Barrel of a Musket

The story opens with a battle scene at a farm at La Haye Sainte in what is better known as the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, told by a battle weary British soldier named Walker.

Walker is swarmed by the French at the barn at La Haye Sainte and chivvied onto the front line. To his joy and surprise, he finds his old friend Bob amongst the dead and revives him. Bob has an energy and life to him that are infectious but a bit crazy.

Bob and Walker are brought grey and white horses that remind Walker of similar horses they had when fighting at the Battle of Arcole in 1796. He and Bob were amongst a few British then supporting the Austrian army against the French. It so happens that here at La Haye Sainte there are a handful of Austrians helping the British. There is then a flashback to the march in 1796 where the British and Austrians are famously defeated at the Bridge of Arcole.

We return to 1815 where Bob and Walker are ordered to go on to Waterloo. In the early part of the battle there is an explosion. Bob disappears and Walker believes he must be dead. He is desperately sad but fights on more brutally despite sustaining a foot injury. Walker spots Napoleon and tries to shoot him dead but instead kills a young French soldier who dives in the way.

Walker stumbles upon a burned, shrivelled, bleeding man. It is Bob. Bob refuses the medical tent and the two resume the charge with Wellington. Walker kills a brave French officer. Out of respect, Walker throws the officer's medal to another Frenchman asking that it be returned to his family. To Walker's sadness, one of his British men kills the Frenchman.

Walker fights on but, exhausted, he and Bob are captured by the French. Fortunately, they foil their captors and, still tied to chairs, they shuffle back to base. No sooner are they back safe than Walker is sent to another artillery base that has been overtaken by the French. There, in a barrel of gunpowder, he finds a silver pistol engraved with the name of Bob's dead friend "Timmy". Both are furious with the French and there is another skirmish. Walker is nearly killed but Bob saves his life.

Bob and Walker enter Wellington's tent and tell him of their plan to use heavy cannons at close range to overwhelm the French guns. The battle is close fought. Bob and Walker stumble into a tent and discover an ancient bow and arrow, which they use to defend themselves against the remaining French forces.

They meet a random man, raving about sausages, who proves to be one of the Prussians under General Blucher, who have arrived to support the British. The "Sausage Man" defeats a Frenchman with a raw sausage. Finally, Napoleon is defeated and the survivors are left to ponder the Prussian's bizarre final question, "Do you think they will have sausages in the army?"