themselves safe till in their own
dear homes, some thirty miles off. One lady only remained; but she kept
at a much more respectful distance than before.

A reward was given for all description of balls brought into camp,
varying in amount according to size. Such is the avarice of the natives
who hover about camps, that they will risk anything for money. Near the
right of the line, balls used frequently to be thrown, and some of them
rolled as far as the piquet. I was riding in that direction one morning
when balls were flying pretty thick. A native saw one lob, and ran to
stop it. In this attempt, one of his legs was so badly broken, that I
believe it was afterwards amputated. If he had carried the ball to camp,
he would have got about fourpence for it!

In two days the breaches began to wear a stormable appearance; and, on
the third day, the storming parties were ordered to be in readiness
about two o'clock in the afternoon. The day was calm, and the sky serene
and cloudless. By three o'clock every soldier was at his post, ready and
willing to perform the service of his country, and add new laurels to
its crown. The left column was to be led by the 87th, or Prince's Own
regiment, who were as merry as crickets; and the right column by the
14th regiment, a beautiful corps. About half-past three we moved off
towards the town, in silence. Under cover of the village we halted, and
an unaccountable delay ensued. Here we sat down and talked over the work
before us. While thus engaged, the eye of an inquisitive officer was
fixed on another officer of the same regiment, who had taken his
epaulette from his shoulder, and his plate and feather off his cap, so
that he looked for all the world like some discharged pensioner. This
strange metamorphosis drew upon him the ridicule of his brother
officers, and the scoffing of the soldiers. Whatever might be his motive
for such an alteration in his dress, to say the least of it, it was
extremely imprudent and improper; for, by such conduct, he incurred the
animadversion of the soldiers of his own regiment, who would, in all
probability, put the most illiberal construction on it. The officers did
not fail to have their jokes and draw their conclusions from such a
strange circumstance; and, when the question was put to him, why he did
such a thing, his answer confirmed the ill-natured surmises that had
gone abroad, his avowed object being that the enemy should not know him
from a priva