The hours appeared to stand still. Several times he rose from his bed
and went to the door, to see whether the clouds were tinged with any
appearance of dawn. All continued dark. He again returned to his
marqu?e, and standing by the lamp which was nearly exhausted, took
out his watch, and tried to distinguish the points; but finding that
the light burned too feebly, he was pressing the repeating spring,
which struck five, when the report of a single musket made him start.
He flew to his tent door, and looking around, saw that all near his
quarter was at rest. Suspecting it to be a signal of the enemy, he
hurried towards the intrenchments, but found the sentinels in perfect
security from any fears respecting the sound, as they supposed it to
have proceeded from the town.
Sobieski paid little attention to their opinions, but ascending the
nearest bastion to take a wider survey, in a few minutes he
discerned, though obscurely, through the gleams of morning, what
appeared to be the whole host of Russia advancing in profound silence
towards the Polish lines. The instant he made this discovery, he came
down, and lost no time in giving orders for the defence; then flying
to other parts of the camp, he awakened the commander-in-chief,
encouraged the men, and saw that the whole encampment was not only in
motion, but prepared for the assault.
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