with blood, the veins of his neck are distended like cords, his legs
refuse longer service--he sinks exhausted and powerless, a picture
of death. But at the same instant the pursuing steed likewise stands
still and fixed as if turned to stone. An instant, and the Csikos has
flung himself off his horse upon the ground, and inclining his body
backward, to keep the noose tight, he seizes the cord alternately with
the right and left hand, shorter and shorter, drawing himself by it
nearer and nearer to the panting and prostrate animal, till at last
coming up to it he flings his legs across its back. He now begins to
slacken the noose gently, allowing the creature to recover breath: but
hardly does the horse feel this relief, before he leaps up, and darts
off again in a wild course, as if still able to escape from his enemy.
But the man is already bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh; he
sits fixed upon his neck as if grown to it, and makes the horse feel
his power at will, by tightening or slackening the cord. A second time
the hunted animal sinks upon the ground; again he rises, and again
breaks down, until at length, overpowered with exhaustion, he can no
longer stir a limb....

"The foot-soldier who has discharged his musket is lost when opposed
to the Csikos. His bayonet, with which he can defend himself against
the Uhlans and Hussars, is here of no use to him; all his practiced
maneuvers and skill are unavailing against the long whip of his enemy,
which drags him to the ground, or beats him to death with his leaden
buttons; nay, even if he had still a charge in his musket, he could
sooner hit a bird on the wing than the Csikos, who, riding round and
round him in wild bounds, dashes with his steed first to one side then
to another, with the speed of lightning, so as to frustrate any aim.
The horse-soldier, armed in the usual manner, fares not much better;
and wo to him if he meets a Csikos singly! better to fall in with a