That was all dark to us, however; and there was a time, when the French horsemen had flooded in between us and the rest of the army, that we thought we were the only brigade left standing, and had set our teeth with the intention of selling our lives as dearly as we could.
At that time it was between four and five in the afternoon, and we had had nothing to eat, the most of us, since the night before, and were soaked with rain into the bargain.

It had drizzled off and on all day, but for the last few hours we had not had a thought to spare either upon the weather or our hunger.

Now we began to look round and tighten our waist-belts, and ask who was hit and who was spared.

I was glad to see Jim, with his face all blackened with powder, standing on my right rear, leaning on his firelock.

He saw me looking at him, and shouted out to know if I were hurt.
"All right, Jim," I answered.
"I fear I'm here on a wild-goose chase," said he gloomily, "but it's not over yet.