Page:Narrative of a captivity and adventures in France and Flanders between the years 1803 and 1809.djvu/140

 hour of the night, we entered, and saw nobody but an old woman and a servant; at first they appeared somewhat surprised, but asked no questions except such as regarded our wants, frequently exclaiming, "pauvres conscripts." We dried our clothes, when the sudden transition from cold to heat split Hunter's feet, several of his nails also were loose, and Whitehurst had actually walked off two. The fire made us all so very sensitive, that we could scarcely bare a foot to the floor; but found some relief by bathing them in oil; having, however, enjoyed a comfortable supper, we lay ourselves down as before, keeping watch in turn, until four A. M., when we paid the old woman, and departed. After wandering about in the dark, endeavouring to find out a road round the town, until break of day, we sought refuge in a neighbouring wood: here we reposed until three in the afternoon, screened by dead leaves: about that time a boy alarmed us; no sooner had he disappeared than we retreated, one by one, to a place of greater security, near a windmill, which,