came to, dismounted, and left his horse there.

"You may as well leave yours here too, Karl. We can do no good with
them, and should only be in the way. When it begins to get light,
we will try and find the marshal.

"You may as well get hold of the first musket and ammunition pouch
that you can pick up. There will be enough for every man to do to
hold this place until more reinforcements come up."

A desperate struggle went on in the streets. The Prussians who had
been driven back joined the battalion just arrived. Bayonets and
the butt-end of the musket were used, rather than shot; for in the
mist friend could not be distinguished from foe five yards away,
and it was from their shouts rather than by their uniforms that men
knew whether they had one or other in front of them. Karl was not
long in finding arms and, taking his place in the ranks, was soon
at work with the others.

The village was almost circular in shape, clustered as it were on
the top of the hill. The struggle was not confined to one street,
but raged in half a dozen, more or less parallel with each other.
Gradually the Prussians pressed forward, and had more than half
cleared the village when their advance was checked by the arrival
of fresh battalions of the Austrians. Then Lange threw his men into
the church and churchyard, and there stubbornly maintained himself.

Soon flames burst out from various directions, giving a welcome
light to the defenders, and enabling them to keep up so heavy a
fire upon the now swarming enemy that they repulsed each attack
made upon them. Eight battalions of Austrians in vain tried to
capture the position, attacking it on every side; but the stubborn
Prussians held firmly to it.

Meanwhile beyond, as far as the battery, the fight raged. The
Plothow battalion, which had been stationed in advance of it, had
been attacked and enveloped on all sides by the Austrians; but had
defended themselves splendidly and, though forced back by sheer
weight of numbers, had maintained their order and done heavy
execution by their fire. The battery had been lost, but those who
had been driven out rallied and, with the Plothow men, made so
furious a rush forward that they hurled the Austrians out again. It
was but for a few minutes, for such masses of the enemy poured up
through the mist that there was no withstanding them, and many of
the Prussians were taken prisoners. Their captivity was of short
duration, for through the mis