This gave us time to breathe, and we wanted it too, for the regiment had been melting away like an icicle in the sun.
But bad as it was for us, it was a deal worse for some of the others.
The whole of the Dutch Belgians were off by this time helter-skelter, fifteen thousand of them, and there were great gaps left in our line through which the French cavalry rode as pleased them best.

Then the French guns had been too many and too good for ours, and our heavy horse had been cut to bits, so that things were none too merry with us.
On the other hand, Hougoumont, a blood-soaked ruin, was still ours, and every British regiment was firm; though, to tell the honest truth, as a man is bound to do, there were a sprinkling of red coats among the blue ones who made for the rear.

But these were lads and stragglers, the faint hearts that are found everywhere, and I say again that no regiment flinched.

It was little we could see of the battle; but a man would be blind not to know that all the fields behind us were covered with flying men.

But then, though we on the right wing knew nothing of it, the Prussians had begun to show, and Napoleon had set 20,000 of his men to face them, which made up for ours that had bolted, and left us much as we began.