In
the foreground was a tolerably steep declivity, which at this moment
formed the boundary of the German lines. Northward and southward, as
far as the eye could reach, extended a ravine several hundred feet
wide, at whose bottom a little stream had worn a narrow, winding
channel. The western slope was tolerably gentle, the opposite one, on
the contrary, was somewhat steep. Beyond stretched a bare plain, with
a few church steeples and white buildings, in the distant background.
Here the French were apparently drawn up in considerable force.
On the crest of the German hill several batteries were mounted, which
maintained a rapid fire with bombs. Small bodies of infantry lay on
the ground a short distance in the rear of the artillery. Still
farther back was the regiment of dragoons, each man with his horse's
bridle wound around his arm, waiting with weary, somewhat stolid faces,
for orders. The battle had evidently been at this point some time.
Nearly all the enemy's shells fell into the ravine, few reached the
level ground on the German side, and they, too, thus far, had effected
no special injury.
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