. It was evident that Dampierre meditated a
surprise of the British forces, and that the whole of his skirmishers
were already in motion. How long this movement had continued, or how
near the enemy might already have approached to the British camp, was
entirely beyond my conjecture; and for the first few moments, the
probability of the surprise, and the possibility of my being already so
completely within the range of the French march as to preclude my
bearing the intelligence in sufficient time, made the drops of anxiety
and perturbation roll down my forehead. But every thing must be tried. I
no longer attempted to wind my way back through the network of lanes;
but, in the spirit of an English sportsman, took the country in a
straight line towards the British quarters. My horse, a thorough English
hunter, evidently preferred leaping the Flemish fences to wading his way
through the swamps; and I had the honour of bringing the first
information, and the happiness of finding that I had brought it just in
the right time.

The camp was immediately under arms; every preparation was made in a
silence which gave me a high conception of the capabilities of the
British soldier for every species of service; and, without a sound among
ten thousand men, we waited for the approach of the enemy.

Dampierre's manoeuvre had been a dashing one--conceived and managed
with the skill of an able officer. His purpose had been to throw his
main body into the rear of our position; and while he drew off our
attention by a false attack on our front, avail himself of the
confusion of a night attack to crush us. Whether the fighting qualities
of the Englishman would not have made him repent of his plan under any
circumstances, is no longer the question; but the surprise was now
wholly his own. The first volley which we poured into his columns, as
they crept up stealthily towards our line, was so heavy that it finished
the battle. By the blaze of the musketry, we could see the French masses
actually rolling back upon each other, staggering and shaken like
landsmen at sea, or like any man in an earthquake. Our cavalry were now
ordered to follow; but the enemy were too quick in making their escape;
and the intersected nature of the country forbade any continued pursuit.
A few shots from our howitzers, which ripped up the ground after them,
were all that we could send as our parting present; and the engagement,
which began in such silence and sternne