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 
balls and bullets as your English.’ Then Wellington asked 
Blicher about his previous position on the field of battle, 
which had enabled him to execute an attack so fatal to the 
enemy. 
Blicher, 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 Blicher, ‘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 
asmashing.. That is the last whole pipe, and it is a good 
thing that the firing has ceased ; otherwise, the French would 
have knocke@ 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 
