me how little I could rely on the man; but I
made no remark to him. The day was beginning to break. We passed the
whole of the main street without meeting any one. Just as I was
congratulating myself on reaching the last houses of the village, I
found myself at twenty-five paces' distance, face to face with four
Royal Spanish Carabineers on horseback with drawn swords. Under any
other circumstances I might have taken them for French gendarmes, their
uniforms being exactly similar, but the gendarmes never march with the
extreme advanced guard. These men, therefore, could not belong to Ney's
corps, and I at once perceived they were the enemy. In a moment I faced
about, but just as I had turned round to the direction from which I had
come I saw a blade flash six inches from my face. I threw my head
sharply back, but nevertheless got a severe sabre-cut on the forehead,
of which I carry the scar over my left eyebrow to this day. The man who
had wounded me was the corporal of the carabineers, who, having left his
four troopers outside the village, had according to military practice
gone forward to reconnoitre. That I had not met him was probably due to
the fact that he had been in some side lane, while I had passed through
the main street. He was now coming back through the street to rejoin his
troopers, when, seeing me, he had come up noiselessly over a layer of
leaves and was just going to cleave my head from behind, when, by
turning round, I presented to him my face and received his blow on my
forehead. At the same moment the four carabineers, who seeing that their
corporal was all ready for me had not stirred, trotted up to join him,
and all five dashed upon me. I ran mechanically towards the houses on
the right in order to get my back against a wall; but by good luck I
found, two paces off, one of the steep and narrow lanes, which went up
to the vineyards. The soldier had already reached it. I flew up there
too with the five carabineers after me; but at any rate they could not
attack me all at once, for there was only room for one horse to pass.
The brigadier went in front; the other four filed after him. My
position, although not as unfavourable as it would have been in the
street, where I should have been surrounded, still remained alarming;
the blood flowing freely from my wound had in a moment covered my left
eye, with which I could not see at all, and I felt that it was coming
towards my right eye, so that I was compe