It was nearly twenty miles, by the byroads by which they
travelled, and the morning was just breaking as they arrived there.
Colonel L'Estrange had insisted on providing Walter with funds, and he
was therefore able to reward his guide, who went his way, rejoicing,
while Walter crossed the river and rode for the cavalry camp, where he
was received with delight by his father and friends, who had believed him
to have been killed in the skirmish, for such was the report of the
troopers who had managed to make their escape.
"I must not let you go on any more detached commands, Walter," his father
said. "I do not say that you have been imprudent, or to blame; but this
is the second time that you have been surprised by the enemy, and, as it
is out of the question to expect that you can always have the good luck
to get out of their hands when you are captured, as you have on the last
two occasions, I shall keep you by me in future; for seriously, my boy,
your absence has caused me terrible anxiety."
When Walter's account of the barbarous sentence passed upon the peasants,
whose only crime was that they had defended their property against
marauders acting in defiance of the general's order, was known in camp,
the most intense indignation prevailed, and this was heightened by the
fact that a cavalry officer, taken in open fight, should have been
sentenced to a similar fate.
Pages:
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397