of Dresden. The
smallest of them outnumbers Frederick. The other is fully twice his
strength, and so intrenched, as I hear, that the position is
well-nigh impregnable."

"I expect the king will find means to force him out of it, without
fighting," Fergus said with a smile. "Daun is altogether over
cautious, and Leuthen is not likely to have rendered him more
confident."

Fergus spent the greater part of his time at the count's, for
Marshal Keith insisted upon his abstaining from all duty, until the
march began.

"We are off tomorrow morning," he said, when he went up on the
evening of the 30th of September. "Where, I know not. Except the
king, Marshal Keith, and Prince Maurice, I do not suppose that
anyone knows; but wherever it is, we start at daybreak."

"May you return, ere long, safe and sound!" the count said. "Is
there nothing that we can do for you? You know we regard you as one
of the family, and there is nothing that would give us greater
pleasure than to be able, in some way, to make you comfortable."

"I thank you heartily, count, but I need nothing; and if I did I
could purchase it, for it is but seldom that one has to put one's
hand in one's pocket; and as a captain I have saved the greater
part of my pay for the last two years, and shall pile up my hoard
still faster, now that I am a major.

"I have never had an opportunity, before, of thanking you for that
purse which you handed to Karl, to be laid out for my benefit in
case of need. He holds it still, and I have never had occasion to
draw upon it, and hope that I never may have to do so."

The next morning the army, furnished with nine days' provisions,
and leaving a force to face the army of the Confederates, strode
along the road at its usual pace. They took the road for Bautzen,
drove off Loudon (who commanded Daun's northern outposts) without
difficulty, and so passed his flank. The advance guard pushed on to
Bautzen, drove away the small force there and, leaving there the
magazines of the army, occupied Hochkirch, a few miles away. The
king with the main body arrived at Bautzen on the following day,
and halted there, to see what Daun was going to do.

The latter was, in fact, obliged to abandon his stronghold; for the
Prussians, at Hochkirch, menaced the road by which he drew his
provisions from his magazines at Zittau. Marching at night, he
reached and occupied a line of hills between Hochkirch and Zittau,
and within a couple of miles