ous advantages,
but depends, of course, on the road being little infested, so that your
partial escort will suffice to repel attacks. Toiling forward, at their
diligent slow rate, I find these trains from Troppau take about six
days (from Neisse to Olmutz they take eleven, but the first five are
peaceable [Tempelhof, ii. 48.]);--can't be hurried beyond that pace, if
you would save your laggards, your irregulars, and prevent what we may
call RAGGERY in your rearward parts; the skirts of your procession get
torn by the bushes if you go faster. This time Colonel Mosel will have
to mend his pace, however, and to go in the lump withal; the case being
critical, as Mosel knows, and MORE than he yet knows.

Daun, who has friends everywhere, and no lack of spies in this country,
generally hears of the convoys. He has heard, in particular, of this
important one, in good time. Hitherto Daun had not attempted much
upon convoys, nor anything with success: King's posted corps and other
precautions are of such a kind, not even Loudon, when he tried his best,
could do any good; and common wandering hussar parties are as likely
to get a mischief as to do one, on such service. Cautious Daun had been
busy enough keeping his own Camp safe, and flinging a word of news or
encouragement, at the most a trifle of reinforcement, into Olmutz. when
possible. But now it becomes evident there must be one of two things:
this convoy seized, or else a battle risked;--and that in defect of both
these, the inevitable third thing is, Olmutz will straightway go.

Major-General Loudon, the best partisan soldier extant, and ripening
for better things, has usually a force of perhaps 10,000 under him,
four regiments of them regular grenadiers; and has been active on
the convoys, though hitherto unsuccessful. Let an active Loudon, with
increased force, try this, their vitally important convoy, from the west
side of the River; an active Ziskowitz co-operating on the east side,
where the road itself is; and do their uttermost! That is Daun's
plan,--now in course of execution. Daun, instead of meaning battle, that
day when Friedrich saw him, was cautiously stealing past, intending to
cross the River farther down; and himself support the operation. Daun
has crossed accordingly, and has doubled up northward again to the fit
point; Ziskowitz is in the fit point, in the due force, on this east
side too. Loudon, on the west side, goes by Muglitz, Hof; making a long
de