burlesques-第11章

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the　tip　of　my　cane；　〃and　we'll　arrange　time　and　place　when　you　have

put　your　jasey　in　order。〃　　I　shall　never　forget　the　look　of　revenge

which　he　cast　at　me；　as　I　was　thus　turning　him　into　ridicule　before

his　mistress。



〃Lady　Blanche；〃　I　continued　bitterly；　〃as　you　look　to　share　the

Duke's　coronet；　hadn't　you　better　see　to　his　wig？〃　and　so　saying；　I

cocked　my　hat；　and　walked　out　of　the　Marquis's　place；　whistling

〃Garryowen。〃



I　knew　my　man　would　not　be　long　in　following　me；　and　waited　for　him

in　the　Place　Vendome；　where　I　luckily　met　Eugene　too；　who　was

looking　at　the　picture…shop　in　the　corner。　　I　explained　to　him　my

affair　in　a　twinkling。　　He　at　once　agreed　to　go　with　me　to　the

ground；　and　commended　me；　rather　than　otherwise；　for　refusing　the

offer　which　had　been　made　to　me。　　〃I　knew　it　would　be　so；〃　he　said；

kindly；　〃I　told　my　father　you　wouldn't。　　A　man　with　the　blood　of

the　Fogarties；　Phil　my　boy；　doesn't　wheel　about　like　those　fellows

of　yesterday。〃　　So；　when　Cambaceres　came　out；　which　he　did

presently；　with　a　more　furious　air　than　before；　I　handed　him　at

once　over　to　Eugene；　who　begged　him　to　name　a　friend；　and　an　early

hour　for　the　meeting　to　take　place。



〃Can　you　make　it　before　eleven；　Phil？〃　said　Beauharnais。　　〃The

Emperor　reviews　the　troops　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne　at　that　hour；

