Just as night fell there was a sharp artillery fight between two batteries of Picton’s division and the same number of the French.  The latter commenced the fight by opening fire upon the infantry position, but were too far away to do much harm.  Picton’s guns got the range of a column of infantry, and created great havoc among them.  Darkness put a stop to the fight, but until late at night skirmishes took place between the outposts.  A troop of the Seventh Hussars charged and drove back a body of light cavalry, who kept on disturbing the videttes; and the Second Light Dragoons of the king’s German legion, posted in front of Hougoumont, charged and drove back a column of the enemy’s cavalry that approached too close.

Gradually the fires burned low—­the incessant downpour of rain so drenching the logs that it was impossible to keep them alight—­and the troops lay down, with their knapsacks under their heads, turned the capes of the greatcoats over their faces, and in spite of the deep soft mud below them, and the pouring rain above, soon sank to sleep.  All night long a deep sound filled the air, telling of the heavy trains of artillery and ammunition wagons arriving from the rear to both armies.  But nothing short of a heavy cannonade would have aroused the weary soldiers from their deep sleep.

At twelve o’clock Ralph was called up, as his company had to relieve that which furnished the posts in front of the position of the regiment.  The orders were not to fire unless fired upon.  A third of the men were thrown out as sentries; the others lay upon the ground, fifty yards in rear, ready to move forward to their support if necessary.  Captain O’Connor left Ralph with the reserve, and himself paced up and down along the line of sentries, who were relieved every hour until morning broke, when the company rejoined the regiment.

The troops could now obtain a view of the ground upon which they were to fight.  Their line extended some two miles in length, along the brow of a gradually sloping rise, the two extremities of which projected somewhat beyond the center.  The ground was open, without woods or hedgerows.  About halfway down the slope lay four farms.  On the right was Hougoumont; a chateau with farm buildings attached to it and a chapel.  In front of this lay a thick wood with a close hedge, and the house and farm buildings were surrounded by a strong wall.  In front of the center of the line lay the farm and inclosures of La Haye Sainte, abutting on the main Charleroi road, which, as it passed the farm, ran between two deep banks.  In front of the left of the line were the hamlets of Papelotte and La Haye.  At the top of the ridge the ground sloped backward, and the infantry were posted a little in rear of the crest, which hid them from the sight of the enemy, and protected them from artillery fire.  The whole of the slope, and the valley beyond it was covered with waving corn or high grass, now ready for cutting.