V.

The Infantry there[1] had indeed had a hot time of it[2]. Hundreds of shells had (S. 29, N. 3) burst in the confined[3] space, and the shelter trenches[4] afforded but _an_ insufficient protection. On the left of the position[5], next to the Canal, were[6] the Marine Artillery, then came the 46th, and next[7] to them the 84th[8], the[9] slight earthworks sweeping round again in a semi-circle almost to the Canal. The Mounted[10] Infantry were in front under Captain Pigott, who[11] has received a wound, having been shot through the thigh.

The Egyptians came on with great bravery, _and_ in spite of the[12] heavy like of our men[13], were rapidly gaining ground, and would soon have rushed[14] into the entrenchments, when the roar of our guns on[15] their left rear, followed[16] by the rush of our Cavalry, proved[17] too much for them, and from (S. 102, N. 4) that moment they thought only of flight.

Our casualties are surprisingly[18] small considering[19] the fire to which our men were exposed. Lieutenant Edwards, of the Mounted Infantry, was[20] shot in the arm, Surgeon-Major[21] Shaw, of the 46th, was[22] killed, and _some_ ten or a dozen men, but, fortunately, the Remington bullet wounds rather than kills; the hospital was crowded[23] with wounded men.

About 10 o’clock the Cavalry came in[24] in high spirits over their brilliant achievement. Many, of course, are missing in the darkness, but will, no doubt, turn up[25] in the morning. Upon their[26] return from the pursuit they[27] were unable to find the guns over which they had charged, but these[28] will doubtless be discovered at sunrise. After learning from them[29] the events[30] of the charge, I[31] started to ride here to get off[32] my despatches,—a[33] distance of twenty-four miles. This solitary ride over the dismal desert by moonlight was not[34] the least exciting part of an exciting day.

Late[35] as it was, I found at (+auf+) the different posts the men[36] busy at work entrenching, and met troops also on[37] their march to reinforce those at the front.

The enemy’s force[38] _engaged_ was estimated at 13,000. The Egyptians fought well until our Cavalry and guns took[39] them in the rear, and, had[40] it not been for the gallantry of the defenders of Kassassin, would[41] have carried the position before our reinforcements came upon the scene.

At[42] the time I left, the losses were unknown, but were[43] supposed to be about twenty killed and a hundred wounded.

As[44] I am writing, Sir Garnet Wolseley and[45] the entire army are marching to the front.—THE CORRESPONDENT OF THE LONDON “STANDARD.”

[1] there, +dortig+, which is an attributive adj., to be placed before the noun ‘Infantry’.

[2] to have a hot time of it, +einen schweren Stand haben+.

[3] = narrow.

[4] +die Schanzgräben+.

[5] = camp.

[6] = stood.

[7] next to them = finally.

[8] Supply ‘regiment’.

[9] = whilst the insignificant entrenchments (+Verschanzungen+) swept round in a semi-circle almost to (+bis zu+) the canal. ‘To sweep round,’ here +sich hin´schlängeln+, of which the pron. +sich+ must be placed immediately after the subject, and the verb?

[10] +beritten+, adj.

[11] = who was wounded (S. 2, N. 1) and had received a shot through the thigh.

[12] Nom. +das lebhafte Schießen+.

[13] = troops; were rapidly gaining ground = advanced rapidly (+schnell vor´wärtsrücken+), sep. comp. w. v. intr. Where must you place the verb? and where the separable particle?

[14] to rush into the entrenchments, +in die Schanzwerke dringen+ (str. v.).

[15] on — rear, +an ihrer linken Flanke+.

[16] +und der darauf folgende un´erwartete Angriff unserer Kavallerie.+

[17] = had not terrified them (+einen in Schrecken jagen+).

[18] = extraordinarily.

[19] = if one considers (+bedenken+), that our troops were exposed to a really murderous fire.

[20] = is wounded; in, +an+, contracted with the Dat. of the def. art.

[21] +Stabsarzt.+

[22] was — kills = and ten or a dozen (+zehn bis zwölf+) men (= privates, +Gemeine+) are killed, but fortunately the Remington bullet (+Kugel+, f.) is but (+nur+) rarely fatal (+ist ... von tödlicher Wirkung+).

[23] = quite full of. The wounded man, +der Verwundete+.

[24] = returned; in high spirits, +höchst erfreut+.

[25] to turn up, +sich wieder ein´stellen+; ‘in the morning’, here +morgen früh+.

[26] = the; from their pursuit, +von ihrer Verfolgung+.

[27] Literally = could the Cavalry the cannons, which they had conquered, not find again (+wiederfinden+).

[28] = the same.

[29] = the horsemen (+Kavalleristen+).

[30] = details, +Einzelheiten+.

[31] +ritt ich nach hier ab.+

[32] = send off.

