Even Görgei acknowledged the truth at last, and reluctantly gave the order to withdraw.
We were fairly beaten, but not routed; and the enemy had been too severely handled to follow up their success.
Taking our wounded, we retired slowly, the men, in spite of their terrible punishment, being unwilling to leave the field.
I had lost sight of Szondi in the heat of the conflict, but he returned later to the entrenchments unhurt, save for an odd scratch or two of little account.
Fortune had dealt less kindly with several of our comrades, and we missed more than one familiar face.
"That's the worst bout I've ever been in," said Szondi. "I thought at one time not a man would come out alive."
"We might as well have stayed out there," said Mizvy gruffly. "The game's up."
"Oh, come!" I cried cheerfully. "It surely isn't as bad as that!"
"Well, my young wiseacre, if you can show me one single loophole, you've more brains than I ever gave you credit for."
There was a laugh at this, but Mizvy went on sulkily, "We can't stay here--that's certain; and where are we to go? It will take 20,000 men to garrison Comorn, and what's Görgei to do with the rest? Fight Haynau and Paskewitch together?"