his life."

As we passed down the other bank of the river in the rushes, we
discovered a band of Cossacks observing us from the heights to the
left. They followed slowly, without daring to attack us, and so we
kept on until it was broad day, when suddenly a terrific fusillade and
the thunder of heavy guns made us turn our heads toward Clepen. The
commandant, on horseback, looked over the tops of the reeds.

The sounds of conflict lasted a considerable time, and Sergeant Pinto
said:

"The division is advancing; it is attacked."

The Cossacks gazed, too, toward the fight, and at the end of an hour
disappeared. Then we saw the division advancing in column in the plain
to the right, driving before them the masses of Russian cavalry.

"Forward!" cried the commandant.

We ran, without knowing why, along the river bank, until we reached an
old bridge where the Rippach and Gruna met. Here we were to intercept
the enemy: but the Cossacks had discovered our design, and their whole
army fell back behind the Gruna, which they forded, and, the division
rejoining us, we learned that Marshal Bessieres had been killed by a
cannon-ball.

We left the bridge to bivouac before the village of Gorschen. The
rumor that a great battle was approaching ran through the ranks, and
they said that all that had passed was only a trial to see how the
recruits would act under fire. One may imagine the reflections of a
thoughtful man under such circumstances, among such hare-brained
fellows as Furst, Zebede, and Klipfel, who seemed to rejoice at the
prospect, as if it could bring them aught else than bullet-wounds or
sabre-cuts. All night long I thought of Catharine, and prayed God to
preserve my life and my hands, which are so needful for poor people to
gain their bread.

XIII

We lighted our fires on the hill before Gross Gorschen and a detachment
descended to the village and brought back five or six old cows to make
soup of. But we were so worn out that many would rather sleep than
eat. Other regiments arrived with cannon and munitions. About eleven
o'clock there were from ten to twelve thousand men there and two
thousand and more in the village--all Souham's division. The general
and his ordnance officers were quartered in an old mill to the left,
near a stream called Floss-Graben. The line of sentries were stretched
along the base of the hill a musket-shot off. At length I fell asleep,
but I awoke every hour, and behi