had a paw broken by a shot at Austerlitz, and he was the "bravest dog of the Empire!" So passed the month of June, and by the beginning of July all was ready and the French army, 150,000 strong, was massed in the island of Lobau. Colonel Sainte-Croix was sent over and captured Enzersdorf, the carefully prepared bridges were swung into place across the small arm of the river, and during the night, while the rain fell, the thunder crashed, and the lightning gleamed in bright flashes, the French army— artillery, cavalry, and infantry—went steadily over them—tramp! tramp! tramp! The sun rose brightly on the morning of the 6th of July, and there on the plain of the Marchfeld was the great host, 150,000 men and 600 guns. The pennons fluttered, the arms gleamed, the heavy artillery came up with rumbling wheels and clanking harness, the orderly officers pranced in all directions, the goldembroidered hussars galloped into position, the crested and shining-cuirassed cavalry advanced proudly into the plain, the trumpets sounded, the drums beat, and the bands played the air they all knew well: On va leur percer le flanc, Ran, ran, ran, rantanplan, tirelire, Que nous allons rire! Ran, tan, plan, tirelire, Que nous allons rirel On a gently sloping eminence that overlooked the Marchfeld stood the Emperor surrounded by his Marshals, and near-by was Roustan, the Imperial Mame luke, holding the white Euphrates. And His Majesty looked over his great army, and over the rolling Danube with its island of Lobau bristling with fortifications. And then he looked toward Aspern-Essling and Deutsch-Wagram where stretched the long lines of the army of the Archduke Charles, and, as he mounted his horse, he softly hummed: Malbrouck s'en va-t'en guerre. CHAPTER XVIII Wagram Battle's magnificently stern array! —Byron, Childe Harold. THE French army was drawn up in three lines. On the left, Massena with the Boudet, Molitor, Legrand, and Carra St. Cyr divisions; in the centre, Bernadotte with the Saxons and the divisions of Oudinot; on the right, Davout with the divisions of Friant, Gudin, and Morand. In the second line, the Viceroy, Prince Eugene, the divisions of Marmont and six regiments of foot-guards in reserve. In the third line, four divisions of light horse, three of dragoons, three of cuirassiers, the cavalry of the Saxons and the cavalry of the Guard. Opposite the French lines from Neusiedel to Wagram, and continuing in a semicircle from Gerarsdorf to the Danube, stretched the Austrian army. On its right, the corps of Klenau and the Prince de Reuss; in its centre Bellegarde and the Archduke Charles; on its left, Rosenberg and Hohenzollern, with Nordmann's advance-guard. Over the corn-fields of the Marchfeld shone the summer sun of the 6th of July, and, as far as the eye could see, from distant Neusiedel —the village of the Square Tower—extending in great curves by Aderklaa, Wagram, Gerarsdorf, and AspernEssling, were floating banners, shining helmets, fluttering pennons, uniforms white, blue, and scarlet, crest on crest of tossing plumes, line on line of flashing sabres, row on row of gleaming bayonets, league on league of black-mouthed guns! All the ladies of Vienna had mounted to the roofs and towers of the city to witness the spectacle, and they had seen many brilliant dramas in the Hofburg and at Schonbrunn, but never one like this. Imperial France and Imperial Austria battling a corps perdu—face to face! While high above Deutsch-Wagram, on a snow-white cloud gilded by the first rays of the morning sun, stood Victory, holding in her uplifted hand a laurel-wreath— waiting to crown the victor! The first gun was fired, the curtain was up, and the great Imperial drama had begun! The Austrians began the attack on Aderklaa, while Prince Rosenberg, descending with the left wing from the heights of Neusiedel, advanced against Davout at Grosshofen and Glinzendorf, and soon the artillery fire was general all along the lines. The Emperor came up to his threatened right wing with Nansouty's cuirassiers and some batteries of light artillery, which, taking the Austrians in the flank, compelled them to recross the Russbach and fall back toward Neusiedel. Then the Austrian cavalry charged the French centre and drove back Bernadotte and the Saxons in confusion. And Bernadotte, galloping back into the plain to head off his men and restore order, met the Emperor, who had hastened up from the right wing. The Emperor had learned of Bernadotte's remark after the fight at Aspern-Essling, when the Marshal Prince of Ponte Corvo had declared that if he were commanding the French army he would, by a scientific manœuvre, have forced the Archduke Charles of Austria to sur render. When, then, in hot pursuit of his flying troops, he encountered the Emperor, His Majesty remarked coldly, "Is that your scientific manœuvre by which you were going to make the Archduke lay down his arms?" Bernadolte attempted to reply, but the Emperor continued, "I remove you, sir, from the command of the army corps which you handle so badly. Withdraw at once. A bungler like you is no good to me." Then, riding among the Saxons, Napoleon restored order and sent them against the Austrian line. Meanwhile the Austrians were pushing forward their right wing against the Boudet division, hoping to break the French left and reach the island of Lobau and the bridges over the Danube. The Austrian cavalry charged, a mass of shouting, swearing, plumed, white-coated, galloping horsemen. On they came, plunging and rearing, and Pierre thought he was in a whirlwind. He fired as fast as he could, jumped aside as an Austrian trooper's horse came by, stumbled and fell into a low ditch that ran transversely toward the Danube. There was a little water in the ditch, and also a part of a broken wagon-wheel, which he struck as he fell. He lay there and saw the Austrian cavalry pass over him—a cloud of legs, boots, spurs and scabbards, horses' tails and horses' bellies. In spite of all their efforts the Boudet division were driven back, and, through their glasses, the members of the Imperial staff could see the ladies of Vienna, on the housetops of the city, waving their handkerchiefs in triumph as the Austrian right wing advanced. Pierre climbed slowly out of the ditch and looked around him. The Austrian cavalry were wheeling |