Everywhere now the battle was over, and the Muscovites had again saved their allies from destruction.
But our men retreated in fairly good order, and it was evident that, although Görgei had fallen, the army still possessed a capable chief.
Halfway through the forest the surgeons had set up an ambulance, and thither we took the general.
"Görgei?" cried the chief surgeon, when I told him what had occurred.
"Here, Moritz! Take him gently--so. Now let us see. Plenty of blood, at all events. Bring me some water. Open his jacket, Moritz, and see if the heart beats. Yes? That takes a load off my mind. Now to find the wound. Ah! I thought so.--Don't look so scared, Captain Botskay: the general will be all right in a fortnight or so. The blow has made him senseless for a time, but there ought not to be any real danger. I would let the soldiers know, if I were you; 'twill raise their spirits."
I started at once to find General Klapka, and on the way spread the welcome intelligence far and wide.
The men cheered as heartily as if we had gained a brilliant victory; for they looked on Görgei not only as a general, but as a personal friend, and there were few amongst them who would not willingly have given their lives to save his.
General Klapka was busy directing the retreat, but he found time to question me closely about his wounded chief, and was unaffectedly glad on hearing the surgeon's report.
"Görgei is just the one man Hungary cannot afford to lose," he said in his mild way, and turned again to his duties.
Having failed to stop the pursuit, the only course open to us now was to fall back upon the entrenched camp before Comorn, and this Klapka at once set about doing.