The Yale expositor., 1920-10-28
CHAPTER XII.
The Shadow on the Land.


II was still drizzling In the morning,
with brown, drifting clouds and a
damp, chilly wind. II was a queer
thing for me as l opened my eyes to
think that l should be in a battle that
day, though none Of us ever thought
1t would be such a one as II proved
to be. We were up and ready, how
ever, with the first light, and as we
threw open the doors of our barn we
heard the most lovely music that /
ever listened to playing somewhere in
the distance. We all stood in clusters
hearkening to II, 1t was so sweet and
innocent and sad-like. But our SER
geant laughed when he saw how II
had pleased us all.
Them are the French bands" said
he; land II you come out here you'll
see what some OF you may not nve to
see again."
Out we went-the beautiful music
still sounding In our ears, and stood
on a rise just outside the barn. Down
below, at the bottom of the slope,
about half musket shot from us, was
a snug tiled farm with a hedge and a
bit OF an apple orchard. All round II
line of men in red coats and high
fur hats were working like bees,
knocking holes in the wall and barring
up the doors.
"Thems the light companies of the
Guards" said the sergeant. They'll
hold that farm while one OF them can
wag a finger. But look over yonder,
and you'll see the campHres Of the
French"
We looked across the valley at the
low ridge upon the farther side. and
saw thousand little yellow points of
flame, with the dark smoke wreathing
up slowly in the heavy air. There was
another farmhouse on the farther side
OF the valley, and as we watched we
suddenly saw a little group OF horse
men appear on a knoll beside II and
look across at us. There were dozen
hussars behind. and in front five men,
three with helmets, one with a long,
straight, red feather In his hat, and
the last with low cap.
"By Godr' cried the sergeant.
That's him! That's Boney, the one
with the gray horse. Aye, I'll lay a
months pay on it,"
strained my eyes to see him, this
man who had cast that great shadow
over Europe which darkened the ma
tons for five-and-twenty years, and
which had even fallen across our out
of-the-world little sheep farm, and
had dragged us all-myself. Edie and
Jlm-out of the lives that our folk had
lived before us. AS far as l could see
he was a dumpy, square-shouldered
kind of man, and he held his double
glasses to his eyes with his elbows
spread very wide out on each side.
l was still staring when l heard the
catch Of a mans breath by my side,
and there was Jim. his eyes glowing
like two Goals and his face thrust over
my shoulder.
That's he, Jock" he whispered
eyes, that's BOney," said 1.
mo. no; it's he. This De Lapp or
De Lissac, or whatever his devils
name is. 1t is he"
Then I saw him at once. II was the
horseman with the high red feather In
his hat. Even at that distance / could
have sworn to the slope of his shoul-
ders and the way he carried his head.
l clapped my hand upon Jim's sleeve,
for I could see that his bloof was
boiling at the sight Of the man, md
that he was ready for any madness.
But at that moment Bonaparte seemed
TO lean over and say something to
De Lissac. and the party wheeled and
dashed away, while there came the
bang OF a gun and a white spray Of
smoke from battery along the ridge.
At the same instant the assembly was
blown In our village, and we rushed
for our arms and fell In. There was
burst Of firing all along the line, and
we thought that the battle had begun,
but II came really from our fellows
cleaning their pieces, for their prim-
ing was in some danger Of being wet
from the damp nig.t.
CrO BE CONTINUTD1