Lannes, uncertain of his course, bore in again toward the German lines, and dropped as low as he could, compatible with safety from any kind of shot.  John meanwhile scanned every hill and valley wood and field with his powerful glasses, and he was unable to see any diminution in the fury of the struggle.  The cannon thundered, with all their might, along a line of scores of miles; rapid firers sent a deadly hail upon the opposing lines; rifles flashed by the hundred thousand, and here and there masses of troops closed with the bayonet.

Seen from a height the battle was stripped of some of its horrors, but all its magnitude remained to awe those who looked down upon it.  From the high, cold air John could not see pain and wounds, only the swaying back and forth of the battle lines.  All the time he searched attentively for men who did not wear the red and blue of France, and at last he said: 

“I’ve failed to find any sign of the British army.”

“They’re farther to the left,” replied Lannes.  “I caught a glimpse of their khaki lines this morning.  Their regular troops are great fighters, as our Napoleon himself admitted more than once, and they’ve never done better than they’re doing today.  When I saw them they were advancing.”

“I’m glad of that.  It’s curious how I feel about the English, Philip.  They’ve got such a conceit that they irritate me terribly at times, yet I don’t want to see them beaten by any other Europeans.  That’s our American privilege.”

“A family feeling, perhaps,” said Lannes, laughing, “but we French and English have been compelled to be allies, and after fighting each other for a thousand years we’re now the best of friends.  I think, John, we’ll have to go down and procure information from somebody about our general.  Otherwise we’ll never find him.”

“We must be near the center of our army, and that’s where he’s likely to be.  Suppose we descend in the field a little to the east of us.”

Lannes looked down, and, pronouncing the place suitable, began to drop in a series of spirals until they rested in a small field that had been devoted to the growth of vegetables.  Here John at once felt the shaking of the earth, and tasted the bitter odor again.  But woods on either side of them hid the sight of troops, although the sound of the battle was as great and violent as ever.

“We seem to have landed on a desert island,” said Lannes.

“So we do,” said John.  “Evidently there is nobody here to tell us where we can find our dear and long lost general.  I’ll go down to the edge of the nearest wood and see if any of our skirmishers are there.”

“All right, John, but hurry back.  I’ll hold the Arrow ready for instant flight, as we can’t afford to linger here.”

John ran toward the wood, but before he reached the first trees he turned back with a shout of alarm.  He had caught a glimpse of horses, helmets and the glittering heads of lances.  Moreover, the Uhlans were coming directly toward him.