THE CAPTIVE RELEASED. 235 



and, after a hard gallop, again caught sight of my 

 companion, then I doffed the Russian gear, and 

 shouted until he slackened his speed, when I 

 rejoined him. I shall never forget his joyous look 

 as he made sure that it was myself, and not some 

 hungry-looking Cossack that was pursuing him. 

 The danger was now nearly over; for we were 

 close to the river, and several of our own people, 

 hearing the shots, came out to meet us, and com- 

 pletely changed the aspect of the game. The 

 tables were turned; my fellows, with their fresh 

 horses, had no difficulty in disposing of our pur- 

 suers as they came up in detail, and in a very 

 short time we had taken over twenty prisoners. 



As soon as we arrived at our old rendezvous, 

 where only a portion of our force remained (the 

 Bey and three hundred men having recrossed the 

 river), I invited the lieutenant we had first taken 

 to an impromptu repast, of which his own hare 

 constituted the standing dish; and after enjoying 

 a good joke at his expense, which he took in good 

 part, I bid Fritz to tell him that he was not to 

 consider himself a prisoner of war, but that as soon 



