olitor, and
that Massena had recaptured Zurich and occupied the canton of Glaris.
Souvarow now gave up the attempt to proceed up the valley of the Reuss,
and wrote to Korsakoff and Jallachieh, "I hasten to retrieve your
losses; stand firm as ramparts: you shall answer to me with your heads
for every step in retreat that you take." The aide-de-camp was also
charged to communicate to the Russian and Austrian generals a verbal
plan of battle. Generals Linsken and Jallachieh were to attack the
French troops separately and then to join the forces in the valley of
Glaris, into which Souvarow himself was to descend by the Klon-Thal,
thus hemming Molitor in between two walls of iron.

Souvarow was so sure that this plan would be successful, that when he
arrived on the borders of the lake of Klon-Thal, he sent a bearer with
a flag of truce, summoning Molitor to surrender, seeing that he was
surrounded on every side.

Molitor replied, to the field-marshal that his proposed meeting with
his generals had failed, as he had beaten them one after the other, and
driven them back into the Grisons, and that moreover, in retaliation,
as Massena was advancing by Muotta, it was he, Souvarow, who was
between two fires, and therefore he called upon him to lay down his arms
instead.

On hearing this strange reply, Souvarow thought that he must be
dreaming, but soon recovering himself and realising the danger of
his position in the defiles, he threw himself on General Molitor, who
received him at the point of the bayonet, and then closing up the pass
with twelve hundred men, the French succeeded in holding fifteen to
eighteen thousand Russians in check for eight hours. At length night
came, and Molitor evacuated the Klon Thal, and retired towards the
Linth, to defend the bridges of Noefels and Mollis.

The old field-marshal rushed like a torrent over Glaris and Miltodi;
there he learnt that Molitor had told him the truth, and that Jallachieh
and Linsken had been beaten and dispersed, that Massena was advancing on
Schwitz, and that General Rosenberg, who had been given the defence
of the bridge of Muotta, had been forced to retreat, so that he found
himself in the position in which he had hoped to place Molitor.

No time was to be lost in retreating. Souvarow hurried through the
passes of Engi, Schwauden, and Elm. His flight was so hurried that
he was obliged to abandon his wounded and part of his artillery.
Immediately the French rushed i