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The last of the infantry hurriedly crossed the bridge, squeezing

together as they approached it as if passing through a funnel. At

last the baggage wagons had all crossed, the crush was less, and

the last battalion came onto the bridge. Only Denisov's squadron

of hussars remained on the farther side of the bridge facing the

enemy, who could be seen from the hill on the opposite bank but

was not yet visible from the bridge, for the horizon as seen from

the valley through which the river flowed was formed by the

rising ground only half a mile away. At the foot of the hill lay

wasteland over which a few groups of our Cossack scouts were

moving. Suddenly on the road at the top of the high ground,

artillery and troops in blue uniform were seen. These were the

French. A group of Cossack scouts retired down the hill at a

trot.