eanwhile pursued the enemy until night put an end to our
proceedings, when we encamped two or three miles west of Vittoria,
there remaining two nights and one day busily engaged on the forage
for ourselves. Happily thousands of sheep were found, that the enemy
had been obliged to abandon on their retreat. I had been fortunate
enough to get one and bring it into camp, and was proceeding to kill
it by putting my bayonet through the neck, when Lieutenant Kelly of
our company happening to pass, "Hullo, Lawrence," he said, "you seem a
capital butcher." I said, "Would you like a piece of it?" "I certainly
should very much," he answered, "for I am devilish hungry;" so I took
out my knife and cut off one of the quarters just as it was, without
even skinning it, and gave it to him, saying, "There, sir, you must
skin it yourself." He thanked me and said, "Never mind the skin, I
will manage that."

Not only myself, but several of my comrades had likewise managed to
get a share of these sheep, so that night a general cooking ceremony
commenced: our first movement being to go round and gather all the odd
sticks we could lay our hands upon, including gates, doors, chairs,
tables, even some of the window-frames being knocked out of the many
deserted houses and gathered together in one heap for this great
purpose; and in a very short time both roast and boiled mutton were
seen cutting about in all directions. Nor had we altogether forgotten
our former experience of the beans which were growing plentifully at
that time and place, and we found that night's meal as good a one as
we had tasted for some weeks past. After it was over we lay down for
the night,--a body picket having previously been sent out to guard
against any surprise from the enemy; but we lay very comfortable
without being disturbed the whole night, and as our fires did not
cease burning we kept very warm as well.

Next day was likewise chiefly spent by those off duty in search of
food, some returning with one or more of such articles as wheat flour,
cabbages, turnips, carrots, and beans. A fellow-corporal of mine
seeing this, and neither of us having been out, said, "Lawrence, I'll
go and try my luck too, and if the drums should beat for orders, you
go and get them for me, and then we can share the profits of my
search." I consented, and he soon went, and was gone for at least two
hours before he returned loaded with his findings, having taken his
shirt off and tied th