Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 196: 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 bya shell bursting. This accident had influenced Déroute to raise behind the sap a bank of 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. ‘¢‘You first!’’ said the officer, with an air which suffered no reply. Déroute obeyed; but while Pierre lay down to the right of Belle-Rose, the ‘sergeant placed himself on the left. ‘‘Now, comrades, put aside the tools and make ready the guns! With a 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,’’ murmured Déroute, with a jealous air. ‘*Ves, all or nothing,’’ replied Belle-Rose, smiling, and he continued: ‘‘You shall only rise after they have fired; but then rise all together and leap upon them. Attention now.”’ Belle-Rose took a pick in both hands and struck. At the third strike the earth gave away, a large breach was opened, and the Spaniards were to be seen aiming their muskets. ‘‘Fire!’’ cried the officer who commanded them. But at the officer’s cry Bell-Rose had thrown himself flat 99