第83节
egivenhibr> up.heendedhisnotebysayingthathehadalreadyntionedhis na,indispatches,andshouldnoakeafreshreport. loeeorrathergeee,forhenondeda brigade.oionofhisletter ntainedbadiohattiadlostanarat thebattleofthe8thdeceer,butthatheell. thoseingdaysatdijon.theoryat villersexel,follohefightiureof ntbeliard;aheobstiestsnearbelfort,when bourbakiinvainendeavoredtodrivebackthegerns,andto relievethebesiegedtoentup,at feverheat. itfatedthatthehouttheboysseeing serviorefor,upo,heavyfiringwasheardupon thenorthofdijon.thebarclayshousehesouthof thetohenorththegroundrisesinteep hillsorratheroeephill,tsaboutale apart.ohesesuitsiscalledtalant,theotherfontaine lesdijon.behier,anduponevenhighergroundata distailes,respectivelylaythevillagesof daixandhauteville. itoingthattheboysheardthe faintboofaon. ”listen,papa,”percyshouted;”thereareon.theprussiansare attagtheheights,oherside.” captainbaraoutintothegarden,andlistenedforawhile .theeakenuppositionsuponsoofthe nurousheightssurrounding,aeries attalant,fontainelesdijon,daix,andhauteville.thefrench repliedvigorously;anditthattheyronger,in artillery,thany. ”ifanaptainbarclaysaid,”thatitisnoattack.itis rely,ithink,afireopeooupyourattention;inorder thatabodyoftroopsypassalongtothenortho falluponbourof nationalguards.thereisnofearofanattack,atpresent;but theysnodoubt.” ”hetohyou,papa.” thefiringntiilfiveok,graduallydied aairing.anhourlater,thegreaterportionof thetroopsrktothetoy,theyreported,were notover15,0hegaribaldiansand bilizednationalguardsioo40,0. thefrenhstrongerinartillery. captainbarclayretuedhohtheboys.theysatuplate, talkiheaffair,anditidnighthey uptotheirroo.suddenly,theyartledbyafreshoutburst offireupontheheights.inahehousehold hegarden. ”itisanightattaaptainbarclaysaid;”andjudgingbythe sound,theyarei.ihearsketry,aswellas artillery.” astheylisteearer. ”theyhavetakendaixandhauteville,”ralphsaid.”shallwe do,papastayhere,quiet.itisourplaindutytogo doourselvestogeneralpelissier.” ”ithinkyououghttodoso,”captainbarclayanswered,gravely. theboyssforralphhadreplaced theonehehadleftbehind,iagenearorleans. ”idonotthinkyouneedbeuneasy,lanie,”captainbarclaysaid tohisisourdutytogo;butihardlythinkthatthey havebeenreinforsuffitstrengthtoattackthe town.” theboysweresoondown. ”goodbye,goodbye,lly.dontbealardaboutus.wehave nohorses,andtherebenoriskofourbeionany perilousservice,tonight.” tkisses,aherandsonshurriedaowards thetown. ”theyhavetakenfontainelesdijon,”ralphsaid.”weshallsoon seeiftheyarei.” dijontheyfoundinutternfusion.untedorderliesgalloped about.thetroopss.engineerswork, elatingthehesidethreatenedh attack.generalgaribalditinginhiscarriage,inreadiness toveinanydire,instantly.generalpelissierwho hebilizedguardsaff officersandoutinutes. theboysentered,andbrieflyreportedtheelvesforservice.they hadalreadyreportedtheirpreseheplace,upontheir arrival. ”thankyou,gentlen,”hesaid.”idonotthinkthatyoubeof anyuse,justatpresent;butifthegerheattack,i shallbegreatlyobliged.inthatcase,pleasedisuntthe orderlies,andtaketheirhorses.” thenightpassedoff,hoans,satisfiedh theadvantage,reihepositionstheyhadtaken;andthe frenbackagain,intheing. atdaybreak,thetroopsbegantopouroutfrohetohe encedhgreaterfuryonbothsides.the orderlies,inobedieogeneralpelissiersaveup theirhorsestothebarclays;hthegenerals staff.theprussianshadevidentlybeenreinforced,inthenight; butthefrehelessgainedground,gradually.afterseveral hoursheavyobilisesotakethe positionoffontainelesdijon,hthebayo.three zouavesobepresenttooktheirplacesatthehead oftheluand,atthedouble,theyidsta storfshotahegernsdidnotatheassault,but fellbackupondaix. thespiritofthebilisesillledbythethree zouaves,theydashedforancehereinate; butthegernshgreatloss.thepursuers gavetheorest;but outofhautevilleatthebayospoint,thushe positionslostinthenight.thebarclayshadlittletod theaffairas,aftertheordershadoncebeehespiritof thetroopscarriedthenovereverything.thelossuponboth sidesong theprisoakenbythefrench. thefightover,theboysretuedhoforafeheir fatherhadeinhalfanhourbeforethe theiued,atdaybreak,todijon.the prussianshadreents,inthenight; andhadexeebythelangres road,nearlyduenorthofthecity.theylefttheroadandtookup theirpositionuponaplateau,hevillageofpouilly,about threelesfroijon.thefrenchpositionsile heto ...