e are
lost!" Prince Karl, with Hussar-parties all about, is fully aware of
Prince Leopold and his movements, and is rolling on, Ronnow-ward all
day, to cut him off, in his detached state, if possible. Prince Karl
might, with ease, have broken this Dobrowa Bridge; and Leopold and
military men recognize it as a capital neglect that he did not.

Leopold, overloaded with such intricacies and anxieties, sends off three
messengers, Officers of mark (Schmettau Junior one of them), to apprise
the King: the Officers return, unable to get across to his Majesty;
Leopold sends proper detachment of horse with them,--uncertain still
whether they will get through. And night is falling; we shall evidently
be too late for getting Czaslau: well if we can occupy Chotusitz and the
environs; a small clay Hamlet, three miles nearer us. It was 11 at night
before the rear-guard got into Chotusitz: Czaslau, three miles south of
us, we cannot attend to till to-morrow morning. [Orlich, pp. 236-239.]
And the three messengers, despatched with escort, send back no word.
Have they ever got to his Majesty? Leopold sends off a fourth. This
fourth one does get through; reports to his Majesty, That, by all
appearance, there will be Battle on the morrow early; that not Czaslau,
but only Chotusitz is ours; and that Instructions are wanted. Deep in
the night, this fourth messenger returns; a welcome awakening for Prince
Leopold; who studies his Majesty's Instructions, and will make his
dispositions accordingly.

It is 2 or 3 in the morning, [Ib. p. 238.] in Leopold's Camp,--Bivouac
rather, with its face to the south, and Chotusitz ahead. Thursday, 17th
May, 1742; a furiously important Day about to dawn. High Problem of the
23th February last; Britannic Majesty and his Hyndfords and Robinsons
vainly protesting:--it had to be tried; Hungarian Majesty having got,
from Britannic, the sinews for trying it: and this is to be the Day.

Chapter XIII. --BATTLE OF CHOTUSITZ.

Kuttenberg, Czaslau, Chotusitz and all these other places lie in what
is called the Valley of the Elbe, but what to the eye has not the least
appearance of a hollow, but of an extensive plain rather, dimpled here
and there; and, if anything, rather sloping FROM the Elbe,--were it
not that dull bushless brooks, one or two, sauntering to NORTHward, not
southward, warn you of the contrary. Conceive a flat tract of this kind,
some three or four miles square, with Czaslau on its southern bor