would still be equal to an
effort for the fight that was always likely and always desired.

Suddenly, from the ridge some 800 yards behind us, coming down like a
bolt, I saw a horse, at full gallop. Its rider was gesticulating
wildly. Strange to say, though not a word had been said, as though
awakened by an electric current, every man had got up and had fixed
his astonished eyes on the newcomer. He was an artillery
non-commissioned officer; his face was crimson, his hair unkempt, his
cap had come off his head and was dangling behind by the chin-strap.
With a violent jerk he pulled up his foaming horse for a second:
"Where is the Colonel--the Colonel?" With one voice the whole squadron
replied: "There, on the road. What's the matter?"

He had already set off again at full speed, had reached the Colonel,
and was bending down towards him. Even at that distance we could hear
some of his words: "Uhlans ... near the woods, ... our guns, our
teams...."

Then it was like a miracle. Without any word of command, without any
sign, in a moment the whole regiment was on horseback, sword in hand.
The Colonel alone had remained standing. With the greatest calmness he
asked the sergeant in an undertone for some information; and the man
answered him with emphatic gestures. All eyes were fixed upon the
group. Everybody waited breathlessly for the order which was going to
be given and repeated by five hundred voices, by five hundred men
drunk with joy.

We believed the glorious hour was at last come, which we had been
awaiting with so much impatience since the opening of the campaign.
The charge! That indescribable thing which is the _raison d'etre_ of
the trooper, that sublime act which pierces, rends, and crushes by a
furious onslaught--wild gallop, with uplifted sword, yelling mouth,
and frenzied eyes. The charge! The charge of our great ancestors, of
those demi-gods, Murat, Lasalle, Curely, Kellermann and so many
others! The charge we had been asking for, with all our hearts, ever
since the opening of the campaign, and which had always been denied
us!

Ah! that famous German cavalry, that set up its doctrine of pushing
the attack to the death, what hatred and what contempt had we
conceived for them! We had one desire, and one only--to measure
ourselves with them. And every time we had seen their squadrons the
result had been either that they had turned and retired in good order
behind their lines of infantry, or they had drawn