o shout "Bravo!" But they were
too far off, and the noise of the fusillade would have prevented them
from hearing me.

No sooner had they reached the bank than another little group stepped
on to the narrow bridge, and then, after them, another; and each was
saluted by one or two shells, with the same heavy rain of bullets
falling into the water. But Providence protected our soldiers. The
outline of the bridge was very slight, and the gunners of the German
cavalry divisions were sorry marksmen. Their projectiles always burst
either too far or too near, too high or too low. And as soon as a
hundred men had got across, and the first sharpshooters had clambered
up the heights that rise sheer from the river and begun to debouch
upon the plateau, there was a sudden silence. The enemy's cavalry had
given way, and our _corps d'armee_ was free to pass the Marne by the
bridge of Jaulgonne.

The entire battalion of the advance guard then began to pour over the
bridge on their way to the plateau. Our brigade was quickly got
together, and our Chasseurs hastened to water their horses. Out came
the nosebags from the saddlebags. A few minutes later no one would
have suspected that fighting had taken place at this spot. The men
hurriedly got their snack, for we knew the halt would not last long,
and that the pursuit had to be pushed till daylight failed. Our troop
was in good heart and thankful that the squadron's losses had been so
small. F. had just seen Laurent, the one wounded Chasseur of his
troop, and said the doctors hoped to save his eye; so we had no reason
to grumble.

Saddlebags were now being buckled and horses rebridled. I was to go
forward to replace the troop that had led the advance guard. The
Colonel sent for me and ordered me to proceed at once along the road
to Fismes, search the outskirts of the village carefully, and take up
a position on the heights overlooking the valley.

My troop got away quickly, and I rejoiced again at the sight of my
fellows, radiant at the thought of having a dash at the enemy. We had
to hasten and get ahead of the foremost parties of infantry, which
also halted now for a meal. I detached my advance scouts. Their eager
little horses set off at a gallop along the white road, and I was
delighted to see the ease and decision with which my Chasseurs flashed
out their swords. They seemed to say, "Come along, come along ...; we
are ready." As for me, I rode on in quiet confidence, knowing tha