ike hope and will!" said the doctor, bustling out
of the room--which Fritz, unlike many poor victims of the war, had had
entirely to himself, instead of being only one amongst hundreds of
others in a crowded hospital ward. "By the time you join your comrades
again, you'll be double the man you were before you came under my care!"

"Thanks to you, dear doctor," shouted out Fritz after him in cordial
tones; and he then proceeded to overhaul his somewhat dilapidated
uniform to see whether it was in order for him to don once more.

On the termination of the siege of Metz, by its capitulation at the end
of October, the large German force which had been employed up till then
in the investment of Marshal Bazaine's entrenched camp before the
fortress, became released for other duties; thus enabling Von Moltke,
the great strategical head of the Teuton legions, to develop his plans
for the complete subjugation of the country.

In accordance, therefore, with these arrangements, two army corps, each
of some thirty thousand men, proceeded at once to aid the hosts
encircling Paris with fire and steel; while two more corps were led by
Prince Frederick Charles towards the south of France, where they arrived
in the nick of time to assist the Duke of Mecklenburgh and the defeated
Bavarians under Van der Tann in breaking up the formidable army of the
Loire commanded by Chanzy, which had very nearly succeeded in altering
the condition of the war; the remainder of the German investing force
from Metz were sent northwards, under Manteuffel, in the direction of
Brittany and the departments bordering on the English Channel, so as to
crush out all opposition there.

With this latter force marched the regiment of our friend Fritz, which
he was able to rejoin about the beginning of December at Amiens, where
were established the headquarters of General Manteuffel, the present
commander of the first army--"Old Blood and Iron."

Steinmetz having been shelved, it was said, on account of his age and
infirmities, he having fought at Waterloo, but more probably on account
of his rather lavish sacrifice of his men, especially at Gravelotte.
This force kept firm hold of Normandy with a strong hand, threatening
Dieppe and Havre on either side.

Fritz had a tedious journey to the front.

Partly by railway where practicable, and partly by roads that were
blocked by the heavy siege guns and waggon loads of ammunition going
forwards for the use of the