What had Dorsenne, _Le Beau Dorsenne_, said on that famous day?
"The Guard fights at the point of the bayonet!" Would the guns come down to a charge?
Would they have to meet bayonet thrusts from these terrible soldiers?
There was something ominous in the slow movements of the men, picked men they were, the grenadiers of the Elba Guard especially being of great size, their huge bearskins towering above them.

They were marching in columns of fours, but the road was wide; another sharp command and the men with slow yet beautiful precision deployed into a close column of companies at half distance--the very formation for a charge in mass! The brass drums were rolling a famous march, "La Grenadiere," the grenadier's march.

The hearts of the Fifth-of-the-Line were keeping time to the beating of those drums.
Ah, they were splendid soldiers, that regiment of infantry.

Even the youths got something from the veterans.

They stood still, quiet, at parade-rest, staring.