fortunately there was a copse hard by. I may say that it was the
men's own idea. I had given orders that a table should be made of
any materials that came to hand, and one of the men started the
idea of building an arbour over it, and as many hands make quick
work it has, as you see, been constructed in little over half an
hour."

As the evening was warm the front of the arbour had been left open.
Inside, a rough table had been constructed of empty casks, planks
taken from the bottom of the waggons, and a couple of doors from
cottages near, while powder barrels served as seats.

"Now, colonel, will you take the head of the table?" de Thiou said.

"Certainly not, de Thiou. I am your guest upon this occasion, so
do you take that place, and I will sit upon your right hand."

"I only wish that we could have given you a dinner like those you
so often gave us at St. Denis."

"I shall enjoy it as much as if it were a royal feast," Hector said,
seating himself; "for indeed since I escaped from Ingoldstadt some
ten days ago I have been living on black bread, sausage, and cheese."

The meal was a joyous one, for at the assault of Rothenburg
on the previous day several barrels of wine had been captured by
the soldiers of the regiment. These had been bought from them by
the officers, who had feared that some of the men might drink to
excess, and so damage the reputation which the regiment had obtained
for sobriety and discipline. One of these had been broached, and