ntless. Imagination in that
terrific moment magnified them into millions. He saw the foaming mouths,
the white teeth and the flashing eyes of the horses, and then the tense
faces and eyes of their riders. Lances and sabers were held aloft, and
the earth thundered with the tread of the mounted legions.

"Good God!" cried Wharton.

"Wheel, men, wheel!" shouted Captain Colton.

As they turned to face the rushing tide of steel, the regiment of
Bougainville whirled on their flank and then Bougainville was almost at
his side. He saw fire leap from the little man's eye. He saw him shout
commands, rapid incisive, and correct and he saw clearly that if this
were Napoleon's day that marshal's baton in the knapsack would indeed
become a reality.

The Paris regiment, kneeling, was the first to fire, and the next
instant flame burst from the rifles of the Strangers. It was not a
moment too soon. It seemed to many of the young Americans and Englishmen
that they had been ridden down already, but sheet after sheet of bullets
fired by men, fighting for their lives, formed a wall of death.

The Uhlans, the hussars and the cuirassiers reeled back in the very
moment of triumph. Horses with their riders crashed to the ground, and
others, mad with terror, rushed wildly through the French ranks.

John, Carstairs and Wharton snatched up rifles, all three, and began to
fire with the men as fast as they could. A vast turmoil, frightful in
its fury, followed. The German cavalry reeled back, but it did not
retreat. The shrill clamor of many trumpets came again, and once more
the horsemen charged. The sheet of death blazed in their faces again,
and then the French met them with bayonet.

The Strangers had closed in to meet the shock. John felt rather than saw
Carstairs and Wharton on either side of him, and the three of them were
firing cartridge after cartridge into the light whitish smoke that hung
between them and the charging horsemen. He was devoutly thankful that
the Paris regiment was immediately on their right, and that it was led
by such a man as Bougainville. General Vaugirard, he knew, was farther
to their left, and now he began to hear the rapid firers, pouring a rain
of death upon the cavalry.

"We win! we win!" cried Carstairs. "If they couldn't beat us down in the
first rush they can't beat us down at all!"

Carstairs was right. The French had broken into no panic, and, when,
infantry standing firm, pour forth the incessant