eathers！　You　understand　quite　clearly　that　Napoleon　had　undertaken　to　keep　his　secret　to　himself。　That　is　why　those　who　accompanied　him；　and　even　his　especial　friends；　used　to　drop　like　nuts：　Duroc；　Bessieres；　Lannes　men　as　strong　as　bars　of　steel；　which　he　cast　into　shape　for　his　own　ends。　And　here　is　a　final　proof　that　he　was　the　child　of　God；　created　to　be　the　soldier's　father；　for　no　one　ever　saw　him　as　a　lieutenant　or　a　captain。　He　is　a　commandant　straight　off！　Ah！　yes；　indeed！　He　did　not　look　more　than　four…and…twenty；　but　he　was　an　old　general　ever　since　the　taking　of　Toulon；　when　he　made　a　beginning　by　showing　the　rest　that　they　knew　nothing　about　handling　cannon。　Next　thing　he　does；　he　tumbles　upon　us。　A　little　slip　of　a　general…in…chief　of　the　army　of　Italy；　which　had　neither　bread　nor　ammunition　nor　shoes　nor　clothesa　wretched　army　as　naked　as　a　worm。
  〃　'　Friends；'　he　said；　'here　we　all　are　together。　Now；　get　it　well　into　your　pates　that　in　a　fortnight's　time　from　now　you　will　be　the　victors；　and　dressed　in　new　clothes；　you　shall　all　have　greatcoats；　strong　gaiters；　and　famous　pairs　of　shoes；　but；　my　children；　you　will　have　to　march　on　Milan　to　take　them；　where　all　these　things　are。'
  〃So　they　marched。　The　French；　crushed　as　flat　as　a　pancake；　held　up　their　heads　again。　There　were　thirty　thousand　of　us　tatterdemalions　against　eighty　thousand　swaggerers　of　Germansfine　tall　men　and　well　equipped；　I　can　see　them　yet。　Then　Napoleon；　who　was　only　Bonaparte　in　those　days；　breathed　goodness　knows　what　into　us；　and　on　we　marched　night　and　day。　We　rap　their　knuckles　at　Montenotte；　we　hurry　on　to　thrash　them　at　Rivoli；　Lodi；　Arcola；　and　Millesimo；　and　we　never　let　them　go。　The　army　came　to　have　a　liking　for　winning　battles。　Then　Napoleon　hems　them　in　on　all　sides；　these　German　generals　did　not　know　where　to　hide　themselves　so　as　to　have　a　little　peace　and　comfort；　he　drubs　them　soundly；　cribs　ten　thousand　of　their　men　at　a　time　by　surrounding　them　with　fifteen　hundred　Frenchmen；　whom　he　makes　to　spring　up　after　his　fashion；　and　at　last　he　takes　their　cannon；　victuals；　money；　ammunition；　and　everything　they　have　that　is　worth　taking；　he　pitches　them　into　the　water；　beats　them　on　the　mountains；　snaps　at　them　in　the　air；　gobbles　them　up　on　the　earth；　and　thrashes　them　everywhere。
  〃There　are　the　troops　in　full　feather　again！　For；　look　you；　the　Emperor　（who；　for　that　matter；　was　a　wit）　soon　sent　for　the　inhabitant；　and　told　him　that　he　had　come　there　to　deliver　him。　Whereupon　the　civilian　finds　us　free　quarters　and　makes　much　of　us；　so　do　the　women；　who　showed　great　discernment。　To　come　to　a　final　end；　in　Ventose　'96；　which　was　at　that　time　what　the　month　of　March　is　now；　we　had　been　driven　up　into　a　corner　of　the　Pays　des　Marmottes；　but　after　the　campaign；　lo　and　behold！　we　were　the　masters　of　Italy；　just　as　Napoleon　had　prophesied。　And　in　the　month　of　March　following；　in　one　year　and　in　two　campaigns；　he　brings　us　within　sight　of　Vienna；　we　had　made　a　clean　sweep　of　them。　