rter, the Prussian line has hitched itself
up towards Striegau, has got curved inward, and covers less ground than
was counted on; so that there is like to be some gap in the central
part of;--as in fact there was, in spite of Friedrich's efforts, and
hitchings of battalions and squadrons: an indisputable gap, though it
turned to rich profit for Friedrich; Prince Karl paying no attention to
it. Upon such indisputable gap a wakeful enemy might have done Friedrich
some perilous freak; but Karl was in his bed, as we say;--in a terrible
flurry, too, when out of bed. Nothing was done upon the gap; and
Friedrich had his unexpected profit by it before long.

The second accident is almost worse. Striegau Bridge (of planks, as
I feared), creaking under such a heavy stream of feet and wheels all
night, did at last break, in some degree, and needed to be mended; so
that the rearward regiments, who are to form Friedrich's left wing,
are in painful retard;--and are becoming frightfully necessary, the
Austrians as yet far outflanking us, capable of taking us in flank
with that right wing of theirs! The moment was agitating to a
General-in-chief: Valori will own this young King's bearing was perfect;
not the least flurry, though under such a strain. He has aides-de-camp,
dashing out every-whither with orders, with expedients; Prince Henri,
his younger Brother: galloping the fastest; nay, at last, he begs Valori
himself to gallop, with orders to a certain General Gessler, in whose
Brigade are Dragoons. Which Valori does,--happily without effect on
Gessler; who knows no Valori for an aide-de-camp, and keeps the ground
appointed him; rearward of that gap we talked of.

Happily the Austrian right wing is in no haste to charge. Happily
Ziethen, blocked by that incumbrance of the Bridge mending, "finds a
ford higher up," the assiduous Ziethen; splashes across, other regiments
following; forms in line well leftward; and instead of waiting for the
Austrian charge, charges home upon them, fiercely through the difficult
grounds, No danger of the Austrians outflanking us now; they are
themselves likely to get hard measure on their flank. By the ford and
by the Bridge, all regiments, some of them at treble-quick, get to their
posts still in time. Accident second has passed without damage.
Forward, then; rapid, steady; and reserve your fire till within fifty
paces!--Prinoe Ferdinand of Brunswick (Friedrich's Brother-in-law, a
bright-eyed steady y