t there
he found only some unsteady soldiers whose courage had forsaken them,
and running round the parapet in a state of the greatest panic. They
only wanted an outlet to run away.

The presence of the king and his cries first restored confidence to a
few. He himself seized a musket; with one hand he fought, with the other
he elevated and waved his plume, calling to his men, and restoring them
to their first valour by that authority which example gives. At the same
time Ney had again formed his divisions. Their fire stopped the enemy's
cuirassiers, and threw their ranks into disorder. They let go their
hold, Murat was at last disengaged, and the heights were reconquered.

Scarcely had the king escaped this peril, when he ran into another; with
the cavalry of Bruyere and Nansouty, he rushed upon the enemy, and by
obstinate and repeated charges overthrew the Russian lines, pushed and
drove them back on their centre, and, within an hour, completed the
total defeat of their left wing.

But the heights of the ruined village of Semenowska, where the left of
the enemy's centre commenced, were still untouched; the reinforcements
which Kutusof incessantly drew from his right, supported it. Their
commanding fire was poured down upon Ney and Murat's troops, and stopped
their victory; it was indispensable to acquire that position. Maubourg
with his cavalry first cleared the front; Friand, one of Davoust's
generals, followed him with his infantry. Dufour and the 15th light were
the first to climb the steep; they dislodged the Russians from the
village, the ruins of which were badly entrenched. Friand, although
wounded, followed up and secured this advantage.

CHAP. X.

This vigorous action opened up to us the road to victory; it was
necessary to rush into it; but Murat and Ney were exhausted: they
halted, and while they were rallying their troops, they sent to Napoleon
to ask for reinforcements. Napoleon was then seized with a hesitation
which he never before displayed; he deliberated long with himself, and
at last, after repeated orders and counter-orders to his young guard, he
expressed his belief that the appearance of Friand and Maubourg's troops
on the heights would be sufficient, the decisive moment not appearing to
him to be yet arrived.

But Kutusof took advantage of the respite which he had no reason to
expect; he summoned the whole of his reserve, even to the Russian
guards, to the support of his uncovered