2O More Tales of the Birds 



on the other side, charging furiously at the 

 square. Not a word was said, or a gun fired, 

 till they were quite close ; then the word was 

 given, the front ranks of the square fired, and 

 half the horsemen seemed to fall at once. 

 Others rode round it, and met the same fate 

 from the other sides. Then back went all the 

 rest as best they could, with another volley 

 after them, and Bill had seen his first fight. 



Again and again this wave of cavalry came 

 dashing against them, and each time it broke 

 and drew back again. So the day wore on, 

 and the battle raged all round. Ranks grew 

 thinner and men grew tired of carrying the dead 

 and dying out of their midst. Bill's square was 

 never broken, but the men were worn out, the 

 colonel and most of the officers were killed or 

 wounded, and still the battle went on. 



At last, when the sun was getting low, the 

 regiment was suddenly ordered forward. Glad 

 to move their stiffened limbs at last, the men 

 deployed as if on parade-ground, and dashed 

 forward in line at the double. Bill saw that he 

 would cross the cart-track close by the Lark's 



