phasked,in
surprise
”ineverfireatinfantry,”thepeasantsaid”ithatdidit,anditsonlyuhlansifireatiputselfonarock,orahillside,eorinathickwoodandi
ntentselfyts,andthengoidonttobe
killed,yetihavesetndonhavingfiftyjusttenforeachofneandthelastofthefifty,thesoonerthey
finish,thebetter
”youdbetteotgoanyfarther,sirthevalley,roundtheer;andthereareprussiansinthenearestvillage””thankyou,”ralphsaid,”butordersaretorennoitertheself,andistdosoiaunted,andidontthinkthattheye,ifigetaupleofhundredyardsstart
therearefranctireursinthevillage,aleback”ralphnohepeasantbackinto
hishidingplacebythehegorgewidened
intoabroadvalley,afeerging
frohegorge,ralphatonong
treesatadistanileafter
hehadheard,hedarednotrideonfartherhethereforedrewhishorseasidefroheroad,angsotrees;disunted,anddehis
ndaviehewholevalley
hisspot,helookedcautiouslyroundbelow,beyondthevillage,heuldseelargenuersofn;uldkeoutlinesofcavalryhorses,androilleryansiderableventthatthey
toadvanceinhisinterestinhesaw,heprobablyexposedhisfiguresoesharpsightedsentry,
inthevillage
thefirstintitionofhisdangerbyseeingso
tyuhlansdartsuddenlyoutofthetrees,inhevillagelay,atthetopoftheirspeedostatthesant,
eightortenriflesflashed,andtheballsin
stunpleasantpropinquityralphtuedinaninstant;andboundeddoherockhaspeedandrecklessnessofanyothet,hehe
paceatheuhlansheyillahundred
yardsdistantin
frontofthe
thereenatfull
gallopkebutpoorshootingralphfeltheouchedbut,bythenvulsivespringalwas
herelittle
differenayfelthibr >
flag,andknehattheher
hundredyards,andtheanilstaggered;andwouldhavefallen,hadnotralphheldhiphkneeandbridle
theuhlanssfortheygaveashout,andapistolbulletohisheadralphlookedroundanofficer,ty
yardsaheadofhisn,fortyyardsinhisrearin
hishandheheldarevolver,discharged
”surrender”heshouted,”oryouareadeadn”
ralphsatocarry
outhisintentionofdisunting,andtakingtotheh,here,begantoapproachthicklyclosetotheroadandhepointofthro,intokenofsurrender;whenhishorsefellheavily,,atthentheprussianagain
firedalstsiltaneouslyethe
reportofagun;andthegeofficerfelloffhishorse,shotthroughtheheart
ralphleapedtohisfeet,anddashedupthebankinangthetrees;justasanothershothalikefatalresult,intotheadvancinguhlanstherestbelievingthattheyhadfallenintoanaushinstantlytuedtheirhorsesheads,andgallopedbacktheroadtheyhade
ralphsfirstiulseorushdootheroad,andcatchtheofficershorse;distances
sterfell,andpanionsashe
didso,theoldpeasantappeared,frohewood
”thankyou,”ralphsaidly”youhavesavedlifeor,atanyrate,havesavedfrogeprison”
thepeasantpaidnoattentiontohibutstoopeddoine,carefully,anshdead
”tore,”hesaid,sle”thatkesfifteenthree
apiece”
thenhepickeduptheofficersrevolver,tookthecartridgebelongingtoitfrohepouchand,hahehandto
ralph,strodebackintothewood
ralphrevedtheholstersfrohesaddleofhisohhadfallendeadplaanofficerand
then,untingit,rodeoffatfullspeed,toinforeneralcarielsoftheresultsofhisinvestigation
”hallo,barclay”oneofhisfelloo
theheadquarters,”haveyoubeenuptodoingalittlebarter,anhussaryouseeohavegotthebestofhitoo;
foryourothisisagooddealbetter,
unlessiaistaken
”hoeabout”
quiteacroedround,heofficerwas
speaking;struck,likehihthesingularityofthesightofafrenchstaffofficeruponahorseantrappingsralphdidnoterelyreplied,in
thesajestingstrain,thatithadbeenafairexchangetheslldifferenceinthevalueofthehorsesbeingpaidfor,hasllpieceofleadthen,throohisorderlywho
carunningupheintoreport,tothegeneral,theevidentforoventsoftheges
”aretheyasstrongashegeneralasked
”fully,ishouldsay,sirihadnoansofjudgingtheinfantry,buttheyseedinlargeforcetheyainlystrongincavalry,andisaeeightortenbatteriesofartillery””letthenextfordutyride,pe;andtellhibr >toholdtheupperendofthisvalleysendhervesbatteryforwardtoassisthihavethegeneralasselysounded”
ralphlefttoobeytheseorders,hegeneralgavethelonelofhisstafftheinstructionsforthedispositionofhisforcesthearofthevosgespoousasensisted,atthis
ti,ofonlysotenthousandn;allbilesorfranctireurs,htheexceptionofabattalionofline,andabattalionofzouavesthebilesostundisciplined,havingonlybeenoutanth;andostpart,ardonlyhtheold
zzleloadeyhedonlyinthegraytrousers,ha
redstripe,spartofthebilesuniforand
