Belle-Rose — page 358: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE RHINE. | 347 ‘*Advance first and count after; does that child in front of us think of it?’’ replied Déroute, pointing with his finger to the Chevalier de Vendome who was pricking his horse with his sword to make him swim more rapidly. The Chevalier de Vendome was then seventeen years of. age. Grippard was ashamed of his observation, and imi- tated the chevalier. At sight of that little troop which “was advancing boldly against them, tke three Dutch squadrons descended toward the river and entered the water up to their stirrups. At this moment the Prince de Condé made a sign, and Monsieur de Revel plunged into the Rhine at the head of the cuirassiers. ‘he river was three-fourths crossed; the passage was no longer a problem. ‘‘He is a valiant soldier, and if he is not killed, we will present him to the king,” said the Prince de Condé to Monsieur de Luxembourg. Belle-Rose and the brave young men who accompanied him were not frightened at the difference in numbers. Urging on their horses, they resolutely met the enemy with cries of, ‘‘ Vive le row’’ Their pistols being wet, the sword alone remained to them; but they handled it like men of courage. Fora moment one might have believed that this handful-of men was going to be annihilated by > those three squadrons. But there happened what often happens in these perilous circumstances—the audacity of | one side intimidated the other. The Dutch fired a volley and disbanded at once. ‘The horses’ feet planted them- selves upon the shore, and the forty cavaliers rushed upon the enemy. There was a hand-to-hand contest, and the mélée became terrible. ‘Weare between water and fire!’’ said Déroute, whose kindly face was red with joy. ‘Well, we will sooner succeed in extinguishing one than in drinking the other,’’ answered Monsieur de Pomereux, who charged in the very thick of the squadrons. The Tower of Tolhus, which had disdained to fire upon Belle-Rose and his troop, opened fire upon Monsieur de Revel’s cuirassiers, who were followed by two squadrons of Monsieur de Pilois and two others of Monsieur de Bligny. The balls and the mitraille spattered the water; at every moment a cavalier disappeared in the river. The horses pranced in the Rhine, lost footing, and fell into currents in which they were ingulifed; the ranks were broken, the cavaliers rode at hazard, with eyes upon the mélée taking place upon the opposite shore; the river was “S (Ge) EOmicboo