The little hero

Do you think I am afraid?" I gave a bold and proud cry, and my eyes were black with excitement, and I was breathless with excitement, and my face was flushed, and hot tears ran down my cheeks. "You'll see!" We haven't had time to take any action to stop me in the past, I grabbed the tank column's mane, and a foot into the stirrup, but in this evil spirit that, between tanks have perked up front feet, head, flash, a powerful jump, break away from two stunned groom out, like a whirlwind, fly fly up, only heard barking people gave a scream.

God knows how I managed to get my other foot in the stirrup on the fly, or hold on to the REINS. Tankred carried me over the gate, turned sharply to the right, and dashed along the fence in a hurry. It was only at that moment that I could hear behind me the shouts of some fifty men, which roused a contented pride in my excited heart, and which I shall never forget this mad moment of my childhood. All my blood had rushed to my head, and it had washed over my head, and drowned and suppressed my fears. I forgot myself, indeed, and when I think of it now, I think of it as chivalrous!

However, my chivalry from start to finish, at most in the blink of an eye, otherwise, I am a terrible knight. I don't know how I was saved here. Well, I can ride a horse a little bit. I learned it before. But my little horse is more a sheep than a horse for riding. Of course, if Tankred had time to throw me, I would have fallen off his back. But when he had run about fifty paces, he was suddenly frightened by a large rock by the side of the road, which made him draw back. It swerved, but with such force that, as the saying goes, it made my head spin, and I still don't know why I didn't fall off the saddle, like a ball, three or four feet to pieces, and Tankred didn't break his legs from the sharp turn. He ran toward the door, shaking his head wildly, pricking up his ears, jumping here and there as if he were drunk, raising his front hooves and kicking in the air, trying to throw me off his back with each jump, as if a tiger had jumped on his back and was clawing at him and biting his flesh with his teeth and claws. In the blink of an eye I was going to be thrown, and it looked like I was going to fall off my horse, but several riders had already come to my rescue. Two of them blocked the road in the field, and two of the other riders approached us and caught Tankred with the side of their horses from both sides, nearly crushing my foot. By this time the two riders had reined in their horses. A few seconds later, we were at the steps.

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① One Russian foot is equal to 2.134 meters.

I was helped off the horse, pale and breathing. My whole body trembling, as if the wind is blowing a small grass, tanks, as well as it stood there, motionless, the body back, as if the foot into the field, red nostrils, risking smoke, with a heavy jet between the heat of fire that was trembling slightly, as if a piece of leaves, seems to me the child bold action, not to be punished, He was very angry at being insulted, so he just stayed there. At that moment there were cries of confusion, surprise, and horror all around me.

It was at this moment that my confused eyes met Mrs. M's. She panicked and turned pale (I can't forget this moment). For a moment my face flushed, and soon I was red and hot as if I were on fire. I did not know what had happened to me, but my own feelings embarrassed and frightened me, and I cast down my eyes shyly to the ground. But my eyes were discovered, discovered, secretly discovered. All eyes were turned on Mrs. M. She was caught off her feet by the attention, and suddenly, like a child, she blushed under the influence of an innocent, uncomfortable feeling, and tried, unsuccessfully, to hide her blushes with laughter...

If you look at it from the side, of course, it's all ridiculous. But at that very moment, a very childish, ridiculous and unexpected act freed me from the ridicule of all, and gave a special color to my adventure. The pretty girl, who had hitherto been my irreconcilable enemy and the author of the whole confusion, and who had so often mocked me, suddenly sprang upon me, and kissed me in her arms. When I was daunted, I accepted her challenge and, after a glance at Mrs. M, held up one of the gloves she had thrown at me. Then she stared, stunned, and could hardly believe her eyes. As I galloped on the tankreed, her conscience smote her and she nearly died of fright. Now, it's all over, especially since she, along with the others, caught me looking at Mrs. M, my embarrassment, my sudden blush; Finally, according to the romantic mood of her giddy mind, she had succeeded in giving the moment some new, secret, unutterable thought. Now, after all that had passed, she was so overjoyed at my chivalry that she came to me and held me close in her arms. She was very moved and very proud and happy for me. A minute later, in the presence of the crowd gathered around us both, she lifted up the most innocent and solemn face, with two tiny tears twinkling on it, and pointed to me in a voice so grave and solemn as anyone had ever heard before, and said softly: "Maisc esttresserieuc messieursneriezpas! "But did not realize that they were standing before her, spellbound, and absorbed in her ecstasies. Her these surprisingly rapid action, the solemn face, the pure innocence, her smiling always hangs over the little eyes, so far no one doubt sincere tears will flow out, all, all this happen to her, it is nobody foresaw the miracle of, making all the man standing in front of her, seemed to touch the electric shock, Infected by her quick eyes, hot words and gestures. No one seemed able to take their eyes off her, afraid of missing her moving facial expression at that rare moment. Even our host, who had a face as red as a tulip, was said to have been heard, and later confessed, to his "shame," that he had been almost in love with this beautiful guest for a full minute. Oh, well, after that, I was naturally a knight and a hero.

"Delorge, Fort Togon! 2.

Applause broke out one after another.

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① French for: "This is serious, gentlemen, please don't laugh!"

② This is the famous German poet Schiller's knight, hero, the former seen in "Gloves", the latter from the eponymous poem "Togaon Fort".