as resumed by this fragment of York's command in good order: in good
order, although it was subjected to heavy and increasing fire upon either
side.

It was a great feat of arms.

As for the Duke of York, he was not present with his men. He had ridden
off with a small escort of cavalry to see whether it might not be possible
to obtain some reinforcement from Otto, but the French were everywhere in
those fields. He found himself with a squadron, with a handful, and at
last alone, until, a conspicuous figure with the Star of the Garter still
pinned to his coat, he was chivied hither and thither across country,
followed and flanked by the sniping shots of the French skirmishers in
thicket and hedge; after that brief but exceedingly troubled ride,
Providence discovered him a brook and a bridge still held by some of
Otto's Hessians. He crossed it, and was in safety.

His retreating men--those of them that remained, and notably the remnant
of the Dragoons and the Guards--were still in order as they approached
Lannoy. They believed, or hoped, that that village was still in possession
of the Hessians whom York had left there. But the French attack had been
ubiquitous that morning. It had struck simultaneously upon all the flanks.
At Roubaix as at Mouveaux, at Lannoy as at Roubaix, and the Guards and the
Dragoons within musket shot of Lannoy discovered it, in the most
convincing fashion, to be in the hands of the enemy. After that check
order and formation were lost, and the remaining fragment of the Austrian
and British who had marched out from Templeuve the day before 10,000
strong, hurried, dispersed over the open field, crossed what is now the
Belgian border, and made their way back to camp.

Thus was destroyed the third column, which, of all portions of the allied
army, had fought hardest, had most faithfully executed its orders, had
longest preserved discipline during a terrible retreat and against
overwhelming numbers: it was to that discipline that the Guards in
particular owed the saving from the wreck of so considerable a portion of
their body. Of their whole brigade just under 200 were lost, killed,
wounded or taken prisoners. The total loss of the British was not quite
five times this--just under 1000,--but of their guns, twenty-eight in
number, nineteen were left in the hands of the enemy.

There is no need to recount in detail the fate of Otto's column. As it had
advanced parallel in direction and success to th