A Reuter despatch from Paris says that a British soldier of the 6th
Dragoons, suffering from bullet wounds in the hip, told of a grim
incident at Compiègne.
The night before the battle the dragoon’s squadron was on outpost duty.
Some firing had been heard, and he rode ahead of his squadron to find
out what was happening, in the belief that French cavalry were engaged
with the Germans close at hand.
The dragoon cantered along the moonlit road, until suddenly, in the
shadow of the trees, he found himself in the midst of a group of
horsemen--Germans. He had a carbine across the neck of his horse and
fired point blank into the breast of a German trooper, with whose horse
his own collided. The German was as quick with his weapon and both men
fell to the ground, the German dead, the British soldier with a bullet
through his hip.
An instant later the British squadron came clattering up and cut the
German detachment--about thirty strong--to pieces.