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The moment he heard the firing and the cry from behind, the

general realized that something dreadful had happened to his

regiment, and the thought that he, an exemplary officer of many

years' service who had never been to blame, might be held

responsible at headquarters for negligence or inefficiency so

staggered him that, forgetting the recalcitrant cavalry colonel,

his own dignity as a general, and above all quite forgetting the

danger and all regard for self-preservation, he clutched the

crupper of his saddle and, spurring his horse, galloped to the

regiment under a hail of bullets which fell around, but

fortunately missed him. His one desire was to know what was

happening and at any cost correct, or remedy, the mistake if he

had made one, so that he, an exemplary officer of twenty-two

years' service, who had never been censured, should not be held

to blame.