g sun glared.

Neither, as his troops prepared to bivouac for the night upon the slopes
of Mouveaux, could York, looking southward, find any indication of the
fourth and fifth columns under Kinsky and the Arch-Duke which should have
come up to this same position at Mouveaux by noon seven hours before. The
flat and marshy fields upon either bank of the Marque were anxiously
scanned in vain as the twilight deepened. Down there, far off, the cannon
had been heard all that afternoon round the French camp at Sainghin, but
nothing had come through.

It was therefore under a sense of isolation and of confusion, with the
knowledge that their left flank was open, that Clerfayt in front of them
was not yet in reach, that the second and third columns, which had so
thoroughly accomplished their task, established their posts under the
early summer night to await the chances of the morning.

III

THE FOURTH AND FIFTH COLUMNS UNDER KINSKY AND THE ARCH-DUKE CHARLES

Now what had happened to the fourth and fifth columns under Kinsky and the
Arch-Duke? I must describe their fortunes, show why they had failed to
come up, and thus complete the picture of the general advance from the
Scheldt, before I turn to conclude the explanation of the disaster by
detailing the further adventures of Clerfayt after he had crossed the Lys.

(A) THE FOURTH COLUMN UNDER KINSKY

Kinsky with his 11,000 men had been delayed, as we have seen, at Froidmont
by the message which the Arch-Duke had sent him from St Amand, to the
effect that the fifth column could not hope to be at Pont-a-Marcq before
dawn upon the 17th.

At the moment, therefore, when in the small hours of Saturday the 17th
Otto and the Duke of York started out simultaneously from Bailleul and
Templeuve, Kinsky was still pinned to Froidmont. But he knew that the
Arch-Duke had started with his great column some time after dark in the
Friday night from St Amand, and when he estimated that they had proceeded
far enough along the road to Pont-a-Marcq to be up level with him upon his
left, Kinsky set his men in march and made for the Bridge of Bouvines,
which was the crossing of the Marque immediately in front of him.

The Bridge of Bouvines lay right in front of the great French camp. It was
strongly held, and the hither side of the river, as Kinsky approached it,
was found to be entrenched. His men drove the French from those
entrenchments, they retired over the bridge, and as they retired