Belle-Rose — page 193: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

182 A CITY WON. fire-pots into the ditch; but the sergeant, nimble as a cat, had already disappeared under the sap. The whistles. | rapidly succeeded each other; the wall was pierced; the. — miners were still at their post, with the exception of one who had been killed by a shell bursting. This accident had influenced Déroute to raise behind the sap a bank ot . earth which would shelter them. ‘‘Here we are like moles,’’ said he, with that tranquil ~—_ air which never abandoned him: ‘let us dig.”’ Toward morning they heard. a ‘hollow noise like that of a subterranean work going on. Belle-Rose made everybody stop and glued his ear to the sides of the mine. “Very well,’’ said he; ‘there is sapping going on in front.’’ ‘‘Mine and counter-mine!”’ said Déroute; “‘let us dig.”? They dug so well that toward noon they heard very dis. tinctly the blows of the pick striking the earth. On both sides the work was being carried on with equal ardor. : ‘‘Quick, my boys!’’ said the sergeant; ‘‘after the shovel it will be the turn of the pistol. ”’ At the end of an hour Belle-Rose recognized by the sound of the blows that they were no longer separated ex- cept by two feet of earth. “Lay down, all! !’’ said he, extending his hand toward his miners. ‘‘Hh, my lieutenant, all, except me!’’ exclaimed Déroute. ‘*VYou first!’’ said the officer, with an air which suffered | no reply. Déroute obeyed; but while Pierre lay deus to the right of Belle-Rose, the sergeant placed himself on the left. ‘‘Now, comrades, put aside the tools and make ready the guns! Witha blow of the pick Iam going to throw ~ down this piece of wall; as soon as the Spaniards see us they will fire.’ ‘That is to say you will take all,’’ Thane Déroute, with a jealous air. ‘Yes, all or nothing,’’ replied Belle-Rose, smiling, and he continued: ‘‘ You shall only rise after they have fired; 79 but then rise all together and leap upon them. Attention _ now.’ third strike the earth gave away, a large breach was ' Belle-Rose took a pick in both hands and struck. At the opened, and the. Spaniards were to be seen aiming their muskets. ‘“Hire!’’ cried the officer who commanded them. | But at the officer’s cry Bell-Rose had thrown himself fat comic 2001 <s.comn | Gets