Belle Rose: A Romance of the Cloak and Sword — page 368: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

350 THE RHINE. Thirty or forty gentlemen, among whom were the Prince de Condé and the Duc d’Enghien, fell sword in hand upon a body of Dutch cavaliers. These cavaliers welcomed them with musket-shots. Belle-Rose, just at the moment when the guns were lowered, threw himself before the Prince de Condé and shielded him with his body. The balls whis- tled, and Belle-Rose’s horse, which he had forced to rear, was shot dead. Three or four gentlemen rolled from the saddle, and the sword escaped from the hands of the Prince de Condé. A stray ball had broken his arm. Near him, the Marquis de La Force fell under the feet of the horses. Belle-Rose picked up the Prince’s sword and returned it to him. ‘Give it to me!’’ exclaimed the prince, who seized it with his left hand, ‘‘and let us show this mob that steel is superior to lead,’’ Passing over the dead body of the Marquis de La Force, he charged the Dutch, who took to flight. At the end of fifty steps the barriers were reached, soldiers and gentle- men, conquerors and conquered, cavaliers and _ foot soldiers, being all mixed together. Monsieur de Naucrais had given his horse to Monsieur de Luxembourg, who had lost his. Déroute, seeing his two chiefs on foot, descended from the saddle. Monsieur de Pomereux, who had taken possession of a flag, fought by the side of the Duc de Longueville, and was half the length of a horse in advance of him. The young duke endeavored to reach the barrier before the count. ‘‘At Versailles, I would give way to you, my dear duke,’’ Monsieur de Pomereux said to him, ‘‘but we have left etiquette on the other side of the Rhine.”’ As he was speaking, the Dutch infantry took aim at the troop. At sight of that long file of glittering muskets, Déroute leaped like a lion upon Monsieur de Naucrais and Belle-Rose and bent them down with an irresistible force. ‘‘Lower yourself!’’ cried he, in a thundering voice to the Comte de Pomereux, who was touching the palisades. ‘‘A gentleman does not lower himself!’’ replied Monsieur de Pomereux. , Monsieur de Longueville had joined him, and they were proceeding in front. The discharge burst. A wind of death passed over the troop and caused the boldest to fall. Monsieur de Longueville and Monsieur de Pomereux’s horses leaped the palisade, and the two brave young men, struck at the same time, rolled into the Dutch ranks, Belle-Rose and Monsieur de Naucrais rose in the midst of Gomicboo S (