SKBASTOrOL BEFORE THE ALMA. 4l CHAPTER III. I. When two hostile armies are parted by only a chap. lew miles of ground, the plans adopted in the one ^"" camp must commonly have close relation to what is there known of the other ; and in such case, the narrative of operations conducted by either force must be more or less blended with accounts of what its adversarv is doinsi' or inteudin" But in this campaign it strangely happened that, even singular after their victory, the Allies could not scatter the interdepend. mist which had shrouded the enemy's strength ; plans and'"^ , . „ 1 ,1 1 movements and, except irom vague rumours, and the marks of the 01 a hastened retreat which they tracked all the armies. way to the Belbec, they knew nothing of Prince Meutschikofif's army, till, by sheer chance, our Headquarters touched it on the road by Macken- zie's Farm. Even then, the sudden and incom- plete knowledge thus flung upon the mind of Lord Eaglan did not bring him to change his designs ; and therefore it is that we have been Kffect of able to follow the march of the Allies from the the stmc- Alma to the Belbec, and from the Belbec awav to narrative.
