At a rapid pace, for they were runnmg for life, the little
knot of firanc-tireurs dashed forward. One or two fell



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146 The Young FranC'Tireurs,

from the fire of the cavalry, and as they were fifty yards
distant from the wood there was a cry and . Philippe
Duburg fell to the ground. In an instant Tim Doyle,
who was his next man, stopped, caught him up as if he
had been a feather, and with a desperate effort again
joined the others just as they were within twenty yards of
the cavalry.
" Fire ! " Major Temp^ cried ; and from the front and
from each side of the little square, which was but six deep
either way, the rifles flashed out.
" Level bayonets ; charge ! " There was a short struggle,
the second ranks poured their fire into the cavalry line ;
there Was a clashing of bayonets against swords, and
then the band ran through the broken line of cavalry.
There was a rush into the brushwood, and then firom be-
hind the shelter of the trees the fire opened again, and the
cavalry fell -sullenly back, having lost upwards of thirty
men in that short five minutes since they had left the vil-
lage. The Oerman infantry halted at a distance of two
hundred yards, but they would have lost too many men
in crossing the Open to make it worth while to attack
the sheltered foe, who could pick them off to the last
moment only to withdraw deeper into the forest when
they approached its edge. Accordingly they too fell
back, exchanging fire with the franc-tireurs until they
gained the sheker of the village.
