of the Bavarian cavalry is behind us, but it is probable that one of their two divisions is pursuing the infantry.  I wish you had been there with them.  In the first place your example would have prevented their breaking, and in the second you could have covered their retreat.  As it is, I fear that but few of the three thousand who were with me will reach Philippsburg.  I shall be glad if you yourself will remain near me.  If your regiment were going to keep together I would not take you from them, but being broken up into fragments, you could exercise no supervision over them in the darkness.”

Hector at once called the officers together, and gave them the necessary orders.  “You understand,” he said, “that your main object is not so much to save yourselves, though that is most important, but to enable the cavalry to beat back the Bavarian horse.”

It was a terrible march; both horse and foot made their way along with difficulty through the darkness.  Men and horses were alike fatigued, and the cavalry for the most part dismounted and led their animals along.  There were several sharp fights with bodies of the enemy, who, ignorant of the line by which the French were retreating, feared to press the rearguard too close, lest they should find them in very superior numbers.  Once, when they passed a lane running down to the river, Turenne —­ who had taken every opportunity of making his way across the line of retreat and seeing how all was going on —­ said to Hector, “Will you ride up here, Campbell, and cheer up any parties you may come across.  Tell them that all is going on well, and that by morning we shall find that the enemy have given up the pursuit, and shall be able to halt and take a few hours’ rest, and give battle should the enemy come up in force.  Their horses must be as fatigued as ours, for they must have been marching for eight or ten hours since the morning.”

Hector had only Paolo now with him, having appointed the four troopers to go with different parties of the infantry, and to act as orderlies to their captains.  He rode rapidly up the lane, and presently heard the cavalry passing across it.

“There is one party, Paolo,” he said, urging his horse into a gallop.  In two or three minutes he came up with the column of horse.

“Where is your officer?” he asked, drawing rein as he reached them.

“Seize him!” a voice cried in German, and before he and Paolo could turn their horses half a dozen troopers were upon them.

“I surrender,” he cried in German, seeing that resistance was impossible.

“Who are you, monsieur?” an officer demanded.

“I am colonel of the Poitou regiment of infantry,” he said.  “This man is my lackey.”

“Where are your cavalry, sir?”

“That I cannot tell you exactly, seeing that no one knows.  I thought that you formed part of our rearguard.”

“How comes it that you, an infantry officer, were there?  We heard that there were no infantry with them.”