front of his warlike cap. I cried with rage and
excitement; and we all fought like bull-dogs, for we knew there was no
quarter to be given.

Ten minutes had elapsed since the firing began, and in that time many a
brave fellow had bit the dust. The head of their attacking column had
been destroyed by the explosion of our mine. Still they had re-formed,
and were again half-way up the breach when the day began to dawn; and we
saw a chosen body of one thousand men, led on by their colonel, and
advancing over the dead which had just fallen.

The g