o receive
instructions from the Colonel!

I had not long to wait. My messenger soon came back, trotting up the
road from Jaulgonne. But the instructions were not what I had
expected. I was to stay where I was until further orders, to continue
to observe the enemy, and keep a look-out in his direction.

I learnt some details from the man. The greater part of the infantry
had already crossed the bridge, and there was also some artillery on
this side of the river. As he said this a clatter of wheels and chains
caused me to turn my head, and I saw behind us, in the stubble-fields
of the plateau, two batteries of 75's taking up positions. Ah! ah! we
were going to send them our greetings then, a salute to the pompous
General over there, and to his aide-de-camp, the stiff and obsequious
_Rittmeister_, whom I imagined to be at his side. I looked on gaily
with my Chasseurs at the laying of the guns. How we all loved that
good little gun, which had so often come up to lend us the support of
its terrible projectiles at critical moments! And those good fellows
the gunners loved it too; the men we saw jumping nimbly down from
their limber, quickly unhitching their piece, and pointing it with
tender care towards the enemy.

Standing on a bank, with his glasses to his eyes, the officer in
command gave his orders which were passed from man to man by the
markers. And then suddenly we heard four loud, sharp reports behind
us. The whistling of the shells, which almost grazed our heads, was
impressive, and, though we knew there was no danger, we instinctively
ducked. But we recovered ourselves at once to see what effect they had
produced.

What a pity! They had fallen a bit short. We distinctly saw four small
white puffs on the side of the hill just below the group of German
officers. Ah! They didn't wait for another! I saw them make off in hot
haste whilst the troopers, stationed behind the stack, galloped off
the horses. The man with the flag was the last to go, closing the
procession with rather more dignity. But in ten seconds the whole lot
had decamped, and the only men we could see were the dragoons of the
patrol, who rode back to the ridge at full speed.

But just as they reached it the second battery opened fire, and this
time the sighting was just right. The four white puffs appeared
exactly over the spot where the Staff had stood a minute before--two
to the right and two to the left of the stack. And all we now saw of
the