en killed, and he had been sorely
bruised by the falls. Sending for a cannon, he got astride of it,
called up the infantry round him--the brigade of General
Lestwitz--begged the drummers to strike up the Prussian march and,
through the blackness of the night, started for the point where the
din of battle was going on unceasingly.

Forgotten now were the fatigues of the day. The Prussians pressed
on with their quick strides, their excitement growing higher and
higher as they neared the scene of action; and breaking out into a
roar of cheering as, sweeping round on the side of the hill, they
joined Ziethen's hardly-pressed troops and rushed upon the enemy.

But though the news of their coming cheered all the line to fresh
exertions, not yet was the combat finished. The whole of Lacy's
command was opposed to them, swelled by reinforcements sent down
from above by O'Donnel who, in Daun's absence, was in command. It
was another hour before the foe gave way, and the Prussians pressed
steadily up the hill; until at nine o'clock they were planted on
the top of the Siptitz hill, on the highest point of the plateau,
whence their cannon commanded the whole ground down to Torgau.

Daun, conscious of the danger, had, as he heard of Ziethen's
advance, sent order after order that he must at all costs be driven
back; and even when the Prussians gained the position, they had
still to struggle fiercely for another hour to hold it. Daun knew
that, with Frederick established on one side of the position, and
with Ziethen well planted upon the other and commanding the whole
of it with his guns, there was nothing for it but to retreat; and
already he had sent orders that a strong force should form in order
of battle to repel an attack, close to the suburbs of Torgau. As
soon as this disposition was effected, he ordered the retreat to
commence.

Fortunately he had four bridges across the river; and he had, on
the previous day, taken the precaution of sending the whole of his
baggage wagons over. On occasions of this kind Daun's dispositions
were always admirable, and he drew off his army across the river in
excellent order; half the Prussian army knowing nothing of what was
going on, and the other half being too exhausted to attempt to
interfere, ignorant as they were of the position and state of
Frederick's division.

Had the king known earlier what was taking place, comparatively few
of the Austrian army would have got across the rive