[33] Commence a new period here, and say: ‘The distance from Kassassin to here [Ismailia] is (+beträgt+) 24 miles’.

[34] = by no means, +keineswegs+, adv.

[35] = Notwithstanding the late hour.

[36] +Mannschaften.+

[37] on their march, +welche auf dem Marsch begriffen waren+.

[38] +Streitkräfte+, pl.; was = were; at 13,000, +an 13,000 Mann+.

[39] = attacked.

[40] +hätten die Verteidiger von Kassassin nicht eine solche Tapferkeit bewiesen, so+, etc.

[41] = the enemy would.

[42] = When I rode away.

[43] = were estimated at (+auf+) about, etc.

[44] = Whilst.

[45] = with.

_Section 178._

HOW THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON WAS DECEIVED.

“I (S. 115, N. 1) got famously taken in[1] on that occasion,” said the Duke of Wellington once. “The troops had[2] taken to plundering a good deal. It was necessary to[3] stop it, and I issued an order announcing[4] that the[5] first man taken in the act should be hanged upon the spot. One day, just as we were sitting[6] down to dinner, three men[7] were brought to the door of the tent by the provost. They had been taken in[8] the act of plundering, and I had nothing for it[9] but to command that they (S. 4, N. 4, +man+) should be taken away and hanged in some place where they might be seen by the whole column in its march next day. I had _a good_ many guests with[10] me on that day, and among the rest, I think, Lord Nugent. They[11] seemed dreadfully shocked, and could not eat _their dinner_. I did not eat myself, but, as I told them, I could not indulge my feelings[12]; I must do my duty. Well[13], the dinner went off rather gravely; and next morning, sure enough[14], three men in uniform were seen hanging (S. 78, N. 14, _B_) from the branches of a tree close to the high road. It was a terrible example, which produced[15] the desired effect, for there was no more plundering. Some months afterwards I learned that one of my staff[16] had taken counsel with Dr. Hume, and as three men had (S. 29, N. 3) just died in the hospital, they had hung them[17] up and let the three culprits return to their regiments.”

“Were you not very angry, Duke[18]?”

“Well[19], I suppose I was at first; but[20] as I had no wish to take the poor fellows’ lives and only wanted the example, and as the example had the desired effect (S. 27, N. 8), my anger soon died out[21], and I confess to you that[22] I am very glad now that the three lives were spared.”—HISTORICAL ANECDOTES.

[1] to be famously taken in, +gehörig angeführt werden+; once, +eines Tages+.

[2] = had begun to plunder; a good deal, +tüchtig+.

[3] to — it = to make an end of this nuisance, +diesem Unwesen ein Ende zu machen+.

[4] announcing that = according to which, +wonach+.

[5] the — act = the first man (+der erste+) whom one would take in the act. To take a person in the act, +einen auf frischer That ertappen+.

[6] to sit down to dinner, +sich zu Tische setzen+.

[7] +Leute.+

[8] in — plundering, +beim Plündern+.

[9] He has nothing for it, +es bleibt ihm nichts anderes übrig+; but, +als+; in, +an+; might = could, Impf. Subj.; column = army; in its march, +vorbeimarschierend+, adj. qualifying ‘army’.

[10] +bei+; place ‘I think’ after ‘and’; among the rest = among others.

[11] = These seemed to be very much shocked (+ergriffen+) at (+von+) the occurrence.

[12] to indulge one’s feelings, +seinen Gefühlen freien Lauf lassen+.

[13] +Gut+; went — gravely, +ging ein wenig ernsthaft vonstatten+.

[14] +auch wirklich+, which place after the subject, and construe the sentence in the Active Voice with the pron. man; men = soldiers.

[15] = had. There was no more talking, +es wurde nicht mehr gesprochen+.

[16] = one of my staff-officers (+Stabsoffiziere+); to take counsel in a matter with a friend, +eine Sache mit einem Freunde besprechen+.

[17] = these; culprits = condemned men (+der Verurteilte+, Nom. Sing.).

[18] +Waren Eure (Ew.) Hoheit nicht sehr erzürnt darüber?+

[19] +Nun ja, anfangs vielleicht war ich’s.+

[20] = however (+aber+), since I did not wish (+wollen+) the death of the poor fellows, but (+sondern+) only the example (Here follows the verb).

[21] ‘to die out’, here +ersterben+, insep. comp. str. v.

[22] To avoid a repetition of subordinate clauses, say: ‘that I am very glad (+froh+) now at (+über+) the preservation (+Rettung+) of the 3 men (+Leute+).

_Section 179._

A LETTER FROM DR. HENRY DANSON TO[1] MR. JOHN FORSTER, ON[2] CHARLES DICKENS’S[3] SCHOOL-LIFE.