s as far as we could see. And then
on other roads we saw the teams of horses toiling and the dull gleam of
the guns, and the men straining and swaying as they helped to turn the
spokes in the deep, deep mud. As we stood there, regiment after
regiment and brigade after brigade took position on the ridge, and ere
the sun had set we lay in a line of over sixty thousand men, blocking
Napoleon's way to Brussels. But the rain had come swishing down again,
and we of the 71st rushed off to our barn once more, where we had better
quarters than the greater part of our comrades, who lay stretched in the
mud with the storm beating upon them until the first peep of day.

CHAPTER XII.

THE SHADOW ON THE LAND.

It was still drizzling in the morning, with brown drifting clouds and a
damp chilly wind. It was a queer thing for me as I opened my eyes to
think that I should be in a battle that day, though none of us ever
thought it would be such a one as it proved to be. We were up and
ready, however, with the first light, and as we threw open the doors of
our barn we heard the most lovely music that I had ever listened to
playing somewhere in the distance. We all stood in clusters hearkening
to it, it was so sweet and innocent and sad-like. But our sergeant
laughed when he saw how it pleased us all.

"Them are the French bands," said he; "and if you come out here you'll
see what some of you may not live to see again."

Out we went, the beautiful music still sounding in our ears, and stood
on a rise just outside the barn. Down below at the bottom of the slope,
about half a musket-shot from us, was a snug tiled farm with a hedge and
a bit of an apple orchard. All round it a line of men in red coats and
high fur hats were working like bees, knocking holes in the wall and
barring up the doors.

"Them's the light companies of the Guards," said the sergeant. "They'll
hold that farm while one of them can wag a finger. But look over yonder
and you'll see the camp fires of the French."

We looked across the valley at the low ridge upon the further side, and
saw a thousand little yellow points of flame with the dark smoke
wreathing up in the heavy air. There was another farm-house on the
further side of the valley, and as we looked we suddenly saw a little
group of horsemen appear on a knoll beside it and stare across at us.
There were a dozen Hussars behind, and in front five men, three with
helmets, one with a long str