A chill came over me as I reflected how utterly
helpless we were. At that moment I raised my eyes, and there
were the nine Prussian horsemen coming over the hill.
On either side of the road at this point are long stretches of
rolling plain, part of it yellow with corn and part of it rich
grass land watered by the Sambre. To the south of us was a low
ridge, over which was the road to France. Along this road the
little group of cavalry was riding. So well had Count Stein
obeyed his instructions that he had struck far to the south of us
in his determination to get ahead of the Emperor. Now he was
riding from the direction in which we were going-- the last in
which we could expect an enemy. When I caught that first glimpse
of them they were still half a mile away.
"Sire!" I cried, "the Prussians!"
They all started and stared. It was the Emperor who broke the
silence.
"Who says they are Prussians?"
"I do, Sire--I, Etienne Gerard!"
Unpleasant news always made the Emperor furious against the man
who broke it.
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