by Milhaud's cuirassiers, who pursued them up the slope until
the rally sounded. Farther to the east, the French seemed still surer
of victory. Bylandt's Dutch-Belgians, some 3,000 strong, after
suffering heavily in their cruelly exposed position, wavered at the
approach of Donzelot's column, and finally broke into utter rout,
pelted in their flight with undeserved gibes from the British in their
rear. These consisted of Picton's division, the heroes of Quatre Bras.
Here they had as yet sustained little loss, thanks to the shelter of
the hollow cross-road and a hedge.

The French columns now topped the ridge, uttering shouts of triumph,
and began to deploy into line for the final charge. This was the time,
as Picton well knew, to pour in a volley and dash on with the cold
steel; but as he cheered on his men, a bullet struck him in the temple
and cut short his brilliant career. His tactics were successful at
some points while at others our thin lines barely held up against the
masses. Certainly no decisive result could have been gained but for
the timely onset of Ponsonby's Union Brigade--the 1st Royal Dragoons,
the Scots Greys, and the Inniskillings.

At the time when Lord Uxbridge gave the order, "Royals and
Inniskillings charge, the Greys support," Alix's division was passing
the cross-road. But as the Royals dashed in, "the head of the column
was seized with a panic, gave us a fire which brought down about
twenty men, then went instantly about and endeavoured to regain the
opposite side of the hedges; but we were upon and amongst them, and
had nothing to do but press them down the slope." So wrote Captain
Clark Kennedy, who sabred the French colour-bearer and captured the
eagle. Equally brilliant was the charge of the Inniskillings, in the
centre of the brigade. They rode down Donzelot's division, jostled its
ranks into a helpless mass, and captured a great number of prisoners.
The Scots Greys, too, succouring the hard-pressed Gordons, fell
fiercely on Marcognet's division. "Both regiments," wrote Major
Winchester of the 92nd, "charged together, calling out 'Scotland for
ever'; the Scots Greys actually walked over this column, and in less
than three minutes it was totally destroyed. The grass field, which
was only an instant before as green and smooth as Phoenix Park, was
covered with killed and wounded, knapsacks, arms, and
accoutrements."[513]

Meanwhile, on the left of the brigade, Vandeleur's horse and some