Free Death to the French (aka Rifleman Dodd) by C.S. Forester

definite move had been made and they were marching in a new direction. They passed a dead horse at the side of the road.
    'The dragoons are in front of us, then,' said Godinot, looking at the thing, which was just beginning to swell with corruption.
    'Why should it be one of ours?' asked Godron. There was no fraction of its equipment left on it.
    'By the brand on its flank, son,' replied Godinot. 'When are you going to learn your trade?'
    'But if it's one of ours,' said Bernhard thoughtfully, 'and the dragoons are in front, it looks like a retreat, doesn't it?'
    'Maybe,' said Godinot, and then he hardened his heart, for he did not want these boys' hopes raised too high. 'But they'd be sent back out of the way whatever we were going to do-attack the lines or stand still. I expect we're only sent this way to act as flank guard to look after the river.'
    That cast them down: the prospect of lingering further in Portugal was abhorrent to them. There was no further conversation until another incident occurred to stimulate it afresh.
    A staff officer came clattering up the paved road along the column to where the colonel rode at the head.
    'Orders,' said Bernhard sagely. 'And orders always mean trouble.' He was right. Somewhere farther back the road had diverged from the river in order to cross at a more convenient point a double-headed spur of hills which ran at right angles down to the river. Up into the mass of tangled country lying between road and river diverged a narrow, stony lane.
    Here the battalion halted for a moment, and the rumour- as always, no one knew who was responsible for it- ran down the ranks that billets lay at the end of the lane. But the colonel clearly did not expect a hospitable reception at the billets, seeing that he pushed the battalion up the lane in advance-guard formation.
    'This looks like the end of our retreat,' said Godron.
    'But billets to-night, boys,' said Fournier. 'And soup for supper. At that very moment a shot rang out at the head of the column, followed by half a dozen more. The column halted, went on, halted again, while the firing increased and died away and revived. Godinot's friends at the rear of the column did not bother to crane their necks to see what was happening in front. This sort of skirmish occurred two or three times a day to a column marching in Portugal. Then the captain came back down the column, his drummer behind him. He scaled the steep side of the lane and stood looking up the hills for a space before he turned and beckoned to his waiting company. They climbed the bank with stoical nonchalance.
    'Chase those fellows over into the river,' said the captain.
    Everyone knew what he had to do. The company spread out in a long thin line and pushed slowly up the steep hill. Right at the summit occasional shots and puffs of smoke indicated where the advance guard was in action. For some distance they met with no opposition, but half-way up the hill a puff of smoke jetted out from behind a rock and a bullet crackled overhead.
    The man who fired it sprang up and dashed ahead of them up the hill. The line of skirmishers bulged for a minute as some of the hotheads made as though to run after him, and then settled down again to a steady advance. Higher up there were more men in ambush, more shots fired. Someone in the skirmishing line fell with a crash and a clatter. Here and there men fired back.
    'Wait until you are sure,' shouted Godinot to his section. Some of them looked round at him and grinned. In the friendly relations which existed between non-commissioned officers and men in the French army they had often had arguments with him regarding marksmanship. They were nearing the top of the hill. Whoever was opposing them there would find his retreat cut off if he was not careful.
    'There's an Englishman there!' suddenly shouted Fournier.
    'A green Englishman!'
    They all caught sight of him; he was calling and gesticulating to the men gathered at the summit. Everyone recognized