XI PHENOMENA OF ORGANIC NATURE 44f> 



sure to be trodden down, crushed, and overpowered 

 by others ; and there will be some who just 

 manage to get through only by the help of the 

 slightest accident. I recollect reading an account 

 of the famous retreat of the French troops, under 

 Napoleon, from Moscow. Worn out, tired, and 

 dejected, they at length came to a great river over 

 which there was but one bridge for the passage of 

 the vast army. Disorganised and demoralised as 

 that army was, the struggle must certainly have 

 been a terrible one every one heeding only him- 

 self, and crushing through the ranks and treading 

 down his fellows. The writer of the narrative, 

 who was himself one of those who were fortunate 

 enough to succeed in getting over, and not among 

 the thousands who were left behind or forced into 

 the river, ascribed his escape to the fact that he 

 saw striding onward through the mass a great 

 strong fellow, one of the French Cuirassiers, who 

 had on a large blue cloak and he had enough 

 presence of mind to catch and retain a hold of this 

 strong man's cloak. He says, " I caught hold of 

 his cloak, and although he swore at me and cut 

 at and struck me by turns, and at last, when he 

 found he could not shake me off, fell to entreating 

 me to leave go or I should prevent him from 

 escaping, besides not assisting myself, I still kept 

 tight hold of him, and would not quit my grasp 

 until he had at last dragged me through." Here 

 you see was a case of selective saving if we may 



