【】phasked,in
surprise.
”ineverfireatinfantry,”thepeasantsaid.”ithat
didit,anditsonlyuhlansifireat.iputselfonarock,or
ahillside,eorinathickwoodandi
selfyts,andthengo.idonttobe
killed,yet.ihavesetndonhavingfiftyjusttenforeach
ofhelastofthefifty,thesoohey
finish,thebetter.
”youdbetteotgoanyfarther,sir.thevalley,round
theer;andthereareprussiansinthevillage.”
”thankyou,”ralphsaid,”butordersaretorenhe
self,andistdoso.iaunted,andidontthinkthat
theye,ifigetaupleofhundredyardsstart.
therearefranctireursinthevillage,aleback.”
ralphnohepeasantbato
hishidingplacebythehegewidened
intoabroadvalley,afeerging
frohege,ralphatonong
treesatadistaer
hehadheard,hedarednotrideonfarther.hethereforedrewhis
horseasidefroheroad,angsotrees;disunted,andde
his
ndaviehewholevalley.
hisspot,helookedcautiouslyround.below,beyond
thevillage,heuldseelargenuersofn;uldkeout
linesofcavalryhorses,androillery.ansiderable
ventthatthey
toadvanhisiinhesaw,heprobablyexposedhis
figuresoesharpsightedsentry,
inthevillage.
thefirstintitionofhisdangerbyseeingso
tyuhlansdartsuddenlyoutofthetrees,inhevillage
lay,atthetopoftheirspeedostatthesant,
eightortenriflesflashed,andtheballsin
stunpleasantpropinquity.ralphtuedinaninstant;and
boundeddoherockhaspeedandrecklessnessof
anyothernt,hehe
paceatheuhlansheyillahundred
yardsdistantin
frontofthe
thereenatfull
gallopkebutpoorshooting.ralphfeltheouchedbut,by
thenvulsivespringalwas
herelittle
differehibr>
flag,aheher
hundredyards,andtheanilstaggered;andwouldhavefallen,had
notralphheldhiphkneeandbridle.
theuhlanssfortheygaveashout,andapistolbullet
ohishead.ralphlookedround.anofficer,ty
yardsaheadofhisn,fortyyardsinhisrear.in
hishandheheldarevolver,discharged.
”surrender”heshouted,”oryouareadeadn”
ralphsatocarry
outhisiionofdisunting,andtakingtotheh,
here,begantoapproalosetotheroadandhe
pointofthro,intokenofsurrender;whenhishorse
fellheavily,,atthentheprussianagain
fired.alstsiltaneouslyethe
reportofagun;andthegernofficerfelloffhishorse,shot
throughtheheart.
ralphleapedtohisfeet,anddashedupthebankinangthe
trees;justasanothershothalikefatalresult,
intotheadvanguhlans.therestbelievingthattheyhadfallen
intoanaushinstantlytuedtheirhorsesheads,andgalloped
backtheroadtheyhade.
ralphsfirstiulseorushdootheroad,andhthe
officershorse;distances
sterfell,andpanions.ashe
didso,theoldpeasantappeared,frohewood.
”thankyou,”ralphsaidly.”youhavesavedlifeor,atany
rate,havesavedfrogernprison.”
thepeasantpaidnoattentiontohibutstoopeddoine,
carefully,anshdead.
”tore,”hesaid,sle.”thatkesfifteen.three
apiece.”
thenhepickeduptheofficersrevolver,tookthecartridge
belongingtoitfrohepoud,hahehandto
ralph,strodebatothewood.
ralphrevedtheholstersfrohesaddleofhisoh
hadfallendeadplaanoffid
then,untingit,rodeoffatfullspeed,toinforeneral
carielsoftheresultsofhisiigation.
”hallo,barclay”oneofhisfelloo
theheadquarters,”haveyoubeenuptodoingalittlebarter,
anhussaryouseeohavegotthebestofhitoo;
foryourothisisagooddealbetter,
unlessiaistaken.
”hoeabout”
quiteacroedround,heofficerwas
speaking;struck,likehihthesingularityofthesightofa
frenchstaffofficeruponahorseantrappings.ralphdid
noterelyreplied,in
thesajestingstrain,thatithadbeenafairexgethe
slldifferehevalueofthehorsesbeingpaidfor,ha
sllpieceoflead.then,throohisorderlywho
ninguphei,tothegeneral,theevident
foroventsofthegerns.
”aretheyasstrongashegeneralasked.
”fully,ishouldsay,sir.ihadnoansofjudgingtheinfantry,
buttheyseedinlargeforce.theyainlystrongin
cavalry,andisaeeightortenbatteriesofartillery.”
”letthefordutyride,pe;andtellhibr>
toholdtheupperendofthisvalley.sendhervesbatteryforward
toassisthihavethegeneralasselysounded.”
ralphlefttoobeytheseorders,hegeneralgavethelonel
ofhisstafftheinstrusforthedispositionofhisforces.
thearofthevosgespoousasensisted,atthis
ti,ofonlysotenthousandn;allbilesorfranctireurs,
htheexceptionofabattalionofline,andabattalionof
zouaves.thebilesostundisciplined,havingonlybeen
outanth;andostpart,ardonlyhtheold
zzleloader.nyhedonlyinthegraytrousers,ha
redstripe,spartofthebilesuniforand
...
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