"
"Aha!" sounded a voice like a trombone at the reader's elbow. "I am just
in the nick of time. When, colonel, when?"
"At five this evening, Colonel Raynal."
"There," said Raynal, in a half-whisper, to Dujardin; "could they choose
no hour but that?"
"Do not be uneasy," replied Dujardin, under his breath. He explained
aloud--"the assault will not take place, gentlemen; the bastion is
mined."
"What of that? half of them are mined. We will take our engineers in
with us," said Raynal.
"Such an assault will be a useless massacre," resumed Dujardin. "I
reconnoitred the bastion last night, and saw their preparations for
blowing us to the devil; and General Raimbaut, at my request, is even
now presenting my remarks to the commander-in-chief, and enforcing them.
There will be no assault. In a day or two we shall blow the bastion,
mines, and all into the air."
At this moment Raynal caught sight of a gray-haired officer coming at
some distance. "There IS General Raimbaut," said he. "I will go and
pay my respects to him." General Raimbaut shook his hand warmly, and
welcomed him to the army.
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