"The Prussians are in that house," he said.

"If you like, you can go forward and look at them; they are not firing." So forward I went.

I was within a hundred yards of the house when some Francs-tireurs, hid in the field to the right of the road, commenced firing, and the Fort d'Ivry from behind opened fire.
The Prussians on their side replied with their needle-guns.

I got behind a tree, feeling that my last hour was come.

There I remained about half an hour, for whenever I moved a bullet came whizzing near me.