em to charge, at the double."

Ralph set spurs to his horse but, just as he reached the troops, a
shell exploded just under his horse. Ralph heard a crash; felt a
shock, and a whirling through the air; and then fell heavily upon
the ground. Believing he was dangerously wounded, he made no effort
to get to his feet; but sat up and shouted to the colonel of the
Mobiles, who were not thirty yards from him:

"The Mobiles and Line are to charge, at the double, and to carry
the village with the bayonet."

The Mobiles had flinched a little before, as they had advanced with
the deadly fire of shot and shell; but they did not flinch now, and
leaping upon their feet, with a cry of "Vive la France!" the
Mobiles and Line soldiers literally made a race of it for the
village.

Ralph, after having given his message, lay back again, with a sort
of bewildered sensation. A minute afterwards he heard a rapid
galloping; and Colonel Tempe rode up, followed by Tim Doyle.

"Are you badly hurt, my dear boy?" the former exclaimed, as he
leaped from his horse. "The general himself asked me to come, and
see after you."

"I don't quite know, colonel," Ralph answered. "I feel, at present,
as if my head was knocked in, and my legs shot off."

"You had a tremendous shake," said Colonel Tempe--who was, with
Tim, by this time kneeling beside him--"and your horse is blown
almost to pieces; but I don't think, as far as I can see, at
present, that you are hit anywhere. Here, take a sip of brandy. It
will bring you round; you are stunned a little, you know.

"There, you are better now," he said; as Ralph, having drunk a
little brandy, sat up and looked round.

"I am all right, I think, colonel; don't stay any longer. Tim will
wait here. I don't think I was stunned, else I could not have given
the order. No, I imagine I had a near escape of breaking my neck.

"Please, don't wait. I shall be all right again, in five minutes. I
will take Tim's horse, and join you again. Tim will pick up a
musket--there are plenty about--and do a little fighting on his own
account."

Colonel Tempe jumped on his horse, and rode off. In a minute or
two, Ralph was able to mount Tim's horse, and ride slowly up to the
village, where a heavy musketry fire was still going on; but as no
shell or shot were now coming in the direction in which Ralph was,
it was evident that the French had taken the position, and had
opened fire upon the retreating Germans. The fight still