ribed to you when last we met, and I left the English aide-de-camp
shaking his foolish fist out of the window. I could not but laugh as I
looked back at him, for his angry red face was framed and frilled with
hay. Once out on the road I stood erect in my stirrups, and I put on the
handsome black riding-coat, lined with red, which had belonged to him.
It fell to the top of my high boots, and covered my tell-tale uniform
completely. As to my busby, there are many such in the German service,
and there was no reason why it should attract attention. So long as no
one spoke to me there was no reason why I should not ride through the
whole of the Prussian army; but though I understood German, for I had
many friends among the German ladies during the pleasant years that I
fought all over that country, still I spoke it with a pretty Parisian
accent which could not be confounded with their rough, unmusical speech.
I knew that this quality of my accent would attract attention, but
I could only hope and pray that I would be permitted to go my way in
silence.

The Forest of Paris was so large that it was useless to think of going
round it, and so I took my courage in both hands and galloped on down
the road in the track of the Prussian army. It was not hard to trace it,
for it was rutted two feet deep by the gun-wheels and the caissons. Soon
I found a fringe of wounded men, Prussians and French, on each side of
it, where Bulow's advance had come into touch with Marbot's Hussars. One
old man with a long white beard, a surgeon, I suppose, shouted at me,
and ran after me still shouting, but I never turned my head and took no
notice of him save to spur on faster. I heard his shouts long after I
had lost sight of him among the trees.

Presently I came up with the Prussian reserves. The infantry were
leaning on their muskets or lying exhausted on the wet ground, and the
officers stood in groups listening to the mighty roar of the battle and
discussing the reports which came from the front. I hurried past at the
top of my speed, but one of them rushed out and stood in my path with
his hand up as a signal to me to stop. Five thousand Prussian eyes were
turned upon me. There was a moment! You turn pale, my friends, at the
thought of it. Think how every hair upon me stood on end. But never for
one instant did my wits or my courage desert me. "General Blucher!" I
cried. Was it not my guardian angel who whispered the words in my ear?
The Pruss