“Evidently he feels that it’s so.  I’m getting used to princes, but our heavy friend there must be something of a specialist in the princely line.  I should judge from his manner that he is not only the oldest man on earth, speaking in terms of blood, but the owner of the earth as well.”

“The Auerspergs have an immense pride.”

“I can see it, but a lot of pride fell before Paris yesterday, and a lot more is falling among these hills and forests today.  There seems to be a lot of difference between princes, the Arnheims and the Auerspergs, for instance.”

Then a sudden thought struck John.  It had the vaguest sort of basis, but it came home to him with all the power of conviction.

“I wonder if Prince Karl of Auersperg once owned a magnificent armored automobile,” he said.

Weber looked puzzled, and then his eyes lightened.

“Ah, I know what you mean!” he exclaimed.  “The one in which we took that flight with Carstairs the Englishman and Wharton the American.  It belonged to a prince, without doubt, yes.  But no, it couldn’t have been Prince Karl of Auersperg who owned the machine.”

“I’m not so sure.  I’ve an intuition that it is he.  Besides, he looks like just the kind of prince from whom I’d like to take his best automobile, also everything else good that he might happen to have.  I shall feel much disappointed if this proves not to be our prince.”

“You Americans are such democrats.”

“I don’t go so far as to say a man is necessarily bad because of his high rank, but as I reminded you a little while ago, there are princes and princes.  The ancient house of Auersperg as it walks up and down, indicating its conviction of its own superiority to everything else on earth, does not please me.”

“The Uhlans are coming back!” exclaimed Weber in tones of excitement.

“And that’s von Boehlen at their head!  I’d know his figure as far as I could see it!  And they’ve had a brush, too!  Look at the empty saddles and the wounded men!  As sure as we live they’ve run into the French cavalry and then they’ve run out again!”

The Uhlans were returning at a gallop, and the German officers of high rank were crowding forward to meet them.  It was obvious to every one that they had received a terrible handling, but John knew that von Boehlen was not a man to come at a panicky gallop.  Some powerful motive must send him so fast.

He saw the Prussian captain spring from his horse and rush to a little group composed of the general, the prince and several others of high rank who had drawn closely together at his coming.

Von Boehlen was wounded slightly, but he stood erect as he saluted the commander and talked with him briefly and rapidly.  John’s busy and imaginative mind was at work at once with surmises, and he settled upon one which he was sure must be the truth.  The French advance in the center was coming, and this German army also must soon go into action.