A Waterloo Story

[servicepub (RIP)]

A little humour...
The French and Allied Armies were squaring off in preparation for the Battle of Waterloo.
The Duke of Wellington sat astride his horse Copenhagen, watching through his telescope as Napoleon positioned his troops, the French and English artillery both loading up for the first barrage.
Suddenly with a fierce blast, a French cannonball whizzed over the Duke’s head and off into the distance.
Dropping his glass, the Duke roared for his Aide to join him immediately, simultaneously scribbling a message onto his field papers, and jamming the note into an official envelope.
“Get this to the King IMMEDIATELY” shouted the Duke. “Waste no time or heads will roll. Do you understand?”
“Yes, your Grace, to the King, IMMEDIATELY!” came the reply, and off galloped the Aide, back to Brussels, then along the Belgian roads to the coast, changing horses every 5 miles, boarding a ship for England, where yet another new mount awaited him for the panicked ride to London with the letter.
The palace guards saw the rider approaching on his lathered mount and swung open the palace gates.
Covered in mud, leaping off his horse, the sweating Aide stumbled up the steps, through the foyer and along the corridors to the King’s planning chamber where a conference was in progress.
Wasting no time, the Aide burst into the meeting, begging pardon of all, and presented the King with Wellington’s vital message. “Your Majesty ... From the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo ... ”
Quickly tearing open the envelope, the King read the message aloud to the distinguished gathering: “Contact. Wait. Out.”

[Mark W. Tonner]

. . . and Moses being a good 2i/c, ordered three rounds of illumination . . .