t.

"Those are from the camp," he exclaimed, "and a few thousands more will
make the post impregnable."

The sight of the column seemed to have given renewed vigour to both sides;
for, while the French guns rapidly increased their fire, aided by the
musketry of the newly arrived troops, the Prussian artillerists, then the
first in Europe, threw in their balls in such showers, that the forest,
which hitherto had largely screened the enemy, began to fall in masses;
branch and trunk were swept away, and the ground became as naked of cover
as if it had been stripped by the axe. The troops thus exposed could not
withstand this "iron hail," and they were palpably staggered. The retreat
of a brigade, after suffering immense loss, shook the whole line, and
produced a charge of our dragoons up the hill. I gave an involuntary
glance at Macdonald. He was pale and exhausted; but in another moment his
eye sparkled, his colour came, and I heard him exclaim, "Bravo, Chazot!
All is not lost yet." I saw a group of mounted officers galloping into the
very spot which had been abandoned by the brigade, and followed by the
colours of three or four battalions, which were planted directly under our
fire. "There comes Chazot with his division!" cried the aide-de-camp;
"gallant fellow, let him now make up for his ill fortune! Monsieur
Brunswick will not sleep on the hill of Valmy to-night. He has been unable
to force the centre, and now both flanks are secured: another attack would
cost him ten thousand men. Nor will Monsieur Brunswick sleep on the hills
of Valmy to-morrow. Dumourier was right; there was his Thermopylae. But it
will not be stormed. _Vive la France!_"

The prediction was nearly true. The unexpected reinforcements, and the
approach of night, determined the generalissimo to abandon the assault for
the time. The fire soon slackened, the troops were withdrawn, and, after a
heavy loss on both sides, both slept upon the field.

I was roused at midnight from the deep sleep of fatigue, by an order to
attend the duke, who was then holding a council. Varnhorst was my summoner,
and on our way he slightly explained the purpose of his mission. "We are
all in rather bad spirits at the result of to-day's action. The affair
itself was not much, as it was only between detachments, but it shows two
things; that the French are true to their revolutionary nonsense, and that
they can fight. On even ground we have beaten them, and shall beat them