e instinct, halted
on the edge of a ravine of such depth, as to make it probable that a
rivulet ran through it. He made them clear away the snow and break the
ice; then consulting his map, he exclaimed "That this was one of the
streams which flowed into the Dnieper! this must be our guide, and we
must follow it; that it would lead us to that river, which we must
cross, and that on the other side we should be safe!" He immediately
proceeded in that direction.

However at a little distance from the high road which he had abandoned,
he again halted in a village, the name of which they knew not, but
believed that it was either Fomina, or Danikowa. There he rallied his
troops, and made them light their fires, as if he intended to take up
his quarters in it for the night. Some Cossacks who followed him took it
for granted, and no doubt sent immediately to apprise Kutusoff of the
spot where, next day, a French marshal would surrender his arms to him;
for shortly after the noise of their cannon was heard.

Ney listened: "Is this Davoust at last," he exclaimed, "who has
recollected me?" and he listened a second time. But there were regular
intervals between the firing; it was a salvo. Being then fully satisfied
that the Russian army was triumphing by anticipation over his captivity,
he swore he would give the lie to their joy, and immediately resumed his
march.

At the same time his Poles ransacked the country. A lame peasant was the
only inhabitant they had discovered; this was an unlooked-for piece of
good fortune. He informed them that they were within the distance of a
league from the Dnieper, but that it was not fordable there, and could
not yet be frozen over. "It will be so," was the marshal's remark; but
when it was observed to him that the thaw had just commenced, he added
"that it did not signify, we must pass, as there was no other resource."

At last, about eight o'clock, after passing through a village, the
ravine terminated, and the lame Russian, who walked first, halted and
pointed to the river. They imagined that this must have been between
Syrokorenia and Gusinoe. Ney, and those immediately behind him, ran up
to it. They found the river sufficiently frozen to bear their weight,
the course of the flakes which it bore along to that point, being
counteracted by a sudden turn in its banks, was there suspended; the
winter had completely frozen it over only in that single spot; both
above and below it, its surface