Saint-Cyr : See note

71.3. rouler les r: ' Rolhng the r's.' The French 'r' is generally not trilled, but throaty, guttural. When this peculiarity is exaggerated, this is called ' grasseyer ' ; the noun is ' grasseyement.'

71.4. me faire couper en quatre : ' Go through fire and water for him,' ' do anything for him,'

71.5. nous sommes du premier coup de chien : ' We met the fîrst impact of the enemy.'

71.6. Wissembourg : In the department of Bas-Rhin, mémorable as the scène of the first serious French reverse in the Franco- German war. The battle was fought seven days after the déclaration of war.

71.7. troupier : ' Soldier,' not ' cavalryman,' as in English.

71.8. Châlons-sur-Marne : The référence is to the days in the middle of August 1870, after the defeats of Froeschwiller and Forbach, when the routed French armies fell back and were reorganized as well as circumstances permitted.

71.9. Sedan : On the Meuse, scène of the capitulation of Napoléon III with an army of 100,000 men (Sept. 2, 1870).

71.10. Vinoy : afterwards took a prominent part in the defence of Paris.

71.11. pantalons rouges: ' French infantry.' Before the introduction of the ' bleu horizon,' French troops wore dark blue greatcoats and tunics and red trousers.

72.1. Champigny : South of Paris, scène of some of the many bitter engagements during the siège (Nov. and Dec. 1870).