And behind that hundred came another hundred, and behind that another, and on and on, coiling and writhing out of the cannon-smoke like a monstrous snake, until there seemed to be no end to the mighty column.

In front ran a spray of skirmishers, and behind them the drummers, and up they all came together at a kind of tripping step, with the officers clustering thickly at the sides and waving their swords and cheering.

There were a dozen mounted men too at their front, all shouting together, and one with his hat held aloft upon his swordpoint.

I say again, that no men upon this earth could have fought more manfully than the French did upon that day.
It was wonderful to see them; for as they came onwards they got ahead of their own guns, so that they had no longer any help from them, while they got in front of the two batteries which had been on either side of us all day.

Every gun had their range to a foot, and we saw long red lines scored right down the dark column as it advanced.