Page:Narrative of a captivity and adventures in France and Flanders between the years 1803 and 1809.djvu/25

 with which his every gesture was imitated by some of his obsequious subordinates, who liberally dealt out blows with the flat of swords upon the shoulders of any one, who, even from awkwardness, might incline out of the direct line of march. In this way we trudged along, with each a loaf of ammunition bread slung over the shoulder, and only four dollars (which Whitehurst happened to possess) amongst us; occasionally halting to rest, until about four P. M. when we were drummed in form through a village, and then retrograded, for the purpose of being drawn up in front of a large swinery, to witness the expulsion of pigs, sheep, and goats, to make room for us. In the course of an hour, the lieutenant gave us leave to dine in the village, attended by a sergeant, by which he incurred the displeasure of his brutal captain; we soon after returned to the place of confinement, where we remained smothered in dust and dirt, until the morning, when we were again mustered into ranks, and after receiving a black loaf and seven-pence halfpenny each,