t for them "hot" enough in all conscience!

In the afternoon of the following day, Bazaine made a desperate effort
to break through the environment of the Germans in the direction of
Thionville. On the previous evening, in resisting the attack from Saint
Julien, which had been undertaken at the same time as that from Saint
Quelin on Ars, the French had been driven from the village of
Ladonchamps, and their adversaries had established foreposts at Saint
Remy, Petites et Grandes Tapes, and Maxe; and now, under cover of a
thick fog, the French Marshal advanced his troops again and commenced a
vigorous attempt, supported by a heavy artillery fire, for the recovery
of the lost Ladonchamps. Failing in this, although possibly the attack
might have been a blind, the general being such a thorough master of
strategy, Bazaine made a dash for Petites et Grandes Tapes, annihilating
the foreposts and hurling great masses of men at their supports. Having
occupied these villages, the French Marshal then sent forward a large
body of troops to the right, close to the Moselle. These advanced up
the valley against the German entrenchments on the heights until checked
by cannon fire from batteries on both sides of the river, and were only
finally stopped by an advance in force of two brigades of the Landwehr,
the men of whom occupied a position just in front of Petites et Grandes
Tapes.

Amongst these latter troops was the regiment of our friend Fritz.

The fighting was terrific here.

Clouds of bullets came like hail upon the advancing men, reaping the
ranks down as if with a scythe, while bursting shells cleared open
spaces in their midst in a manner that was appalling; still, those in
the rear pressed on to fill the places of the fallen, with a fierce roar
of revenge, and the needle-gun answered the chassepot as quickly as the
combatants could put the cartridges into the breech-pieces and bring
their rifles again to the "present."

Fritz felt the frenzy of Gravelotte return to him as he gripped the
sword which he now wielded in place of the musket; and, urging on his
company, the men, scattering right and left in tirailleur formation were
soon creeping up to the enemy, taking advantage of every little cover
which the irregularities of the ground afforded.

Then, suddenly, right in front, could be seen a splendid line regiment
of the French, advancing in column. A sheet of flame came from their
levelled rifles, and the Fusilier