778 
PANICS AMONG HORSES. 
“ While the troops are resting, I may mention that on the 
second night of the campaign an unlucky accident occurred. 
It partly occurred, too, in consequence of tired troops taking 
their rest before their proper time. A regiment of the Em- 
press’s Cuirassiers of the Guard, 900 strong (think of that 
for one cavalry regiment), had arrived at their cantonments, 
had dismounted and taken off their saddles, and had sat down 
holding their horses by the head, or letting them stand alone, 
till the carts with the picketing ropes for each squadron 
came up. Many of these soldiers fell asleep. Russian 
cavalry horses are picketed in the simplest way, which I 
will explain directly. The horses are also very docile, though 
fed to the highest degree, and very well groomed. They 
have, notwithstanding (when unridden), a lamb-like pla- 
cidity which i^ beautiful to see. On this occasion, however, 
it was otherwise. A neighbouring regiment, which had 
arrived long before and had dined, indulged in some bois- 
terous mirth, whereupon the squadron of horses nearest to 
them became alarmed, broke away, was followed by the next 
squadron, and, a panic seizing them all, in one instant the 
whole 900 fled in wild disorder and in the utmost terror over 
the open country. 
“ Two things were very remarkable in this stampede. In 
the first place, exactly as all wild horses do in the Steppes, 
and from which Steppes many of these had come, and exactly 
as camels do before they start in the desert, they unanimously 
selected one large powerful horse as their leader, and, with 
a look at him, and a snort at him, which they meant and he 
understood as apres vous ,’ they actually waited till he dashed 
to the front, and then followed in wild confusion. When I 
tell you that some of the horses were not recovered till they 
had gone 120 miles into Finland, you may imagine what the 
panic was. The second remarkable thing is the way that 
some of them were stopped. In one solid mass they dashed 
on for miles, and then came directly at right angles on a 
river. In front of them was a bridge, but on the other side 
of the bridge was a tete du pont and a small picket of cavalry. 
The horse which led would not face the bridge, seeing the 
cavalry at the other end, but turned on one side, dashed into 
the stream, and the whole 900 horses swam the river to- 
gether. As they emerged and flew wildly on, the commander 
of the picket bethought him of a ruse , and ordered a bugler 
to sound the c appel.’ This is always blown when the horses 
are going to be fed. Out it came, the bugle note loud and 
clear, and all the old horses pricked their ears, wavered, 
stopped, paused, turned round, and trotted back. This 
