too strong for us to cross over
straight from Moelk: we went up, therefore, along the bank under sail for
more than a league, and although the wind and the waves made the boat
jump, this part was accomplished without accident. But when the time
came to take to our oars and row out from the land, the mast, on being
lowered, fell over to one side, and the sail, dragging in the water,
offered a strong resistance to the current and nearly capsized us. The
master ordered the ropes to be cut and the masts to be sent overboard:
but the boatmen, losing their heads, began to pray without stirring.
Then the corporal, drawing his sword, said, 'You can pray and work too;
obey at once, or I will kill you.' Compelled to choose between possible
and certain death, the poor fellows took up their hatchets, and with the
help of the grenadiers, the mast was promptly cut away and sent
floating. It was high time, for hardly were we free from this dangerous
burden when we felt a fearful shock. A pine-stem borne down by the
stream had struck the boat. We all shuddered, but luckily the planks
were not driven in this time. Would the boat, however, resist more
shocks of this kind? We could not see the stems, and only knew that they
were near by the heavier tumble of the waves. Several touched us, but no
serious accident resulted. Meantime the current bore us along, and as
our oars could make very little way against it to give us the necessary
slant, I feared for a moment that it would sweep us below the enemy's
camp, and that my expedition would fail. By dint of hard rowing,
however, we had got three-quarters of the way over, when I saw an
immense black mass looming over the water. Then a sharp scratching was
heard, branches caught us in the face, and the boat stopped. To our
questions the owner replied that we were on an island covered with
willows and poplars, of which the flood had nearly reached the top. We
had to grope about with our hatchets to clear a passage through the
branches, and when we had succeeded in passing the obstacle, we found
the stream much less furious than in the middle of the river, and
finally reached the left bank in front of the Austrian camp. This shore
was bordered with very thick trees, which, overhanging the bank like a
dome, made the approach difficult no doubt, but at the same time
concealed our boat from the camp. The whole shore was lighted up by the
bivouac fires, while we remained in the shadow thrown by the b