history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第72章

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mmanders；　for　the　road　has　hitherto　been　mainly　pacific；　divide　their　train　into　parts；　say　four　parts；　moving　with　their　partial　escorts；　with　an　interval　of　one　day　between　each　two：　this　has　its　obvious　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　deep　bend　far　to　westward　and　hillward　of　all　the　Prussian　posted　corps　and　precautions；　and　altogether　hidden　from　them；　Loudon　aims　to　be　in　Troppau　neighborhood；　〃Guntersdorf；　near　Bautsch；〃　by　the　proper　day；　and　pay　Mosel　an　unexpected　visit　in　the　passage　there。

Colonel　Mosel；　marshalling　his　endless　Trains　with　every　excellent　precaution；　and　the　cleverest　dispositions　（say　the　Books）；　against　the　known　and　the　unknown；　had　got　upon　the　road；　and　creaked　forward；　many…wheeled；　out　of　Troppau；　Monday；　26th　June。　＇Tempelhof；　ii。　89…94。＇　The　roads；　worn　by　the　much　travelling　and　wet　weather；　were　utterly　bad；　the　pace　was　perhaps　quicker　than　usual；　the　much…jolting　Train　got　greatly　into　a　jumble：Mosel；　to　bring　up　the　laggards；　made　the　morrow　a　rest…day；　did　get　about　two…thirds　of　his　laggards　marshalled　again；　ordered　the　others　to　return；　as　impossible。　They　say；　had　it　not　been　for　this　rest…day；　which　seemed　of　no　consequence；　Loudon　would　not　have　been　at　Guntersdorf　in　time；　nor　have　attempted　as　he　did　at　Guntersdorf　and　afterwards。　At　break　of　day　（Wednesday；　28th）；　Mosel　is　again　on　the　road；　heavily　jumbling　forward　from　his　quarters　in　Bautsch。　Few　miles　on；　towards　Guntersdorf；　he　discovers　Loudon　posted　ahead　in　the　defiles。　What　a　sight　for　Mosel；　in　his　character　of　Wagoner　up　with　the　dawn！　But　Mosel　managed　the　defiles　and　Loudon　this　time；　halted　his　train；　dashed　up　into　the　woody　heights　and　difficult　grounds；　stormed　Loudon's　cannon　from　him；　smote　Loudon　in　a　valiant　tempestuous　manner；　and　sent　him　travelling　again　for　the　present。

Loudon；　I　conjecture；　would　have　struggled　farther；　had　not　he　known　that　there　would　be　a　better　chance　again　not　very　many　miles　ahead。　London　has　studied　this　Convoy；　knows　of　Ziethen　coming　to　it　with　so　many；　of　Ziskowitz　coming　to　him；　Loudon；　with　so　many；　that　Ziethen　cannot　send　for　more　（roads　being　all　beset　by　our　industry　yesterday）；　that　Ziskowitz　can；　should　it　be　needful；and　that　at　Domstadtl　there　is　a　defile；　or　confused　woody　hollow；　of　unequalled　quality！　Mosel　jumbles　on　all　day　with　his　Train；　none　molesting；　at　night　gets　to　his　appointed　quarters；　Village　of　Neudorfl；　＇The　L；　or　EL；　is　a　diminutive　in　these　Names：　（NEUDORFL）　〃New…ThorpLET；〃　（DOMSTADTL）　〃Cathedral…TownLET；〃　and　the　like。＇　and　there　finds　Ziethen：　a　glad　meeting；　we　may　fancy；　but　an　anxious　one；　with　Domstadtl　ahead　on　the　morrow。　Loudon　concerts　with　Ziskowitz　this　day；　calls　in　all　reinforcements　possible；　and　takes　his　measures。　Thursday　morning；　Ziethen　finds　the　Train　in　such　a　state；　hardly　half　of　it　come　up；　he　has　to　spend　the　whole　day；　Mosel　and　he；　in　rearranging　it：　Friday　morning；　June　30th；　they　get　under　way　again；Friday；　the　catastrophe　is　waiting　them。

