He jumped down off the end of the gun barrel mumbling to himself as he walked to his readied horse. "Don't do anything until I get back," he shouted. He rode across the shallow, swift-running Cherna river toward the second and third artillery companies dug in over a mile farther north. Five silent minutes passed before the corporal jumped up and straddled the gun the way Hoxa had done.

"Can you see anything?"

"Yes," the corporal replied, "fires, about twenty of them in one bivouac."

"You don't think he would fire on them, do you?" a nervous voice asked.

"No, of course not," the corporal said still atop the howitzer. "He just wants to let the other squad leaders know."

"How far away are they?"

"I'd say about two miles."

"Yeah, you're right. He won't attack, but we'll probably have to break camp and move out tonight."

"And reload all those goddamn shells too," said the 1st squad ordnance man. "What do you think Vasili?"

"I've got a bad feeling about tonight. I have a weird feeling about this whole spot."

"But Hoxa's lived through too much shit to try something like this," the first squad ordnance man said, trying to convince himself.

Vasili reached into the empty munitions cart and pulled out his dirty grey uniform jacket. "That man is capable of anything."

Hoxa rode back into camp as quickly as he had left. He jumped off his horse, handing the reins to the soldier closest to him. His eyes were ablaze with excitement. "The other companies are ready," he said running up the river bank behind the guns.

"Ready sir? Ready for what?" asked the corporal.

"The reckoning."

"You're not going to attack? I climbed up there. I saw them. There must be at least four-hundred men out there."

"At least," Hoxa said, getting even more excited.

"You can't do that Captain. It's sui--"

The corporal was unable to finish his sentence before Hoxa whipped his revolver from its holster and pointed it at the end of his nose. "We are going to attack, by surprise, when the rain starts and crush them in their tents. And anyone who has a problem with that order will hear the sound of this pistol." The corporal's eyes were locked on the end of the gun. "Now, everyone in their places. Start with high explosive rounds except for you," he said, pointing to Vasili and the other three men that made up 2nd squad. "You prepare five white phosphorous rounds. We're going to target for the other two companies. They can't see the bivouac, but they'll sure as hell be able to see those shells exploding. We'll wait until their fires almost die out, then when they're asleep, we'll annihilate them."

Lightning began to flash, lighting up the open south end of the valley behind the French camp.