One night the French camp was surprised by Arabs. A murderous fire so astonished our soldiers, that they almost wavered at first; but Marshal Bugeaud rushed from his tent, and his presence inspiring our troops with their wonted enthusiasm, the enemy was repulsed. When the conflict was ended, the marshal noticed that every one smiled on looking at him. He raised his hands to his head. In his haste, he had left his tent adorned with the anything but heroic head-gear of the King of Yvetot; in short, a night-cap. The next day, when the trumpets gave the signal for the troops to resume their march, the zouaves, in memory of that original coifiure, sung in deafening chorus: “As-tu vu La casquette La casquette, As-tu vu La casquette, Du Père Bugeaud?” Two or three days afterward, the marshal, on giving the order for departure, said to the trumpeters: “Boys, sound _la casquette_.” So this name still clings to the order. To how many victories it has led, and will lead the zouaves! Father Bugeaud’s _casquette_, by insuring the success of “Duc Job,” yielded eighty thousand francs to the Théâtre Français, and sixty thousand francs to M. Léon Laya. It is a night-cap well worth the having. THE FANTASSIN, OR FOOT-SOLDIER. The fantassin, _par excellence_, is a soldier of the regular infantry. The cavalry pretend that the foot-soldier wears spurs on his elbows, but this is only a stale joke perpetrated before the bayonet came into general use. The regular infantry is really the French army. It has shed its blood upon every battle-field, and has come off victorious again and again. It is the infantry that has carried the standards of France through conquered Europe. It is the regular infantry which, without shoes, provisions, or artillery, swept down from the Alps upon Italy. It is the infantry that fought at the Pyramids, at Eylau and at Moscow. The infantry is the queen of battles; with her one can go in any direction and always maintain one’s position. There is nothing brilliant about the infantry uniform, and yet when seen in masses it produces an excellent effect. It is also the most comfortable and the best adapted to all the needs of a soldier in the field. At reviews, upon the parade ground, and on the boulevards there are, perhaps, regiments that attract more attention; but such is not the case if it is seen in line of battle. One should see it maneuvering under fire with the same precision as on the Champs de Mars. Each regiment has become a corps, with its officers at its head. A cannon-ball cuts down an entire file. “Close up the ranks!” The ranks are closed; the void is filled without haste, disorder, or confusion.