Colonel Arran shouted at him, jerked his revolver free, and fired at him.  A carbineer also fired after him from the saddle, but Hallam rode on unscathed in his half-crazed night, leaving his deserted men gazing after him, astounded.  In the smoke of another volley, two more cavalrymen pitched out of their saddles.

Then Berkley drove his horse blindly into the powder fog ahead; a dozen brilliant little jets of flame pricked the gloom; his horse reared, and went down in a piteous heap, but Berkley landed on all fours, crawled hurriedly up under the smoke, jerked a board loose, tore another free, rose to his knees and ripped away board after board, shouting to his comrades to come on and cut their way out.

They came, cheering, spurring their jaded horses through the gap, crowding out across the road, striking wildly with their sabres, forcing their way up the bank, into a stubble field, and forward at a stiff trot toward the swirling smoke of a Union battery behind which they could see shattered squadrons reforming.

Berkley ran with them on foot, one hand grasping a friendly stirrup, until the horse he clung to halted abruptly, quivering all over; then sank down by the buttocks with a shuddering scream.  And Berkley saw Colonel Arran rising from the ground, saw him glance at his horse, turn and look behind him where the Confederate skirmishers were following on a run, kneeling to fire occasionally, then springing to their feet and trotting forward, rifles glittering in the sun.

A horse with an empty saddle, its off foreleg entangled in its bridle, was hobbling around in circles, stumbling, neighing, tripping, scrambling to its feet again, and trying frantically to go on.  Berkley caught the bridle, freed it, and hanging to the terrified animal’s head, shouted to Colonel Arran: 

“You had better hurry, sir.  Their skirmishers are coming up fast!”

Colonel Arran stood quietly gazing at him.  Suddenly he reeled and stumbled forward against the horse’s flank, catching at the mane.

“Are you badly hurt, sir?”

The Colonel turned his dazed eyes on him, then slid forward along the horse’s flank.  His hands relaxed their hold on the mane, and he fell flat on his face; and, Berkley, still hanging to the bit, dragged the prostrate man over on his back and stared into his deathly features.

“Where did they hit you, sir?”

“Through the liver,” he gasped.   “It’s all right, Berkley. . . . 
Don’t wait any longer-----”

“I’m not going to leave you.”

“You must . . .  I’m ended. . . .  You haven’t a—­moment—­to lose——­”

“Can you put your arms around my neck?”

“There’s no time to waste!  I tell you to mount and run for it! . . .  And—­thank you——­”

“Put both arms around my neck. . . .  Quick! . . .  Can you lock your fingers? . . .  This damned horse won’t stand!  Hold fast to me.  I’ll raise you easily. . . .  Get the other leg over the saddle.  Lean forward.  Now I’ll walk him at first—­hold tight! . . .  Can you hang on, Colonel?”