en
then separated themselves from the rest and formed a little group. I
could not distinguish their uniforms, but saw very clearly that they
were looking through their glasses at us. Now and again they put their
heads together, and consulted the map, as it seemed. A man then came
out from behind the stack on foot, and could be distinctly seen,
against the sky, sticking into the ground by his side a square pennon
which flapped gently in the breeze. As far as I could see it was half
black and half white. There could be no doubt that we were confronting
a Staff. So the division was not far off; it had halted, and perhaps
intended this time to fight at close quarters. I told my men what I
thought, and they were overjoyed at the idea that, after all, there
was a hope of realising our dream. There was not one of them who
doubted that the Division of the Guards had been kind enough to stop
its flight, and that our brave light brigade would attack it without
any hesitation and cut it to pieces. I dismounted quickly, and lost
not a moment in drawing up my report. I wrote down what I had seen and
what I had learnt from the inhabitants and then called one of my
Chasseurs:

"To the Colonel, full gallop!"

At the touch of the spur the little chestnut turned sharp round and
flew down the dusty road like a whirlwind. Meanwhile I carefully
posted my men, threw out scouts over the plateau and up to the forest
of Fere, and formed patrols under my non-commissioned officers. I then
took up my observation post under a large tree which, to judge by its
venerable look, must have seen many generations pass and many other
wars. The village folk collected around me in such numbers that I was
obliged to have them thrust back by my men to Le Charmel. To console
them I said: "You must go away. The enemy will take you for armed
troops and fire guns at you."

I kept my eye upon my "Staff," and wished my glasses could help me to
distinguish more clearly what men I had to deal with. I longed to see
what they were like--to examine the faces of these haughty _Reiters_
who for the last four days had been fleeing before us and always
refusing a real encounter. I fancied that among them might be found
that _Rittmeister_ with the bulging neck and pink cheeks, who, after
the orgy of that night at the Chateau de Conde, had left behind him
the cap that I had found hanging from the chandelier in the
dining-room. How I longed to see the brigade debouch, and t