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Article THE MASON. ← Page 7 of 23 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Mason.
" Steady , men , " cried the major : " level high . " As he spoke , the party , headed by their commander , reached the ground . The Cossacks were advancing with their usual impetuosity , when the first six were thrown into some slight confusion by the giving way of the embankment ,
which yielded beneath their weight , and plunged them up to their horses' bellies in snow . The Frenchmen saw their advantage , and fired ; two fell : the others , by a desperate exertion of strength , backed , till they gained firm ground . The attacking party now divided into two separate bodies ,
and commenced wheeling round their enemy , each in a different direction . The effect of this manoeuvre was to distract their attention ; for at the same instant one party poured in a line through the entrance of their little citadel , while the other , leaping the embankment in the rear , attacked them at a disadvantage . The struggle was now
hand-to-hand—men encountered each other with all the bitterness of national hate and personal feud . " Our only chance , " saicl the major to Adolphe , who was fighting near him , " is to gain the open ground—we are cramped here ; " and spurring his horse , he dashed past the
enemy in gallant style , followed by the young officer and several men . The Cossacks were too much accustomed to this desultory mode of warfare to be easily taken by surprise : the party who had leaped the embankment in the rear , headed by their officer , immediately followed , leaving their
companions to despatch the few who still struggled desperately within the frozen arena . The old major was the first who fell , but not before he had slain the soldier who had intercepted his flight . Adolphe was pursued by three of the enemy , who , with their long lances poised in air ,
yelled in anticipation of their victim . One , whose horse was of finer metal than his companions , was gaining rapidly
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Mason.
" Steady , men , " cried the major : " level high . " As he spoke , the party , headed by their commander , reached the ground . The Cossacks were advancing with their usual impetuosity , when the first six were thrown into some slight confusion by the giving way of the embankment ,
which yielded beneath their weight , and plunged them up to their horses' bellies in snow . The Frenchmen saw their advantage , and fired ; two fell : the others , by a desperate exertion of strength , backed , till they gained firm ground . The attacking party now divided into two separate bodies ,
and commenced wheeling round their enemy , each in a different direction . The effect of this manoeuvre was to distract their attention ; for at the same instant one party poured in a line through the entrance of their little citadel , while the other , leaping the embankment in the rear , attacked them at a disadvantage . The struggle was now
hand-to-hand—men encountered each other with all the bitterness of national hate and personal feud . " Our only chance , " saicl the major to Adolphe , who was fighting near him , " is to gain the open ground—we are cramped here ; " and spurring his horse , he dashed past the
enemy in gallant style , followed by the young officer and several men . The Cossacks were too much accustomed to this desultory mode of warfare to be easily taken by surprise : the party who had leaped the embankment in the rear , headed by their officer , immediately followed , leaving their
companions to despatch the few who still struggled desperately within the frozen arena . The old major was the first who fell , but not before he had slain the soldier who had intercepted his flight . Adolphe was pursued by three of the enemy , who , with their long lances poised in air ,
yelled in anticipation of their victim . One , whose horse was of finer metal than his companions , was gaining rapidly