We had very hot work once in the van of the army, when we drove the
Turks into Oczakow. My spirited Lithuanian had almost brought me into a
scrape: I had an advanced forepost, and saw the enemy coming against me
in a cloud of dust, which left me rather uncertain about their actual
numbers and real intentions: to wrap myself up in a similar cloud was
common prudence, but would not have much advanced my knowledge, or
answered the end for which I had been sent out; therefore I let my
flankers on both wings spread to the right and left, and make what dust
they could, and I myself led on straight upon the enemy, to have a
nearer sight of them; in this I was gratified, for they stood and
fought, till, for fear of my flankers, they began to move off rather
disorderly. This was the moment to fall upon them with spirit; we broke
them entirely--made a terrible havoc amongst them, and drove them not
only back to a walled town in their rear, but even through it, contrary
to our most sanguine expectation.

The swiftness of my Lithuanian enabled me to be foremost in the pursuit;
and seeing the enemy fairly flying through the opposite gate, I thought
it would be prudent to stop in the market place, to order the men to
rendezvous. I stopped, gentlemen; but judge of my astonishment when in
this market place I saw not one of my hussars about me! Are they
scouring the other streets? or what is become of them? They could not be
far off, and must, at all events, soon join me. In that expectation I
walked my panting Lithuanian to a spring in this market place, and let
him drink. He drank uncommonly, with an eagerness not to be satisfied,
but natural enough; for when I looked round for my men, what should I
see, gentlemen! the hind part of the poor creature--croup and legs--were
missing, as if he had been cut in two, and the water ran out as it came
in, without refreshing or doing him any good! How it could have happened
was quite a mystery to me, till I returned with him to the town gate.
There I saw that when I rushed in pell-mell with the flying enemy, they
had dropped the portcullis (a heavy falling door, with sharp spikes at
the bottom, let down suddenly to prevent the entrance of an enemy into a
fortified town) unperceived by me, which had totally cut off his hind
part, that still lay quivering on the outside of the gate. It would have
been an irreparable loss, had not our farrier contrived to bring both
parts together while hot. He se