numbered fully four companies; so that our
attack soon drove in the enemy, who retreated, still firing, within the
courtyard around the farmhouse.

"Bring up the gun, lads, and we 'll soon breach them," said the major.
But, unhappily, the party to whom it was committed, being annoyed at the
service which kept them back when their companions were advancing, had
hurled the piece off its carriage, and rolled it down the mountain.

With a muttered _sacre_ on their stupidity, the officer cried out to
scale the walls. If honor and rank and wealth had lain on the opposite
side, and not death and agony, they could not have obeyed with more
alacrity. Raised on one another's shoulders, the brave fellows mounted
the wall; but it was only to fall back again into their comrades' arms,
dead or mortally wounded. Still they pressed on: a reckless defiance of
danger had shut out every other thought; and their cheers grew wilder
and fiercer as the fire told upon them, while the shouts of triumph from
those within stimulated them to the verge of madness.

"Stand back, men! stand back!" called the major; "down! I say."

As he spoke, a dead silence followed; the men retreated behind the cover
of the fence, and lay down flat with their faces to the ground. A low,
hissing noise was then heard; and then, with a clap like thunder, the
strong gate was rent into fragments and scattered in blazing pieces
about the field. The crash of the petard was answered by a cheer wild as
a war-whoop, and onward the infuriated soldiers poured through the
still burning timbers. And now began a scene of carnage which only a
hand-to-hand encounter can ever produce. From every door and window the
Prussians maintained a deadly fire: but the onward tide of victory was
with us, and we poured down upon them with the bayonet; and as none
gave, none asked for, quarter, the work of death was speedy. To the
wild shouts of battle, the crash, the din, the tumult of the fight, a
dropping irregular fire succeeded; and then came the low, wailing cries
of the wounded, the groans of the dying, and all was over! We were the
victors; but what a victory! The garden was strewn with our dead;
the hall, the stairs, every room was covered with bodies of our brave
fellows, their rugged faces even sterner than in life.

For some minutes it seemed as though our emotions had unnerved us all,
as we stood speechless, gazing on the fearful scene of bloodshed; when
the low rolling of drum