and　we　might　fight　there　handy　before　the　review。〃



〃Done！〃　said　I。　　〃I　want　of　all　things　to　see　the　newly…arrived

Saxon　cavalry　manoeuvre：〃　on　which　Cambaceres；　giving　me　a　look；　as

much　as　to　say；　〃See　sights！　　Watch　cavalry　manoeuvres！　　Make　your

soul；　and　take　measure　for　a　coffin；　my　boy！〃　walked　away；　naming

our　mutual　acquaintance；　Marshal　Ney；　to　Eugene；　as　his　second　in

the　business。



I　had　purchased　from　Murat　a　very　fine　Irish　horse；　Bugaboo；　out　of

Smithereens；　by　Fadladeen；　which　ran　into　the　French　ranks　at

Salamanca；　with　poor　Jack　Clonakilty；　of　the　13th；　dead；　on　the　top

of　him。　　Bugaboo　was　too　much　and　too　ugly　an　animal　for　the　King

of　Naples；　who；　though　a　showy　horseman；　was　a　bad　rider　across

country；　and　I　got　the　horse　for　a　song。　　A　wickeder　and　uglier

brute　never　wore　pig…skin；　and　I　never　put　my　leg　over　such　a

timber…jumper　in　my　life。　　I　rode　the　horse　down　to　the　Bois　de

Boulogne　on　the　morning　that　the　affair　with　Cambaceres　was　to　come

off；　and　Lanty　held　him　as　I　went　in；　〃sure　to　win；〃　as　they　say　in

the　ring。



Cambaceres　was　known　to　be　the　best　shot　in　the　French　army；　but　I；

who　am　a　pretty　good　hand　at　a　snipe；　thought　a　man　was　bigger；　and

that　I　could　wing　him　if　I　had　a　mind。　　As　soon　as　Ney　gave　the

word；　we　both　fired：　I　felt　a　whiz　past　my　left　ear；　and　putting　up

my　hand　there；　found　a　large　piece　of　my　whiskers　gone；　whereas　at

the　same　moment；　and　shrieking　a　horrible　malediction；　my　adversary

reeled　and　fell。



〃Mon　Dieu；　il　est　mort！〃　cried　Ney。



〃Pas　de　tout；〃　said　Beauharnais。　　〃Ecoute；　il　jure　toujours。〃



And　such；　indeed；　was　the　fact：　the　supposed　dead　man　lay　on　the

ground　cursing　most　frightfully。　　We　went　up　to　him：　he　was　blind

with　the　loss　of　blood；　and　my　ball　had　carried　off　the　bridge　of

his　nose。　　He　recovered；　but　he　was　always　called　the　Prince　of

Ponterotto　in　the　French　army；　afterwards。　　The　surgeon　in

attendance　having　taken　charge　of　this　unfortunate　warrior；　we　rode

off　to　the　review　where　Ney　and　Eugene　were　on　duty　at　the　head　of

their　respective　divisions；　and　where；　by　the　way；　Cambaceres；　as

the　French　say；　〃se　faisait　desirer。〃



It　was　arranged　that　Cambaceres'　division　of　six　battalions　and

nine…and…twenty　squadrons　should　execute　a　ricochet　movement；

supported　by　artillery　in　the　intervals；　and　converging　by

different　epaulements　on　the　light　infantry；　that　formed；　as　usual；

the　centre　of　the　line。　　It　was　by　this　famous　manoeuvre　that　at

Arcola；　at　Montenotte；　at　Friedland；　and　subsequently　at　Mazagran；

Suwaroff；　Prince　Charles；　and　General　Castanos　were　defeated　with

such　victorious　slaughter：　but　it　is　a　movement　which；　I　need　not

tell　every　military　man；　requires　the　greatest　delicacy　of

execution；　and　which；　if　it　fails；　plunges　an　army　into　confusion。



〃Where　is　the　Duke　of　Illyria？〃　Napoleon　asked。　　〃At　the　head　of

his　division；　no　doubt；〃　said　Murat：　at　which　Eugene；　giving　me　an

arch　look；　put　his　hand　to　his　nose；　and　caused　me　almost　to　fall

off　my　horse　with　laughter。　　Napoleon　looked　sternly　at　me；　but　at

this　moment　the　troops　getting　in　motion；　the　celebrated　manoeuvre

began；　and　his　Majesty's　attention　was　taken　off　from　my　impudence。



Milhaud's　Dragoons；　their　bands　playing　〃Vive　Henri　Quatre；〃　their

cuirasses　gleaming　in　the　sunshine；　moved　upon　their　own　centre

from　the　left　flank　in　the　most　brilliant　order；　while　the

Carbineers　of　Foy；　and　the　Grenadiers　of　the　Guard　under　Drouet

d'Erlon；　executed　a　carambolade　on　the　right；　with　the　precision

which　became　those　veteran　troops；　but　the　Chasseurs　of　the　young

guard；　marching　by　twos　instead　of　threes；　bore　consequently　upon

the　Bavarian　Uhlans　（an　ill…disciplined　and　ill…affected　body）；　and

then；　falling　back　in　disorder；　became　entangled　with　the　artillery

and　the　left　centre　of　the　line；　and　in　one　instant　thirty　thousand

men　were　in　inextricable　confusion。



〃Clubbed；　by　Jabers！〃　roared　out　Lanty　Clancy。　　〃I　wish　we　could

show　'em　the　Fighting　Onety…oneth；　Captain　darling。〃



〃Silence；　fellow！〃　I　exclaimed。　　I　never　saw　the　face　of　man

express　passion　so　vividly　as　now　did　the　livid　countenance　of

Napoleon。　　He　tore　off　General　Milhaud's　epaulettes；　which　he　flung

into　Foy's　face。　　He　glared　about　him　wildly；　like　a　demon；　and

shouted　hoarsely　for　the　Duke　of　Illyria。　　〃He　is　wounded；　Sire；〃

said　General　Foy；　wiping　a　tear　from　his　eye；　which　was　blackened

by　the　force　of　the　blow；　〃he　was　wounded　an　hour　since　in　a　duel；

Sire；　by　a　young　English　prisoner；　Monsieur　de　Fogarty。〃



〃Wounded！　a　marshal　of　France　wounded！　　Where　is　the　Englishman？

Bring　him　out；　and　let　a　file　of　grenadiers〃



〃Sire！〃　interposed　Eugene。



〃Let　him　be　shot！〃　shrieked　the　Emperor；　shaking　his　spyglass　at　me

with　the　fury　of　a　fiend。



This　was　too　much。　　〃Here　goes！〃　said　I；　and　rode　slap　at　him。



There　was　a　shriek　of　terror　from　the　whole　of　the　French　army；　and

I　should　think　at　least　forty　thousand　guns　were　levelled　at　me　in

an　instant。　　But　as　the　muskets　were　not　loaded；　and　the　cannon　had

only　wadding　in　them；　these　facts；　I　presume；　saved　the　life　of

Phil　Fogarty　from　this　discharge。



Knowing　my　horse；　I　put　him　at　the　Emperor's　head；　and　Bugaboo　went

at　it　like　a　shot。　　He　was　riding　his　famous　white　Arab；　and　turned

quite　pale　as　I　came　up　and　went　over　the　horse　and　the　Emperor；

scarcely　brushing　the　cockade　which　he　wore。



〃Bravo！〃　said　Murat；　bursting　into　enthusiasm　at　the　leap。



〃Cut　him　down！〃　said　Sieyes；　once　an　Abbe；　but　now　a　gigantic

Cuirassier；　and　he　made　a　pass　at　me　with　his　sword。　　But　he　little

knew　an　Irishman　on　an　Irish　horse。　　Bugaboo　cleared　Sieyes；　and

fetched　the　monster　a　slap　with　his　near　hind　hoof　which　sent　him

reeling　from　his　saddle；and　away　I　went；　with　an　army　of　a　hundred

and　seventy…three　thousand　eight　hundred　men　at　my　heels。　*　*　*　*







BARBAZURE。



BY　G。　P。　R。　JEAMES；　ESQ。；　ETC。





I。





It　was　upon　one　of　those　balmy　evenings　of　November；　which　are　only

known　in　the　valleys　of　Languedoc　and　among　the　mountains　of

Alsace；　that　two　cavaliers　might　have　been　perceived　by　the　naked

eye　threading　one　of　the　rocky　and　romantic　gorges　that　skirt　the

mountain…land　between　the　Marne　and　the　Garonne。　　The　rosy　tints　of

the　declining　luminary　were　gilding　the　peaks　and　crags　which　lined

the　path；　through　which　the　horsemen　wound　slowly；　and　as　these

eternal　battlements　with　which　Nature　had　hemmed　in　the　ravine

which　our　travellers　trod；　blushed　with　the　last　tints　of　the

fading　sunlight；　the　valley　below　was　gray　and　dark