The Spirited Lithuanian Horse

We  had  very  hot  work once  in  the  van  of  the  army,  when  we  drove  the  Turks into  Oczakow.  My  spirited  Lithuanian  had  almost  brought  me into  a  scrape.  I  had  an  advanced  fore-post,  and  saw  the  enemy coming  against  me  in  a  cloud  of  dust,  which  left  me  rather uncertain  about  their  actual  numbers  and  real  intentions.  To wrap  myself  up  in  a  similar  cloud  would  have  been  an  ordinary stratagem,  and  would  not  have  much  advanced  my  knowledge, or  answered  the  end  for  which  I  had  been  sent  out ;  therefore I  spread  out  my  musketeers  on  both  wings,  and  bade  them  make what  dust  they  could,  while  I  myself  led  on  straight  upon  the enemy,  to  have  a  nearer  sight  of  them :  in  this  I  was  gratified, for  they  stood  and  fought,  till  the  time  when  my  musketeers struck  a  panic  into  their  ranks.  This  was  the  moment  to  fall upon  them  with  spirit;  we  broke  them  entirely,  made  a  terrible havoc  amongst  them,  and  drove  them  not  only  back  to  a walled  town  in  their  rear,  but  even  through  it,  contrary  to  our most  sanguine  expectation.

The  swiftness  of  my  Lithuanian  enabled  me  to  be  foremost in  the  pursuit;  and  seeing  the  enemy  fairly  flying  through  the opposite  gate,  I  thought  it  would  be  prudent  to  stop  in  the market-place,   and  order   the   men    to  rendezvous.     I  stopped, gentlemen ;  but  judge  of  my  astonishment,  when  in  this  market- place I  saw  not  one  of  my  hussars  about  me  !  Are  they scouring  the  other  streets  ?  or  what  is  become  of  them  ?  They could  not  be  far  off,  and  must,  at  all  events,  soon  join  me. In  that  expectation  I  walked  my  panting  Lithuanian  to  a  spring in  this  market-place,  and  let  him  drink.  He  drank  uncommonly, with  an  eagerness  not  to  be  satisfied,  but  natural  enough ; for  when  I  ^  looked  round  for  my  men,  what  do  you  think  I saw?  All  the  hind-quarters  of  my  horse  were  gone — cut  clean off!  The  water  ran  out  behind  as  fast  as  it  ran  in  before, without  the  animal  keeping  a  drop  of  it !

How  had  this  come  to  pass?     I  could  not  account  for  it at  all,  till  at  last  one  of  my  hussars  came  up,  and  while  congratulating me  on  my  safety — in  language  chiefly  remarkable  for its  strength — gave   me  the  following   narrative.    When   I  flung myself  recklessly  into  the  midst  of  the  fugitives,  they  suddenly let  fall   the  portcullis  of  the  gate,  which  cut  the  hind-quarters of  my  horse  clean  off.     The  second  portion  of  the  body  had at  first  remained  in  the  midst  of   the  enemy,  where   it  caused terrible    carnage :    then,  being  unable   to    enter    the    town,  it had  gone  off  to  a  neighbouring  meadow,  where  he  told  me  I should,  doubtless,  find  it.     I  turned  bridle  without  delay,  and my  horse's  fore-quarters  carried   me,   at  a  gallop,   towards  the meadow.    To  my  great  delight  I   there  found  the  other  half performing  a  series  of  the  most  ingenious  curvets,    and  gaily disporting  himself  with  the  other  horses  that  were  grazing  there.

Feeling  certain,  therefore,  that  the  two  portions  of  my  horse were  alive,  I  sent  for  our  farrier.  Without  the  loss  of  a  moment he  sewed  them  up  with  sprigs  and  young  shoots  of  laurels  that  were at  hand  ;  the  wound  healed ;  and  what  could  not  have  happened but  to  so  glorious  a  horse,  the  sprigs  took  root  in  his  body, grew  up,  and  formed  a  bower  over  me ;  so  that  afterwards  I could  go  upon  many  other  expeditions  in  shade  of  my  own  and my  horse's  laurels.

- Chapter 4