The strain upon the two was far greater than they had realized at the time, and for a few moments they were threatened with collapse which very strong efforts of the will prevented.

They were conscious, too, as they stood upon the ground, of a quivering, shaking motion.

They were assailed once more by the violent waves of air coming from the concussion of cannon and rifles past counting.

The thin, whitish film which was a compound of dust and burned gunpowder assailed them again and lay, bitter, in their mouths and nostrils.
"The earth shakes too much," said Lannes in a droll tone.

"I think we'd better go back into the unchanging ether, where a man can be sure of himself." "I'm seasick," said John; "who wouldn't be, with ten thousand cannon, more or less, and a million or two of rifles shaking the planet?
I'm going into the house as fast as I can." It was a building, centuries old, of gray crumbling stone, with large, low rooms, and, to John's amazement, the peasant who inhabited it and his family were present.