They hurt me a great deal in getting it
off, and no wonder, for on my left breast and side was a black
bruise the size of a saucer.
The next thing that I remember was the tramp of horsemen outside
the palace wall, some ten hours later. I raised myself and asked
what was the news, and they told me that a large body of cavalry
sent by Curtis to assist the Queen had arrived from the scene
of the battle, which they had left two hours after sundown.
When they left, the wreck of Sorais' army was in full retreat
upon M'Arstuna, followed by all our effective cavalry. Sir Henry
was encamping the remains of his worn-out forces on the site
(such is the fortune of war) that Sorais had occupied the night
before, and proposed marching to M'Arstuna on the morrow. Having
heard this, I felt that I could die with a light heart, and then
everything became a blank.
When next I awoke the first thing I saw was the round disc of
a sympathetic eyeglass, behind which was Good.
'How are you getting on, old chap?' said a voice from the
neighbourhood of the eyeglass.
'What are you doing here?' I asked faintly. 'You ought to be
at M'Arstuna -- have you run away, or what?'
'M'Arstuna,' he replied cheerfully. 'Ah, M'Arstuna fell last
week -- you've been unconscious for a fortnight, you see -- with
all the honours of war, you know -- trumpets blowing, flags flying,
just as though they had had the best of it; but for all that,
weren't they glad to go.
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