ur,only,ly
wounded
”taketenpesaid,”andesrtthosefive
prisonerstothevillagegivethevertolieutenanthoudin;andtellhiosendthehtheprisonershehastaken,underentotheforestlettheirhandsbetiedbehind
theirbacks,fortobe
surethattheesrtareloaded,andhavefixedbayosdirectlyhehassentofftheprisonerslethioinhere,htherestofhisforce”
lieutenantribouvillenotooinspectthebridge;andorderedthenplentsto
setto,anddigaholedoothecroheprincipalarchithantheyhadexpectedtheroadhe
ballastpresseddoightly,andthecrohearchvered,toansiderabledepth,enuld
onceand,afterahalfhoursdesperatelabor,theholehinglikefarenoughadvancedtoensurethetotaldestructionofthebridge,uponthechargebeingfiredintheantitheprussiansentriesupanddohelineand,althoughnot
insuffiadistance
”dontyouthinkthatpeasked
”no,sir,”theotherreplied”itghtblohroughthetopofthearch,butihardlythinkthatitsforce
upwards”
atthisntralphwhohaddonehisspellofwork,andhadbeendo,togetadrinkoferunningup
”ifyouplease,lieutenantribouville,thereisaholerightthroughthepier,justabovethestohave
beenlefttoletanyabove,
keitsescapeishouldthinkthatoholdthecharge””theverything,”lieutenantribouvillesaid,delightedly”afoolitohavelookedtoseeifsuchaholeexisted”stopen,andcarrythebarrelsdootheedgeoftheer”
thestreabovedeep;andtheengineerofficer
iediatelyinedtheholeheatonce
pronounirablysuitedtothepurposeitdidnotasralphhadsupposedgostraightthrough;buttherewoholes,oneuponeaelevel,andeach
extendingintothecenterofthepiertheholesfourinchessquare
thebarrelsofgunttonilyopenedonthebank,andnhthententslieutenantribouvilleuponone
side,andralphupontheother,tookthettonandthrustit,hlongstiinutesthe
ntentsofthethefuseinserted,
andtheoperationoftaingorraingindrysand,earth,andstonesnced
”kehaste”jorteeshouted”theiuersareincreasingfasttherearesofifteenorty,oneitherside”abriskfireofrifleshedayhadfairlybroken;andthefranctireurs,shelteredbehindtheparapetofthebridge,onthebankoftheriver,hthe
enethreequartersofanhourhadpassedsincethefirstshotwasfired
suddenlyadistantboondsbya
slightand,
inanothet,thereothebridgethe
nallleftofftheirant
”andaythatbe,sterpercyareunpleasantsoundiniverheard,sinceiwasababy”
”iquiteagree,astoitsunpleasantnessitisashelltheartilleryareingupfrounevillethefireofthesentries,inaupleofnutes;givethebr >
anotherfifteentogetready,andhalfanhourtogethinrange”hereesanother”
”areyouready,ribouville”thendantshouted”theyhavecavalry,asustbeoff,or
caughtinatrap”
”iaeady,”heanswer
”barclay,strikeatch,andputittotheendofyourfuse,tillitbeginstofizz
”haveyoulitit”
”yes,sir,”ralphsaid,antlater
”sohavei,”thelieutenantsaid”theythree
nutes
”nowforarun”
inaupleofnutesthefranctireursreating,atthedouble;andtheyhadnotgoneahundredyardsheyheardthesoundoftendousexplosions,folloloselyoneuponanotherlookingback,theysaents;
andthatthebridgelay,aheapofruins,inthestrea”hurrah,lads”shoutedthendant”youhavedoneyourworkaywellbeproud
oftheirdayswork
”dontndtheshells,”hentinued,astoreofthessilesburst,inquicksuccession,”they
keanuglynoise;buttheyhurtus,atthisdistance”thegeartillerynhadapparentlyarrivedatthesanclusion,fortheynoofire;andtheretreatingrpstheinfantry,whohad
follofrohebridge
”theartilleryandcavalryhewood,”
percysaidtohisbrother,astheytrottedalong,sidebyside”theyyeup,”ralphsaid,”butthey,onthe
brokenground;andind”
thegroundilleryit
hthespursofthehillhereandtheregreat
ssesofrockcroppedoutoftheground,chesofforestextendedoveransiderableportionofthegroundinoneofthese,standinguponrisingandbrokenground,jorteehaltedhisn;andopenedsoheavyafireupontheenescavalry,whentheluappeared,thattheyoncehalted;andalthough,heartilleryarrived,afeothewood,
thefranctireurshadalreadyretired,andgainedtheforestolestationuponcallingtheroll,itwas
disveredthatsixn,only,issingthesehadfalleneitherkilledorthefireoftheenesinfantry,duringthetithattheoperationatthebridge
thererejoicingatthesuccessoftheirenterprise,theeffectofainlybetoblockthetrafficalongthatline,foratleastaisfactionwas,however,
sopedbythesightofseveraldenselusofskeintheplain;shoanshad,asusual,heir
vengeanceupontheinnocentvillagersthefeelingofdisgustwaschangedtofuryeofthepeasantsothe
hedestructionoftheirabodesreportedthattheges,having
