I took my glasses and looked carefully at the stack.  And then I saw a sight which sent a shiver of joy through me.  The horsemen had dismounted and put their horses behind the stack.  Three of the men then separated themselves from the rest and formed a little group.  I could not distinguish their uniforms, but saw very clearly that they were looking through their glasses at us.  Now and again they put their heads together, and consulted the map, as it seemed.  A man then came out from behind the stack on foot, and could be distinctly seen, against the sky, sticking into the ground by his side a square pennon which flapped gently in the breeze.  As far as I could see it was half black and half white.  There could be no doubt that we were confronting a Staff.  So the division was not far off; it had halted, and perhaps intended this time to fight at close quarters.  I told my men what I thought, and they were overjoyed at the idea that, after all, there was a hope of realising our dream.  There was not one of them who doubted that the Division of the Guards had been kind enough to stop its flight, and that our brave light brigade would attack it without any hesitation and cut it to pieces.  I dismounted quickly, and lost not a moment in drawing up my report.  I wrote down what I had seen and what I had learnt from the inhabitants and then called one of my Chasseurs: 

“To the Colonel, full gallop!”

At the touch of the spur the little chestnut turned sharp round and flew down the dusty road like a whirlwind.  Meanwhile I carefully posted my men, threw out scouts over the plateau and up to the forest of Fere, and formed patrols under my non-commissioned officers.  I then took up my observation post under a large tree which, to judge by its venerable look, must have seen many generations pass and many other wars.  The village folk collected around me in such numbers that I was obliged to have them thrust back by my men to Le Charmel.  To console them I said:  “You must go away.  The enemy will take you for armed troops and fire guns at you.”

I kept my eye upon my “Staff,” and wished my glasses could help me to distinguish more clearly what men I had to deal with.  I longed to see what they were like—­to examine the faces of these haughty Reiters who for the last four days had been fleeing before us and always refusing a real encounter.  I fancied that among them might be found that Rittmeister with the bulging neck and pink cheeks, who, after the orgy of that night at the Chateau de Conde, had left behind him the cap that I had found hanging from the chandelier in the dining-room.  How I longed to see the brigade debouch, and to receive instructions from the Colonel!

I had not long to wait.  My messenger soon came back, trotting up the road from Jaulgonne.  But the instructions were not what I had expected.  I was to stay where I was until further orders, to continue to observe the enemy, and keep a look-out in his direction.