Middletown transcript., 1920-10-02
Author Of ''The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes"
By A. CONAN DOYLE

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this time helter skelter, fifteen thou
sand Of them, and there were great
gaps left in our line, through which
the French cavalry rode as 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 British regiment
was firm, though, to tell the honest
truth, as a man is bound to do, there
were sprinkling Of red coats among
the blue ones who made for the rear.
But these were lads and stragglers,
the faint hearts that are found every
where, and I say again that no regi-
ment flinched. It was little we could
see Of the battle, but man would be
blind not to know that all the heids
behind us were covered with flying
men. But then, though we on the
right wing knew nothing Of 1t. the
Prussians had begun to show. and Ma
poleon had set twenty thousand OF his
men to face them, which made up for
ours that had bolted, and left us much
as we began. That was all dark to us,
however, and there was a 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 had set
our teeth with the intention of selling
cur lives as dearly as we could.
At that time it was between four
and five in the afternoon, and we had
had nothing to eat, the most OF US,
since the night before, and were
soaked with rain into the bargain. 1t
had drizzled off and on all day, but for
the last few hours we had not had a
thought to spare either upon the
weather or our hunger. Now we be-
gan to look around and tighten our
waistbelts, and ask who was hit, and
who was spared. was glad to see
Jim, with his face all blackened with
powder, standing on my right rear,
leaning on his fire-lock. He saw me
looking at him, and shouted out to
know If I were hurt.
"All right, .Jim." I answered.
Il fear I'm here on a wild-goose
chase" said he gloomily, ''but it's not
over vet. By God, I'll have him or
he'll have mel" He had brooded so
much on his wrong, had poor Jim, that
I really believe it had turned his head,
for he had glare in his eyes as he
spoke that was hardly human. He
was always a man that took even a
little thing to heart, and since Edie
had left him am sure that he was no
longer his own master.
It was at this time that we saw two
single fights which they tell me were
common enough in the battles Of old,
before men were trained in masses.
As we lay in the hollow, two horse
men came spurring along the ridge in
front Of us, riding as hard as hoof
could rattle. The first was an English
iragoon, his face right down on his
horses name, with French cuirassier,
an old, gray-headed fellow, laundering
behind him on big, black mare. Our
chaps set up hooting as they came
flying on, for it seemed shame to see
IN Englishman run like that; but as
hey swept across our front we saw
where the trouble lay. The dragoon
had dropped his sword and was un-
armed, while the other was pressing
him so close that he could not get a
weapon. At last, .stung maybe by our
looting. he made up his mind to chance
t. His eye fell on a lance beside a
lead Frenchman, so he Swerved his |
horse to let the other pass, and hop
ping off cleverly enough, he gripped
1old Of it. But the other was too
;ricky for him, and was on him like |
/ shot: The dragon thrust up with
he lance, but the other turned and
sliced him through the shoulder-blade.
L was all done in an instant, and the |
cantered his horse up the |
,rae, showing his teeth at us over |
lis shoulder like snarling dog,
That was one to them, but we scored |
me for us presently. They had pushed
'orward skirmish-line whose fire was
oward the batteries on our right and |
eft rather than on us, but we sent out
wo companies Of the Ninety-fifth to
Ieep them in check. It was strange
o hear the cracking kind Of noise that
hey made, for both sides were using
he rifle. An officer stood among the
French skirmishers, a tall, lean man
With mantle over his shoulders, and
Is our fellows came forward he ran
nut midway between the two parties
md stood as fencer would, with his
word up and his head back. I can
zee him now, with his lowered eye
ids, and the kind Of sneer that he had
lpon his face. On this the subaltern
# the Rifles, who was a fine we'll
,r0wn lad, ran forward and drove full
lit at him with one Of the queer,
rocked swords that the riflemen carry.
hey CAME LOSetNer ike TWO FdIuS, AOT
'ach ran at the other, and down they
umbled at the shock, but the French
nan was below. Our man broke his
word short off. and took the others
'lade through his left arm, but he
vas the stronger man, and he man
lged to let the life out Of his enemy
With the jagged stump Of his blade.
hOught that the French skirmishers
would have shot him down, but not
rigger was drawn, and he got back
o his company with one sword through
lis arm and half another in his hand.