t Ziethen's horse burst out suddenly
into the raging tumult, scattered the Austrians, released the
prisoners, and were then off to fall upon fresh enemies, as soon as
they discovered their position.

Everywhere isolated combats took place. Battalion after battalion,
and squadron after squadron, as it arrived, flung itself upon the
first enemy it came upon in the darkness. Keith, on reaching the
battery, again retook it; but again the Austrian masses obtained
possession.

In and around Hochkirch, similar desperate struggles were going on.
None fled but, falling back until meeting another battalion
hastening up, reformed and charged again. Ziethen's horse, together
with the rest of the cavalry and gendarmes, mingled with staff
officers and others who had lost their way, continued to make
furious charges against the Austrians pressing round the rear of
the position, and holding them in check.

Until its cartridges were all spent, Lange's battalion held the
churchyard, though its numbers were terribly lessened by the
Austrian fire. Then the major called upon his men to form in a
mass, and cut their way through the enemy with the bayonet. This
they most gallantly did, losing many; but the remnant emerged from
the village, their gallant leader, wounded to death, among them.

Fergus and Karl separated themselves from them, ran to the house
where they had left their horses, mounted, and galloped off. By
this time the centre was coming up, led by the king himself. As
they neared Hochkirch a cannonball took off the head of Frank of
Brunswick, the king's youngest brother-in-law. Prince Maurice of
Dessau, riding in the dark till within twenty yards of the
Austrians, was badly hit; and the storm of case and musket bullets
that swept the approaches to Hochkirch was so terrible that
Frederick's battalion had to fall back.

"The first thing is to find the marshal," Fergus said, as he rode
out of Hochkirch. "He must be somewhere to the right."

[Illustration: Before he could extricate himself, Fergus
was surrounded by Austrians]

He galloped on until a flash of fire burst out, a few yards in
front. His horse fell dead under him and, before he could extricate
himself from it, he was surrounded by Austrians. An officer shouted
to him to surrender and, seeing the hopelessness of resistance, he
at once did so.

He looked round and, to his satisfaction, saw nothing of Karl. He
was placed in the midst of the Austrian regiment,