inablue
blousegreatnuersofthestshoeless;havingbeentakenstraightfroheploeivedno
shoessined,half
ans
thefactenttotheirgeneral,andhisofficersstill,hisinstructionsakeastand,atallhazards,inthevosges;andhenooobeytheordersnothopingforvictory,buttrustinginthenaturalurageofhisntoenablehiodrawtheffhoutseriousdisasterhisgreatestweaknesswashisartillery,ofteries;againsteightorten
ofthegeserically,superiorto
hisown
inhalfanhour,thedispositionsadethevalleywaswide,atthispoint;andthereefiveorsixvillagesnestledinititilesbehind,narrowed
againnsiderablyjustasthetroopshadgainedtheirappointedplausketryfirehe
gorgeahead;ngled,inafeinutes,of
cannon
thegeneral,surroundedbyhisstaff,vedforohespotfroheroadattheentrancetothenarroofthevalley,nothinguldbeseen;buttheongthe
treesandrocksoneitherside,theburstingofshellsandthelingofbulletsthegeneralandhisstaff
aenofthe
esrt,anduntedthesideofthehill
afterasharpheyuld
seerightdohelongnarrohetreesexcept
neartheroadhin;thesteepsidesofthehillsbeingveredong
thesealldoe
fivehundredyardsfroheposttakenupbythegeneral,asuoketoldpesfranc
tireursongthetreesbeloeup
greatokefrohebattery,
byfiringattheges
thesefordalongline,upanddohesidesofthevalley,atthreeorfourhundredyardsdistancefrohefrenchlinestwogebatteriesheroad,afeothe
rearoftheirskirshers;andthesehicklyup
angtherocks,hefranctireurswo
otherbatteriesanshadnagedtoputashortwayupontheuntainsides,stillfartherintherearwererainingshell,hdeadlyprecision,uponthefrenchbatteriesintheroad
aprettierpieceofto
igiheloftyuntainsides;thelonglinesoflittlepuffsofske,angthebrushokearising
frohetrees,inthebottothequick,dullburstsoftheshellsasaspectacle,itoststrikingthenoisewasprodigiousthesteepsidesoftheuntainechoedeachreportofthegunsintoaprolongedroar,liketheruleofthundertherattleofthesketryneverceasedforaninstant,andloudanddistinenacingscreaftheshells
”thisisgrand,indeed,ralph”percysaid,afterantssilence
”splendid”ralphsaid,”butitisevidentholdthegorgetheirskirshersarethreetoourone,andtheirshellsstbedoingterribledage”
”barclay,”generalcarielssaid,”godoothebattery,andbringbackheyaregettingon”
thescenequitelostitsbeautytopercy,now,ashesawralphscralerapidlydohehillsideinthedirectionofthetrees;angongh
theshellsedlikeenteringa
fieryfuace
itinutesbeforeralphbing
upthehillsideagain;andpercysheartgaveajuofdelight,enear,his
brothersahathehiefbound
roundonearthishbloodhekepton
steadily,hoilhereachedthegeneral;whohad,uponseeingheeethi
”onegunisdisunted,sir,andhalfthenarekilledorwounded”
”godo,andtellhervetofallbackatonce;andtotakepositionintheiledohe
valley,soastosheentrance
”laon,gototheright,andyou,dubois,totheleftorderthefranctireurstoretreatalongthehillsideand,heygettotheendofthegorge,tofotheplain,andfallbacktothefirstvillage
”youareseriously,ihope”hesaid,kindly,
astheofficershurriedaissions
”asplinterofashell,sir,”ralphsaid,faintly”idontthinkithastouchedthebone,butithascutthefleshbadly”ralph;andhewould
havefallen,hadnotpercycaughthinhisar,halittlecry
”hehasonlyfaintedfroossofblood,”thegeneralsaid”twoorthreehandkerchiefs,gentlen
”noajor,bindtheoundhisar
”noakeoffhissash,andbinditastightlyasyoucan,overthethatsright
”nodoeto
lose”
tsunderralphsshoulders,
ookhisfeet;andtheyhasteneddoothehorsesastheydidso,ralphopenedhiseyes
”iallright,noly
”liequiet,”thejorsaid,kindly”itisonlylossofbloodthereisnorealharone
”there,herearethehorses”
ralphting,ontheground;alittlebrandyanderand,asthebloodslohrough
thebandage,hefeltsufficientlyrestoredtositonhishorse”doyle,yougohlieutenantbarclay,”thelonelofthestaffsaid”rideslo;soastocatchhi
ifyouseehiotteryouhesurgeonsreadyatthe
generalsquarters
”halt,standasideforanthereestheartillery””welldone,lads,inished
batteryrattledpast,atfullgallop
thenhehielf,hhisstaff,putspurstohishorseandoffatfullspeed;folloaheside
ofralphthefloopped,andralpho
sithishorseuntilhereachedthehousehe
generalsheadquarters,intheinghereoneofthestaffsurgeonshadfittedupateoraryaulance;andralphsbandagesovedtiuedsickatthe
sightof
