t
say if he is vigilant in regard to this. From about the fourth day, when
his engineering was only complete in outline, he particularly expects
to be attacked. On the fifth night he concludes it will be; knowing
Loudon's way. Towards sunset, that evening (August 25th), all the tents
are struck: tents, cookeries, every article of baggage, his own among
the rest, are sent to Wurben Heights (to Schweidnitz, Archenholtz says;
but has misremembered): the ground cleared for action. And horse and
foot, every man marches out, and stands ready under arms.

Contrary to everybody's expectation, not a shot was heard, that night.
Nor the next night, nor the next: but the practice of vigilance was
continued. Punctual as mathematics: at a given hour of the afternoon,
tents are all struck; tents and furnitures, field swept clear; and the
50,000 in their places wait under arms. Next morning, nothing having
fallen out, the tents come back; the Army (half of it at once, or almost
the whole of it, according to aspects) rests, goes to sleep if it can.
By night there is vigilance, is work, and no sleep. It is felt to be a
hard life, but a necessary.

Nor in these labors of detail is the King wanting; far from it; the King
is there, as ear and eye of the whole. For the King alone there is,
near the chief Battery, "on the Pfarrberg, namely, in the clump of trees
there," a small Tent, and a bundle of straw where he can lie down, if
satisfied to do so. If all is safe, he will do so; but perhaps even
still he soon awakens again; and strolls about among his guard-parties,
or warms himself by their fires. One evening, among the orders, is heard
this item: "And remember, a lock of straw, will you,--that I may not
have to sleep on the ground, as last night!" [Seyfarth, ii. 16 n.] Many
anecdotes are current to this day, about his pleasant homely ways and
affabilities with the sentry people, and the rugged hospitalities they
would show him at their watch-fires. "Good evening, children." "The
same to thee, Fritz." "What is that you are cooking?"--and would try a
spoonful of it, in such company; while the rough fellows would forbid
smoking, "Don't you know he dislikes it?" "No, smoke away!" the King
would insist.

Mythical mainly, these stories; but the dialect of them true; and very
strange to us. Like that of an Arab Sheik among his tribesmen; like that
of a man whose authority needs no keeping up, but is a Law of Nature to
himself and everybody. H