I felt some animal make a sudden spring
on me, which nearly brought me to the ground. Wolves were not common in
the country, but there had been some recent instances of their issuing
from the forests, and my first idea was that I had been thus attacked.
But the barking and bounding of a dog soon put an end to this
conception; and I recognised in my assailant the huge house-dog of the
chateau, with whom I had already struck up a particular friendship. More
sharpsighted than myself, he had rushed across the wood after me, and
exhibited all imaginable rejoicing at the rencontre. I reached the
barns, found all my men wrapped in that quiet which cares nothing for
the troubles of kings and cabinet councils, and was preparing to return,
when Caesar, with every demonstration of having found something of
importance, brought me a letter which he had dug out of the snow. By the
light of the lantern, I discovered it to be the report of an engineer
officer dispatched from the French army to ascertain the condition of
our outposts, informing the head of the staff of an intended ball, and
proposing a plan for carrying off the whole party together. I was
thunderstruck. The letter was dated three days before, and though
evidently dropped by some negligence of the officer, yet giving full
time for him to make his report in person, and bring the force necessary
for our capture. If it succeeded, an exploit of this order might have
paralysed the whole campaign; for nearly the entire staff of the army,
besides a crowd of regimental officers of all grades, were within the
walls of the chateau.

I hastened back, showed the report to one or two of the principal
officers, in private, for the purpose of avoiding alarm to our fair
partners, and we then considered what means were left to protect us from
the approaching catastrophe. Our little council of war was nearly as
much perplexed as matters of this kind are in general; and the
propositions, various as they were, came finally to the usual result,
that we had got into a scrape, and that we must get out of it as well as
we could. To send the ladies away was impossible, in a tempest which
already flooded every road, and with all the trees crashing over their
heads. To expect reinforcements from the camp, at such a distance, and
in such weather, was hopeless; with the recollection that the whole
affair might be over in the next quarter of an hour, and our entire
assembly be in march before the Fr