lves in the
nearest houses; but we were obliged to turn out again in the midst of
it, in less than five minutes, as we found the French cavalry and ours
already exchanging shots, and the latter were falling back to the more
favourable ground behind Genappe; we, therefore, retired with them,
_en masse_, through the village, and formed again on the rising ground
beyond.

While we remained there, we had an opportunity of seeing the different
affairs of cavalry; and it did one's heart good to see how cordially
the life-guards went at their work: they had no idea of any thing but
straight-forward fighting, and sent their opponents flying in all
directions. The only _young_ thing they showed was in every one who
got a roll in the mud, (and, owing to the slipperiness of the ground,
there were many,) going off to the rear, according to their Hyde-Park
custom, as being no longer fit to appear on parade! I thought, at
first, that they had been all wounded, but, on finding how the case
stood, I could not help telling them that theirs was now the situation
to verify the old proverb, "the uglier the better soldier!"

The roads, as well as the fields, had now become so heavy, that our
progress to the rear was very slow; and it was six in the evening
before we drew into the position of Waterloo. Our battalion took post
in the second line that night, with its right resting on the
Namur-road, behind La Haye Sainte, near a small mud-cottage, which Sir
Andrew Barnard occupied as a quarter. The enemy arrived in front, in
considerable force, about an hour after us, and a cannonade took place
in different parts of the line, which ended at dark, and we lay down
by our arms. It rained excessively hard the greater part of the night;
nevertheless, having succeeded in getting a bundle of hay for my
horse, and one of straw for myself, I secured the horse to his bundle,
by tying him to one of the men's swords stuck in the ground, and,
placing mine under his nose, I laid myself down upon it, and never
opened my eyes again until daylight.

CHAP. XXI.

Battle of Waterloo. "A Horse! a Horse!" Breakfast. Position.
Disposition. Meeting of _particular_ Friends. Dish of Powder and
Ball. Fricassee of Swords. End of First Course. Pounding.
Brewing. Peppering. Cutting and Maiming. Fury. Tantalizing.
Charging. Cheering. Chasing. Opinionizing. Anecdotes. The End.

BATTLE OF WATERLOO,

18th June, 1815.

When I awoke, th