ent and terror they
stood around the dead horse.

Although the peasant had received no other injuries than a heavy fall
and his own fears inflicted, he was overcome with terror, and so certain
of death that he would do nothing but mumble his prayers, totally deaf
to all the efforts I made to restore his courage. 'That comes of putting
a man out of his natural bent,' said the old corporal. 'On his native
mountains, and with his rifle, that fellow would be brave enough; but
making a dragoon of him is like turning a Cossack into a foot-soldier.
One thing is clear enough, we've no time to throw away here; these
peasants will soon alarm the village in our rear, so that we had better
mount and press forward.'

'But in what direction?' cried another; 'who knows if we shall not be
rushing into worse danger?'

'Tiernay must look to that,' interposed a third. 'It's clear he can't
leave us now; his retreat is cut off, at all events.'

'That's the very point I was thinking of, lads,' said I. 'The
beacon-fires show that "the Tyrol is up"; and safely as I have journeyed
hither, I know well I dare not venture to retrace my road; I 'd be shot
in the first Dorf I entered. On one condition, then, I'll join you; and
short of that, however, I'll take my own path, come what may of it.'

'What's the condition, then?' cried three or four together.

'That you give me the full and absolute command of this party, and
pledge your honour, as French soldiers, to obey me in everything, till
the day we arrive at the headquarters of a French corps.'

'What, obey a Pekin! take the _mot d'ordre_ from a civilian that never
handled a firelock!' shouted three or four in derision.

'I have served, and with distinction, too, my lads,' said I calmly; 'and
if I have not handled a firelock, it is because I wielded a sabre, as an
officer of hussars. It is not here, nor now, that I am going to tell
why I wear the epaulette no longer. I'll render account of that to my
superiors and yours! If you reject my offer (and I don't press you to
accept it), let us at least part good friends. As for me, I can take
care of myself.' As I said this, I slung over my shoulder the cross-belt
and carbine of one of the fugitives, and selecting a strongly built,
short-legged black horse as my mount, I adjusted the saddle, and sprang
on his back.

'That was done like an old hussar, anyhow,' said a soldier, who had
been a cavalry man, 'and I 'll follow you, whatever the rest