THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER. 51

But, by these encouraging words even, Mary was at no
loss to perceive that the battle was deadly, and that the vic-
tory remained doubtful. The mice, thrown back by the

 

hussars—decimated by the fire of the platoons—and shattered
by the park of artillery, returned again and again to the
charge, biting and tearing all who came in their way. It
was like the combats in ‘the days of chivalry—a furious
struggle foot to foot and hand to hand, each one bent upon
attack or defence, without waiting to think of his neighbour.
Nut-cracker vainly endeavoured to direct the evolutions in a
disciplined manner, and form his troops into dense columns.
The hussars, assailed by a numerous corps of mice, were
scattered, and failed to rally round their colonel; a vast bat-
talion of the enemy had cut them off from the main body of
their army, and had actually advanced up to the militia,
which performed prodigies of valour. The beadle of the
parish used his battle-axe most gallantly; the man-cook ran
whole ranks of mice through with his spit; the leaden soldiers
remained firm as a wall; but Harlequin and his twenty men
had been driven ‘back, and were forced to retreat under cover
of the battery; and Lieutenant Punch’s square had been
broken up. ‘The remains of his troops fled and threw the
militia into disorder; and Captain Puppet, doubtless for want
D