The moon rose brilliantly upon the landscape; and by its bewitching
light the youth abandoned themselves to the dance, with as little
thought as if the thundering around were a salute in honour of a
bridal festival.

The national dance seemed especially to please the General; and once,
when he expressed his admiration by a hearty 'bravo' at some dexterous
turn, a merry little dark-eyed sylph tripped up to him, and succeeded
in leading him forth to the "Wedding of Tolna"--a favourite dance,
where he allowed himself to be wheeled about through all the mazes,
performing each manoeuvre required of him with that almost English
coolness which characterized him.

A little episode now occurred, which caused a short interruption. A
grenade fell burning, almost at the feet of the General. Several of
the dancers fled, while the boldest of the party wished to pour water
over it, and others in jest proposed to cover it with a hat.

"Let all remain in their places!" cried the General.

At this command everybody remained stationary. Even the women
endeavoured to conceal their fear, and one or two of the girls peeped
inquisitively forward, scarcely comprehending the danger with which
they were threatened.

The bearded major, however, seemed fully alive to all the horror of
his situation; for no sooner did the grenade fall hissing among them,
than he broke at once through all constraint, and with a roar like a
bull, as if in compensation for all he had hitherto endured in
silence, rushed from the spot as if he were possessed by legion, and
without looking right or left, precipitated himself into the moat,
regardless of its height. Providentially he reached the bottom, at a
depth of four-and-twenty feet, with bones unbroken, and there lay upon
his stomach, with closed eyes, awaiting the issue of the hideous
catastrophe.

The grenade meanwhile turned quickly round like a spinning-top on the
spot where it had fallen, the rocket flame from within describing a
bright circle round it. The bystanders breathlessly awaited the moment
of its explosion.

Suddenly it ceased turning, and the fiery circle disappeared. Whoever
is acquainted with the nature of these balls, will know, that between
the spinning round of the grenade-rocket in its flame and that instant
in which--the spark having reached the powder--it explodes, there is
an interval of a few seconds, in which the grenade stands still.

In this interval it was that the commander