eading by a half dozen
lengths. As they rode, they fired in my direction, but their bullets went
wide. I felt real compunction as I aimed at the head of the leading
horse--the one whose rider I had shot down with only a sense of
satisfaction. I could hear our men crashing through the bushes by the road
as they came to my support. I fired. My bullet must have struck the
riderless horse in the brain, for he fell instantly, sprawled out in the
path of the galloping Huns behind. The horses of the leaders stumbled over
the fallen animal. A rattle of shots from our men completed the confusion
of the Uhlans. They turned their horses and galloped away--some back along
the road, others across the fields. Several fell under our fire; how many
we had no time to ascertain.

After that little affair we organized our position for a somewhat better
defence. Leaving a few scouts, far advanced, we stationed our men in easy
touch with each other and then cut down a number of trees and telegraph
poles and barricaded the road with them. There were sixteen of us in the
post near this barricade, concealed from view and able to communicate with
each other in whispers. The hours dragged on to midnight and past. We were
weary to the bone--half dead for want of sleep--but we dared not relax our
vigilance for an instant.

The surrounding country was dense with woods. The moon was almost new, so
consequently the poles were quite invisible a few yards away.

At about one o'clock in the morning I heard something crackling through
the brush on the side road. My bayonet was fixed and I was ready to fire.
The crackling came nearer. I crept stealthily forward to meet whatever it
was. Presently a man stepped into the road. "Halt!" I cried. He halted at
once, and gave the word "Friend." It was one of our sentries with a
message that Uhlans were coming along the road. Three men were farther
down the road; they had hidden so that the Uhlans would pass them, the
sentry said.

A section of us concealed ourselves--and waited. Presently the Uhlans came
into sight, proceeding cautiously. Half of us were instructed to withhold
fire until the Prussians should reach the barricade. The remainder began
to fire. The horsemen scattered to each side of the road and returned the
fire, but as we were not discernible, the shots went wild. I judged that
they numbered about fifty. We dropped a few of them. They were becoming
enraged--their fire ineffective. They mounted;