either, a light heart, gave me abundant energy; and
after the first three or four miles of the way I felt as if I was equal
to any fatigue.

As we rode along, the general repeated all his cautions to me in the
event of my being summoned to give information at headquarters--the
importance of all my replies being short, accurate, and to the purpose;
and, above all, the avoidance of anything like an opinion or expression
of my own judgment on passing events. I promised faithfully to observe
all his counsels, and not bring discredit on his patronage.

CHAPTER L. THE MARCH ON VIENNA

All General Massena's wise counsels, and my own steady resolves to
profit by them, were so far thrown away, that, on our arrival at
Abensberg, we found that the Emperor had left it four hours before, and
pushed on to Ebersfield, a village about five leagues to the eastward.
A despatch, however, awaited Massena, telling him to push forward with
Oudinot's corps to Neustadt, and, with his own division, which comprised
the whole French right, to manoeuvre so as to menace the archduke's base
upon the Iser.

Let my reader not fear that I am about to inflict on him a story of the
great campaign itself, nor compel him to seek refuge in a map from
the terrible array of hard names of towns and villages for which that
district is famous. It is enough for my purpose that I recall to his
memory the striking fact, that when the French sought victory by turning
and defeating the Austrian left, the Austrians were exactly in march to
execute a similar movement on the French left wing. Napoleon, however,
gave the first 'check,' and 'mated' his adversary ere he could open his
game. By the almost lightning speed of his manouvres, he moved forward
from Ratisbon with the great bulk of his army; and at the very time that
the archduke believed him to be awaiting battle around that city, he was
far on his march to Landshut.

General Massena was taking a hurried cup of coffee, and dictating a few
lines to his secretary, when a dragoon officer galloped into the town
with a second despatch, which, whatever its contents, must needs have
been momentous, for in a few minutes the drums were beating and trumpets
sounding, and all the stirring signs of an immediate movement visible.
It was yet an hour before daybreak, and dark as midnight; torches,
however, blazed everywhere, and by their flaring light the artillery
trains and waggons drove through the narrow street o