A THRILLING SCENE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 203, 23 February 1877, Page 11

A THRILLING SCENE.

A coebkspondhnt of the ' Ledger," who was present at a review of the Austrian cavalry, narrates the following incident:— It i 8i 8 a grand sight — twenty to forty thousand horse, where each and ever* horse knows and understands the slightest note of the bugle sweep over a broad plain, and changing positions like an enormous* machine guided by an unerring master-hand. It must be seen to be appreciated. Words cannot reproduce the picture. On a certain occasion an event transpired which lent an interest most thrilling to the military scene. It was at a review, held in Vienna on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of tho military order of Maria Thefesa.

Nor far from 30,000 cavalry were in line. A little child— a girl— of not more than four years, standing in the front row of spectators, either from fright or some other cause, rushed out into the open field just as a squadron of hussars came sweeping around from the main body. They had made the detour for the pumwa of saluting the Empress, whose carriage was drawn up in that vZh of the parade ground. Down came the flying squadron, char4u? at a mad gallop— down directly upon the child. The mothermu paralyzed, as were others, for there could be no rescue from th« line of spectators. The Empress uttered a cry of horror for the child's destruction seemed inevitable— and such terrible destrue tion— the tramping to death by a thousand iron hoofs ! Directly under the feefc of horses was the little one— another instant must seal its doom— when a stalwart hussar who waain the front line, without slacking his speed or loosening his hold threw himself over by the side of his horse's neck, seised and lifted the child, and placed it in safety upon his saddle-bow; and this h« did without changing his pace or breaking the correct alignment of the squadron. •