<h2 class="space"><SPAN name="water" id="water"></SPAN><b>The Battle of Waterloo</b></h2>
<p><span class='pagenum'><SPAN name="Page_19" id="Page_19"></SPAN></span></p>
<p>Fields of waving corn, green woods, fruitful orchards,
a pretty farmhouse and a few cottages—such was the
plain of Waterloo. And there, on a summer Sunday,
nearly a hundred years ago, was fought a famous battle, in
which the British troops under the Duke of Wellington
beat the French army, and broke the power of the great
Napoleon for ever.</p>
<p>"We have them," cried Napoleon as he saw the British
drawn up before him. He thought it would be easy to
destroy this army, so much smaller than his own, before
their friends the Prussians, who were on the way to help
them, came up. But he was mistaken. Wellington had
placed his foot-soldiers in squares, and though the French
horsemen, then the finest soldiers in the world, charged
again and again, these little clumps of brave men stood
fast. On his favourite horse "Copenhagen", Wellington
rode to and fro cheering his men. "Stand firm, my lads,"
cried he. "What will they say to this in England?"</p>
<p>Not till evening, when the Prussians came, would he
allow them to charge the French in their turn. Then,
waving his cocked hat over his head, he gave the order,
"The whole line will advance", and the impatient troops
dashed forward. The French bravely tried to stand against
this terrific charge, but they were beaten back, and the battle
of Waterloo was ended.</p>
<p>Sixty thousand men lay dead or wounded under the fruit-trees,
and among the trampled corn and grass at the end of
that terrible day.</p>
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<ANTIMG src="images/il022s.jpg" class="png" height-obs="400" width-obs="275" alt="BRITISH SOLDIERS AT THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO" title="BRITISH SOLDIERS AT THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO" />
<ANTIMG src="images/il023s.jpg" class="png" height-obs="300" width-obs="500" alt="THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE" title="THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE" />
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