▁describes ▁Fab rice ' s ▁rather ▁qu ix otic ▁effort ▁to ▁join ▁Napoleon ▁when ▁the ▁latter ▁returns ▁to ▁France ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁( the ▁H undred ▁Days ). ▁Fab rice ▁at ▁sevent een ▁is ▁ideal istic , ▁rather ▁na ive , ▁and ▁speak s ▁poor ▁French . ▁However , ▁he ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁stopped ▁and ▁leaves ▁his ▁home ▁on ▁Lake ▁Como ▁to ▁travel ▁north ▁with ▁false ▁papers . ▁He ▁wand ers ▁through ▁France , ▁losing ▁money ▁and ▁horses ▁rapidly . ▁He ▁is ▁imprison ed ▁as ▁a ▁sp y , ▁but ▁esc apes ▁with ▁the ▁aid ▁of ▁the ▁j ail er ' s ▁wife ▁who ▁develop s ▁a ▁fond ness ▁towards ▁Fab rice , ▁don ning ▁the ▁uniform ▁of ▁a ▁dead ▁French ▁h uss ar . ▁In ▁his ▁excitement ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁a ▁French ▁soldier , ▁he ▁wand ers ▁onto ▁the ▁field ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Water lo o . ▁ ▁St end hal , ▁a ▁veter an ▁of ▁several ▁Napole onic ▁campaign s ▁( he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁surv iv ors ▁of ▁the ▁retre at ▁from ▁Moscow ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 2 ), ▁describes ▁this ▁famous ▁battle ▁as ▁a ▁cha otic ▁affair : ▁soldiers ▁gal lop ▁one ▁way ▁and ▁then ▁another ▁as ▁bul lets ▁p low ▁the ▁fields ▁around ▁them . ▁Fab rice ▁briefly ▁joins ▁the ▁guard ▁of ▁Field ▁Marsh al ▁N ey , ▁randomly ▁comes ▁across ▁the ▁man ▁who ▁may ▁be ▁his ▁father ▁( he ▁comm ande ers ▁Fab rice ' s ▁horse ),