SKETCHES IN THE TRENCHES. 637 



close, confidence was in some measure re-established ; the shops 

 were re-opened, and the cafes were crowded with Belgian officers 

 and citizens, "Jouant la demie tasse et le petit verre," at their fa- 

 vourite game of dominoes, while the spires of the churches were 

 crowded with spectators eagerly watching the more magnificent 

 game of war. The proprietor of the theatre derived a rich harvest 

 from the public concerts, for, removing the roof of the edifice, he 

 erected seats that were constantly filled by persons of both sexes, 

 attracted b}' the novel exhibition of the tableau vivant of a siege. But 

 now for a promenade aux tranches. 



Debouching from the village of Saint Laurent, which is situated 

 about eight hundred yards from the famous lunette of that name, 

 we leave Berchem, the head-quarters of the army, to the left. At 

 its entrance we pass a pretty church, dedicated to the holy martyr 

 after whom the lunette is named, and in order to divert the ennui 

 of the route, we shall relate an anecdote of the venerable minister of 

 this little temple, which had been converted into an ambulance. The 

 Cure de Saint Laurent had never for a moment the thought of 

 abandoning his post. On the contrary, he shared it gloriously with 

 the French medical officers, and more than once exposed himself to 

 martyrdom. When it was resolved to convert the church into an 

 ambulance, the worthy curate thought it his duty by all means to 

 save some sinful souls ; but alas ! his piety, so worthy of praise, 

 failed before the scepticism of the first wounded who were installed 

 in the sacristy. He redoubled his exhortations, but all in vain. He 

 then sought the advice of the surgeons, but these gentlemen, know- 

 ing the ground, shook their heads. Suddenly, the cure was en- 

 lightened by a ray of inspiration ; he purchased a large stock of 

 cigars and tobacco, by a skilful distribution of which among the dying 

 sinners, he succeeded in making himself heard with some degree of 

 attention. But here we are at the tail of the trenches. 



Two placards immediately strike the eye; upon the first of which 

 you read, " Parallel towards Kiel ;" and on the other, " Parallel 

 towards Montebello." We shall take the former., which will lead us 

 through innumerable zig-zags to the countergarde of the Lunette de 

 St. Laurent, the place d'armes of which we shall find in the hands of 

 the French, whose engineers are occupied with the descent and 

 passage of the ditch. 



But we must proceed methodically. First, then, the parapet on 

 the side of the garrison is lined with covering parties, a certain 

 number of whom keep a constant look out, in order to give timely 

 warning of any demonstration on the part of the besieged. Upon 

 some points a sharp fusilade is kept up, for the purpose of conceal- 

 ing the progress of a work, or a battery that they are pushing 

 forward, or to mask some movement of troops, executing at the time. 

 In some parts the ground is good, but in others so soft and spungy, 

 that in spite of all the precautions of the engineers, you are half way 

 up to the knees in water. Here you behold one of those singular 

 beings attached to the French armies, <e a cantiniere," with her 

 glazed hat and grey cloak her tri-coloured petticoat, and " garance" 

 trowsers. Under her masculine exterior, she often conceals a noble 



