"Well," said Lord Raglan, "it is all clear. We shall begin by a heavy
cannonade."
"To last four-and-twenty-hours," said Pelissier, "and then the
assault."
"At what hour?" asked Lord Raglan.
"Daylight, of course!" cried two or three French generals in a breath.
"One moment," interposed General Airey. "Day-break is the time of all
others that the enemy would expect an attack; they would therefore be
best prepared for it then."
A sharp argument followed, and lasted several minutes, each side
clinging tenaciously to its own opinion.
"Do not waste your energies, gentlemen," said Marshal Pelissier, again
interfering decidedly. "Lord Raglan and I have settled that matter for
ourselves. The attack will take place at five o'clock in the
afternoon. That will allow time for us to get established in the
enemy's works in the night after we have carried them."
"Of course, gentlemen," said Lord Raglan, in breaking up the council,
"you will all understand the importance of secrecy. Not a word of what
has passed here must be repeated outside. It would be fatal to success
if the enemy got any inkling of our intentions."
"It's quite extraordinary," said General Airey to McKay and a few
more, as they passed out from the council-chamber, "how the enemy gets
his information.
Pages:
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272