In the midst of a stubble-field, for some time between us and the French
skirmishers, the driver doing all he could to urge the horses along; but
our balls began to whistle so plentifully about his ears, that he at
last dismounted in despair, and, getting on his knees, under the
carriage, began praying. His place on the box was quickly occupied by as
many of our fellows as could stick on it, while others were scrambling
in at the doors on each side, and not a few on the roof, handling the
baskets there so roughly, as to occasion loud complaints from the fowls
within. I rode up to the carriage, to see that the people inside were
not improperly treated; but the only one there was an old gouty
gentleman, who, from the nature of his cargo, must either have robbed
his own house, or that of a very good fellow, for the carriage was
literally laden with wines and provisions. Never did victors make a more
legal or useful capture; for it was now six in the evening, and it had
evidently been the old gentleman's fault if he had not already dined,
whereas it was our misfortune, rather than our fault, that we had not
tasted anything since three o'clock in the morning, so that when one of
our men knocked the neck off a bottle, and handed it to me, to take a
drink, I nodded to the old fellow's health, and drank it off without the
small
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