The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-06
THE GREAT SHADOW.
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.
Author Of "rhs Adventure OF Sherlock Holm a, ~
micah Clarke" &a
Copyright. 1899. ~ u, Auihor.
CHAPTER XII.-CoSr1SuEp.

is very goou way OF meeting horseman, but
there is no worse way OF taking cannon ball,
as we soon learned when they began to cut red
seams through us. until our ears were weary
OF tho slosh and splash when hard iron mot
living flesh and blood. After ton minutes OF it
we moved our square hundred paces TO tho
right. but we left another square behind us,
for hundred and twenty men and seven off,
GERS showed whore wo had been standing
Then tho guns found us out again, and we
tried to open out into line. but in an instant
the horsemen-lancers they were this time
were upon us from ovcr the brae.
tell you we were glad to hear tho thud
of their hoofs. for We know that that
must stop tho cannon for q minute. and give
us n chance OF hitting back. And we hit back
pretty hard. too. that time. for we were cold
and vicious and savage. and for one felt that
I cared no more for tho horsemen than II they
had been so many sheep on Corremuir One
gets past being afraid OF thinking Of ones own
skin after while. and you Just feel that you
want to make some one pay for oil you have
gone through. We took our change out of the
lancers that time. for they had no breastplates
to shield them and we cleared seventy OF them
out OF their saddles at a volcy Maybe II we
could have seen seventy mothers weeping for
their lads We should not have felt SO pleased
over 1t, but then men are just brutes when
they are fighting. and have as much thought
as two bull pups when they've got one another
by tho throttle.
Then tho Colonel did wiso stroke. for he
reckoned that this would stave Off tho cavalry
for fvo minutes. SO no wheeled us into limo
| and got us back into deep hollow out OF
| reach OF the guns before they could open
again. This gave US time to breathe. and we
wanted 1t. too. for the regiment had been melt
| ing away like an icicle in the sun. But bad as
| It was for us, II was q great deal worse for
| some OF the others. The whole OF the Dutch
! Belrians were or by this time helter- kclter.
| fifteen thousand Of them. and there were great
| gaps left In our line. through which the French
| cavalry rode MS pleased them best. Then the
| French guns had been too many and too good
for ours. and our heavy horse had been cut to
| bits. so that things were none too merry with
US. On the other hand. Hougoumont. blood
| soaked ruin. was still ours. and every Brit
| ish regiment was firm. though. to tell the
| honest truth. as n man Is bound to do.
there was sprinkling Of red coats among
the blue ones who made for the rear. But
these were lads and stragglers tho faint
| hearts that were found everywhere. and say
| again that no regiment flinched. II was little
| we could SEQ OF tho battle. but a man would
| be blind not to know that all the fields behind
us were covered with flying men. But then.
though We on the right wing knew nothing OF
It, the Prussans had begun to show. and
Napoleon had set twenty thousand OF his
men to face them. which made UP for
ours that had bolted. and left as much
as we began. That was all dark to
u.s. however. and there was q time when
the French horsemen had flooded in between
us and the rest of the army. that we thought
we were the only brigade left standing. and
| hoJ into, faath with thu fnfapffoO pf ~ o
| our lives as dearly as We could.
At that time it was between and In the
| afternoon. and we had had nothing to eat. the
| most Of us. since the night before and we're
soak ed with rain in the bargain. 1t had driz.
zed of and on all day. but for the last few
hours We had not had thought to spare
either upon the weather or our hunger. Now
we began to look around and tighten oul
waistbelts. and ask who was hit and who was
spared. was glad to SEQ Jim. with his face
all blackcned with powder. standing on my
right rear. leaning on his Irelock. He saw me
looking at him and shouted out to know il
were hurt.
"Au right. JIM" answered.
II fear I'm here on u wild goose chase" sale
he loomily. but it's not over yet. By God. II
have him or he'll have mo" He had broodec
SO much on his wrong. had poor Jim. that
really believed it had turned his head for hi
had a glare in his eyes as he spoke that wa.
hardly human. He was always a man thai
took even little thing to heart. and since
Edie had left him ! am sure that he was nc
longer his own master.
1t was at this time that we saw two single
fights which they tell me were common
enough in the battles Of old. before mon were
trained in masses. AS We lay in tho hollow
two horsemen came squirting along the ridge
li,,,, ,nrI l.
rattle. The first was an English dragoon hi.
face right down on his horses mane with {
French cuirassier. an old Gray-headed fellow
laundering behind him on big black marc
Our chaps get up q hootng as they cam,
flying on, for it seemed q shame to SET
an Englishman run like that: but a.
they swept across our front We saw wher,
the trouble lay. Tho dragon had dropped
his sword and was unarmed. while the othe
was pressing him SO close that he could no
get weapon. At last. stung maybe by ou
hootng. he made up his mind to chance it
His eyes fell on n lance beside dead French
man. so he swerved his horse to let the otbe
pass. and hopping of cleyerly enough he grip
ped hold OF it. But the other was too trick,
for him. and was on him like shot. Tho dra
COON thrust up with tho lance. but the othc
turned it and sliced him through the shoulder
blade. 1t was all done in an instant. and the
| Frenchman cantered his horse up the brae
showing his teeth to us over his shoulder like
| n snarling dog.
That was ono to them but we scored on,
for us presently. They had pushed forward {
skirmish line whose fire was toward the bat
teries on our right and left rather than on us
but we sent out two companies Of tho Ninety
fifth to keep them in check 1t was strange tc
hear tho cracking kind Of noise that they
made. for both sides were using the rife. Ar
officer stood among the French skirmishers. Il
tall, lean man. with mantle over his shoul
ders, and. as our follows came forward. ht
ran out midway between the two parties
and stood as fcIcer would. with Iii.
sword UP and his head back. l can SO,
him now with his lowered eyclids. and
the kind of u sheer that he had upon his
face On this tho subaltern of the Rifles. who
was a ilnc. wcll.grown lad. ran forward ana
drove full til, at him with ono OF the queer
crooked swords that the rillemcn carry. Tho,
came together like two rams. for each ran 70!