We　had　gobbled　down　three　armies　one　after　another；　and　taken　the　conceit　out　of　four　Austrian　generals；　one　of　them；　an　old　man　who　had　white　hair；　had　been　roasted　like　a　rat　in　the　straw　before　Mantua。　The　kings　were　suing　for　mercy　on　their　knees。　Peace　had　been　won。　Could　a　mere　mortal　have　done　that？　No。　God　helped　him；　that　is　certain。　He　distributed　himself　about　like　the　five　loaves　in　the　Gospel；　commanded　on　the　battlefield　all　day；　and　drew　up　his　plans　at　night。　The　sentries　always　saw　him　coming；　he　neither　ate　nor　slept。　Therefore；　recognizing　these　prodigies；　the　soldier　adopts　him　for　his　father。　But；　forward！
  〃The　other　folk　there　in　Paris；　seeing　all　this；　say　among　themselves：
  〃　'Here　is　a　pilgrim　who　appears　to　take　his　instructions　from　Heaven　above；　he　is　uncommonly　likely　to　lay　a　hand　on　France。　We　must　let　him　loose　on　Asia　or　America；　and　that；　perhaps；　will　keep　him　quiet。
  〃The　same　thing　was　decreed　for　him　as　for　Jesus　Christ；　for；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　they　give　him　orders　to　go　on　duty　down　in　Egypt。　See　his　resemblance　to　the　Son　of　God！　That　is　not　all；　though。　He　calls　all　his　fire…eaters　about　him；　all　those　into　whom　he　had　more　particularly　put　the　devil；　and　talks　to　them　in　this　way：
  〃　'My　friends；　for　the　time　being　they　are　giving　us　Egypt　to　stop　our　mouths。　But　we　will　swallow　down　Egypt　in　a　brace　of　shakes；　just　as　we　swallowed　Italy；　and　private　soldiers　shall　be　princes；　and　shall　have　broad　lands　of　their　own。　Forward！'
  〃　'Forward；　lads！'　cry　the　sergeants。
  〃So　we　come　to　Toulon　on　the　way　to　Egypt。　Whereupon　the　English　put　to　sea　with　all　their　fleet。　But　when　we　are　on　board；　Napoleon　says　to　us：
  〃　'They　will　not　see　us：　and　it　is　right　and　proper　that　you　should　know　henceforward　that　your　general　has　a　star　in　the　sky　that　guides　us　and　watches　over　us！'
  〃So　said；　so　done。　As　we　sailed　over　the　sea　we　took　Malta；　by　way　of　an　orange　to　quench　his　thirst　for　victory；　for　he　was　a　man　who　must　always　be　doing　something。　There　we　are　in　Egypt。　Well　and　good。　Different　orders。　The　Egyptians；　look　you；　are　men　who；　ever　since　the　world　has　been　the　world；　have　been　in　the　habit　of　having　giants　to　reign　over　them；　and　armies　like　swarms　of　ants；　because　it　is　a　country　full　of　genii　and　crocodiles；　where　they　have　built　up　pyramids　as　big　as　our　mountains；　the　fancy　took　them　to　stow　their　kings　under　the　pyramids；　so　as　to　keep　them　fresh；　a　thing　which　mightily　pleases　them　all　round　out　there。　Whereupon；　as　we　landed；　the　Little　Corporal　said　to　us：
  〃　'My　children；　the　country　which　you　are　about　to　conquer　worships　a　lot　of　idols　which　you　must　respect；　because　the　Frenchman　ought　to　be　on　good　terms　with　all　the　world；　and　fight　people　without　giving　annoyance。　Get　it　well　into　your　heads　to　let　everything　alone　at　first；　for　we　shall　have　it　all　by　and　by！　and　forward！'
