He was habited in the undress uniform of a _chasseur a cheval_, but wore no arms; indeed his occupation at the moment was anything but a warlike one, he being leisurely employed in collecting some flasks of champagne which apparently had been left to cool within the stream.
"_Eh bien, Alphonse!_" said a voice in the direction of the fire, "what are you delaying for ?" "I'm coming, I'm coming," said the other; "but, _par Dieu!_ I can only find five of our bottles; one seems to have been carried away by the stream." "No matter," replied the other, "we are but three of us, and one is, or should be, on the sick list." The only answer to this was the muttered chorus of a French drinking-song, interrupted at intervals by an imprecation upon the missing flask.

It chanced, at this moment, that a slight clinking noise attracted me, and on looking down, I perceived at the foot of the rock the prize he sought for.
It had been, as he conceived, carried away by an eddy of the stream and was borne, as a true prisoner-of-war, within my grasp.

I avow that from this moment my interest in the scene became considerably heightened; such a waif as a bottle of champagne was not to be despised in circumstances like mine; and I watched with anxious eyes every gesture of the impatient Frenchman, and alternately vibrated between hope and fear, as he neared or receded from the missing flask.
"Let it go to the devil," shouted his companion, once more.

"Jacques has lost all patience with you." "Be it so, then," said the other, as he prepared to take up his burden.

At this instant I made a slight effort so to change my position as to obtain a view of the rest of the party.