When they had once started, they approached with such speed, that Rapp had but just time to say to the Emperor, “It is the Cossacks!—­turn back!” The Emperor, whose eyes deceived him, or who disliked running away, stood firm, and was on the point of being surrounded, when Rapp seized the bridle of his horse, and turned him round, crying.  “Indeed you must!” And really it was high time to fly, although Napoleon’s pride would not allow him to do so.  He drew his sword, the Prince of Neufchatel and the grand equerry did the same; then placing themselves on the left side of the road, they waited the approach of the horde, from which they were not forty paces distant.  Rapp had barely time to turn himself round to face these barbarians, when the foremost of them thrust his lance into the chest of his horse with such violence as to throw him down.  The other aides-de-camp, and a few horse belonging to the guard, extricated the general.  This action, the bravery of Lecoulteux, the efforts of a score of officers and chasseurs, and above all the thirst of these barbarians for plunder, saved the Emperor.  And yet they needed only to have stretched out their hands and seized him; for, at the same moment, the horde, in crossing the high road, overthrew every thing before them, horses, men, and carriages, wounding and killing some, and dragging them into the woods for the purpose of plundering them; then, loosing the horses harnessed to the guns, they took them along with them across the country.  But they had only a momentary victory; a triumph of surprise.  The cavalry of the guard galloped up; at this sight they let go their prey and fled; and this torrent subsided, leaving indeed melancholy traces, but abandoning all that it was hurrying away in its course.

Some of these barbarians, however, carried their audacity even to insolence.  They were seen retiring at a foot-pace across the interval between our squadrons, and coolly reloading their arms.  They reckoned upon the heaviness of our cavalry of the elite, and the swiftness of their own horses, which they urge with a whip.  Their flight was effected without disorder; they faced round several times, without waiting indeed till within reach of fire, so that they left scarcely any wounded and not one prisoner.  At length they enticed us on to ravines covered with bushes, where we were stopped by their artillery, which was waiting for them.  All this furnished subject for reflection.  Our army was worn down; and the war had begun again with new and undiminished spirit.

The Emperor, struck with astonishment that the enemy had dared to attack him, halted until the plain was cleared; after which he returned to Malo-Yaroslawetz, where the viceroy pointed out to him the obstacles which had been conquered the preceding day.