road to Halle, and his
right with the grand army, commanded by the Emperor in person. In this
manner our troops formed an immense circle around Leipzig; and the
enemy, arriving from all points, sought to join their divisions so as
to form a yet larger circle around us, and to inclose us in Leipzig as
in a trap.

While we waited thus, three fearful battles were going on at once: one
against the Austrians and Russians at Wachau; another against the
Prussians at Mockern on the road to Halle; and the third on the road to
Lutzen, to defend the bridge of Lindenau, attacked by General Giulay.

These things I learned afterward; but every one ought to tell what he
saw himself: in this way the world will know the truth.

XVIII

The battalion was commencing to descend the hill, opposite Leipzig, to
rejoin our division, when we saw a staff-officer crossing the plain
below, and coming at full gallop toward us. In two minutes he was with
us; Colonel Lorain had spurred forward to meet him; they exchanged a
few words, and the officer returned. Hundreds of others were rushing
over the plain in the same manner, bearing orders.

"Head of column to the right!" shouted the colonel.

We took the direction of a wood, which skirts the Duben road some half
a league. It was a beech forest, but in it were birches and oaks.
Once at its borders, we were ordered to re-prime our guns, and the
battalion was deployed through the wood as skirmishers. We advanced
twenty-five paces apart, and each of us kept his eyes well opened, as
may be imagined. Every minute Sergeant Pinto would cry out:

"Get under cover!"

But he did not need to warn us: each one hastened to take his post
behind a stout tree, to reconnoitre well before proceeding to another.
To what dangers must peaceable people be exposed! We kept on in this
manner some ten minutes, and, as we saw nothing, began to grow
confident, when suddenly, one, two, three shots rang out. Then they
came from all sides, and rattled from end to end of our line. At the
same instant I saw my comrade on the left fall, trying, as he sank to
the earth, to support himself by the trunk of the tree behind which he
was standing. This roused me. I looked to the right and saw, fifty or
sixty paces off, an old Prussian soldier, with his long red mustaches
covering the lock of his piece; he was aiming deliberately at me. I
fell at once to the ground, and at the same moment heard the report.
It was