The　Pass　of　Domstadtl；　lapped　in　the　dim　Moravian　distance；　is　not　known　to　me　or　to　my　readers；　nor　indeed　could　the　human　pen　or　intellect；　aided　by　ocular　inspection　or　whatever　helps；　give　the　least　image　of　what　now　took　place　there；　rendering　Domstadtl　a　memorable　locality　ever　since。　Understand　that　Ziethen　and　Mosel；　with　their　waste　slow　deluge　of　wagons；　come　jumbling　in；　with　anxiety；　with　precautions；precautions　doubled；　now　that　the　woody　intricacies　about　Domstadtl　rise　in　sight。　〃Pooh；　it　is　as　we　thought：　there　go　Austrian　cannon…salvos；　horse…charges；　volleying　musketries；　as　our　first　wagons　enter　the　Pass；and　there　will　be　a　job！〃　Indecipherable　to　mankind　far　off；　or　even　near。　Of　which　only　this　feature　and　that　can　be　laid　hold　of；　as　discernible；　by　the　most　industrious　man。　Escort；　in　three　main　bodies；　vanguard；　middle；　rear…guard；　marches　on　each　side；　infantry　on　the　left；　cavalry　on　the　right；　as　the　ground　is　leveller　there。　Length　of　the　Train　in　statute　miles；　as　it　jumbles　along　at　this　point；　is　not　given；　but　we　know　it　was　many　miles；　that　horses　and　wagoners　were　in　panic　hardly　restrainable；　and　we　dimly　descry；　here　especially；　human　drill…sergeantcy　doing　the　impossible　to　keep　chaos　plugged　down。　The　poor　wagoner；　cannon　playing　ahead；　whirls　homeward　with　his　vehicle；　if　your　eye　quit　him；still　better；　and　handier；　cuts　his　traces；　mounts　in　a　good　moment；　and　is　off　at　heavy…footed　gallop；　leaving　his　wagon。　Seldom　had　human　drill…　sergeantcy　such　a　problem。

The　Prussian　Vanguard；　one　Krockow　its　commander；　repulsed　that　first　Austrian　attack；　swept　the　Bass　clear　for　some　minutes；　got　their　section　of　the　carriages；　or　some　part　of　it；　250　in　all；　hurried　through；　then　halted　on　the　safe　side；　to　wait　what　Ziethen　would　do　with　the　remainder。　Ziethen　does　his　best　and　bravest；　as　everybody　does；　keeps　his　wagon…chaos　plugged　down；　ranks　it　in　square　mass；　as　a　wagon　fortress　（WAGENBURG）；　ranks　himself　and　everybody；　his　cannon；　his　platoon　musketry；　to　the　best　advantage　round　it；　furiously　shoots　out　in　all　manner　of　ways；　against　the　furious　Loudon　on　this　flank；　and　the　furious　Ziskowitz　on　that；　takes　hills；　loses　them；　repels　and　is　repelled　（wagon…chaos　ever　harder　to　keep　plugged）；　finally　perceives　himself　to　be　beaten；　that　the　wagon…chaos　has　got　unplugged　（fancy　it！）and　that　he；　Ziethen；　must　retreat；　back　foremost　if　possible。　He　did　retreat；　fighting　all　the　way　to　Troppau；　and　the　Convoy　is　a　ruin　and　a　prey。

Krockow；　with　the　250；　has　got　under　way　again；　hearing　the　powder…　wagons　start　into　the　air　（fired　by　the　enemy）；　and　hearing　the　cannon　and　musketry　take　a　northerly　course；　and　die　away　in　that　ominous　direction。　These　250　were　all　the　carriages　that　came　in：　happily；　by　Ziethen's　prudence；　the　money；　a　large　sum；　had　been　lodged　in