Napoleon clapped Marmont on the shoulder. ‘I’ll thank you properly later on. Let’s go!’

They thrust their way into the reeds, out of sight of the Austrians who continued to take shots in their direction, cutting through the tall stems. Once they reached the bank Napoleon and Marmont waited until they had caught their breath and scraped as much of the thick, heavy mud from their clothes and boots as possible.

‘Ready?’ Napoleon asked. ‘Then let’s go!’

They burst from the reeds and scrambled up the bank. As they reached the flat ground before the bridge more shots rippled out from the Austrian side of the river, but at that range Napoleon knew there was very little chance of scoring a hit. Nevertheless they ran all the way to the safety of the low rise before they stopped, bent double and gasped for breath. General Augereau came over.

‘Good God, sir! Are you all right?’

Napoleon nodded. Augereau’s nose wrinkled at the stench of the filth that caked his commander. ‘What the hell’s that smell?’

‘Mud,’ Napoleon replied sourly. ‘What do you think?’

He forced himself to stand upright, and stared back towards the bridge. ‘We cannot cross there. That much is clear.’

He turned to Augereau. ‘Send two brigades downriver to Albaredo at once.They are to cross and come up on the flank of Arcola. See to it.We may still have time to catch General Alvinzi in our trap.’

‘Yes, sir. At once.’ Augereau saluted and turned towards his small cluster of staff officers to communicate the new orders. Napoleon turned to his muddy companions and clasped their hands in turn.

‘Thank you, gentlemen. I owe you my life.’ He turned towards the bridge, now piled high with French bodies. ‘You, and Major Muiron.’

As the day wore on, Napoleon received word from Masséna that he had cleared the Austrians out of Porcile and he had a clear view of the road between Verona and Villanova from the church tower in Porcile.There were signs that the enemy had recognised the threat to their baggage train. Several cavalry units had already returned along the road. Napoleon crumpled up the note with an exasperated curse. More messages followed reporting the return of a large infantry column to Villanova and Napoleon realised that the original target of his surprise attack was no longer available. Yet the Austrians were now in full retreat from Verona. Clearly Alvinzi was terrified of being cut off from his supplies.