d to
a deep ravine which was between them and our cavalry. Murat did not
perceive this obstacle, but General Dery, one of his officers, guessed
it. He went and reconnoitred the ground, close to the gates of the town,
under the Russian bayonets.

But the king of Naples, quite as fiery as at the beginning of the
campaign, or of his military life, made nothing of the obstacle; he
summoned his cavalry, called to them furiously to advance, to charge and
break through these battalions, gates, and walls! In vain his
aid-de-camp urged the impossibility of effecting his orders; he pointed
out to him the army on the opposite heights, which commanded Mojaisk,
and the ravine where the remains of our cavalry were about to be
swallowed up. Murat, in greater fury than ever, insisted "that they must
march, and if there was any obstacle, they would see it." He then made
use of insulting phrases to urge them on, and his orders were about to
be carried,--with some delay, nevertheless, for there was generally an
understanding to retard their execution, in order to give him time to
reflect, and to allow time for a counter-order, which had been
anticipated to arrive before any misfortune happened, which was not
always the case, but was so this time. Murat was satisfied with wasting
his cannon and powder on some drunken and straggling cossacks by whom he
was almost surrounded, and who attacked him with frightful howls.

This skirmish, however, was sufficiently serious to add to the losses of
the preceding day, as general Belliard was wounded in it. This officer,
who was a great loss to Murat, was employed in reconnoitring the left of
the enemy's position. As it was approachable, the attack should have
been made on that side, but Murat never thought of any thing but
striking what was immediately before him.

The emperor only arrived on the field of battle at nightfall, escorted
by a very feeble detachment. He advanced towards Mojaisk, at a still
slower pace than the day before, and so completely absent, that he
neither seemed to hear the noise of the engagement, nor that of the
bullets which were whistling around him.

Some one stopped him, and pointed out to him the enemy's rear-guard
between him and the town; and on the heights behind, the fires of an
army of 50,000 men. This sight was a proof of the incompleteness of his
victory, and how little the enemy were discouraged; but he seemed quite
insensible of it; he listened to the reports