Publisher's Synopsis
A breezy day and a sunny landscape. An open countryto right and left and forward; behind, a wood. In theedge of this wood, facing the open but not venturinginto it, long lines of troops halted. The wood is alivewith them, and full of confused noises: the occasionalrattle of wheels as a battery of artillery goes intoposition to cover the advance; the hum and murmur ofthe soldiers talking; a sound of innumerable feet in thedry leaves that strew the interspaces among the trees;hoarse commands of officers. Detached groups ofhorsemen are well in front-not altogether exposed-many of them intently regarding the crest of a hill amile away in the direction of the interrupted advance.For this powerful army, moving in battle order througha forest, has met with a formidable obstacle-the opencountry. The crest of that gentle hill a mile away has asinister look; it says, Beware! Along it runs a stone wallextending to left and right a great distance. Behind thewall is a hedge; behind the hedge are seen the tops oftrees in rather straggling order. Among the trees-what? It is necessary to know.
