At every discharge hundreds of men perished, but there was no interruption, the solid earth trembled under our feet. We could breathe again now, and very soon we began to feel a most intolerable thirst. During the fight nobody had thought of it, but now everybody wanted to drink. Our house formed the corner at the left of the bridge, but the little water that was running over the muddy bottom of the brook was red with blood. Between our house and the next there was a little garden, where there was a well from which to water it. We all looked at this well with its curb and its wooden posts; the bucket was still hanging to the chain in spite of the showers of shot, but three men were already lying face downward in the path leading to it. The Prussians had shot them as they were trying to reach it. As we stood there with our loaded muskets, one said, "I would give half my blood for one glass of that water;" another, "Yes, but the Prussians are on the watch." This was true, there they were, a hundred paces from us, perhaps they were as thirsty as we, and were guessing our thoughts. The shots that were still fired came from these houses, and no one could go along the street, they would shoot him at once, so we were all suffering horribly. This lasted for another half hour, when the cannonade extended from St. Amand to Ligny, and we could see that our batteries had opened with grape and canister on the Prussians by the great gaps made in their columns at every discharge. This new attack produced a great excitement. Buche, who had not stirred till that moment, ran down through the path leading to the well in the garden and sheltered himself behind the curb. From the two houses opposite a volley was fired, and the stones and the posts were soon riddled with balls. But we opened our fire on their windows and in an instant it began again from one end of the village to the other, and everything was enveloped in smoke. At that moment I heard some one shout from below, "Joseph, Joseph!" It was Buche; he had had the courage after he had drank himself, to fill the bucket, unfasten it, and bring it back with him. [Illustration: He had had the courage to pull up the bucket.] Several old soldiers wanted to take it from him, but he shouted, "My comrade first! let go, or I'll pour it all out!" They were compelled to wait till I had drank, then they took their turn, and afterward the others who were upstairs drained the rest. We all went up together greatly refreshed. It was about seven o'clock and near sunset, the shadows of the houses on our side reached quite to the brook--while those occupied by the Prussians were still in the sunlight, as well as the hill-side of Bry, down which we could see the fresh troops coming on the run. The cannonade had never been so fierce as at this moment from our side.