When I was some five hundred paces from the pond, I ordered the
peasant to be released, who ran off as fast as his legs could carry
him; then, sabre in hand, and having forbidden my comrades to utter
any war-cry, I advanced at full gallop on the enemy Hussars, who did
not see us until a moment before we arrived at the pond. The pond's
banks were too high for the horses to climb out, and there was only
one practicable way in, which was the one that served as the village
drinking place. It is true that this was a wide area, but there were
more than a hundred horsemen crowded together there, all with their
bridles in their hands and their carbines slung, so unconcerned that
some of them were singing. You may imagine their surprise!

I attacked them immediately with carbine fire, which killed
several, wounded many and knocked out a lot of their horses. The
confusion was total! Nevertheless, their captain, rallying some men
who were nearest to the outlet, tried to force a passage to get out
of the water, and opened fire on us, which although not sustained,
wounded two of my men; they then engaged us, but Pertelay having
killed the captain with a blow from his sabre, the rest crowded back
into the pond. To escape from the carbine fire, many tried to reach
the other bank; several lost their footing and a good number of men
and horses were floundering in the water. Those who reached the other
side found that their horses could not clamber up the steep edge and
so they abandoned them, and pulling themselves up by the aid of trees
growing along the bank, they fled in disorder into the countryside.

The twelve men of the picket-guard came running at the sound of
firing. We attacked them with the sabre and they also took to
flight. However there remained about thirty men still in the pond,
afraid to try to escape because we occupied the only way out. They