It was hopeless. “If I receive no cartridges,” said Baring in his last appeal, “I not only must, but _will_ abandon the post!” And very soon those neglected heroes retreated slowly through the house and out through the garden beyond, the French, bursting into the yard, chasing the remnant round and round and bayoneting them on the dungheaps. A roar of cheering rang above the battle. At last they were victorious, and the French had taken La Haye Sainte. Without a moment’s hesitation their conquest was turned to the best possible advantage. Smart red-braided Horse Artillery galloped down the causeway, dragging their guns to the knoll above the sandpit, from which our 95th had been driven, and, unlimbering, opened fire at _sixty yards range_ on to our line. Skirmishers filled the hedgerows and the farm buildings. The Great Battery renewed its work of death, and in a few moments there was a serious gap in the centre of our position. Lambert’s brigade had been brought up before this, and suffered terribly. The 27th, which had lain down and slept soundly behind Mont St. Jean until after three o’clock, lost 478 out of 698 in its new quarters; and the 40th thirteen officers and 180 rank and file, one round shot taking off the head of Captain Fisher and killing twenty-five men. Ompteda’s brigade mustered a mere handful, Kielmansegge was almost destroyed, Halkett had two weak squares, one of his regiments being very shaky indeed, and, altogether, things were unpleasant when the Duke came up with reinforcements to patch our front as best he could. Far off on our right Chassé’s Dutch Belgians had arrived, shouting and singing, from Braine l’Alleud, _very drunk_, narrowly escaping a volley from us, as they wore the French uniform; and at this time, by reason of the bolting of Hake’s Cumberland Hussars and some of our supports, with the enormous losses from the six hours of carnage, the British affairs were in bad case. Halkett’s 30th and 73rd in square had been charged no less than eleven times: the Duke pointed to a scarlet mass in front through the smoke, and inquired what regiment it was. It was the dead and wounded of those two corps, huddled together where they had fallen. The green-faced 73rd was at one time commanded by Lieutenant Stewart, all the other officers having been killed or wounded; and at half-past seven the colours of both regiments were sent to the rear. The 2nd Line Battalion of the German Legion went into action with 300 men, but mustered only six officers and thirty-six privates after the battle; but Blücher was now nearing the French right rear with nearly 52,000 troops and 104 guns, and the Emperor was obliged to send General Duhesme with eight battalions of the young Guard down into the straggling village of Planchenoit to help to check them. He had been at La Belle Alliance all day, and Prussian shot were now falling about him.