THE COUNT OF MONTE-CRISTO.
215
"Ah, true!" said Debray, "you did fight some time ago;—about what?"
"The devil take me, if I remember!" returned Chateau-Renaud. "But I recollect perfectly one thing; that, being unwilling to let such talents
as mine sleep, I wished to try upon the Arabs the new pistols that had been given to me. In consequence I embarked for Oran, and went from thence to Constantine, where I arrived just in time to witness the raising of the siege. I retreated with the rest, during eight-and-forty hours.