True, he might prefer capture to death. So long as he advances, the line
will not fire, - why should it? He can safely ride into the hostile
ranks and become a prisoner of war. But this would defeat his object. It
would not answer our question; it is necessary either that he return
unharmed or be shot to death before our eyes. Only so shall we know how
to act. If captured - why, that might have been done by a half-dozen
stragglers.
Now begins an extraordinary contest of intellect between a man and an
army. Our horseman, now within a quarter of a mile of the crest,
suddenly wheels to the left and gallops in a direction parallel to it.
He has caught sight of his antagonist; he knows all. Some slight
advantage of ground has enabled him to overlook a part of the line. If
he were here, he could tell us in words. But that is now hopeless; he
must make the best use of the few minutes of life remaining to him, by
compelling the enemy himself to tell us as much and as plainly as
possible - which, naturally, that discreet power is reluctant to do.
Pages:
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26