d.
Two thousand of the latter, too seriously wounded to escape, were
made prisoners. The loss of the enemy had been little inferior, for
eighteen thousand Russians and Austrians were killed or wounded.

Another letter sent off by the king that night had disastrous
consequences, for he wrote to the governor of Dresden that, should
the Austrians attempt anything on the town beyond his means of
maintaining himself, he was to capitulate on the best terms he
could obtain.

Happily for Frederick, Soltikoff was as slow in his movements as
Daun, and for two months made no attempt to take advantage of the
victory of Kunersdorf, and thus afforded time to Frederick to
repair his misfortunes. But during the two months Dresden had been
lost. Its governor had received Frederick's letter, and was unaware
how things had mended after it was written, and that a force was
pressing forward to aid him against an Austrian besieging army.
Consequently, after little more than a nominal resistance, he
surrendered when, unknown to him, relief was close at hand.

The French being defeated, and in full flight for the Rhine, it
seemed to Fergus that it was his duty to return to the king; as
there was no probability whatever of any hard fighting on the
western frontier, while the position of affairs in the east was
most serious. He was still on the king's staff, and had but been
lent to the Duke of Brunswick. He laid the matter before the
latter, who at once agreed with him that he should rejoin the king.

"Frederick sorely needs active and intelligent officers, at
present," he said. "It is not by force that he can hope to prevent
the Russians and Austrians from marching to Berlin, but by
quickness and resource. His opponents are both slow and deliberate
in their movements, and the king's quickness puzzles and confuses
them. It is always difficult for two armies to act in perfect
concert, well-nigh impossible when they are of different
nationalities. Daun will wait for Soltikoff and Soltikoff for Daun.
The king will harass both of them. Daun has to keep one eye upon
his magazines in Bohemia, for Prince Henry in Silesia still
constantly menaces them, and not only the Austrian but the Russian
army is fed from Prague.

"Were it not that I am specially bound to defend Hanover from the
Confederate army, I would march with the greater portion of my
force to join the king; but my orders are imperative. 'Tis for
Hanover that George of England is fig