A mist seemed to gather across my eyes, and the whole plain and its peopled thousands danced before my vision.
"He's down!" "He's down, by heavens!" "No! no, no!" "Look there! Nobly done!" "Gallant fellow!" "He has him! he has him, by -- --!" A cheer that rent the very air above us broke from the squadrons, and Mike galloped in among us, holding the Frenchman by the throat with one hand; the bridle of his horse he firmly grasped with his own in the other.
[Illustration: MIKE CAPTURING THE TRUMPETER.] "How was it?
How did he do it ?" "He broke his sword-arm with a blow, and the Frenchman's sabre fell to the earth." "Here he is, Mister Charles; and musha, but it's trouble he gave me to catch him! And I hope your honor won't be displeased at me losing the brown horse.

I was obliged to let him go when the thief closed on me; but sure, there he is! May I never, if he's not galloping into the lines by himself!" As he spoke, my brown charger came cantering up to the squadrons, and took his place in the line with the rest.
I had scarcely time to mount my horse, amidst a buzz of congratulations, when our squadron was ordered to the front.

Mixed up with detachments from the Eleventh and Sixteenth, we continued to resist the enemy for about two hours.
Our charges were quick, sharp, and successive, pouring in our numbers wherever the enemy appeared for a moment to be broken, and then retreating under cover of our infantry when the opposing cavalry came down upon us in overwhelming numbers.
Nothing could be more perfect than the manner in which the different troops relieved each other during this part of the day.

When the French squadrons advanced, ours met them as boldly.

When the ground became no longer tenable, we broke and fell back, and the bayonets of the infantry arrested their progress.