At that moment the appearance of daylight made the Russian fires grow pale and disappear.  Our troops stood to their arms, the artillerymen placed themselves by their pieces, the generals were observing, and the looks of all were steadily directed to the opposite bank, preserving that silence which betokens great expectation, and is the forerunner of great danger.

Since the day before, every blow struck by our pontonniers, echoing among the woody heights, must, we concluded, have attracted the whole attention of the enemy.  The first dawn of the 26th was therefore expected to display to us his battalions and artillery, drawn up, in front of the weak scaffolding, to the construction of which Eble had yet to devote eight hours more.  Doubtless they were only waiting for daylight to enable them to point their cannon with better aim.  When day appeared, we saw their fires abandoned, the bank deserted, and upon the heights, thirty pieces of artillery in full retreat.  A single bullet of theirs would have been sufficient to annihilate the only plank of safety, which we were about to fix, in order to unite the two banks; but that artillery retreated exactly as ours was placed in battery.

Farther off, we perceived the rear of a long column, which was moving off towards Borizof without ever looking behind it; one regiment of infantry, however, and twelve cannon remained, but without taking up any position; we also saw a horde of Cossacks wandering about the skirts of the wood:  they formed the rear-guard of Tchaplitz’s division, six thousand strong, which was thus retiring, as if for the purpose of delivering up the passage to us.

The French, at first could hardly venture to believe their eyes.  At last, transported with joy, they clapped their hands, and uttered loud shouts.  Rapp and Oudinot rushed precipitately into the house where the Emperor was.  “Sire,” they said to him, “the enemy has just raised his camp, and quitted his position!”—­“It is not possible!” he replied; but Ney and Murat just then entered and confirmed this report.  Napoleon immediately darted out; he looked, and could just see the last files of Tchaplitz’s column getting farther off and disappearing in the woods.  Transported with joy, he exclaimed, “I have outwitted the admiral!”

During this first movement, two of the enemy’s pieces re-appeared, and fired.  An order was given to remove them by a discharge of our artillery.

One salvo was enough; it was an act of imprudence which was not repeated, for fear of its recalling Tchaplitz.  The bridge was as yet scarcely begun; it was eight o’clock, and the first tressels were only then fixing.