at six a portion
of the defenders withdrew behind the town to the second line; at eight
the rest did likewise. Next morning at five, Napoleon, after a
sleepless night, issued his orders; at eight the conflict opened all
along the line. Then first, the Mameluke body-servant having spread a
couch of skins, the Emperor sought repose; he slept to the lullaby of
cannon and musketry for several hours, calmly assured of his
combinations working perfectly. By one Ney had rolled up the Russian
right under Barclay, and Napoleon, waking, sent Marmont and Bertrand
around the right of the enemy's center. By four the allied armies were
in full retreat. Then would have been the moment for artillery to
crash and cavalry to pursue; but neither was efficient, and while the
French army did what men could do, at best they could only follow at
equal speed with the foe, and could not throw his ranks into disorder.
"What! no results from such carnage?" said Napoleon. "Not a gun? Not a
prisoner?"

There was worse to come. From time to time the flying columns wheeled
and poured a heavy artillery fire into their pursuers. Near
Reichenbach, Bruyeres was killed by a ball; then Kirchener by
another, which, ricochetting from a tree, mortally wounded Duroc, the
commander's faithful aid, his second self. Such a blow was stupefying
indeed, for it was the loss of his closest confidant, of one who
through every vicissitude had been a near, true friend, almost the
only companion of a man reduced to solitude by his great elevation.
Napoleon was stricken to the heart, and, halting, gave way until
nightfall to his despair. "Poor man!" said the troopers one to
another, "he has lost his children." "Everything to-morrow," was the
sorrowing ruler's one reply to all suggestions. From time to time he
betook himself to the bedside of the dying man; at last Duroc himself
could no longer endure his Emperor's prostration, and besought him to
rejoin the soldiers. The friends parted in a long embrace. Thereupon
the pursuit was continued, but without ardor and without success.

The nature of Napoleon's victory at Bautzen was his undoing. Had it
been a second Friedland, Caulaincourt no doubt would have met
Alexander; but, as it was, the allies had saved their army, and
Austria's accession to the coalition would still insure their success.
Nesselrode was convinced that Metternich would assent, and, dark as
was the hour, persisted in refusing to communicate with France e