The staff officer and Prince Andrew mounted their horses and rode on.

Having ridden beyond the village, continually meeting and overtaking soldiers and officers of various regiments, they saw on their left some entrenchments being thrown up, the freshly dug clay of which showed up red.

Several battalions of soldiers, in their shirt sleeves despite the cold wind, swarmed in these earthworks like a host of white ants; spadefuls of red clay were continually being thrown up from behind the bank by unseen hands.

Prince Andrew and the officer rode up, looked at the entrenchment, and went on again.

Just behind it they came upon some dozens of soldiers, continually replaced by others, who ran from the entrenchment.