d had already fired at a
horseman, and had gone down under the merciless hoofs with a lance
through his face.

My first impulse was to shoot Buckhurst, and I started for him.

Then, in front of me, a horse galloped into the table and fell with a
crash, hurling his rider at my feet. I can see him yet sprawling there
on the lawn, a lank, red-faced fellow, his helmet smashed in, and his
spurred boots sticking fast in the sod.

Helter-skelter through the trees came the rest of the Uhlans, shouting
their hoarse "Hourra! Hourra! Preussen!"--white-and-black pennons
streaming from their lance-heads, pistols flashing in the early dusk.

I ran past Bazard's trampled body and fired at an Uhlan who had seized
the horses which were attached to the carriage where Buckhurst sat.
The Uhlan's horse reared and plunged, carrying him away at a frightful
pace, and I do not know whether I hit him or not, but he dropped his
pistol, and I picked it up and fired at another cavalryman who shouted
and put his horse straight at me.

Again I ran around the wagon, through a clump of syringa bushes, and
up the stone steps to the terrace, and after me galloped one of those
incomparable cossack riders--an Uhlan, lance in rest, setting his wiry
little horse to the stone steps with a loud "Hourra!"

It was too steep a grade for the gallant horse. I flung my pistol in
the animal's face and the poor brute reared straight up and fell
backward, rolling over and over with his unfortunate rider, and
falling with a tremendous splash into the pool below.

"In God's name stop that!" roared Delmont, from below. "Give up,
Scarlett! They mean us no harm!"

I could see the good doctor on the lawn, waving his handkerchief
frantically at me; in a group behind stood the Countess and Sylvia;
Tavernier was kneeling beside Bazard's body; two Uhlans were raising
their stunned comrade from the wreck of the table; other Uhlans
cantered toward the foot of the terrace above which I stood.

"Come down, hussar!" called an officer. "We respect your uniform."

"Will you parley?" I asked, listening intently for the gallop of my
promised gendarmes. If I could only gain time and save Buckhurst. He
was there in the carriage; I had seen him spring into it when the
Germans burst in among the trees.

"Foulez-fous fous rendre? Oui ou non?" shouted the officer, in his
terrible French.

"Eh bien,... non!" I cried, and ran for the chateau.

I heard the Uhlans dismount and run