ay of sleeping; and two barns were found, well provided with
straw. This was shaken out and, after eating their suppers, the men
packed close together upon the straw, and soon forgot both damp and
fatigue; numerous sentries being thrown out, in various directions,
to prevent the possibility of surprise--for the peasants had
informed them that the information which they had received was
correct; and that the Uhlans, about two hundred strong, had entered
Blamont that afternoon, and had laid a requisition of twenty
thousand francs upon the inhabitants, besides a considerable amount
of stores of all sorts.

At three o'clock they were roused and found, to their great
pleasure, that the rain had ceased. Guided by one of the villagers,
they made their way down to a point where the wood approached quite
close to the road, at a narrow point of the valley. Here Major
Tempe posted his men along in the wood. Several coils of wire had
been brought with them; and these were now stretched tightly from
tree to tree, at a distance of about eighteen inches from the
ground. Some forty yards farther back, young trees were felled and
branches cut; and these were laid with the bushy parts towards the
road, wires being twisted here and there among them, so as to form
abattis perfectly impenetrable for horsemen, and difficult in the
extreme for infantry. All worked hard and, by eight o'clock in the
morning, everything was in readiness.

A small party had been left upon the high ground near Halloville,
and one of them had brought down news every half hour. Soon after
daybreak, a party of Uhlans had been seen to leave Blamont, and to
visit Barbas and Harboise--two villages in the flat of Blamont--and
then to retire, driving some cattle and sheep before them. At ten
o'clock the rest of the men from Halloville came down, with the
news that the Uhlans--about two hundred strong--had just left
Blamont, and were coming down the valley.

Each man now took the station allotted to him: thirty men behind
the trees, next to the road; the main body being stationed behind
the abattis, each man having previously settled upon a spot where
he could fire through the leaves, which entirely concealed them
from view from the road. Number one company was placed to the right
and, consequently, near to Blamont. Ralph and Percy were both in
the front line, behind the trees.

Not a shot was to be fired, on any consideration, until Major Tempe
gave the word. The me