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bearing tall flag staffs with the tri-colored flag of France at the peak of them, waving in the wind. Around and among these hills were seen winding a series of charming valleys, with pretty roads leading through them, and peasant's cottages, with children playing, and talking French in their play, before the doors, and rows of women kneeling in shallow boxes enclosed in front and at the sides, and open behind, at the margin of the water, washing clothes in the running stream. Instead of rubbing the clothes the women banged them with a broad, short handled, wooden bat.

In various places, and especially along the margins of the docks, were long avenues shaded by trees, with broad sidewalks on each side. Mrs. Morelle and her party took long walks in these avenues, admiring the beauty of the scenes around them, and observing the dresses of the people that they met,-the different uniforms of the naval and military officers, the strange native costumes of the peasant women, and the different fashions of the various groups of visitors, German, French and English, that they met by the

way.

The next day, through the assistance of the landlord of the inn, they obtained permission to go into the military dock. In order to enter it they passed through the gateways, and over the

drawbridges of a stupendous fortification, with monstrous guns pointing at them from high embankments on every side. Every passage was guarded by a sentinel who walked to and fro before the gateway with bayonet fixed. When the party had passed in through the several lines of fortification, and were at length fairly within the enclosure, they found themselves, as it were, in a new town. Extended views opened before them of immense docks, broad quays, and long ranges of government buildings used for the storage of timber, of sail cloth, of cordage, and of every other material used in the construction and equipment of ships. It would require several large volumes to describe in full the character and arrangements of this immense establishment, and the objects of interest which it contains.

After rambling about in the military port for two or three hours, the party prepared to leave it, and John wished very much to go out by one of the ports of egress leading to the rear, on account of the great drumming which he heard in that direction. He thought that there must be some sort of parade there.

So they all went that way. They passed through one great gateway after another, leading through immense embankments faced in some parts with green slopes of grass, and in others

with perpendicular walls of massive masonry,and over broad and deep ditches by means of bridges, made to be easily taken away in case the fortification should be attacked-and at length they passed by the last sentinel, and found themselves outside the walls. They were, however, not yet in the open field, but only among the outer fortifications, which consisted of sloping banks of earth, and terraces of various zigzag forms, all beautifully finished, and covered with the softest and richest verdure. Around and among these ramparts were a great many smooth and beautiful gravel walks, and open esplanades, and in these a large company of trumpeters, and and also one of drummers, were practicing upon their instruments. It was this which made the music that had attracted John's attention within the port.

The trumpeters twenty or thirty in number, were marching about among the ramparts, and out far over the open fields beyond, in order to accustom themselves to the difficult work of marching at a quick step, and blowing the trumpets at the same time. They played by turns, half at a time, changing often, but without making the least break or interruption in the tune. A man can play this instrument when marching briskly, only a part of the time He would get

entirely out of breath if he were to attempt to play continuously. It is necessary, therefore, to have two sets of performers, and it requires a great deal of practice to enable them to play well together.

The drummers were standing about in various places, each drumming, apparently, to please himself, without regard to the others. They were, however, all under the command of an officer, who wore a different dress from the drummers, and who walked about among them and observed what they did. There were perhaps fifty of these musicians in all, and the noise of such a number of trumpets and drums, all going together, the sounds being all multiplied and intensified by the echoes and reverberations returned from the walls and embankments of the fortifications, produced a din which it was delightful to hear.

CHAPTER X.

THE CONSCRIPTION,

AT least John thought it delightful, and so did Grimkie. Mrs. Morelle and Florence looked on with an expression of curiosity and wonder in their countenances, and remained standing near the end of the drawbridge, by which they had come out from the port, looking at the musicians, while Grimkie and John walked out toward and among them, in order to obtain the full effect of the deafening sounds.

Both Grimkie and John were surprised to see how young the soldiers seemed to be. They all looked like boys seventeen or eighteen years old. One of them who had been beating a continuous roll upon his drum for a long time, stopped just as John went by him, in order to stretch and rest his fingers an instant, as if they ached with the effort which he had made to sustain the roll so long, and he looked into John's face and smiled. He looked like a very kind-hearted and affectionate boy, such an one as would be the pride and joy of his mother.

John was quite

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