good that he might happen to have. I
shall feel much disappointed if this proves not to be our prince."

"You Americans are such democrats."

"I don't go so far as to say a man is necessarily bad because of his
high rank, but as I reminded you a little while ago, there are princes
and princes. The ancient house of Auersperg as it walks up and down,
indicating its conviction of its own superiority to everything else on
earth, does not please me."

"The Uhlans are coming back!" exclaimed Weber in tones of excitement.

"And that's von Boehlen at their head! I'd know his figure as far as I
could see it! And they've had a brush, too! Look at the empty saddles
and the wounded men! As sure as we live they've run into the French
cavalry and then they've run out again!"

The Uhlans were returning at a gallop, and the German officers of high
rank were crowding forward to meet them. It was obvious to every one
that they had received a terrible handling, but John knew that von
Boehlen was not a man to come at a panicky gallop. Some powerful motive
must send him so fast.

He saw the Prussian captain spring from his horse and rush to a little
group composed of the general, the prince and several others of high
rank who had drawn closely together at his coming.

Von Boehlen was wounded slightly, but he stood erect as he saluted the
commander and talked with him briefly and rapidly. John's busy and
imaginative mind was at work at once with surmises, and he settled upon
one which he was sure must be the truth. The French advance in the
center was coming, and this German army also must soon go into action.

He was confirmed in his belief by a hurried order to the guards to go
eastward with the prisoners. As the captives, the wounded and the
unwounded, marched off through the forest of Senouart they heard at a
distance, but behind them, the opening of a huge artillery fire. It was
so tremendous that they could feel the shaking of the earth as they
walked, and despite the hurrying of their guards they stopped at the
crest of a low ridge to look back.

They gazed across a wide valley toward high green hills, along which
they saw rapid and many flashes. John longed now for the glasses which
had been taken from him when he was captured, but he was quite sure that
the flashes were made by French guns. From a point perhaps a mile in
front of the prisoners masked German batteries were replying. Fleury
with his extraordinary power of ju