  〃So　far　so　good。　But　all　those　people　had　heard　a　prophecy　of　Napoleon；　under　the　name　of　Kebir　Bonaberdis；　a　word　which　in　our　lingo　means；　'The　Sultan　fires　a　shot；'　and　they　feared　him　like　the　devil。　So　the　Grand　Turk；　Asia；　and　Africa　have　recourse　to　magic；　and　they　send　a　demon　against　us；　named　the　Mahdi；　who　it　was　thought　had　come　down　from　heaven　on　a　white　charger　which；　like　its　master　was　bullet…proof；　and　the　pair　of　them　lived　on　the　air　of　that　part　of　the　world。　There　are　people　who　have　seen　them；　but　for　my　part　I　cannot　give　you　any　certain　informations　about　them。　They　were　the　divinities　of　Arabia　and　of　the　Mamelukes　who　wished　their　troopers　to　believe　that　the　Mahdi　had　the　power　of　preventing　them　from　dying　in　battle。　They　gave　out　that　he　was　an　angel　sent　down　to　wage　war　on　Napoleon；　and　to　get　back　Solomon's　seal；　part　of　their　paraphernalia　which　they　pretended　our　general　had　stolen。　You　will　readily　understand　that　we　made　them　cry　peccavi　all　the　same。
  〃Ah；　just　tell　me　now　how　they　came　to　know　about　that　compact　of　Napoleon's？　Was　that　natural？
  〃They　took　it　into　their　heads　for　certain　that　he　commanded　the　genii；　and　that　he　went　from　place　to　place　like　a　bird　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　and　it　is　a　fact　that　he　was　everywhere。　At　length　it　came　about　that　he　carried　off　a　queen　of　theirs。　She　was　the　private　property　of　a　Mameluke；　who；　although　he　had　several　more　of　them；　flatly　refused　to　strike　a　bargain；　though　'the　other'　offered　all　his　treasures　for　her　and　diamonds　as　big　as　pigeon's　eggs。　When　things　had　come　to　that　pass；　they　could　not　well　be　settled　without　a　good　deal　of　fighting；　and　there　was　fighting　enough　for　everybody　and　no　mistake　about　it。
  〃Then　we　are　drawn　up　before　Alexandria；　and　again　at　Gizeh；　and　before　the　Pyramids。　We　had　to　march　over　the　sands　and　in　the　sun；　people　whose　eyes　dazzled　used　to　see　water　that　they　could　not　drink　and　shade　that　made　them　fume。　But　we　made　short　work　of　the　Mamelukes　as　usual；　and　everything　goes　down　before　the　voice　of　Napoleon；　who　seizes　Upper　and　Lower　Egypt　and　Arabia；　far　and　wide；　till　we　came　to　the　capitals　of　kingdoms　which　no　longer　existed；　where　there　were　thousands　and　thousands　of　statues　of　all　the　devils　in　creation；　all　done　to　the　life；　and　another　curious　thing　too；　any　quantity　of　lizards。　A　confounded　country　where　any　one　could　have　as　many　acres　of　land　as　he　wished　for　as　little　as　he　pleased。
  〃While　he　was　busy　inland；　where　he　meant　to　carry　out　some　wonderful　ideas　of　his；　the　English　burn　his　fleet　for　him　in　Aboukir　Bay；　for　they　never　could　do　enough　to　annoy　us。　But　Napoleon；　who　was　respected　East　and　West；　and　called　'My　Son'　by　the　Pope；　and　'My　dear　Father'　by　Mahomet's　cousin；　makes　up　his　mind　to　have　his　revenge　on　England；　and　to　take　India　in　exchange　for　his　fleet。　He　set　out　to　lead　us　into　Asia；　by　way　of　the　Red　Sea；　through　a　country　where　there　were　palaces　for　halting…places；　and　nothing　but　gold　and　diamonds　to　pay　the　troops　with；　when　the　Mahdi　comes　to　an　understanding　with　the　Plague；　and　sends　it　among　us　to　make　a　break　in　our　victories。　Halt！　Then　every　man　files　off　to　that　parade　from　which　no　one　comes　back　on　his　two　feet。　The　dying　soldier　cannot　take　Acre；　into　which　he　forces　an　entrance　three　times　with　a　warrior's　impetuous　enthusiasm