HOW CITIZEN PIERRE-CLAUDE FARAUD WAS MADE A SUB-LIEUTENANT  
This collecting of musket balls lasted four days; but the English and Turks finally guessed the meaning of this performance which they had at first taken to be bravado.
A count of the balls showed that they had picked up thirty-four hundred. Bonaparte paid for them to the last sou through Estève, the paymaster of the army.
"Ah!" said Estève, when he recognized the sergeant-major, "so you are speculating in artillery again! I paid you for a cannon at Froeschwiller, and now I am to pay you for thirty-four hundred cannon-balls at Saint-Jean-d'Acre."
"Pooh!" said the sergeant-major, "I am none the richer for it; the six hundred francs at Froeschwiller, together with the Prince de Condé's treasure, went to the fund of the widows and orphans of Dawendorff."
"And what are you going to do with this money?"
"Oh! I have a use for it."
"Might I ask what it is?"
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"Certainly, since I depend on you to undertake the commission, citizen-paymaster. This money is destined for our brave Captain Guillet's old mother. He was killed at the last assault. He bequeathed her to his company before he died. The Republic is not very rich and might forget to pay the pensions of its widows. Well, in default of a pension the company will send her a little capital. It is a great pity, though, that those fools of Turks and those devils of Englishmen should have guessed our game and refused to keep it up any longer; we would have made up a sum of a thousand francs for the poor woman. But what will you, citizen-paymaster! The prettiest girl in the world can give no more than she has; and the thirty-second brigade, although it is the prettiest girl in the army, has only one hundred and seventy francs to offer."
"Where does Captain Guillet's mother live?"
"At Chateauroux, the capital of the Indre. Ah! it is fine to be faithful to one's old regiment, and that is just what he was, that brave Captain Guillet."
"Very well, the sum shall be paid to her, in the name of the third company of the thirty-second brigade, and of—"
"Pierre-Claude Faraud, the executor of his will."
"Thanks. And now, Pierre-Claude Faraud, the commander-in-chief wishes me to say to you that he wants to speak with you."
"Whenever he likes," replied the sergeant-major, with that twist of the neck which was peculiar to him. "Pierre-Claude Faraud is never too much embarrassed to talk."
"He will send for you."
"I await the summons." And the sergeant-major turned upon his heel and returned to the barracks of the thirty-second brigade, to wait until he was sent for.
Bonaparte was eating dinner in his tent when he was informed that the sergeant-major whom he had sent for was awaiting his pleasure.
"Let him come in," said Bonaparte.
The sergeant-major entered.
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"Ah! it is you," said Bonaparte.
"Yes, citizen-general, did you not send for me?" replied Faraud.
"What brigade do you belong to?"
"The thirty-second."
"To what company?"
"The third."
"Captain?"
"Captain Guillet, deceased."
"Not replaced?"
"Not replaced."
"Which of the two lieutenants is the braver."
"There is no 'braver' in the thirty-second. They are all equally brave."
"The older, then?"
"Lieutenant Valats, who stayed at his post with a shot through his breast."
"The second lieutenant was not wounded?"
"That was not his fault."
"Very well. Valats then will be captain, and the second lieutenant will succeed him. Now, is there not an under-officer who has distinguished himself?"
"All the men distinguished themselves."
"But I cannot make them all lieutenants, stupid."
"That is a fact. Well, then there is Taberly."
"Who is Taberly?"
"A brave man."
"And would his appointment be well received?"
"With applause."
"Then there will be a vacant sub-lieutenancy. Who is the oldest sergeant-major?"
The man whom he was questioning made a movement with his neck as if his cravat were strangling him. "He is one Pierre-Claude Fa............