Before us, now, at a few hundred yards, we could perceive a number of men engaged upon the field. Lights were moving from place to place rapidly, while immediately in front a strong picket of cavalry were halted. “By Jove! there’s sharp work of it to-night,” whispered Hampden. “They do intend to surprise us to-morrow.” “Gently now, to the left,” said I, as cautiously skirting the little hill, I kept my eye firmly fixed upon the watch-fire. The storm, which for some time had abated considerably, was now nearly quelled, and the moon again peeped forth amidst masses of black and watery clouds. “What good fortune for us!” thought I, at this moment, as I surveyed the plain before me. “I say, O’Malley, what are those fellows at yonder, where the blue light is burning?” “Ah! the very people we want; these are the sappers. Now for it; that’s our ground. We’ll soon come upon their track now.” We pressed rapidly forward, passing an infantry party as we went. The blue light was scarcely a hundred yards off; we could even hear the shouting of the officers to their men in the trenches, when suddenly my horse came down upon his head, and rolling over, crushed me to the earth. “Not hurt, my boy,” cried I, in a subdued tone, as Hampden jumped down beside me. It was the angle of a trench I had fallen into; and though both my horse and myself felt stunned for the moment, we rallied the next minute. “Here is the very spot,” said I. “Now, Mike, catch the bridles and follow us closely.” Guiding ourselves along the edge of the trench, we crept stealthily forward; the only watch-fire near was where the engineer party was halted, and our object was to get outside of this. “My turn this time,” said Hampden, as he tripped suddenly, and fell head foremost upon the grass. As I assisted him to rise, something caught my ankle, and on stooping I found it was a cord pegged fast into the ground, and lying only a few inches above it. “Now, steady! See here; this is their working line. Pass your hand along it there, and let us follow it out.” While Hampden accordingly crept along on one side, I tracked the cord upon the other. Here I found it terminating upon a small mound, where probably some battery was to be erected. I accordingly gathered it carefully up, and was returning towards my friend, when what was my horror to hear Mike’s voice, conversing, as it seemed to me, with some one in French. I stood fixed to the spot, my very heart beating almost in my mouth as I listened. “_Qui êtes-vous done, mon ami?_” inquired a hoarse, deep voice, a few yards off. “_Bon cheval, non_ beast, _sacré nom de Dieu!_” A hearty burst of laughter prevented my hearing the conclusion of Mike’s French. I now crept forward upon my hands and knees, till I could catch the dark outline of the horses, one hand fixed upon my pistol trigger, and my sword drawn in the other. Meanwhile the dialogue continued.