broad daylight,
when I found a French soldier squatted near me, intensely watching for
the opening of my _shutters_. He had contrived to conceal himself
there during the night; and, when he saw that I was awake, he
immediately jumped on his legs, and very obsequiously presented me
with a map of France, telling me that as there was now a probability
of our visiting his native country, he could make himself very useful,
and would be glad if I would accept of his services. I thought it
unfair, however, to deprive him of the present opportunity of seeing a
little more of the world himself, and, therefore, sent him to join the
rest of the prisoners, which would insure him a trip to England, free
of expense.

About midday, on the 22d, our three battalions, with some cavalry and
artillery, were ordered in pursuit of the enemy.

I do not know how it is, but I have always had a mortal objection to
be killed the day after a victory. In the actions preceding a battle,
or in the battle itself, it never gave me much uneasiness, as being
all in the way of business; but, after surviving the great day, I
always felt as if I had a right to live to tell the story; and I,
therefore, did not find the ensuing three days' fighting half so
pleasant as they otherwise would have been.

Darkness overtook us this night without our overtaking the enemy; and
we halted in a grove of pines, exposed to a very heavy rain. In
imprudently shifting my things from one tree to another, after dark,
some rascal contrived to steal the velisse containing my dressing
things, than which I do not know a greater loss, when there is no
possibility of replacing any part of them.

We overtook their rear-guard early on the following day, and, hanging
on their line of march until dark, we did them all the mischief that
we could. They burnt every village through which they passed, under
the pretence of impeding our movements; but, as it did not make the
slightest difference in that respect, we could only view it as a
wanton piece of cruelty.

On the 24th, we were again engaged in pressing their rear the greater
part of the day; and, ultimately, in giving them the last kick, under
the walls of Pampeluna, where we had the glory of capturing their
last gun, which literally sent them into France without a single piece
of ordnance.

Our battalion occupied, that night, a large, well-furnished, but
uninhabited chateau, a short distance from Pampeluna.

We got under ar