202 OBEYING ORDERS. 



brave as they are, I know not whether one of them would 

 stand as firmly and calmly in the midst of the shower of 

 halls and bullets as your English.' Then Wellington asked 

 Bliicher about his previous position on the field of battle, 

 which had enabled him to execute an attack so fatal to the 

 enemy. 



Bliicher, who could strike tremendous blows, but was by no 

 means a consummate orator, and could not paint his deeds in 

 words, conducted Wellington to the place itself. They found 

 it completely deserted ; but on the very spot where Bliicher 

 had that morning halted, and from which he had galloped 

 away, stood a man with his head bound up, and with his arm 

 wrapped in a handkerchief. He smoked a long, dazzling 

 white clay pipe. * Good God !' exclaimed Bliicher, ' that is 

 my servant, Christian Hennemann. What a strange look 

 you have, man ! What are you doing here ?' ' Have you 

 come at last?' answered Christian Hennemann, in a grum- 

 bling tone ; * here I have stood the whole day, waiting for 

 you. One pipe after another have the cursed French shot 

 away from my mouth. Once even a blue bean (a bullet) 

 made sad work with my head, and my fist has got a deuce of 

 a smashing. That is the last whole pipe, and it is a good 

 thing that the firing has ceased ; otherwise, the French would 

 have knocked this pipe to pieces, and you must have stood 

 there with a dry mouth.' He then handed the lighted pipe 

 to his master, who took it, and after a few eagerly-enjoyed 

 whiffs, said to his faithful servant, ' It is true, I have kept 

 you waiting a long time ; but to-day the French fellows 

 could not be forced to run all at once.' With astonishment, 

 Wellington listened to the conversation. Amazed, he looked 

 now at the Field-Marshal, now at the * Pipe-master,' and now 

 at the branches of trees and the balls scattered all round ? 

 which made it only too evident what a dangerous post this 

 spot must have been during the battle. The wound in Hen- 

 nemann's head proved to be somewhat serious ; his hand was 

 completely shattered ; and yet, in the midst of the tempest 



