Harper's Young People, October 3, 1882

In the bitter chill of a 1799 Alpine winter, a weary Russian column descends upon the deserted village of Andermatt, hoping for a brief respite. The troops, gaunted by two days without food, stumble upon a modest shop famed for its “soldier’s cheese,” and the promise of a hearty meal turns the bleak landscape into a bustling feast. Their hunger is quickly satisfied, but the moment of relief is shattered when distant gunfire erupts, reminding them that the mountain pass still teems with danger.

As the soldiers scramble to regroup, the French forces lurking in the woods launch a sudden counter‑attack, driving the Russians back toward a narrow, moss‑covered bridge. In a flash of cannon fire the span is destroyed, leaving both sides poised on opposite edges of a yawning chasm. Now the exhausted troops must decide whether to press the assault across the broken crossing or hold their ground, as the clash of steel and snow intensifies around them.