no easy matter to find an aim.  The colonel’s magnificent figure and great fair beard were conspicuous as he moved about the ranks, encouraging the men and searching for some means of scaling the high walls.  Though anxious for the safety of his troops, he seemed as much at home as though he were in a drawing-room, and paid no more attention to the whistling bullets than if they had been mere favours showered upon him in an afternoon’s carnival.  The firing grew hotter every moment and it was evident that unless the place could be carried by assault at once, the Zouaves must suffer terrible losses.  The difficulty was to find a point where the attempt might be made with a good chance of success.

“It seems to me,” said Gouache, to a big man who stood next to him, “that if we were in Paris, and if that were a barricade instead of an Italian farmhouse, we should get over it.”

“I think so, too,” replied his comrade, with a laugh.

“Let us try,” suggested the artist quietly.  “We may as well have made the attempt, instead of standing here to catch cold in this horrible mud.  Come along,” he added quickly, “or we shall be too late.  The colonel is going to order the assault—­do you see?”

It was true.  A loud voice gave a word of command which was echoed and repeated by a number of officers.  The men closed in and made a rush for the farmhouse, trying to scramble upon each other’s shoulders to reach the top of the wall and the windows of the low first story.  The attempt lasted several minutes, during which the enemies’ rifles poured down a murderous fire upon the struggling soldiers.  The latter fell back at last, leaving one man alone clinging to the top of the wall.

“It is Gouache!” cried a hundred voices at once.  He was a favourite with officers and men and was recognised immediately.

He was in imminent peril of his life.  Standing upon the shoulders of the sturdy comrade to whom he had been speaking a few minutes before he had made a spring, and had succeeded in getting hold of the topmost stones.  Taking advantage of the slight foothold afforded by the crevices in the masonry, he drew himself up with catlike agility till he was able to kneel upon the narrow summit.  He had chosen a spot for his attempt where he had previously observed that no enemy appeared, rightly judging that there must be some reason for this peculiarity, of which he might be able to take advantage.  This proved to be the case, for he found himself immediately over a horse pond, which was sunk between two banks of earth that followed the wall on the inside up to the water, and upon which the riflemen stood in safety behind the parapet.  The men so stationed had discharged their pieces during the assault, and were busily employed in reloading when they noticed the Zouave perched upon the top of the wall.  One or two who had pistols fired them at him, but without effect.  One or two threw stones from the interior of the vineyard.