e an exploded shell; nor could
we see the means by which its wide extended fragments were to be united
at a moment, much less divine the spot to which their combined force was
to be directed.

Had these Russians been fabulous creatures of a legend, instead of
men of mortal mould, they could scarcely have been endowed with more
attributes of ubiquity than we conferred on them. Sometimes we believed
them at one side of the Danube, sometimes at the other; now we heard of
them as retreating by forced marches into their native fastnesses, now
as encamped in the mountain regions of Moravia. Yesterday came the news
that they laid down their arms and surrendered as prisoners of war;
to-day we heard of them as having forced back our advanced posts and
carried off several squadrons as prisoners.

At length came the positive information that the allied armies were in
cantonments around Olmutz; while Napoleon had pushed forward to Brunn,
a place of considerable strength, communicating by the highroad with the
Russian headquarters. It was no longer doubtful, then, where the great
game was to be decided, and thither the various battalions were now
directed by marches day and night.

On the 29th of November our united detachments, now numbering
several hundred men, arrived at Brunn. I lost no time in repairing to
headquarters, where I found General d'Auvergne deeply engaged with the
details of the force under his command: his brigade had been placed
under the orders of Murat; and it was well known the prince gave little
rest or respite to those under his command. From him I learned that
three days of unsuccessful negotiation had just passed over, and that
the Emperor had now resolved on a great battle. Indeed, every moment was
critical. Russia had assumed a decidedly hostile aspect; the Swedes were
moving to the south; the Archduke Charles, by a circuitous route, was
on the march to join the Russian army, to whose aid fresh reinforcements
were daily arriving, and Benningsen was hourly expected with more. Under
these circumstances a battle was inevitable; and such a one, as, by its
result, must conclude the war.

This much did I learn from the old general as we rode over the field
together; examining with caution the nature of the ground, and where it
offered facilities, and where it presented obstacles, to the movement
of cavalry. Such were the orders issued that morning by Napoleon to the
generals of brigade, who might now be see