Up they came, scorning death, and contemptuous of the Hungarian peasants so recently converted into soldiers.
But "John the Joyous" led us, and we had learned many lessons during our march over the mountains with Görgei.
Standing our ground firmly, we poured volley after volley into the midst of the climbing Austrians.
Still the survivors advanced, and, fed from below, maintained their numbers, while many of our fellows began to drop.
The colonel was everywhere, and his cheery voice encouraged those under his command.
While most of the Austrians came on, climbing and firing in the open, many adopted the wiser course of seeking cover, whence they could pick us off without much risk.
Several men of my company lost their lives in this way; but the fight came at length to a hand-grip, and it was no longer a question of bullets, but of bayonets.
Twice by main force we flung our assailants back; but they returned to the charge, cheering loudly, as if bent upon turning us out or of losing every man in the attempt. We on our side would not give way, and so the stubborn fight continued.
The enemy were continually reinforced; our losses were not made good, and the longer the struggle lasted the more unequal it became.
For myself, I feared that the attack would prove too strong; and, as Rakoczy told me afterwards, he was of the same opinion.