egivenhibr >
upheendedhisnotebysayingthathehadalreadyntionedhisna,indispatches,andshouldnoakeafreshreportlonelteeorrathergeneraltee,forhenondedabrigadeoneportionofhisletter
ntainedbadneentionedthattiadlostanarat
thebattleofthe8thdeceer,butthatheell
thoseingdaysatdijonthenehevictoryat
villersexel,follohefightinghecaptureof
ntbeliard;andthentheobstinatentestsnearbelfort,whenbourbakiinvainendeavoredtodrivebacktheges,andtorelievethebesiegedtoentup,at
feverheat
itfatedthatthehouttheboysseeing
serviorefor,uponthe21st,heavyfiringwashearduponthenorthofdijonthebarclayshousehesouthofthetohenorththegroundrisesinteep
hillsorratheronesteephill,tsaboutale
apartoneofthesesuitsiscalledtalant,theotherfontainelesdijonbehindthelatter,anduponevenhighergroundatadistanceoftiles,respectivelylaythevillagesofdaixandhauteville
itoingthattheboysheardthe
faintboofacannon
”listen,papa,”percyshouted;”therearecannontheprussiansareattackingtheheights,ontheotherside”
captainbarclaycaoutintothegarden,andlistenedforawhiletheenehadtakenuppositionsuponsoofthe
nurousheightssurrounding,andhebatteriesattalant,fontainelesdijon,daix,andhautevillethefrenchrepliedvigorously;anditthattheyronger,inartillery,thany
”ifancy,”captainbarclaysaid,”thatitisnoattackitisrely,ithink,afireopenedtooccupyourattention;inorderthatabodyoftroopsypassalongtothenortho
falluponbourbakisrearhoyplaceisypanyof
nationalguardsthereisnofearofanattack,atpresent;buttheysnodoubt”
”hetohyou,papa”
thefiringntinueduntilfiveoclock,graduallydiedaansretiringanhourlater,thegreaterportionofthetroopsrchedbacktothetoy,theyreported,werenotover15,000stronghegaribaldiansand
bilizednationalguardsinthetoo40,000strongthefrenchuchstrongerinartillery
captainbarclayretuedhohtheboystheysatuplate,talkingovertheaffair,anditidnighthey
uptotheirroosuddenly,theyartledbyafreshoutburstoffireupontheheightsinanuteorthehouseholdhegarden
”itisanightattack,”captainbarclaysaid;”andjudgingbythesound,theyareineaesticanhearsketry,aswellasartillery”
astheylistened,itcanearer
”theyhavetakendaixandhauteville,”ralphsaid”shallwedo,papastayhere,quietitisourplaindutytogodoourselvestogeneralpelissier”
”ithinkyououghttodoso,”captainbarclayanswered,gravelytheboyssforralphhadreplaced
theonehehadleftbehind,inthettagenearorleans”idonotthinkyouneedbeuneasy,lanie,”captainbarclaysaidtohisisourdutytogo;butihardlythinkthattheycanhavebeenreinforcedinsufficientstrengthtoattackthetown”
theboysweresoondown
”goodbye,goodbye,llydontbealardaboutuswehavenohorses,andtherecanbenoriskofourbeingsentonanyperilousservice,tonight”
tkisses,andthenfatherandsonshurriedaowardsthetown
”theyhavetakenfontainelesdijon,”ralphsaid”weshallsoonseeiftheyareineaest”
dijontheyfoundinuttefusionuntedorderliesgallopedaboutthetroopssengineerswork,
crenelatingthehesidethreatenedh
attackgeneralgaribalditinginhiscarriage,inreadinesstoveinanydirection,instantlygeneralpelissierwhondedthebilizedguardsaff
officerscainandoutinutes
theboysentered,andbrieflyreportedtheelvesforservicetheyhadalreadyreportedtheirpresenceintheplace,upontheirarrival
”thankyou,gentlen,”hesaid”idonotthinkthatyoucanbeofanyuse,justatpresent;butifthegespresstheattack,ishallbegreatlyobligedinthatcase,pleasedisunttheorderlies,andtaketheirhorses”
thenightpassedoff,hoans,satisfiedh
theadvantage,reinedinthepositionstheyhadtaken;andthefrenbackagain,intheing
atdaybreak,thetroopsbegantopouroutfrohetoheencedhgreaterfuryonbothsidesthe
orderlies,inobediencetogeneralpelissiersorders,gaveuptheirhorsestothebarclays;hthegenerals
stafftheprussianshadevidentlybeenreinforced,inthenight;butthefrenchneverthelessgainedground,graduallyafterseveralhoursheavyobilisesotakethe
positionoffontainelesdijon,hthebayothreezouavesobepresenttooktheirplacesattheheadoftheluand,atthedouble,theyidsta
storfshotandshellthegesdidnotatheassault,butfellbackupondaix
thespiritofthebilisesillledbythethree
zouaves,theydashedforancehereinate;
butthegeshgreatlossthepursuers
gavetheorest;but
outofhautevilleatthebayospoint,thushe
positionslostinthenightthebarclayshadlittletododuringtheaffairas,aftertheordershadoncebeengiven,thespiritofthetroopscarriedthenovereverythingthelossuponbothsidesong
theprisonerstakenbythefrench
thefightover,theboysretuedhoforafeheir
fatherhadeinhalfanhourbeforethe
thenextingtheyretued,atdaybreak,todijontheprussianshadreents,inthenight;
andhadexeebythelangres
road,nearlyduenorthofthecitytheylefttheroadandtookuptheirpositionuponaplateau,nearthevillageofpouilly,aboutthreelesfroijonthefrenchpositionsile
nearertotheto
