Then we went at the game.  BILL is pretty good at it, but then he doesn’t stand any chance beside MOLTY.  The Crown Prince lost at least fourteen cents, and, just as he had a splendid opportunity to retrieve his losses, in came an aide, who announced that the French had squatted.

“Where?” cried VON MOLTKE.

“In Sedan,” replied the aide.

“I knew it,” said MOLTY.  “BILL, I told you they had no horses for a regular carriage.”

Then we went out.  The King invited me to sit in his carriage with MOLTY and SHERIDAN.  We reached the scene of war.

The moon shone; the mountains were mountainous; the trees were treey; and the soft September breeze was breezy.  BISMARCK came up and asked the King to let him cut behind.

“BIS,” said I, “take my seat; I’ll take a trip to the French camp.”

So I tripped over to the French camp and found things somewhat mixed.  The moon shone.  Steadily the Prussian troops advanced; and, with a heroism worthy of a better cause, the French retreated.  The Emperor wanted to die in the rear of his men.

“NAP,” said I, “you’d better get up and get.  The Prussians are coming.”

“JENKINS,” said he, “kiss me for my mother, I’m betrayed.”

“Why didn’t you have more cheesepots?” said I.

“I’ll surrender,” said he, “get out a white flag.”

So I took one of EUGENIE’S old pocket-handkerchiefs which I found in the tent, stuck it on the end of the sabre of the nephew of his uncle, put NAP in the carriage, jumped in myself and drove to the Prussian camp.  The moon shone; all nature smiled; the rivers were rivery; the Sedans were chairy.

BILL received us very coolly at first, but I gave BIS the wink, and he suggested to his Majesty that he’d better take the Emperor prisoner.

“NAP,” said BILL, “is the game up?”

“BILL,” said NAP, “you’ve scored the game.  I leave my old clothes to the Regent.  I hope she’ll like the breeches.”

Then he treated to cigarettes, and we all went back to our game of penny ante.  NAP wouldn’t join us.  He said he’d just been playing a game with crowns ante and he was busted.  We’d hardly got the cards dealt, when BILL turned to BISMARCK and asked, “I say, BIS, won’t you run over and telegraph to the old woman something about our FRITZ?”

“Let JENKINS go,” said BIS.

Of course I assented to the proposition.

“Where the devil is FRITZ?” said BILL.

“Oh, he’s been sleeping for the last two hours,” said MOLTKE.

“Never mind,” said BILL, “telegraph a victory by FRITZ.”

So I telegraphed,

“A great victory has been won by our FRITZ.  What great things have we done for ourselves!  We’ll keep it up, old woman,

(Signed) BILL.”

When I reached the tent everybody was asleep.  NAP was reclining gracefully on the breast of BISMARCK, as affectionately as if they were brothers-in-law.  The moon shone; the sky was skyey; the hills were hilly; and all nature was getting up.