A SKETCH OF AFRICAN WARFARE. 197 



What is very singular in this war is, that opportunities for 

 personal exploits rarely come to those that seek them, and at 

 the same time often fall to those who never are expecting 

 them. 



After two years of African service in which, we had 

 exchanged hundreds of shots, my arms were still unstained. 

 Usually the infantry were making the attack while we were 

 mere spectators, and when it came our turn to charge, 

 although I hastened to disengage myself from the troops with 

 Rousselet at my side, as he said, to see that I was not carried 

 off, yet still, we never could reach our foes. Here or there 

 we would see a burnous flash out from the smoke of combat, 

 but it would disappear in the whirl of the battle, and we 

 would only hear the whistling ball of the watchful cavalier 

 singing a recognition to our chaise. 



At the bivouac, Rousselet and I often talked of our want 

 of success, and mooted plans for the future, and it was finally 

 agreed between us that we should join in the campaigns of 

 Oran. He and I had both been appointed corporals, and we 

 thought that if w r e should • renounce our grade, we could 

 easily change our regiment ; so we returned to Guelma in 

 the spring of 1844, with our minds made up to leave that 

 part of the country for ever. 



