ere no forces
there at present, excepting a few reserve corps, the two Hungarian
_corps d'armee_ having united at Torokszentmiklos, under Vecsey and
Damjanics.

The attack was consequently expected from that quarter; and, according
to the spies' reports, the day was fixed, and the station appointed on
the opposite side of the Theiss.

* * * * *

There is a ferry between Szolnok and Czibakhaza, and the boat is
guided by the simple means of a rope drawn across the river.

The boat was now on the opposite side, some persons having just
crossed with the permission of the imperial party, who kept a patrol
to guard the passage.

On the evening of the expected day, two hussars rode up to the ferry
from the opposite side.

"Do you see that boat?" cried the elder of the two, as they reached
the bank.

"I see it, corporal," replied the other, who appeared to be a recruit.

"Whether you see it or not, we must cross there."

"Very well, corporal."

"Don't argue with me when the order is to cross; we _must_ cross, were
a thousand fiery devils on the other side!--Hej! come out, thou slug!"
he continued, knocking at the door of the boatman's hut.

"_Thou_, indeed!" grumbled a voice from within; "I'll hear something
more civil first!"

"No arguing, nephew, but turn out, unless you wish your house turned
upside down, and yourself left under the clear sky!"

An old grayheaded man appeared. "It is a long time since I was called
'nephew,'" he murmured.

"How old are you?" asked the hussar.

"Some sixty years."

"Pooh! thou art a boy, nephew! I am five years thy senior;
forward!--march!"

As the boat put off with the hussars, a _chasseur_, who was observing
their motions from the other side, called across the water in German.

"Cannot you see that we are hussars?" was the reply, in Hungarian.

The soldier levelled his musket and fired, and the ball went through
the old hussar's csako. He turned impatiently to the recruit, who had
moved his head as the ball whistled past his ear.

"Why do you bend your head?--the balls must fall on one side or on the
other; and thou, nephew, get from under my horse, and pull away by the
rope."

The peasant, who was lying on his face at the bottom of the boat,
never felt less inclined to obey in his life, especially as fifty or
sixty grenadiers appeared from behind the entrenchments, and began
firing on the hussars.

"Dismount and guide the boat,"