The colonel and several other officers who had been at its head had
fallen; in the din no orders could be heard, and for some minutes the head
of the column wasted away under the rain of bullets. Then a general
officer dashed up, and another body of Frenchmen came along at a run.
Terence's horn rang out loudly; the signal was repeated in the village,
the fire instantly ceased, and when the French column rushed into the
place not a foe was to be seen, but the street was choked up by dead
horses and men.
These reinforcements did not pause, but making their way over the
obstacles pressed on to where a roar of fire in front showed how hotly the
advance-guard was engaged. Here the surprise had been rather less
complete. Some of the outposts had given the alarm, and the French were on
their feet before, after pouring terrible volleys into them, a thousand
men fell upon them on either side. Great numbers of the French fell under
the fire, and the long line was broken up into sections by the impetuous
rush of the Portuguese. Nevertheless, the French soldiers hung together,
and the combat raged desperately until the head of the relieving column
came up. Then, as suddenly as before, the attack ceased. Not a gun was
fired, and, as if by magic, their assailants stole away into the darkness,
while the French opened a random fire after them.
Pages:
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379