The weather at the
latter end of May and during the early days of June was delightful;
and although all knew that the storm might at any moment burst, it was
difficult to believe while so enjoying themselves that to-morrow they
might be called upon to meet the enemy in deadly conflict. Even Denis
Mulligan had nothing to complain about in his rations, and allowed to
Ralph that the Belgians were much more decent people than he had
expected to find them.
The months of April and May had passed quietly on the frontier. The
cavalry of the allied army on one side, and the French mounted
gendarmerie on the other, maintained a vigilant watch over each
others' movements, and each endeavored to prevent the passing out of
persons who might carry news of the intentions and position of their
armies. But the line was far too long to be strictly watched, and
French loyalists on the one side and Belgian sympathizers with France
on the other, managed to pass with sufficient regularity to keep the
generals informed of the movements of their opponents.
Wellington, then, was perfectly aware of the gathering of Napoleon's
forces upon the other side of the frontier; but they, like his own
troops were scattered over a long front, and yet there was no
indication whatever as to the point where Napoleon was likely to break
through.
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