me trifling phenomenon (Prussian party
of horse, or the like), which convinced his cautious mind that all was
found out; that probably a whole Prussian Army, instead of a Ziethen
only, was waiting at Sorau; upon which Daun turned home again, sorry
that he could not turn the other two as well. The other two were
stronger than Ziethen, could they have come upon him by surprise; or
have caught him before he got through a certain Pass, or bit of bad
ground, with his baggage. But Ziethen, by some accident, or by his own
patrols, got notice; loaded his baggage instantly; and was through the
Pass, or half through it, and in a condition to give stroke for stroke
with interest, when his enemies came up. Nothing could be done upon
Ziethen; who marched on, he and all his properties, safe to Sagan that
night,--owing to Daun's over-caution, and to Ziethen's own activity and
luck." [Tempelhof, iii. 233.]

All this was prior to the loss of Dresden. During the crisis of that,
when everybody was bestirring himself, Prince Henri made extraordinary
exertions: "Much depends on me; all on me!" sighed Henri. A cautious
little man; but not incapable of risking, in the crisis of a game for
life and death. Friedrich and he are wedged asunder by that dike of
Russians and Austrians, which goes from Bober river eastward, post
after post, to Hoyerswerda westward, eighty miles along the
Lausitz-Brandenburg Frontier, rooting itself through the Lausitz
into Bohemia, and the sources of its meal. Friedrich and he cannot
communicate except by spies ("the first JAGER," or regular express "from
the King, arrived September 13th" [Ib. iii. 207.]): but both are of one
mind; both are on one problem, "What is to be done with that impassable
dike?"--and co-operate sympathetically without communicating. What
follows bears date AFTER the loss of Dresden, but while Henri still knew
only of the siege,--that JAGER of the 13th first brought him news of the
loss.

"A day or two after Ziethen's adventure, Henri quits Sagan, to move
southward for a stroke at the Bohemian-Lausitz magazines; a stroke, and
series of strokes. SEPTEMBER 8th, Ziethen and (in Fouquet's absence at
Landshut) Stutterheim are pushed forward into the Zittau Country; first
of all upon Friedland,--the Zittau Friedland, for there are Friedlands
many! SEPTEMBER 9th, Stutterheim summons Friedland, gets it; gets the
bit of magazine there; and next day hastens on to Zittau. Is refused
surrender of Zittau