with a grin. "Happening? Why, you've a-lost your chance of death
or victory, that's all. Here you are, company bugler for twenty-four
hours by the grace of Heaven and the sergeant's contrivance, and
because everyone's forgot you and because, as it happens, for
twenty-four hours there's no bugling wanted. To-morrow you'll be
found out and sent back to the band, where there's five
supernumeraries waiting for your shoes. And the bandmaster'll cuff
your head every day for months before you get such another chance.
Whereas, if No. 4 Company had been chosen for to-night, by to-morrow
you'd have blown the charge, and half the drummers in the regiment
would be blacking your eyes out of envy. See?"

I did not, very clearly. "Is there to be an attack to-night?"
I asked. "And shan't we even see it?"

"Oh yes, we'll _see_ it fast enough. I reckon they won't go so far
as to grudge us free seats for the show."

Sure enough, at eight o'clock, we formed up by companies and were
marched over the dark crest of the hill and a short way down it in
face of the lights of Ciudad Rodrigo. Right below us, on our left,
shone a detached light. We ourselves showed none. The word for
silence in the ranks had been given at starting, and the captains
spoke in the lowest of voices as they drew their companies together
in battalion. The light company having been withdrawn, we found
ourselves on the extreme left flank, parted by a few yards only from
another dark mass of men--the 43rd, as a tallish young bugler
whispered close beside me.

"But how the hell do _you_ come here?" he went on, mistaking me in
the darkness, I suppose, for one of the youngsters in the band.

"Shut your head, bugler," commanded a corporal close on my right.

The men grounded arms and waited, their breath rising like a fog on
the frozen air. Their two tall ranks made a wall before us, shutting
out all view of the lights in the valley. The short or supernumerary
line of non-commissioned officers on our right stood motionless as a
row of statues.

Suddenly a rocket shot up from below, arched its trail of light, and
exploded: and on the instant the whole valley answered and exploded
below us. Between the detonations a cheer rang up the hillside and
was drowned in the noise of musketry, as under a crackle of laughter.
Forgetting discipline, I crawled forward three paces and tried to
peer between the legs of the rank in front, but was hauled back by
the ear