Dutch-Belgian dragoons drove back Durutte's men past Papelotte. On its
right, the 2nd Life Guards cut up the cuirassiers while disordered by
the sudden dip of the hollow cross-road; and further to the west, the
1st Dragoon Guards and 1st Life Guards met them at the edge of the
plateau, clashed furiously, burst through them, and joined in the wild
charge of Ponsonby's brigade up the opposite slope, cutting the traces
of forty French cannon and sabring the gunners.

But Napoleon was awaiting the moment for revenge, and now sent forward
a solid force of lancers and dragoons, who fell on our disordered
bands with resistless force, stabbing the men and overthrowing their
wearied steeds. Here fell the gallant Ponsonby with hundreds of his
men, and, had not Vandeleur's horse checked the pursuit, very few
could have escaped. Still, this brigade had saved the day. Two of
D'Erlon's columns had gained a hold on the ridge, until the sudden
charge of our horsemen turned victory into a disastrous rout that cost
the French upwards of 5,000 men.

As if exhausted by this eager strife, both armies relaxed their
efforts for a space and re-formed their lines. Wellington ordered
Lambert's brigade of 2,200 Peninsular veterans, who had only arrived
that morning, to fill the gaps on his left. The Emperor, too, was
uneasy, as he showed by taking copious pinches of snuff. He mounted
his horse and rode to the front, receiving there the cheers of his
blood-stained lancers and battered infantry. Having received another
despatch from Grouchy which gave no hope of his speedy arrival, he
ordered his cannon once more to waste the British lines and bombard
Hougoumont, while Ney led two of D'Erlon's brigades that were the
least shaken to resume the attack on La Haye Sainte. Once more they
were foiled at the farm buildings by the hardy Germans, to whom
Wellington had sent a timely reinforcement.[514] At Hougoumont also
the Guards held firm, despite the fierce conflagration in the barn and
part of the chapel. But while his best troops everywhere stood their
ground, the Duke saw with concern the gaps in his fighting line. Many
of the Dutch-Belgians had made off to the rear; and Jackson, when
carrying an order to a reserve Dutch battery to advance--an order that
was disobeyed--saw what had become of these malingerers. "I peeped
into the skirts of the forest and truly felt astonished: entire
companies seemed there with regularly piled arms, fires blazing und