left arm had received the fire of the soldiers, who now saw the
meaning of that quick movement by which he had thrown his girdle around
it. The incident was but the work of a few brief moments; nor was there
longer time to think on it, for suddenly a squadron of cavalry swept
past at the full speed of their horses, calling out the words, 'Place
there! Make way there in front! The ambulance! the ambulance!'

A low groan of horror rose around; the quick retreat of the wounded
betokened that the battle was going against the French; the words
'beaten and retreat' reechoed through the crowd; and as the dark
suspicion crept amid the moving mass, the first waggon of the wounded
slowly turned the angle of the square, a white flag hanging above it. I
caught but one glance of the sad convoy; but never shall I forget
that spectacle of blood and agony. Torn and mangled, they lay an
indiscriminate heap--their faces blackened with powder, their bodies
shattered with wounds. High above the other sounds their piercing cries
rent the air, with mingled blasphemies and insane ravings. Meanwhile the
drivers seemed only anxious to get forward, as, deaf to every prayer and
entreaty, they whipped their horses and called out to the crowd to make
way.

Escape was now open; but where could I go? My uniform exposed me to
immediate detection; should I endeavour to conceal myself, discovery
would be my death. The vast tide of people that poured along the streets
was a current too strong to stem, and I hesitated what course to follow.
My doubts were soon resolved for me; an officer of General Oudinot's
staff, who had seen me the previous night, rode up close to where I
stood, and then turning to his orderly, spoke a few hurried words. The
moment after, two heavy dragoons, in green uniform and brass helmets,
came up, one at either side of me; without a second's delay one of them
unfastened a coil of small rope that hung at his saddle-bow, which with
the assistance of the other was passed over my right wrist and drawn
tight. In this way, secured like a malefactor, I was ordered forward. In
vain I remonstrated; in vain I told them I was a British officer; to no
purpose did I reiterate that hitherto I had made no effort to escape.
It is not in the hour of defeat that a Frenchman can behave either
with humanity or justice. A volley of _sacres_ was the only answer I
received, and nothing was left me but to yield.

Meanwhile the tumult and confusion of t